Mir tapped his sport shoes over the floor, watching with empty eyes as his brother in law paced back and forth of the hallway, chewing on his short nails. He felt a nudge on his side and glanced shortly at his mother.

          "Your father was like that too when I gave birth to three of you. Each time." Mrs. Bang chuckled slightly, rolling her eyes playfully. "I wonder if you're going to be that way also.

          Mir's lips pulled taut. He was only 18 years old. He didn't even think of marriage, well of course he sometimes daydreamed about marrying his ideal girl but he hadn't done that since he entered Jtune as a trainee. Too much other things to think about.

          "Have you found someone special though?" Mrs. Bang leaned back on the wall, crossing her arms as her eyes which resembled Mir a lot now following Dongwoon's restless moves.

          Mir shook his head. He was not usually this quiet but it was not too out of character anyway. He had days when he just didn't want to talk.

          "Pity. But it's okay. There are a lot of beautiful girl celebrities you can flirt with when you debut later." Mrs. Bang grinned. "Just don't go with the stubborn one since you're too soft."

          "Mom. I'm not working this hard to debut just to find a girl." Mir complained with a frown, he looked to the other side sulkily.

          "At least I made you talk."

          Mir stiffened. Did his mom noticed his foul mood? Not that he was trying hard to cover it.

          "I asked Dongwoon to dragged you out of your practice although you can always come here when you finished it. Do you know why?"

          Mir stubbornly kept his head facing the other side, not wanting his mom to read his mind. His mom was really good at that. It was like she could always sense it when he was upset. Guess, that was just what moms do.

          "Cheolyong. Your dad has been asking a lot about you. What about taking a day off and goes back to Jangsung?"

          "I'm too busy. We are going to debut in a month."

          Mrs. Bang sighed. "You haven't gone back to meet him since you came up to Seoul. He missed you."

          Mir bit his bottom lips hard he felt metallic test of his blood. Did his father really miss him? Or his mother just saying that? His father never called him. Never ask about his struggles. Never offer even a word of encouragement. He sometimes think his father just didn't care on top of not trusting his useless son.

          "Your dad might not show much but he loves you a lot. He had been watching music bank regularly and ask when you will be there, performing."

          At that, Mir snapped his head to stare at his mom.

          "He is very proud of you. Just as I am." Mrs. Bang revealed softly, running a tender hand, down Mir's arm. "Is it hard, son?"

          Mir swallowed all of his words and carved a smile. "Aniyo." He offered that one word of lies but he knew his mother know but Mrs. Bang remained silence, only nodding yet her hand still massaging Mir's arm tenderly. She knew Mir lied.

          "Bang Hyosun's husband?"

          Both Mir and his mom looked up as Dongwoon almost jumped on the nurse who came out of the room they are waiting in front of with a smile.

          "How is my wife?"

          "Congratulations. Your wife gave birth to a healthy baby boy." The nurse said. "You can go in now." She stepped aside and Dongwoon nod a thanks and went inside.

          "Let's go." Mrs. Bang walked ahead and Mir dragged his feet after his mother.

          It was not like Mir was not happy for a newcomer in their family but he was too upset with everything and too drained to cheer in happiness. At least in front of his family, he could show just how unhappy he was, unlike when he was stuck inside the practice room, putting up a fake smile the whole time just to not pissed his group members and dance teacher even more.

          "He is beautiful." Dongwoon sat by edge of the bed, kissing Hyosun's forehead and his hand ghosted over the small creature inside Hyosun's hold.

          "Cheolyong-ah. Come closer." Hyosun beckoned and Mir obeyed.

          Right when his eyes fall upon that tiny little human, Mir was enchanted. He was mesmerized. It was so tiny. It was so precious.

          "Do you want to hold him?"

          At that question, Mir got flustered. He was afraid to hold something that looked so fragile in his rough hand. But Dongwoon pulled him closer, pushing him to do just as Hyosun said.

          "I-I... I don't think I can." Mir quickly pulled back, playing with his fingers nervously as the other three laughed at him.

          "Well, give this new uncle some time. He will do just great once he is ready." Mrs. Bang said, watching as the small baby moved to his father gentle hold.

          "Thank you for coming, Cheolyong-ah." Hyosun cooed, opening her arms for a hug from his little brother.

          Mir smiled, this time genuine. "Thank you for asking me to come." He hugged his sister, pulling back only to have his eyes glued back to the small infant. All the unhappy thought seemed to faded once the baby's eyes opened and met him.

          Mir decided, he loved this little human.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

"Where is that kid? What was his name again?" Joon asked while stretching his stiff muscles that he felt had been overworked today like every other day before. "I feel like he always went missing somehow."

          Seungho who was scrolling on his tablet looked up and saw three pairs of eyes directed at him. He shrugged.

          GO chuckled. "I thought you're supposed to be the leader."

          Seungho cocked one brow towards the remark GO threw at him. "Are you saying I'm being a bad leader?"

          "Chill, Seungho. I was just saying. Shouldn't he tell you before going somewhere?" GO plopped down next to Joon who was already half-lying, back leaning on the wall of mirror. He slumped over Joon but the younger one nudged him off, crawling towards Cheondoong who was innocently sitting at the sofa in this wide space, spacing out with a bottle of water in his hand.

          "Byungki hyung said he had some family affair." Seungho finally let out the answer they were probably didn't even care to know since it seemed that GO had went over to Joon and Cheondoong and the three now was wrestling on the sofa, trying to hog the comfortable sit all for their own. Which of course, Cheondoong being the first one kicked off of the sofa, falling on the floor with a soft 'thud'. Seungho simply rolled his eyes and clapped his hand to have the other attention. "Enough rough-horsing. I think we can continue tomorrow." Seungho told them and at that long awaited words, the three scrambled up, snatching their bags and raced out of the room. "Why am I having to handle the kids." Seungho sighed.

          "Because you're the leader."

          Seungho almost scream, almost, he didn't scream though, he was too manly to do thing like screaming except if he was trying to hit a high note in a rock song. "Sunbaenim." He bowed politely at Rain who smiled back at him.

          "Are you unsatisfied that I elected you as the leader."

          "Of course not. I was just-"

          "Complaining."

          Seungho clamped his mouth shut, looking up nervously at Rain's sharp gaze and immediately lowered his own down to the floor.

          "A little bird told me the group is in mess." Rain tested.

          "No. I would have-"

          "And..." Rain seemed to have a kick in cutting Seungho off. "And you're not doing a very good job."

          "I was..." Seungho trailed off, biting his lips. "I'm sorry. I'll do better."

          Rain sighed. "I know it is a handful with the guys all over the places, then there is the company side keep pushing from the other side." Rain stepped closer. "But you are the leader. Take care of them like your own dongsaeng. They needed you."

          "I know." Seungho let his shoulder slumped when Rain's voice evidently turn softer. "But sometimes it is just too much."

          "I have reason for choosing you as the leader. I know you can take care of the group. Make sure they didn't mess up to the point of no coming back. You have be stern okay?"

          Seungho held himself back from complaining. Rain hated that. And he hated that too. But sometimes, everything was just too much. He was overwhelmed.

          "And also about Mir." Rain added. "I know he had new family member and sure is excited about it but he needed to focus. The D-day is just around the corner. Your debut day is important if you don't want to fail before even trying. Understand."

          "Yes, hyung." And that would be the exact thing he'd be doing. For not to fail, he had to harder, harsher...

@@@@@@@@@@@@

"THAT IS OUR ING FIRST STAGE AND YOU ED IT UP!"

          Mir swallowed his gasp and stiffened himself but he still flinched when that loud angry voice slapped him right on his face.

          "I'm sorry." Mir muttered softly, bowing so low yet it didn't seem to calm the anger that was radiating from Seungho.

          "IS YOUR SORRY ENOUGH? YOU RUIN OUR DEBUT STAGE! YOU EMBARASSED US AS A GROUP IN FRONT OF HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE. IN FRONT OF JIHOON HYUNG! WAY TO GO!"

          Mir didn't got up from his deep bow. He stayed there, accepting each and every hurl of anger from the acting leader of the group. He himself was beating himself inside of his head.

          Useless!

          Useless!

          You are useless, Bang Cheolyong!

          Mir shrunk more to himself when he heard the stomping footstep near him and saw shadow looming over his bowing figure. He shivered at the hot breath near his ears. "Stay here and dance until your legs fall off." Seungho hissed and retreated.

          The door slammed close afterward.

          But Mir still didn't stood up. He knew GO, Joon and the new replacement of Sangbae who couldn't make it for personal reason were still in this practice room with him.

          He waited until sound of shuffling mixed with sigh of disappointment and probably some disdain left him and the door open and closed again, this time softer yet still not as gently.

          "Urm... You okay?"

          Mir straightened his back, looking up at the new replacement he sometimes forgot the name was. "Yes." Mir answered shortly, not offering anymore of his words or his voice.

          "Then... I'll go back to the dorm first." He looked at Mir with hesitance on clear display all over his face and left only after he saw a tiny nod from Mir.

          Mir turned slowly, dragging his feet until he was so close to the large mirror wall that his breath fogging the mirror. "You keep ruining things." Mir whispered to the image.

          The image facing him disgust him to no end. How he wished he could punch his own image.

          "I need to stop ruining things." He decided, gathering his own self yet again and just like Seungho had told, he kept dancing until morning came. His legs didn't came off but they did felt like jelly and Seungho was not impressed with it when they started their morning practice.

          But that night, another pieces of Mir's heart had came off and hit the floor, turning into the dust while the remaining parts struggling to stay attached together despite all the spider cracks littering that beating object.

          As fragile as glass...

          That was his heart...

          That was Mir's heart...

This is quite a bulk of a chapter... =.="