Joonmyeon raises an eyebrow, looking at the younger that is still standing by door of his office room. "What's the matter?"

Zitao takes a step forward and watches his childhood friend return to his work, his hand writing down something. He stops in front of Joonmyeon's desk and sits in one of the chairs placed facing the older. His eyes is watching Joonmyeon work but his mind is playing back Jongdae's words from just moments ago. Jongdae would never lie to him about something like that but how come Joonmyeon is acting like nothing had happened? "Ge."

Joonmyeon hums a response, doesn't bother to look up at the younger. He has works to do and if Zitao wants to eat with him, the younger will have to wait for lunch. His breakfast isn't even fully digested yet.

"Why did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Let Yifan ge go." Zitao catches the small halt in Joonmyeon's hand movement before it continues to glide over the paper. He keeps staring at the older. It doesn't make any sense no matter how many time he thinks about it. Joonmyeon loves Yifan, that morning he saw the older outside of Yifan's bedroom proves everything. But then Jongdae told him about the contract. "Why did you do that, ge?"

Joonmyeon flutters his eyes close, breathing in and out before opening them again. He puts aside the report in front of him and takes another one from the other side of the desk. "I'm a little busy right now. Maybe you should go."

"I'm not going anywhere." Zitao hears the faint sigh the older let out and he moves closer to the desk, propping his elbows on it. "Not until you tell me everything." He bites down his lower lip when Joonmyeon kept ignoring him, didn't even spare him a glance and he slams the desk. "Kim Joonmyeon!"

"Why are you asking me when you already know the answer?"

Zitao pulls back when the older lifts his chin to look at him. He stares deep into Joonmyeon's eyes only to see his own reflection in the dark orbs, and nothing else. Where did the warmth that always melt his heart go? He blinks once and faces his childhood friend again. He sighs. No. This isn't his Joonmyeon.

Joonmyeon closes the file in front of him and looks at the younger straight in the face. "The company is safe now so of course the deal is off." He amuses when Zitao frowns in confusion. "Don't tell me you forgot about that? It was your idea after all."

Zitao's breath hitches as memories from the past months flood his mind. Joonmyeon's father's will. Fated encounter with Yixing and Baekhyun. A deal at a club.

Joonmyeon leans back to his chair as the younger's shoulders sag down. "The marriage was needed for me to save the company. I'm not sure I told you about it or not but the inheritance already been divided fairly between me and Jongin a few months ago. Sure Jongin has his share of the company too but it also mean that Jongin cannot do anything to it without my consent too. And that was all I ever wanted."

Zitao purses his lips.

"The deal was practically off that day. I didn't know why it took me such a long time to finalize it."

Zitao breathes out. You fell in love.

"Now can you leave? I..."

"Kim Joonmyeon!"

Zitao jumps in his seat when the office door suddenly burst open. He gets on his feet when Jongin stomps across the room, his face full with anger as he circles around the desk and pulls Joonmyeon up by the collar. "Jongin!"

"Where is Kyungsoo?! Where is he?!"

Joonmyeon finds himself difficult to breath and tries peeling off the younger's hands, eyes watching Zitao that is has his arms around Jongin's torso, trying to pull the younger away from him.

"Jongin, stop it!"

Zitao turns to the unfamiliar voice, his hands still trying to break Jongin away from Joonmyeon, and sees a tall, pale male rushing to where they are, and he lets Jongin go, distancing himself when the unknown male has his grip on Jongin's arm.

"Jongin, don't!"

Jongin scoffs, pointing his finger at the male in his hand. "This, Sehun, this! This that started all of this!"

Sehun turns slightly and his eyes meet Joonmyeon's puzzled ones. Jongin kept saying that but he doesn't want to make any assumptions. He doesn't know Joonmyeon that well but he knows Jongin will never lie to him. He exhales when Jongin finally let Joonmyeon go and he moves a few steps back, bringing Jongin with him as he watches the person that was holding Jongin earlier walks towards Joonmyeon, standing protectively in front of him.

"Didn't I tell you to stop being a busybody?! Is being 'Almighty' that important to you?! Do you have any idea what you have done?!"

"I did nothing wrong."

Zitao glances over his shoulder, blinking at the coldness of Joonmyeon's voice. He turns back to Jongin whose face is red with rage. What is going on?

Jongin's eyes widen and lets out a disbelief scoff. "Hear that, Sehun? He said he did nothing wrong. Funny. It's so funny that I forgot to laugh."

Sehun feels Jongin move in his hold and he tightens his arms around him before facing Joonmyeon. "Joonmyeon hyung, please tell us where Kyungsoo hyung is."

Joonmyeon still doesn't know why Sehun is here with Jongin and asking about Kyungsoo but he shakes his head. "I don't know where he is. And even if I do, I cannot tell you." He feels Zitao pushing him backward when Jongin struggles to get out from Sehun's grip. That night after sending Jongdae to his room, he led Kyungsoo to his room, letting the younger rest as he promised they would talk more in the morning. But, Kyungsoo already was gone when he went to check up on the younger a few hours later. He haven't seen Kyungsoo since then.

"Please, hyung. You have to tell me." Sehun purses his lips when the older shaking his head again.

Jongin exhales loudly as he peels Sehun's arms off him. "Let's us go. We are wasting our time dealing with someone like him." He turns on his heels and heads towards the door. "We need to find him fast."

"Why?"

Zitao watches Jongin stop his trek and he moves slightly away when Joonmyeon takes a few steps forward, standing tall as he faces Jongin. "Ge."

"Why can't you let him go? Why do you need to find him? So you can hurt him more?"

Sehun frowns at the questions that came out from Joonmyeon's mouth. Jongin was hurting Kyungsoo? Jongin would never do that. He turns to Jongin and sees a smirk on his face. He manages to grab Jongin's wrist, stopping him from advancing more towards Joonmyeon but he lets go when Jongin shakes his head at him, silently telling him he won't do anything.

Jongin bores his eyes at his older cousin, noticing Zitao that is standing behind the older. "Really? Your mind is still linger around that stupid idea?" He turns to Sehun, eyes pointing at Joonmyeon. "He thinks I was the one that gave all the cuts and bruises to your brother."

Joonmyeon's brows furrow. "Brother?"

Jongin chuckles as he fixes his posture, staring right at Joonmyeon. "Oh, I'm sorry. Where are my manners. Joonmyeon hyung, Tao, meet Kyungsoo's younger brother, Sehun." He turns and stands beside Sehun. "Sehun, meet the people that responsible for you brother's missing."

Sehun purses his lips, eyes meeting with Joonmyeon's that is still can't believe what he just heard. He still remembers the first time he met Joonmyeon but at that time, he didn't know Jongin and Joonmyeon were cousins. Only a few days after the wedding that Jongin visited him and told everything. He never told Joonmyeon about who he was because it was insignificant. Even Baekhyun doesn't know about his family.

"Now that you guys know each other..." Jongin confronts his cousin, teeth gritting hard against each other. "...tell me where Kyungsoo is."

"I don't know."

"Liar!"

"He said he doesn't know!" Zitao pulls Joonmyeon backward and steps between the two cousins, shielding Joonmyeon from the younger. "Back off!" He pushes Jongin away and watches as Sehun catches him, holding him to his side when Jongin tried to rush forward to him. "I don't know what had happened but great that Kyungsoo is missing. He doesn't have to put up with someone like you!"

"Stay out of this when you don't know anything!" Jongin tugs his hand but Sehun just tightens his grip on his wrist. "Sehun, let me go! I need to punch some senses out of them!"

Joonmyeon inhales deeply, stepping out from behind Zitao, eyes boring straight at his little cousin. "I don't care what you do to me but I won't let you hurt Kyungsoo again!"

Jongin rolls his eyes. Not this again. He breathes in, calming himself down before facing Joonmyeon again. "I asked you before and I'm going to ask you again. Did Kyungsoo ever said to you that I was hurting him, in any kind of way?" He takes a step forward. "Did he or did he not mention my name when you asked about those bruises, because I know you asked."

Joonmyeon purses his lips. No matter how many times he asked that night, Kyungsoo never uttered a word about how he got all those bruises. But, the younger lived with Jongin and his little cousin had changed so much that he doesn't even know him anymore.

"He didn't, did he?" Jongin smirks when Joonmyeon twitches. "That is why you should stay away from other people's business!"

Sehun hears Jongin growl, his breath ragged as he stares at Joonmyeon. "Jongin..." He slowly reaches for Jongin's arm.

"No!" Jongin slaps Sehun's hand away. "I have had enough with 'him' that is trying to control everything!" He lunges forward and grabs Joonmyeon by the collar, ignoring Sehun and Zitao that are trying to pull him away. "Tell me where Kyungsoo is!"

Joonmyeon tries to breath as Jongin's grip tightens, lifting him off the floor. "You... just going... to hurt him again..."

"It wasn't me!"

Zitao gasps when Jongin throws Joonmyeon down, sending the older a few feet away, Joonmyeon's head almost hit his work desk, and he runs to Joonmyeon's side, helping the older get on his feet when he sees Sehun trying to stop Jongin from coming closer.

"It was him!"

Sehun purses his lips at Jongin's words, as he is blocking Jongin with his whole body, chest to chest, his ear pressed against Jongin's cheek and his heart tightens at his friend's faint sob.

"All those bruises! All those cuts! It was him!"

Joonmyeon's breath hitches.

"Kyungsoo is sick, hyung!" Jongin feels his energy drained out from him as images of cuts and bruises and scars all over Kyungsoo's small body flash in front of his eyes. "He has been doing that ever since Sehun can remember and he asked for my help. And I agreed. I promised him that I would find a cure for his brother, that I will return to him a new Kyungsoo, one that is free from all those cuts and bruises. But I never did."

Joonmyeon watches as Jongin slowly falls down on his knees with Sehun's arms secured around his shoulder, supporting him. "Jong..."

"I tried, hyung, everything, but they never disappear..." Jongin still remembers the small smile Kyungsoo gave him at their wedding after he pulled away from their first kiss and he thought he had found the answer. All those kisses and touches, they worked, but they were still not enough. "You... you don't know how scare I was every time I saw a new cut... when the one beside it was still red... and Sehun..." He pulls away, bringing his hands up and cups Sehun's face in his palms. "How could I face you... when all I did was just making things worse..."

Sehun shakes his head because Jongin is wrong. Jongin had done so much more than he could ever did for Kyungsoo. That night at the club, seeing his older brother glow with the tiniest bit of life, was enough for him. That he was willing to give Jongin anything and everything for that glow to stay.

"And now... he is missing... and... and..."

Sehun's brows furrow when Jongin's eyes widen and pushes his hands down, before standing up.

"And it was all your fault!"

Joonmyeon startles when Jongin suddenly marches towards him, pushing Zitao harshly to the side when the younger tried to block his path before stopping right in front of him, eyes glaring red at him.

"Are you happy now?!" Jongin slaps away Sehun's hand that tried to calm him down and steps forward, watching Joonmyeon trying to distance himself from him in amusement. "You, that don't know anything and don't have the right to do so, sent Kyungsoo away, thinking he would be better without me, where all you did is just going to hurt him more." He snickers. "Should I applaud to your achivement?"

Joonmyeon purses his lips, eyes watching Jongin's hands come together, hitting each other without a sound. He looks up, meeting with his little cousin's eyes that are slightly red, wordlessly telling him that all that he just said about everything, about Kyungsoo, isn't a lie, and his heart tightens. What has he done?

"Jongin..."

Joonmyeon shifts slightly, turning to Sehun that has his fingers curled around Jongin's arm, trembling, as he shakes his head. Sehun. He barely knew the younger but he did something horrible to him, something that an outsider, him, doesn't have the right to do, beaking up a family. And it is the same thing he's desperately trying to prevent from happening with him and Jongin. "Sehun..." He takes a step forward, biting his lips when the younger flinches at his action. Sehun is scared of him. "I'm sorry."

Sehun can feel his front being pressed against Jongin's back as Jongin shields him from Joonmyeon. Jongin kept blaming Joonmyeon when he found out Kyungsoo isn't with him. And he found it hard to believe because Joonmyeon doesn't look like that kind of a person. But all the words being thrown by the two cousins earlier made him realized the truth. And he understands why Joonmyeon had done what he did but he still couldn't help being upset and angry at the older.

"I'm sorry I... I didn't know... Kyungsoo is... and you..."

"Then tell us where he is!"

Sehun inhales deeply, feeling dejected as he couldn't sense any lies when Joonmyeon's apology reaches his ears. Joonmyeon really doesn't know where Kyungsoo had gone to, and he has only himself to blame. He should have told Jongin about what happened after watching Kyungsoo closed the front door. He should have went and checked his older brother after his shift ended that day. He shouldn't have ignored that uncomfortable feeling he had days after. And he was right, knowing he should have done better when Jongin visited him this morning. "Jongin."

Jongin glances over his shoulder to see Sehun shaking his head and he lets out a faint sigh. Joonmyeon is responsible for Kyungsoo's missing but it was him that left Kyungsoo alone at the house in the first place. He wanted it to be a suprise, secretly gathering information about places and he was planning to tell Kyungsoo about his moving plan after deciding the best place for it. His heart felt heavy but he was excited at the same time as he kissed Kyungsoo goodbye that morning when he left almost a week ago.

"We should go."

Jongin stares at his friend. The house was strangely quiet when he reached home this morning and the sight of Kyungsoo's necklace on the bedside table had him rushed to see Sehun, but finding himself difficult to breath when Sehun asked about Kyungsoo before he could. And the place he had found, he was sure Kyungsoo will love it, even more when he tells him about his idea of inviting Sehun to live with them, but now, he just want to see Kyungsoo again.

"Sorry for the disturbance." Sehun bows his head, avoiding Joonmyeon's eyes that he could sense are piercing at him as he straightens back and heads towards the door. He doesn't have a clue where to look for his older brother but he just can't wait and do nothing.

Joonmyeon watches as Sehun exits his office without turning back and he purses his lips. He knows nothing he do will ever make Sehun forgive him.

"You better pray we will find Kyungsoo."

Joonmyeon faces his little cousin that is standing a few steps away across him, with eyes boring at him. "Jongin, I..."

Jongin raises his hand, stopping the older from finishing his words. "Yifan hyung doesn't know what you have done, right? Because he isn't a heartless person like you and he would never allow you to do something like this and we want to keep that as a secret, don't we? And you." He shifts slightly to Zitao that is behind Joonmyeon. "You should..."

"You... don't know..."

Jongin's brows furrow at the older's wide eyes. "Know what? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"The marriage is off." Zitao watches as the younger blinks repeatedly, his gaze switching between him and Joonmyeon before Jongin stops and turns his body fully to face Joonmyeon, staring at the older with disbelief eyes. How come Jongin didn't know such big thing had happened to his own cousin?

Jongin scans Joonmyeon that has his vision fixed to the side, refusing to look at him. He is still trying to believe what Zitao had just told him but the fact that his older cousin doesn't say anything to deny it proves the one thing he thought would never happen, happened. But, how could that be? "You love him."

Zitao's eyes catch the small twitch Joonmyeon make at Jongin's words and he breathes out. Jongin isn't saying it out loud but he knows the younger has the same question as him in his mind. And he also knows that they won't get any answer from Joonmyeon even if Jongin did say it out loud.

"It's funny..." Jongin laughs breathlessly, locking his gaze with Joonmyeon when the older finally face him. "...how two people that were so madly in love with each other could throw away what they have between them so easily..."

Zitao purses his lips. If he didn't witness what happened that morning, he would be arguing about that with the younger right now.

"...when all I ever wanted to do is to protect Kyungsoo with all my life..." Jongin inhales, eyes still fixed at his older cousin. He had told Yifan before but Joonmyeon is a lucky guy too. Maybe if he had married Yixing, things would be different, but it just shows that fate wants them to be together, that it opens their heart for one another and fall in love. That is why he couldn't understand, why Joonmyeon would do such a thing when he himself would never let go of Kyungsoo if he was given a choice. He blinks at his own thought as an impulse deal he made a long time ago comes back to him. "You..."

Joonmyeon looks up, staring straight at his little cousin in the eyes.

"You let go of Yifan hyung because of that stupid deal?!"

Zitao raises an eyebrow at the younger's question and frowns when Jongin suddenly laughs. What is going on? What deal? Jongin knows the reason why Joonmyeon ends his marriage with Yifan? "Jongin." He inhales when the younger stops laughing and looks at him. "What are you talking about?"

"Well..." Jongin hooks an arm around Joonmyeon's neck before turning the older over to face Zitao. It is not fair for other people that only he knows the reason why his older cousin do what he did. He should at least tell Zitao. Jongdae will know about it sooner or later. "...long story short, I made a deal that I will let go of Kyungsoo if your best friend here lets go of Yifan hyung. That is why he thought he have the right over Kyungsoo's life and helps him to get away from me."

Zitao watches as the younger retracts his arm back, walking towards the door of Joonmyeon's office and glances at him as he opens the door.

"But now he knows that I would never do that, I wished I have the time to stay around and watch him regret his decision. Too bad Kyungsoo needs me more than him, so..."

Zitao purses his lips as the door closes, and he turns to Joonmyeon that has his gaze fixed on floor of the office. "Ge, what have you done?"