Anger. That was the first emotion he relearned to feel.

            As he hung up the phone, his fingers tightened their hold on the device with crushing force until his knuckles turned white. He stood there trembling in utter rage in front of the glass hospital doors. The sun shone high over his head, but in his mind, everything was black and thunderous.

            Only a few moments ago, he had felt nothing. He had been emptied blank of emotions. When he should've felt sadness, when he should've felt happiness, when he should've felt pain...

            Numbness was more frightening than a clutter of a thousand feelings.

            But then something had happened. During his phone conversation with his beloved dongseng, something miraculous had stirred within him.

            An interview session... A ing interview session...

            When he remembered what Jinnie had informed him, his sight went red with flames of fury at his soul.

            They lied to me... They ing lied to me...

            His thoughts briefly fled back to the time when Eric had kissed him in his hospital cell and how not even a spark had passed through his mind and, mostly, his heart. And yet, here he was, fuming with a certain, distinct emotion.

            They were going to die alright. Whoever had decided to keep the interview session to themselves were doing to die by his bare hands.

            One... He mentally snarled as his eyes locked on his target.

            His prey waved his hand at him with a foolish grin on his face, not knowing what was going through the other's mind. "Hyesung!" he yelled cheerfully, radiating ignorant joy.

            "Dongwan!" he shouted back, feigning equal jollity. He bit back his spite and shot his friend a convincing smile.

            "Get in, get in!" Dongwan told him brightly, opening the door of his car for the discharged patient to enter. Hyesung made sure his fake smile did not waver as he sat down in the passenger seat.

            "Put on your seat belt please," Dongwan said happily as he put on his own. Hyesung obeyed as he hid his gritted teeth.

            "Isn't the weather so perfect today?" Dongwan chirped as he drove smoothly out of the parking lot. He glanced at Hyesung with a wide grin.

            Hyesung's answering glare wiped the smile off his face. "Yeah. Perfect." Every word dripped with ice, the attempt at hiding his true emotions long gone. "Perfect for an interview session."

            Hyesung let himself indulge on cruel satisfaction as he watched his friend's face crumple in horror. "W-What?" Dongwan stuttered in shock. "W-What do you mean, an interview session?"

            "What do you ing think I mean by an interview session?" he hissed back.

            There was brief silence inside the car. Dongwan bit into his bottom lip while keeping his eyes focused on the road. Hyesung mentally counted the seconds that ticked by before all hell broke loose.

            Before he could even get up to twenty, the driver cracked. "I'M SO SORRY!" he wailed so loudly that Hyesung wanted to cover his ears. "I'M SO, SO SORRY!"

            "Shut up," Hyesung snapped. The right side of his forehead began to throb. "You don't have to be so loud--"

            "I'M SO, SO, SO SORRY! I WASN'T TRYING TO DECEIVE YOU. I WOULD NEVER DO THAT. I'M SO FREAKIN' SORRY. I SHOULD'VE NEVER LIED TO YOU. DO WHATEVER YOU WANT WITH ME. JUST DON'T BE TOO MAD. I'M SO SORRY! BE MY MASTER--"

            "DONGWAN!" Hyesung cried over him, silencing him. The shorter man looked as if he was on the verge of tears. "I forgive you. Just, please. Shut the up. My head hurts."

            "I'm sorry--" he stopped himself before he could apologize again.

            "It's okay. Just tell me something."

            Keeping his mouth closed, Dongwan nodded quickly.

            "Whose idea was it? Leaving me out of the interview?"

            Dongwan bit down on his lip again.

            "Was it Minwoo or Eric?" Hyesung pressed the question.

            Dongwan swallowed, his eyes glossy. Hyesung sighed heavily.

            "It was both, wasn't it?" he concluded. Without responding, Dongwan continued to drive on. But Hyesung already knew the unspoken answer. His lips slowly curled into a bloodcurdling smirk as he watched the path outside his window, the very road that would lead him to the broadcast station where his two precious victims awaited him.

            Get ready to die, es.

***

            "Where the is he?!" Andy heard Minwoo shout in impatience.

            At his words, Andy glanced anxiously at the wall clock. They had ten minutes until the conference with the reporters started. And Dongwan was nowhere to be seen.

            Andy's stomach tightened into an uncomfortable knot. Without Hyesungie hyung, they were already down one member. If Dongwanie hyung didn't show up...

            They would have four. Four ing members.

            There was no way they were going to get through this successfully with just four members. The malicious reporters and their well-prepared questions would eat them alive.

            "He'll be here."

            Andy looked up at the man who had spoken. He couldn't help but feel reassured by his warm smile. "He'll definitely be here," Jinnie promised, reaching out to touch his hand. Andy sighed in relief, finding himself able to breathe again.

            "Well, he better. 'Cause we're gonna have to cancel this whole ordeal otherwise," Minwoo fumed, walking back and forth with unease. "It already looks bad that Hyesung isn't with us. But if two of our members don't show up... It'll just make it seem like Shinhwa really is disbanding."

            "Don't worry, hyung," Junjin comforted. Andy felt a stab of disappointment when Jinnie's fingers left his. The tall man danced his way over to massage his hyung's tense shoulders. "Believe in Wannie hyung."

            "Maybe we should've asked Hyesungie hyung to come, too," Andy murmured. He still didn't understand what was going on with Hyesungie hyung, but he knew for a fact that his hyung wouldn't ditch them in a situation as dire as this.

            As soon as the words flew out of his mouth, something spontaneous exploded in the room. Minwoo's gaze dropped to the ground in dismay, Choongjae's jaw clenched tightly while his eyes hardened, and Eric stood up from his seat, awoken from his quiet trance.

            "No," the leader stated, his tone almost angry. "He will definitely not."

            Andy took a breath. Okay, something's definitely going on here.

            Eric sat down again, returning to his silence. Andy met eyes with the other maknae of the group in question.

            What the is going on? he mentally asked through his stare. Jinnie sighed.

            "We should be angry," he said aloud to him. "We should be angry, Andy."

            Minwoo whirled around to stare at him while Eric refused to even turn in his direction. Andy cocked his head at the man in confusion.

            "Our hyungs think we're stupid," Junjin explained as he shook his head. "They think they can keep a secret from us even after all these years."

            "What?" Minwoo mumbled stupidly. Honestly, Andy was just as confused.

            Jinnie glowered at Minwoo then at Eric who still had his back to him. "When he comes, it's all your ing fault."

            Eric stiffened in his seat. Minwoo's small eyes widened in horror.

            "W-What do you mean, Choongjae?" Minwoo stuttered, clearly petrified.

            Junjin opened his mouth to answer, but it wasn't his voice that rang throughout the room.

            "It means I'm pissed off as hell."

            All eyes shot to the master of the voice although they all knew who it belonged to. There he stood, every ounce of his presence lit on fire.

            "Hey, guys." Dongwan's voice was a whimper as he trailed in behind. Minwoo shot him a murderous glare.

            "Right on time," Choongjae exclaimed, not even attempting to fake a smile. "We can break each other's necks after we survive through this conference."

            Hyesung hesitated then nodded. Andy had no idea what the hell was going on, but he couldn't help feeling relieved. A delighted smile that did not match the icy atmosphere of the room crept onto his face.

            Six... There were finally six of them, together. Maybe they wouldn't get eaten alive after all.

            Hyesung flashed them a smirk that made the hairs on Andy's skin rise on their ends. "But I will kill you later," he swore before leaving the room.

***

            Dongwan sat himself down in between Minwoo and Andy. The constant flashing of the camera lights seemed to fry his brain into scrambled eggs. Concentrate, idiot, he commanded himself as he forced a photogenic smile. "We are Shinhwa!" he cried together with the other five, stretching out his hand towards the reporters who watched their every move intently.

            Under the table, Minwoo took his hand and gave it a tight squeeze. Dongwan realized how cold his friend's hand was, covered with beads of sweat. He quickly turned to Andy and touched his lap comfortingly. The maknae was actually trembling.

            Breathe, Dongwan told himself. They were all worried and nervous, but they had to compose themselves at all costs.

            Because the stakes were high. It was Shinhwa on the line.

           The conference started with an easy question. Dongwan tried to focus on every word.

            "Shinhwa has come back last year after a four year hiatus to make a mark on K-Pop history as the longest running idol group. How do you feel about being such a hot topic on star news, even as veterans?"

            To Dongwan's surprise, Andy was the one to answer. He cleared his throat and spoke in a very stable low voice, "Shinhwa has always been in the center of scandals, rumors, and news. It's very comforting to know that the public still takes an interest in us."

            Eric followed the maknae's lead, making sure his words were clear and articulate. "We're very grateful that even when we're in our mid 30's, our audience gives us so much attention. Although truthfully, sometimes it can be overwhelming, we try our best to embrace it with a positive and professional attitude."

            There was a slight pause as all the reporters scribbled on their notepads with frightening speed. The pens slowed down as someone else raised his voice.

            "Of course, there has been very good news regarding Shinhwa. However, there has also been very negative gossip as well. How do you feel about the rising news of Shinhwa's disbandment?"

            Straight to the point, huh? Dongwan thought, resisting the urge to cross his arms and sigh. Minwoo was the one to respond first. "We are very regretful that such rumors have surfaced. Although the rumors are very untrue and the members and I have never even thought about disbanding--" Dongwan could hear the furious scratching of pen against paper at Minwoo's words. "--we cannot say that we are completely faultless for the creation of such gossip."

            Jinnie jumped in quickly, "We want to sincerely apologize to our fans whom we have troubled and disappointed. We hope everyone can forgive us for behaving so unprofessionally and building such a huge misunderstanding."

            Before the jotting died down, another reporter shouted out, "You say that everything is a misunderstanding. Then how do you explain the video of one member shouting in public that he will quit Shinhwa?"

            No one had to mention the name of the "one member" who had been the star of the infamous video. Every pair of eyes in the room shot to Dongwan, earning him the spotlight he desperately did not want.

            He swallowed before he spoke. He tried his best to ignore the countless ravenous stares drilling a hole in his head. "First of all, I would like to sincerely apologize for my actions that night." He was so thankful that his voice sounded so much calmer than he actually was. "I acted completely out-of-line, and I have taken my time to seriously reflect on what I have done. I know that I have disappointed my members and my fans, and have caused an acute disturbance. I do not know what I can do to make up for such a behavior, but I will make sure I improve my self-control and become a better person to prevent such things from happening again in the future."

            Some of the reporters nodded in empathy. The relief that began to grow within him dissolved as soon as another question was thrown at him.

            "It is great that you're admitting to the incident and apologizing to the public. However, many people want an explanation, not just an apology. Can you explain what happened that night that led you to say that you were quitting Shinhwa?"

            Dongwan resisted the urge to snarl. He mustered up all the composure he could before proceeding with a response. "I broke up with my girlfriend." As he had expected, all the reporters ate up his fabricated answer like a pack of hyenas. "It was a very serious relationship," he added to spice things up. The audience gawked at him with sparkling eyes. "My members tried to cheer me up. Junjin sshi planned a party to brighten my mood. However, I ruined it by drinking too much and causing a ruckus."

            As soon as he finished talking, the reporters all started yelling at once.

            "Who was your girlfriend?"

            "Is she a celebrity? An actress?"

            "How long did you date?"

            "Could you give us her initials?"

            Dongwan had to suppress a satisfying grin. As he had predicted, the attention had been stolen by his shocking "confession". And it was a tiny bit accurate since he had really broken up with his girlfriend recently. He would have to personally apologize to her if her identity was ever found out. But he knew that publicly announcing his past relationship was a much better alternative than actually spilling the solid truth...

            He noticed how much warmer Minwoo's hand felt now.

            "Is it true that you had a fist fight with Eric sshi?"

            Everyone seemed to quiet down when that question was raised.

            .

            "Is it true, Dongwan sshi?" someone repeated when Dongwan didn't speak.

            Dongwan recollected himself. "Y-Yes." The loud writing of the reporters almost drove him mad. He saw Eric raising an eyebrow at him from the corner of his eye. "We did fight physically. It's not that uncommon for us to fight, especially under the influence of alcohol. Eric was simply trying to restrain me from doing something unreasonable when he saw that I was intoxicated. That was when I threw a punch at him and started shouting many falsehood about how I hated him and Shinhwa."

            Many nodded as they scribbled rapidly on their notepads. "Is it true that Eric sshi was hospitalized?" someone called out.

            "No," Dongwan answered, his full confidence returning. "Eric is much stronger than me. And a much better fighter. I'm lucky that he didn't beat me up."

            Soft laughter rippled throughout the crowd at his humor. Eric flashed him a smile, something he hadn't done for weeks.

            "Is it true that Hyesung sshi was hospitalized that same night?"

            Ugh, Dongwan silently groaned. This was where things got more complicated.

            "Yes," Hyesung spoke for the first time. He smiled angelically at the cameras. "But it was mere coincidence. My body has a habit of breaking down at the worst times." Dongwan watched, mesmerized by how innocent and honest the man carried himself. "It has actually happened before, a few years ago. When I was hospitalized then due to fatigue, a rumor spread saying that I was bullied and beat up by my members. Let me just assure you, these five cannot beat me up." Some of the reporters laughed before he continued on, "I do not want people to misunderstand the reason for my recent hospitalization. I was sick with a cold for a while, but I was very keen on attending the party. As Dongwan sshi explained, I was well aware that he was down about his breakup so I wanted to be there to cheer him up. However, I ended up fainting from a high fever and woke up the next day in the hospital."

            There were many sympathetic nods and murmurs. "Did you faint before or after Dongwan sshi got intoxicated?"

            They were getting awfully specific, but Hyesung didn't seem fazed. "Before," he answered without a moment of hesitation.

            Things seemed to be wrapping up now. Dongwan hoped to God the conference would end soon without any major accidents. So far, everything had gone smoothly and none of them had their tongues slip. Perhaps, they would survive through this in one piece after all.

            But, of course, he was wrong.

            "Is it true about Hyesung sshi and Eric sshi?"

            The six of them froze at the ambiguous inquiry. Dongwan found himself urgently searching for the reporter who had posed the question.

            "Is it true that Hyesung sshi and Eric sshi are in a homoual relationship?"

            No matter how desperately he searched, Dongwan could not find the stranger who had spoken. Some of the reporters chuckled at the ridiculous  question until they saw how stunned the six members were.

            "W-What?" Eric stuttered.

            Dammit, Eric... Compose yourself...

            "There has been a rumor that you two have been spotted kissing in public. Is that true?"

            Dongwan's heart began to thud at an unhealthy rhythm. Minwoo's hand went cold again.

           The silence that filled the room was deafening. No camera snapped, no pen hit paper. The sea of reporters sat curiously, waiting for an answer that refused to sound.

            Finally, the silence was broken with a terrifying laugh. A laugh that sent chills down Dongwan's spine.

            "That's hilarious," Hyesung exclaimed, holding his stomach for dramatic effects.

            The reporters laughed with him, but somewhat uncertainly. Hyesung shook his head, a beautiful smile lingering on his lips. "I'm sorry for laughing, but I couldn't help myself. Really? Me and Eric? I know that fans like to group us as a couple, but this is taking it a bit too far, isn't it?" His eyes were full of poise and confidence. "Dongwan confessed to having a recent breakup, but he isn't the only one. I have also broken up with my girlfriend."

            At Hyesung's words, all chaos broke out. People began shouting at once, desperate for their questions to be answered. Pens screeched and cameras flashed wildly.

            Meanwhile, Hyesung sat calmly in his seat, his perfect grin in place. "We were very much in love. I even thought about marriage for the first time." He laughed softly. Dongwan caught a glimpse of Eric's pale, ghastly face. "I apologize for keeping it a secret from my fans, but I hope they will understand since it wasn't a relationship I was ready to publicly announce. In the end, it didn't work out. It's regrettable, but that's life, isn't it?" He laughed again, his eyes fading into thin lines. "But I'm glad I'm no longer in such a complicated relationship. Now I can properly focus on Shinhwa's activities, which should have been my priority in the first place."

            The noise from the crowd was almost unbearable, making Dongwan's head spin in circles. The innumerous questions hurled simultaneously at the main vocalist didn't seem to cease. With just a few sentences, Shin Hyesung had managed to erase Shinhwa's controversies from the reporters' minds. Now he was the target, the vulnerable victim who would be torn to pieces by the ruthless media.

            Shin Hyesung... What the are you doing?

            Anger boiled inside Dongwan. Truth was, he knew exactly what Hyesung was doing. He was trying to take the spotlight off of his questionable relationship with Eric and refocus the attention on his private life. Hyesung, who had never publicly announced that he was in a relationship with anyone before... Hyesung, who always treasured privacy above anything else...

            He was willing to sacrifice that. He was willing to be victimized by prying questions and constant invasions from the media in order to minimize the suspicion of his relationship with Eric.

            For some reason, that really pissed Dongwan off.

            Do you really want to protect Eric that much?

            Do you love him to the point that you would jeopardize your privacy for him?

            It really pissed him off. Because he knew Hyesung had never done that for anyone else before.

            Suddenly, Dongwan remembered the orange manila folder. He remembered the concise letter, the simple yet outrageous command from the stranger who knew so well of his most secret desire...

            "We want the same thing. I can help you get what you want."

            "Not all of us broke up."

            As soon as the words left his lips, he regretted it. He knew he would regret it for the rest of his life. His head already knew that he had been set up, his clever mind had already figured out that it was his blackmailer who had driven him into a corner.

            The question about Hyesung and Eric's relationship had been posed by someone who already knew the truth. Its purpose hadn't been to search for an answer, but to serve as a bait. But it hadn't been a bait for Hyesung, nor Eric for that matter.

            It had been a bait for Dongwan.

            But it was too late. Because his jealous heart ruled his decisions now.

            The crowd silenced itself at Dongwan's sudden outburst.

            "Well, I just wanted to say that we're not all helpless when it comes to romance." He heard himself chuckle. His whole body was on autopilot, the brake pedal completely rendered useless. "Hyesung and I may have had our recent share of heartbreaks. But I'm genuinely happy that one of us is still in a stable relationship."

            He felt five pairs of horrified eyes scorching into his soul. But his word vomit knew no end.

            "I'm so jealous that Eric is dating such a beautiful actress."

***

            Eric was confused. He was baffled beyond anything else.

            What the had just happened?

            The much dreaded interview session had gone completely off course. He felt like he had been hit in the face with a truck.

            What the had seriously just happened?

            As soon as Hyesung had shown up with Dongwan, all his plans had been thrown out the window.

            But it still could've gone okay. Even though Hyesung had just been discharged, even though the love of his life had barged in pissed as hell, things could've still gone smoothly.

            "Is it true that Hyesung sshi and Eric sshi are in a homoual relationship?"

            There was no way that anyone could've known. There was no ing way... There was something wrong about that question as if they had all been set up...

            "We were very much in love. I even thought about marriage for the first time."

            Had... Had Hyesung been serious? Had he really thought about marriage?

            Because he certainly had. He, Eric Mun, had seriously thought about marrying Shin Hyesung.

            "In the end, it didn't work out."

            Of course, it hadn't. There was no way that their relationship could have progressed further.

            But...

            "Eric, I'm sorry."

            Anger flared within him as soon as he heard the familiar voice. He turned to face the speaker, his eyes glowering.

            "What the , Dongwan."

            Honestly, he wasn't even that pissed at Dongwan. Yeah, he had been a ing idiot. He had seriously screwed him over by saying the stupidest lie that he was dating an actress for God's sake. But really, his feelings were too complicated of a mess right now. Honestly, he had no idea what he was feeling.

            Shin Hyesung did that to him. Shin Hyesung made him lose his composure. Shin Hyesung made him lose all reason, Shin Hyesung made him lose his mind.

            "In the end, it didn't work out."

            Eric hadn't realized that his fingers had tightened around his friend's shirt collar until someone got in between and pushed him back.

            "Stop it, Eric."

            The man standing in front of him was so breathtakingly beautiful, so perfect, even with his emotionless eyes and nonsmiling lips. He was everything Eric ever wanted.

            And could not have.

            Hyesung...

            "I get that you're mad, but Dongwan was just trying to help us out."

            Did it really not work out for us in the end?

            "Imagine if they caught onto us."

            Can you really let me go? Can you really let me go like this?

            "It would be bothersome. It's better for them to think that you're dating an actress."

            Can you really live without me?

            Can you really... stop loving me?

            "What's between us is over anyway. Maybe you can really start dating an actress."

            What's between us... is over?

            Hyesung coldly turned to walk away. Dongwan gave Eric an apologetic look before trailing after him.

            Eric stood, rooted to the ground. It felt as if every nerve in his body was screaming out in a certain pain he could not comprehend. No tears rolled down his cheeks, but his heart felt as if it was rotting from a disease that could not be diagnosed.

            "It's... not..." he whispered, every word choked and strained. "It's not..."

            "What's between us is over anyway."

            "It's not over for me..."

            But no one heard him.

[A/N]: OMG! AN UPDATE!!! <3 Finally... T.T A really long one at that... This one was such a pain in the ... Had the longest writer's block! I'm so, so sorry it took so long! I had a really hard time writing this one, maybe because I was running out of ideas :( I really need ShinBang back (for inspiration lol). I really hope you guys enjoyed! I didn't get to even read this over, so expect a ton of mistakes... (You know me with editing :p) Maybe this chapter wasn't as fun or clear, but I needed to get the plot going, you know? Please keep supporting by commenting and upvoting (it reallllly helps!) I promise the next update won't take this long >.< Anyway, I'm gonna get some sleep now *yawn* Gnite, beautifuls! Love~