Sleep never came to JR. Anxiety and dejection kept him up. His thoughts provoked him, and nothing he could do would help him rest. When Minhyun woke up the next morning, he was startled to see JR up, looking out the window, bags under his eyes, clearly distressed and exhausted.

“JR. Why are you up?” Minhyun asked as he climbed out of bed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

“I slept,” JR lied, not wanting to worry Minhyun. “Just wanted to be up early to practice my rap. I don’t want manager hyung yelling at me again after today’s performance.”

Minhyun believed the lie.

The next time JR saw the manager was in the lobby, where they were meeting up to go to their scheduled rehearsal. While they were waiting for the van, the manager asked to speak to JR, and Minhyun immediately came to defend him.

“Hyung, please don’t yell at him,” Minhyun confronted the manager, and the manager glared at Minhyun for a moment.

“I won’t yell, but I need to talk to him. Back off Minhyun,” the manager grabbed JR’s hand and pulled him to the side, still in the lobby but away so that the members could not hear. JR was glad that they were not completely alone, but he dreaded the words that the manager would say.

“You left last night,” the manager stated with a scowl.

“I’m sorry.”

“I didn’t do anything about Jason. I was in a nice mood yesterday night. I’ll forgive you for last night if you do it after the rehearsal today.”

JR began to tremble, but nodded anyway.

“Good boy,” the manager said, loud enough for Minhyun to hear. He patted JR’s back and faked a sympathetic smile. “Now tell Minhyun I was nice to you so that boy doesn’t get suspicious,” the manager whispered.

That’s what JR did. Minhyun was not entirely convinced, seeing how JR was trembling and quiet for the entire ride to their next schedule, but he wasn’t entirely suspicious either.

When they met with Jason, Jason immediately walked up to JR. “You look terrible,” Jason said bluntly as he scrutinized JR’s face. The weariness was clear: his red eyes with bags under them, his pale face, and his shaken demeanor. “Are you okay little brother?” Jason asked.

JR nodded and faked a believable smile.

It took every ounce of energy in his body to get through the rehearsal. By the end of it, he was more exhausted the he had ever been his entire life. His body felt numb and even thinking was tiring. The six of them were resting backstage, collapsing on the floor, drinking water and eating easy-cook noodles when the manager walked up to JR.

“You did good in your rehearsal,” the manager said patting JR’s back smiling that disgusting smile of his. Pretending to be nice. It was such a convincing act, even Minhyun didn’t find it suspicious. “I’m sorry I yelled at you before, Jonghyun-ah!” the manager continued.

JR only wanted to disappear and get as far away from the manager as possible. “I need to go to the bathroom,” he announced, even though he didn’t.

The manager suppressed a frown, “go on then. But be out quick, I need to go over some schedule with you.”

JR stiffened. He knew what was coming. He began to tremble at the prospect as he turned around to go to the bathroom, wanting to prolong his time there for as long a possible. When he was in one of the cubicles, he closed the lid of the toilet and sat down, trying to mentally prepare himself, trying to stop trembling like a shaken little boy.

He heard someone else enter the bathroom. He was so sure it was the manager.

“Little brother?” came the voice of Jason, and JR breathed a sigh of relief.

“Hyung,” JR said to let Jason know he was in here.

“Are you okay? You looked like you were sick when you into here. Do you have a fever or something?” Jason asked, “I brought you Panadol.”

“I’m fine, hyung,” JR said.

“You don’t look fine,” Jason pointed out.

JR did not respond to that for a long time. He was not fine. Not fine at all. And he hated that he wasn’t doing anything about it. He hated how he was so submissive to evil, how he just accepted his fate without fighting it. For the first time ever, he felt this overwhelming urge to do something about it.

“Hyung…” JR called softly.

“Yeah little brother?”

“Can I request something from you please?”

“Of course, anything.”

“When my manager takes me to go over the schedule with me, can you follow us? Don’t ask why, just do it. Can you just stay with me? Don’t leave me alone today at all. Please? Don’t make it seem like I asked you. And whatever you do, don’t let me out of your sight.”

“Okay, little brother,” Jason responded uncertainly. He didn’t know why JR was requesting this from him, but it obviously seemed sincere. “And I can’t ask why?”

“No,” JR said. “I’m sorry for being such a burden.”

Just then, the door opened and the manager came in.

“Hi ahjussi,” Jason said politely.

“Jonghyun-ah!” the manger called, ignoring Jason completely.

JR flushed the toilet and got out of the cubicle, with newfound hope that maybe this plan will work and he wouldn’t have to go through with the nightmare again. He made his way to the sink to wash his hands and face.

JR did not look at Jason at all, not wanting to give the manager any hints as to what he had asked the new member to do. After he washed his face, he drudgingly followed the manager out of the bathroom.

JR trailed behind the manager, hoping that Jason kept to his word and was following them.

The manager led him a few halls away. He stopped at what seemed to be a storage closet, looking around to see if anyone was around. It was then that JR also looked around and saw no signs of Jason. Jason probably lost sight of them. Instantly, all the hopes that he had of avoiding this encounter were crushed. When the manager saw that the coast was clear, he opened the door and pushed JR inside, before going inside himself and locking the door.

JR was never getting out of this.

“Make it quick, before the others get suspicious,” the manager said as he began undoing his belt.

JR got down on his knees, sitting on his heels in front of the manager. He refused to accept this though. He was not going to do it. The idea just came to him in the moment, and he decided to go through with it. He pretended to faint.

It was not hard in the least bit, given that he was seriously exhausted. He collapsed onto the floor at the manager’s feet, closed his eyes as he feigned unconsciousness. The manager kicked him at first, suspecting that he was faking it. JR did not budge despite his aching ribs.

“Jonghyun!” the manager yelled kneeling beside JR’s body and shaking him. “Hey! JR stop it, this is not funny.”

JR did not move.

“JR!” the manger said more loudly. “ing hell get up!” he began to fret. “,” the manager said as he slung JR’s body over his shoulder and unlocked the closet door.

JR could not be more relieved that this plan had worked. He was even more relieved when he heard Jason’s voice as soon as the manager was out of the storage closet.

“Wh…what happened to him?” Jason asked.

“He fainted,” the manager answered, as he rushed through the halls.

“What did you do to him?” Jason asked the manager more forcefully.

“Nothing. Now shut the up and find a nurse!” the manager answered.

JR was laid down on a sofa. He heard Minhyun panic, and he heard s ask Jason what happened.

A minute later, he felt someone feel his pulse. He heard a woman say, “he’s just exhausted. Let him sleep.”

“Why isn’t he waking up?” Jason asked.

“His body is in the state of forced rest right now, and so his sensory systems are shut down. Give him time. He’s alright, just fatigued.”

While he was pretending to be unconscious, he fell asleep. He tried to stay aware of what was happening around him, but it took too much energy to even try.

When he woke up, Jason was there and no one else.

When Jason saw JR’s eyes open, he sighed a sigh of relief and hugged JR’s tired body. “Little brother, I’m so glad you’re okay! I was so worried.”

“What time is it?” JR asked as he sat up.

“It’s 6:00 pm. The interview we had was cancelled. The other members and your manager went to the salon to prepare for the concert. I didn’t go because you asked me to keep you in my sight at all times. You’ve been asleep for four hours, and I promise I didn’t leave your side!”

“Thank you,” JR said.

“I failed you though didn’t I? I couldn’t catch up to you when you followed the manager. I was so scared that something bad was happening to you. What happened in the closet with the manager? Please tell me, JR. What did he do to you? He didn’t cause this, did he?”

“No, he didn’t want me to faint. He didn’t do anything to directly cause it.”

“He wasn’t making you do anything ual, right?”

“How did you…?”

Jason’s jaw dropped and he glared at JR in utter disapproval. “He did?!”

“Well no…”

“Cut the crap JR, he very clearly came out of the closet with an . And you came out unconscious. Do you have any idea how worried I was? What the hell did he do?!”

“He didn’t… he… I…” JR stuttered.

“Did he you?”

“No! No, it’s not that bad. It’s... Look nothing happened in the closet.”

“JR, be straightforward with me. I won’t let you hide this. If I have to ask your barbaric manager myself, I will.”

And so JR told him. He told him everything, from the what happened the night after the prank call, to the threat, to him being unable to sleep. It felt nice to finally come clean to Jason. He suddenly felt like he was no longer so alone. As Jason heard it, he said nothing but he obviously became more apprehensive and restless. He couldn’t even look JR in the eye anymore by the end of it.

“You are an idiot,” Jason said a few seconds after JR was done confessing. Jason took a deep breath and then put his arms around JR, squeezing him. “This is ual assault,” Jason said when he pulled way, “this is basically another form of , and it’s illegal, JR. You have to report him. A man like that cannot be you manager.”

“But then what about what he would do to you?”

“I prank called him. He ually assaulted you. I’m not the one who’s going to be fired. And even if I was, he still ually assaulted you! JR, you let yourself be subjected like that because of the possibility that I would be fired? What the hell were you thinking? And why in the world didn’t you tell anyone?”

JR looked at the floor guiltily, not knowing how to answer Jason.

Jason sighed, “I know what you were thinking. You have a problem JR, and that is that you’re too considerate of others above yourself. You lack in self-worth, and that’s not a good thing! I will never be able to live with guilt of being the reason for what you did, JR! This will forever haunt me. I would have actually much rather been kicked out of the group then having to be the reason you were ually assaulted.”

“I’m sorry,” JR said.

“Why are you apologizing?”

“For making you feel guilty…”

“This is exactly what I mean, JR. You have no self-worth! You took a in your mouth for me, and you’re apologizing to me?”

Before JR could reply, Jason took out his phone and began dialing a number.

“What are you doing?”

“Whatever it is, you won’t be able to stop me,” Jason said as he put the phone to his ear.

JR felt helpless then, but at the same time, relieved. He knew that he would not need to have that disgusting encounter with the manager ever again and it released so much strain within him. He felt so liberated and happy, and protected under Jason’s wing.

Jason was talking to the CEO of Yuehua Entertainment. He reported the manager of ual assault, explaining what had happened, even confessing to have carried out the prank call.

When he hung up, he looked at JR regretfully. “I’m sorry you had to go through that, little brother. I just… I can’t imagine how bad it was for you.”

“I’m okay,” JR shrugged.

“Was it your first ual encounter with another person?”

JR nodded his head slightly.

“So innocent,” Jason laughed, trying to lighten the mood, “my first time was at 15.”

“15!?”

“Yeah. I was a rebellious little middle-schooler,” Jason laughed.

JR smiled.

“Have you had girlfriends though?”

“Yeah, a few,” JR said.

“So you’re straight?”

“Yes, I am,” JR answered, despite knowing that Jason was an exception to his straightness.

“I’ve had a boyfriend before,” Jason told JR, suddenly looking sad.

JR turned to look at Jason curiously. He hadn’t known that Jason had an interest in boys as they’ve never had time to talk about this personal stuff. When he saw how sad Jason suddenly looked, he inferred who the boyfriend could be. “Was it Leo?”

“Good guess,” Jason said, smiling at JR, “but no, Leo was never my boyfriend unfortunately.”

“Unfortunately? So you wanted him to be?”

Jason barely just nodded his head before saying, “oh crap! I should really call Minhyun. He made me promise to call him as soon as you wake.”

It was an obvious attempt at changing the subject, but JR respected that Jason did not want to talk more about it. As Jason talked to Minhyun to reassure him that JR was okay, JR found himself thinking about confessing. Knowing that Jason liked boys was very encouraging.

“Minhyun wants to talk to you,” Jason said, giving JR the phone.

“JR-ah? Are you okay? Are you dizzy? Tired? Do you need to sleep more? Should I talk to manager-hyung about cancelling the concert tonight? Can you do it? Have you eaten? Are you...”

“I’m fine, mom,” JR laughed, “I’m well rested and of course I can do the concert.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Where are you guys now?”

“We’re getting dressed and doing hair and make-up in the salon. Jason refused to come with us. Even though manager-hyung yelled at him and there was a lot of drama between those two. Jason was really worried about you, so much so he almost physically fought the manager. I have never seen Jason so angry. Oh crap! Manager-hyung’s here… Anyways, have you eaten?”

JR heard the manager’s voice from the other end of the line, “is that JR?” the manager asked Minhyun.

“Yeah, he just woke up,” Minhyun answered.

“Let me talk to him,” the manager said, and after a swish sound, the manager was on the line. “JR, what happened to you?” the manager asked. JR hated hearing that voice.

Jason heard the manager’s voice and snatched the phone from JR.

“You are never talking to him again you sick ert!” Jason spat before closing the line in his face.

“Thank you,” JR said, glad that Jason saved him from confronting the manager. He hoped that Jason’s words were true, and that he really would not have to talk to the manager ever again.

Jason glanced at JR with the side of his eye, and fixed his gaze on JR’s face. There was a slight smile on his face, a slight expression of fondness that made JR blush slightly and withdraw a little. Without further hesitation, Jason put his hands on either side of JR’s head and brought his lips to JR’s forehead.

The blood rushed to JR’s face and his heart beat fast. He found himself flinching and looking away and not being able to hide how shy Jason made him. Jason ruffled JR’s hair then and laughed.

“You remind me so much of Leo,” Jason said.

JR found that flattering. It was clear that Leo was very precious to Jason. For Jason to reminded of Leo on accord of him made JR feel special.

JR found himself craving for more contact with Jason. More hugs and more kisses and cuddles. He realized that this crush of his was not subsiding, that it was becoming stronger the more time JR spent with Jason.

Maybe I should tell him how I feel, JR thought.

He decided that he would tell him sometime soon. Learning that Jason was gay, and that JR reminded him of Leo, and that Jason want Leo to be his boyfriend: it gave JR confidence that maybe his confession will go well.

He just needed to wait until the right time.