I stepped into the quiet living room while the manager hyung passed me to walk out the front door. As soon as he left, I faced the living room, where the rest of the team was looking at me. I bowed. "I'm so sorry to have done this again," I said in a wavering voice. Then I looked at Siwon, who was the only other person to be hit today. "I'm so sorry I didn't admit that I knew earlier, sunbaenim. I hope you'll be able to forgive me."

I bowed to Siwon, and without listening to his response, I walked back into my bedroom.

I laid down on the floor to go to sleep early, but the pain didn't let me. As I was reflecting in the silence, Sungmin entered the room. I glanced at him and sat halfway up to bow to him.

"I brought you ice," said Sungmin, handing me a sealed plastic bag filled with ice cubes. "I'll get you more in the middle of the night if you need it. I know how hard he hits, and how sore it is after."

"Thanks," I muttered. I took it from his hand and placed it on top of me, feeling the stinging subsiding.

"Did you cave?" asked Sungmin. I hesitated, unsure of how I was supposed to explain it.

"I... I didn't say anything," I said with a sigh. "But he guessed it."

Sungmin patted my back. "It's okay. Donghae can't be expecting more."

"I hope you're right," I sighed, then I closed my eyes to sleep.

In the middle of the night, I was awakened when I felt the now-lukewarm plastic bag being lifted off from me, to be replaced by one filled with ice again. I lifted my head off the pillow in confusion, then I heard Sungmin say, "Go back to sleep. We only have an hour until we have to get up."

Realizing what happened, I looked at Sungmin. "Thank you so much, hyung," I said, then feeling his hand pat me on my back, I dropped my head on the pillow to go to sleep again. However, before I fell asleep completely, I heard a key turn in the front door, and I heard it open. Within seconds, the door to our room flew open with a loud bang and the lights .

"CHO KYUHYUN!"

I squinted through the bright lights, then I saw a furious Donghae at the doorway. Butterflies quickly multiplying in my stomach, I got up on my knees, and as I was doing so, I felt the plastic bag filled with ice slide off me and fall on the blanket that I was sleeping in.

"WHY DID THE MANAGER HYUNG KNOW THAT I WAS IN MOKPO?" demanded Donghae, slamming his bag down on the floor.

"Hyung, I'm so sorry," I said, looking into my lap.

"I TRUSTED YOU!" he screamed, furious.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I - I don't know what to say."

Donghae walked towards me and took me by the front of my shirt, then pushed me down on the floor. I fell to my elbow with a wince.

"I'm so sorry," I repeated, getting back on my knees. Donghae took the front of my shirt again, but Sungmin grabbed Donghae by his arms.

"Come on, Donghae. He got beaten because of you. Give him a break," said Sungmin, pulling him back.

"I thought you would be able to stand it," said Donghae with a glare. "Regardless of the outcome, I can't believe you told him. I know this sounds selfish, but I thought you would know what I'm going through and take a few hits for me."

"But I did, hyung," I said, offended. "And I would have kept going."

"Then how did the manager hyung find me there?"

"I didn't tell him anything. He just - he just knew. He asked me if you were in Mokpo and I told him you weren't. He knew I was lying."

There was a very long silence as Donghae straightened up and sighed.

"Typical manager hyung," he muttered, getting into his bed. He looked at me and maintained another long silence before finally speaking. "Sorry for jumping to conclusions. I really wanted to be alone with my dad the whole time, but I guess I still owe you dinner."

This took me by surprise.

"But hyung, he told me he wouldn't interrupt you and your father," I said, barely able to breathe. "Did - did he barge in on you?"

"Just as I was about to leave. But 'barge' isn't exactly the right word," said Donghae. He then hesitated. "He came with flowers."

From that night on, I stopped addressing the manager hyung as "hyung". Before this point, I had only addressed him as "sir" when I first met him and when I was being scolded. But after that night, I felt a certain amount of distance between us, even after all that he had done for me and for my career. He truly did not feel like a hyung so much as a higher power anymore.

As we were eating breakfast in the living room about half an hour later, the manager hyung pulled me aside.

"Kyuhyun, come here," said the manager hyung, walking into my room. I got up reluctantly and followed him into my room, for the first time ever feeling annoyed that he wasn't asking for permission before entering my room. I bowed to him formally at the doorway, and stood there with my hands together and head down, as if I had done something wrong again. I never looked at his face. The manager hyung hesitated, then spoke.

"Kyuhyun, I'm sorry about what happened last night," said the manager hyung seriously. "I was doing what was necessary to keep Donghae safe."

"I understand, sir," I said, not meeting his eyes.

"How are you feeling?" he asked with concern in his voice.

"Fine, sir," I said, still not looking at him.

"Physically, too?" he asked apologetically.

"Yes, sir."

The manager hyung looked uncomfortable.

"Can you stop calling me - " he started, but then he stopped himself. He looked at me for a few moments, then sighed. "I hope you'll be able to find it in yourself to confide in me freely again soon."

I stayed silent and just looked at the ground. The manager hyung forced a smile and reached over to pat me on my shoulder. As his hand touched me, I flinched without meaning to; He drew his hand away in surprise, then he bit down on his bottom lip with a hurt expression on his face. I looked up at him in horror, realizing how hurtful the flinch must have been.

"Sir, I - I'm sorry," I stammered. "I - I feel terrible. I'm so sorry, sir."

The manager hyung looked away. "I guess I deserve it," he said quietly, then he walked away from me to take care of the other members. As he left, I realized that I had not said a single word of truth to him in the entire conversation.