“So, what were the articles about?” inquired Sora, sipping on the smoothie that Hyun Soo had bought him and the other members, “Who were they about?”

“Well, one is about Younghun and the other about Shin,” muttered Hyunsoo, “Though both were pretty bad, I say that Younghun’s will probably more damaging.”

“What does that mean?” questioned Xue, tilting his head as he looked towards the managers.

“That means that Younghun’s article will affect him more than Shin’s article will affect Shin,” stated Hyunsoo in an attempt to explain it. The man then looked directly at Shin, his frown apparent as he stated, “Your article is entitled as ‘Spectrum’s Nam Moo Shin rumored to be high school delinquent’ and goes on and on about a fight you had when you were probably about fifteen/sixteen years old. It gives all the dirty details they could gather from your previous classmates and your high school.”

“Most of the stories were probably rumors, but there is some truth to it,” muttered Shin as hyun Soo continued to stare at him, clearly waiting on an explanation, “I did get into a fight when I was fifteen/sixteen years old, but it was only a single fight because I lost my temper with someone.”

Hyun Soo raised an eye brow, “Why did you fight, Shin?”  

“Well, it was during a soccer game,” muttered Shin, clearly not enjoying speaking about the subject.

“Why?” repeated Hyun Soo, “Not when.”

Shin hesitated, really not wanting to speak about it – about his father; it was something he had never really talked to the other members about before. It was a past he would much rather want to forget.

“Shin,” growled Hyun Soo, his patience wearing thin, he was pressured to get answers quickly by the president on top of all the chaos going on, “I ned to tell the president everything when he calls back and in order to do that I need you to tell me about what happened.”

“It was after my father passed away, after a soccer game,” mumbled Shin, “Someone – a player on the opposing team started bad mouthing him…and I just lost control over myself…”

The other four looked at Shin in shock, not able to imagine Shin actually attacking someone physically first. To the four, Shin was like a gentle giant who, despite being bin on training MMA, would never really think to hurt another human outside of the ring or practice area. Shin was not nearly as hot headed as Younghun – who they saw as someone who’d strike first and ask questions later, and they all believed that Shin would only strike out in self-defense as he had against Woojung’s past enemies.

Hyunsoo examined the other four Spectrum member’s shocked expressions and muttered, “You all didn’t know about this?”

The four nodded, looking down a bit guiltily, as yet again the fact they didn’t know each other as well as they thought they did was brought up.

Sora whispered, “We had no clue.”

Xue nodded, “We never really talked to in depth about this sort of stuff from our past.”

“Except for during the time we were dealing with my past enemies,” retorted Woojung, adding in a comment that he had hoped would calm the man before him, but rather worried him more, “but even then we didn’t really talk about it.”

Hyun Soo sighed, hiding his face in his hands, thinking about the chaos that had been following the males of Spectrum, “I’m going to have to inform the president of this as well…both Shin’s past and the fact that you all are still keeping secrets from each other.”

The five looked at Hyun Soo in a bit of shock, and Minhyun couldn’t help but to growl, “Why can’t we keep our own secrets?”

“Because so far they’ve done nothing but hurt one or more of your group members,” responded an exasperated Hyun Soo, running a hand through his unkempt hair, “Not to mention, with the stress of the industry on your shoulders, it may make it easier for you all to have a couple of friends amongst the group that know your secrets – all of them – and are capable of helping you get over any hardships that arise due to said secrets surfacing…”

The five hummed in understanding.

Woojung then remembered something suddenly, “How bad is Younghun’s?”

“Well, it is surely one that’ll hurt him upon reading it,” muttered Hyun Soo, “Your leader isn’t as strong as he’d like you all to think he is…this hospital visit proving so in one of many ways.”

The others nodded.

“What’s the title?” questioned Minhyun, trying hard to not seem more interested in Younghun’s article than Shin’s.

Hyun Soo shook his head, obviously not up to calling up to more drama.

“Jung Younghun – Leader due to talent or due to money?” muttered Jong Suk, frowning as he brought up the title, he looked as though the words left a horrible taste in his mouth.

Minhyun froze in shock while WooRa and ShinXue looked at Hyun Soo and Jong Suk in disbelief. They all understood why the managers were worrying about Younghun learning about the article, though the older never spoke up about it before; they knew the subject really bothered him. The five knew that their leader really hated people doubting him because of his rich background. The five were also aware of the fact that this was not the time for him to learn of the articles because the male had been doubting the decision of the company putting him as leader a lot recently, plus, this hospital visit and the disagreement they all had had probably did not help him at all.

“As you all can imagine, the article goes on and on about them speculating that Younghun pad his way into not only the company but the group as well. They also bring up the speculation of Younghun buying his leadership position as well,” muttered Hyun Soo, “They carry on to indirectly stated that he is talentless when it comes to music and that he is a very useless leader, using this very hospital visit as a fact to ‘prove’ their point. They also bring up the ‘fact’ that he’s incapable of taking care of you all and himself and stat that Shin would most likely be a better leader than Younghun. They also compare the traits they’ve seen in the two of you, the traits they believe you both to have, as well as your talents.”

“So, in other words, they are writing this article while being completely clueless about you all,” muttered Jongsuk, smiling sadly at the other five males, “They don’t know anything about what goes on behind the scenes of in the dorms…they don’t know just how good of a leader he is, because they don’t see everything that happens off camera. They don’t care for what happens off camera.”

The five nodded in understanding yet again.

The list carried on and the five slowly became more aware as to why they had been asked to keep the current articles a secret until Younghun was out of the hospital. They all felt that they should protect Younghun just this once after all he had done for them as well as knowing the stress the oldest was under – all the stress he had been under in recent weeks.

“His confidence has dropped a bit,” muttered Jong Suk, “and since what happened with Sora, as well as the articles about WooRa that were released, has put him under quite a bit of very critical and severe judgment from both the fans and the antis. Though, actually thinking about it, his confidence started to decline the most once Sora and Woojung were pulled out of promotions, before their article went out – during that time it was the fans that were criticizing Younghun for ‘not spotting it sooner’.”

“But he spotted it before it became full blown anorexia nervosa…” muttered Sora, “How could he possibly spot it any sooner than he did, plus, it was the fans’ faults as well as the anti’s for my thinking that way…”

Hyun Soo hummed, “We know that and Younghun does too. I take it that you all didn’t know of the harsh words sent the leader’s way during that time period.”

The five nodded – they had all been too busy with their own things to realize, to even bother looking.

Hyun Soo continued on, “He’s been the subject of many harsh words from antis who, like the rumor mill, claim that he bought his way into the group and that he is talentless – so on and so forth. Younghun can withstand the harsh words and he has many people backing him up and keeping him positive, however, we as that you all help us keep his stress levels at a minimum while he recovers from this visit to the hospital. There is no way of knowing just how stressed he is since he enjoys hiding it from all of us and hiding it well, so try your best to help us with this.”

The five nodded and Jongsuk then took over, “We’re keeping your all’s schedules’ empty until the director decides what to do with you all after he learns that you all are still very secretive towards each other.”

The five males hummed in understanding.

“Anyhow, stay here with Younghun until we return, okay?” stated Hyun Soo, earning a nod from the males, “We’ll call you when we’re on our way to pick you all up later, alright?”

The five nodded in confirmation and watched as Hyun Soo and Jong Suk walked out of the hospital and towards their van.

“So, now what?” questioned Xue quietly.

Sora shrugged, “We can’t really go back to hyung’s room since he kicked us out earlier.”

“But Hyun Soo-hyung left us here to go to his room to wait,” reminded Xue.

“I guess it’s time we return then, huh?” questioned Shin, ignoring the looks he received from the others, “Come on, let’s go to Younghun’s room, surely he’s asleep by now.”  

Younghun groaned in aggravation as he was pulled from the depths of sleep by a loud and all too familiar voice. As he felt the ache in his chest returning and the once dull headache turning into a full blown migraine he knew he was doomed to wake up completely, despite his body begging him to sleep more.

With an abrupt coughing fit, the last grips of sleep faded from his mind and he was all too aware of there being no chance that he could once again escape into the calm, comforting depths of slumber again soon. As another aggravated noise slipped out from between his lips, the room around him fell silent.

Just as he was about to force his still fairly heavy eye lids open, Sora spoke up softly and hesitantly, “Younghun-hyung?”

“What?” rasped out the hospitalized male, his voice making the other five wince, as he spoke Younghun noticed it was a little easier to breath now – after sleeping.

“Are you alright?” questioned Xue, “Feeling any better?”

The older male ignored the questions, forcing his eye lids open as he turned to look at the five males in the room, “Who let you guys back in?”

“The nurse,” responded Minhyun, “Why?”

“I told you guys to leave me alone,” grumbled Younghun grumpily, rolling onto his side the best he could with the IV in his hand and the mask around his nose and lips. Younghun frowned at the five who were a little stunned by his words before whining, “You guys are too noisy…”

“So you aren’t angry at us?” inquired Xue curiously and worriedly.

Younghun hummed, muttering, “Not at all, you had some truth to your words, so why would I be? Plus, I don’t have the energy to be angry at you all.”

“Then sleep,” stated Shin.

“You guys are too loud,” repeated Younghun.

“Well, you complain too much,” muttered Minhyun, appearing aggravated but honestly being worried.

“You’re too annoying,” rebutted Younghun, scowling at the youngest 93-liner.

Minhyun narrowed his eyes at the ill man lying on the bed before him, the man he would not admit he was worried for and the man he wouldn’t admit he likes – despite having done it once already.

“Correction,” muttered Younghun, staring straight at Minhyun, “It’s not that they are too loud, but you are too loud.”

Minhyun’s frown deepened.

“So, hyung,” cut in Xue, catching Younghun’s attention, “How are you feeling? Any better?”

Younghun smiled at Xue tiredly, happily rasping out, “My throat is killing me still, but my chest pain’s faded, the muscles are a bit sore still and it’s still slightly difficult to breath, but it’s slowly getting better. The muscles are just fatigued and to be honest through it’s difficult to breathe it’s still feeling easier to do to.”

The magnae smiled, feeling slightly relieved to hear that his hyung was started to feel better – even if it was for a little bit.

“How long was I asleep?” questioned Younghun curiously.

“Roughly six hours,” stated Shin.

“It feels like I’ve only been asleep for a couple of minutes,” muttered Younghun.

“Then go back to sleep,” responded Minhyun.

Younghun yawned, and despite their minor disagreement minutes ago, he fell asleep – which surprised the other five who had been expecting him to be more stubborn. However, as a nurse walked into the room to change the bags hooked to the IV in the oldest’s arm they all suddenly remembered that the doctors had him drugged up on anti-biotics and anti-inflammatory medicines, not to mention he was probably exhausted from the strain his body had went through earlier that morning.

A couple of hours later, Hyun Soo finally picked the five members up from the hospital and Jongsuk was dropped off to stay with Younghun – who had only woken up once more within the two hours. The five left knowing that he’d be better – more aware – the following day once the doctors lowered his dosage because his breathing continuously seemed to sound clearer.

As they drove towards their hotel, Hyun Soo briefed them on what was going to happen from then on – on what had been discussed during his and Jong Suk’s meeting with the company president.

“We’ve agreed to send you all on a team building trip to Jejudo – away from the press filled streets of Seoul, the trip will be two weeks long and we expect you all to have no more secrets when you come home,” muttered Hyun Soo, “We expect you all to know each other even better when you come back, to be even closer than you all are now.”

“How will you know?” inquired Minhyun.

“I have my ways,” stated Hyun Soo, “So, no more secrets, okay? This is your last chance to close the gaps between you all before the company – the president – takes action personally, alright?”

The five hummed, all hoping that their time in Jejudo would be more of a vacation than a “team building” camp, they had already been through one before and would prefer not to go through it all over again. They’d prefer to not remember the horrible camp at all.

“After the camp, you all will settle into the new dorm Jong Seok and I will have set up for you all – all your stuff in the old dorms will be in the new dorms when you come back. Once you’re settled in, you all will then start preparations for your comeback promotions, you will also begin preparations for your Japanese debut,” informed Hyun Soo, smiling widely at the five, “If this doesn’t work, you all will be going through the president’s personally over seen ‘team building’ sessions, so it’d be best if you all just do as we want you to now, in Jejudo.”

The five nodded, understanding that the threat of another hell-sent “team building” session was heading their way if they did not improve their relationships at all during their Jejudo adventure. 

Here's another chapter, I hope you all enjoy it as much as the previous! 

Anyhow, I just though I should mention that my school resumes on August 14, so the already infrequent updates may become even more infrequent.