Our first practice of the day together was at 5pm, but I received a text from Donghae, ordering us to in a practice room in the basement by 4:00pm. Anticipating what might happen, I had slipped in the padding in my briefs before coming into the building. Ryeowook was already there when I entered the practice room; I knew Ryeowook had spent the day at SM with a vocal coach. I bowed and entered like nothing had happened, but I didn't speak to him. He didn't acknowledge my greeting.

Ryeowook just sat against the wall and I was marking my moves to the U choreography when the door opened and Donghae entered with Eunhyuk. Here it comes. I turned around and bowed. Ryeowook, who I never saw bow to anybody in Super Junior, got up and bowed as well. Neither acknowledged either bow.

"Cho Kyuhyun, is this really how someone who's preparing for a debut should be acting? Are you even serious about this?" said Donghae without introduction.

I looked down.

"Do you even want to do this?" asked Donghae. "Do you?"

"I really do," I said quietly in honorifics, looking down.

"Then why is punctuality such an issue for you?" asked Donghae. I stayed silent with my eyes downcast.

"And you, Kim Ryeowook, you should know better," he said, turning to Ryeowook, who hung his head.

"I don't know what exactly happened last night, but drinking more than you can handle on a work day?" said Donghae. "It's unbelievable."

Ryeowook shifted his weight, and whispered, "Sorry."

I had never seen Ryeowook even speak to Donghae before - I assumed they were already on uncomfortable terms, and Ryeowook looked ready to cry.

"We don't know what to do with you, Cho Kyuhyun," said Eunhyuk, and I looked up. "We keep on punishing you, but nothing seems to be getting through to you. So what should we be doing?"

I looked down again. I obviously had no suggestion.

"Fine, we'll just give it all to Ryeowook, then," said Eunhyuk, and picked up the broom. God, that had to be one broom in the entire building that was always busy that never did any sweeping. I saw Ryeowook pale.

I looked up and suddenly had no clue what to do. Really, Ryeowook had started the whole thing and I had just tagged along for the ride. But he was just so much smaller and so much more sensitive than I was -

"Wait, sunbaenim," I said and Eunhyuk opened his mouth to say something to Ryeowook. "It was - it was my fault... so please."

Everyone looked at me.

"He came out of his room while I was studying last night... and I pressured him to drink with me," I said. "It really wasn't his fault. So... so let me take it all instead."

I looked at Ryeowook and when both Eunhyuk and Donghae were looking at Ryeowook and Ryeowook was looking at me, I winked at him, hoping that he remembered that I had padding and would understand what I was trying to do.

His expression didn't change.

"Don't try to be a hero," he said with contempt. I was afraid that he didn't understand what I was doing.

"Like I said," said Eunhyuk, looking at me, "punishing you doesn't seem to make a difference anyway."

"Then sunbaenim, let's please do it this way," I said. "I'll take it all today, since it really was my fault. If I do something wrong again next time, Ryeowook can take that punishment in my place."

I wasn't sure why I was being so brave - I wasn't even sure if those insole things would work and I had promised myself never to get on Eunhyuk's bad side again...

"Kim Ryeowook, what do you have to say?" asked Donghae.

Ryeowook just looked at his feet. "Do as you like, hyung."

"Please," I said, looking into Donghae's eyes strategically. Within a second, I could see that he was starting to change his mind.

"Fine," said Donghae, looking away, and Eunhyuk nodded as well. I breathed a sigh of relief, but this was just for a brief moment. Without even being told, I got on the ground.

Jonghyun, I'm counting on you, I thought as I was on the ground, and shut my eyes.

I felt it, of course, but there was minimal sting - the pain level had been reduced significantly. I released my breath. I still only felt the amount of sting equivalent to five or six as Eunhyuk finished with twenty. However, Eunhyuk's being has hard as they are, pain was pain. I stayed on the ground, and Eunhyuk ordered me up. I did, and bowed from my waist. I kept my head bent as I faced them.

Eunhyuk didn't say anything, and instead, just sighed and left the practice room with Donghae on his tail.

I hadn't had a chance to look at Ryeowook's reaction yet, and as soon as they left, I straightened up and looked up at Ryeowook. I winced a little and rubbed my hips. He looked back at me.

"I meant it when I told you not to be a hero," he said coldly.

"I thought you'd remember what you saw me do yesterday," I said. "A punishment for you was unnecessary."

"Oh, so you think you saved me today?" said Ryeowook with clear annoyance. "Gee, thanks. By the way, how long do you think you can go until your next punishment? Or, I guess, mine."

This was when I felt a surge of anger that I hadn't felt before since joining Super Junior. I had just sacrificed myself to protect him and he had the nerve -

"DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE?" I screamed in informal speech. "YOU THINK I DID THIS BECAUSE I LIKE BEING BEATEN AND HUMILIATED?"

Ryeowook just looked at me coldly without reacting. "I'm still your sunbae," said Ryeowook quietly. I heard the slight warning tone in his voice, but I didn't care.

"You're also the same age as me," I said, livid, still informally. I was almost grinding my teeth. Ryeowook stared at me for a while.

"Think before you speak," said Ryeowook, and he made a move to leave the room.

"Hey," I said, again informally, grabbing Ryeowook roughly by his arm. Ryeowook turned around. "What's your problem?" I asked, genuinely expecting an answer.

"Like I said, think before you speak," said Ryeowook, glaring at me. "I don't know about you, but I'm going to go upstairs to practice. You can do whatever the hell you want."

I reeled in my anger and let go of Ryeowook, and ran my fingers through my hair in anger and frustration instead. In the meanwhile, Ryeowook left the room without looking back.