My heart skipped a beat.

"Sir, I'm so sorry. I know I've been difficult to deal with for the whole day, but please, please don't pass me off to someone else. I - I still..." Still what? I still trusted him more than anyone else? I knew that wasn't true. I didn't finish the sentence.

"Kyuhyun, I'm not passing you off to another manager because I want to. But I have no choice when you're not communicating with me. I need you to tell me how you feel for this to work," said the manager hyung, clearly frustrated.

I felt hot blood rushing to my face. Oh, so this was my fault? I got so angry that I wasn't even tired anymore, and I lost all want to even try to make things work.

"Fine. Whatever you think is best, sir," I said, and without waiting for his response, I got out of the van and slammed the door closed.

During breakfast three hours later, the manager hyung pulled me aside again. "Youngjun hyung will be taking care of you starting today," he said with a pained and apologetic expression. "He's also taking care of Heechul, Kibum and Hankyung. But you know that already."

"Yes, sir," I said unfeelingly.

"But whenever you're ready, I'll take you back," he assured. I shook my head to refuse this offer.

"I'll be fine," I said, then after a small bow, I left his side.

It's really true when they say that you don't really appreciate what you have until you lose it. Youngjun hyung obviously tried his best, but taking care of the two most active members of the team on top of Hankyung must have been difficult to begin with. So when I was added to his team, he barely paid any attention to me. As a result, for the first time since joining the team, I felt neglected by a manager. Before, the manager hyung never let me wait for him; he was always there before I was. With Youngjun hyung, I was always the one waiting for him to come and pick me up, sometimes for minutes, but sometimes for hours at a time. Not only that, but the whole week was a scheduling disaster. Youngjun hyung double-booked me for a performance and a radio show on the second day which had to be sorted out by higher powers. He also forgot to leave a free five-hour block for school for the week, so I ended up having to go to school every day of the week for one hour. Without the warning that I would have to go to school so soon in the week, I hadn't had time to finish the schoolwork again, and I was scolded by the teacher like I had never been scolded before. Youngjun hyung drove me to school for the first two days, but on the third day of having Youngjun hyung as my manager, I had morning practice for Miracle with Eunhyuk coaching me at the office. When we were finished, I called Youngjun hyung in the hallway, but I had to call him three times before he finally picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hyung, I'm finished practice," I said, relieved that he finally answered his phone.

"Okay," Youngjun hyung said. He sounded distracted. There was an awkward silence during which I expected him to talk, but he didn't.

"Um, can you take me to school now?" I asked, flustered.

"I'm on the set of Heechul's sitcom right now, out of the province," he said. "Can you take a cab?"

I was so surprised that I didn't say anything for a few seconds, then I finally opened my mouth. "Pardon?"

"Call yourself a cab," he repeated. "You can take it to school, right?"

"By - by myself?" I asked, rattled.

"It's a short ride, you'll be fine," said Youngjun hyung, then I heard him take the phone away from his mouth for a few seconds to continue a conversation with someone else. I bit my lip.

"Okay, hyung," I said into the phone, but Youngjun hyung had hung up already without listening to my response. I sighed, and flipped my own cell phone closed. My real manager hyung would never have done this, I thought to myself. I opened my phone again to call for the cab, then realizing what I just thought to myself, froze. Did I just say to myself that the manager hyung who beat me was my real manager?

I had the cab company's number halfway dialed, but then I hung up with a sigh. "Damn it," I whispered with my eyes closed in frustration. Was that really what I thought? Then after a brief hesitation, I slowly started dialing the manager hyung's number instead. Before I finished, though, someone interrupted me.

"Kyuhyun hyung!" I looked up briefly, and saw Jonghyun walking toward me with a bow.

"Oh my god," I said in exasperation, turning my head away from him. Jonghyun was the last person I wanted to see right now.

"Hyung, please, please talk to me," begged Jonghyun without introduction.

"Not now," I said, looking at my phone again.

"Hyung, let me please just explain to you - "

"The situation I'm in right now isn't going to help your case," I said, annoyed.

"I'll do anything," pleaded Jonghyun, then he grabbed my arm. I looked at him for a few seconds.

"Did you apologize to that junior?" I asked coldly. Jonghyun hesitated.

"No. No, hyung, but I'll do anything else besides - "

"Why do you keep trying to talk to me before doing what I told you to?" I asked, irritated at his persistence.

"Hyung, if you would please just let me explain to you..." he said, tears in his eyes.

I closed my eyes in frustration and sighed again. The way Jonghyun was acting was reminding me painfully of myself asking to talk to Leeteuk - and I certainly didn't want to be like Leeteuk. After long contemplation, I looked at Jonghyun.

"Okay. I'm in a hurry right now, but I'll be back at the office at 11pm. Find me again then," I said, then I looked at my phone again.

Jonghyun looked surprised for a second, then smiled through his tears. "Thank you, hyung," he said, squeezing my hand in both of his.

I nodded. "Get back to practice," I said. Jonghyun bowed from his waist again, then with another word of thanks, turned around and went down the hallway into another practice room.

After watching Jonghyun leave, I turned my attention back to my phone, feeling unsure of myself again. Was I really ready to forgive manager hyung?

I shook my head. Asking him to drive me to school didn't have to mean that I forgave him, or that I was asking him to be my manager again. As long as he was Super Junior's manager and I was a part of Super Junior, he had the obligation to take care of me if he was able to.

After a pause, I bit down on my lip, finished dialing the manager hyung's number, and put my phone against my ear. The manager hyung picked up within a few seconds.

"Hello? Kyuhyun?" said the manager hyung. Hearing his voice say my name for the first time in three days, I felt an unexplained warmth spreading from my chest to the rest of my body.

"Hyu - I mean, sir, yes, it's Kyuhyun," I said carefully. I wondered if he would be cold toward me after I assured him a few days ago that I would be fine with the new manager. However, things were quite the contrary.

"What's the matter, Kyuhyun? What's wrong?" asked the manager hyung with true, deep concern in his voice. I hesitated, taken aback by the caring tone of his voice.

"It's nothing serious, but - but sir, do you think - if you have time, can - can you drive me to school?" I stuttered.

I was expecting reluctance or a hesitation on the manager hyung's part, but he answered me easily. "Yeah, of course, Kyuhyun. Where are you?" asked the manager hyung.

It felt like a load being lifted off my shoulders, and something like a whimper escaped my lungs as I was overcome with guilt that he was able to forgive my childish indifference toward him a few days ago so fast. "I'm at the office."

"I'll be there in a few minutes," said the manager hyung.

"Thank you," I managed, then without even saying good-bye, I flipped the cell phone closed before tears had a chance to come.

When I had changed into my school uniform and walked out of the building, the manager hyung was already waiting for me outside in his van.