Invisible Pain
Title: Invisible Pain (4/?)
Author: his_angel16
Pairing: Jaejin/Wonbin, onesided!Jaejin/Hongki
Genre: Angst, Romance
Rating: PG
Summary: Jaejin always hid his feelings. When he confessed, he had a chance of changing his words as if he had never spoken them. Now, all he can do is wonder if he had chosen right.
Chapter Four:
Jaejin awoke to the sun shining brightly through the window. He tried to roll over, opening his eyes to find Wonbin asleep next to him, arms wound tightly around his waist with the elder’s face buried in his back. He ran a hand over his face, wondering what happened as it all flowed back to him, crashing down like waves against the shore during a storm. He closed his eyes tightly, covering his ears as he very clearly saw Hongki glaring at him in his mind’s eye. He whimpered and instantly Wonbin was sitting up next to him, cradling him in his arms.
“Shhh, Jaejin,” Wonbin whispered, rocking the younger gently. “Whatever it was, it’s gone now. Whether it was a bad dream, a memory, it doesn’t matter. Nothing is going to hurt you while I’m by your side.”
Jaejin turned, burying his face against Wonbin’s chest and sobbing. “Hongki hates me,” he managed to choke out between sobs. “He really hates me. And if he didn’t hate me before, he does now because I hit Minhwan.”
“Hongki doesn’t hate you,” Wonbin murmured, pressing a kiss to Jaejin’s temple. “He isn’t that kind of person. Regardless of you hitting Minhwan, he still won’t hate you. You could push him in front of a speeding truck, and he still wouldn’t hate you.”
Jaejin looked up at him. “Are you sure Hongki won’t hate me?”
“I’m positive. The only things that would make Hongki hate you, is if you left FT Island.”
“But you left FT Island and…” Jaejin stared with wide eyes at Wonbin. It suddenly dawned on him why Hongki spoke with so much venom whenever he was brought up. Sure, they had been great friends and most people thought they were now, but it wasn’t exactly the case. It was neither a lie nor the truth. They simply put up with each other for their fans’ sake. “Hongki doesn’t like you because you left the band?”
Wonbin nodded. “I left to pursue what made me happy, my own style of music. Even though Hongki said that nothing would change between him and me, part of the bad blood between us is you.” He took Jaejin’s hand, making sure he kept calm. “Hongki was upset that you would come back to my side even after I left the band and had to leave you behind.”
Jaejin shook his head. “I can’t be what’s making you and Hongki fight. He doesn’t like me any more than Minhwan does now that I’ve hit him. Why would my being by you make him angry?”
Sighing, Wonbin looked away, intertwining his fingers with Jaejin’s. “Jaejin, have you ever wondered why I stayed by your side? Why I stay by it even now that I’m no longer a part of FT Island?” When he received no answer, he looked back at the younger. “It’s because I’m in love with you that I stay by your side. And until you tell me to go away, I’ll always be here.”
Jaejin froze, those simple words causing his heart to nearly stop. He looked at Wonbin, seeing no traces of humor. “You…love me?” A simple nod from the elder and Jaejin looked away, staring at the wall. He couldn’t believe it. After everything hat had happened, he couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that Wonbin was in love with him.
“I’ll leave you alone for a little bit. If you need me, I’ll be in the living room.” Wonbin pressed a kiss to Jaejin’s forehead before he stood and left the room.
Jaejin watched him leave, the sound of the television clicking on a moment later although the volume stayed low. He stared at the wall, picking apart each sentence, every word, as he tried to come up with some other solution as to what he heard. Wonbin couldn’t be in love with him. They were only friends, right? He shook his head. No, they were only friends in Jaejin’s mind much like he and Hongki were only friends in Hongki’s. He fell back against the mattress, deciding to stare up at the ceiling.
“I know how he feels,” he whispered to himself. “This feeling of one-sided love, this feeling of watching the person you love fawn over someone else…it’s nearly unbearable.” He closed his eyes, trying to come up with something, anything, that would help him figure out what to do. He sat up, walking mechanically toward the living room. He knew what he wanted, but it would ultimately hurt Wonbin in the end. That thought alone made him not want to do it, but he couldn’t do it without Wonbin’s help.
Wonbin looked up from the television screen, eyebrows knitted together in confusion as to why Jaejin was so robotic. “Yah, Jin, what’s wrong?”
Jaejin shook his head, walking over and sitting next to Wonbin. “I want your help with something.” He looked up at the elder, a fire in his eyes that Wonbin was slightly afraid of. “I want your help in making Hongki jealous to the point where it nearly drives him insane.” Jaejin frowned when Wonbin didn’t answer, a sigh almost escaping him. “I know it’s a lot to ask and you don’t have to do it, but-”
“I’ll do it,” Wonbin interrupted, causing Jaejin’s head to snap in his direction from shock. “I’ll do whatever you want me to if it’ll make you happy. If it’s Hongki that’s in your heart, I’ll gladly help you make him jealous.”
“But, if in the end Hongki does fall for me, won’t you get hurt?”
Wonbin smiled, taking Jaejin’s hand. “That’s a risk I’m willing to take. When I said I’m in love with you, I meant it. I’ll do anything if it’ll make you happy. And if I get hurt in the end, well, that’s on me.”
Jaejin chewed on his lip, trying to decide if making Hongki jealous was worth the possibility of hurting Wonbin. He looked up, nodding once. “Let’s go for it. The least that could happen is Hongki turning me down and I know how that feels already.”
Wonbin watched as Jaejin stood and left, going back to his room. He sat back against the couch, messing his hair up. “Am I crazy?” he muttered, passing a glance toward his bedroom door. He closed his eyes, leaning his head back. “I must have gone insane. What did I just agree to?”
“Is Minhwan still sleeping?” Jonghun asked as Hongki entered the kitchen. A few busted picture frames were scattered across the floor, strewn even into the living room and the hallway. It was safe to say that Hongki had indeed been angry the night before, throwing every frame that held photos of them with Jaejin.
“He’s still asleep,” Hongki murmured, getting a glass out of the cupboard. He poured himself some water, gulping half of it down before taking a large breath. “I can’t believe Jaejin went back to that person.”
Jonghun frowned, sitting down at the table. “Hongki, I know you’re angry, but can’t you just forgive Jaejin? Having us separated like this, it doesn’t make me feel good.”
“I forgive him for going back to that traitor, but he hit Minhwan. That’s unforgivable.”
“Yah, let it go, huh? I’m sure Jaejin’s a mess over it. He’s probably crying his eyes out because of what happened yesterday. Forget yesterday happened, okay?”
Hongki threw his glass against the wall, it shattering and spraying water everywhere. “I can’t forget about yesterday! How can you forgive the two of them?!”
Jonghun stared at him, crossing his arms on the table. “When did it become the two of them?”
Shaking his head, Hongki faced Jonghun again. “I’m going to search for where that person lives and drag that idiot back here.” Hongki turned, freezing when he noticed Minhwan standing there, nearly choking the life out of his oversized stuffed bear. “Minhwan…”
“Don’t hate Jaejin,” Minhwan stated, his eyes watery. He blinked, trying to keep the tears from falling, wiping them away as they fell. “I don’t want you angry at him like you used to be when he was searching for Wonbin after he left FT Island.”
Hongki fisted his shirt in his hands, trying to keep them from shaking. He looked away, not being able to face Minhwan after remembering what happened. Not only was Hongki angry at Wonbin after he announced that he was leaving, he had been just as angry with Jaejin for never once speaking poorly of him. He didn’t understand it at the time, but he hated it when Jaejin praised Wonbin like he was above them back then.
“What happened then isn’t important,” Hongki said, trying to keep his voice calm. He didn’t want to explode at Minhwan for what the younger had reminded him of, but he was finding it hard not to.
Minhwan shook his head. “Don’t look for Jaejin hyung either. He’ll come home when he’s ready to. And, about him hitting me yesterday…” Minhwan clutched his bear tighter to himself at seeing a vein in Hongki’s forehead pop out at hearing of the incident again. “I’ve already decided to forgive him for it, so you need to, too.”
Hongki looked at him, fists trembling. Before he could uttered a single word, Minhwan turned and fled the room, going to the bedroom and closing the door. Hongki scoffed, turning to Jonghun. “Did you hear that?! He’s already decided to forgive him!”
“You can’t really hope that Minhwan and Jaejin will hate each other. Aren’t we supposed to be a band? If they’re fighting, won’t it become hard for us to put on great performances for our fans?”
Hongki frowned, trying to keep his anger contained. “You’re siding with them, too?”
Jonghun frowned, rubbing his temples. “I’m not siding with anyone. I’m simply stating that it’ll be hard for us to perform with everyone fighting. Deal with it yourself. I’m done with this.” Jonghun walked away, going to the room to soothe Minhwan and put him in a better room. Seunghyun stood in the doorway, unnoticed until then.
“I’ll help you look for them,” he said, facing Hongki. “I don’t like us fighting, but Jaejin hyung hitting Minhwan is even more unacceptable. Let’s start our search where we last saw them.”
Hongki nodded, walking with Seunghyun to the door. Jonghun and Minhwan tried to stop them, frowning when the two of them left without so much as a backwards glance. They were going to find where Wonbin lived and when they did, they were going to drag Jaejin home and have him face Minhwan like a man. Hiding behind Wonbin was the cowardly thing to do and they both had something to say to Jaejin about him hitting Minhwan. Walking around for about an hour, Hongki stumbled across an apartment building, motioning for Seunghyun to follow him inside. There, on the far wall, was a row of mailboxes, one clearing being Wonbin’s from the sparkly gold lettering and the many fan letters, treats, and goody baskets piled in front of it.
“He lives here,” Hongki spat, hands clenching into fists. He went to the receptionist, demanding to know which apartment Wonbin lived in. “I’m his friend! I want to know where he lives!”
The receptionist gave him and odd look before punching in a few keys on her phone and placing it to her ear. “Sir, you have a friend here for you. His name is Lee Hongki and he’s with a Song Seunghyun,” she stated, shocking Hongki and Seunghyun into silence. They hadn’t known that she would know who they were, too. “Yes, I understand.” She turned back to Hongki, a smile on her face. “I’m sorry, Mr. Lee, but Mr. Oh isn’t seeing any guests.”
Hongki slammed his fist on the desk, the receptionist not even flinching. “I demand to know which apartment is his! Tell me!”
“Hyung, calm down,” Seunghyun said, eyebrows pulled together as he worried over what the elder might do if he couldn’t get Wonbin’s apartment number. He looked at the receptionist, eyes pleading. “Please, miss, give us Wonbin’s apartment number. We really need to see him. Our friend is with him and-”
“I am well aware that his friend is with him. And that is why I can’t let you see him. He asked me to keep Mr. Lee Hongki, Mr. Song Seunghyun, Mr. Choi Minhwan, and Mr. Choi Jonghun from knowing his apartment number. If you wish to see him, then I suggest you start looking. There are five floors of apartments with fifteen separate living quarters on each floor. You won’t find anyone living here, on the first floor, since it’s a restaurant, too.”
“You’re saying that we have to search all of the seventy-five rooms ourselves?” Seunghyun frowned when she nodded. “Hongki, you search from the ground level up. I’ll search from the top down.” He took off toward the elevators, hitting the button and stepping inside as the doors opened.
Hongki glared at the receptionist. “I hope you get fired,” he spat, running for the stairs to go up a floor. His boots thundered against the solid structure, the sound echoing down to the lobby.
The receptionist picked up the phone, hitting the number for C7. “Wonbin, they’re coming. One is starting at floor E and the other is on floor A. Get Jaejin out while you can before things get ugly. I understand, sir.” She placed the phone back in its spot, pulling out her cell and calling for a taxi.
Wonbin set his landline down, turning to go to his room. He entered, Jaejin looking up at him. “We have to go,” he said, not giving the younger time to react. He threw open the closet door, grabbing two duffel bags. “I had the receptionist get these ready for me while we were out.” He took Jaejin’s hand. “We’re going to stay in a hotel for a few days until they leave.”
Jaejin paled. “They’re coming to get me?” he asked, allowing the elder to pull him to the living room. Wonbin opened the door, making sure it was safe before he pulled Jaejin down the hall. He was glad for the staircases. He didn’t want to take the elevator in case Hongki and Seunghyun were fast searchers and got to his floor before he could get Jaejin to the lobby. He peered down the stairwell, ducking as Hongki ran up the next flight of stairs, landing him on floor B, just below them.
Wonbin placed a finger to his lips, signaling to be quiet. “Shhh. We’ll have to sneak down very quietly,” he whispered. He started down the staircase, Jaejin following close behind him and gripping his hand so tightly that his knuckles were white. They were a turning down the next flight of stairs when Seunghyun shouted.
“Yah, stop right there!” Seunghyun yelled, leaning over the rail. “Hongki, they’re on your floor!” He turned and started down the stairs after them.
Hongki turned, eyes narrowing as he spotted Wonbin and Jaejin. “Don’t even think about running away,” he growled.
Wonbin fled, pulling Jaejin behind him, down the next flight of stairs. Jaejin didn’t look behind him, fearing he’d trip over his own feet. Hearing Hongki and Seunghyun thundering loudly behind them made him want to pass out. He hated the feeling of being chased. It made him feel like a criminal although he could understand why he was being treated as one. Reaching the last few stairs, Wonbin jumped, Jaejin following suit, and the two landed on their feet with a loud thud. They sprinted toward the entrance doors, seeing the cab door opened, waiting for them with the receptionist standing beside it.
“Almost there, Jin, just a few more feet!” Wonbin sped up, pushing his legs as fast as they would go, his muscles already protesting from running. Reaching the entrance doors, he didn’t slow until he nearly threw Jaejin into the backseat of the taxi. He slammed the door behind him. “Drive!”
Jaejin peered out the back window, panting in order to catch his breath as the taxi pulled out into the road. He saw Hongki and Seunghyun bolt out of the apartment complex, fear seeping into his bones at the thought of the two of them catching him. After the taxi turned the corner, he turned back around, allowing himself to breathe properly. “Where are we going?” he asked Wonbin, looking over to the elder.
“Go across town, to one of the cheaper hotels,” Wonbin managed to get out before his chest heaved again and his breath became labored. “My lungs are on fire…and my legs feel like noodles.”
Jaejin looked at Wonbin before dropping his eyes to the floor of the taxi. “I’m sorry. You usually don’t run like that and because of me, you-”
“I already told you,” Wonbin interrupted, reaching out and taking one of Jaejin’s hands. “That I’ll do anything for you. Let’s up that from me just helping to make Hongki jealous to the fact that I’d die for you.”
Jaejin stared at Wonbin, his words ringing loud and clear in his head. He tightened his grip on the elder’s hand, leaning forward almost subconsciously, brushing his lips against Wonbin’s as he closed his eyes. Despite breathing unevenly, the kiss was sweet. He felt his heart thump wildly against his ribs at the little contact they had made, his mind screaming at him that Hongki was no longer the only one in his heart.
Author: his_angel16
Pairing: Jaejin/Wonbin, onesided!Jaejin/Hongki
Genre: Angst, Romance
Rating: PG
Summary: Jaejin always hid his feelings. When he confessed, he had a chance of changing his words as if he had never spoken them. Now, all he can do is wonder if he had chosen right.
Chapter Four:
Jaejin awoke to the sun shining brightly through the window. He tried to roll over, opening his eyes to find Wonbin asleep next to him, arms wound tightly around his waist with the elder’s face buried in his back. He ran a hand over his face, wondering what happened as it all flowed back to him, crashing down like waves against the shore during a storm. He closed his eyes tightly, covering his ears as he very clearly saw Hongki glaring at him in his mind’s eye. He whimpered and instantly Wonbin was sitting up next to him, cradling him in his arms.
“Shhh, Jaejin,” Wonbin whispered, rocking the younger gently. “Whatever it was, it’s gone now. Whether it was a bad dream, a memory, it doesn’t matter. Nothing is going to hurt you while I’m by your side.”
Jaejin turned, burying his face against Wonbin’s chest and sobbing. “Hongki hates me,” he managed to choke out between sobs. “He really hates me. And if he didn’t hate me before, he does now because I hit Minhwan.”
“Hongki doesn’t hate you,” Wonbin murmured, pressing a kiss to Jaejin’s temple. “He isn’t that kind of person. Regardless of you hitting Minhwan, he still won’t hate you. You could push him in front of a speeding truck, and he still wouldn’t hate you.”
Jaejin looked up at him. “Are you sure Hongki won’t hate me?”
“I’m positive. The only things that would make Hongki hate you, is if you left FT Island.”
“But you left FT Island and…” Jaejin stared with wide eyes at Wonbin. It suddenly dawned on him why Hongki spoke with so much venom whenever he was brought up. Sure, they had been great friends and most people thought they were now, but it wasn’t exactly the case. It was neither a lie nor the truth. They simply put up with each other for their fans’ sake. “Hongki doesn’t like you because you left the band?”
Wonbin nodded. “I left to pursue what made me happy, my own style of music. Even though Hongki said that nothing would change between him and me, part of the bad blood between us is you.” He took Jaejin’s hand, making sure he kept calm. “Hongki was upset that you would come back to my side even after I left the band and had to leave you behind.”
Jaejin shook his head. “I can’t be what’s making you and Hongki fight. He doesn’t like me any more than Minhwan does now that I’ve hit him. Why would my being by you make him angry?”
Sighing, Wonbin looked away, intertwining his fingers with Jaejin’s. “Jaejin, have you ever wondered why I stayed by your side? Why I stay by it even now that I’m no longer a part of FT Island?” When he received no answer, he looked back at the younger. “It’s because I’m in love with you that I stay by your side. And until you tell me to go away, I’ll always be here.”
Jaejin froze, those simple words causing his heart to nearly stop. He looked at Wonbin, seeing no traces of humor. “You…love me?” A simple nod from the elder and Jaejin looked away, staring at the wall. He couldn’t believe it. After everything hat had happened, he couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that Wonbin was in love with him.
“I’ll leave you alone for a little bit. If you need me, I’ll be in the living room.” Wonbin pressed a kiss to Jaejin’s forehead before he stood and left the room.
Jaejin watched him leave, the sound of the television clicking on a moment later although the volume stayed low. He stared at the wall, picking apart each sentence, every word, as he tried to come up with some other solution as to what he heard. Wonbin couldn’t be in love with him. They were only friends, right? He shook his head. No, they were only friends in Jaejin’s mind much like he and Hongki were only friends in Hongki’s. He fell back against the mattress, deciding to stare up at the ceiling.
“I know how he feels,” he whispered to himself. “This feeling of one-sided love, this feeling of watching the person you love fawn over someone else…it’s nearly unbearable.” He closed his eyes, trying to come up with something, anything, that would help him figure out what to do. He sat up, walking mechanically toward the living room. He knew what he wanted, but it would ultimately hurt Wonbin in the end. That thought alone made him not want to do it, but he couldn’t do it without Wonbin’s help.
Wonbin looked up from the television screen, eyebrows knitted together in confusion as to why Jaejin was so robotic. “Yah, Jin, what’s wrong?”
Jaejin shook his head, walking over and sitting next to Wonbin. “I want your help with something.” He looked up at the elder, a fire in his eyes that Wonbin was slightly afraid of. “I want your help in making Hongki jealous to the point where it nearly drives him insane.” Jaejin frowned when Wonbin didn’t answer, a sigh almost escaping him. “I know it’s a lot to ask and you don’t have to do it, but-”
“I’ll do it,” Wonbin interrupted, causing Jaejin’s head to snap in his direction from shock. “I’ll do whatever you want me to if it’ll make you happy. If it’s Hongki that’s in your heart, I’ll gladly help you make him jealous.”
“But, if in the end Hongki does fall for me, won’t you get hurt?”
Wonbin smiled, taking Jaejin’s hand. “That’s a risk I’m willing to take. When I said I’m in love with you, I meant it. I’ll do anything if it’ll make you happy. And if I get hurt in the end, well, that’s on me.”
Jaejin chewed on his lip, trying to decide if making Hongki jealous was worth the possibility of hurting Wonbin. He looked up, nodding once. “Let’s go for it. The least that could happen is Hongki turning me down and I know how that feels already.”
Wonbin watched as Jaejin stood and left, going back to his room. He sat back against the couch, messing his hair up. “Am I crazy?” he muttered, passing a glance toward his bedroom door. He closed his eyes, leaning his head back. “I must have gone insane. What did I just agree to?”
“Is Minhwan still sleeping?” Jonghun asked as Hongki entered the kitchen. A few busted picture frames were scattered across the floor, strewn even into the living room and the hallway. It was safe to say that Hongki had indeed been angry the night before, throwing every frame that held photos of them with Jaejin.
“He’s still asleep,” Hongki murmured, getting a glass out of the cupboard. He poured himself some water, gulping half of it down before taking a large breath. “I can’t believe Jaejin went back to that person.”
Jonghun frowned, sitting down at the table. “Hongki, I know you’re angry, but can’t you just forgive Jaejin? Having us separated like this, it doesn’t make me feel good.”
“I forgive him for going back to that traitor, but he hit Minhwan. That’s unforgivable.”
“Yah, let it go, huh? I’m sure Jaejin’s a mess over it. He’s probably crying his eyes out because of what happened yesterday. Forget yesterday happened, okay?”
Hongki threw his glass against the wall, it shattering and spraying water everywhere. “I can’t forget about yesterday! How can you forgive the two of them?!”
Jonghun stared at him, crossing his arms on the table. “When did it become the two of them?”
Shaking his head, Hongki faced Jonghun again. “I’m going to search for where that person lives and drag that idiot back here.” Hongki turned, freezing when he noticed Minhwan standing there, nearly choking the life out of his oversized stuffed bear. “Minhwan…”
“Don’t hate Jaejin,” Minhwan stated, his eyes watery. He blinked, trying to keep the tears from falling, wiping them away as they fell. “I don’t want you angry at him like you used to be when he was searching for Wonbin after he left FT Island.”
Hongki fisted his shirt in his hands, trying to keep them from shaking. He looked away, not being able to face Minhwan after remembering what happened. Not only was Hongki angry at Wonbin after he announced that he was leaving, he had been just as angry with Jaejin for never once speaking poorly of him. He didn’t understand it at the time, but he hated it when Jaejin praised Wonbin like he was above them back then.
“What happened then isn’t important,” Hongki said, trying to keep his voice calm. He didn’t want to explode at Minhwan for what the younger had reminded him of, but he was finding it hard not to.
Minhwan shook his head. “Don’t look for Jaejin hyung either. He’ll come home when he’s ready to. And, about him hitting me yesterday…” Minhwan clutched his bear tighter to himself at seeing a vein in Hongki’s forehead pop out at hearing of the incident again. “I’ve already decided to forgive him for it, so you need to, too.”
Hongki looked at him, fists trembling. Before he could uttered a single word, Minhwan turned and fled the room, going to the bedroom and closing the door. Hongki scoffed, turning to Jonghun. “Did you hear that?! He’s already decided to forgive him!”
“You can’t really hope that Minhwan and Jaejin will hate each other. Aren’t we supposed to be a band? If they’re fighting, won’t it become hard for us to put on great performances for our fans?”
Hongki frowned, trying to keep his anger contained. “You’re siding with them, too?”
Jonghun frowned, rubbing his temples. “I’m not siding with anyone. I’m simply stating that it’ll be hard for us to perform with everyone fighting. Deal with it yourself. I’m done with this.” Jonghun walked away, going to the room to soothe Minhwan and put him in a better room. Seunghyun stood in the doorway, unnoticed until then.
“I’ll help you look for them,” he said, facing Hongki. “I don’t like us fighting, but Jaejin hyung hitting Minhwan is even more unacceptable. Let’s start our search where we last saw them.”
Hongki nodded, walking with Seunghyun to the door. Jonghun and Minhwan tried to stop them, frowning when the two of them left without so much as a backwards glance. They were going to find where Wonbin lived and when they did, they were going to drag Jaejin home and have him face Minhwan like a man. Hiding behind Wonbin was the cowardly thing to do and they both had something to say to Jaejin about him hitting Minhwan. Walking around for about an hour, Hongki stumbled across an apartment building, motioning for Seunghyun to follow him inside. There, on the far wall, was a row of mailboxes, one clearing being Wonbin’s from the sparkly gold lettering and the many fan letters, treats, and goody baskets piled in front of it.
“He lives here,” Hongki spat, hands clenching into fists. He went to the receptionist, demanding to know which apartment Wonbin lived in. “I’m his friend! I want to know where he lives!”
The receptionist gave him and odd look before punching in a few keys on her phone and placing it to her ear. “Sir, you have a friend here for you. His name is Lee Hongki and he’s with a Song Seunghyun,” she stated, shocking Hongki and Seunghyun into silence. They hadn’t known that she would know who they were, too. “Yes, I understand.” She turned back to Hongki, a smile on her face. “I’m sorry, Mr. Lee, but Mr. Oh isn’t seeing any guests.”
Hongki slammed his fist on the desk, the receptionist not even flinching. “I demand to know which apartment is his! Tell me!”
“Hyung, calm down,” Seunghyun said, eyebrows pulled together as he worried over what the elder might do if he couldn’t get Wonbin’s apartment number. He looked at the receptionist, eyes pleading. “Please, miss, give us Wonbin’s apartment number. We really need to see him. Our friend is with him and-”
“I am well aware that his friend is with him. And that is why I can’t let you see him. He asked me to keep Mr. Lee Hongki, Mr. Song Seunghyun, Mr. Choi Minhwan, and Mr. Choi Jonghun from knowing his apartment number. If you wish to see him, then I suggest you start looking. There are five floors of apartments with fifteen separate living quarters on each floor. You won’t find anyone living here, on the first floor, since it’s a restaurant, too.”
“You’re saying that we have to search all of the seventy-five rooms ourselves?” Seunghyun frowned when she nodded. “Hongki, you search from the ground level up. I’ll search from the top down.” He took off toward the elevators, hitting the button and stepping inside as the doors opened.
Hongki glared at the receptionist. “I hope you get fired,” he spat, running for the stairs to go up a floor. His boots thundered against the solid structure, the sound echoing down to the lobby.
The receptionist picked up the phone, hitting the number for C7. “Wonbin, they’re coming. One is starting at floor E and the other is on floor A. Get Jaejin out while you can before things get ugly. I understand, sir.” She placed the phone back in its spot, pulling out her cell and calling for a taxi.
Wonbin set his landline down, turning to go to his room. He entered, Jaejin looking up at him. “We have to go,” he said, not giving the younger time to react. He threw open the closet door, grabbing two duffel bags. “I had the receptionist get these ready for me while we were out.” He took Jaejin’s hand. “We’re going to stay in a hotel for a few days until they leave.”
Jaejin paled. “They’re coming to get me?” he asked, allowing the elder to pull him to the living room. Wonbin opened the door, making sure it was safe before he pulled Jaejin down the hall. He was glad for the staircases. He didn’t want to take the elevator in case Hongki and Seunghyun were fast searchers and got to his floor before he could get Jaejin to the lobby. He peered down the stairwell, ducking as Hongki ran up the next flight of stairs, landing him on floor B, just below them.
Wonbin placed a finger to his lips, signaling to be quiet. “Shhh. We’ll have to sneak down very quietly,” he whispered. He started down the staircase, Jaejin following close behind him and gripping his hand so tightly that his knuckles were white. They were a turning down the next flight of stairs when Seunghyun shouted.
“Yah, stop right there!” Seunghyun yelled, leaning over the rail. “Hongki, they’re on your floor!” He turned and started down the stairs after them.
Hongki turned, eyes narrowing as he spotted Wonbin and Jaejin. “Don’t even think about running away,” he growled.
Wonbin fled, pulling Jaejin behind him, down the next flight of stairs. Jaejin didn’t look behind him, fearing he’d trip over his own feet. Hearing Hongki and Seunghyun thundering loudly behind them made him want to pass out. He hated the feeling of being chased. It made him feel like a criminal although he could understand why he was being treated as one. Reaching the last few stairs, Wonbin jumped, Jaejin following suit, and the two landed on their feet with a loud thud. They sprinted toward the entrance doors, seeing the cab door opened, waiting for them with the receptionist standing beside it.
“Almost there, Jin, just a few more feet!” Wonbin sped up, pushing his legs as fast as they would go, his muscles already protesting from running. Reaching the entrance doors, he didn’t slow until he nearly threw Jaejin into the backseat of the taxi. He slammed the door behind him. “Drive!”
Jaejin peered out the back window, panting in order to catch his breath as the taxi pulled out into the road. He saw Hongki and Seunghyun bolt out of the apartment complex, fear seeping into his bones at the thought of the two of them catching him. After the taxi turned the corner, he turned back around, allowing himself to breathe properly. “Where are we going?” he asked Wonbin, looking over to the elder.
“Go across town, to one of the cheaper hotels,” Wonbin managed to get out before his chest heaved again and his breath became labored. “My lungs are on fire…and my legs feel like noodles.”
Jaejin looked at Wonbin before dropping his eyes to the floor of the taxi. “I’m sorry. You usually don’t run like that and because of me, you-”
“I already told you,” Wonbin interrupted, reaching out and taking one of Jaejin’s hands. “That I’ll do anything for you. Let’s up that from me just helping to make Hongki jealous to the fact that I’d die for you.”
Jaejin stared at Wonbin, his words ringing loud and clear in his head. He tightened his grip on the elder’s hand, leaning forward almost subconsciously, brushing his lips against Wonbin’s as he closed his eyes. Despite breathing unevenly, the kiss was sweet. He felt his heart thump wildly against his ribs at the little contact they had made, his mind screaming at him that Hongki was no longer the only one in his heart.