Joonmyeon blinks, shocked at what he was looking at. Unable to comprehend what kind of shape was in front of him, he stumbles and pushes away from the table.

The papers and pens clatter onto the carpeted floor soundlessly. He falls off his seat, stunned and dumbfounded. At the same time, his secretary walks in. "Chairman?" Minseok nearly screams at the sight of Joonmyeon's dishevelled image.

The tears slammed into Joonmyeon hard as salty waves poured out of his eyes. Like a stunned child, he grabbed anyone that came near him. Minseok was hauled into the man's embrace as Joonmyeon sobbed. Minseok knew something was terribly wrong, yet he did not know what the cause of it was.

Being older, Minseok rubbed circles on the younger's back, waiting for the sobbing man to stop. He was in an awkward position, but couldn't pull away and so he kept still.

After what seemed like eternity, Joonmyeon finally stops his crying and pulls away. A large wet, stained patch was obvious on Minseok's suit. Joonmyeon's cheeks flush crimson as he cleared his throat and wiped away the remaining stray tears on his face away with the back of his hand.

Minseok swallows his saliva as he eyes the younger male warily and sighs upon looking at his tear stained suit. "I am sorry, Minseok. I will pay the dry cleaning fees for you." Joonmyeon says awkwardly as he stood up.

The other follows suit as he bends over, staring at Joonmyeon with genuine concern," Are you alright, chairman?" Joonmyeon walks back to his seat and plops himself down. The cold mask wipes his face clean from any traces of weakness, the hard tone returns to his voice," Yes. It was just a mild panic attack. That's all. You may leave now."

Minseok gawks at Joonmyeon for two whole seconds before shuffling out of the room silently, closing the door behind him, leaving the obviously unwell man alone.
•••

"Hyung, are you alright?" Yixing asks quietly. Joonmyeon was hiding behind the newspaper, not answering his brother's question. Joonmyeon was sick of answering questions all day long. All he wanted to do now is have a peaceful dinner.

Yixing tries to look around the paper, wanting to get a glimpse of the elder's facial expression. But Joonmyeon doesn't budge, he keeps still, leaving the younger frustrated.

"Hyung how was work today?" Yixing attempts again. Joonmyeon lets out a sigh, loud enough for the other to hear. Yixing lowers his head and visibly stiffens when he heard rustling of newspaper. Joonmyeon's jaws were clenched hard, enough for his cheeks to hollow out, obviously irritated by his younger brother's attitude.

It took a large amount of effort for Joonmyeon to relax his jaws and speak," What is it?"  Yixing raises his head slowly, his eyes wary, watching his brother's expression. Joonmyeon's eyes narrowed at the other.

"What is it?" Joonmyeon snaps. Yixing flinches at his brother's tone. He his lips nervously and started," I heard you experience a mild panic attack in the office today." Yixing fiddles with the fork, poking around his untouched food. Joonmyeon's eyes widens slightly," You checked on me?"

Yixing swallows, wrong move. "Uh, n-no. I just happened to call in. Minseok hyung t-told me what happened." Yixing stutters. Joonmyeon scowls," You are a horrible liar, Yixing."

Yixing's head lowers once more, dropping to its lowest. "I'm sorry." He says, barely audible. Joonmyeon rolled his eyes and folded the newspaper neatly before slapping it down on the table. He stands up, the chair dragging nosily across the marble floor. "I'm done, with my dinner."


•••


"Your brother got mad at you again?" Jongdae's voice raised three octaves high as Yixing frantically clamped a hand over his mouth. "Mmpf-" Jongdae flailed his arms, trying to wriggle out of Yixing's tight grasp.

"You are going to land us in trouble again! Shut up!"Yixing whispered harshly at the struggling boy. Yixing's grasp loosened as Jongdae's lips pressed into a thin line.

The half bald lecturer who paused his teaching and scanned the silent hall. He tilted his head and turned back to the black board filled with formulas and calculations, Jongdae and Yixing sighed heavily. "Why did he get angry anyway?" Jongdae pauses for moment before adding another snide comment," He sounds like a woman on her monthly period."

Yixing lunges at Jongdae, pulling him forward and flicks his forehead," Shut up you insensitive prick." Jongdae clasps a hand over the red spot and pouts at his best friend. "You jerk." Jongdae mutters under his breath.

"I heard that." Yixing finally takes out a ball point pen and starts scribbling notes. Jongdae's lips tug into a straight line," But seriously, why did he get angry at you again?" Jongdae asks again, this time without any hint of playfulness in his voice.

Yixing's busy hand slowed to a stop and he stares ahead at the lecturer," I don't know. He wasn't like this in the past, only when he became forgetful and confused, he then started getting cranky and angry all the time."

Jongdae stares at his friend, the worried crease in between his thick brows seemed to have deepened. Yixing blinks once more before the loud scrawling across the notepad resumed.

•••

Joonmyeon did not head off to work like he usually did. Instead he was at the hospital, waiting for his test results. As he sat, the guilt that haunted him from the night before came creeping back in. He felt guilty for treating Yixing in such a harsh way.

He couldn't help but clench his fists into tight, hard balls. He placed them in his forehead, supporting the heavy weight of his head.

"Kim Joonmyeon." The nurse calls out loudly over the monotonous buzz, with occasional rings and loud chatter from the patients. His head snaps up, Joonmyeon nods at the nurse before walking down the long hallway.