BaekHyun POV

“That’s enough, Xiao Lu.” I heard the warning low voice of Kris hyung stopping LuHan hyung from continuing the story; it was such a hard slap for us to hear what they had gone through. No! It couldn’t be right, right?

Poor Yi Xing hyung! He didn’t deserve this! LuHan hyung, he really suffered a lot, even it happened five years ago, I could see the deep pain in his words as he revisited back the painful past of theirs. Oh God… how could you let this happened to them? No, Tao… That’s why he hates us so much. I don’t blame him at all for having such negative reaction towards us. We really deserve that. If only we could turn back the time…

“LuHan…” the painful voice of MinSeok hyung made me realize how silence the surrounding has been for a while before Kris hyung stopped LuHan hyung from telling what actually happened after. I watched how the teary LuHan hyung walked away followed by MinSeok hyung who didn’t look better than me.

I turned to look at Kris hyung with my teary sight. I saw him crouched down to pull both maknaes, SeHun and Jongin into his arms. Oh Kris hyung, how can he be that selfless? He must have been the one who suffered the most all these years, but he’s also the one who tried hard to tie this friendship back together.

Thinking of Kris hyung, what was it that he stopped LuHan hyung from telling? What happened to him that he refused to let us know? Kris hyung, why do you keep protecting us while you’re suffering inside? Why, hyung?

I didn’t care anymore as I crawled my way towards my favorite hyung and threw myself in his embrace and cried my heart out.

“Kris hyung…”

And I can feel his long arm embraced me back and let me soaked his shirt with my unlimited tears.

MinSeok POV

“LuHan, wait…” I ran after my best friend who seemed lost his energy to run anymore and I sat beside him on the bench of hospital garden. Without saying anything, I hugged my best friend tightly as we cried together.

It took a while for us to let go of each other embrace and calmed ourselves from crying state.

“I am sorry.” That’s all I could say to express how I am feeling right now. Heartbroken couldn’t even expressed my feeling right now. I don’t cry easily but right now I cried like there’s no tomorrow. I couldn’t even imagine how they walked through the hardships until today. Although I feel like being a jerk as his best friend who didn’t even help at all, I was proud as well. They’re definitely the strongest persons I have ever met in my life.

I looked at LuHan who didn’t reply at me at all. This is the first time after five years I was able to be this close with him. As I looked at my best friend, I just realized how much he had changed for the past years. He used to be so carefree and behaved like a kid, but the man beside me is very mature and calm.

“LuHan, what happened after that Kris stopped you from saying before?”

LuHan turned to look at me immediately and surprised. But I wasn’t going to back down. There must be a reason why Kris stopped him from continuing. I know Kris very well; that giant blond must be hiding something that didn’t want to hurt his dongsaengs feeling more than it already had. But I need to know. I am the oldest here. I don’t need him to protect me. It should be the way around. I should have protected him.

LuHan and I met eyes to eyes before he sighed and gave in. We are best friends not for nothing; he clearly knew what I was thinking and he understood.

“The representative of the company Yi Xing and I signed came to the hospital. Kris was the one who talked to him without me knowing. The company decided to terminate our contract. It was stated in the contract if anything unfavorable happened to us in the period of 24 hours after the signing process, they have the right to terminate the contract without any tie at all.”

I understood what LuHan meant; it is the cruelty of entertainment world. But what I didn’t expect was the next thing LuHan said out with such deep painful tone as he forced himself revisited the most painful memories of his.

“You can’t do that to them! They have already lost enough. If you take this contract from them, there wouldn’t be anything left for them to stand again, especially Yi Xing. He has lost everything… Please don’t take this from him.”

The representative man looked at Kris sympathetically, “I want to help you, believe me. But with Zhang Yi Xing condition right now…”

Kris cut him off, “But there are a lot of options out there. He can get the help of hearing device. Music is Yi Xing life, he has connection with music. He doesn’t even need hearing device to hear the music. He has his heart to understand music. Please, please reconsider…”

“I really, really want to help you, Kris. But this is company decision. I have no authority to have a say in this matter. Please understand from my position.”

“Then, let me talk to the company. Just give me a chance to talk first you guys terminate the contract, please…”

“I’m sorry. I really want to help you…”

Kris wouldn’t give up; this contract is the only thing LuHan and Yi Xing hold on to facing the next day. He wouldn’t let his brothers lost their will to live, especially Yi Xing who hasn’t even shown any better sign from being mute. No, he wou