“So Hyesung, tell me, did Minwoo really called you every day?”

“Yes, I stayed with him,” Hyesung answered.

“In his apartment?”

“Yes. Why?”

“Then he had been lied to me for…MINWOO!”

***

Where you wanna go?” asked Eric when he saw his boyfriend went out from their badroom with his bag.

“Emmm…recording?”

“Oh, okay,” Eric nodded. Then he got up, take his bag, searched for his key and took Hyesung’s hand.

“What?” Hyesung asked, stared at Eric’s hand.

“I’ll go with you,” smiled Eric.

“No!” Hyesung face changed.”You can’t do that!”

“Why? You’re my boyfriend after all,” Eric looked at Hyesung’s eyes and suddenly he know what will that beautiful man say.

“We haven’t finished our problem yet.”

Eric went silent. After sighing many times, he talked, ”I’ve been waiting for that since you came back home.”

Now, Hyesung seemed startled.”I’m not ready back then.”

“And now?”

“I’m going to work, Eric…,” But Hyesung stopped his words.  Eric was on the brink of crying. The leader was staring the floor.

“At the end, you’ll break up with me, am I right?”

Hyesung sighed. “I don’t know, Eric. I love you…,”

“I love you so much.”

“Don’t cut my words. Yes, once again, I love you. But, I don’t believe with our relationship. What if I got hurt again?”

“I’m not going hurt you ag…,”

“You already did it. Yes, I know you never mean it. You have no will to hurt me. But you already did it. Accept it.”

***

“What will you do now, Eric?”

Minwoo and Eric had finished their meeting for the next comeback. Yes, Shinhwa already announced it. But, with the high tension between their leader and lead vocal, Minwoo know it’s gonna be hard. Yes, both of them knew that they will put Shinhwa shake as a top priority. They knew if Hyesung and Eric will work professionally. But, it wouldn’t be a fun come back anymore.

They loved to work as Shinhwa. Joke around while do the recording or practicing their new dance. A high hope about Shinhwa Changjo’s reaction. Or the upcoming concert. In the past, it’s always been a fun time.

“Hyung!”

Junjin barged and Eric could see the fear in his face.”What?”

“Hyesung hyung’s parent came and they took him.”

“Took…him?”

“They told him to stay with them and now Hyesung hyung is already on the way to his parent’s home,” Junjin stared the change in Eric’s face.

“Why? Why they do that, Jin-ah? We haven’t finished our issue yet,” Eric close his eyes, his hand trembled.

“They knew, hyung. Jinki told them. He tried to find out by himself why his hyung run away from you. He was there when you fainted.”

Junjin remembered how Jinki yelled at him, asked why he didn’t take care of his hyung better. Jinki is the only one that agreed about his hyung relationship. But after knowing what had been happened at his hyung, he said that Eric just a cheater and Hyesung hyung will got nothing but hurt.

“Eric?” Minwoo called the leader. But Eric just stayed, looked blankly at them.

Minwoo could tell how Eric lost his soul now. But suddenly, the leader stood up. He started to throw everything near him. Minwoo and Junjin shout in panic, tried to hold him.

“What happened?” Dongwan, who just finished his recording, came and startled after looking at the mess.

“Bring Hyesungie back! Please, bring him back to me!” cried Eric. Minwoo tried to keep Eric hand from throwing his laptop. But Eric pushed him, made the small man fall on floor.

“Hyung, what are you doing?” Junjin screamed and help Minwoo to stand.

“Eric, put it. There’re important data in my laptop, you know that. ERCI!” Minwoo hugged him again. But suddenly, Dongwan push Minwoo aside, took the laptop and slap Eric’s face.

“IF YOU LOVE HIM, WHY YOU DID IT AT FIRST?” yelled Dongwan.”Now take the consequence alone!”

Shock, afraid and guilty. They could see them in Eric eyes.  Then Eric fell on the floor, crying. Dongwan hurriedly hugged him.

“I don’t mean it, Eric. We will help you of course. But, can you back to the cool leader? Hyesung need you. You need yourself, especially your head. Solve the problem and stop being stupid.”

“I…I don’t know, Wannie. I’m so afraid. I never feel this way before. I don’t know…I don’t know…,”

“You’re afraid, we know that. Why? Because you love him so much. But, you need to tough. Once again, listen, Hyesung need you.”

Eric looked at Dongwan. His eyes now filled with determination.”You right, I must solve the problem and bring Hyesung back.”

“That’s my man,” Dongwan hugged him again. Minwoo and Junjin just smiled. What Eric wanted to do is not easy. But at least, Eric’s spirit was already back.

***

They decided to sleep at Eric apartment that night. Tried to help Eric with their idea while keep Eric on eye, afraid if the leader do some stupid things. Andy came late, with foods and wine.

“Wine? What we gonna be celebrate?” asked Junjin.

“The time when Eric stupid head finally gone?” answered Dongwan.”Maybe not fully. He’s still stupid.”

Eric throwed a magazine at Dongwah, who dodged it perfectly. Of course, because Eric throwed it without his usual power.

“So, Minwoo hyung lost his job?” asked Junjin.

“Nope, he’s still the special stupid, the co-CEO of very special stupid.”

Two magazines arrived at Dongwan head. The maknaes laugh, joked around about the convo of stupid man when the door opened, showed Eric’s parent.

“Mom? Dad?”

“Eric, don’t you need to tell us something?”

The five men who sat on the floor stunned. Andy, the first person who finally realize the upcoming storm, gave the quickest respon.

“Please come and sit, uncle and aunty. It’s cold outside, doesn’t it?”

“Thank you, Andy. It seems you’re the only one who had his head on the right place,” said Mrs. Mun while give a cold stare to his son.

Eric startled and finally stood up.”So…sorry, Mom. Why you come without calling me? I can pick you up.”

“No need to. Our son is very busy right until forget to tell us about something important?” Mrs. Mun asked his husband.”Make us regret why we must heard the hurtful story from someone’s parent.”

“Wh..what? Hyesung’s parent called you?” Eric trembled.

“Yes,” answer Mr. Mun.”Now, do you mind to tell us the whole story?”

It was already midnight when Eric finished his story. Both of his parent now sat still, they seemed thinking about it deeply. Until Mr. Mun finally talked,

“You know Eric, days before it happened, we and Hyesung’s parent had a talk. We decided to accept you and Hyesung. No, we haven’t accept it 100%. But, we’re willing to try.”

Eric look at them disbelief. “What? Mom, it’s true? Mom?”

“Yes, Eric,” Mrs. Mun sighed.”But now, with your stupid action, they took back their word. They said if they would never give their son to you.”

Eric was going to ask something when his phone rang. Hyesung. Eric jolted in his sit.

“Hello?” he answered it with hesitation.”Hyesungie?”

Everyone in that room stared each other before looked at Eric hopefully. Waiting for Eric’s next sentence. Waiting for a small good news.

“Can’t sleep? You want me to there? No, I can do that. Really…yes, wait for me, baby.”

Eric put his phone. He looked at his parents who looked back at him with full of hope.

“What happened, hyung?” asked Junjin.

“Hyesungie can’t sleep. He…he need something to make him…,” Eric couldn’t finish his words because the bunch of smirk that suddenly appeared.

“So, what are you waiting for, son? Go!”

Eric gave them a smile before run away to his room, grab something then run back to his parent.

“Mom, Dad, thank you,” he kissed them. When he opened the door, his phone rang, gain big laugh from his parent and band mate.

Eric arrived and parked his car in front of Hyesung’s house. Then he called the younger.

“I’m here, baby.”

But he answered by silence. He perfectly knew if his boyfriend was crying.

“Don’t cry, Hyesungie, no need to.”

“I’m crying? No, never.”

“Okay, sorry. You didn’t cry. Then what are you doing now?”

“Talking to you, what do you think?”

Eric chuckled.”I missed you.”

“I can’t sleep,” Hyesung was winning again.

“I brought your blanket. You want it?”

“Really?”

Eric laughed again. He could felt the sassy and nagging Hyesung again. Hyesung before that accident, before their fight, before Eric’s stupid action.“Yeah.”

Silent. No one talked. Then the one who still inside the car, who had tears rolling in his face, heard,

“You wanna see my face?”

Eric chocked.”Can…can I?”

“Look at my window, you know which one?”

Eric remembered it perfectly. Hyesung’s room is the one beside the only big three, the one that had light on. In the past, Hyesung’s window was the only friend that Eric had when Hyesung kept rejected him.

It’s you.

Eric saw how Hyesung stood there, opening the window. With the phone in his hand, he looked down at him.

“That’s your car? Seems different.”

“No, it’s Dad’s.”

Hyesung gasped. “They came? They knew?”

“Yes,” Eric opened his car and stood right in front of Hyesung.”Hey, go sleep. I don’t want you get sick.”

“The old Eric always said that.”

“I’ve been change?”

“One-two weeks before you kissed…her.”

“I hope you can hit me now.”

“I can’t. I won’t.”

“Why?”

“I love you.”

They got silent again before the crying Eric said,”I love you. Really really love you. I don’t know what happened with my head.”

It was five minute of silence. Eric was going nervous. Then he could hear a small, cold voice.

“People may change.”

No. Eric widened his eyes and growled.”NO!!”

Hyesung didn’t answered. He just stared down.