Part II

Vanishing Act

Chapter VII

Nothing's Over.

Dongwoo ran away... from his heart. He hadn’t had the courage to truly escape, yet... But he knows that it was impossible to leave his loved ones like that.

But he already left them.

Dongwoo was the type of person, who typically, liked to forget someone who gave him heartbreak rather than forgive them, but unfortunately for him, Lee Howon was an exception. Lee Howon always seemed to be an exception for Jang Dongwoo.

Jang Dongwoo likes females, but Lee Howon was an exception.

Jang Dongwoo doesn’t like attachment, but Lee Howon was an exception.

Jang Dongwoo likes to run away from his problems, but Lee Howon was an exception.

Jang Dongwoo doesn’t like to fall in love. Lee Howon was another freaking exception.

Dongwoo didn’t want to forget him; he didn’t want to leave behind the man he loves. He didn’t want to abandon his friendship, his bond, his heart.

But that was just the type of person Dongwoo was, he could tell them what to do. He could help the others fix their problems, solve their lives and equations but he’s a mess once it comes to his own troubles.

Dongwoo knows better though, Dongwoo knows that he’s not actually forgotten, knows that he is loved by his family, by his fans and by his sunbae’s and hoobae’s and Dongsaengs, he knows that s truly do love him.

He knows that people look up to him as a role-model; he knows that people adore him as an idol but it’s not the same. He appreciates it, he truly does, he loves seeing the smiling faces of people who remember him, people who say hi and speak words of adoration, he feels gracious towards his proud family, who congratulate him on his win every time and by the people who have helped him become an idol.

But—it—this, he just didn’t know a thing, he didn’t know what to do, he hardly knew the situation he was in himself, but he also felt... unsure, insecure about how much his friends loved him.

He knows that they truly, truly cared for his well being and everything but he didn’t know.

Just—he... he didn’t know how to explain it. It’s like he tried to tell himself that they cared, but deep down he wasn’t really sure.

Of course they would care if he had left, but he didn’t want that. He wanted them to notice them before, before everything goes downhill.

He just wanted somebody, like Myungsoo had Sungyeol, Hoya and Sungjong and Woohyun and Sunggyu, he just wanted somebody who would notice immediately that he was gone, someone who could read him like a book—he just wanted someone to say ‘I think I fell in love’ when they look into his eyes and then just after Dongwoo’s heart skips a beat continue ‘with you.’

He just wanted someone to whisper, ‘I’m here’ and hold him tightly.

This went all wrong, Hoya—Hoya used to be his. Hoya was meant to be his. He wasn’t forcing Hoya to love him, not at all, but every person that loves someone wants said person to love them back, right?

It’s just human nature.

Just like it is in human nature to lie and keep secrets, dark secrets that could ruin people and their happiness.

This is where it all went downhill

He doesn’t blame it on Sungjong, he’s just sad.

Pfft. Who’s he kidding, he loves Sungjong but he blames it all on the poor boy.

Why couldn’t Sungjong just stay away! He had Myungsoo! Why did he have to run to Hoya!

, who’s Dongwoo kidding.

He blames it on every ing member of INFINITE.

Dongwoo ing hates them all—but he knows he doesn’t! It’s just—ugh! Why couldn’t they have waited for him! They’re a group of people not ing couples!

Just because they have their own ‘other half’ does not ing mean that Dongwoo had to be a ing left over in INFINITE!

It just wasn’t fair. They all shoved it in his face, they all shoved their love and happiness in his face, in his soul.

Yeah sure, their love isn’t perfect, or anywhere near that for the matter.

Sunggyu doesn’t actually remember the past Woohyun.

Sungjong is in love with Myungsoo.

Hoya is in love with Sungjong.

Sungyeol is in love with Myungsoo too.

And Myungsoo... no one even knows what goes on in his head.

But still!

Sunggyu still loves Woohyun, Sungjong is still with Hoya and Myungsoo at least shows more affection to Sungyeol than to the rest of them.

They’re all together.

A broken sort of together, but Dongwoo knows that every single one of them is glass.

All they did was heat themselves and mould each other to fit.

They all repaired themselves into deformed shapes whilst Dongwoo just watched. Silently, a blurred shadow on the wall as they all moved on.

But he was on the wall, remember.

They couldn’t just pick him up. They all moved, another home, another place, and he was stuck in the place they used to be stuck together.

A knock on the door interrupted his brooding thoughts and a tall boy entered his dim-lit room. “Hey Hyung,” he heard Sungyeol whisper as if he was afraid that the air was glass, as if he was afraid to break the glass.

“Hey,” yet Dongwoo himself couldn’t help but fear breaking the glass too, “hey, Yeollie.”

And yet in exactly 7.24 seconds the air broke.

“Hyung!” The loud voice whispered and it wasn’t this loud whisper that broke the silence, more along the lines of the meaning, the end of the sentence, because what he said wasn’t ‘Hyung!’ it was ‘Hyung...’

But even that wasn’t what fully shattered the fragility. It was the sob that followed. A heart wrecking sob that despite every single sentence that had been said about everybody realising that Infinite had broken, nobody had really wanted to see it. They just said they knew it was there and pretended that it wasn’t.

Until Sungyeol came in.

And everything was so much clearer, yet there was still that red broken glass stuck in their eyes that let them see nothing but misery.

There they cried, because what Sungyeol said wasn’t ‘Hyung...’ it was ‘Hyung. It’s over.’

So in 7.24 seconds the glass broke and it never repaired.

But that wasn’t why he was crying. It wasn’t the fact that Infinite was broken, nor was it the fact that it was over and they’ll have to carry on one day or be stuck here forever, nor was it the fact that he may have to leave things behind instead of being left behind or the fact that he was still hopelessly in love, no, it wasn’t any of these.

It was the fact that Sungyeol didn’t melt,

It was the fact that Sungyeol didn’t reform.

It was the fact that Sungyeol, dear Sungyeol, was left behind too.

It was the fact that Sungyeol wasn’t glass.

“Hyung, it’s over.” Three words were all it took for Dongwoo to realise that he was all alone... with somebody.

No matter how many times it was said that Infinite was broken, no matter how many times it was repeated or how repetitive it got, it was finally realised.

And Dongwoo thought as he hugged a sobbing boy that lied on his shoulder.

He thought about Infinite, he thought about Sungyeol who blubbered, Sungjong who smiled, Hoya who dreamed, Sunggyu who loved, Woohyun who fussed and Myungsoo who stared at nothing.

He knew he couldn’t just up and leave them, not now especially.

But he has to end this. Something has to end.

Yet Dongwoo had this weird distinct feeling that he shouldn’t give up and leave.

Not because he should continue to pursue Hoya or because giving up is the wrong decision, but because something bad was going to happen and for some reason he knew he had to be there because this was his family.

“Nothing’s Over.” A small whisper sang as it soothed the crying tears away.

A/N: Sorry for the late update, I really mean sorry. I've been seriously doubting this story and I've only just figured out this story! I hope you continue reading and huge thanks for the support!