“Younghun, I know you are currently in no condition to handle this,” stated the president, “So, I will take care of it.”

The leader looked at him in shock, “B-but, what can we do?”

“We act as though the rumors do not affect us,” stated the president, “We carry on like life is normal, I will handle finding you all a more secure place where we can guarantee they won’t be able to listen in on your conversations anymore or that they will not be able to get photos of you all within the privacy of the dorm.”

Younghun nodded in understanding and thanks.

“You need to carry this message to the other members,” stated the president of the company, earning another nod from Younghun, “Your acting skills will be put to the test for the next couple of weeks, so keep the others confident that this will all just pass over in a couple of weeks. Make sure the others stay positive that this will work, also, make sure the others focus on helping you keep Sora positive despite the harsh words written about him.”

Younghun nodded, coughing painfully into his sleeve – a look of concern appearing on the president’s face as he watched the young male cough, the sound of the deep chested cough making him flinch and look at Spectrum’s leader guiltily.

“Also, Younghun-ah, I’m sorry for overworking you like this, you need to get to the hospital…” muttered the man, “That needs to get checked out.”

Younghun nodded in understanding and whispered, “I’ll be going in a couple of days…I need to check up on my members first though.”

The president nodded in understanding and stated, “In order for you all to get out of this well, without Sora’s rehabilitation being set back to zero, we need for you all to support him – not only you and Woojung, but Shin, Xue, and Minhyun need to take care of him as well…they need to tend to him as well.”

Younghun smiled, “We already came to that conclusion.”

The president chuckled, “We’re going to lay low for a while, well, you all are and we’re going to let this pass over – luckily you all aren’t too popular and that this time around the rumor mill is getting more hate than we are. If anything, your all’s popularity is increasing and the more positive comments towards Sora are appearing.”

Younghun nodded.

“Anyhow, you should be heading back to the dorms soon to pack up and join your group mates in the hotel, you should be getting rest for that URI of yours because I feel like it’s developed into something far worse,” muttered the president, earning a nod from Younghun, “Anyhow, this time around your jobs are: inform the others to act like nothing has happened and that the things they wrote were just rumors, to be there morally as a team for Sora when you break the news to him and the other members, and to sit back and heal up because this is your chance.”

Younghun smiled and nodded towards the president in understanding for the umpteenth time before the president’s attention turned towards Hyun Soo, “As for you, just make sure this idiot rests up and that the others are well taken care of.”

The manager nodded and bowed to the president.

“We’re not going to do damage control because we want the public to carry on believing that these rumors are rumors, we want the rumor mill getting the bad press – not us,” stated the president, eyeing Younghun as he stated, “However, once this controversy finally settles, I will be calling you and the other five in and we will talk about whether or not these rumors are true because if they are I need to know as company president and also because I feel like as close as I am to you all, I deserve to know.”

Younghun nodded a bit stiffly at that, but otherwise stayed silent due to his throat bothering him a bit.

“Anyhow, that is all,” stated the man, “I know I could’ve easily told you this over the phone, but it is more professional to talk to each other in person, plus, I heard you were in bad shape Younghun and I wanted to see just how bad you are…may I just say you do look like like everyone’s been saying.”

Younghun glowered at the older man.

“Oh, also, Younghun, could you keep an eye on the situation online?” questioned the president, earning another nod from Spectrum’s leader, “Monitor the responses and keep me updated, alright?”

Younghun hummed and the president smiled even wider.

“Then, with that, the meetings dismissed,” stated the president and Younghun and Hyun Soo both stood up and bowed to the man respectfully before letting them out of the room.

“So, the only damage control we’re doing is with Sora,” muttered Hyun Soo, clearly calming down quite a bit, causing Younghun to smile and visibly relax as well, “This isn’t as bad as we thought…”

“I-I didn’t think that it would be bad, I figured that the company wouldn’t have to do too much,” muttered Younghun, struggling a bit to get the words out as the muscles in his chest tightened up, bringing him to automatically rub his aching chest, “I just worried about Sora because I’m not sure how big of a blow this will be for him.”

“With the support of you five, he’ll be fine,” stated Hyun Soo, smiling towards Younghun, patting his shoulder, “You guys will take good care of him, I’m sure that you worried more than necessary yet again this time around.”

Younghun smiled weakly, forcing it onto his lips a bit as pain continued to pulse through his chest and he stated, “I’m sorry it’s a habit I’ve developed this past year…”

Hyun Soo shook his head, “Don’t take it as an insult, it’s the characteristic that has the fans calling you the father of the group.”

Younghun chuckled, smiling, “I know.”

Minhyun sat on one of the two beds within the hotel room he had been assigned to share with the rest of the 93-liners; the magnae had put their things in their room across the hall before joining him and Shin in their room. The four were gathered in the room with the intent of getting some answers out of Minhyun, who was having an internal debate on whether or not to break the news to them or wait for Younghun. He wasn’t really good with that sort of thing and he knew that Younghun had become a pro at breaking bad news to the other four without too much of a reaction from the group, Shin was pretty good at it as well, however, he had no practice at all – zip, zero…none at all.

“So, why are we here?” muttered Sora, pouting from where he sat beside Woojung on the couch in the relatively big hotel – though it wasn’t large enough to be called a suite it wasn’t small enough to be called a normal room.

“Something happened,” muttered Minhyun.

“Obviously,” muttered Woojung, “That’s pretty obvious hyung considering that we were called back early by the man who kicked us out of the dorms and we arrived home to see an angry Jong Suk – which rarely happens.”

“Not to mention Younghun is home when he should be in Busan,” stated Xue, “taking into consideration Jongsuk was the one who was supposed to be taking him down there and he’s back.”

“I heard that the shoot was canceled due to some severe weather hitting Busan and it being an outdoor shoot,” stated Shin, “So, either way, he’d be home Ha Joon-ah, so your reason is only partically true.”

Xue rolled his eyes, “Well, sorry I didn’t know that hyung.”

“Anyhow, back on track,” muttered Sora, “What is going on?”

They all jumped as there was a chime from the lock of the door as it flicked unlocked automatically – showing the signs of a key card having entered the hole in the knob. They all smiled as Younghun entered, but frowned when they realized the obviously worsening state of their eldest hyung as he stumbled into the room, dropping his suit case by Minhyun’s and collapsing onto the bed that Minhyun sat on alone. They all watched as the leader carried on laying on his stomach and looked at the other four who were wearing mixed expressions, they were both concerned and confused.

“I take it that Minhyun hasn’t told you yet?” muttered Younghun; the other four winced at the raspiness of the leader’s voice that was hardly there anymore. They all nodded.

“What the heck is going on?” questioned Sora.

Younghun sighed and handed the magazine to Shin, “Read it and tell the others since Minhyun is incompetent…”

Silence fell over the magnae-line as they looked at Shin in expectation as the elder read the article, Younghun on the other hand stood up and slipped out of his jeans and into a pair of sweat pants before grabbing a handful of tissues and coughing into them rather violently – causing the attention of all the members save for Shin to turn his way.

“I’m fine,” choked out Younghun before falling back into his coughing fit.

“I call bull on that,” stated Xue, causing the leader to look at him in disapproval due to his choice of words, Minhyun looked at the magnae and shook his head while the other two just laughed, “What, it’s true?”

Younghun rolled his eyes and tossed the tissues away in a bin he had placed beside his side of the bed, figuring that Minhyun would be sharing with him. The bin had original sat beside the counter that held a coffee pot and a couple of Styrofoam cups but it was now being used as his personal trash bin. After the coughing fit subsided, Younghun crawled under the warm comforter of the bed and rested on his back, his head against the plush pillow as he messaged his aching chest. It had felt like the muscle in his chest had tightened significantly and he hadn’t felt anything like that since he was younger – since before he even came to Seoul.

“Seriously you guys, it’s nothing too big,” whispered Younghun, “With some rest, I’ll be fine.”

“He’s going to the hospital the day after tomorrow,” stated Minhyun, “If he doesn’t show signs of improving that is.”

Younghun rolled his eyes and looked at Shin as the second oldest looked at him in shock, his hands clenched into fists so tightly that his knuckles had turned white, “Are you kidding me?”

“Not at all,” stated Younghun and Minhyun in unison, earning an odd glance from Xue and the WooRa couple.

Shin – grasping the fact that the leader had made him read the articles so that he could speak to the WooRa couple in his stead, the leader’s voice obviously not going to last too much longer with all the talking the man had done that day – had grimly retold everything he had just read to the magnae-line.

“Wh-what are we going to do?” questioned Sora in slight panic, “W-we can’t…I-I…”

“We’re not going to do anything,” rasped Younghun, earning more concerned looks as he took a sharp intake of air, “The company president said that the best way and fastest way to make this disappear is by not showing any reaction to it – to make the public believed that this is just a rumor, not the truth to us…plus, the company also is looking for a new apartment for the six of us as we speak.”

“So, all we’re going to do for a while is live in this hotel?” muttered Xue.

Younghun nodded, “We’re going to lay low until this ‘rumor’ fades from memory, you all are going to carry on training – starting the day after the day after tomorrow.”

“So in three days?” inquired Woojung.

Younghun nodded, moving one of his hands to message an throbbing temple, lightly coughing as he stated, “We’re going to lay low as ordered by the company president and act natural when we’re out and about…and we’re also going to use this time to help Sora return to the person he was before all the comments from the antis appeared…we’ve been ordered by the company to take care of Sora and bring back his old, happy self.”

Sora looked at the leader in thanks, he was thankful that despite the condition the leader was in he was still taking care of him and the others – still worrying about them. Sora was touched as he looked at the other four and saw the smiles on their faces, not one looked burdened – not even Younghun.

Minhyun smirked and leaned over to whisper in Younghun’s ear, happily whispering, “I told you there was nothing to worry about…that we’d be able to come over this if we came together as a team – as the team Spectrum is supposed to be.”

Younghun smiled and whispered, “You were right…but still, I couldn’t help but to worry for my charges.”

Minhyun rolled his eyes and muttered, “Just shut up and go to sleep. We’re not your charges; rather we should be your friends, or your group mates.”

“Gladly,” muttered Younghun ignoring the rest of what Minhyun said, closing his eyes and letting his hands fall down to his chest again, both of them messaging them – their movement slowly fading until they fell limp in a sign to show that he was fully asleep.

“So, there is really nothing?” muttered Sora in shock, “After that article, there is really nothing that we’re going to do…nothing that’s going to happen to us?”

“Pretty much,” stated Minhyun, smiling, “We’re just going to act natural – like the rumor didn’t deserve attention from us since it isn’t true – since it’s just a rumor and eventually, others will begin to believe it is just a rumor and eventually the rumor will completely fade from everyone’s memories as another rumor begins circulating around some bigger band – some group that is more popular than us.”

Sora hummed in understanding, smiling slightly, “That’s good.”

“I’m glad we’re not causing any more problems for the group,” muttered Woojung.

Sora nodded happily, “I didn’t want to burden any of you anymore after all you’ve done for me. Really, though I’m in the process of getting better still, I’m still really thankful for all you guys have done for me.”

The other Spectrum members smiled in agreement.

“Anyway,” muttered Minhyun, looking at the time and the fact the leader seemed to be waking up again, “It’s been a long day, let’s talk more tomorrow morning, okay? When our leader is actually awake and when Shin isn’t trying to fight off sleep.”

The other members nodded and headed towards their room while Shin settled down into his bed gleefully and Minhyun slipped into the bed beside Younghun, chuckling quietly as the older automatically shifted onto his side and pressed against Minhyun a bit – as if he was seeking that extra warm. As the leader pressed against Minhyun’s side his arm s around the younger’s waist.

Minhyun sighed but muttered, “I’ll let you cuddle this one time but I will make your life living hell if you get me sick…you weirdo.”

Shin laughed, hearing Minhyun’s words, earning a glare from the younger male. Upon receiving the glare the older rolled onto his back stating, “Goodnight!”

Minhyun rolled his eyes but as soon as he heard Shin’s even breaths joining the leader’s breaths, he rolled onto his side to face the leader and happily buried his face into his chest. Sure they slept in the same room as each other but never once shared a bed in the dorms, never once did they lay like that – at least he wouldn’t admit that they’ve done something like this before. However, the elder’s warmth was slowly becoming addicting and he was tempted to admit he did like it better than he let on.

The following morning, Minhyun was woken to gleeful laughter and the shutter of a camera. The laughter became stifled before completely dying out as his brows furrowed together and he slowly left the deep depths of slumber – despite how much his body and mind was begging him not to. He nearly fell back asleep before a high-pitched girlish giggle slipped from Sora – who had obviously failed at with holding his laughter in.

“They are not living this down,” stated Woojung, chuckling as a smirk played on his lips, a smirk that came into place from seeing the two 93-liner’s couple-like position on the bed.

“I’m gonna kill you for waking me up, Woojung,” muttered Minhyun, keeping his eyes shut and praying that the younger would leave and just let him continue sleeping. His eyebrows furrowed even more when he realized that his voice was muffled but his pillow – which happened to relatively firm…and moving. The constant thrum of what sounded like a heartbeat nearly lured him back to sleep, but again Sora and Woojung snapped him back away by laughing.

Minhyun growled as he forced his eyes open and glared at Woojung and Sora through heavy eyelids, anger obviously radiating off of him from being woken up. He sat up and moved to stand – to go after the two idiots, but was held back by something tightening around his waist, upon looking down and finding the oldest’s arm wrapped around him pink dusted across his cheeks from embarrassment.

As he peered at the still slumbering Younghun, the realization finally dawned on him, the duo were so hyper because they had walked into the room to see him with his face buried in Younghun’s chest. This would explain why Minhyun had smelled a mixture of musk, mint, and a faint tint of some over-priced but alluring cologne that he still had yet to put a name to. Blinking tiredly, he stared at the leader, suddenly being hit by a realization – the reason he hadn’t realized what he was laying against when he woke up was because the leader was smaller, thinner. Rather than being muscular like he was the previous year when they first met, he was smaller – still muscular – just leaner. He had definitely lost more weight than Minhyun had predicted, internally, Minhyun was cursing himself for not realizing just how much the leader had lost before he realized it.

Minhyun, ignoring the comments made by Woojung and Sora as well as their snickering, turned to look at Shin who sat on the other bed in the room with a half asleep Ha Joon curled up in his lap. Minhyun raised an eye brow but was too tired to really care for this position.

“Has Younghun woken up at all today? Even to simply go to the bathroom?”

Shin shook his head and his expression turned sour, “He hasn’t moved, even when Sora and Woojung came barging all nosily – he didn’t move.”

“That’s…” stated Minhyun, his sentence trailing off as worries arose in his mind about the older male, though he’d never admit it – he was really worried about him.

“Odd,” finished Shin, “I know, he’s usually up before me or a little after I wake up but today he’s…”

“He’s the last to get up,” muttered Minhyun, “He’s probably a lot sicker than we think he is.”

“Well, he has won an award for his acting,” stated Sora, “So, he probably is really good at what he gets paid to do.”

Minhyun scowled, not liking the fact the younger added more onto his worries. Minhyun’s gaze turned towards Younghun and pressed his wrist against the older male’s forehead, frowning as he felt the fevered, sweaty skin.

“Not lovers my …” muttered Woojung, louder than intended, however, Minhyun ignored him as he continued to stare at his not-lover, watching the rise and fall of the leader’s chest, his eyes landing on the leader’s abnormally tensed neck.

“What do you think is wrong with hyung? Is this because of stress?” questioned Sora in worry, stumbling over his words a bit.

“Not everything is your fault, Sora,” stated Minhyun, peering at the younger and smirking – hiding just how worried he was about the older male, “You give yourself too much credit. This is partically from the many fights we’ve had recently.”

“Why do you think this is because of you?” questioned Woojung, raising an eyebrow.

“I’ve kept him up quite often because he’s an idiot that is determined to get himself killed by working too much,” muttered Minhyun.

Shin then piped up, “Trust me when I say, Minhyun is probably the reason he’s reached this condition, not you.”

Sora relaxed a bit and Woojung smiled at the two 93-liner’s efforts to cheer Sora up and keep him feeling guilty – since the male had no reason to feel such an emotion. Woojung took a minute to appreciate Minhyun’s actions to help the younger – though he knew both Shin and Minhyun were as worried as they were, as clueless about the leader’s condition as they were.

The five jumped in shock as they heard Younghun cough violently, so harshly that he ended up waking himself up and turned a bit red in the face. Sitting up, Younghun closed his eyes tightly, well, more like kept them closed – oblivious to the worried stares being sent his way – as one of his hands covered his mouth as he yet again went into a coughing fit and the other grasped a hold of the fabric of his shirt that laid over the part of his chest that was hurting. When the violent coughing fits finally subsided, Younghun groggily opened his eyes and finally met the worried stares from the other five Spectrum members.

“Are you alright hyung?” questioned Sora, the worry in his voice made the still groggy Xue look up from where he had previously buried his face in Shin’s shoulder,  the magnae sensed how serious the atmosphere was. The magnae sensed just how bad their leader’s condition was as his eyes zeroed in on the older’s hand that lay over his own chest.

Younghun shook his head before falling into another powerful coughing fit, gasping out between his coughs, “Get Hyun Soo-hyung…”

Sora froze as the oldest’s face scrunched up in pain and he seemed to gasp for air between the deep chested coughs.

“Sora, go!” called Minhyun in worry as he moved closer to his not-lover.

Sora nodded and ran out of the room, Woojung following close on his heel to aid him in finding the wondering managers. Minhyun grabbed Younghun’s shoulder as the male trembled, obviously having difficulties breathing between his coughs. Minhyun wiped the sweat from Younghun’s pale face and stared at Younghun’s lips in shock as the coughing fit sub-sided again for a second time and Younghun’s hand was brought away from his lips.

“Younghun?”

The elder didn’t seem to hear Minhyun as he tensed up, hoarsely whispering, “Damn it…”

“Younghun?” muttered Minhyun in shock, his eyes glued to the leader’s bluing lips as Shin held the magnae close, feeling the magnae’s fear himself – all three were a bit panicked, unsure of what was going on.

“Get into my duffle bag,” muttered Younghun, closing his eyes and trying hard to breath in and out normally, “It’s in the left side pocket…”

“The left one?”

Younghun nodded.

“You don’t put anything in…”

“There is something in there,” muttered Younghun, Minhyun nodded and moved towards the elder’s bag, quickly getting into the pocket and seeing the emergency inhaler of some sort. Younghun reached for it and tore it from Minhyun’s hands with his own trembling ones. Minhyun and Shin watched in shock – neither had known about the inhaler, neither were aware of the elder’s problem.

Minhyun and Shin held their breath as they watched Younghun struggle to breath for a few more minutes before his wheezing finally stopped. The leader coughed again, however, it wasn’t as near as violent as before.

“Younghun?” muttered the managers, bursting into the room to see the pale Younghun and the worried Shin, Minhyun, and Xue.

“Hospital,” muttered Younghun.

Without questioning him, Hyun Soo moved towards Younghun, helping the male off the bed and helping him stay balanced on his feet as they moved to the elevator and later to the car – the other six following them in silence and worry. As they reached the parking lot, Hyun Soo threw the keys to Jong Suk and told him to drive.

As they climbed into the car, Younghun rested his head back against the seat muttering, “It was an asthma attack before…”

The others looked at him in confusion while Hyun Soo and Jong Suk seemed unbothered by the news and information.

“I had asthma as a kid,” muttered Younghun, “I thought I out grew it since I haven’t had an asthma attack since I was thirteen…”

“Well, it’s a good thing you still carry around an inhaler,” muttered Minhyun, glowering slightly – not liking the news.

Younghun chuckled drily muttering, “The attack was triggered by something and I think I know by what…”

The other five looked at him in curiosity.

“You think it’s from the bronchitis?” muttered Hyunsoo.

Younghun shook his head, “It’s not bronchitis anymore.”

“Pneumonia?” muttered Hyunsoo in shock.

Younghun nodded, “It took a while to realize it, but I’m pretty sure that it’s evolved yet again.”

Hyunsoo sighed and muttered, “This is why Jongsuk and I forced you go to the hospital the past three times.”

“And this is the reason I should’ve listened…I know,” muttered Younghun, inhaling sharply suddenly and letting out a hiss before ridding his expression of pain and putting the blank on back on.

“You guys took him to the hospital?” muttered Minhyun in shock.

However, Minhyun didn’t get an answer from Hyun Soo since as soon as the vehicle stopped at the ER area, the elder male was helping Younghun out and to the ER area while Jong Suk drove around the parking lot to find a space to park. Upon finding one he and the five other Spectrum members got out of the car as well.

Shin, Xue, Woojung, and Sora lead the group to the hospital while Jongsuk and Minhyun trailed a little behind the four.

“To answer your question Minhyun,” muttered Jong Suk, “He’s gone back to the hospital three times after Sora’s dropping out of promotions. The first was for a minor cold, then it was for an upper respiratory infection, and then it was bronchitis – it just getting progressively worse and the anti-biotics they gave him did nothing for him. He had a cold during promotions.”

“I remember him always seeming congested,” muttered Minhyun.

“Well, by the time Sora and Woojung dropped from promotions, it was a upper respiratory infection and a little later, it turned into bronchitis and he seemed to be getting better – he was looking healthier. Hyun Soo and I were idiots, because we didn’t catch onto his acting and force him back into the hospital after the symptoms didn’t get better…when his nasty cough started getting worse rather than better.”

Minhyun nodded in understanding, his anger rising even more towards his not-lover, “Hyung, you’re not the idiot, Younghun is.”

Jongsuk sighed, “We should’ve realized that he as lying to us but he’s an actor.”

Minhyun nodded, “It’s in his damn blood. I’m going to let him get better then I’ll kill that idiot.”

This is probably the longest chapter I've posted in a while, I hope you all are still enjoying it despite how hectic the chapters have been recently.

So, I intended to post this the twenty-eighth after I got settled into my hotel, but me being the idiot I am forgot my laptop's charger and hadn't charged it before packing it up, so it died as soon as I turned it on.

Oh, to add on to how amazing I am (clumsy, that is), I broke one of my toes during said vacation and stubbed two others and have no clue as to how exactly it happened. Luckily, I did it on my final night at my vacation location, so it didn't affect me too much. However, it made my fifteen hour drive home miserable since one of my sisters kept accidently either stepping on my toe or I'd hit it off something. Don't worry though, I'm home now and taking care of it.

Anyhow, I hoped you all enjoyed the chapter (as drama filled as it is). ^^