Jongin read the article on his phone. He glanced at Sehun who was walking behind, talking to Junmyeon. Pulling Baekhyun aside, he shove his phone at him. Baekhyun's eyes rounded and he in turned passed it to Chanyeol, who happen to be walking beside him. Before long, Kyungsoo, Minseok and Jongdae were aware. 

"He needs to know before he hears it from the fans or reporter as we exit the airport," Kyungsoo calmly whispered. Everyone nodded. They stopped and pulled Sehun and Junmyeon to one side. Minseok told the staff to make sure no one comes close to them.

Sehun's hand shook as he read the news. He bit his lips as a tear dropped onto Jongin's phone. 

"Sehun-ah, we are sorry about this," Baekhyun said softly. Sehun just stared disbelieving at the phone screen. 

"Look at me," Chanyeol instructed Sehun as he stood facing him. Sehun raised his red eyes at Chanyeol, his eyes were bleary. "You need to get a grip of yourself.  Wear your face mask. You are not going to react to anyone saying anything about you and Sumin. Nothing, understood? We are going to walk quickly through the fans, ignoring everyone and get into the van. Until then, you cannot break down, araso?"

Sehun listened quietly and nodded. His mind is in a mess and he couldn't think. Jongin help him with the face mask and gave him a tight hug.

The staff and the group walked quickly through the crowd, ignoring the shouts from the fans and questions from reporters on the latest news. Junmyeon and Chanyeol flanked both sides of Sehun, protecting him from anyone who tried to come closer to him. Sehun kept his face covered, hidden behind the face mask and cap that was pulled down low, so that no one could see his face. A face that was devastated by the news. When they reached the van, there was one for Sehun and Junmyeon while the rest were squeezed into another one bound for the dorm.

The moment he was hidden in the back of the van, Sehun took his phone out with his hand that was still shaking. He needed to speak to Sumin to understand the madness. It cannot be true.

"Take his phone away," Yunho who was seated in the front passenger seat, turned around and instructed Junmyeon. Both Sehun and Junmyeon were startled to find Yunho in the van.

Sehun pulled his hand away from Junmyeon's reach. "I need to speak with her," Sehun said harshly. Junho shouted again to Junmyeon to take Sehun's phone. Junmyeon was torn.

Sehun managed to turn on the phone but before he could make the call, he saw a message from Sumin. Reading the message, he slumped heavily into the seat, feeling breathless as tears streamed down his face. Junmyeon reached for the phone and saw Sumin's simple message, "I'm sorry."

"What did you all do to her?" Sehun asked, shrugging Junmyeon's hand that was tugging him to sit down. They were ushered into a meeting room with CEO Lee, BOA and Junho. Everyone was seated except for Sehun, who has been pacing up and down, anger radiating from him.

"Sit down Sehun," CEO Lee said quietly. Sehun stopped his pacing and stared at his CEO. The CEO stared calmly back.

Reluctantly, he took the seat across from the CEO.

"We talked to her. Twice. Once a few days after it happened. And one more time a few days ago. She needs to know the impact of her relationship with you," CEO Lee informed him.

Sehun shook her head. "She didn't tell me about any meetings."

"I don't know why she didnt tell you about the first meeting. But for the second one, we did tell her not to mention it to you," BOA explained.

Sehun closed his eyes. "Why bring her into this? I told you not to get her involved. I'll deal with it," he complained.

"Because you were not dealing with it, Sehun. You know what is happening. You knew about the cancelled engagements. You are aware about the huge negative sentiments against you, yet you chose to ignore it. Wishing that it would somehow go away. Reality check Sehun-ah, it didn't go away and it is not only hurting you, but it is also hurting your group," Yunho reprimanded him.

Sehun fisted his hands tightly. 

Glancing towards an envelope that was pushed in front of him, he raised his head towards his CEO. 

Tapping the envelope, CEO Lee said softly, "It's not only you and your group. It affects her too."

With shaky hands, Sehun retrieved a set of photographs from within the envelope. There were photos of group of fans around SNU's campus, a few photos of them hassling some students and a couple of shots of Sumin and Yerim with friends, sneaking away from the group. He closed his eyes. He wasn't aware that it had reached that stage. 

"Isn't Sumin in her final year?" BOA asked. Sehun did not answer, ignoring the additional guilt being thrown his way.

After a few minutes of silence, CEO spoke. "Anyway, we didn't force her. She made the decision."

Sehun and Junmyeon stayed in the meeting room after the CEO and directors left. Junmyeon sat quietly as he listened to Sehun lashing out his frustration. He was angered that Sumin blind sided him.  Even when they texted that morning, Sumin didn't mentioned about leaving him. She promised! he cried several times. She promised she will stay. He felt betrayed by the one whom he truly loved.

After he had quieted down from his rants, he sat quietly with his head burried in his hands. Suddenly, he stood up. "I'm going to her," he announced. Junmyeon panicked. 

"Sehun-ah, you are not supposed to see Sumin. They still don't know who she is. You know reporters are still around," he advised.

He paused on his way to the door, and turned back to Junmyeon. "Then the agency better figure out how to let me see her because I'm sure they are the one who stop her from seeing me before the news was released," he spat.

"Ok, ok. Sit down. Give me 10 minutes to make arrangements," Junmyeon pushed Sehun into a chair. There was no point in arguing with Sehun, who was agitated and could not see reason.

Sumin curled herself in her bed, nursing a huge headache. She had been crying since the news was released.  Yerim had finally left her alone after she had calmed down.

She had been steadfast since she came back from Busan, no longer crying after she finalised her decision. Even after she left the agency with her decision, she was still composed. Sumin knew she made the right decision, no matter how painful it is. Sehun belongs to the stars and she will step aside for him to be the star that he deserves to be. It may seem like noble idiocy to most people. Yes, she maybe an idiot for letting go Sehun, but what was the alternative left. Sehun leaving EXO and be with her, and live happily ever after, she scoffed internally. How could she be truly happy then when she knows she took away his dream and make him go against his own principle. And what about him? Could he live with the idea that he, someone who shouted to the world that loyalty is the most important thing, who even chose loyalty over love, when it comes to the crunch. chose to abandon his group for her. Noble idiocy or what not, she had always believed that loving someone means you want the best for that person. And she, no matter how much she loves him, recognised that at this point, she wasn't good for him. 

However, when the news was released, the reality of losing him printed in black and white finally crept in and she was devastated. There would no longer be his voice on the other end of the line or a sweet text message from him. Her hands would no longer be enclosed in his large warm hands, or would she be able to seek the warmth, and security within his arms. When she has it hard, she would not be able to listen to his voice to make the frustration go away. And thats when her heart, which has been numbed since Busan, thawed and every single prick of pain intensified as the reality of the break up sinks in. The dam was broken.

Turning at the sound of the door opened, Sumin quickly sat up when she found Sehun stood at the door frame. His face was dark and his eyes hardened in intensity as he glowered at her.

"Hun," she whispered in surprise.

He was breathing heavily engulfed in anger. He stared intensely at her, his nose flarings and his pupils dilated.

"Take it back!" he demanded, his voice low yet steely hard.

Sumin gulped. She has never seen him this furious and she didn't understand his request. She blinked rapidly, not daring to say anything.

"Tell them that you are not breaking up with me. That you are staying with me," he said firmly, his voice rising. She could see he was hurt. Badly.

Seeing how angry and hurt he was, she burst into tears. 

Sehun closed his eyes at her tears. He wanted to gather her in his arms, assuring her that everything is ok. He knew it wasn't an easy decision for her and that it must have been so hard that she was driven into it. But at this point, it hurt so bad that she made the decision to leave him. That betrayal kept drumming into his head. He is angry, angry at her, angry at his agency, angry at the world and angry at himself. His rage warped his thoughts and clouded his mind. He only wanted her to reverse her decision.

"You promised," he whispered bitterly.

"You promised you will stay. You never break your promise before. So tell them it was a mistake and that we are not breaking up," he insisted. "Su, tell them!"

Sumin wept as she stared at him, her eyes wide opened, beseeching for his forgiveness. Looking at her, looking helpless, refusing his request but instead pleading for his understanding, infuriated him further.

"Aren't you going to do it? Are you really leaving me?" he questioned angrily. Sumin remained quiet, just the streams of tears running down her cheeks profusely.

"When you change your mind about the break, call me," he stated quietly as he turned to go.

"Hun, please stay," she begged. She wanted him to hold her. Embraced her and make all the pain go away because it was too painful and she is not sure she could bear it. She wanted him to stay with her that night. Just one night before he disappear from her life. Let her be with the one she loved for the last time.

"You've changed your mind?" he asked softly, his voice held a tinge of hope. "Please."

But she bit her lips and cried harder.

He run his hands frustratingly through his hair. "Then why, why do you want me to stay if you persist in leaving? Why?" 

She sti