Myungsoo slammed the door open. The knob scraped against the wall, making a sickening metallic sound.

"ARGH!" Woohyun freaked and applied cream in the wrong places.

He spun around to glare at his dongsaeng. "Yah Kim Myungsoo what the hell?" Hoya just stared back, a shocked look on his face.

The other boy paced back and forth urgently, creating loads of attention. Soon, Sunggyu, Dongwoo (who had been sleeping) and Sungyeol came into the living room as well. Hope flashed in Sungyeol's eyes once he saw Myungsoo, but quickly dimmed when the latter didn't even spare one glance for him.

"Where's Sungjong?"

Sungyeol's heart sank even more.

"He was with me. Remember?" Hoya spoke up, eyeing Myungsoo. "He's still in the room though."

Myungsoo shook his head. "Wait, so he hasn't come out for the past few hours?"

"He doesn't want to. Myungsoo-ah, can I speak to you in private? Over here." Hoya gestured towards the end of the room and gave all the other members a go-away stare.

Woohyun shot Sungyeol a sympathetic look as he slung one arm over his friend, half-dragging him away from the two. Sungyeol's heart ached a lot. He didn't know what to believe now - Myungsoo, or himself.

I thought you promised.

******

They stood opposite each other, neither one saying anything. Myungsoo waiting for Hoya to start, Hoya waiting for Myungsoo to start.

"Hyung." Myungsoo broke the silence.

The older boy crossed his arms. "Yeah, I was hoping you'd say that."

"... Why did you hang up on me?"

"Well ask Sungjong!" Hoya exclaimed, his tone defensive. "He took my phone, okay? I don't even have it now."

An angry mutter.

"Sorry," Myungsoo apologised and looked sincerely at his hyung. "I'm just really anxious. Jongie has never been this angry with me in a while."

"Because you broke up with him?" The older male tried not to sound snarky.

"I …" The visual ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "Honestly, I'm not sure what to think now," he admitted. "I know I promised Yeollie I'd stay by him, but seeing Sungjong like this - I …" his voice slowly trailed off.

Hoya sighed. "Does Sungyeol know?"

"No."

******

"No."

That single word pierced through Sungyeol's fragile heart and successfully shattered it. The Choding whipped around, leaning against the kitchen wall as he inhaled sharply and processed what Myungsoo had just said.

I shouldn’t have eavesdropped on them. I shouldn't.

As he shifted his gaze to his shaking hand, another tear rolled down his cheek.

His subconscious spoke up with a mocking tone. See? He never loved you.

He never loved you.

.

.

.

never loved you

.

.

.

never.

"Shut UP!" Sungyeol screamed as he tried to muffle his sobs with one hand. As the tears flowed uncontrollably, he found himself hating Myungsoo more and more with every second that passed.

So why did he lead me on?

******

As he clutched his teddy bear, the diva maknae found the silence in the room oddly comforting. Hoya had left and he was now alone. Perhaps this was the ideal time to think things through and decide what to do next.

Truthfully, he’d never meant to upload the video, let alone hurt his hyungs. It was just that anger had gotten the better of him. Needless to say, guilt was now eating at him.

Sungjong closed his eyes and let a small tear form at the edge of his eye as the past memories came flooding back.

[FLASHBACK]

"Yah, Lee Sungjong! What are you doing lazing in that corner over there? Infinite’s debuting in two weeks and this is all you can do? What are you, a weakling?" The manager barked at him, leaving the boy cowering in fright. A drop of perspiration rolled down his forehead as he stood up hurriedly and apologised.

"M-Mianhae …"

"Hyung, Jongie was just taking a short break," Myungsoo quickly defended his friend. "We’ve been practicising non-stop! It should be alright -"

"Is Sunggyu resting? Is Woohyun resting?" The manager shot back. "No! I'm warning you, Lee Sungjong. Don’t you dare think highly of yourself simply because you're a trainee. Do you know why you made it to Woolim?"

There was no reply. Sungjong shut his eyes tightly, waiting for the harsh words that were to come next.

The manager continued. "Because you could dance! That's all you can do, really - DANCE. If you couldn't even do that, do you think Woolim would have accepted someone that looks like a girl and might be gay?"

Those words cut through the young maknae. Even though he didn't show it, the pain he felt at that very moment was indescribable.

"I’m leaving. When I get back, I expect to see all of you practicising." With one last glare at Sungjong, the manager stalked out of the studio without a backward glance.

Sungjong tried to hold in his cries as he slumped onto the floor and let the tears flow freely down his thin cheeks. The insults played over and over again in his mind.

You look just like a girl.

Are you gay?

Save for the fact that you could dance, or do you think Woolim would have accepted you?

"Jong -"

"Leave me ALONE," Sungjong shouted.

"Jongie," Myungsoo repeated, holding him firmly by the shoulders. "Listen to me!"

"WHAT?"

"Prove yourself to him! We both know you can do much more than that - show manager-hyung that you’re worthy of being a trainee!"

"P-Prove it?" He was taken by surprise.

The visual nodded, hugging him tight.

"Prove it. I’ll be here for you all the way."

They stayed like that for a while, surrounded by a comfortable silence. Sungjong pulled away and smiled at the older.

"Hyung?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"Saranghae."

He would never forget that day; the day when Myungsoo's lips finally pressed onto his for the first time.

[END OF FLASHBACK]

******

The maknae glanced back down and found that the teddy bear he'd been clutching was now soaked with tears. Shaking, his cries were filled with sorrow and hurt.

So why did he lead me on?

Comment? (: