JR froze. He didn’t know what to do or how to respond, so he just stood there blankly. He could even feel happy about it for a second. On the contrary, Jason’s acceptance brought him down. How was he supposed to become Jason’s boyfriend if he was considering ruining the boy's life at the moment?

When JR froze and wouldn't move or speak, the manager acted and took the phone from JR’s hand and hung up in Jason’s face. There was somewhat of a disgusted cringe on the manager’s face, “you too?” he asked, “anyways, now that he’s your goddamn gay lover and , have with him and you could easily accuse him of ual assault and people would believe you. Perfect plot twist,” he said with a smirk.

JR shook his head, “No.”

“You’re too benevolent,” the manager said, shaking his head, “just do it, it’ll make you popular and . The media tends to romanticize the victims, so if you do it, people will love you. It’ll give NU’EST attention. They’ll all be like ‘poor JR, ually assaulted by a monster. It’s okay baby I’ll buy your albums.’ And then BAM, album sales by the millions.”

JR shook his head.

“Fine then, I’ll just casually sell the videos on allkpop for a good deal of money, and Korea will shun you, and NU’EST would be destroyed and will have to disband and your four friends especially would get reprimanded by their parents, disowned maybe. It would be all your fault. You’re either choosing to destroy the life of one person or four people, the four people which happen to be your best friends and the one person which you met like three months ago.”

“I hate you,” JR said with a sniffle.

“So will you do it?” the manager grinned.

JR nodded.

“Great then,” the manager said clapping his hands together in triumph. “Next week you have the interview in Yin Xiwei right? It’s live and many people would be watching it. It’s a perfect opportunity.”

JR nodded again.

“Don’t cry sweetheart,” the manager said, reaching out to JR’s face and wiping away the tears that were still falling, “it’ll be okay. You’ll be okay.”

JR hit the manager’s hand away.

“If you tell anyone about this little deal, I will release the videos, got it?”

“I hate you,” JR muttered again as he wiped his eyes.

“I don’t mind,” the manager said with a shrug and smirk. “Later, Jonghyun,” the manager said before turning around and retreating, leaving JR with the biggest burden he had ever carried his entire life.

JR walked back to the photo-shoot site in despair. He didn't care that he was very clearly crying.

When Jason spotted JR, he smiled and rushed over to him, putting his arms around the leader in their first supposedly romantic encounter.

“I’ll take care of you well, little brother,” Jason whispered to JR.

JR didn’t return the hug; he didn’t feel worthy enough. He felt so at fault for what he was going to do to Jason.

“Why are you still crying?” Jason asked when he pulled away. He took JR’s chin and wiped JR’s eyes with his soft fingers, caressing JR’s face in the process.

“Hyung,” JR said with a sniffle, “I don’t want to do this…” he moved Jason’s hands away from his face.

“Do what?” Jason asked curiously.

“I don’t want be your boyfriend,” JR responded.

“Is something wrong, JR?” Jason asked, beginning to notice that distress in JR’s voice.

“Everything’s fine,” JR lied.

“Bull. Tell me what’s troubling you.”

“Hyung, I’m sorry. I’m very sorry,” JR apologized in advance for what he was going to do.

“For what?”

“Just remember that I’m sorry, okay?”

Jason narrowed his eyes and just as he was about to open his mouth to respond, one of the make-up artists came in between them.

“Jonghyun! What have you done with your eyes? Aigoo,” the make-up artist said as she took his wrist and dragged him away. JR was thankful for the interruption. He didn’t want to be interrogated by Jason at the moment.

The make-up artists spent a good deal of time to try to hide the result of his crying, giving him extra eyeliner and covering his face with a load of make-up around his eyes. It was clearly overdone, but it made him look as if he hadn’t been crying. The photoshoot commenced, in which JR was forced to smile, to act, put his arms around Jason. Jason tried to talk to JR, but in the middle of a photo-shoot, one really did not have much of an opportunity.

After the photo-shoot ended, JR tried his best to avoid Jason, but Jason cornered him.

“Tell me, JR. What were you apologizing about?”

“I can’t tell you hyung,” JR responded.

“Whatever it is, I forgive you,” Jason responded gently, taking JR’s hands and intertwining their fingers.

“You shouldn’t just forgive me without knowing what it is I’m going to do.”

“And you shouldn’t apologize without telling me what you’re apologizing for.”

JR was silenced by the response. He removed his hand from Jason’s fingers. He didn’t deserve the affection.

“Tell me, JR!” Jason insisted, sounding firmer this time.

JR turned his head as to not look at Jason, wanting to show Jason that he would prefer to be left alone, but Jason did not listen. Jason took JR’s chin in his hand and turned his head.

“Tell me!” Jason said demandingly, in a way that actually frightened JR. There was a look of anger in Jason’s eyes; Jason had never looked angry before this. He never looked so serious and, so firmly relentless. It scared JR a little, making him gulp and start to shudder.

Minhyun happened to be walking by at that moment. He saw as Jason’s hands held onto JR’s chin firmly, as JR was cornered against the wall. He saw that Jason looked uncharacteristically angry, and the JR looked shaken and frightened. For the first time ever, Minhyun felt that he needed to defend JR from Jason.

“Jason-hyung,” Minhyun said, “what are you doing to him?”

Jason let go JR’s chin, but he still looked angry.

“JR is driving me crazy,” Jason said to Minhyun, “something is wrong with him, and he’s not telling me what! He never says anything! He suffers on his own and never lets anyone help him. Minhyun, I’m sorry, but I’m annoyed by him!” Jason turned to look at JR, “I’m so angry with you little brother,” he repeated, but the ardor in his eyes was replaced with compassion.

“Would you leave me and JR alone, hyung?” Minhyun asked Jason and Jason retreated without another word, closing the door behind him.

JR felt like crying there and then. He had just disappointed the person he liked. He had just angered the ever so tranquil Jason. He gulped in the tears though. He didn’t want to cry with his full make-up on.

Minhyun didn’t press him.  Minhyun was good with situations like these in that he isn’t forceful or daunting. He sat down beside JR on the floor and waited for JR to feel comfrotable enought to say anything.

After a long silence, JR finally spoke, “I’m okay now. You don’t have to stay with me, Minhyun-ah.”

“I don’t think you’re okay,” Minhyun said softly. “I know you like to keep things inside and bottle up your feelings, but please don’t lie to me and tell me you’re okay when you’re obviously not.”

After a silence, JR looked towards Minhyun and said, “I’m not okay.”

“That’s one step forward,” Minhyun said with a soft smile. “Ever since last night when you were with Jason, something seemed off about you.”

“I know,” JR responded.

“What happened?”

“Nothing.”

“Did Jason do anything to you?”

“No.”

“Did he upset you?”

“No.”

“Do you want to tell me?”

“No.”

“I see,” Minhyun said. A long silence ensued between them, but it wasn’t awkward or anything. It was comfortable for JR, just having Minhyun there without pressing him for answers.

“Minhyun?” JR said after minutes of silence.

“Hmm?”

“What would you do if you were threatened to hurt someone by lying?”

The question triggered a spark of curiosity in Minhyun’s eyes, but he refrained from asking why JR would ask that, knowing that it would cause JR to stop opening up. Minhyun just answered JR’s question: “I wouldn’t lie and hurt anyone.”

“What if you were forced?”

“It depends on how you’re being forced,” Minhyun responded, still dying to know what JR was talking about.

“Blackmail.”

“I see,” Minhyun said with a nod, “well, blackmail implies that the person who is threatening you has information about you that is true, right?”

“Yes.”

“I still wouldn’t lie to hurt someone else. I think it’s better that the truth be revealed about you than a lie be revealed about someone else.”

“What if the truth hurts more people though? And the lie only hurts one?”

“I would rather hurt a thousand people with the truth, than unjustly hurt one person with a lie.”

JR nodded thoughtfully, taking into consideration Minhyun’s words of wisdom. Minhyun was right; he shouldn’t lie about Jason. And he wouldn’t. He sighed as he considered the alternative… the revelation of the videos. Those videos were the truth. When they are released, it would only reveal truth about Minhyun, Aron, Baekho and Ren. It might hurt them, and NU’EST, but it was the truth.

“You’re right,” JR said with a shrug. “Thank you mommy Minhyun,” JR said with a slight smile. He felt a bit relieved to come to the decision not to hurt Jason. He felt less burdened, but still he hated that he couldn’t avoid it.

“Do you want to tell me what this is all about now?” Minhyun asked.

There was no harm in telling Minhyun now. “Someone is threatening to reveal videos of you and Aron kissing. And Baekho and Ren as well,” JR said.

Minhyun’s eyes widened, and his mouth fell into a slight gape. “Jason?” he asked.

“No. No, of course not.”

Minhyun narrowed his eyes. “Jason was the only person you met since you left us last night, and you were only distressed since then obviously. And he’s one of the very few who know that about the couples. And just now I see Jason looking at you with this intense fire in his eyes. It’s obviously him, JR! Who in the world is he asking you to lie about?”

“Minhyun, you have it all wrong,” JR responded calmly, “Jason’s the one I was asked to lie about. It was our old manager that threatened me.”

“Oh,” Minhyun said.

“He wants revenge on Jason, because Jason got him fired. The evil man asked me, when we go to that interview next week, to say that Jason ually abused me.”

“I see,” Minhyun responded, strangely calm despite everything that was revealed to him. There was a long silence, and it was Minhyun’s turn to contemplate. Minhyun looked shaken, nervous. JR knew that it was his turn to comfort Minhyun, just like Minhyun had done to him many times before.

JR put his arms around the taller boy and squeezed him.

“I still haven’t told my parents,” Minhyun said sadly, “I guess I have to by next week before they see it in the tabloids.”

“I’m so sorry, Minhyunnie. I’m a terrible leader, letting this happen to you and to NU’EST. I’m so sorry.”

“No, don’t be,” Minhyun responded, “it was bound to happen sooner or later anyways. And it’s not your fault. It’s the manager’s fault. That man should be arrested for life.”

JR nodded in agreement.

“Look at the bright side,” Minhyun said, “the fans will be very happy.”

JR chuckled, “they will be.”

“And,” Minhyun continued, “it might not be all that bad. Jonghyun from SHINee actually got a lot of popularity after saying he supported LGBT rights. Maybe this might do the same for us? We weren’t doing anything wrong. Some people might not like it, but many people will.”

JR nodded.

Just then, Aron, Baekho and Ren entered the room.

“What are you two up to?” Aron asked, sitting down beside Minhyun and wrapping his arms around his chest.

Minhyun looked to JR for permission to reveal everything to them, and JR just nodded. As Minhyun began, JR went to find Jason.

He found him in the bathroom, removing his photo-shoot makeup.

“Hi,” JR said to Jason.

Jason looked up at JR blankly.

“I’m sorry for hiding things from you.”

“I’m sorry for being so angry at you back there little brother,” Jason responded.

“You have every right to be angry, hyung,” JR said before taking a deep breath and then holding Jason’s hand.

Jason glanced at their intertwined fingers and then back up at JR.

“I met the manager again,” JR finally admitted, “when I went to take a walk. He wanted to blackmail me into ruining your career. But, I won’t do it.”

“That… that man is evil,” Jason said with a wince. “What was he blackmailing you with?” Jason asked irritably.

“You’ll see,” JR responded, “but meanwhile, would you please be my boyfriend?”

Although Jason was extremely cross with what JR had just revealed, he was softened by JR’s question. His frown eased into a smile, and he squeezed JR’s hand in reassurance.

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A/N: I'm sorry I was late in updating, and I'm sorry if that was corny! I was stuck for a long time as to how I should resolve this haha.

idk there might be one or two more chapters left. Thank you for all the support guys!