“Hyesungie is avoiding me.” Eric mumbled to himself and for quite some time now reality hit him hard.
 

If there was anything weird that happened to him these days then it surely was reality because he figured, he came to that point imagination seemed to be more normal than his life itself without his visions.

And not only more normal but more enjoyable. After all, who would have liked Shin Hyesung not even looking at them instead of wrapping his arms around their neck while whispering loving words into their ears?
Eric wanted to see that person for himself because there is no one in their right mind whom liked the reality this way.
 

However, this once he wished he was actually imagining all of this. Yes, this one time he wished Hyesung avoiding him this obviously was actually all in his head and in reality their relationship was all the same – true, without romantic line but at least Hyesung would be beside him and not running away to the other side of the room once he noticed him.

Still, no matter how he waited for the bubble to pop out literally the whole day, it never happened, he never woke up and finally he realized everything was real.

Shin Hyesung was surely avoiding him.
 

Well no wonder, he thought, after what happened during the New Years he had a hard time to figure out how he should act, after all there was surely something there between them that time when they were sitting on the sofa looking into each others’ eyes and everything just felt like eternity.

There was something and this bothered him, he did not understand a thing anymore, still, he pulled himself together and acted the way he usually did.

But Hyesung was weird from the point they first met after the holiday was over and a week had already passed since then.

And Hyesung still avoided him not even telling him a word. Because he literally did not say a word to him except for those times he had to tell him something. Most of the times though Eric felt just thin air next to him because Hyesung did not even spare him a glance if he did not have to. He did his best to keep at least 2-3 metres of distance and even when they had to stand closer to each other he did it as if he was asked to sit on the grill and get cooked.
 

Anyway, it annoyed Eric to death and he could not believe the others did not notice it – all of the members acted perfectly normally, while he was screaming mentally whenever Hyesung just shook him off or turned his head away once their eyes met.
 

Eric felt like going crazy and he wished he could just grab Hyesung and pull him out somewhere – it did not matter where, he just wanted a quiet place without eyes stuck on them – and ask him why he avoided him and if he said he did not he would have either kicked him or pushed him against the wall and asked again, just to be theatrical and for Hyesung to feel the seriousness of the matter and Eric’s upset feelings.

His next question would have been what was ‘that’ on that certain day. Why he jumped up and opened the door just like that, why did he run away. Why he looked like he was freed from something bad or escaped from something tremendous, why was he relieved.

And more importantly: just why in the hell did he let Minwoo kiss him – this issue bothered him ever since then and jealousy dwelled up in his chest whenever Minwoo talked to Hyesung, stood close to him or anything similar.

Well, this avoidance problem was more important at that moment, though.

He had no idea how to resolve it – how could he do that when Hyesung did nothing else but run away from him?
 

That day, too, for example. The moment he stepped into the practise room he saw Hyesung looking at him for a moment then immediately turning away and continue playing around with Junjin.

Also, he kept a weird two steps distance and this made Eric painfully uncomfortable. He just wanted to shout “why” at him and he needed all his energies to stop himself from actually doing it.

He did not speak at all to him, only replied if it was necessary, he did not laugh at him with that laugh of his Eric loved to death either. Actually, Eric felt like he became air for Hyesung and the sudden came aching in his heart took him by surprise.

Eric never would have guessed being ignored and avoided by him would hurt like this.
 

By the end of the day he was awfully tired, both physically and mentally, mainly thanks to his hard work to make Hyesug communicate with him or at least look at him – though no matter how he looked at it… he was far from success.

In the end - with a sigh and with the plan of hurrying home and having a long, deep sleep and deal with the problem again the next day - he changed his clothes and put them away in his bag while mumbling to himself the juiciest curses he could address Shin Hyesung with.
 

It seemed like his acting was not unnoticed, because soon Junjin walked up to him half-smiling, half-worried and while changing his clothes, too, he asked:

“Are you alright, hyung? You look stressed.”

Eric sighed. He did not want to say anything to be honest, but in the end he decided ‘to hell with it’ and blurted it out, “That damned Jung Pilgyo is being a pain.”

Junjin stopped his movements and looked at him surprised and curious, “What do you mean?”

“He has been ignoring and avoiding me since New Years’…” He mumbled and for a moment he thought maybe he should not have said that, he was worried Junjin would catch that weird tone in his voice and realize something happened between them. So he just cried out in frustration of not even being able to talk out his heart’s content properly and added, “I did not even do anything and he is being like this!”

Junjin stayed quiet for a few moments – making Eric go through hell while waiting and praying Junjin did not realize something was up -, then he just snorted, “What are you talking about… Hyesung hyung is the same as always…”

Eric’s mouth stayed open as he stared at Junjin, whom seemed to be completely calm as if there really was nothing going on.
He did not dare to believe in his ears. Did the younger man seriously say that…?
Eric wanted to shout at him ‘are you blind to not see the obvious??’ but he held himself back and replied:

“Park Choongjae, are you kidding me, Hyesung surely had been avoiding me.”

“No, he isn’t doing anything, hyung.” He shook his head with slightly widened eyes and with an offended look on his face as if he was accused for lying and this caught Eric’s attention. He knew not only this man but this certain expression quite well. “He is the same as always, you should stop worrying over such stupid matters.” He said then patted his shoulder and left.
 

Eric felt as his whole body tensed, as his heart was beating like crazy and sweat rolled down on his temple. He was sure something was surely up but Junjin’s words made him uncertain…

And for the first time in his life Eric got worried if he was not able to distinguish delusion from reality…
 

Then he just shook his head, he was certain his mind was more than healthy, there was not even a single problem with him and he could differentiate his imagination and actual happenings from each other way too well.

He felt like something was wrong, he kind of felt wronged and as he thought through his conversation with Junjin, as he evoked his acting and that certain expression he finnaly put the puzzle together and the realization hit him:

His fellow member just covered for the causer of his sufferings.
 

And now he was sure he had been right all along and it was not just him whom noticed it but probably all the members were thinking the exact same thing:

Shin Hyesung avoiding him was as sure as the fact Eric was there living and breathing.

A/N:

I'm awfully sorry for taking so long. Actually this chapter had been finished since like February but I wanted to upload it together with the next chapters and somehow... it's already September. x"D
The reason I wanted to upload this one together with the next is because this is not much of a big chapter, this is more of a 'cause and effect' of the previous one, nothing 'interesting'.

Anyway, if there is anyone still sticking around... thank you and I'm sorry for taking so long.
(but if you follow me you might have already learnt I'm a tardy author, tardythor xD nothing is certain with me xD)

And you  can proceed to the next (and closing) chapter~