Baekhyun was surprised to find Taeyeon coming out of his father’s room, when he reached the hospital after their meetup.

“Hey”, he greeted, walking up to her in the hallway.

“Hey, how did the meet-up go?”, Taeyeon questioned. She hadn’t been able to make it because of some Spring Week related things she needed to see over. And by the time she was done with it, it was too late and she’d just decided to visit Mr. Byun, as she’d promised she would. It felt nice too, siting with the Byun parents and talking to them, and she realized she’d missed them. As she had so many times over the past few years. Not keeping in contact with them out of baseless fears, that she now regretted a little. But those fears came to surface as she their eyes met, and something turned inside her. Like it never did with Hyuk, no matter how much she tried.

“It went well, thought of a few things to try”, Baekhyun replied and then went on to explain to her what they’d decided briefly.

An awkward silence descended on them once he’d finished. Baekhyun tried to think of something to say, trying his best not to appear perturbed but he knew he was doing a bad job of it.

He couldn’t look at her, without being hit with pangs of guilt and self-loathing. And regret. Most of all regret, thinking of all the what-ifs. If only he hadn’t let her go then, hadn’t broken her heart, maybe he wouldn’t actually have to stand so far away from her when all he wanted to do was reach out and envelope her in his embrace. Maybe he wouldn’t feel this ache in his heart every time he met her gaze.

But it was too late for that. And it was only right he live with what he’d made for himself. It didn’t stop his heart from wanting things it couldn’t get, though.

His gaze fell on her backpack and it struck him. “How’s everything at the university? Yixing hyung told me things have been a bit busy in preparation of the Spring Week? I’m really sorry for lagging behind I’ll- “

“No don’t be. Everything’s fine and under control. And it’s still more than a month away”, She offered, and he felt his heart tug. He knew it was because of his father’s condition, he barely had time to attend classes these days let alone extra-curricular activities, but that didn’t stop him from feeling bad for putting all the burden on her. “I will surely visit tomorrow and take care of some of the work – “

“No don't, Baekhyun”, The seriousness in her tone made him halt and look at her. “The only thing you should be working on right now is looking after Sir. The rest will get handled, don’t worry”

There it was again, the painful thudding of his heart at the consideration in her words, making things hard for him again.

“Ahgussi is that you?”

(*ahgushi: Miss)

The third voice in an otherwise empty hallway, made them both turn to find a short stocky middle-aged nurse, standing there smiling in astonishment at Taeyeon.

“Ahjumma!”, Taeyeon called in surprise before taking a few steps and hugging the woman, leaving Baekhyun in thought. He had seen the nurse around, she’d come to check on his father a few times too, but that was all the familiarity he had with her.

(*Ahjumma: Informal respectful way of addressing an older woman)

“It's been so long! How have you been, ahgushi?”, The woman Taeyeon’s face affectionately, her gaze taking in the girl standing before her.

“I'm perfectly fine, how are you? And how come you’re here?”

“I transferred here three years back, gotta take a good opportunity when it comes your way”

Taeyeon sighed, smiling. “That is why I couldn’t contact you. They said you’d transferred but never told me where”

The two women fell into chatter, while Baekhyun stood there watching like an awkward stranger, but smiling at their fond exchanges nevertheless. He could tell Taeyeon had known the woman really well, though he didn’t know how.

“We’re being rude, ahgussi”, The nurse – Hwang Seojung, according to her nameplate – looked towards Baekhyun.

Taeyeon looked behind at him, and his heartbeat quickened for some reason. ”This is my...friend from college, Baekhyun”

Friend, Baekhyun’s heart leapt.

“I’ve seen him, he's Mr. Byun’s son right?”, Seojung smiled at him, and he smiled back.

“How do you two know each other?”, Baekhyun asked after he’d been introduced. The smile disappeared from Taeyeon’s face.

“Well, I know her from back when – “

“It’s a long story!”, Taeyeon interrupted, trying to smile convincingly but failing. Baekhyun frowned.

A ring sounded from the nurse’s pocket at that time and Baekhyun thought he heard Taeyeon sigh in relief. Nurse Seojung said her goodbyes before leaving and Taeyeon left soon after her.

When Taeyeon visited the next day, nurse Seojung’s name came up again while they were talking and he asked her about how they knew each other, but she quickly – almost nervously – changed the topic, making him wonder. Why is she reluctant to tell me? It also piqued his curiosity, and he made a mental note to ask the nurse about it the next time he found it convenient.

_

Kyungsoo frowned nearing Minjun’s office, hearing familiar voices coming from inside. His fears were confirmed as he opened the door, and found Yixing, Chanyeol and Junmyeon sitting on the upholstered sofas along with Minjun.

“Oh hey, Kyungsoo yah! You’re here!”, Chanyeol was the first one to get up and greet him and Kyungsoo barely had time to get over his initial shock before the taller draped an arm over his shoulder good-naturedly and almost dragged him towards the sofas, smiling at him like it was the most normal thing in the world.

“We were just complaining to Mr. Kim – “

“Please call me ahjusshi”, Minjun interrupted with a smile which Chanyeol returned, a little too sweetly for Kyungsoo’s taste.

(ahjusshi: Informal respectful way of addressing an older man)

“We were just complaining to Minjun ahjusshi how you’ve been spending all this time with Nayeon and leaving us hanging for the past few weeks”, Chanyeol feigned a hurt expression nudging Kyungsoo to sit down.

Kyungsoo smiled from in-between gritted teeth, when all he actually wanted to do was push his friends out of the room. It was better to play along with whatever his friends were up to, instead of showing how he was panicking finding them there and giving rise to suspicion.

“Yeah, as a matter of fact we haven’t even officially met our sister-in-law”, Junmyeon took a sip from his tea. Oh his friends were doing a great job, putting up an act.

“Is that so?”, Minjun looked towards Kyungsoo, raising a brow.

“He’s been keeping her all to himself I tell you”, Yixing winked at the older man, and they both shared a laugh, making Kyungsoo feel like the only odd one out there.

“Really now, Kyungsoo? I never took you as a possessive one”, Minjun eyed him and he just shrugged in response, not trusting himself to say anything.

“Well we were thinking of throwing a party, since Kyungsoo never bothered to give us one when he got engaged. That way we can all meet and get to know each other you know, family and friends kind of thing”, Chanyeol suggested. “How about this Saturday?”

“That’s too s – “, Kyungsoo opened his mouth for the first time but was interrupted.

“That’s perfect. I’ll make sure to ask Nayeon to invite all her friends. Actually it might be a very good idea, publically speaking too, since we never actually had an official engagement party”, Minjun gave his opinion and then looked towards him. “What do you think, Kyungsoo?”

“Whatever you people like”, He smiled artificially again, and then turned to glare at Chanyeol when Minjun turned to talk to Junmyeon about arrangements. His friend seemed unbothered as he turned to talk to Yixing, leaving Kyungsoo out of the conversation again.

“I’ll see you soon”, Yixing stopped near Kyungsoo on his way out and patted his shoulder, filling Kyungsoo with a strange trepidation. But then he noticed there was no accusation in the older’s eyes or words, and it felt like somebody had lifted a burden from his chest. Of all his friends, if there was one he was immensely sorry to it was Yixing. It almost made him want to let his friends do whatever they had up their sleeves.

“They seem nice enough”, Minjun remarked after they’d gone, sorting things on his desk. “I wonder why you’ve been hiding them from me”

Kyungsoo’s ear’s perked up, his heart picking up pace. “I didn’t think it was important”

Minjun looked up at him from behind his glasses. “Oh really? Why’s that?” His tone was that of someone mildly interested, like he was mocking him for his futile attempts to keep his friends away from him. Then he remembered the numerous pictures of them that Minjun had showed to blackmail him, and his words telling him nobody around him was safe unless he agreed to it, and Kyungsoo felt anger rise up like bile in his throat.

“Listen Mr. Kim”, He leaned forward with his hands on the table, his eyes dripping cold fury. “Our relationship, no matter how much you might try for it to be, will never be personal or cordial. This is purely a business arrangement, a forced one at that and I will be sure to keep up my end of the deal as long as you keep your’s”

“Are you threatening me?”, Minjun seemed amused.

Kyungsoo smiled icily, leaning back to stand. “You can call it whatever you want, threat, blackmail, whatever else”, He turned his words back on him.

“And what if I don’t?”, The challenge in his tone was clear.

“Then I’ll make sure to break Nayeon’s heart so hard, you won’t be able to put its pieces back together for the rest of your life”

The twitch of Minjun’ jaw and the momentary frustration in his gaze was all Kyungsoo needed to see to be satisfied. His supposition, that Nayeon was Minjun’s weakness, was further cemented and he went away after flinging the file Minjun had asked for on the mahagony table.

“I’ll see on Saturday”, He said before closing the door behind him.

_

Kyungsoo took out his burner phone soon as he reached his room, and then went in for shower after glancing cursorily at the hidden bug in the corner of the room.

He had discovered it along with many others a month ago, placed around the house in different areas. The discovery had made him feel sick, though he worked hard not to show it, not wanting to alert them to the fact that he knew he was being watched. He had been scared to even shower but had found out, to some relief, that there were none in the bathrooms. He now knew the positions of most of them within the house, and had found a way to work around them without moving them, whenever he needed breathing space.

He the shower and dialed.

“Hello?”, The male picked up right after the first ring.

“Chanyeol”

“Finally! We’ve all been waiting for your call”, Kyungsoo could imagine his friends gathered around Chanyeol, with the phone on loud.

“Listen you – “, Kyungsoo started hotly but was interrupted.

“Is that the sound of water running? You’re calling me in the shower? How romantic!”, Came the sarcastic remark and Kyungsoo clenched his fists.

“Listen, you dimwit”, He snapped. “Although I have no doubts about the extent of your idiocy, but today you crossed the line”

“You flatter me”

Kyungsoo huffed in exasperation. “Why the hell would you people visit Kim Minjun?”

“Why do you think?”, Chanyeol snapped back, sounding equally irritated. “You can’t expect us to sit back and watch while you jump off a cliff! You wouldn’t even tell us anything!”

“That didn’t bloody give you the right to take matters into your own hands! Why can’t you people just stay away from all this?”

“Because we don’t bloody want to! And damn you if you expected us to!”, Jongdae’s high pitched voice retorted.

Kyungsoo took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He could never win at screaming and fighting with his friends anyway. “Look, just…trust me please. It’s for your own good that I’m asking you to leave this alone”

“We can’t, Kyungsoo. You know we can’t. You wouldn’t have either if you were in our place”, Junmyeon said softly. And despite how frustrated it made Kyungsoo to admit it, Junmyeon was right.

“Just tell us what’s happening. We’re completely blind here while you’re about to destroy your life. Just tell us so that we can do something!”, Chanyeol spoke again.

Kyungsoo sighed, “I…I can’t”. Though he hoped the shower would provide enough background noise to muffle everything he was saying, he couldn’t risk explaining everything over the phone, not with the microphone and cameras just outside the door, and the prepaid minutes on the burner phone finishing anytime now.

“Why not?”

“Just trust me this once, okay? I’ll explain everything as soon as I can. Just…not now”

“Fine”, It was Minseok this time. “Just give us a signal when you’re ready, okay?”

“I will, thanks for understanding”

“Oh and also, don’t forget to bring Aunt to the party, it will feel weird if she isn’t present”, Chanyeol reminded him as they hung up.

Right. Though it had been a risky move, he had asked his mother to stay out of town for a few days, let him handle things, under the pretense that she was attending a conference abroad. Though it also meant he only had minimum communication with her, it was his safest bet to prevent his friends or people around him from finding out what was really going on. Because if she told anyone, and he knew she would (like all mothers she didn’t have enough will to resist emotional blackmail, especially if it came from Jongin), it would put her and others in trouble.

But it was about time she came back. Jongin had been acting passively aggressive for a while now, and now that his friends were onto it too, the truth was going to have to be told anyway. He couldn’t hold it back anymore, and truthfully, a part of him didn’t even want to.

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A/N: Are you guys understanding the plot a bit more now?