We Need You

~Kibum POV~

We tried. We did everything we could. We really did. That old guy is just too freaking stubborn to listen to anyone.

Today was the day. Heechul would enlist in the army today. Everything has been tense since we came back, and I can clearly see what Kyuhyun had gone through before he came to me. This...this was a mess. This whole group was a mess. Everywhere I turned there was some kind of fight going on, whether it was verbal, physical, or even silent. Kyuhyun even seemed to fade back into the state he was in when he got to me in Gangneung. Heechul stayed locked in his room, silent. I went in there everyday and tried to explain to him where Hankyung was, but every time he would shoot me down. What’s the point in speaking when you’re obviously not heard?

Today seemed to be even tenser than the past ten days. It was only 8 AM, and Heechul would be leaving any minute now to enlist. Everyone was on edge, including me. I just needed five seconds...five seconds where he didn’t turn away and cover his ears like a child when I mentioned Hankyung’s name. The man was just too stubborn...and heart-broken. Hankyung’s absence really affected him, it’s easy to see. The two were best friends, I would know. The three of us shared a dorm together way back in the day. We even combined our names and gave it to a cat! If that’s not true friendship, then I don’t know what is. It kills me to know that I wasn’t here to help him when Hankyung left. Hankyung and I were really the only two who truly understood Heechul, aside from Leeteuk. But, being the leader, Leeteuk just didn’t have the time to spend with Heechul like Hankyung and I did. We left Heechul...so I guess I can understand why he won’t listen to me.

“When does he go?” someone asked, pulling me back to reality. I looked up and saw it was Ryeowook who had asked the question. At the moment, everyone was in the living room together, except Heechul.

“When he wants to, I guess,” Leeteuk sighed, playing with the water in his glass, “He’s a grown man now.” I glanced over at Kyuhyun and saw him leaning back on the couch, staring at the ceiling.

“You ok, Kyu?” I asked him, and he lowered his head to look at me. Everyone else’s eyes seemed to turn to him as well, but he didn’t notice. Either that, or he just pretended not to notice.

“Yeah, fine,” he replied, shortly. No, he wasn’t fine.

“No you’re not,” Zhou Mi said, staring at him, “You’re stressed.”

“No, I’m fine,” Kyuhyun responded, stronger this time.

“Stop lying Kyu,” Sungmin snapped, “It’s understandable for you to be stressed.”

“Yeah, you went through all this work and suffering, and now Heechul’s leaving,” Donghae said, innocently. Kyuhyun frowned.

“Donghae-ah,” Shindong sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Donghae looked around, confused.

“What? Did I say something wrong?” he wondered.

“No,” Kyuhyun said, letting out a breath, “No, you didn’t, Donghae.” Kyuhyun then stood up and left the room, going into the hallway and shutting one of the doors.

“I feel bad,” Henry stated, “Kyuhyun-hyung went through so much to get us, but now Heechul won’t listen...”

“So why do you feel bad?” Yesung asked, “It’s Heechul’s fault.”

“Jongwoon-ah,” Leeteuk sighed. Yesung shrugged, but didn’t say a word. Something was off between the two of them, but I don’t know what...

“All we can do is support him,” Shindong stated, “Like you said, Jungsoo-hyung, Heechul’s a grown man now. We can only support him.” Leeteuk smiled, faintly.

“Yeah, I guess so,” he replied. There was silence for a while, but the obvious tension didn’t disappear.

Just then, a door was slammed open and Kyuhyun ran out, running at full speed out of the dorm. He was so fast, nobody could react to his actions.

“What was that?” Siwon asked.

“That was Kyuhyun?” Eunhyuk answered, though it sounded more like a question as if he didn’t know who it was. Frankly, Kyu moved so fast, it could have been the Flash for all we knew.

“Where’s he going?” Sungmin wondered, standing up to look out the door which Kyuhyun had left open in his haste. I stood up and went to the door, looking left and right down the hall, but there was no sign of him. I shut the door and shrugged, returning to my seat.

“He’ll be back,” I said, “He won’t miss the chance to tell Heechul goodbye.” Everyone nodded. Another door then opened and Heechul emerged. He saw all of us sitting there, looking at him. He let out a shaky sigh, followed by a small, scared smile.

“Yeah, you went through all this work and suffering, and now Heechul’s leaving,” Donghae remarked. I couldn’t stop the frown that formed on my face.

“Donghae-ah,” Shindong sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Donghae looked around, innocently.

“What? Did I say something wrong?” he wondered. I mentally sighed, he really didn’t say anything wrong. It’s not his fault that I’m upset. There’s no use getting upset over it...

“No,” I said, letting out a breath, “No, you didn’t, Donghae.” I know he meant no harm, and I didn’t want to get angry at him. Instead, I stood up and left the room. Yes, I was stressed. After all this work, all the traveling, the fights, and the tears, Heechul is just getting up and leaving. Just like that. Everything I did to get us back together is going to waste. Why? Why does everything have to be so difficult?

I shut the door to the room I entered. I looked around and saw that I was probably in Donghae and Leeteuk’s room. I would have gone to my room on the 11^th floor, but God forbid Heechul leaves and nobody tells me. Nope, I had to be there to say goodbye to Heechul. He had to see how upset I was...how upset we all were.

I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, but I ignored it. I really was not in the mood to talk to anyone right now. Almost as soon as the ringing stopped, it started again. I ignored it once more, still not in the mood to talk to anyone. The third time it rang, I really couldn’t help it anymore. I yanked the phone out of my pocket and answered, not even looking at the caller ID.

“What?” I spat, frustrated.

“Well, someone’s cranky,” the voice answered, and I instantly knew who it was.

“Oh, sorry,” I apologized, rubbing my face with my free hand, “I didn’t know it was you.”

He chuckled, “Obviously. How’s it going?”

I sighed, “Not well. Not well at all...”

“Well, things might get better soon...”

“How could they possibly get better?”

“I’m in a taxi right now.”

“That’s great?” What was so great about being in a taxi?

“I’m about twenty minutes away from the dorm.”

“Awesome.”

“...Are you deaf or something?! Did you not hear what I just said?!”

“I heard you! You said you’re about twenty minutes away!” His words then hit me like a ton of bricks. He was twenty minutes away...twenty minutes...

“No way!” I exclaimed, jumping to my feet.

“That took a while...”

“Shut up!” I snapped, laughing, “Oh my God, you’re twenty minutes away?!”

“About eighteen now.”

“Tell that driver to speed like the wind! I’m coming down now!” Before he could say anything else, I hung up and ran out the door. I ran through the living room and right out of the dorm. I didn’t even notice anyone in the living room, though I knew they were all still sitting there.

I practically jumped down eleven flights of stairs, running to get to the lobby of the building. We don’t have much more time left! Hurry up! Heechul needs you here...we all need you.