Ok, the split should start here. This is the original story. ^_^

“Hyung wait!” Andy called in a frantic voice.

Eric halted his steps and turned over; his gaze reflecting the exhaustion and wound within him. “Andy, tell me honestly please,” Eric begged, “What is Sylvia to you?” He wanted to know. He needed the answer! And he so desperately prayed for the answer he wanted to come out of the maknae’s mouth.

The rest of the members watched silently.

The tension in the room was building up with the silence that ticked by with every passing second. Andy was unable to respond. He thought his heart was beyond feeling, that giving up on Sylvia had numbed everything; but a fresh wave of pain doused his heart seeing the anguish in Eric’s eyes; and to understand Andy himself was the cause of that pain. “She is my future sister-in-law.” His hand fisted so hard that his nails dug into his palm.

Eric chuckled bitterly, resigned. “Is that the truth?”

“Hyung, what do you want from Andy?” Junjin barked as he stepped forward. He was agitated by the leader’s constant imposing on the maknae to admit he likes Sylvia. Wasn’t it clear Andy had given up because of Eric? Must the leader make the maknae says it and open up another gush in Andy’s heart.

Dongwan held Junjin’s arm, holding him back. What Minwoo said few days back came to his mind. That doesn’t sound like Eric at all. He’d not do that to anyone much less Andy. Dongwan locked his gaze on the leader, studying his expression. Were all of them too emotionally caught up over Andy’s suffering to notice the leader had his loads too? If it was true that Eric loves Sylvia, what makes them think Eric was in any better position than Andy? What rights do they have to force Eric to give up on Sylvia? And there was something in Eric’s expression that perturbed Dongwan. What if there were more than meet the eyes?

“It’s the truth.” Andy said firmly.

“So she is right and I am wrong.” Eric conceded. He heaved a sigh of resignation and listlessly plodded out of the room.

Minwoo did a quick debrief that marked the official end of Shinhwa’s 2013 activites. After the debrief, Dongwan approached the shorter man.

“Minbong, can you help me with something?”

***

Minwoo was sipping his coffee when he heard the bell hanging near the café’s door giving off a crisp clear ringing when someone entered. He turned over and waved his hands coolly upon seeing it was who he was waiting for. Sylvia walked over after spotting him and placed her bag on the seat next to her as she sat opposite him. Minwoo waved for the waiter to come over.

“What would you like to have?”

“Red tea please.” Sylvia gave the waiter a polite nod. After the waiter retreated, she turned to Minwoo, “So…another one of you has decided to speak to me.”

“Dongwan wants me to apologise on his behalf. He couldn’t do it himself due to his flight.”

Sylvia raised her gaze to Minwoo’s, surprised by what she just heard.

“I know he was rude to you earlier. He is always too rash, but his intentions are always good.”

“I know.” Sylvia replied. Even if she had only spent three months with the band, she had followed them long enough to know each member’s personality.

“He is worried about Andy and Eric. You should know what Andy told us the last day of concert had shocked everyone.” Minwoo said.

Sylvia felt a piercing pain. How could she not know when she was the most shaken one herself? How could she forget and expect to whiz into Andy’s and Eric’s life just like this.

“What is Eric to you? And what are you to him?” Minwoo asked directly.

Sylvia inhaled. “Stop giving Eric a hard time. I can see it even if he never mentions. Minwoo, you have spent half of your life with him, just like I did. You should know what kind of person he is as much as I do.”

“I believe Eric, but I need the truth to convince the rest.” Minwoo replied earnestly.

“Who I am to Eric is exactly like how anyone of you is to him. I have known him since I was born, since he was 2 weeks old.”

“So you are only friends?” Minwoo asked, but it was more of a comment. His intuition had told him so, and he just got his confirmation from Sylvia’s words. He was glad Dongwan had finally seen it too. Although that pabo friend of his had booked non-refundable air tickets and needed Minwoo to correct his mistake. “But both of you dated too…”

“It was already in the past.”

“How about Andy?” Minwoo tested. He did not miss Sylvia’s disconcertion although she composed herself fairly quickly.

“The one you like is Andy isn’t it?”

Sylvia did not give Minwoo a direct answer, but it was not tough for Minwoo to guess. He acknowledged that the members had wronged their leader. Just like what Sylvia had said, he had spent half his life with the leader and he knows Eric. There must be a reason for Eric to do what he did to Andy years ago. But the most critical thing now was to talk to Andy and enlighten him. Unfortunately the maknae had gone for Star Love Village filming and Minwoo can only contact him in a few days’ time.

***

The moment Andy reached his doorstep; he already sensed one or more of s had come over and was now in his house. He quickly unlocked the door. Minwoo hyung was seated comfortably on his couch, eating ramyung, eyes on the television.

“Andy! You are finally back! Where did you go after the filming? And what happened to your phone?!” Minwoo placed his ramyung on the table and interrogated the younger man. He had been trying to call him for hours.

“I got paired up and I went on a date. My phone went flat because I forgot to charge it last night.” Andy replied innocently. “Hyung, why are you here? And is there anyone else?” Andy looked left and right, expecting either Junjin or Hyesung to walk out of his room or the kitchen.

“Omo! Andy you can’t go on a date!” Minwoo’s heart skipped a beat. Life’s pranks on s were getting overboard.  Andy blinked at Minwoo and the older man sighed. “Andy, SYLVIA-LOVES-YOU!” Minwoo emphasised on each word. The maknae stiffened.

“Yah! Why are you still dazing here? She knows you went for Star Love Village! Andy-ah, if you don’t want to regret please go and find her now!”

“But…Eric hyung.”

Minwoo heaved a sigh out of frustration. But he could not blame Andy for being so dense. All of them were at a point when they were too caught up with their emotions. And Eric dated Sylvia back in America so it must be harder for Andy to believe. “Eric and Sylvia are just friends, like you and me.” When he saw Andy still frozen at the same spot, he forcefully turned the maknae over and pushed him towards the door.

 “Yah, Andy-ah! Stop dazing there! Go and find her now! Why am I even more anxious than you?”

After pressing the doorbell a few times, Minwoo decided to unlock Eric’s door himself. He was smug by the fact that he knows every of well enough to crack their codes. But the door opened when he was half way through punching the numbers.

Eric was taken aback when he saw his visitors. “Andy, Minwoo?”

“Hyung!” Andy was shocked by the leader’s weary and drained figure. The little veins in the leader’s eyes and the shadowed underneath them were prominent. It was evident how much the band had put the leader through. He pulled the leader into a sudden fierce hug.

“Eric, where is Sylvia?” Minwoo asked urgently, not caring if he was interfering with the brotherly love of the leader and the maknae. His hunch told him that finding Sylvia was the most urgent thing at the moment. Maybe it was the vibe that Sylvia had given him during their last meeting?

Eric looked at him with an unreadable expression before turning to Andy. “You finally figured out the meaning of the ring? That you had always been the one in her heart?”

“I…” Andy’s mind was overwhelmed by the new knowledge he gained that day and the sudden flood of emotions trying to take over his heart. So that was why his name was engraved on the inside of the ring.

So that was the promise…

Eric looked at Andy despondently. “Andy, Vievie had left Korea.”

Because I couldn't stand making Eric a bad guy anymore. His side of the story needs to be known soon!!! My poor leadernim! I need to clear his name before continuing. (Although some of you already can guess he is still the noble leadernim).