"Pictures?" He gasps. Shakes his head hard.  "No! I would never -- Hyukjae, even if you didn't ask me, I wouldn't! I'd be out of my mind, I can't do something like that!"

Then he is doubting. Afraid. He heads to his studio room. Checks all his cameras. His computer. Clicks around quickly. Everything seems fine. He grabs his laptop. Opens it. Checks the program and system. Nothing's out of the ordinary. He gulps. Opens that hidden folder.

The number of items is the same. Last opened time. Date. They match his own activity.

He takes it. Hurries to Hyukjae. Crouches in front of him. He touches his arm lightly.

"Look, Hyukjae," he says. Softly. He turns the laptop. "All your pictures are here. I never leave them on my cameras, and I keep them on my laptop and in this secure folder. They've never been put anywhere near my other work and I haven't shared, uploaded, or posted them anywhere -- I wouldn't."

Hyukjae breathes in. Blinks rapidly.

"H-Hyukjae?" Donghae says.

Hyukjae nods. "Okay..."

"But... what happened? Why? Are m-my pictures of you with someone else?"

Hyukjae's very obviously anxious. Panicked. He shakes his head though. Donghae puts the laptop down. Takes his cold hands.

"Someone... left some comments about me... saying they have pictures they can leak..." Hyukjae says. "It got a lot of attention. My sister... she asked if it's possible anyone has anything of me and got really angry. But I don't have any sort of pictures like that... not even for myself. It's just... the few times w-with you... but I didn't tell her that... she'll think it's you and I didn't want to think you would do something like that..."

"So nothing's actually out there? It was just the comments?"

"Maybe? I think so... I m-mean, I don't know -- just, there shouldn't be anything and hasn't been yet -- if yours haven't been touched. Maybe if someone has any, they could be fake too? I d-don't know..."

Donghae inhales deeply now. Relief washing away some panic. He pats Hyukjae's hands. "Okay... I understand. Okay -- wait a minute."

He stands again. Goes to find an empty usb stick. Comes back to Hyukjae. He sits beside him. Picks up his laptop. Inserts the memory stick.

"This is all I took of you. What you told me to keep just for me. I'm gonna transfer them. I'll delete everything I have and you can keep them yourself." He looks at Hyukjae. "I swear I haven't done anything with these picture..."

Hyukjae's lips quiver. His eyes shiny. Red. He nods.

"Okay. I believe you. T-Thanks."

-----

Hyukjae left after an hour. He seemed a bit calmer. Donghae gave him some tea.

But Hyukjae didn't take his pictures. Donghae wiped them off his laptop anyway. Locked the memory stick in a drawer. Hyukjae said it'd be safer with him. In case anyone's trying to get into Hyukjae's accounts again. 

Donghae wished he stayed longer. Very concerned. Could someone have gotten any of his pictures? He's sure they can't have. But still. What if they did? He also thinks about Hyukjae. How scared he was. Who's trying to hurt him? Why?

He wanted to ask Hyukjae. But he didn't seem to be in the right state.

-----

Donghae checks up news on Hyukjae the next day. There's nothing. Thankfully. Just articles about his appearances.

Donghae then stares at the number. That Hyukjae called him from. He didn't get to ask. If that was his. Donghae only gets contacted through Hyukjae's agency and manager.

He thinks of Hyukjae's white face. Cold hands. Trembling voice.

He can just ask. Right?

He calls the number. Listens to his heartbeat.

"Hello?"

Hyukjae! His heart jumps.

"Hi, um, it's Donghae?"

"Yeah... I know."

He knows? He's saved on his phone?

"Uh, I just wanted to ask how you're doing..."

Hyukjae exhales. "Yeah -- just one moment."

There's some shuffling. Movement. A sliding door.

"Donghae?"

"Yeah!"

"Yeah, sorry, I'm... I'm okay now -- um, but first, thank you for asking, and... letting me see you. I'm sorry for tro