Confessions
The Dark Side of Our World
Kai walked back to the dorm. He was more than livid, but he had no where to place his anger. “!”
Chanyeol was the first one to his side. “What’s wrong?”
“Kyungsoo ran off and I chased him around the city and then he got into a van with Kyuhyun and I have no idea where they went after that!”
“Well, that’s good.”
“Good? How could that be good?!”
“He got in the van with someone he knew, not a stranger promising him candy or ice cream or-”
“Chanyeol! Kyungsoo isn’t a ing stupid five year old, damnit!”
“Kai, quit yelling. Especially at Chanyeol.” Suho came out of the kitchen and ushered the two boys into the living room. “He’s just trying to help is his weird Chanyeol-esqu way.” Chanyeol nodded vigorously. “Look, Kyungsoo probably just went with him to get a ride to his dorm. Yesung is there.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better? We’re going out and he isn’t telling me something. I have a right to know!”
“Just like how Kyungsoo had the right to know you screwed Baekhyun and I behind his back? And you didn’t tell him - I did.” Chanyeol rested his arm on Kai’s shoulder. “The way I see it, karma picked right now to pay you back.”
“I-!” Kai shut up. He had no comeback to Chanyeol’s accusation. That was how the events happened. So, being the child Kai could be, he stomped off to his room and slammed the door as loud as he could. The sound of something crashing to the floor carried through the hall.
Chanyeol and Suho looked at each other and sighed. Kai would be okay sooner or later. It was the other boy they were worried about. They knew something was wrong with Kyungsoo and silently swore to deal with it the second he stepped in their home.
~~~~~
At the hotel EXO-M was staying at, Kris and Tao lazily watched a movie together. The other 4 members were off doing their own things.
About half way through the movie, Tao got up and crawled under the covers of his temporary bed. If it wasn’t 3 in the afternoon, Kris would have let it slide. But Tao normally never sleeps until 8 at the earliest.
“Tao, are you okay? Are you feeling sick?”
The tuft of hair peeking out from the covers shook from side to side. Kris sat next to the lump on the bed and gently ran his hand across Tao’s head. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
Tao turned his back to Kris and hid further into the comforter’s warmth. Kris kept prodding gently, but Tao refused to open up. After a few more minutes, Kris sighed and told Tao he would be right back.
When the door clicked shut, Tao shot up out of bed and grabbed his phone.
To: Luhan
Can I talk to you about something?
Tao fell back on the bed, phone clutched tightly in his hands. It buzzed a few minutes later. At first Tao was confused, but then he reread the From line.
From: Kyungsoo
We need to talk about something. When are you free?
The phone buzzed again before Tao could reply to Kyungsoo.
From: Luhan
Sure? (o.o)? What’s up?
Tao entered in some text, but quickly deleted it. In lieu of explaining via text, Tao decided to make the talk more face to face. He really wanted to know what Kyungsoo had to say, though.
To: Luhan
Can we meet up later? Like downstairs or somewhere away from everyone?
To: Kyungsoo
Whenever I think...I can ask Kris if he can take me to your dorm later or something. You know which hotel we’re at so we you can come here, too.
Tao hid under the sheets as the sound of keys jingling signaled Kris’ return. He carefully put the phone back on the bedside table and tried to return to his earlier state. He was fortunate to have a boyfriend who tended to be very unobservant about minute details unless they were directly related to himself. Kris sat down at the edge of the bed and started patting Tao’s head again. They sat in silence.
Kris put down two glasses of water he fetched. He was worried. He would be lying if he said the second Tao hid away he didn’t feel worried. Tao was a lot more insecure than he ever let off, and that made him paranoid and suspicious of everything.
It made the whole sleeping around bit a little more difficult than Kris expected.
Tao’s phone buzzed again, sending Kris a slight shock. Kris reached for the phone to hand it to Tao. It buzzed a second time, so Kris thought maybe someone was calling him. He checked the screen to see two truncated messaged.
From: Luhan
Yeah, okay. I’m free later so just tell me when you want to...
From: Kyungsoo
Can you come in an hour? But please make sure Kris doesn’t find...
Tao snatched the phone out of Kris’ hands before Kris could read anything else.
Kris wasn’t stupid. Tao’s sudden change of personality and attitude meant something was wrong. But Tao was not the kind of person who would open up when he didn’t want to. And the messages clearly meant Tao was hiding something from Kris.
“Tao, talk to me.” Why are you meeting with Luhan?
“It’s nothing.”
“Tao...” Why does Kyungsoo want you to go over?
“I’m going out.”
“Tao!” Do you know?
~~~~~
Kyungsoo sat quietly in the car’s shotgun seat. After more talking that ultimately went nowhere, Kyungsoo left the Super Junior dorm with the promise that this seniors would do what they could.
“Who did Kris hear it from?”
Kyungsoo didn’t bother to ask Kris when he told Kyungsoo the rumor.
“And you’re sure Tao doesn’t know? Do you have any idea who it might be?”
Kyungsoo was pretty sure Tao didn’t know. He would have shown it. The boy doesn’t wear his heart on his sleeves but his eyes and voice always give him away. Kyungsoo wasn’t totally sure who Kris could have been spending the night with. Chanyeol and himself were the only two people who were not with Kris. That left 8 other members.
“Kris doesn’t know you know, right?”
That was something Kyungsoo was certain of. Kris would have confronted him, right? Kris wasn’t the kind of person who would just let a huge secret slip and not cover his tracks.
“We’ll call you if we hear anything, okay?” Kyuhyun said as he pulled up to the EXO dorm. “Keep us filled in, too.”
Kyungsoo nodded as he got out. “Thank you.” Kyuhyun grabbed Kyungsoo by the arm and held him back for a moment. “Hyung...?”
“Don’t trust anyone.”
“Kyuhyun Hyu-”
“Anyone could be the culprit. Don’t trust anyone at your dorm. Don’t trust any of the EXO members. They might be lying to you.” Kyuhyun tightened his grip to the point Kyungsoo cringed from pain. “Don’t even trust Kai.”
Kyungsoo hesitantly nodded. When Kyungsoo loosened his grip, Kyungsoo shut the car door and walked up to his dorm. He waved Kyuhyun goodbye before unlocking the dorm. He heaved a sigh as he pulled the door open.
“So, having fun with the seniors?”
Kyungsoo jumped at the sound of a deep calling for him. “Uh...yeah? Hi, Chanyeol?”
Suho snuck up on Kyungsoo and pulled him into the living room. “Talk.”
“About?”
“Why are you suddenly spending so much time with our seniors, loverboy?” Chanyeol asked.
It took a lot for Kyungsoo to not snap and spill everything he knew. Instead, he replied uncharacteristically. “I think you have the wrong person - Kai’s the resident loverboy.” Kyungsoo pointed down the hall towards his and Kai’s room.
“Yah-!” Chanyeol made an attempt to scare Kyungsoo, but Suho stopped him.
“I’ll handle this.” Suho dragged Kyungsoo off to his room, leaving Chanyeol to pout in front of the TV. They found Sehun laying on his bed reading. “Sehun, out.”
“But-”
“Out.” Suho didn’t have to say anything else. There was a cross look in his eyes and Sehun knew all too well to not get in the way of an angry Suho. With the group baby out of the room, Suho locked the door and sat Kyungsoo down. “Talk. What’s going on. We all know you’ve been up to something, and Kai’s about half-way down crazy lane thinking you’re cheating.”
Kyungsoo pouted. “Well, I’m not.”
“Then go clear things up with Kai.”
“I’m not the one with anything to clear up!” Kyungsoo couldn’t help but feel defensive.
Suho huffed. “Then you should be fine explaining why you’ve been spending so much time with Yesung and Kyuhyun the last couple days without having to hide anything.”
“I-!” Kyungsoo didn’t have anything to hide. He really didn’t. But the whole drama with Kris and Tao was something he was trying his hardest to keep from the other EXO members. Suho had him trapped. Either he tells him the truth, or gets labeled traitor and lose Kai. “Can we talk about this in private?”
“We’re locked in my room. How much more privacy do you need?”
Just then, Kyungsoo’s phone vibrated.
From: Tao
Can we meet now? Can I bring Luhan? (>.<)
Kyungsoo looked between his phone and Suho. With a sigh, he replied to Tao.
To: Tao
Yeah we can. I’d rather you don’t, but if you need him there then fine. Bring him. Suho is coming with me. Meet us at the bubble tea shop Luhan and Sehun always go to.
“We’re going out. You have 5 minutes to meet me at the front door.” Kyungsoo said matter-of-factly. He quickly sent another text as he left Suho to get ready.
~~~~~
From: Kyungsoo
Sorry to bother you again, Hyung. Can I steal a room in your dorm again? I need to talk to Suho, Tao and Luhan in private.
“This brat...” Kyuhyun sighed. “Yesung!!”
“What?”
“Kyungsoo is coming over again...”
“Why?”
“Do you have to ask?”
~~~~~
From the bubble tea shop, the walk to the Super Junior dorm was fairly short. The group of four walked in silence, but it was evident in their expressions that their minds were anything but.
Kyungsoo was contemplating how to say things without completely explaining himself to Luhan or Suho.
Tao wanted to know what Kyungsoo had to say, but he also needed to talk to Luhan about something.
Luhan had no clue why he was suddenly dragged out of the hotel, but Tao’s sudden request was concerning.
Suho was really curious as to what Kyungsoo had been doing and the fact that he wanted Tao around was unsettling.
They arrived at the Super Junior dorm. Kyuhyun was clearly unhappy, but his willingness to let the boys inside was proof that he at least understood. “Just hurry up. I don’t know how long you have until everyone comes home.”
~~~~~
“Kris is...cheating...on me?”
Kyungsoo couldn’t do it. He couldn’t look Tao in the eye. He could hardly look at Tao’s feet without feeling nauseated. Kyungsoo could feel his throat tighten and his chest collapse. Everything hurt. Being the bearer of bad news was never fun. Having to say those words to Tao - to one of the most gentle and sensitive guys Kyungsoo has ever known - was killing him.
“You’re kidding, right?”
Kyungsoo found himself unable to speak anymore. He came to the conclusion that he wouldn’t be able to talk to Tao alone; that Suho and Luhan weren’t going to give him that luxury. Kyunhyun told him not to trust anyone, but Kyungsoo needed to talk and they would just have to listen.
“Kyungsoo, Kris would never-”
“I know what I heard!”
Suho flinched. He wasn’t used to hearing Kyungsoo raise his voice outside of vocal practice. Even then, Kyungsoo never sounded threatening. Now? Now Kyungsoo sounded almost as threatening as Kris.
Almost.
Tao excused himself from the room. Kyungsoo knew Tao didn’t want anyone to see him breakdown. It was a defense habit he picked up from Lay. Tao’s footsteps faded, but a sudden and loud thud followed by rushing footsteps was enough to make Kyungsoo feel sick.
“Kyungsoo, can you please explain everything again from the beginning?” Suho asked. Luhan begged to hear the story again, too.
This would have been the fourth time Kyungsoo explained himself. It never got better. In fact, it seemed like each retelling made every detail more real. It was killing Kyungsoo. “I already told you everything. I told you guys more than I wanted to. Please. Don’t make me explain it all again.”
Luhan reached out to comfort Kyungsoo. “Please, just-”
“Why are you even here?” Kyungsoo lashed out and smacked Luhan’s hand away.
“Knock it off, Kyungsoo.” Suho got between the two men and physically barred them from touching each other. “Tao brought him. Tao wanted to tell him something. You two wait here. I’m checking on Tao. If I hear a single scream, shout, or anything I am reporting it to the company and requesting some form of punishment for the both of you.”
“Tsk...Luhan’s already almost on probation. What else could the company do to him?” Kyungsoo got up and left the room. Suho stood there in shock, and Luhan’s mouth had dropped open.
A few moments of silence passed before Suho turned to Luhan and spoke. “Luhan, talk. Now.”
~~~~~
Kris was sitting in his hotel room alone. He had spent all afternoon wondering what Tao was doing and why Luhan had to be the one to go with him.
“ing damnit!” Kris tossed a pillow against the far wall. There was a muffled complaint from beyond the wall. “Shut up!” Kris responded. He didn’t know who he was yelling at, but he didn’t care.
There was a gentle knock on the door. Kris begrudgingly got up and answered the door. “Wha-”
“Stop being a damn baby!” A strong shove to his chest sent Kris falling backwards. His met the floor with a loud thump. Kris looked up to see his offender - Lay. “If you’re so pissed off at Tao, how about you quit being an yourself.”
“What are you even-”
“I’m not stupid, Kris. I know you’ve been ing around but I didn’t say anything because Tao’s too soft and would break if he knew.”
Kris scoffed and picked himself off. He brushed the dust off his pants before returning to his spot on his bed. “What do you even know? Sure you aren’t just hearing things? I mean you forget things left and right. Maybe you’re just making things up to compensate.”
Lay rolled his eyes. “Just quit being a dip before I take things into my own hands.”
~~~~~
The walk home was surprisingly bearable.
Luhan had confessed to Suho what had happened while they were still at the Super Junior dorm.
“I was supposed to go to the company to discuss some things about the SMTown concerts. You know how I’ve been a proxy for Minho? Well, they were considering me as a proxy for Leeteuk when he enlists. A meeting was scheduled for about a week ago. I totally blanked, though, and our manager didn’t know. He had us down for the Cosmopolitan shoot, and I went there instead.
“I swear to God I didn’t do anything illegal or something bad like that. It’s just a procedural thing and I was told I wouldn’t get put on probation. At worse, I won’t be the proxy and I’ll have to do extra work to make up for it. Probation would only happen if there were other things that would have jeopardized EXO and the company. I know I kinda messed up, but it wasn’t all my fault!”
Luhan later explained to Kyungsoo after Tao had calmed down. It threw Kyungsoo for a bit of a loop, but his story fit with Donghae’s very vague story.
What really caught Kyungsoo off guard was Tao’s confession.
“I heard the rumors...I wanted to talk to Luhan about it. I didn’t know they had spread so far and so fast...I just wanted to talk with someone and I wanted someone other than Kris to tell me it would be okay. He’s my boyfriend - or so I thought...He’s supposed to tell me it will be okay. I didn’t want that. I wanted someone who would give me what I wanted to know. Luhan’s honest. I can trust his word.
I was really scared at first. I talked to the manager and he said he hadn’t heard anything. Same with a couple officials I ran into while on break. I cried a lot when I first heard the rumors, but I was worrying Kris so I stopped thinking about it. I only recently thought about it again because I heard some of the seniors talking. What really hurt me was that someone would say that at all...why would someone want to push me away or want me out of EXO? Did I do something wrong...? That’s...that’s how I thought. I wanted to see if maybe Luhan knew anything...or even if he he didn’t start the rumor...if he ever thought that about me...”
It was probably the biggest weight off of Kyungsoo’s shoulders in a long time. Tao knowing the rumors meant he didn’t have to explain anything. Tao seemed to be taking the rumor fairly well now that he had time to think.
Regardless, that left the matter of Kris and his capades to be dealt with.
“Tao, you have to pretend you don’t know.” Suho said.
“What? Why! I’m going to shove my fist so far down his throat he-”
“That’s exactly why you have to pretend, Tao. If he knows you know, we won’t be able to figure out why or who or anything else you want to know. He’ll deny it anyway. Kyungsoo doesn’t have any proof other than a phone call conversation he didn’t record. Without any other evidence, Kris is as good as innocent.”
Tao agreed to pretend he didn’t know anything. If anyone asked, he was concerned about the rumors. That was it. Suho and Luhan took charge of investigating their own members. In less than 24 hours, Kyungsoo suddenly felt he had a chance of getting the truth out of Kris.
~~~~~
Chanyeol went up to Kai’s room for the third time that evening. He kept checking up on the young dancer, but Kai shut him out.
“Chanyeol, just leave him be. He’ll come out when he feels better.” Sehun said as Chanyeol returned to the living room. “Hey, Baekhyun would be upset, too, if you were snooping around and acting strange.”
“But don’t you guys always say I act strange?”
“Well...strange for you. Like if you suddenly acted normal and like us, then we’d be suspicious.”
The two resumed their banter. Kyungsoo and Suho returned home and greeted the two. They quickly retreated to their rooms before any questions could be asked.
“Well that was...strange...”
~~~~~
When Tao and Luhan got back to the hotel, they were quickly intercepted by Lay. “Where were you guys?”
“Out with Suho and Kyungsoo.” Luhan said blatantly. Tao quickly nodded in agreement. “We’re going to clean up and stuff. If you don’t mind...” Luhan pulled Tao along but Lay stopped them. They gave Lay a questioning look.
“Tao, if you know what’s best for you, don’t go back to your room. You and me are switching rooms for the night.” Lay pulled out his room key and gave it to Tao. He then poked and prodded into Tao’s pockets until he found Tao’s room key. “See you two at dinner.”
Tao just looked at Lay. He was totally dumbstruck. Luhan was, too. He managed to pull himself together long enough to bring Tao to his new room. “Wait here. I’ll get Lay.”
Luhan took off down the hall and banged on Kris’ door. “Lay, get out here!”
“Ngh...!”
Wha...what was that? “Lay, I said get out here! Kris, if you’re in there, open the door!”
“Kr-Kris...stop it-”
“You said you wanted to take things into your own hands. Go ahead. Take it.”
Lay...it’s Lay?!
Chanyeol was the first one to his side. “What’s wrong?”
“Kyungsoo ran off and I chased him around the city and then he got into a van with Kyuhyun and I have no idea where they went after that!”
“Well, that’s good.”
“Good? How could that be good?!”
“He got in the van with someone he knew, not a stranger promising him candy or ice cream or-”
“Chanyeol! Kyungsoo isn’t a ing stupid five year old, damnit!”
“Kai, quit yelling. Especially at Chanyeol.” Suho came out of the kitchen and ushered the two boys into the living room. “He’s just trying to help is his weird Chanyeol-esqu way.” Chanyeol nodded vigorously. “Look, Kyungsoo probably just went with him to get a ride to his dorm. Yesung is there.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better? We’re going out and he isn’t telling me something. I have a right to know!”
“Just like how Kyungsoo had the right to know you screwed Baekhyun and I behind his back? And you didn’t tell him - I did.” Chanyeol rested his arm on Kai’s shoulder. “The way I see it, karma picked right now to pay you back.”
“I-!” Kai shut up. He had no comeback to Chanyeol’s accusation. That was how the events happened. So, being the child Kai could be, he stomped off to his room and slammed the door as loud as he could. The sound of something crashing to the floor carried through the hall.
Chanyeol and Suho looked at each other and sighed. Kai would be okay sooner or later. It was the other boy they were worried about. They knew something was wrong with Kyungsoo and silently swore to deal with it the second he stepped in their home.
~~~~~
At the hotel EXO-M was staying at, Kris and Tao lazily watched a movie together. The other 4 members were off doing their own things.
About half way through the movie, Tao got up and crawled under the covers of his temporary bed. If it wasn’t 3 in the afternoon, Kris would have let it slide. But Tao normally never sleeps until 8 at the earliest.
“Tao, are you okay? Are you feeling sick?”
The tuft of hair peeking out from the covers shook from side to side. Kris sat next to the lump on the bed and gently ran his hand across Tao’s head. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
Tao turned his back to Kris and hid further into the comforter’s warmth. Kris kept prodding gently, but Tao refused to open up. After a few more minutes, Kris sighed and told Tao he would be right back.
When the door clicked shut, Tao shot up out of bed and grabbed his phone.
To: Luhan
Can I talk to you about something?
Tao fell back on the bed, phone clutched tightly in his hands. It buzzed a few minutes later. At first Tao was confused, but then he reread the From line.
From: Kyungsoo
We need to talk about something. When are you free?
The phone buzzed again before Tao could reply to Kyungsoo.
From: Luhan
Sure? (o.o)? What’s up?
Tao entered in some text, but quickly deleted it. In lieu of explaining via text, Tao decided to make the talk more face to face. He really wanted to know what Kyungsoo had to say, though.
To: Luhan
Can we meet up later? Like downstairs or somewhere away from everyone?
To: Kyungsoo
Whenever I think...I can ask Kris if he can take me to your dorm later or something. You know which hotel we’re at so we you can come here, too.
Tao hid under the sheets as the sound of keys jingling signaled Kris’ return. He carefully put the phone back on the bedside table and tried to return to his earlier state. He was fortunate to have a boyfriend who tended to be very unobservant about minute details unless they were directly related to himself. Kris sat down at the edge of the bed and started patting Tao’s head again. They sat in silence.
Kris put down two glasses of water he fetched. He was worried. He would be lying if he said the second Tao hid away he didn’t feel worried. Tao was a lot more insecure than he ever let off, and that made him paranoid and suspicious of everything.
It made the whole sleeping around bit a little more difficult than Kris expected.
Tao’s phone buzzed again, sending Kris a slight shock. Kris reached for the phone to hand it to Tao. It buzzed a second time, so Kris thought maybe someone was calling him. He checked the screen to see two truncated messaged.
From: Luhan
Yeah, okay. I’m free later so just tell me when you want to...
From: Kyungsoo
Can you come in an hour? But please make sure Kris doesn’t find...
Tao snatched the phone out of Kris’ hands before Kris could read anything else.
Kris wasn’t stupid. Tao’s sudden change of personality and attitude meant something was wrong. But Tao was not the kind of person who would open up when he didn’t want to. And the messages clearly meant Tao was hiding something from Kris.
“Tao, talk to me.” Why are you meeting with Luhan?
“It’s nothing.”
“Tao...” Why does Kyungsoo want you to go over?
“I’m going out.”
“Tao!” Do you know?
~~~~~
Kyungsoo sat quietly in the car’s shotgun seat. After more talking that ultimately went nowhere, Kyungsoo left the Super Junior dorm with the promise that this seniors would do what they could.
“Who did Kris hear it from?”
Kyungsoo didn’t bother to ask Kris when he told Kyungsoo the rumor.
“And you’re sure Tao doesn’t know? Do you have any idea who it might be?”
Kyungsoo was pretty sure Tao didn’t know. He would have shown it. The boy doesn’t wear his heart on his sleeves but his eyes and voice always give him away. Kyungsoo wasn’t totally sure who Kris could have been spending the night with. Chanyeol and himself were the only two people who were not with Kris. That left 8 other members.
“Kris doesn’t know you know, right?”
That was something Kyungsoo was certain of. Kris would have confronted him, right? Kris wasn’t the kind of person who would just let a huge secret slip and not cover his tracks.
“We’ll call you if we hear anything, okay?” Kyuhyun said as he pulled up to the EXO dorm. “Keep us filled in, too.”
Kyungsoo nodded as he got out. “Thank you.” Kyuhyun grabbed Kyungsoo by the arm and held him back for a moment. “Hyung...?”
“Don’t trust anyone.”
“Kyuhyun Hyu-”
“Anyone could be the culprit. Don’t trust anyone at your dorm. Don’t trust any of the EXO members. They might be lying to you.” Kyuhyun tightened his grip to the point Kyungsoo cringed from pain. “Don’t even trust Kai.”
Kyungsoo hesitantly nodded. When Kyungsoo loosened his grip, Kyungsoo shut the car door and walked up to his dorm. He waved Kyuhyun goodbye before unlocking the dorm. He heaved a sigh as he pulled the door open.
“So, having fun with the seniors?”
Kyungsoo jumped at the sound of a deep calling for him. “Uh...yeah? Hi, Chanyeol?”
Suho snuck up on Kyungsoo and pulled him into the living room. “Talk.”
“About?”
“Why are you suddenly spending so much time with our seniors, loverboy?” Chanyeol asked.
It took a lot for Kyungsoo to not snap and spill everything he knew. Instead, he replied uncharacteristically. “I think you have the wrong person - Kai’s the resident loverboy.” Kyungsoo pointed down the hall towards his and Kai’s room.
“Yah-!” Chanyeol made an attempt to scare Kyungsoo, but Suho stopped him.
“I’ll handle this.” Suho dragged Kyungsoo off to his room, leaving Chanyeol to pout in front of the TV. They found Sehun laying on his bed reading. “Sehun, out.”
“But-”
“Out.” Suho didn’t have to say anything else. There was a cross look in his eyes and Sehun knew all too well to not get in the way of an angry Suho. With the group baby out of the room, Suho locked the door and sat Kyungsoo down. “Talk. What’s going on. We all know you’ve been up to something, and Kai’s about half-way down crazy lane thinking you’re cheating.”
Kyungsoo pouted. “Well, I’m not.”
“Then go clear things up with Kai.”
“I’m not the one with anything to clear up!” Kyungsoo couldn’t help but feel defensive.
Suho huffed. “Then you should be fine explaining why you’ve been spending so much time with Yesung and Kyuhyun the last couple days without having to hide anything.”
“I-!” Kyungsoo didn’t have anything to hide. He really didn’t. But the whole drama with Kris and Tao was something he was trying his hardest to keep from the other EXO members. Suho had him trapped. Either he tells him the truth, or gets labeled traitor and lose Kai. “Can we talk about this in private?”
“We’re locked in my room. How much more privacy do you need?”
Just then, Kyungsoo’s phone vibrated.
From: Tao
Can we meet now? Can I bring Luhan? (>.<)
Kyungsoo looked between his phone and Suho. With a sigh, he replied to Tao.
To: Tao
Yeah we can. I’d rather you don’t, but if you need him there then fine. Bring him. Suho is coming with me. Meet us at the bubble tea shop Luhan and Sehun always go to.
“We’re going out. You have 5 minutes to meet me at the front door.” Kyungsoo said matter-of-factly. He quickly sent another text as he left Suho to get ready.
~~~~~
From: Kyungsoo
Sorry to bother you again, Hyung. Can I steal a room in your dorm again? I need to talk to Suho, Tao and Luhan in private.
“This brat...” Kyuhyun sighed. “Yesung!!”
“What?”
“Kyungsoo is coming over again...”
“Why?”
“Do you have to ask?”
~~~~~
From the bubble tea shop, the walk to the Super Junior dorm was fairly short. The group of four walked in silence, but it was evident in their expressions that their minds were anything but.
Kyungsoo was contemplating how to say things without completely explaining himself to Luhan or Suho.
Tao wanted to know what Kyungsoo had to say, but he also needed to talk to Luhan about something.
Luhan had no clue why he was suddenly dragged out of the hotel, but Tao’s sudden request was concerning.
Suho was really curious as to what Kyungsoo had been doing and the fact that he wanted Tao around was unsettling.
They arrived at the Super Junior dorm. Kyuhyun was clearly unhappy, but his willingness to let the boys inside was proof that he at least understood. “Just hurry up. I don’t know how long you have until everyone comes home.”
~~~~~
“Kris is...cheating...on me?”
Kyungsoo couldn’t do it. He couldn’t look Tao in the eye. He could hardly look at Tao’s feet without feeling nauseated. Kyungsoo could feel his throat tighten and his chest collapse. Everything hurt. Being the bearer of bad news was never fun. Having to say those words to Tao - to one of the most gentle and sensitive guys Kyungsoo has ever known - was killing him.
“You’re kidding, right?”
Kyungsoo found himself unable to speak anymore. He came to the conclusion that he wouldn’t be able to talk to Tao alone; that Suho and Luhan weren’t going to give him that luxury. Kyunhyun told him not to trust anyone, but Kyungsoo needed to talk and they would just have to listen.
“Kyungsoo, Kris would never-”
“I know what I heard!”
Suho flinched. He wasn’t used to hearing Kyungsoo raise his voice outside of vocal practice. Even then, Kyungsoo never sounded threatening. Now? Now Kyungsoo sounded almost as threatening as Kris.
Almost.
Tao excused himself from the room. Kyungsoo knew Tao didn’t want anyone to see him breakdown. It was a defense habit he picked up from Lay. Tao’s footsteps faded, but a sudden and loud thud followed by rushing footsteps was enough to make Kyungsoo feel sick.
“Kyungsoo, can you please explain everything again from the beginning?” Suho asked. Luhan begged to hear the story again, too.
This would have been the fourth time Kyungsoo explained himself. It never got better. In fact, it seemed like each retelling made every detail more real. It was killing Kyungsoo. “I already told you everything. I told you guys more than I wanted to. Please. Don’t make me explain it all again.”
Luhan reached out to comfort Kyungsoo. “Please, just-”
“Why are you even here?” Kyungsoo lashed out and smacked Luhan’s hand away.
“Knock it off, Kyungsoo.” Suho got between the two men and physically barred them from touching each other. “Tao brought him. Tao wanted to tell him something. You two wait here. I’m checking on Tao. If I hear a single scream, shout, or anything I am reporting it to the company and requesting some form of punishment for the both of you.”
“Tsk...Luhan’s already almost on probation. What else could the company do to him?” Kyungsoo got up and left the room. Suho stood there in shock, and Luhan’s mouth had dropped open.
A few moments of silence passed before Suho turned to Luhan and spoke. “Luhan, talk. Now.”
~~~~~
Kris was sitting in his hotel room alone. He had spent all afternoon wondering what Tao was doing and why Luhan had to be the one to go with him.
“ing damnit!” Kris tossed a pillow against the far wall. There was a muffled complaint from beyond the wall. “Shut up!” Kris responded. He didn’t know who he was yelling at, but he didn’t care.
There was a gentle knock on the door. Kris begrudgingly got up and answered the door. “Wha-”
“Stop being a damn baby!” A strong shove to his chest sent Kris falling backwards. His met the floor with a loud thump. Kris looked up to see his offender - Lay. “If you’re so pissed off at Tao, how about you quit being an yourself.”
“What are you even-”
“I’m not stupid, Kris. I know you’ve been ing around but I didn’t say anything because Tao’s too soft and would break if he knew.”
Kris scoffed and picked himself off. He brushed the dust off his pants before returning to his spot on his bed. “What do you even know? Sure you aren’t just hearing things? I mean you forget things left and right. Maybe you’re just making things up to compensate.”
Lay rolled his eyes. “Just quit being a dip before I take things into my own hands.”
~~~~~
The walk home was surprisingly bearable.
Luhan had confessed to Suho what had happened while they were still at the Super Junior dorm.
“I was supposed to go to the company to discuss some things about the SMTown concerts. You know how I’ve been a proxy for Minho? Well, they were considering me as a proxy for Leeteuk when he enlists. A meeting was scheduled for about a week ago. I totally blanked, though, and our manager didn’t know. He had us down for the Cosmopolitan shoot, and I went there instead.
“I swear to God I didn’t do anything illegal or something bad like that. It’s just a procedural thing and I was told I wouldn’t get put on probation. At worse, I won’t be the proxy and I’ll have to do extra work to make up for it. Probation would only happen if there were other things that would have jeopardized EXO and the company. I know I kinda messed up, but it wasn’t all my fault!”
Luhan later explained to Kyungsoo after Tao had calmed down. It threw Kyungsoo for a bit of a loop, but his story fit with Donghae’s very vague story.
What really caught Kyungsoo off guard was Tao’s confession.
“I heard the rumors...I wanted to talk to Luhan about it. I didn’t know they had spread so far and so fast...I just wanted to talk with someone and I wanted someone other than Kris to tell me it would be okay. He’s my boyfriend - or so I thought...He’s supposed to tell me it will be okay. I didn’t want that. I wanted someone who would give me what I wanted to know. Luhan’s honest. I can trust his word.
I was really scared at first. I talked to the manager and he said he hadn’t heard anything. Same with a couple officials I ran into while on break. I cried a lot when I first heard the rumors, but I was worrying Kris so I stopped thinking about it. I only recently thought about it again because I heard some of the seniors talking. What really hurt me was that someone would say that at all...why would someone want to push me away or want me out of EXO? Did I do something wrong...? That’s...that’s how I thought. I wanted to see if maybe Luhan knew anything...or even if he he didn’t start the rumor...if he ever thought that about me...”
It was probably the biggest weight off of Kyungsoo’s shoulders in a long time. Tao knowing the rumors meant he didn’t have to explain anything. Tao seemed to be taking the rumor fairly well now that he had time to think.
Regardless, that left the matter of Kris and his capades to be dealt with.
“Tao, you have to pretend you don’t know.” Suho said.
“What? Why! I’m going to shove my fist so far down his throat he-”
“That’s exactly why you have to pretend, Tao. If he knows you know, we won’t be able to figure out why or who or anything else you want to know. He’ll deny it anyway. Kyungsoo doesn’t have any proof other than a phone call conversation he didn’t record. Without any other evidence, Kris is as good as innocent.”
Tao agreed to pretend he didn’t know anything. If anyone asked, he was concerned about the rumors. That was it. Suho and Luhan took charge of investigating their own members. In less than 24 hours, Kyungsoo suddenly felt he had a chance of getting the truth out of Kris.
~~~~~
Chanyeol went up to Kai’s room for the third time that evening. He kept checking up on the young dancer, but Kai shut him out.
“Chanyeol, just leave him be. He’ll come out when he feels better.” Sehun said as Chanyeol returned to the living room. “Hey, Baekhyun would be upset, too, if you were snooping around and acting strange.”
“But don’t you guys always say I act strange?”
“Well...strange for you. Like if you suddenly acted normal and like us, then we’d be suspicious.”
The two resumed their banter. Kyungsoo and Suho returned home and greeted the two. They quickly retreated to their rooms before any questions could be asked.
“Well that was...strange...”
~~~~~
When Tao and Luhan got back to the hotel, they were quickly intercepted by Lay. “Where were you guys?”
“Out with Suho and Kyungsoo.” Luhan said blatantly. Tao quickly nodded in agreement. “We’re going to clean up and stuff. If you don’t mind...” Luhan pulled Tao along but Lay stopped them. They gave Lay a questioning look.
“Tao, if you know what’s best for you, don’t go back to your room. You and me are switching rooms for the night.” Lay pulled out his room key and gave it to Tao. He then poked and prodded into Tao’s pockets until he found Tao’s room key. “See you two at dinner.”
Tao just looked at Lay. He was totally dumbstruck. Luhan was, too. He managed to pull himself together long enough to bring Tao to his new room. “Wait here. I’ll get Lay.”
Luhan took off down the hall and banged on Kris’ door. “Lay, get out here!”
“Ngh...!”
Wha...what was that? “Lay, I said get out here! Kris, if you’re in there, open the door!”
“Kr-Kris...stop it-”
“You said you wanted to take things into your own hands. Go ahead. Take it.”
Lay...it’s Lay?!
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