Junho

  Junho stirs. He hauls himself up and immediately regrets it. His head feels like someone is drilling a hole in it. He hears voices and presses his ear against the wall. 

  "We have to call her. She has to come back. He needs her."

  "What if she leaves again? He barely got through the first time."

  "You call this getting through? He's working himself so hard he sleeps 3 hours a night now. He doesn't even eat at normal timings anymore. The other day I caught him raiding the fridge and he admitted he hadn't eaten all day after I threatened to tell Minjae hyung."

  A sigh. "I'll call her. I kept her number."

  Junho chuckles drily and flops back down on the bed. Stupid Taec. He had already told them to erase all traces of her. He closes his eyes. He remembers when she still lived with them. When she would wake all of them up and save him for last, and how she would complain when he kissed her when he hadn't yet brushed his teeth. He grits his teeth. He needs to stop. She isn't coming back. Not now, not ever. He is still tired, and drifts back to sleep.

Yoonji

  She knows she will never be able to get over him. She won't be able to forget his hands enveloping hers, or him closing his eyes when she touched his face. She won't be able to forgive herself for not being stronger, for leaving him without a word. But she doesn't hate her father. Even though he threatened to disown her, she still didn't really take it to heart. But she had never expected them to hurt him. She swallows, remembering that night. How Junho had called her after he got back to the dorm, telling her to grab some bandages on the way home. How she had found him cradling his bleeding head, but still smiling and kissing her on the forehead when she got to the dorm. How she had cried because she knew but he didn't, and how he had held her while he joked about him being the one needing comforting. That was when she knew she couldn't stay any longer. 

  "You can't date an idol. It's not appropriate. Neither is it stable. He could drop from fame any moment." What, so appropriate was another CEO's son? Did it work that way? It wasn't fair. It wasn't right. But what choice did she have? To sit back and love him, but let him be hurt? No, because when you love someone, you'd do anything to keep them safe.

  Her phone rings.

  "Hello?"

  "Yoonji. It's been a long time." She almost drops the phone. She knows that deep, bass voice. It used to poke fun at her about Junho, it used to sing to her when she missed Junho and he was away touring in Japan. Her heart clenches.

  "Taecyeon oppa?"

  "Yeah. Listen, you broke Junho's heart and I'm just going to cut straight to it because he's almost dying and you really don't deserve me being nice to you. You need to come back. Even just for a night. I... We can't take this, seeing him like this anymore. He fainted backstage today after a performance."

  And just like that, the tears well up in her eyes. God, the only reason why she hasn't went back is because he deserves so much better. It's not like there's anything else holding her back. Well, at least now now. Please don't be hurting. Why are you hurting? But now Taecyeon has called her, so she has every reason to turn up unannounced on his doorstep right? Maybe not. But she really doesn't care anymore.

  She grabs her car keys. "Give me an hour. Be there in an hour."

  She hears him sigh. And for the first time since he has come on the phone, he actually sounds sort of... hopeful. "I ought to hate you. But really? We're all past that now. Just make him better Yoonie."

  She almost smiles at the sound of her old nickname. "I'll try."

  "Oh and we won't be there. We have a schedule, be back tomorrow evening. Gotta go, bye!" The phone clicks.

  Well, there's Taecyeon oppa for you. Always forgiving, and never staying mad for long. She hopes he won't murder her when he finds out why she left. She touches the photo on her bedside table.

  "Dad... I know you don't want me to see Junho. But I also know you just want the best for me, and you love me, don't you? So please..." Her voice cracks. "I'm dying without him." She knows he can't do anything about it now, but it feels wrong to just disobey his wishes. "You're with mom up there now, aren't you? You're with your better half. I'm not. So don't worry. I'll be okay." 

  She attempts a half smile. "I'll tell him you said hi. If he wants to talk to me, that is. Goodbye Dad."

  She heads out the door, head spinning and heart pounding. She is almost there. She is almost to him.