The doorbell rang. Soonyoung stood up and gestured to Seungkwan to stay seated on the couch. He had been released from the hospital a few days ago, but his body still hurt. His bruised ribs made it painful to move and hard to take deep breaths, his arm and back ached. His friends and Hansol had been helping him as much as they could, or, more accurately, as much as Seungkwan allowed them to. It's not that he wasn't grateful, he just felt useless and pathetic every time one of them did something for him. The fact that the police hadn't made any progress on the case added to his frustration. Sure they had the guys who beat them up, but they still didn't know who paid them to do it or why. He also hadn't asked Hansol about why his mother had been there that night. He tried his best to not think about it.

Soonyoung returned to the living room with Seokmin on his heels. He smiled brightly and sat down on the opposite end of the couch.

“How are you, Seungkwan?”

“About the same as you, I recon.”

Seokmin shook his head, “I think you were in worse shape than me! I've already been out of the hospital for a week!”

“Yeah well, I had some more internal damage or something.” Seungkwan shrugged like it was no big deal.

“It's good to see you outside of that hospital room.”

Seungkwan smiled, “Yeah, I was ready to have someone come in and redecorate. All that white was really starting to drive me crazy. Speaking of driving, you didn't come on your motorcycle did you? I mean, your leg, is it good to drive?”

“It's still a little sore, but the doc said I can drive. That didn't stop Hao from driving me here though.” His smile fell, “I, eh, I'm sorry, but he...he didn't really come to see you.”

Seungkwan chuckled, “No worries. It's not like me and him are really friends or anything.”

Seokmin bit his lip, “Yeah, I suppose...still...he could have come up and said hi or something. He's so stubborn.”

“So where is he?” Soonyoung asked, “No offense, but I don't really like the idea of him just wandering around my house.”

“He, eh, I think he's down with Mingyu. I'm not sure what's going between those two, but I think they're like friends or something.”

Seungkwan and Soonyoung looked at each other, both knowing that it was definitely more than friends on Mingyu's part. Despite Mingyu's strong denial.

“Anyway, would you like something to drink?” Soonyoung offered.

Seokmin stood up from the couch, “Yes, thank you! I'll help you.”

“You really don't have to. I think I can handle three drinks.”

“I'm sure you can, but I'm helping anyway.”

Soonyoung giggled and held out his arm, “Al right, let me show you the kitchen then.”

Seungkwan observed their interaction. The giggling, the smiling, the unnecessary body contact as they walked to the kitchen. Forget Mingyu and Minghao, what was going on between these two. It wasn't the first time Seungkwan had seen the spark between them, but it had been a while since he had last seen them together. He made a mental note to ask Soonyoung about it later.

Once they were back and settled down Seungkwan and Seokmin looked at each other and nodded.

“So, eh, Soon...” Seungkwan started, “Seokmin didn't just come to visit me.”

“Oh?” Soonyoung raised an eyebrow and looked over at Seokmin.

“We wanted to talk to you about that day. Everything got overshadowed by what happened, but the both of us would really like to know how things went with your mother. You haven't said anything and-”

Soonyoung sighed, his mood immediately worsened, “I haven't said anything because there's not that much to tell. It doesn't matter anyway.”

“It does matter!” Seokmin stood up, but sat down again feeling awkward. He wasn't used to loudly voicing his thoughts and opinions, but this was important. “Please, you can talk to us.” He looked back at Seungkwan, “Right, Seungkwan?”

Seungkwan nodded, “Of course! Please don't make me get up and walk over to you to slap some sense into you, because it still kinda hurts when I move too much.”

“Fine. If it's so important to you guys I'll tell you. I already told Seungcheol and Gyu anyway.”

“You what!?” Seungkwan yelled and hissed in pain immediately after as he had tried to jump up.

“Relax, will you! I didn't want to bother you with my thing, you two had enough going on!”

Seungkwan scowled.

Soonyoung sighed and started talking, “So, I went over to the place we were meeting. She had already arrived. It was weird how easy it was to recognize her. She teared up when she saw me. We didn't shake hands or hug or anything though. Kind of awkward. We sat down, ordered coffee. First she made small talk. Asked me how I was, how school was going, like that. She told me how she had signed a deal with my father when she was still pregnant. He would give her money each month and in return she would keep quiet. She couldn't contact me or have anyone contact me on her behalf. When that article came out I guess my dad thought there was really no need for that anymore and he stopped sending her money right away.”

Soonyoung paused and he took a breath. “I stupidly thought she was going to tell me that she wanted to meet me because now that the deal was off she was finally free to contact me.” He scoffed and shook his head, “She just wanted money. She tried to guilt trip me. Started talking about how she had a family to support. She actually wanted me to feel bad for her children. Oh, yeah, she has children by the way. Children she wanted.”

From across the room Seungkwan groaned as he stood up and walked over. “Please stand up so I can hug you.”

Soonyoung chuckled, his eyes were tearing up, but having Seungkwan wrap his arms around him made him feel better. Even more so when Seokmin joined in. The three of them stood there, like a bunch of penguins, hugging, until someone entered the living room.

“Excuse me, but what's going on here?” Seungcheol asked.

Soonyoung leaned his head back, “I told these two my sob story about my mom and they needed hugs.”

<>

Seokmin had stayed for dinner and they were joined by Jisoo and Jeonghan as well. Mingyu said he'd eat downstairs because he was in the middle of a painting. Seungkwan suspected Minghao had refused to eat dinner with them and Mingyu didn't want him to leave yet. Hansol was at work. He had stayed with Seungkwan the past few days, but he really needed to get back to earning some money and was working at the garage during the day followed by his new side-job bar-tending at night. They were just about finished eating when Seungcheol got a phone call. Something about the expression on his face as he was listening to whoever was on the other end made the room go silent. He hung up the phone and looked around the table.

“What's wrong?” Jisoo asked him.

“That was my buddy down at the police station. Seungkwan, Seokmin, you might get a call from the police a bit later, but he just wanted to inform me that one of the guys who assaulted you finally talked a bit. He said their instructions were to go down to that karaoke place to 'beat up Seokmin and the Ruby guy he'll be with'. So they knew who you were and where you would be.”

“Wait. I was mentioned by name, but Seungkwan wasn't?” Seokmin asked.

“Seems that way.”

“But why?”

“They didn't say.”

Soonyoung had a deep frown on his face, “What if it wasn't supposed to be Seungkwan?”

“What do you mean?”

“They said a Ruby, right? What if it was supposed to be me? They obviously knew who Seokmin was since he was specifically named, but the Ruby? I was there too that day, but I had already left by that time. Who knew we were there? Seok, did you tell anyone you were going out with us?”

“Does it even matter?” Seungkwan asked.

“Of course it matters! Seok? Was there anyone who knew where you would be and with who?”

“No. I mean, I guess I told Jihoon and Jeonghan that I was going out with you two, but-”

“No, you didn't.” Jeonghan interrupted, “You just mentioned Soonyoung. I remember because I was teasing you about it being a date.”

Soonyoung huffed, “So Woozi knew about it and he thought it was just you and me.”

Jeonghan locked his eyes onto him, “And?”

“I'm just saying it's a bit of a coincidence, isn't it?”

“Soonyoung...” Seokmin looked at him with sad eyes, “...you can't be suggesting that Jihoon is behind this. He would never hurt me.”

“Guys,” Seungcheol interrupted, “I wasn't finished. The guy also dropped a name and they've brought that person in for questioning. One Lee Jihoon, also known as Woozi.”

It was tense. The divides between the members of different gangs that had been getting blurry were suddenly clear as day again. Jeonghan stood up. “Thank you for dinner. Seokmin, we're leaving now.”

But Seokmin didn't get up, “Soonyoung,” he pleaded, “I'm telling you there is no way Jihoon would order someone to hurt me. It's just impossible. Please, you have to believe me on this.” He didn't know why it was so important to him for Soonyoung to believe him, but he needed him to.

“I believe that you really think that. I'm just not so sure that he's not capable of something like that.”

Jeonghan placed a hand on Seokmin's shoulder, “Come on. Minghao's still downstairs. I'll call Wonwoo.”

“Why would he?” Seokmin asked, still his attention focused on Soonyoung.

Soonyoung shrugged, “I dunno, maybe he was jealous?”

Jeonghan scoffed, “Jealous? Of what?”

Soonyoung stood up, “Maybe he's jealous of me and Seokmin getting closer and they were supposed to beat me up along with him instead of Seungkwan. If he only thought it would be us two he wouldn't have had to specify which Ruby.”

“You ed him twice and now you think he's in love with you or something!? Don't make me laugh. Besides, if he wanted to kick your he would kick your . Not hire someone to do it for him!”

Seungcheol got in between them, facing Jeonghan. “I think it's better if you guys leave.”

“Don't tell me you believe this crap!”

“What am I supposed to believe, Jeonghan? I'm not saying that I think he's behind it, but I'm also not willing to take your word for it that he wasn't. Let's just wait what the police finds out, okay?”

Jeonghan turned around and walked away. Seokmin, on the verge of tears, got up and followed.

Before they were out the door Jisoo caught up with them. “Jeonghan, wait. Don't leave like this. You have to understand where they're coming from too, right? They don't know him like you guys do.”

“Yeah? Well, imagine if Chan or something had gotten beaten half to death and I suggested that Hansol had done it. Would you be okay with that?”

Jisoo remained silent. No, he wouldn't be okay with that. But being a member of neither Daebak nor the Rubies meant he was stuck in the middle with this one. He could see and understand both sides, which actually made it harder. Jeonghan's face softened somewhat and he let out a small sigh. He pressed a quick peck on Jisoo's cheek.

“Call me later?”

“Of course.”

<>

As it turned out they hadn't kept Jihoon at the police station for very long and he was already out by the time the other Daebaks arrived. Since he wasn't picking up his phone or replying to their messages they decided to split up and look for him. It didn't take long for Wonwoo and Seokmin to find him in his office.

Wonwoo sent out a text to the others to let them know they had found him before he started berating his friend. “Would it have killed you to let us know where you were? What the happened?”

“Police had a few questions, I answered them, they let me go. But judging from your texts you guys already know what happened. Tell me, Seok. Why is that? I sure didn't let any of you know.”

“Seungcheol told us...he knows someone. I was just at the Ruby house and-”

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why were you at their house? Are you friends with all of them now?” Jihoon's eyes were piercing cold as they stared up at Seokmin.

“I was there because Seungkwan has just been released from the hospital...” he mumbled in reply. He hadn't done anything wrong, so why did he feel like a kid getting scolded for sneaking out after dark?

Wonwoo was about to open his mouth when Jeonghan walked through the door. He stopped in front of the desk and with a frown on his face and folded arms he stared down at the man behind it, “Well, there you are, Hoonie. We've all been worried sick.”

Jihoon scoffed, “And where have you been? around somewhere?”

It wasn't the first time someone made a comment about Jeonghan's ual escapades, but it was always said in jest, never with malice. Jihoon's comment sounded different this time. It caught Jeonghan and the others by surprise and even Jeonghan, with his sharp and witty tongue, had no response. Jihoon was always a little distant, even with them, but he was never truly mean to them.

Seokmin slammed both of his hands on the table, startling everybody in the room. “ENOUGH!” he bellowed, voice trembling with emotion. “Who do you think you are to talk to us this way!? Stop acting like this doesn't have anything to do with us! Even if you weren't just questioned about something that happened to ME it would still have something to do with us because it has something to do with YOU! Aren't we your friends? Your family? I just defended you to the Rubies, who have no problem thinking you did have something to do with it by the way. I said that there was no way that you would EVER hurt me. I still want to believe that, Jihoon, I really do, but if you keep acting like this I don't know how much longer I can be around you. Lately you-”

“So don't be.”

“What!?”

“If you don't want to be around me, then don't be. I don't care either way.”

Seokmin was at a loss for words. Jeonghan stepped in, “You're going too far, Jihoon. Don't say stuff like that.”

“I'm being serious though. I mean, what good are you to me anyway?” he said, his eyes still on Seokmin.

Not knowing how to deal with this Jihoon, Seokmin turned around and walked away. Casting a quick glance at Minghao who had come in sometime during the yelling. Wonwoo shook his head at Jihoon in disbelief and disappointment and followed suit. He had to agree with Seokmin. It was getting harder and harder to stand by Jihoon's side.

“What good am I to you, Jihoon?” Jeonghan asked, “You never seemed to have a problem with me, what did you call it?  myself around when it was with an important client.” He tried to look him in the eye to see if they could reveal what was really going on inside of Jihoon's head, but it was like staring into a meaningless vacuum of nothing. “I don't know what exactly is going on here, but if your goal is to push all of us away you're doing a hell of a nice job. I'll give you a few days to calm down. I suggest you get a ing grip.” And with that he also walked out the door.

Minghao, who had been standing to the side in silence, was the only one left. Now that they were alone he decided to speak up. “I just came back from your father's. The atmosphere was weird. Like there was something hanging in the air that everybody could see but me. What's going on? If it's something you can't even tell Jeonghan about it must be bad. Don't think I don't know that you were insulting him so he wouldn't ask anymore questions.”

“Nothing is going on. I'm just sick and tired of all of you breathing down my neck all the time. Just leave me alone.”

Minghao nodded and took a few steps toward the door, keeping his eyes on him, “I have your back no matter what. You know that, right?”

Jihoon looked away. Minghao left. He was outside ready to put on his helmet when he heard a frustrated scream and the sound of something breaking coming from Jihoon's office. For a second he thought about going back in, but decided it was probably best not to.

<>

It was a few days later when Jeonghan's doorbell rang. He was expecting that Jihoon had come to his senses. Instead he opened the door to find two police officers.

“Yoon Jeonghan?” One of them asked with a stern voice.

“Yes?”

“We need you to come with us. We have some questions we'd like to ask you.”

“What is this about?”

“Just come with us, sir.”

***

Seungcheol parked his car in front of the police station. Jisoo had called him. Apparently Jun had been with Wonwoo when the police came and took him. He wasn't answering his phone now and the police wouldn't even tell him why they wanted to talk with him. Once inside Seungcheol found Jisoo and Jun sitting on a bench near the entrance.

“What's going on?” he asked.

“We don't know.” Jisoo answered, “We were hoping you might be able to find out.”

“How long has he been here?”

“About two hours.” Jun said, “Me and Jisoo arrived about forty-five minutes after Wonwoo went with them.”

“Went with them? Was he actually under arrest?”

“I'm not sure...they didn't say he was and they didn't cuff him or anything, but they sure didn't make it seem like he had a choice in coming with them.”

Seungcheol nodded, “Alright, I'll see if they'll tell me anything.” He approached the front desk, but there was no-one there. “Hello?” he yelled out, but no response. He impatiently tapped his fingers on the desk. He turned around and leaned against it.

“Seungcheol?”

He turned back around and saw Jeonghan being lead out by an officer who took a seat at the front desk.

“How did you know I was here?” He looked at him and then over to Jisoo and Jun who had gotten up the moment they saw him come out.

“I didn't, actually. I'm here for Wonwoo. Jun called us.”

“Wonwoo? What's going on? Where is he?”

“I have no idea. Why are you here?”

“They wanted to ask me some questions.” Jeonghan frowned. He felt confused and disoriented, his head dizzy with whatever was happening here. It didn't feel right. He was confused by all the questions they had asked him and the reason behind it. None of this made any sense. And now they had taken in Wonwoo as well?

“About what?” Seungcheol asked him.

“Can we talk about that later? I have to find out what's happening with Wonwoo first.”

Seungcheol nodded and tried asking the officer for information, but other than what they already knew (that Wonwoo was in fact there at the station) he gave them nothing.

A frustrated Jeonghan took out his phone and tried to call Minghao. To his surprise he heard a phone going off. The sound was coming from down the hall to the interrogation rooms where he had just been himself. He tried to go back there right away but the desk officer stopped him.

“Mr.Yoon, you can't just go back here!” he told him as he was blocking his path.

“I was there just a minute ago!”

“Well, I can't let you go in now.”

“This is ridiculous! I only want to see if-”

There was no need to try and persuade the man to let him pass as the door to one of the rooms opened and Minghao walked out, phone in hand. He was followed by two policemen.

“We're done here, you can go.”

“Where's the man you brought in with me?”

“Oh yeah. We're already done with him. It must have slipped my mind to tell him that.” He gestured to the other cop who walked over to one of the other rooms.

“Other man? Who?” Jeonghan asked Minghao, but he didn't have to answer as Seokmin followed the officer out of the interrogation room. He looked about as confused and worried as Jeonghan felt.

The officer who seemed to be in charge waved his hands to signal to all of them to get out, “Go on, you guys are done here. Leave.”

“Wait!” Jun stepped forward. The officer looked annoyed, but Jun didn't care, “Where is Wonwoo? You brought him in almost two hours ago!”

“He'll be done momentarily, but you can't all hang around here. Leave or give me a reason to arrest you.”

Jun was ready to protest, but Seungcheol placed a hand on his shoulder. He smiled a fake smile at the cop, “Thank you officer, sorry for causing any trouble. He just wants to know on what grounds you're keeping his friend here?”

“Technically we're not keeping him here. He agreed to talk to us. They all did.”

It was true that they had, technically, agreed to come down to the station, but all of them knew that if they had refused the police would have found some reason, any reason, to take them in anyway.

“So he can leave?” Seungcheol pressed on.

The officer sighed and cracked his neck, “What's your name again?”

“Choi Seungcheol, sir.”

“Well, Mr. Choi, since his friend agreed to come all the way down here to talk to us we might as well ask him all the questions we have, don't you think? It would be awfully suspicious if he suddenly changed his mind, wouldn't it? So why don't you take your friends over to the diner across the street and wait for Mr.Jeon there?”

Reluctantly they all agreed. Jeonghan needed more convincing than the others and Seungcheol and Jisoo almost had to drag him outside. As they made their way to the diner overlooking the police station Jeonghan tried to call Jihoon.

“Any luck?” Jisoo asked.

Jeonghan groaned, “Straight to voicemail. Where is he? Do you think they have him in there, too? I'm going back to-” He was stopped by Seungcheol who didn't take his hand off his arm until they were inside and sitting down at a table.

“Now,” Seungcheol looked around the table, “Can anyone explain to me what's going on?”

Minghao didn't say anything, his face was near expressionless as always. Seokmin looked over at Jeonghan, he wasn't sure how much he should tell them. Jeonghan was staring out the window, he was agitated and not his usual composed self, “No, Seungcheol, I can't explain to you what's going on because I don't know what the is going on. The police showed up at my house telling me they needed to ask me questions.”

“What kind of questions?”

“No offense, but I'm not going to discuss anything with you until I know Wonwoo is okay and where the hell Jihoon is. I might not even discuss anything with you then either. In case you haven't noticed, it's only Daebak members they seem to be interested in so I'm not so sure this concerns you.”

“Jeonghan,” Jisoo said and he reached out to grab his hand, “We're only trying to be here for you right now, okay? We want to know what's going on too. The cops just taking all of you guys in without much reason is not okay. They can't just do that. Something is going on.”

It took about twenty more minutes before Wonwoo walked out the station. Jeonghan stood up and walked out to greet him. The rest followed him. Wonwoo looked at Jun in surprise, “Are you here for me?”

“Well, yeah...I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“You didn't have to do that. I was in there a pretty long time.” They both smiled shyly at each other.

“That's very sweet, but perhaps we can try to find out where Jihoon is before you two drown in each other's eyes?” Jeonghan interrupted.

“We don't have to.” Seungcheol said and he pointed in the direction of a police car that just pulled up. Jeonghan gasped and started to approach the car that had Jihoon in the backseat. One of the officers got out before he could reach him, however, and got in his way, “Back away, sir.”

The cop who had been driving also got out and opened the backdoor, letting Jihoon out. He didn't look in their direction. Not even when Jeonghan called out his name. He tried to follow them inside, but the police officer wouldn't get out of his way.

“Wait, Jihoon! What's going on! Why is he in cuffs? Jihoon! Let me go!” He yelled the last part at Seungcheol who was now holding him back by his arm.

“Come on,” he said as he continued to pull Jeonghan away from the station,“You're going to get yourself arrested.”

“Why is he in cuffs? Seungcheol, please.” Jeonghan turned to him. “I don't understand. They didn't even ask me anything about Jihoon! Only about his father and his father's men, so why would they arrest him?”

Seungcheol didn't know what to say. This was the most emotion Jeonghan had ever shown him and Seungcheol wished he could tell him that everything was going to be fine. But it didn't feel like it. So instead he promised him that he would try to find out what was happening through his police friend. In the end, even his friend couldn't help him and all they could do was wait.

<>

Jeonghan's phone was ringing, but he didn't answer. He knew it was either Seungcheol or Jisoo and he didn't want to talk to either one of them right now. He and the remaining Daebak members sat in Jeonghan's living room.

“What are we going to do?” Seokmin asked with a small voice.

“There's nothing we can do.” Wonwoo replied. It was frustrating, but it was the reality of the situation. “None of the stuff they got him on is untrue. In a way he's lucky they didn't get him on a bunch of other stuff, too. The sentence is already extremely lenient if you compare it to what they gave his father and most of his men. Probably a lack of evidence against him and the fact that he was a minor for most of the time that he was still doing for his father helped with that.”

“Nine months...” Jeonghan muttered, more to himself than to the others in the room.

“It might be a lot less with good behavior.” Wonwoo pointed out. He wanted to say something to make the others feel better, but he knew that it wasn't going to work.

Jihoon had refused to see any of them and all the information they got was what the police was willing to tell them. None of them knew how to feel. The last time any of them had even spoken with him was when they had that fight. They didn't know exactly how the police had suddenly built a strong enough case against Jihoon's father and his cohorts to make such massive arrests, they didn't know why Jihoon was charged but Minghao, who had done plenty of things as well, somehow wasn't even a suspect in anything, they didn't know if Jihoon regretted the things he had said to them the last time they spoke. What they did know was that the Daebak gang was broken.