Dongwoo watch Sunggyu and his group of backup dancer move to the song of Kontrol from his previous album. They’re great. He admit. Better than the previous group Sunggyu picked to promote with. Between the dancers he chose before, only one selected again for this world tour and the other are new faces. The unselected members had to join the leftover group and continue practising their skill. That’s why, Infinite always remind their trainees to keep their head down because you didn’t know what would happen in the future. One minute you can be in a team of a singer, the next you can be replaced with someone better than you. But sadly they didn’t listen, never are.

Dongwoo sighs.

It was hard to pick a new face to debut. The last artist they produce is Lee Sungjong three months ago. Even though it still recent, they still need to start planning. They have to compile songs, dance move, costing, promotion, team and whatever there need to be done. Before Sungjong’s debut, the management had their eyes on Woohyun first. They use a whole month to persuade the dancer to swipe to the singing department. But as you already know, Woohyun object to the idea. Because he know, if he change department, it will be higher chance to debut, and he refuse.

They only stop persuading when Woohyun warns them of quitting the agency. Of course he have to pay for breaking the contract but he didn’t care. He is willing to work until his last breath if he need to, to pay the fine. The CEO, Jang Donggun quickly ask them to stop, he is willing to not debuting Woohyun as long as the dancer doesn’t quit. He is afraid Woohyun will get scout by other agency. Such a gem is hard to find and you shouldn’t lose them when they are in your hands.

May be with time, Woohyun’s heart soften and he agree to be an idol.

But now Dongwoo doubt it though.

He doesn’t know what to think of this situation. Sunggyu is so determined to debuting Woohyun. Since the selection of backup dancer a week ago, Sunggyu got into a fight with Woohyun a lot. And that was the only thing Sunggyu talk about, how to make Woohyun give in to be a singer.

Dongwoo is worried but he is also hoping Sunggyu success in softening Woohyun’s strong heart. But it also a matter of time until Woohyun threaten them to quit Infinite.

Dongwoo was pulled from his thoughts when the dancers clap their hands and bowing and saying good work to each other. He stand up from the chair on the meeting table, smiling at the dancers. On top of the table is cups drink of iced Americano for everyone and one café latte for himself and one iced chocolate.

The dancers greet and bow at him when they pass by the table, picking a drink at the same time.

“Can we really have them?” Hoya ask.

“What?” Dongwoo chuckles. “You have them every day, Hoya. Why with the question? It’s okay. You can have one. Sunggyu hyung’s treat.”

Hoya nods as he pick up one of the remaining cups, waving his good bye to his fellow dancers before the door closed, leaving only Hoya and Dongwoo at the table and Sunggyu and the producer at the other side of the room.

“Let’s go out to eat, hyung,” Hoya ask.

“Sorry, I don’t think I can.” Dongwoo peek at his artist. “Sunggyu hyung still has some work to do.”

Hoya nods, mumbling an oh before he sips his drink.

“What? Are you eating alone tonight?”

Hoya nods again. “Sungyeol went to Gohan again for shooting and Woohyun is working at the store. I don’t like eating alone and everyone want to go home soon,” he says, referring to the other backup dancer.

Dongwoo eyed the younger with sympathy. No one like eating alone. Even though Hoya is an awkward guy, he still want to eat in the premise of his friends, or someone he know. Dongwoo and Hoya is not that close but they did engage into conversation whenever they met. And Dongwoo regard Hoya as one of his trusted staff in the company. It means he treat Hoya as his friends too.

“You’re still here?” Sunggyu asks, drawing both Dongwoo and Hoya’s attention.

Hoya quickly bows his head as a greeting. “Yeah, just talking with Dongwoo hyung.”

The producer say his goodbye, picking his drink and left the room, now leaving only the three of them. Hoya can’t help but to glance at the drinks left on the table. There are three cups and three of them, but Hoya already hold his. One cup is Dongwoo’s since it is closer to the manager and half empty. One cup closer to Dongwoo’s cup and the colour chocolatier than the one cup left, which is the same with Hoya’s drink. It makes him wonder who the chocolatier is for when Sunggyu pick the last iced Americano.

“I know it is Friday and we don’t have practise tomorrow, but shouldn’t you go home? You must be tired,” Sunggyu says.

“Ah, yeah. I am. I was just asking if Dongwoo hyung want to buy me dinner,” Hoya shamelessly says.

Sunggyu frown, ignoring Dongwoo’s yah. “Where is your friends? You don’t eat with them?”

Hoya shakes his head as he explain the whereabouts of his two best friends.

“So Woohyun already left eh…” Sunggyu whispers, eyeing the lonely iced chocolate, then he lift his head. “Do you have any plan now?”

Hoya shakes his head, startled.

“I want to talk to you. Have a seat.” Sunggyu pulls one seat and gesture for Hoya to do the same. He ask Dongwoo to order some chicken and pizza for their dinner in the room. “Lee Howon, right?” Sunggyu started.

“Yes, sir. But you can call me Hoya,”

“Okay, Hoya.” Sunggyu nods. “You’re from Sabuk too, right? Which school were you attend to?”

“Sabuk High School, just like you, Sunggyu-shi,”

“Oh. So you’re my junior?” Hoya nods. “I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you,”

“No. Don’t be. You’re the town star, how could you know a lowly me?” Hoya says humbly.

“It will be weird if you call me sunbae, even Woohyun never call me sunbae before,” he says but whispers the last part. “Call me hyung. I thought I told you kids to call me Sunggyu hyung. Sunggyu-shi makes me feels older,”

“In everyone’s defence, you are older, hyung,” Dongwoo interrupt, sitting on his previous seat beside Sunggyu but with a gap between them.

Sunggyu hissed as he hit Dongwoo’s side, making the manager laugh. Hoya just watch the artist and the manager joking with each other. But rather than being weird by their close relationship, he was thinking about Sunggyu’s words just now. It was slow but Hoya heard him clear. The singer indeed said about Woohyun never call him sunbae. It makes him wonder what the real relationship between Sunggyu and Woohyun was. They can’t be just an acquaintances changing a few words. If they were, Woohyun must call Sunggyu as sunbae, just like how he address every senior at their school.

“You must had known Woohyun for a long time,” Sunggyu asks, surprising the youngest between them.

“Ah, yes. We are friends in high school,”

“How close are you?”

Hoya tilted his head, he found the question strange. “We are best friend, but not as close as Woohyun and Sungyeol. They’re closer and I befriended Woohyun through Sungyeol. I think we get closer around second year.”

The word second year ticked Sunggyu in his heart. Woohyun in his second year of high school, meaning the five years since Woohyun cut contact with him. He must find the secret of that year. He believe that was the breaking point of these changes.

Before Sunggyu could ask further, the chicken and pizza they ordered arrive. Sunggyu suggest them eat first and they will talk in between. Because they’re eating, Sunggyu opt to the simple questions like what he did in high school, which class he was in, what his parents do, where his house is, how they find living in the big city so far.

He regrets asking about their life living in the city. His heart clench at the hard life Woohyun was living. He has to balled his fist to control his emotion if he doesn’t want to shed tears in front of them. But he guess Hoya and Dongwoo caught his grief when his voice broke when he ask why Woohyun didn’t go to the university if he got scholarship.

Hoya shrugged. “I didn’t know. One day he is happy he got the offer. Not excited, but happy. Then one day he said he won’t go. I found it strange but Sungyeol was glad. Sungyeol can’t go either because he didn’t have much money so he is thinking they can go together one day when he had save enough.”

Silence.

Dongwoo blink his eyes but Sunggyu is thinking deep. It’s possible but it’s also strange. Why would Woohyun give up the offer just to enrol together with his best friend? He is wasting his time and lose the sponsorship if he didn’t go pronto.

Sunggyu gulp his saliva.

The night goes darker, they had finish eating and the leftover food went cold, the ice in the iced chocolate had melt and build a line of lighter colour that no one want to drink anymore.

“Did something happen to Woohyun?” Sunggyu braced himself to ask. “He had stop playing soccer and he is a lot stubborn now, he like to argue. He had…change. He is not the same Nam Woohyun I had known of before.”

Silence.

Dongwoo look at the elder, curious mixing with confused. Hoya stare at the singer, his face blank with his own question, debating if he should tell the truth or not. Sunggyu had his eyes stick on Hoya, waiting not patiently to be answered. He wants to know. He needs to know.

“How…” Hoya healed a breath. “How close were you with Woohyun before, Sunggyu hyung?”

“We are…we were friends,” Sunggyu half lied. “We had talk and spend time together until I graduated.”

Hoya doesn’t say anything for a while, thinking. “Woohyun told me you talk before but that’s that. I didn’t know you two were friends. I don’t know if I should…”

Sunggyu furrowed his eyebrow. Dongwoo jump slightly in his seat.

“Hoya, is this something we should know? Is this had something to do with why he refused to debut?” Dongwoo asks. “Hoya, you have to tell us,”

“I…” Hoya look at Dongwoo and Sunggyu one after the other. “I’m not sure I’m the right person to say this,”

“Hoya…” Dongwoo plead.

“Hoya,” Sunggyu says. “I understand if you feel that way. You think this is something we have to hear from Woohyun himself and you are not sure if you could trust us. But I assure you, we won’t put you into trouble,”

“Yes, Hoya. We want to help,” Dongwoo pinch in.

“I just want to know…if something had happen to Woohyun. He really change. He is not the same person,” Sunggyu added.

“You want to help him, right, Hoya?” Dongwoo urged. “You tricked him to join Infinite because you want to help him. But after a year, he still had this thought of escaping this place. We have to know what’s wrong with him for him to stop making plans to run away.”

Sunggyu frown at this. He wants to know what Dongwoo means by tricked, escaping and run away. But he can’t wait to learn about the problem and Woohyun’s past to ask Dongwoo to explain. He will one day, maybe after this.

“You know he plans to escape?” Hoya asks, curious.

“Of course I know,” Dongwoo replies. “He was thinking to create a problem so we could kick him ourselves. But he really behave all this time, it makes me think he doesn’t really want to leave actually.”

Quiet. Hoya lowered his head. The iced Americano long gone. But he can’t drink the chocolatier either when he didn’t know who it was intended for and it would taste disgusting by now. Sensing Hoya is debating within himself, Dongwoo stand up and went out of the room.

“You really don’t have to worry yourself,” Sunggyu says, making Hoya lift his head to look at him. “I just…” He sighs. “Woohyun didn’t pick up my calls and didn’t response to my messages. Later I learn he change his number. I was really worried, I still am.”

Hoya eyed the singer. Looking at his face, Hoya know the elder is sincerely concerned for their friend. He knows he can trust Sunggyu but the question is…is he the right person and how far he should tell?

They fall in deep quiet when neither Hoya making an answer nor Sunggyu pushing in. They don’t know how long they stay in the awkward silent before Dongwoo come back to the room bringing a big bottle of coke and three paper cups. He pour each cups a drink then distribute them each.

“Is this from the pantry?” Sunggyu asks.

“CEO.” Dongwoo grins. “It’s easier to steal from his office than to deal with the staff. They will make a fuss even if we return a new one and they won’t even notice it was gone.”

Sunggyu tsk but Hoya look at the two elder men with horror in his face. Dongwoo hyung steal from the CEO office but Sunggyu hyung is fine with it? Really?

“It’s okay, Hoya,” Dongwoo says, sensing the worries. “Trust me. CEO won’t get mad. I will tell him tomorrow.”

Hoya nods uncertainty. But seeing both Sunggyu and Dongwoo gulp down their drinks, Hoya choose to ignore it and empting his cup too. Dongwoo pour another drinks when Hoya start talking.

“Promise me you won’t trouble him. Promise me you want to help him,”

“We won’t trouble him or you. We just want to help,” Dongwoo says. “He is such a gem. It’s a pity if he waste his life like this.”

Hoya sighs. “I still stick to my reason, I’m not sure if I am the right person to tell this. But I can only tell you what I know.”

Both Sunggyu and Dongwoo nods. Sunggyu gulp his saliva, bracing himself of the secret of his lost love.

“We were friends since first year but we grew closer in second year. We were not even in the same class, but one day, I caught Woohyun behind the gym, getting hit,” Hoya started.

Sunggyu’s breath caught in his throat.

“I manage to stop them but they run away. Since then, whenever I saw Woohyun look uneasy with a bunch of students, I will get in between and unconsciously save him. Woohyun won’t admit but we know he gets bullied and he is thankful we drag him out,”

“Bullied?” Dongwoo whispers. “Why? Who?”

“They are his soccer teammates,” Hoya says, looking at Sunggyu. “You know Woohyun is the star player in the soccer team, right? I believe they are jealous of his skill. They said he will get scout by SNU Soccer Team. Sungyeol once joking, if they know Woohyun got a call from KFA, they might try to kill him.”

Ba-dump.

“Kill…?” Sunggyu fist his hands.

“They tried,”

“Wha…what?” Dongwoo gape. “They try to kill him?”

Hoya nods his head. “They make it like an accident, but thankfully, Woohyun survived. He got injured but his friend didn’t.”

Dongwoo gasp, he put a palm over his mouth. “How…how bad was the injury?”

“His friend, Kibum, was with him that night and died on the way to the hospital. Everyone think Woohyun stop playing in honour of his friend. But actually, his injury is too severe. Doctor advise him to stop playing. He can’t even play a heavy sport to not make it worse,” Hoya’s voice crack at the story. “Just a few people know. We’re a small town, if we keep a secret, it stay a secret. Everyone is disappointed. They scold him why he stop playing when they know nothing,

“The bullies stop. I think they learn their lesson or they were afraid to get caught or they reached their goal, to stop Woohyun to play soccer. SNU still want to scout him. They offer him scholarship because they believe Woohyun’s skill and knowledge is useful for the team. Before we left to Seoul, Woohyun got a letter, saying the offer still there for him whenever he think it is time to enrol,” Hoya says, wiping the corner of his eye. “I told you before, hyung, that Woohyun work many jobs when we first get here.”

Sunggyu nods his head slowly.

“Actually after he stop playing soccer, he recuperate himself and slowly recover. He won’t get his perfect health as before but it is better when it is healed. But when he did the heavy works, it open the old injury and put him in pain,” Hoya continue. “That’s why he stop doing those jobs. That’s why I tricked him into joining Infinite,”

“And this…” Sunggyu gulp his saliva. “Happen in second year…you said?”

Hoya nods his head. “It happen when the school soccer league started. The accident…” He stop to remember the painful event. “Happen on the night before the quarter-finals.”

Hoya and Dongwoo startled when Sunggyu jump from his seat and went further away. Their shocked doubled when they hear the singer scream through his muffled palm over his mouth. Dongwoo runs to his side to calm him down but Hoya stood still like a deer caught in headlight.

--------------------------------------------

How is it?

Is it bad?

Please leave some comment.

I google about Sunggyu, Dongwoo and Sungyeol everyday but no news coming up. Recently I found “Dongwoo made a heart-touching declaration that he will always follow his leader hyung”. This give me hope that they always stay together.