Chapter 3

"I ING dare you...!!" and with those last words the room turned to chaos.

Fists and limbs were flying everywhere, entangled with one another. It took the larger members, Nichkhun and Chansung, to hold back the raging beast from going rampage on the second youngest. Wooyoung having his arms wrapped up around the younger man, was constantly looking apprehensively back and forth between an enraged Taecyeon and quietly pleading with the oldest with hopes that he would be able to do something, before someone did something that all of them would regret.

Sighing, Junsu stood between the two that are at logger heads with each other, wondering how to calm down and appease the situation without appearing that he's biased towards any one of the members.

"Junho, just calm down. There's no need for you to get all vulgar towards your Hyungs" looking at him with tired eyes trying to plead with him in hopes that he'll take a step back realizing that everyone was tired and high strung on all the stress and pressure that was put down on them.

Those words caught his attention, and those venomous eyes that was directed towards the largest member, slowly took a turn and fell onto the eldest. The hate that was previously directed to the other person was now entirely directed towards Junsu.

"So..." he paused. "You want me to what...??" he seethed at the oldest.

"Apologize" slowly shifting his eyes away and glared at Taecyeon, "..to HIM ?"

Scoffing at the thought of apologizing to him, he rolled his eyes and with anger, he looked straight into Junsu's.

"I don't owe HIM..." pointing to Taecyeon with his chin, "... an apology."

"...!! I don't owe any of you s anything...!!" spitting out his words with venom to them all.

"Junho-ah..." trailed Chansung, who was totally taken aback by what he had heard spewing from his friend's mouth.

Forcing his way out of Wooyoung's hold on him, he turned his back on them all, grabbing his hoodie and cap. Just as he was about to open the door to the room to leave, a growl from behind made him stop in his tracks and he turn back to them, knowing full well who it was that was sending those menacing growls. Sneering back at the said person, he taunted him as he slid on his hoodie and cap.

"Don't you dare step out of this room. We're not done yet with that attitude of your's...!!" the two had to tighten their grip on Taecyeon, as the action from the second youngest had riled him up even more.

Ignoring the threat from the largest member and the pleading looks from the rest, he left the five of them in the room without a word, slamming the door behind him. The mirror on the door rattled on its hinges the second time that night.

It was an uncomfortable silence as the seconds ticked by with the five of them eyeing the door, maybe, in hopes that by some miracle, he would just return back as if nothing had happened.

"I'm so going to kill that insolent brat" breaking the silence, as Taecyeon struggled to get out of the others' thight hold on him.

"The both of you let go of me RIGHT NOW." growling at his captors, struggling wildly, only to have them tighten their hold on him till he calmed his wild trashing.

"And just what are you going to do ? Find him and beat that kid to a bloody pulp ? We all know how you get when you're angry." The whole situation had finally angered the Thai, as he released his hold looking at the said man straight into his eyes, fighting fire with fire.

"So... NOW your defending that worthless piece of ?" Taec pulled himself up to his full height, staring straight back down at the Thai.

"I'm defending no one here Taec" the two beasts were going head to head, angry eyes trying to stare each other down.

"ENOUGH..!!" Junsu shouted at them both, as he pried them apart, which took quite an amount out of him just to keep those two away from each other.

"Wooyoung, call Junho and ask him where the heck is he, and to get his back here to the studio." The weariness of the whole situation wore off and the eldest was high strung on adreneline with all the anger being thrown around.

"Taec, go and clear your head. Go shower or something." glaring at the troll, as he was about to protest, who slowly, but finally decided to listen to reason. Dead silence filled the air as the eldest took charge of the situation, he may be smaller than some of them, but the air of command that surrounds him kept the others quiet and in place.

"Khun. You and Chansung clean this place up. We don't need NamYoung Hyung to go on another screaming fit on us."

"Wooyoung, did you get through to him ?" a dull, muffled sound of a phone vibrating from behind him, made him turn around to find Wooyoung on his knees, rummaging through a black backpack.

"Hyung..." the smaller man said softly, afraid of the eldest wrath.

"He didn't bring his phone along with him." pulling out the iPhone from his backpack.

"Is his wallet in there too ? Or did he bring it with him ?" Junsu asked, as he grabbed the phone from Wooyoung and shoving it into his pant pocket, his brain thinking of the different possibilities as to where the tempremental man had run off to.

"Hyung..." catching Junsu's attention.

"I don't think it's in his bag, he most probably brought it with him." he concluded, having all the contents of the bag strewn around him.

Running his fingers thrugh his hair, he had a vague idea as to where the second youngest might be heading towards right at that moment, hoping that he would not be running into any crazy saesang fans that may cause even more problems that they were already in.

"Khun, once you guys are all ready, call Jooseob Hyung, have him pick you guys up. If he asks where me and Junho are, just tell him that we went out to grab some stuffs to eat, or just come up with something, anything, its up to you, I can't think straight right now." he rambled on as he donned his hoodie and cap, getting ready to go out in search for Junho.

"If anything else crops up, give me a buzz." patting his pocket, where both his and Junho's phones were, and headed out the door.

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Stepping out of the building, Junho pulled his hoodie over his head, the cool night breeze swept through the streets. He was thankful that it was way past midnight, with the Dunkin Donuts across the street closed for the night, there weren't any fans stalking the building.

Making a bee line to the near by GS-25, the glaring flourescent light temporarily blinded his dazed eyes as he stepped into the convenient store. Not having decided on what to get, he decided to go with that different kind of thirst which had been clawing at him for the past few days. Totally ignoring the pang of hunger that has been making its presence known to him since hours ago, he took three large bottles of soju and cans of beer each. Drinking on an empty stomach, now, that would have a much more faster effect on him, he decided. Paying for the items, the cashier, a middle aged man, who has been working there for many years gave him a reassuring smile.

"You should at least grab a bite if you're going to be drinking that much." looking at Junho knowingly, he had his fair share of trainees and idols alike sneaking out from the company building to get away from all the stress of training and peer pressure.

"Thanks Hyung, I know I should eat, but there's a reason why I want to do this." sighing as he pointed to the bottles and cans on the counter top and handed the notes over to the elder.

"Its just that I want to..." trailing off, stopping himself before he said anything more than he should. He knows that the elder man can be trusted, but you'll never know. As words can be a very powerful weapon if the right person yeilds it.

"I do not know what has gotten you this worked up, but please take care of yourself. It may be really late right now, but you and I both know that there may be some saesang fans around. Just stay low and don't do anything too stupid." With worry etched on his bearded face, he reluctantly returned the change.

"I will Hyung, no worries. Thanks for the concern though." bowing his head, as he made his way into the night street ahead.

The soju bottles clanked against each other as he slowly dragged his feet to the only place nearby, where he knew no one would be disrupting him from getting his fill of the burning liquid. The anger had all but dissipated from his mind, and all that's left in him is, nothing. His mind was empty of any thoughts, his heart void of any emotions. It was a total blank void, which he was surprisingly, thankful for. Walking past the posh restraunts, glittering hotels and shimmiering office buildings at this time of the night was a beautiful sight. With the lack of vehicles zooming past & the chatter of the crowd, the street gave out a serene yet eerie atmosphere. The sparkling lights of the late night cafes with the slow jazz music streaming out lulled him into a dazed mode, his feet automatically taking him towards his destination.

A sudden loud honk from a passing car jolted him to a stop at a junction, his destination just ahead of him. With the glaring green man and the screeching sound coming from the traffic light, it slowly brought him out of his daze. Crossing the junction, he walked up into a small dark street, when a slight glimmer of light caught his eyes. The white signboard pointing to his lonesome and isolated solitude, where a slice of quiet heaven hid in such a busy city, Cheongdam Park.

The park not having changed much over the years, where the dim lamps that dotted along the path, only slightly illuminating the way, had never deterred him from reaching his destination. A full moon, the sky full of stars with a wonderful breeze from the Han River, he finally arrived at his little hideaway. A baseball park with no lights, just the dark night sky above him, as he sat down on the dirt covered ground smack in the middle of it. Taking out the disposable plastic cups, he mixed the soju and beer together, a potent concoction, especially on an empty stomach, he down the amber liquid in one shot.

That blank void stayed there in his mind, but after the tenth or was it the eleventh shot, he lost count after the seventh, he was finally starting to really feel the effect of the alcohol in his system. That was when it all suddenly came crashing down. The sudden flood of memories and emotions, was too much for him to handle, as it came hitting him like a freight train. The love for dance and music, the driving force that had him suddenly jump into the entertainment industry had slowly faded. He was now only going through the motion, the practice sessions, CFs, media shows, fan meetings, all his entire schedule was now just a mundane tiresome routine for him. He had no idea when the spark in him had died out, it was just a daily drone of dragging himself through his daily schedules like a robot. He was stripped of any emotions and it was driving him crazy. Taking the slightest opportunity to get a reaction out of himself, sometimes even at the expense of the group.

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“What the hell is wrong with that boy?” Junsu thought as he headed across to the convenient store nearby. Walking straight in towards the cashier, he was relieved to see the person behind the counter was a familiar face.

“Hyung, I’m so sorry to bother you at such a late hour but…” Junsu hurriedly asked, for he had already wasted almost a half hour trying to diffuse the situation back in the studio before he realize the severity of the situation that Junho had left the building without any way of contacting him.

“Yes, Junho came by sometime back. Even bought himself quite an amount of soju and beer with him. And, no, he did not tell me where he was heading to, but by the direction that he walked to, it’ll most likely be towards the river.” The elder man replied, even before Junsu could finish his sentence.

“Seriously Hyung, you have no idea.” cutting himself short, he thanked the cashier. With a sigh of relief, his suspicion as to where Junho might be right at that moment, had been confirmed. It has been years since he went to the park. And it seems that every time he visited that particular place, it was always for the same reason, to bring Junho back.

The slow rustle of the leaves as the breeze swept through the park had always calmed his mind, understanding the reason why Junho would always return back to this particular area of the park over and over again.

He knew when he was almost there, getting closer to the younger one, as he could hear the slurred shouts and curses he was directing towards the heavens above. Déjà vu hits him and it seems like he was taken back in time. The sight in front of him made his heart clench in pain. The frame of the little Emperor, sprawled on the floor with the soju and beer bottles splayed all over the place, grabbled mutterings were thrown to no one in particular. The last time this happened was when they were trainees, even the whole issue with Jay leaving didn’t leave him in this state. There was this nagging feeling that was tugging at his sub-conscious that there was something seriously bothering his brother.

Just as he was about to pick him up from the floor, Junho abruptly sat up and grabbed him by the collar of his hoodie, and with tears streaming down his eyes, he just whispered quietly to his senior.

“Why Hyung ? Why ? Why can’t I just…” collapsing onto Junsu’s shoulder, he sobbed profusely in his drunken stupor.