You guys will finally know Jongdae's reason, tho I believe some of you may already have a hunch or may have noticed it already since I was not really being subtle about it :)) anyway, here's chapter 14 :D    

 Xiumin does not know why he even agreed to meet Jungsoo. For two days, he refrained from going to the cafe to avoid Jongdae but now, he's sitting on one of the cafe's vacant chairs as he waited for the manager to arrive. He should not have agreed to this, he has a hundred reasons why. But Jungsoo gave him one reason why he could.

     'Jongdae is not at the cafe. He had not been there since Sunday.'

     Those were Jungsoo's words earlier over the phone. Xiumin only decided to come today believing what Jungsoo said. But on his way here, his heart wished for the man to be present, to be there at his usual spot behind the cashier, wearing his usual clothes, wearing his usual smile that is often directed to him.

     Xiumin's heart sank when his eyes did not see Jongdae, when it was not his smile and his voice that greeted him.

     He shook his head at the thought as he took a sip of his Chai Latte. He should stop thinking about Jongdae. He should.

     But he could not.

     Another minute passed when the manager's familiar face appeared in his line of sight.

     "Have you been waiting long?" 

     "Not really." But did you know that the floor has 1,234 tiles on it? His mind added. 

     Jungsoo sat in front of him and looked at him intently. "I'll go straight to the point. Something happened between Jongdae and you last Sunday."

     It was more of a statement than a question, Xiumin observed. He felt defensive for some reasons. "Whatever happened, that stays between me and Jongdae."

     "I know that but... I think I know what happened."

     "Right, how could you not, for all I know you're part of his lies." Xiumin said bitterly.

     "You know he has a reason for doing that, Xiumin, it's your problem if you can't understand him." Jungsoo retorted.

     "I would never understand because Jongdae wouldn't tell me."

     Jungsoo was taken aback. "Jongdae did not tell you?"

     "Did not want to tell me, that is. Now I want you to tell me and I know that you know his reason. What is it?" Xiumin asked sternly. He really does want to know, to understand why Jongdae lied. Who knows, Xiumin might accept it and forgive Jongdae and get things back to what it were. Because honestly, Xiumin wants everything back.

     But Jungsoo shook his head. "I'm sorry but if Jongdae did not tell you, I can't."

     Xiumin opened his mouth to answer but Jungsoo stood up. "Thank you for your time." He bowed then briskly walked to the direction of the glass doors. Xiumin watched as the man hastily boarded the car and drove off.

     'What is it?' Xiumin is starting to get frustrated just thinking about what that reason is. If only Jongdae would tell him. But then again, he remembered telling Jongdae not to speak to him anymore. 'Maybe it's my fault.' He thought and left the cafe as well.

     Jungsoo was bewildered and worried at Donghae's news; that Jongdae hadn't been around the cafe for days. He wanted to believe that the younger was just busy with his College Symphony rehearsals that's why he isn't dropping by at the cafe or even replying to his messages.

     But it was as if all the bewilderment in the world crashed upon him when he saw the big, red, bold letters adorning the gates of Jongdae's house.

                  'SOLD' it read.

     When he entered the house, Jongdae's step-father was clearly surprised. The said man was in the middle of going through some paperworks.

     "Where is Jongdae?" Jungsoo asked, his icy voice reverberating around the living room.

     "That brat stormed out of this house yesterday, I thought he went to you. And that brat assaulted my son the other night." Youngkwang accused as he stood up to face Jungsoo.

     "What did you do this time?"

     "I told him to start packing and looking for a place to live in because this houses is sold. I'm moving out soon with my sons and I'm not taking that brat with me, I've had ebough of his atti-"

     Jungsoo grabbed Youngkwang's shirt and slammed him against the wall. His knuckles turning white from the tight grip. "If something bad happens to Jongdae.." He said through gritted teeth. "I swear I am going to kill you. Do you understand me? I will kill you."

     He warned then pushed himself away from the man and left the house. When he got inside his car, he quickly fumbled for his phone and dialed Donghae's number, his fingers shaking from anger.

          'Close the cafe now, I'll meet you there in ten minutes. Jongdae is missing." He said then rang off.

     "We are not accepting customers now, we're closing for the day." Donghae said when Xiumin entered, his voice cold.

     Xiumin frowned. Closing so early? It's only six in the evening, and he was here earlier. "I'll just order quickly, I won't stay." He insisted.

     "I said we're already clo- Jungsoo-hyung!" Donghae exclaimed and both he and Xiumin turned to the said man. "What do you mean Jongdae is missing?" Donghae asked, completely forgetting that Xiumin is still standing there. Jungsoo did not seem to notice him either.

     "He had a fight with Youngkwang, the bastard sold their house!" Jungsoo growled as he ran a hand through his hair in frustration and worry.

     "We need to find him fast." Jongwoon said from the side.

     Xiumin observed how the three are almost panicking and he doesn't get why they are acting that way. It's not like Jongdae is a child anymore. He's in college, he can take care of himself, Xiumin believes.

     "Then call him, he has a phone, right?" Xiumin butted in, surprising the three. He almost reached for his own phone in his pocket to call Jongdae when he realized he doesn't have his number.

     "What are you doing here?" Jungsoo asked.

     "Why are you all like this? Surely, Jongdae can go on his own."

     "You don't understand." Jungsoo replied in a firm voice.

     "What do you mean I don't?" Xiumin asked in vexation but was ignored.

     "I'll go to the university and see if he's there." Donghae said while putting on his coat.

     "I'll look around." Jongwoon suggested and together with Donghae, went off.

     Jungsoo rang Jongdae's phone but as expected, there's no answer. Then he typed on his phone and sent the same message to Jongdae as many times his fingers could. He paced around the cafe, and all the while, Xiumin is observing him, befuddled.

     "Why are you so frantic about Jongdae?"

     "Why do you care?!" Jungsoo snarled and Xiumin was taken aback. Before he could say anything, the older quickly apologized.

     "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout like that. It's just... Jongdae... I don't know where he went."

     "But why? Jongdae is an adult, he could be an-"

     "You don't understand, Xiumin, you don't know anything."

     Xiumin, exasperated at Jungsoo's constant reminder of him not understanding anything snap back. "Then make me understand!" He yelled, but his voice softens at his next words. "Jongdae and I aren't in good terms but I still care for him. So make me, let me understand why you're all acting like this because you're making me afraid, and I don't even know why."

     Jungsoo looked at him for a moment, contemplating on Xiumin's words. His eyes show nothing but sincerest affections. But Jungsoo shook his head and looked away. "I don't think I have the right to tell you."

     "How you're acting right now, does this have something to do with why Jongdae lied?" He asked and Jungsoo nodded slowly. Xiumin let out a sigh. "I want to forgive Jongdae, I really do, but I also need to know the real reason why he did that. I shouldn't be doing this but... Jungsoo-ssi, I'm begging you, please tell me."

     A deafening silence stretched between them. Just when Xiumin thought he isn't getting any answer no matter how much he insists, Jungsoo spoke.

     "Jongdae, he has a weakness and he's very sensitive about it..."

     There was a short pause before their gazes met. Xiumin unknowingly held his breath.

     "Jongdae is hard of hearing."

     Xiumin's eyes visibly widened as he unconsciously took a step back. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stood and a wave of shiver ran down his spine, gradually spreading through his body. "He is deaf."

     Jungsoo shook his head. "No, not entirely. He could still hear sounds, Jongdae said so himself but you could shout at the top of your lungs to his ear and it would be just a whisper to him. Jongdae has severe hearing loss."

     Xiumin remained frozen on his spot, his feet rooted to the ground and his face blank. "Lip reading." He voiced out as theonly  explanation how Jongdae could still talk to to people crossed his mind. That explains why he never takes his eyes off the person he's speaking to. Why it seems as if Jongdae is absent-minded most of the time. 

     Jungsoo nodded.

     "But, how? Did something happen to him?"

     "I'll let Jongdae tell you the rest but for now, let's find him. Will you help us find Jongdae?" Jungsoo asked with hope.

     "Of course."

     Jungsoo let out a small smile. "Thank you."

     The moon is finally up and the night is getting colder, Jongdae observed. Ironically, he could feel the numbness spread through his body, could feel the stiffening of his hands and face whenever the harsh winter breeze hits him. Jongdae is standing in front of the Seoul Theatre. He had been standing there ever since he could remember.

     'The wind must have frozen my brain too." He thought.

     Jongdae had been staring at the road before him. Still the same road but the cars are different. It also was not the same traffic lights anymore. And it was not the same color of the painted pedestrian lane.

     "If I cross the road on a green light, would I see mama and papa again?" He asked himself. "Would Kwangmin finally be happy? Would I lessen Jungsoo-hyung's burden?"

     'If I cross the road now, while the cars are speeding, would I stop feeling this pain?'

     Jongdae focused on the numerous cars wheezing fast meters from where he stood. Five years ago, he wouldn't even glance at a magazine picture of a car but now, all he wanted is to be near it, to collide with it. He does not even know why he went here. Why he wants to be alone. Why he is feeling so much pain. All he knows is that he wanted to disappear.

     Jongdae looked to his right and left before tentatively taking a step forward. He halted. No one seems to know what he is about to do, and he prays it stays that way. He closed his eyes and basked in his own silent world. He took another step forward. And another. And another. And another, until he felt that he reached the end of the foot path. He felt the wind hit his face when a car speeds past him.he could even smell the smoke belching from the vehicles.

     'One more step.' He thought and that, he did.

     But before his feet could touch the asphalt road, a hand circled around his arm and roughly yanked him back. Jongdae landed on someone before he felt two strong arms wrap around him tightly. Someone is hugging him, and that someone is crying. Jongdae could tell, because of the way the person's chest heaves.

     Jongdae opened his eyes, he wasn't surprised when he saw the front of the Seoul Theatre but what surprised him was the sight of a man standing a couple of meters from him, and the person hugging him. The man is looking straightly at him with an unreadable expression.

     The person hugging Jongdae finally let him go then faced him. "What were you trying to do? Huh?" He reprimanded. "God, Jongdae! Don't even think of doing that again, do you understand me?"

     Jongdae nodded in shame. "Neh, Jungsoo-hyung."

     "Come on, let's go home, we'll talk there." Jungsoo said before draping an arm around his shoulder.

     They walked towards the direction of the man Jongdae saw earlier and he held his breath. He wondered what Xiumin is doing here, and wondered even more if he had witnessed his actions earlier. He felt more ashamed of himself.

     They stopped in fron of him, Jongdae avoided Xiumin's eyes. The older two talked for a while but Jongdae doesn't know what they conversed about. He felt a light tug on his arm and Jongdae looked up at Jungsoo.

     "Let's go." Jungsoo said and he nodded and they started walking away from Xiumin.

     "Finish your coffee so you'll feel more warm." Jungsoo said when he noticed Jongdae just playing with his cup. He patted Jongdae's shoulder and the latter turned to him, visibly startled. "I said finish your coffee."

     "I'm full hyung." Jongdae said as he gently placed down the teaspoon. They are now in Jungsoo's place, having a drink in the dining room. Once they got inside earlier, Jungsoo turned the heater to extreme because of how cold Jongdae felt; his lips are almost violet.

     "You haven't eaten anything and you haven't even drank half of your cup. Finish it then rest, we'll talk tomorrow."

     "But hyung, the house, he sold it." Jongdae's voice croaked.

     "Don't worry, you won't lose the house, I'll take care of it." Jungsoo reassured. "Just rest for tonight and I'll fix everything tomorrow."

     Jongdae nodded silently and forced himself to empty the cup. He then bade Jungsoo goodnight and went to the room the older prepared for him.

     Jongdae tossed and turned around on bed. He can't sleep, let alone stay still. He knows it's very late in to the night, it might even be morning already. He reached for the clock on the bedside table but realized he was not in his own room. There is no clock around.

     Groggy and groaning, he got up to get his phone in his coat. The cold floor touched his feet and he shivered. He fished out his phone from the pocket and quickly jumped back on the bed.

     2:37 am

     He sighed then noticed the large number of unread messasges he has. Almost all of them are from Jungsoo, Donghae, and Jongwoon, asking where he is. Except for one; from an unregistered contact, sent only half an hour ago.

          'You should've told me'

    The message read and Jongdae didn't have to think hard who sent it.

     The next day over breakfast, Jongdae told Jungsoo everything that happened; how Xiumin found out, how he and Kwangmin fought, and how his step-father told him that the house was sold.

     "He said he has every right what to do with the house because they were together with mama for a very long time, and that the house was left in his name." Jongdae explained dejectedly.

     Jungsoo shook his head vigorously. "No, he doesn't, Jongdae. Youngkwang and Weili wasn't married so it isn't a conjugal property. It can't even be left in his name because our law does not protect live-in couples. If a couple is legally married, when they die, every single property they own will be passed on to their children. In your case, both your parents are gone and you're their only child, that means everything they owned will be given to you."

     "You mean we could pass this to the court?"

     "The court isn't even needed because how could Youngkwang sell the house if he doesn't have the title? If the house is indeed sold then it means that the title was transferred to someone else and transferring on a title requires legal business, specially in notarizing the documents. How could he do it if I have the documents?"

     Jongdae remained silent as Jungsoo's words dawned on him. "Then Uncle Youngkwang... He forged the documents?"

     "Might be." Jungsoo said before taking a sip from his cup of coffee.

     Forging a document is no joke, Jongdae knows this and a property title is not to be taken lightly either. If Youngkwang did forge it, no doubt he will go to jail. But what will happen to his step-brothers; to Youngmin and Kwangmin? Jongdae is staring blankly at his food and at the corner of his eye he saw Jungsoo's lips move but he wasn't able to catch what he said.

     "What was it, hyung?"

     "Youngkwang won't go to jail if you don't want him to, Jongdae." He said as if reading Jongdae's mind. "We'll talk to him."

     "Are you here to get your things?" Youngkwang sneered when he saw Jungsoo and Jongdae in the house.

     "No, we're here to talk to you." Jungsoo replied indifferently.

     "There's nothing to talk about anym-"

     "There are a lot to talk about, we can start with this house's title if you want." Jungsoo brought out a brown envelope from his bag then handed it to Youngkwang.

     "What's this?" 

     Jungsoo didn't answer and waited until the man saw what's inside. Youngkwang's face paled and he gulped. "Based on your reaction, I think you know what those are and what mistake you did." Jungsoo said sternly. "You could have gone to jail, but Jongdae didn't want to."

     "Who's going to jail?" Youngmin and Kwangmin appeared in the living room. Jongdae turned to the twins' direction.

     "What did you do again?" Kwangmin accused Jongdae but the latter remained silent. He had lost the will to argue with Kwangmin, since that night he found out why Kwangmin hated him so much. Since that night he found out Kwangmin loved his Mama Wei sincerely. Ever since that night, the little hatred he had for his step-brother completely vanished. His own mother had managed to love the twins like his own sons, surely, he could love them as his own brothers as well.

     Jongdae turned away, losing track of the conversation, he can't follow it properly if all four of them are speaking simultaneously, his step-family still does not know of his disability and even after all that happened, he still doesn't have the courage to tell it to them. Without saying another word, he left and went upstairs and spent the next hours playing pieces with his violin. His hands and shoulders hurt from playing for a long time but he did not stop.

     Not until Jungsoo came and asked him to.

     "Everything's fine now, you don't have to worry about losing the house." Jungsoo said with a soft smile after he sat down on the bed beside Jongdae. 

     "Thank you hyung, I don't know what I'll do without you."

     "It's nothing, you're always welcome Jongdae." He gave the younger a light pat on the shoulder. "They decided to move out... starting tomorrow."

     Jongdae's heart fell. "Do they have to?"

     "Do you want them to?"

     Jongdae grew silent. He had lived with them for a long time and he had grown accustomed to their presence despite the dysfuntional relationship they have. If his step-family moves out, he will be left alone.

     Jongdae does not want to be alone again, he realized what being alone made him do last time.

     "Are you coming with me back to my house?" 

     Jongdae thought for a moment. "I'll just stay here."

     "Are you sure?" Jugsoo asked, worried.

     "I'll be fine hyung." Jongdae assured.

     "Okay." Jungsoo nodded. "I'll see you at the cafe tomorrow then. You have rehearsals too, rest now, no more playing."

     "Neh, hyung."

     "I'll get going now." Jungsoo said then left after giving Jongdae a brief hug.

Eniize26: and there u have chapter 14 :)) this is my longest fic so far, i didnt know it would reach 14 chapters, and moore. Tell me what you think! :)) when i was writing jongdae's near-suicide thing, i kept humming the tune of EXO's Don't Go, wae? Haha anyways please do leave comments! 

I made a fanfic recommendation list, it's on my profile, check it out if u have time guys, those are the best fics i have read so far

And @eniize26 at twitter, i follow back, i swear!! :))