The news studio was buzzing with excitement. It was two days before the elections and Eunhyuk was about to interview Mister Lee Donghae for the umpteenth time. The ratings were always through the roof as anyone liked the up tempo rather harsh yet hilarious interviews between the two. The entire nation was waiting with anticipation. Waiting to see two intelligent people go at it verbally.

'Have you decided yet?' Kyuhyun asked calmly.

Eunhyuk glanced at the head editor of the channel. 'I'm doomed if I do it and doomed if I don't.' He sighed.

'Okay, listen up. This is your best friend speaking right now. Just make sure you can live with yourself afterwards.' Kyu said, his voice unusually gentle.

Hyuk blinked a couple of times before he got hit on the back of the head.

'Don't get all emotional on me now.' Kyu huffed as he walked away.

'Again.'

'Chullie, I know it all by heart, please.' Hae whined.

'Donghae, you need to be 300% prepared. It's your last interview alone and that issue will come up. Tomorrow you go head to head with the Choi boy.' His campaign leader said.

Donghae hummed,  his thoughts elsewhere.

'By the way, it's your last interview with monkeybreath as well.' Heechul said casually as he hid a smirk.

Hae was back to reality and on full alert. 'What? Why?'

'I heard he's quitting this job soon,we'll be finally freed from that arrogant sod.' Heechul waited for the blow up but Hae just frowned. 'Donghae? Did you hear me?'

Hae completely zoned out as he felt something inside him die a very painful death. Again, he'll be out of my reach again.

The two men bowed to each other and shook hands. Hyuk's eyes slightly narrowed as he saw the empty look of the other.

'Welcome, Mister Lee. Please take a seat.' Hyuk went on automatic pilot.

Donghae tried to recover from the handshake. It felt like every nerve ending was on fire.

They started their debate as usual. One witty comment thrown after the other. The audience often burst out in laughter but the content remained serious and professional.

I'm going to miss this. Donghae bit his lip and quickly stared at his hands as he felt his eyes well up. I'm going to miss him.

'Mister Lee?' Hyuk asked.

Donghae was still looking down, blanking out.

'Mister Lee?' Hyuk tried again.

Hae blinked and looked up. 'Sorry, I spaced off for a moment, what was your question?'

They continued.

During the break, Eunhyuk watched as the make up artist started retouching Donghae. He had felt it all through the interview. Something was wrong. Horribly wrong. He glanced at Kyu who was backstage and doing so his eyes met Donghae's campaign leader. As Hyuk stared at Heechul he noticed how pale the other looked. He looked towards Kyu again and communicated with his eyes. He really did not want to touch that topic.On the other hand, he'd be one lousy journalist if he wouldn't.

The break was over and they quarelled on.  None of Hae's smiles seemed real to Hyuk. There was no light in the younger's eyes.

The moment was nearing. For the first time in years as a professional journalist, Hyuk's hands started sweating.

'Mr. Lee, do you think in two days, we'd be calling you "president?"' Hyuk asked.

Hae smiled again. 'That's for the voters to decide. But if the people vote for me, I'll give my all for this country.'

Hyuk swallowed. 'A-and how do you think your voters feel about the rumours?' There, it had started.

Donghae looked down, forcing his shoulders to remain straight. 'Can you specify that question?' He said softly.

'The rumours about your ual orientation.' Hyuk said equally soft.

Hae's head remained lowered for a second. Then he lifted his chin and looked right at Hyuk for the first time that evening.

Hyuk froze. All kinds of alerts went of in his brain as he analysed that look. He knew that look. That was the "I'm-Lee-Donghae-and--the-damn-world"-look.

For the first time ever, Hyuk lost his professionality. 'Hae, don't...' he whispered.

'My ual preferences?' Hae said at the same time. 'What about it? What does who I have to do with what I stand for?'

The audience was dead silent. They never had heard Mr. Lee like this.

'It's not as if I'm breaking the law.' Hae continued. 'I love who I love. I can't change the way I feel.'

'So the rumours of you being gay are true?' Hyuk said.

Hae's gaze was almost too intense. He laughed bitterly. 'Let me tell you a story. When I was 16 years old...'

Hyuk paled. Again he lost sight of where they were. 'Hae, what are you...' He was silenced by the younger's glare.

'As I was saying, when I was 16, after months of debating, I finally had found the courage.' Hae's eyes wandered of to the past. 'I had a best friend back then. He was amazing. He was smart, witty and caring. So I figured he'd be able to cope with me...with my abnormality.' Hae sighed, his hands tensed into fists. 'But I was wrong.' He continued softly. 'That day I lost my best friend. So I cried myself away for about a week and then I just got up in the morning and went back to school. I went back to being the perfect little class president that everyone knew. I buried that part of myself for over 10 years. Because, seriously, if my best friend since kindergarten couldn't handle it, who could? If he found me disgusting...who wouldn't? It was obvious that I needed to be fixed, changed, altered. And that is what I did.'

'Please.' Hyuk wimpered. The air felt suffocating.

'I'm not done.' Hae said rudely. 'I never let anyone too close ever again. Even my current best friend and campaign leader knows nothing about my past, about my ugliness. So after university, I devoted myself to politics and the rest is history. But you know what is so ing funny?' Hae laughed but it sounded hollow. 'I went into politics not because I wanted to, no. I did it to be close to someone.' Hae shifted his gaze towards the camera now. 'And yes it's a man.'

The audience was getting nervous.

'Some kind of mentor?' Hyuk tried desperately but regretted it immediately as he was met with a forceful glance.

'I went to be the best politician I could be, because of him. So he might be proud of me again, so he...' Hae's voice broke. 'so he would have some kind of positive feeling towards me again.'

'Why are you doing this?' Eunhyuk suddenly shouted. 'Why are you ruining your career damn it!'

All energy seemed to leave Donghae at once. Held in tears finally escaped and rolled down his cheeks. 'Because I'm so tired, Hyukjae.'

The audience frowned at the use of Eunhyuk's birth name.

'So tired of pretending to be someone I'm not. So tired to appear normal when I just want to shout out my anger and frustration. So tired of living a lie just to be able to see...' Hae didn't finish his sentence. He coughed, wiped his tears away and got up. He grabbed Hyuk's hand and shook it once more. He leaned in and whispered: 'There, now you've got the goodbye party anyone would dream of. No one will ever forget this interview. I wish you success in whatever you choose to do from now on.' He bowed to the audience and calmly left the studio.

Kyu just stared at the mess that was supposed to be his best friend. 'Hyuk'

The mess didn't move a muscle.

'You did nothing wrong.' Kyu said as he patted his shoulder. He didn't get any response so he sighed and was about to leave the room.

'Let me tell you a story.' Hyuk's voice was hoarse as if he hadn't slept in weeks. Kyu turned around.

'When I was 16, I used to be the happiest person on this planet. I was doing well in school, I loved my life, my family, my friends. Until my best friend changed everything. He did what I never could. He went for it. He told me that he thought he might have feelings for a boy. I didn't want to hear it so I started yelling at him, cursing him. I couldn't handle it. He left my place crying. I'll never forget that devastated, broken look he had.'

Kyu was shocked. 'You! You were his best friend!'

Hyuk scoffed. 'Best friend. I was all kinds of wrong for him. He would have given up everything he owned. All his talents, his ambition. He would have been an outcast. Can you imagine Lee Donghae as an outcast? It would have killed him! All that for some boy.' Hot tears ran down Hyuk's face.

It was quiet in the room. Both men processing what was just said.

'You loved him.' Kyu stated. 'You idiot.'

'Shut up!' Hyuk screamed.

'You still do.' Kyu had put all the pieces together. 'But why did you decide to quit this job even before that interview?'

Hyuk started sobbing. 'If he would have become president...all press communication would have gone to Leeteuk as he does the presidential interviews.'

Kyu walked up to the door again. 'Have you ever considered...' His voice faded, suddenly unsure if he should give Hyuk the painful insight.

'What?'

'That he loved you too?'

'Mister Lee Donghae is nowhere to be seen since his infamous interview before the election.' The news reader said with a stoic face. 'As we all know, he withdrew himself from said elections and disappeared in thin air....' He rambled on and on.

Kyu sighed as he waited for the next headline.

'Even more disturbing news is that Lee Eunhyuk, our famed political journalist has gone missing. No one has heard of him. Friends and family fear for a malice act done upon our beloved colleague...'

The phone rang so Kyu got up and answered it. He smirked as he heard Heechul yelling at him. 'Shush Chullie, I don't know where your precious Donghae is and I don't know where Hyuk is. I just know they are finally where they belong. With each other.' The phone went dead. Kyu shrugged and started to monitor the news anchor.