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Chapter Text

“Donghyuck-ah, please stop playing so much games. Your Doyoung hyung will turn into an angry bird once again if he finishes cooking and you’re still not in the dining room.”

Donghyuck grinned before glancing at NCT’s leader who had situated himself against the doorframe.

“Just one more round and then I’m out of here, Taeyong hyung,” Donghyuck cutely whined. “I promise~”

He knew it was unhealthy to continue playing games when NCT 127 have a fully-loaded schedule the day after and not to mention he had a 4-hour dance practice with the Dreamies right after. But just like what Donghyuck had said during one of their interviews, playing games was for his mental stability. It wasn’t a joke, by the way!

When the tanned-skinned youngest heard Taeyong hum, he knew his persuasion had succeeded. Just like always.

“Alright, kiddo! Just make sure to eat dinner before Youngho inhales them all. He is coming from the gym and I’m pretty sure he’s starving like a bull.”

Donghyuck gave his hyung a thumbs up before focusing back on the computer screen. The sound of the door closing should be heard by now but only the sounds of the ticks and tacks from the keyboard could be heard. It was an obvious indication that the leader still hadn’t left the room. When he briefly looked back, Taeyong was looking at him with what looked to be a fond expression. The legendary ‘Taeyong Mom Mode’ had activated, Donghyuck noticed.

“Do you still need anything, Taeyong hyung?”

The leader hummed, “Nah! I just feel so overwhelmed right now looking at you. You have grown so much, Donghyuckie—or should I say Dongsookie?”

Donghyuck whined. He gave his hyung a glare which was returned by a smile. “That was one time, hyung! You wouldn’t let me live that off, would you?”

“Nope! Finish that game faster, okay? Help me bring some food to your hyungs on the 10^th floor.”

“Fine. Fine.”

“Donghyuck-ah? Donghyuck-ah, it’s time to wake up! We have practice soon!”

A voice could be heard from Donghyuck’s left ear and he groaned before turning to the other side.

“Lee Donghyuckie! It’s time to wake up, brat. The kids are already waiting for you outside.”

“Johnny hyung, five more minutes!” The tanned male pulled his blanket closer to his chest. An airy chuckle resonated throughout the room and that was when Donghyuck realized that he did it again.

The owner of the voice softly pulled the blanket away from him. “Sorry to inform you but I’m not your Johnny hyung, Hyuck!”

Donghyuck’s mouth and eyes closed shut. A heavy sigh waiting to be released.

“I know.” Donghyuck’s hands shook terribly on his sides. “I’m sorry, Chan hyung. It won’t happen again.”

“I know you miss them, Donghyuckie but you have to focus on yourself first. I know you’re hurting and just so you know, I want to help you as much as possible. The kids too.”

The sincerity and concern were oozing on the voice of the group’s leader and it urged Donghyuck to sit up and face the guy. He offered the red-haired male a small smile before reaching for his hand. He gave it a gentle squeeze and immediately got one in return.

Of course! The great Bang Chan never disappoints.

“I know, hyung and you know I would forever be grateful to you and the kids. I also know I could be a burden to you sometimes but you still accepted me. You gave me a home when I lost mine and a family when they left me behind,” Donghyuck stared at Chan’s eyes and smiled as sincerely as he could. “Really, hyung! You had saved my ass more than you could ever think. You’re amazing, Chan hyung! And the kids are the best although Minho hyung and Changbin hyung would definitely skin me alive if I call them kids.”

That made the other guy chuckle. Their hands were still clasped together and Donghyuck felt how his morning became infinitely times better already.

“Minho has always been a tsundere type but I know he appreciates you so much. He told me how you are the group’s lucky charm now,” the leader grinned happily. “And Yongbokkie told me he baked some banana loaf bread for you. It is actually a surprise so you didn’t hear that from me!” And the statement was followed by a wink.

“I’ll tell Felix you told me that!”

***

“Donghyuck-ssi verbally attacked two of the trainees!”

“I witnessed it too!”

“He is horrible. He needs to be punished.”

It immediately got out of hand and everything was all over the place. Donghyuck tried to reason out to everyone—their managers, the directors, the staff, and his members—of course, but no one bothered to stop to hear him out.

Violence, in all forms, was something SM Entertainment would never tolerate even if the alleged perpetrator came from one of the company’s top groups nowadays.

Donghyuck. Verbal violence. Attacked two trainees.

Those three things in one sentence just wouldn’t sit well with him at all. Donghyuck knew he can be very harsh and sharp-tongued most of the time but he knew he could never do that. And to SM trainees on top of that! Heck! Among the members of NCT, Donghyuck was one of those who always schedule a time to visit their trainees, especially when he knew that some of them might possibly debut in NCT.

Everything got out of hand and the next thing he knew, the entire NCT unit (except those currently promoting in China) was summoned to the office of the president. The board of directors had yet to enter the room and all of them were impatiently waiting for what was about to happen. The older members were all giving him looks of disappointment from time to time while the younger ones looked as if they still couldn’t believe this was happening.

Donghyuck couldn’t blame the Dreamies though because he, too, was so confused and baffled right now. Jisung, who was sitting on his right side and Chenle on his left were constantly giving him side hugs. An action that was very much appreciated by him.

He felt incredibly sick as he braced himself for the decision of the company’s higher-ups.

“SM Entertainment cannot overlook such violent acts, Donghyuck-ssi,” the president announced and Donghyuck felt like he was about to topple over on the floor. “And because of this, you are officially removed from the company, the group, and all of its activities now and in the future.”

Donghyuck couldn’t hear anything anymore. He was removed from the group? From SM Entertainment? Just because of an accusation that was never proven in the first place? His heart was throbbing wildly and painfully against his chest and he felt so sick and nauseous.

What about his dreams? What about his family that was relying on him? What about NCT 127? What about the Dreamies? What about his sunflowers? What about him?

“The company will give you until tonight to pack up your bags and return everything that is company-owned…”

Why wasn’t anyone giving him the chance to defend himself? Why were his hyungs keeping quiet and just listening to the president? Why were Taeyong, Taeil, Johnny, and Doyoung not saying anything? Or at least Yuta? Jaehyun? Jungwoo? Why were the Dream members looked like it was the end of the world? Did they really believe Donghyuck committed such an act?

And Mark… why was Mark looking at him like he was the worst person on the planet? Shouldn’t he be the first one to defend him and his honor? Or, at the very least, his place in the group? They were the best of friends.

“I’m so disappointed, Donghyuck-ah,” the president sighed. “I will give you all time to take this in,” he added before leaving the room.

At that point, tears were streaming quietly on his cheeks. But despite of all of that, Donghyuck was confident though. He was more than sure his hyungs would try to reason out and ask for a formal investigation on the matter.

His members… his dear members would defend him. He was sure of that. They never let Donghyuck down before. They were always there to support him and defend him from everything and everyone.

His members…

“Why did you do that, Donghyuck-ah?”

Donghyuck was more than sure before that NCT will always have his back but he wasn’t so sure now.

“We are so disappointed in you!”

His members never let him down before…

So, why now?

***

“Donghyuck hyung, catch!”

Thanks to his unbelievably fast reflexes, Donghyuck successfully managed to catch the water bottle that Felix had thrown his way. All eight—well, nine members of Stray Kids were scattered around the spacious practice room after a groveling six hours of nonstop rehearsing.

Prior to officially joining the group just a few weeks ago, Stray Kids was set to perform in an award show and that event was also now set to be Donghyuck’s first time performing with the band on live television.

Stray Kids obviously had a set of hard and challenging choreographies but he wasn’t an NCT member for nothing. He immediately got a hang of most choreographies in no time and that somehow amazed the other members.

“I still can’t believe you literally memorized and mastered God’s Menu in less than two days.” Donghyuck gave a playful wink to Minho who had chosen to sit beside him.

“That’s the famous Donghyuck power, Minho hyung,” he laughed as he passed the water bottle to the older who appeared like he was about to pass out.

Minho—or people knew him as Lee Know—and Chan were the members who had helped him the most in mastering the dance routines. Changbin, Hyunjin, and Han were mostly the ones teaching him the do’s, don’ts, and tips to survive in JYP Entertainment. Seungmin and Jeongin, on the other hand, were the members joining and supporting him during his vocal practices.

“Hyung…” Donghyuck softly called out for Minho’s attention. Minho hummed and he took that as his cue to continue. “Do you really think Stays would love me? Do you think I won’t disappoint them?”

The older male looked at him incredulously at first before chuckling.

“I thought we talked about this, Hyuck. Heck! If I heard it right, Chan and you had a heart-to-heart talk about this matter three nights ago,” Minho playfully hit his thigh. “Stays love you like their own already. Remember the official announcement we made on Vlive last week? When you first introduced yourself as Stray Kids Donghyuck and not as NCT Haechan? They were confused at first but eventually, they love you. You’re adorable, Hyuckie and it’s not hard to grow fond of you or love you. You will never disappoint them because Stays are not like that and I’m pretty sure NCTzens will also love you as you are. Whether you’re in NCT or in Stray Kids, it doesn’t matter. And don’t forget your own Sunflowers,” the main dancer smiled. “Didn’t they say that they will continuously support you on your journey as a Stray Kids member? Hell! Your addition to the group added lots of fans in our fan base and we for sure are not complaining.”

Donghyuck fiddled with his fingers as he looked down. Minho's words were far too genuine... far too kind. It was almost as if he were Mar—no! That was a complete sham.

“You sure, hyung?” He shyly asked and when he heard Minho cackling like crazy, he looked up.

“If it will make you feel better, just know that the kids and I are also Sunflowers,” Minho whispered to his ears and Donghyuck swallowed down a blush with a small smile.

Just as he was about to playfully shove the older male away from him, the leader of the group called for his name from the other side of the room.

“Donghyuck-ah, can you help me with this part of the song?”

Minho and he simultaneously looked at Bang Chan who was gazing at him expectantly. He offered the older a quick thumbs-up before he started stretching his legs for a bit. Minho gently tug at his wrist and leaned closer to his ears.

“This is a secret but that stupid Christopher Bang Chan is the biggest Sunflower of all whether you’re in Stray Kids, NCT, or whatever. Don’t tell him I said that!” And Minho winked at him before pushing him away.

“Donghyuck hyung, please! Please don’t go. Don’t give up! This is not the end.”

Jisung didn’t know how long he had been crying and bawling his eyes out. All he knew was that his Donghyuck hyung was leaving and apparently, not one of his hyungs was making an effort to stop him.

“Jisung-ah, listen to me…” Donghyuck gave him a small smile and although the older was smiling, Jisung knew how much he was hurting. Donghyuck had always been like that since the time he first met him several years ago. He was selfless beyond description and would try his best not to be an inconvenience to others even to his own expense.

Donghyuck stopped folding his clothes in favor of holding Jisung’s hands with his own. “Listen to me carefully, okay? Always take care of yourself, hmm? You’re not a little child anymore and Donghyuck hyung wouldn’t always be here to remind you to drink your medicine or to take some rest in between practices. You may not know where your vitamins and the pain relievers are but Renjun and Jaemin do so make sure to ask them. You should also take care of Chenle and protect him from the bad people…” Donghyuck’s voice cracked and Jisung had to stifle a loud sob.

He knew very well who Donghyuck was referring to when he used the term ‘bad people’. Haters! Those people who wished to break NCT just because they wanted to.

“…You can also ask your Jeno hyung or uhmm… Mark hyung if you need help with your parts. And for your recordings in the future, just look briefly at the sun before entering the booth so you would know I would always be there to support you and watch you get praised by everyone.”

Jisung violently shook his head. His grip on Donghyuck’s hands was getting harder and harder.

“Hyung, no! I don’t want to! I don’t want to look at the sun. I want to look at you and your proud smiles. Chenle and I need you, hyung. You know we can’t record any song without you…”

“Jisung-ah…”

“NO! I know you didn’t do it, hyung. I trust you more than anyone in this group and I know you didn’t do it. I don’t know what their deal is but it’s just so unfair, Donghyuck hyung. I don’t want them to take you away!”

His Donghyuck hyung removed his hands from his hold and wordlessly embraced him. For the last time? Jisung wouldn’t like to think so.

“Thank you for always believing in me, Jisungie. You don’t know how much that means to me right now.”

Jisung closed his eyes as he tried inhaling the scent that wasn’t Haechan of NCT but Lee Donghyuck, his hyung.

“Where will you go, hyung?”

“I don’t know, Jisungie.”

“Hyung, you won’t give up, right? Chenle and I are fighting, hyung. He is talking to the other hyungs right now about a possible appeal,” Jisung whispered. “Donghyuck hyung, please? Please tell me you’re not giving up.”

It was like a quick and unexpected race. You didn’t know you were one of the participants until the very last minute. And it was like a blur to Jisung. A painful blur that still confused the hell out of him.

All he knew was that he was messing around with his Dream hyungs inside the practice room when they were all summoned and not even an hour had passed and they were now a member short. It all happened too fast and his Donghyuck hyung was the unfortunate one who had been inserted in the race at the very last second.

“Hyung, promise me.”

Donghyuck was so important and valuable to him that Jisung would volunteer to carry the older’s torch until he could pick himself up and finish the race.

“I’m sorry, Jisungie. Donghyuck hyung is terribly sorry. Now come on. Help me pack, maknae.”

And that was when Jisung felt like his world had stopped. It was useless carrying Donghyuck’s torch. There was no point doing that now as he realized that his hyung was not on the track anymore.

“That’s it for today, kids.”

Jisung looked up from tying his shoelace when he heard their choreographer sigh. Beads and beads of sweat were rolling down his face and clinging to every part of his body but Jisung knew he needed it. He badly needed the distraction.

“I could see that all of you are still distracted from what happened and I really couldn’t blame you. I want to ask you all one thing though. Please try your best to concentrate tomorrow and the days after. You have an upcoming performance and we want to show your fans and the world that you are still you. That NCT Dream could work as a six-member unit. You already did it before, kiddos!”

But it was different. We knew before that Mark hyung was coming back. Donghyuck hyung was not.

“Feel free to use the room as long as you wish.” And their choreographer offered them a kind smile before exiting the practice room. Jisung roamed his eyes around and his fists clenched at the sight of his unbothered hyungs.

Jeno and Jaemin were lying on the floor, cuddling. Renjun was holding his phone and appeared to be scrolling through Twitter. Mark, who was probably the most unaffected and unbothered, was practicing one of Boom's more complicated parts. Jisung couldn't believe what he was seeing.

How could they act like everything was okay when nothing was the same ever since that night? Jisung couldn’t understand them at all. Donghyuck was kicked out of the group. Their sunshine. Their energizer. Their childhood best friend, for heaven’s sake!

“Control yourself, Jisung!”

Jisung snapped out of his trance when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Chenle.

Chenle and Jisung were the only ones who had truly fought for Donghyuck’s position until the end. They were the only ones who were sane enough to believe that Donghyuck didn’t do anything wrong. But it was a fight they failed to win when the person they were fighting for was the same one who had told them to just let it go. That the damage had been done and it will only be a fruitless fight from that moment on.

“Look at them, Lele,” Jisung briefly motioned for the other members of NCT Dream. “Look at this mess called NCT.”

“Donghyuck hyung has Stray Kids now. Aren’t you happy for him?”

Oh, he was overjoyed! Actually, more than overjoyed that Donghyuck didn't abandon his dreams of being an idol. But a small part of his mind kept reminding him that Donghyuck wouldn't have had to do that if SM had been able to protect him. He would still be in NCT if only they had taken their time hearing him out.

Almost all of the members watched Stray Kids’ Vlive some nights ago since the press release included the name of their former member. Most of the members were hypocrites, Jisung would like to believe. It was obvious that they still flinch every single time Donghyuck’s name was mentioned and yet they were acting like they were okay with it.

When they were watching the live that night, Jisung tried his best not to cry at the sight of his hyung. Donghyuck looked tired and extremely worn out and yet his bright, priceless smile was still there. The moment the older introduced himself as Stray Kids Donghyuck, Jisung felt like he had lost it.

It should be NCT Haechan.

He willed himself not to snatch his phone and leave a comment and he knew for sure that Chenle was contemplating the same thought.

I miss you, hyung! Please come back!

But it wasn’t easy. There were lots of pairs of eyes observing his every move and he wasn’t sure if Donghyuck would appreciate it.

“I heard a crucial news from one of the managers outside when I went to take a bathroom break,” Chenle leaned closer, eyes darting in every direction to see if someone was listening to them.

“What is it?”

“Remember the award show we will attend next week?”

“Yeah? What about it?”

“Stray Kids is in the lineup!” Chenle beamed at him. “You know what that means, right?”

“We are going to see Donghyuck hyung!” Jisung’s eyes widened in excitement.

“That’s right!”

As much as Jisung would love to have Donghyuck back in the group, he was also aware of how NCT destroyed him. His members turned their backs on him and it was the worst of all.

And so, if Donghyuck found himself healing in another group that hopefully won’t do the same his group did, then Jisung was more than willing to support his hyung from afar.

If you find yourself happy and healing now in your new group, Donghyuck hyung, then Chenle and I will finally let you go.

It wasn’t easy on his part, of course but Jisung knew they were still under the same lights anyway.

Chapter Text

“Hyung, I have nowhere to go. Please help me tell them the truth!”

“Go home, Lee Donghyuck! Go home and never come back here in this place.”

“Mark hyung, please! I can’t go home. You know that. My family will be disappointed in me and—”

“And you think we’re not disappointed now? I can’t believe you did that, Lee Donghyuck. Ridiculing the trainees? Verbally assaulting them? Are you that afraid to keep your position in the group? Wow! You’re scary.”

“Mark hyung, you of all people know I would never do that. Please ask me to take them back, hyung. Please. I have nowhere else to go.”

“That’s not my problem anymore.”

The story of how the members of Stray Kids found him was more on the funny side. It was the group’s secret couple Changbin and Hyunjin who had first found his sorry ass on one of the marble benches near Han River. The young idol couple, who was trying to enjoy their romantic date slash alone time while simultaneously dodging any suspicious paparazzi, stumbled upon a dozing (and pretty much homeless) Lee Donghyuck under the shade of a native tree.

Donghyuck knew it was a dangerous stint since paparazzi were literally everywhere but he was so exhausted—physically, mentally, and emotionally—that he just forgot about everything else. Long story short, the tallest member of Stray Kids managed to recognize him and his posture (Oh! Who would have thought all Stray Kids members were actually NCTzens?) And the next thing he knew, he was being dragged away from the bench and towards the JYP group’s dormitory.

“No one deserves to be left alone, Donghyuck hyung. That’s why we didn’t hesitate to bring you home.”

How Park Jinyoung managed to sign him up to his agency just like that—now, that was rather the more bizarre thing in all of this. It turned out that JYP had been eyeing him and Mark Lee ever since they had appeared in SM Rookies but the two proceeded to make their NCT debut one after the other.

It was a terribly fast process and the next second he had blinked, he was now introducing himself as a Stray Kids member and Vocalracha’s new leader, Donghyuck.

To be honest, Donghyuck still found it too good to be true.

Who would have thought he would instantly find another home as soon as he was kicked out of his own? Now that he had thought about everything, he really owed Changbin and Hyunjin a meal and he would for sure cook everything they would like as soon as he gets his first paycheck as a Stray Kids member.

***

The thing about being a part of a group previously and being a part of another group in the present meant that he now had two batches of reliable dongsaengs. Fortunately for him, his dongsaengs with the names Park Jisung and Zhong Chenle were persistent little shits.

Ever since their groups had briefly bumped into each other on the awards show last week, Jisung and Chenle had been calling and texting him like they had nothing else to do. Like their schedules were not jam-packed and overflowing. Thank God SM let him keep his phone. It wasn’t from them anyway. It was Mark’s birthday gift.

The two maknaes of NCT were nothing but pure sweetheart despite the mischievous and troublesome images those two had established. And despite their busy schedules, they were constantly checking up on him.

“How are you, hyung? What did you do today?”

“Don’t forget to drink lots of water!”

“Hyung, I saw your brief appearance on Bang Chan-ssi’s vlog. You look skinnier. Are you eating well?”

“Donghyuck hyung, I heard that Stray Kids is filming a celebratory video for you in Han River. Make sure not to stay under the sun for too long, okay? Or else you will be a sneezing mess again. Jisung said hi, by the way!”

Jisung and Chenle were also constantly giving him updates on their personal lives and Donghyuck somehow felt some sort of normalcy from those messages.

“Chenle and I are about to film ChenJi’s This and That. We are making anklets for everyone. We’ll make sure to create the most embarrassing one for you.”

“Hyuck hyung, the choreographer praised me and Jisungie today.”

“Donghyuck hyung, I know how to cook kimchi stew now. Doyoung hyung helped me. Jisung still thought he had to wash the kimchi with detergent soap. Please text him and scold him for me.”

Well, there were some texts and voice messages from time to time that just proved that Jisung and Chenle were nothing but two crackheads. They were still young after all and those messages never failed to make him laugh.

“Hyung, is Bang Chan-ssi still your roommate? Can you ask him for an autograph for Jisung and me? Tell him we’re huge fans of Chan’s Room.”

“We heard that the food is awesome there in JYP, hyung. Can you have them delivered to our dorm? Just kidding, Hyuckie hyung!”

“You and Bang Chan-ssi look cute together!! We saw you and him being cute and cuddly on that My House dance practice cover. We support!”

“Chenle kept on shouting BangHyuck Supremacy in the dorms! The hyungs are getting annoyed by him already. I don’t even know what that means, hyung. Did he tell you something about it?”

And of course, there were still some texts and messages that pierced his heart more than they should.

“Nothing’s the same without you, Donghyuck hyung. When will you visit us?”

“I accidentally caught Mark hyung crying again while playing his guitar. I think he misses you. He’s still a hypocrite though.”

“Hyung, Jisung and I miss your cooking.”

“Yuta hyung mistakenly called me Donghyuck last night after we had our dinner with the 10^th-floor hyungs.”

Donghyuck didn’t know whether the two kids were just telling him that to make him feel better but there were nights where he just wished they would stop. Knowing that he was still missed (or at least he thought so) by the members of NCT just wouldn’t sit well with him. He no longer blamed them for what happened but there were still these lingering thoughts at the back of his head screaming that he would still be there with them if only they bothered hearing him out.

He was never an avid fan of anything complex, vague, or complicated but there were times where Donghyuck would like to scream for ‘JUSTICE!’

Donghyuck felt so wronged and victimized but it was all too late. He couldn’t even prove that he was innocent because aside from the fact that he was alone inside one of the booths that day, therefore, no one could prove his alibi…

Apart from Jisung and Chenle, no one stopped to help him out.

***

“Donghyuckie? Are you busy?”

Donghyuck looked up from memorizing his lines inside one of the practice booths in JYP Entertainment when he heard a soft knock. He was greeted by the Stray Kids leader who was looking at him with a fond expression.

“No, I’m good, hyung. I’m just memorizing some songs so I can record them as soon as possible,” he answered, closing the folder to face the leader properly. “Do you need me for anything, Chan hyung?”

Bang Chan playfully winked at him before pointing his thumb towards his back. “You have two visitors lurking around at the back of the company building. Yongbok and Minho spotted them when they were entering. We escorted them to Lounge Room 4. I think you should meet them now before JYP sees them.”

Donghyuck’s eyes squinted skeptically at the leader. “Two visitors? You are kidding me, right? I’m not expecting anyone, hyung. Are they fans?”

“Nope but I’m sure you would want to meet them. Their names are Jisung and Chenle.”

And that was all Donghyuck needed to hear to abandon his post and dash straight to the lounge room.

“What on earth are you two doing here?! Do you both know how dangerous it is? Don’t you have schedules today or tomorrow? What were you thinking, Park Jisung and Zhong Chenle? What if the fans spotted you? Did the managers even know you are here? Oh, God!”

Donghyuck felt like he was one second away from hyperventilating. Finally seeing Jisung and Chenle again after a long time, of course, completed his tiring day but his motherly instincts regarding the two kids’ welfares got the better of him. It also wasn’t helping that the two NCT maknaes were snickering like kindergartens and were currently being babied by three Stray Kids members.

“Oh my! They are so cute, Donghyuck-ah,” Bang Chan cooed while ruffling Chenle’s newly-bleached blonde hair. “I want to keep them so I can squish them whenever I want.”

Hyunjin, who ran to the lounge room as soon as he heard the news, scoffed at that. “You are already killing Jeongin and Seungmin, Chan hyung. Stop involving these innocent kids just because you are a sucker for anything cute.”

“Stop frowning over there, Donghyuck hyung, and join us here. You look like an angry ahjumma standing there with your hands on your hips,” Jisung, squished between Chan and Minho, said and that made everyone in the room laugh.

“Ooh! Savage. I like him already,” Minho chuckled.

“I’m not savage. I’m just telling the truth,” Jisung retorted and Minho gasped.

“It’s final. I’m keeping this one, Hyuck.”

Donghyuck huffed, “Don’t be fooled by Jisung and Chenle’s cute faces. They are menaces.”

“Why did the both of you come here, by the way?” It was Chan who asked the two NCT members. “It’s getting pretty late in the afternoon. Did you ask permission from your managers?”

Chenle gave them an innocent smile but Donghyuck saw it as a wicked one, shaking his head. “Nope. Renjun hyung, Mark hyung, Jaemin hyung, and Jeno hyung are filming a video at the café and when Jisung mentioned that JYP Building is just two blocks away, we kind of snuck out?” The end sounded more like a question and that frustrated him.

“So, you’re telling us that you snuck out of there and walked all the way here?” Donghyuck smiled one of his more sinister ones. “Are you both insane?! What if they notice you missing and call the police?”

“Calm down, Hyuck,” Chan reached for his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Not to sound overreacting but he really did feel a calming breeze wash over him. “I’m sure the kids just wanted to see you and see how you’re doing.” The leader then turned to the two maknaes.

“And the two of you, make sure to call or at least text Donghyuck or me before you do something like this again. I will give you my personal number later and make sure to also leave me yours. I’m sure we can make some arrangements so that the two of you won’t be in any trouble whatsoever.”

“Woah! The people are not kidding,” Chenle exclaimed. “You really are kind, Bang Chan-ssi.”

“Just Chan hyung would do. Everyone calls me that anyway.”

“You could call me Minho hyung too.”

“Just Jeongin for me.”

“Call me Hyunjin hyung!”

Donghyuck snickered, “You are barely a year older than them, Jinnie.”

Hyunjin pouted, “Hey! It would be nice to have someone call you hyung, okay? It’s not my fault Han, Felix, Seungmin, and Jeongin are disrespectful little shits who won’t call me hyung.”

Everyone laughed. Donghyuck noticed from the corner of his eyes how Chenle and Jisung looked at each other before motioning to say something.

“What is it, Lele? Sungie? Do you want to say something?”

Jisung rolled his eyes at Chenle before clearing his throat. It seemed like Chenle had won the internal fight.

“Actually, hyung, there is one more reason why we are here. One of the NCT hyungs has been keeping track of your schedules and appearances online. He gave us a flash drive containing some clips of his dance techniques that he would like to share with you. He asked us to send it to you when he found out we are in touch with each other, hoping they can help you in any way…” Jisung handed him a small red flash drive.

Chenle nodded his head, “That’s right, Donghyuck hyung. He actually wanted to reach out but he still doesn’t know how. I think he also left a video message in there for your eyes only.”

Donghyuck was rendered speechless as he looked at the flash drive in his hand.

“What—How? Uhmm, who?”

Jisung smiled, “It is Ten hyung and he wanted us to tell you that NCT or not, you are still his baby.”

Mark heaved out a sigh as he looked at the huge amount of food on the table. He alongside Renjun, Jeno, and Jaemin were filming an episode where they just had to eat to their hearts’ content. Mark knew it was a much-needed break not just for him but for the others too.

The activity was supposed to be for the whole NCT Dream but Jisung and Chenle opted to step back, claiming that they had filmed enough content for the fans for that week. They didn’t want the fans to get tired of their faces just because they appear in literally every content. He remembered how Chenle had argued this to the manager. The Dreamies’ leader though found it a bit suspicious why the two youngest members insisted on tagging along to the shooting site when they could have just stayed in the dorm and rest.

Maybe they just want some fresh air. He convinced himself. He couldn’t blame them though. The atmosphere inside the company was so thick and it was even worse inside the dormitory.

“Okay, cut!”

Mark dropped his smile as soon as the PD announced that filming was over. He noticed how the others did exactly that too.

“Thank you for your hard work!” Mark proceeded to bow to every staff member present inside the café with them. The other members quickly followed suit.

“Great job, kids!” The PD clapped his hands, smiling as proud as ever. “You can now continue eating the food you guys ordered. I’m sure the shooting had tired you out. The staff and I will go on ahead and review the footage.”

That was what he liked the best when they shoot content for NCT Daily. After the staff acquired enough materials, they just let the members be. Freedom if Mark would like to overreact.

“Well, all of these foods would not disappear by themselves,” Jaemin sat down on his previous seat. “I’m not sure about you guys but I’m starving like hell.”

Shortly after, all four of them were devouring all sorts of food on the table. Mark asked their manager to call Jisung and Chenle but he said that the two were napping inside the van. A bit weird if you ask him. Jisung and Chenle had so much energy and stamina in their bodies and hearing them napping was so suspicious. He let it go anyway.

“Weird.” Mark heard Renjun murmur under his breath and that somehow caught the attention of the other three members.

“What is?” Jeno asked.

“Look at the table,” Renjun motioned for the table. Mark looked at it before staring at the younger one inquisitively.

“What’s wrong with the table?” he asked and Renjun rolled his eyes at him.

“I mean not literally the table, of course, but the food! Kimchi stew, japchae, lots of meat, egg soup, and assorted desserts. They are all his favorite food.” The lead vocalist pointed out and now that he took in all the food he was eating, Renjun was right.

The entire table screamed so much of Donghyuck and they didn’t even notice. No one could be blamed though. It was the members themselves who had ordered the food.

“That’s…” Jeno had started.

“Quite unexpected, I know,” Jaemin had finished. “Oh well! Maybe we should finish all of it. I’m sure he would be so disappointed if we leave even a piece of rice.”

Silence soon followed the lead rapper’s statement. Uneasiness started to flood Mark’s system and yet he couldn’t stop himself from finishing a bowl of kimchi stew. He knew the others were feeling it too if their sudden actions were any indication. Renjun started scooping lots of kimchi stew into his bowl and Jaemin did the same. Jeno, on the other hand, clutched the little sunflower keychain he had on his phone.

All of them missed their sun. That much was obvious.

After that… that night, Mark avoided everyone in the group. It took him quite a while to partially recover from… from what though? Shock? Disappointment? Anger? Anguish? He didn’t know exactly what he had recovered from but maybe from all of those and more. Donghyuck, in honest words, wasn’t just anyone in his life after all.

“And you think we’re not disappointed now? I can’t believe you did that, Lee Donghyuck. Ridiculing the trainees? Verbally assaulting them? Are you that afraid to keep your position in the group? Wow! You’re scary.”

“Mark hyung, you of all people know I would never do that. Please ask me to take them back, hyung. Please. I have nowhere else to go.”

“That’s not my problem anymore.”

Mark knew Donghyuck was already hurting that night and he fueled it even more by saying those words. It was a mistake. A mistake he would never be able to correct.

As he took in more spoonfuls of Donghyuck’s favorite food in the world, he couldn’t help but think about the younger and how he was doing.

Was he eating well? Were the members of Stray Kids treating him right? Was he still doing his Haechan Cam with 37.5% viewer ratings? Maybe not. Haechan no longer existed in the idol world anyway. NCT Haechan was no longer there but Stray Kids Donghyuck was and Mark didn’t like it one bit. It just didn’t sound right.

“I think there’s something wrong,” Renjun suddenly blurted out and all of them followed the direction where he was looking.

And he might be correct! NCT Dream’s manager alongside some of the café’s staff was practically talking to each other near the entrance door in what seemed like frantic voices and loud tones. Something was definitely wrong and the four Dreamies immediately stood up and shuffled beside the manager.

“Hyung, what’s wrong?” It was Mark who had voiced the question out.

“You have to look at this,” their manager frantically shoved his phone to Mark’s face and he blinked repeatedly to get a better look. And when he finally did, his heart felt like it just jumped out of his chest.

[BREAKING NEWS: Fans spotted NCT Dream members Jisung and Chenle outside JYP Entertainment Building]

Mark instantly felt an incoming headache as he let the other members see what was up. “How did anyone lose track of Jisung and Chenle?”

Their manager shook his head. “We didn’t know. We were so sure they were napping inside the car and they were there when we checked again. We couldn’t contact them. They were declining all of the calls from the staff. Maybe if you guys try, Jisung and Chenle will answer.”

Jeno sighed, “What are they doing in there?”

“It is obvious that they went to see and visit their Donghyuck hyung,” Renjun answered. “Those two are reckless but I didn’t know they are this reckless.”

“What are we going to do, hyung?” The leader tried to keep his calm but even his voice was failing him.

“We can’t go there and fetch them just like that. That would bring us more troubles than solutions. If you guys can contact at least one of them and tell them to have one of the JYP staff drop them off at the dorms, then that might be the best and safest way,” their manager nodded his head. “I already tried to contact the media control team and they said they will take care of the news and the leaked photos of the two.”

“Hyung, maybe it’s also best to contact JYP Entertainment so they could help us take better control of the situation,” Mark added. “I’m more than sure they already know about this anyway.”

“Yeah. Okay. I will do that.”

Chapter Text

You see, the thing about being given the role of acting as Stray Kids’ mom was that Donghyuck had to oversee everything. Bang Chan—who was the group’s father figure since the very beginning—was, more often than not, cooped up inside his studio making music.

“That’s so I could feed Donghyuck and the kids,” the leader had once jokingly said during one of his episodes of Chan’s Room.

It wasn’t really funny but the fans found it hilarious anyway so Donghyuck just let it slide. Because of Bang Chan’s busy schedule, he was always left alone trying to deal with all the fiasco inside their household. He had experienced dealing with all of the members’ troubles and dilemmas and on several occasions, the members also go up to him either to rant, request something, or ask him about his opinion on things. There was absolutely nothing wrong with that per se since he truly felt how the members of the group trusted him with their lives.

The thing was… Every damn time a member would go up to him and talk to him, Donghyuck would always feel this sense of déjà vu.

Every time Seungmin or Jeongin would rant to him about their worries and the pressures of being the youngest members, images and memories of Chenle and Jisung doing the same would fill his mind. Maybe it was a maknae thing. Something he was well-acquainted with as he was once NCT 127’s maknae.

Every time Felix would come up to him to make him taste his new recipe, he would suddenly be reminded of Renjun and his love for cooking and trying out to cook some Korean food. Both had different styles of cooking as Felix focused more on mastering desserts while Renjun leaned towards challenging himself with Korean and Chinese food. But despite the differences, Donghyuck tasted the warmth, the effort, and the love.

Every time Hyunjin or Changbin or sometimes both of them at once would approach him asking for love advice, the whipped faces of Jeno and Jaemin would surely enter his mind. It must have been hard for both couples as they were thriving to love one another in secrecy and concealment.

Every time Minho would ask him pieces of advice and thoughts on what they could do to better the team’s dynamics, Doyoung would pop in his head. Or probably their leader Taeyong. Or maybe Jungwoo.

Every time Han would force him to play PUBG, he could hear Johnny’s voice. Or sometimes Jaehyun. Or even Yuta although the older preferred crushing him on Mario Kart.

And every damn time Bang Chan would gently ask him if they could just talk about anything and everything, he would be brought back to the memories of him and Mark. Those sleepless nights where they would just stare at the ceiling of their practice room as they envisioned their future together. Those days where Mark would not hesitate to tell him everything in his mind just because he could. Just because he wanted to. And just because Donghyuck allowed him to.

Back then, he thought it wasn’t that bad. Mark would surely still be there with him in the future and so, imagining what might happen for the next few years with the same person he thought would always be there seemed like a good idea at first.

Donghyuck was doomed. He surely missed the Dreamies. He missed the hyungs. He missed the whole NCT. Hell! He goddamn missed Mark Lee and he felt even more helpless than he had been in his life.

***

When they first heard that Stray Kids was invited to appear on this new variety show called Kingdom: The Survival of the Fittest, they were beyond excited and celebrated like children.

It was a competition of some sort and that they had to battle some 4^th generation boy groups to win the title of the Ultimate Kings. If he heard it right, they would be up against some of the famous new generation groups such as The Boyz, Cravity, Ateez, ONEUS, and CIX.

Donghyuck knew for sure that it would be a great opportunity not just for him but for the whole team to be more well-known and inspirational to the general public. To fans all over the world. It was a good chance to showcase that Stray Kids was made up of probably the most skilled and talented youths in this generation. Donghyuck knew it and he was claiming it.

Earlier, all of them were informed that the pilot episode would be recorded in three days and that they had two full days to prepare a 2-minute routine. For Donghyuck, it was a short period of time to achieve perfection but he trusted his members. They had 3racha, Danceracha, and of course, Vocalracha and Donghyuck just wished his skills would not fail him and he wouldn’t disappoint the others, especially Stays and his Sunflowers.

“Signal when you are ready, Jeongin.”

Donghyuck snapped out of it when he heard Chan. He alongside Bang Chan, Jeongin, and Seungmin was inside one of the recording booths to record Levanter. A song that they had agreed to perform as their entrance performance. Although Stray Kids was known for being a youthful, powerful group with sharp choreographies and dynamic songs, they wanted to show something more nostalgic and emotional and all of them immediately agreed to do it. It also helped his excitement that Levanter was one of his favorite tracks.

“Hyuck…” Bang Chan turned to look at him and he hummed. “Jeongin is ready. Are you?”

“Yeah,” he smiled. “Let’s do this.”

And the two of them watched and listened as carefully as possible to the youngest member as they were on their way to creating something magical. Something nostalgic. Something that would definitely make and leave a statement.

Being the leader of Vocalracha was something Donghyuck had turned down at first. How could they make him the leader when Seungmin and Jeongin were more than capable to take the role? And he was the newbie after all so he was beyond shocked when he found out that Seungmin and Jeongin were the ones who had suggested for Donghyuck to officially bag the role.

“Donghyuckie hyung, you’re like one of the best vocalists in the industry. We look up to you more than you could ever think and I’m sure the fans see that as well.”

His heart warmed at that, of course. And he was so honored to act as one of the vocal mentors of the group.

“Just belt it out, Jeongin-ah,” Donghyuck just hoped Jeongin could see him and his proud smile right now. “Let the full potential of your voice be heard. You have a very lovely voice, kiddo. It will be a waste if you continue singing as if you are concealing it.”

Bang Chan briefly flashed him a smile and a nod before turning on his microphone too.

“Listen to your Donghyuck hyung, Innie,” the Aussie leader chuckled. “Donghyuck is right, you know? You have one of the most unique voices I have known and it will be a shame if you continue to hide it.”

The two of them saw Jeongin starting to smile from inside the booth as the youngest gave them a thumbs up.

“Noted, hyungs! You are both the best,” Jeongin giggled and that brought out giggles from him, Chan, and Seungmin.

“Tired?”

Donghyuck heaved out a huge sigh as he dropped dead to the leather couch inside Chan’s studio. He looked at the previously red-haired male who was now sporting a rich jet-black color.

“More like drained,” he groaned and that elicited an airy laugh from the group’s leader. It was a dreadful five hours of recording, mentoring and perfecting Levanter. He noticed Chan shutting down his laptop and facing him from his swivel chair.

“What do you think?”

“The kids are the best, hyung. Everyone is so talented and they are great vocalists. Jeongin and Seungmin have so much potentials and I think we need to make them come out of their shells more. They are great now and imagine how awesome they will be in the future…” Donghyuck felt a blooming smile on his face as he remembered their recording session earlier.

“…Minho hyung is also super good. I think his voice suited the song the most. Changbin hyung and Hyunjin are also as good. They are rappers, right?” Donghyuck giggled. “Well, rappers nowadays could easily pass as vocalists…”

One great example? Mark Lee.

“…And Hannie? Wow! I was so speechless, hyung. When I first listened to Levanter last year, I was so amazed by Han’s voice but now that I’ve listened to it personally, wow!” Donghyuck looked at Chan and frowned. “What? What’s with the look? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Bang Chan was looking so affectionately at him like he was a baby in a crib.

“It's just so fun listening to you talk about our members like that. You are truly like a mother bragging about his children’s achievements and I don’t know—I’m so happy right now.”

Donghyuck snorted, “You are such a cheese, Chan hyung.”

“Hmm… and so I’ve been told. What about me though? Did I do well? Did I successfully pass Lee Donghyuck’s strict mentoring?”

“Hey, I wasn’t strict!” He whined. “And you did great, of course. Are you kidding me?! You seriously killed it, hyung.”

“Thanks. You did well too, Donghyuckie.”

Weeks and weeks were passing by and yet the whole team was still feeling down and tensed. Mark knew Taeyong and the other older members were doing their absolute best to distract the team as well as get them back on track but they weren’t always successful. In fact, they were failing more than succeeding.

So much had changed in such little time and although they still looked like the bright and cheerful group during filming, things just weren’t the same. And it was because all of them felt like something inside them was torn apart.

Aside from the Dream members, Mark observed how each NCT 127 member was coping up. Despite being the oldest member, Taeil was one of the more sensitive ones. After Donghyuck was kicked out of the group, Taeil barely left his room if it wasn’t necessary. Johnny now spent almost all of his free time at the gym. Yuta and Taeyong, on the other hand, were the ones trying their best to liven up each dorm. Doyoung put all of his attention on cooking nonstop food to give to all other dorms including the one on the 10^th floor, the Dreamies’ dorm, and WayV’s dorm. Jaehyun and Jungwoo both weren’t doing well too. They were easily distracted nowadays and Mark…

Mark realized how lost he was without Donghyuck.

NCT 127 was currently inside their practice room adjusting formations and parts since Donghyuck’s parts were supposed to be distributed by now. The tension was so thick and palpable that it was getting harder and harder for Mark to breathe. He needed some room to breathe in and yet he couldn’t leave. His hyungs, especially Taeyong, Doyoung, and Jungwoo had developed this trauma and anxiety of watching a member leave any room they were in and it was a painful sight to see.

As they were enjoying their 30-minute break, the door of the room opened and it revealed three Super Junior members: Heechul, Eunhyuk, and Donghae. They immediately stood up and bowed respectfully to their seniors.

“Hey, it’s fine. It’s fine. We know you’re on your break so we decided to drop by,” Heechul, always the caring one motioned for them to resume their break.

“Is there something we can help you with, hyungs?” Taeyong asked and both Heechul and Eunhyuk shook their heads. Donghae, on the other hand, looked preoccupied.

“We just wanted to check up on you, guys. See how you are all holding up. I know you’re all going through something difficult these days,” Heechul pulled out a chair and sat near Taeyong and Johnny. “We’ve been there, you know? Many times. I’m sure you all have heard of what happened to Hangeng, Kibum, Kangin, and Henry.”

All eight of them nodded their heads.

“We’ve heard from your manager that NCT 127 will be the first guest mentors in Kingdom? Leeteuk and I will be the substitute hosts for episodes one to three.”

“Yes, hyung,” NCT 127’s leader spoke up. “We are actually preparing for our appearance there.”

“Have you kids talked to Donghyuck already?” It was surprisingly Donghae who had asked the question and silence filled the room. Some of the 127 members looked at the floor while some pretended to look at something else. Donghyuck’s name still brought this certain ache in their hearts.

Eunhyuk cleared his throat, elbowing his member (and boyfriend! Eunhae was more than real). “Hae, that’s not proper—”

“No, I seriously mean it, Hyuk,” Donghae looked at them. “I know it’s hard on you, guys but it’s also not easy for Donghyuck. He’s the one who got kicked out after all.”

“Donghae, we talked about this,” Heechul grumbled. “This is why I don’t want to bring you here.”

“So, have you talked to him?”

Doyoung coughed, “Donghae sunbaenim…”

“I apologize for Donghae’s behavior,” Heechul smiled. “It’s just that… we don’t want you all to make the same mistakes that we did in the past. We have failed to reach out to our former members especially Kibum and Kibum was Donghae’s best friend. All he wanted was to pursue his acting career before but we were too blinded by what the company made us believe about him. It’s saddening really and maybe that was when we started neglecting him.”

“Hyung, stop it!” Eunhyuk interjected and if the atmosphere was so thick earlier, now it was even worse. Super Junior’s main dancer and main rapper then offered all of them a tentative smile.

“What we really wanted to say is that we knew Donghyuck since he was a little trainee and he is a nice kid. We watched him grow up and bloom into this ray of sunshine just like how we have witnessed all of your progress. We, Super Junior members, and some of your EXO hyungs had a brief discussion about this matter and everything that had happened to you guys the past few weeks—or was it months? Anyway, it just sounds so unlikely that Donghyuck would do something like that. Well, at least for us,” Eunhyuk nodded his head, briefly glancing at his boyfriend beside him.

“It’s…” Johnny spoke up which garnered everyone’s attention, including their seniors. “It’s definitely not easy, hyungs. Everything just reminds me of Donghyuck and it is tearing me apart. How did you guys manage to overcome it?”

Heechul patted the tallest member’s right shoulder. “We reflected, of course. We thought about all the possible outcomes if we did something different. What if we just talked to Kibum? What if we defended Hangeng? What if we protected Henry more? We all know we couldn’t bring our members back. What’s done is done but maybe you could have approached the matter differently. A way that doesn’t involve a member leaving the group. It’s always nasty if things boil down to that and I assure you it will eat you up for months—or maybe years…”

Mark’s heart ached at the thought of his Heechul hyung’s statement. It had already been a few weeks and it was already killing him.

“…Even if Donghyuck really did attack the trainees, maybe you should have given him a second chance. The benefit of the doubt some would say. We’re not saying that what he did was right IF he really committed such violence but Donghyuck is still basically a kid. He is still just learning the ropes of being an adult and more often than not, we tend to be more reckless as we explore the world. I had my fair share of things I wasn’t proud of.”

Just then, NCT’s oldest member, Taeil slightly raised his hand with an unreadable expression.

“But hyung, it was the company’s decision to kick him out of the group. We had no way to change their decision.”

“We know that, Taeil-ah. I know I’m sounding like a broken record but we’ve been there, remember? We also experienced feeling so powerless in the presence of those people but have you guys tried defending Donghyuck? Have you tried taking his side in front of the president? We failed to do that in the past but I’m pretty sure at least one voice could make a difference.”

Silence followed suit. The answer to Heechul’s barrage of questions was obvious.

“Maybe try to be more open, kids,” Donghae stood up from the stool. “There’s always two sides to the same story after all. I forgot I still have some work to finish in my studio. Have a great day, kiddos!” And they all watched helplessly as the male left the practice room.

They were shocked, of course! Their Donghae hyung had always been someone with a smile on his face. They still hadn’t seen him frowning or remotely close to being mad and they had this weird feeling in their chests that maybe it was their fault.

“Is Donghae hyung okay?” Jaehyun asked and Eunhyuk pensively chuckled.

“Oh! Don’t mind him,” Eunhyuk shook his head, eyes still lingering on the door. “He’s just a bit upset. I’m sure your manager didn’t tell you any of this but Donghae actually argued to the directors and the president that he saw Donghyuck during the time the trainees insisted they were attacked…”

What?! Mark was speechless.

“…Donghae was sure he saw Donghyuck practicing alone inside one of the booths near the cafeteria. He knew because he was inside the booth across from it and he was more than sure because they both had their doors open. Donghae also stated that he heard Donghyuck practice one of your recent songs… what was it again? Save? Your collab song with Amoeba Culture?”

“Hyung, I will just practice my parts in Save. Do you want to come with me?”

Mark looked up from strumming his guitar and shook his head. “Nah, I’m good. Don’t forget our dance practice in two hours.”

“Yep. Okay. See you, hyung.”

“See you, Hyuck! Don’t strain your voice too much.”

“Will do.”

“Anyway, when Donghae found out that none of you asked for a reconsideration, he asked us instead to support him in asking for an official investigation. He was upset and so furious that no one listened to him and no one believed him. We believe him, of course. I was video-calling him when he was inside that booth so I’m sure that he was there during that time. And more than that, Donghae has no reason to lie and if you know him as well as we do, you would know he couldn’t lie.”

The two Super Junior members stood up and each gave all of them either a pat on the back or ruffle on the hair.

“This story could have panned out in so many different ways but maybe we should all start moving on from it. SM had lost a precious talent that’s for sure and it’s just devastating,” Heechul said. “Take care, kids. I’ll see you guys on Kingdom.”

“Don’t forget to drink water!” Eunhyuk added and the two swiftly left the room.

For the nth time that hour, no one opened their mouths to say anything. They couldn’t even look at each other’s eyes because they knew very well their seniors were right.

They could have done so much more for Donghyuck but they opted to shut their mouths and wait for the verdict of the one in power. Talking to their seniors was indeed an eye-opener for all of them but even with thousands of conversations with everyone, they had no way of changing the past.

They had failed Donghyuck. Period.

Only the sounds of the air-conditioner could be heard when they suddenly heard the anguished voice of their leader.

“What have we done?” It was nothing but a whisper and yet it pierced straight through their hearts. “Why didn’t we stop them from kicking him out? Why didn’t we give him a chance?”

That! That question. The last one.

A chance…

Something they had failed to give their precious maknae.

Chapter Text

The set for Kingdom: The Survival of the Fittest was beyond phenomenal. The entire location was transformed to perfection and everything was placed and designed according to the theme and that was when he realized MNET was not fucking around this time. No, really! It was remarkable and if Donghyuck didn’t know better, he might even say he was inside the shooting location for Game of Thrones.

Donghyuck had to even forcefully close his mouth as he couldn’t help but gape at what was unfolding right before his very eyes. He could imagine the cameras zooming in on his face and his expression. He stealthily looked at both of his sides and had to stifle a laugh. It seemed like his members weren’t faring any better.

“I heard Leeteuk sunbaenim and Heechul sunbaenim are emceeing for the first three episodes,” Bang Chan whispered to his ears and Donghyuck let out a huge smile.

For whatever reason, Donghyuck’s gut churned with excitement, making every second felt like an eternity. Ever since he started training in SM, Leeteuk and Heechul were two of their seniors that had taken care of him. It had been months since he last saw them and he was excited.

“I can’t wait to see Super Junior sunbaenims,” Donghyuck whispered back and if he saw it correctly, the main camera just focused on the two of them for a brief moment before panning to their left showing the members of The Boyz.

***

Donghyuck bit his lips as all participants, including the two emcees, were looking expectantly at the door. He fleetingly looked around the room and as expected, everyone was smiling so wide. Except for him. But that was to be expected though. How on earth could he think of smiling at that nail-biting moment?

Heechul and Leeteuk just introduced and pronounced the teams’ first guest mentors for the competition and Donghyuck didn’t know exactly what to feel. It also wasn’t helping that one camera was pinned on him and his expression. MNET truly was a sucker for drama and Donghyuck’s hatred for the staff suddenly grew tenfold.

Nothing was scripted and yet he felt like everything was. It was a no-brainer that MNET maximized his transfer to Stray Kids as they got the invitation for Kingdom at the very last minute. And how ironic was it really to invite his former members to mentor all participating boy groups? If he didn’t know any better, MNET was fucking playing with him, his emotions, and his sanity.

Loud gasps and cheers of awe and admiration suddenly resonated throughout the large arena-like room and that brought Donghyuck back to his current predicament.

The first thing that popped out from the door to the room was a pearl neo-champagne-colored flag very much identical to the flags being held up by all the teams. Then appeared vibrant silver hair sitting on the very top of a familiar stature. NCT 127’s leader Taeyong. He was soon followed by the rest of the group. All of them had huge smiles on their faces and Donghyuck had to swiftly hide his face on Chan’s broad shoulder to slightly grimace. He just hoped that the camera didn’t capture that or else he would be doomed.

Although he sincerely missed his former members’ smiles, it was also sickening. He should be there walking with the rest of them, probably beside Mark or behind Johnny or maybe he was even the one holding the flag like the attention-seeker he naturally was.

Donghyuck was trying to keep his emotions at bay when he felt all Stray Kids members swiftly and strategically surround him. They weren’t even looking at him and yet Donghyuck knew it was their own way of saying “It is okay. We’re here.” And his heart clenched appreciatively at that.

He somewhat lost track of everything but all he knew was that Taeyong was saying something to the participants. Probably some words of encouragement or some comments saying how thankful the group was for the invitation. When he felt brave enough to look at the slightly elevated platform where the guests were standing proudly, his eyes briefly met a pair of striking dark brown ones. They held eye contact for a few minutes perhaps and Donghyuck somewhat forgot everything.

For all the seconds that Donghyuck's dark brown eyes met his hazelnut ones, a weakening and draining wave traveled down his spine and filled his body with anguish and longing. His breath caught in his throat, and with his gaze fixed on the other's face, he was certain it wasn't a one-sided impasse. Sadness, disappointment, anger, and the almost tear-jerking sensation of a broken bond—it was a feeling unlike any other.

How are you, Mark? Are you doing well?

Donghyuck swallowed and ripped his gaze away from the other, opting to look at Bang Chan instead. The leader of the group still hadn’t left his side since that morning and it was a deed by the other that shouldn’t go unacknowledged. In return, he leaned even closer to the red-haired and got a pat on the waist in return.

Lee Minho was not the nosiest person in the world and the members of Stray Kids could definitely vouch for him. He was not usually the type to stick his nose into other people’s business but the present situation was different and too good of an opportunity to pass.

As the members of each participating group were divided into smaller groups (vocal, dance, and rap) and into these larger sub-units, Minho noticed some things that usually he wouldn’t in a normal set-up. But nothing about everything that was happening to them was normal so he granted himself the green light.

So, just like what he had said, he wasn’t nosy, to begin with, but the sight in front of him albeit quite unnoticeable to other people was a sight that he couldn’t take his eyes away from. Not to brag or anything but Minho was somewhat acquainted with some of the members of NCT 127. He had exchanged a few casual conversations with their leader, Taeyong a few times before and he had also performed with Yuta, Jaehyun, and Johnny during one of the special stages in Show Music Core. And considering that they were Donghyuck’s former members, it was given that Minho’s eyes would fix on them every now and then especially that their dear Donghyuck and the members of 127 were currently inside the same room and under the same roof.

And because of his in-born observant nature (observant and not nosy), he noticed a few things that confused and amazed him at the same time.

First were 127’s vocalists Taeil, Doyoung, and Jungwoo. As Vocalracha’s new leader, Donghyuck would obviously be placed in the vocal sub-unit and thus, would be under the mentoring of the three. He was there alongside Jeongin, Seungmin, and the other vocalists from the participating groups. Minho was sure that the NCT members missed Donghyuck one way or another but he just couldn’t believe it when he realized that all NCT 127’ vocalists couldn’t even meet Donghyuck in the eyes. Donghyuck was a professional idol—probably one of the most professional ones in the music and entertainment industry and so, Minho was confident the younger wouldn’t let it affect his work ethic. It was a ridiculous sight, to be honest. It was almost like they were afraid of Donghyuck when Donghyuck should be the one afraid of them, in Minho’s unbiased opinion. From his position on the other side of the room, Minho noticed how Donghyuck was the one to initiate a conversation with his former members. Maybe it was for the sake of the show but Minho was proud of their sunshine for his professionalism.

The second observation that Minho noted in his mind was the lingering yet helpless gazes of Taeyong, Yuta, and Jaehyun towards the direction of Donghyuck. Taeyong, Yuta, and Jaehyun were the ones assigned to mentor the dance line of each group and that included Danceracha including him, Hyunjin, and Felix. Now, there was nothing weird about this per se since it was totally understandable but every time he would notice them looking at Donghyuck, their faces would morph into that of guilt and regret. They were also extremely professionals though as they had managed to cover it up as soon as it appeared.

And the last weird observation and probably the weirdest of all had something to do with NCT 127’s current maknae and main rapper, Mark Lee. The rap sub-unit was huddled directly beside the dancers and was being mentored by Mark and Johnny. Now, this matter could only be noticed if you were exceptionally observant. Ever since the emcees introduced the guest mentors which turned out to be the members of NCT 127 (obviously!), Minho immediately noticed how Mark Lee couldn’t take his eyes off of Donghyuck. Every single time he would catch Mark Lee on his peripheral view, the latter would surely be looking directly at Stray Kids’ new member, and that raised concerns on Minho.

There was something about the young rapper’s expression that he couldn’t quite decipher. Was it longing? Or concern? Maybe loneliness? Minho wasn’t sure. What he was sure of, however, was how Mark Lee’s expression would switch into something that of anger or annoyance every time Bang Chan and Donghyuck would stand close to each other or even interact for a bit.

For outsiders, it may appear as if Bang Chan was the clingy type but he was normally like that. He would make sure that his members were doing and feeling alright and he couldn’t blame the leader for being twice as protective to Donghyuck. He was the new member after all and the kid just had this aura or vibe in him that makes people want to protect him. And apparently, someone wasn’t that fond of the interaction.

Minho silently laughed to himself. It wasn’t anger nor annoyance. It was jealousy. Mark Lee was freaking jealous of Bang Chan and Donghyuck. Now, Minho hated to jump to conclusions but he wasn’t a newbie when it comes to shipping or OTPs. He knew all about MinSung, ChangJin, SeungIn, and all those shenanigans. So, obviously, he was aware of MarkHyuck—the superior and most famous ship of NCT—according to the Internet. He managed to stumble upon some of the fan-made videos of MarkHyuck’s interactions on- and off-cam all thanks to Youtube and Minho was positive there was something else there. Something that was going far beyond platonic friendship but he couldn’t say for sure. And now that Donghyuck was in their group, fans immediately caught up with the unexpected closeness and started this BangHyuck trend as they began posting clips of Bang Chan and Donghyuck’s interactions and moments.

As he looked at Mark Lee once again, Minho couldn’t help but instigate their leader into sticking even closer to their sunshine member. And every time he succeeded, Minho couldn’t help but wickedly grin at the annoyed expression on one of their mentors’ faces.

Donghyuck is ours now. You had your chance, Mark Lee.

A few hours into filming when the main producer called for a break. Some idol members had gained enough courage to approach him and Johnny while most of them instantly went to their other members.

Mark was currently giving some rap advice to Hongjoong and Seonghwa of Ateez when he caught sight of that very familiar brunette in the corner of his eyes. It seemed as if the brunette was heading to the Refreshments Room near the exit and Mark suddenly found himself excusing himself as he followed the younger.

“Donghyuck-ah…”

The name still sounded hostile to him but he missed saying it for sure. The younger brunette froze with his back on him but shortly after, Donghyuck turned to look at him.

“Mark hyung! I mean Mark sunbaenim!” Donghyuck happily exclaimed and he bit back a snort. The latter clearly feigned happiness if his trembling hands were any indication of his true feeling. “How—how can I help you?”

Mark didn’t know what to say. It seemed as if his tongue lost its purpose but he managed to blurt out “What are you doing here?” Stupid, he was aware.

“Refreshments, of course!” And as if stating the obvious, Donghyuck showed him a pack of biscuits. “The kids are feeling tired and lazy and I’m the only one who memorized their allergies and preferences and stuff.”

“So, you’re like the mom of the group?”

“Well, yeah you could say that, hyu—I mean sunbaenim. They call me mom in the house anyway and they’re my kids.”

Mark’s expression softened. “Hyuck, you know you don’t have to call me sunbaenim—”

“Of course I have to. I have to be respectful to my seniors.” And Donghyuck proceeded to smile as if his eyes didn’t turn glassy. Mark felt some sort of normalcy when he realized that Donghyuck was still the stubborn Donghyuck he knew.

“Can I help you then?”

Donghyuck rubbed his nape before smiling. “Uhh… sure! If it’s okay, of course, and if you are not busy. Can you reach that lime soda over there? You’re not that tall but you’re still taller than me. Felix hates lemons but he loves limes for some reason.”

And for the next five minutes, Donghyuck continued asking for help from Mark if he couldn’t reach for the snacks and Mark happily obliged. He missed it anyway. He missed having Donghyuck around.

Donghyuck, on the other hand, also continued pointing out and sharing details about his new group and it set Mark’s heart ablaze in… what exactly? Mark didn’t know.

“Strawberry crackers are Hyunjin’s comfort food. One time I found a stash of these ridiculous crackers under his bed but when he let me taste them, it wasn’t that bad.”

Donghyuck, I don’t care. All I care about is you.

“Chocolate mousse is Han and Seungmin’s favorite. It’s too sweet for my liking but it is cheap and fulfilling I guess.”

Hyuck, can you stop? I know I’m being ridiculous right now but you talk about them as if they are your world already.

“Banana bread for my baby bread! Jeongin and I always compete on who can eat the most banana bread in one sitting.”

We used to be the ones competing on who can eat the most banana bread until we had to stop because you literally vomited on the floor of the practice room.

“What else? Oh! Shrimp crackers for Channie hyung—”

“Hyuck, are you happy?”

Mark didn’t know where he got the confidence to ask the question but he soon regretted it when Donghyuck remained immobile in his position. When he was about to shrug it off and apologize, Donghyuck cleared his throat.

“I… I honestly don’t know, hyung. Maybe I am. Maybe I’m not. It’s confusing, you know?” The younger male chuckled. “All I know is that I’m getting by. The kids are fantastic and Bang Chan is nothing short of an amazing guy. They are the best, hyung, and they accepted me wholeheartedly. Maybe I am happy but I guess I could be happier.”

“Donghyuck-ah…”

“I have to go now, hyung. My family is waiting for me and I think we should try to be more cautious of the cameras. I don’t really want to give MNET the satisfaction of stirring more dramas involving our groups.”

“But we are your family, Donghyuck-ah.”

Donghyuck stopped walking as he turned to look at him with an expression that screamed agony. Mark’s heart dropped.

“Were, Mark hyung,” the tanned male offered him a sad smile.

“You were my family because if you still are, then I believe it shouldn’t hurt this much looking at you.”

Filming for Kingdom proved to be way harder and challenging than Chan had expected. The competition was now recording for its fourth episode and although Stray Kids grew closer to the other participating groups, there were still some tense moments that he was sure were being maximized by MNET.

Overall, it was still a good experience for his group. They had their ups and downs but Kingdom proved to be a great learning experience for them saved for some close calls on the previous episodes involving Donghyuck and his former group when NCT 127 was the guest mentor. Bang Chan was sure it was intentional that they would put Donghyuck and at least one of his former members into one place. And Bang Chan didn’t like it at all.

Donghyuck’s feelings didn’t deserve to be played with like that but apparently, MNET made it their mission to cause unnecessary dramas. He tried approaching their agency’s representatives and asked for some empathy on his member’s part and although they promised him they would try their best, Donghyuck was still being put into the hot seat.

***

Bang Chan tried to sit as naturally as possible as the interviewer kept on asking him questions after questions. The interview was for Kingdom and it was aimed for the viewers to get to know the leaders of the participating groups more. He didn’t know his turn would come so soon but his eight members were watching and supporting him behind the rows of cameras and that was enough for him to feel confident.

“I’m sure it isn’t an easy task to gain a new member after losing one two years ago. What can you say about this matter, Bang Chan-ssi? How do you lead the group?”

He sneakily looked at Donghyuck who was obviously fidgeting beside Seungmin and flashed him a smile.

“It wasn’t easy for sure and up until now, we are still re-learning the ropes of being a 9-member group. However, Donghyuck makes it way easier for all of us. He’s a very talented person and he helps me in leading the group. There isn’t anything special that I do to lead Stray Kids but now that I have someone who helps me, I think our team dynamic is sky-high right now.”

“Just like what I have been asking the other leaders, what will you do if your group wins Kingdom?”

“With all the talented and amazing groups here, that sounds quite impossible for now but if we win, I would definitely treat my members to anything they want. They have been working five times as hard for this competition and I just hope all of our efforts would bring us great results.”

“That is very insightful, Bang Chan-ssi. Okay for our last question which the other leaders found quite fun yet embarrassing, we would like to know more about your ideal type in a person.”

Ideal type? Wow MNET! You are truly doing everything so the media would focus on you, huh? Fine! Bring it on!

“Let’s do it this way, Bang Chan-ssi. We have prepared sets of options and you will just choose the one closest to your ideal type then you have to briefly explain why you chose it. Did you understand the rules?”

“Yes! Let’s do it.”

“Someone older or someone younger?”

“Someone younger,” Bang Chan answered. “I like it when they feel like they could depend on me.”

“Someone taller or someone shorter?”

“Someone a bit shorter would be nice. It will be lovely if I can perfectly embrace them without any problems.”

“Someone with a shy, reserved personality or someone with a bright, cheerful personality?”

“Definitely someone bright and cheerful. My members always tell me I’ve been living a pretty boring life so someone bright would definitely compliment me. And if the person has the prettiest smile and laughter then that would be awesome bonuses.”

What are you talking about now, Bang Chan? You are seriously looking for a beating.

“Someone who is a local or someone from abroad?”

“I know I am half-Australian but I prefer someone who is a native.”

“Long hair or short hair?”

“Short hair. No question about that.”

“Do you prefer someone who is in the same field as you or not?”

“Someone who is also an idol hopefully. That way we can understand each other better.”

Your impulsiveness will come to bite you in the ass one day.

The interviewer smiled and nodded. “I see. Now, for our very last question, this may cause a fan war but there are lots of pretty and gorgeous girl groups nowadays. Does someone from these groups resemble your ideal type?”

Bang Chan fiddled nervously before letting out a chuckle.

Please don’t kill me for this, JYP! I love you all, Stray Kids! This might be my last day.

“Who said I was referring to a girl?”

And the leader of Stray Kids watched as the interviewer and probably every person in the room stared at him dumbfounded. He then turned to look at his members and all of them were facepalming.

It was a live broadcast and Bang Chan was sure the media had exploded.

Chapter Text

Even before Stray Kids had officially debuted, Bang Chan was already a huge fan of NCT and all of its units despite also being confused by their never-ending concept changes. Who didn’t though? He was sure everyone got confused by NCT 127, NCT Dream, NCT 2018, and especially NCT U. That was what made the group unique though, he liked to think.

There was just something about NCT that captivated him fully. Maybe it was their sharp and unique choreographies, high-quality music, great variety sense, or maybe it was NCT 127’s maknae and his versatility as a performer and as an entertainer that hooked him and made him proudly say he was a fan.

Haechan was NCT 127’s baby and that was an obvious fact he soon found out as he sometimes stayed up all night watching NCT content. Every member loved to baby him, yield to everything he had wanted, and cuddle him despite feigning indifference to the sunny and bright maknae sometimes. But could he blame them for being whipped as hell? Not really. Haechan was born cute and lovable and Bang Chan could understand that. What he couldn’t understand, however, was the question lingering on his mind lately.

‘How the fuck was it possible for NCT 127’s baby Lee Haechan and Stray Kids’ mom Lee Donghyuck to be the same person?’

Bang Chan was beyond dumbstruck and amazed at the same time. Whereas Haechan was the total personification of the word “maknae”, Donghyuck had been nothing but an attentive “mother” figure to their kids. Whereas Haechan always coveted hugs, kisses, cuddles, and undivided attention from any living creature around him, Donghyuck was the one giving others hugs kisses, cuddles, and his full attention.

“Hyung, are you just going to stand there like a statue or help me prepare bento boxes for Jeongin and Seungmin?”

Bang Chan blinked twice as he didn’t notice Donghyuck running around the kitchen wearing a cute pink apron. The younger would kill him for this but he looked so adorable and squishy that Bang Chan had to force himself to behave.

“Hyung? Dude, stop spacing out on me!” He heard the tanned male whine like a kid and it made him smile uncontrollably.

“I’m sorry, okay? I will focus now, I promise. What are you planning to make for them anyway?”

Seungmin and Jeongin had a scheduled picnic sort of Vlive at Han River and Donghyuck took it upon himself to prepare abundant and delicious food for the two maknaes. It was Minho who had been tasked to always cook for them before Donghyuck’s addition to the group but he was seeing the latter more in the kitchen nowadays than their main dancer and second oldest member.

“Some japchae, stir-fried beef and broccoli, dumplings, and egg roll,” Donghyuck looked up from whisking four eggs. “Do you think it’s enough, Chan hyung?”

“I’m sure they will gain at least four pounds each for that meal,” he joked and got a snort in reply.

“Shut up! I’m not even sure if they will like it but Jisung and Chenle usually do so I guess I’m pretty confident,” the tanned male gave him a huge smile despite it being so early in the morning. Bang Chan unnoticeably recoiled from his position. Donghyuck wasn’t like the sun. He was the sun.

“Now, what do you want me to do, Chef Lee?” The leader managed to voice out after the initial shock brought to him by Donghyuck’s smile. God! He was sounding like a sap.

“You can start by cleaning the vegetables for the japchae and the stir-fried beef and broccoli.” Donghyuck looked pointedly at him. “You do know that cleaning them doesn’t require dishwashing soap, right?”

“Hey! I’m not that stupid. Where did that come from?”

“Just making sure,” the vocalist answered, shrugging his shoulder. “You might secretly be Park Jisung 2.0. Who knows?”

And that went on for at least half an hour. As Donghyuck continued to cook, Bang Chan continued to admire the younger guy from the sideline.

And as he looked for the hundredth time at the person who had managed to successfully albeit unknowingly steal his heart since day one, Bang Chan didn’t bother hiding his smile. Haechan may be NCT 127’s lovable maknae, but Donghyuck was Stray Kids’ best hyung.

And as he continued to stare and stare and admire the view beside him, the Stray Kids’ leader realized that he didn’t mind waking up to this every single day.

“Hey, you good?”

He was brought back to reality when he heard Bang Chan speak up from the microphone from inside the recording booth. Donghyuck was once again accompanying the leader inside his studio for the nth time that week since the latter apparently wanted him to hear his latest composition.

“Yeah, sorry! That was good, by the way,” he hastily replied and when he got a thumbs up in response, he let out a sigh. Donghyuck was so lost in thoughts lately especially after Bang Chan’s interview for Kingdom some weeks ago.

The groundbreaking news that the leader of Stray Kids might be bisexual or gay was surprisingly accepted in a positive manner by their fans both internationally and locally. Although there were those few homophobes that staged a protest outside JYP Entertainment, everything was sailing great for their group. Bang Chan, though, had to endure an earful from Park Jinyoung right after the interview but that was only because their boss was concerned for the welfare of their artists. The latter didn’t approve of the way Bang Chan casually revealed matters about his sexuality stating that there were 100 other ways the leader could have done that.

To sum everything up on that issue though, Donghyuck realized a few things. First, he recognized that Bang Chan unintentionally paved the way for all those closeted gays, bisexuals, and lesbians in the KPOP community that were too afraid to come out. News about other artists’ true gender identities followed Bang Chan’s left and right. Stray Kids’ leader became an inspiration to everyone and that made Donghyuck think.

It made him think of Jaemin and Jeno and how SM was still forcing them to hide their relationship from the public. He thought of the nights Jaemin would barge in his room just to complain… and rant… and cry. All the poor boy wanted was to hold his boyfriend’s hand and showcase their love to the world. He thought of those times Jeno would ask him and plead if he could come and accompany the two just so their ‘date’ would look like a friendly hang out to the world.

Then it made him think of Changbin and Hyunjin and their genuine love for each other. He thought of how liberated and free they had become ever since JYP Entertainment gave them the go-signal to announce their relationship in public. He thought of how they both cried thanking Bang Chan, Minho, Donghyuck, and the rest of the group for their unrelenting support.

After that, it also made him think of Ten and how the older didn’t shy away from sharing how romantically attracted he was to Johnny during one of their late-night calls. He thought of how his respect for the older skyrocketed even more.

And then there was Jaehyun and his incessant pining towards NCT’s leader Taeyong or at least that was what Jaehyun believed. Donghyuck was sure Taeyong reciprocated the feeling or who knows? Maybe there was some progress in there. The progress that he wished he could see but for now, he could only hope for the best.

Of course, it made him think of Bang Chan and his lovely smile during the interview. He thought of how brave the leader had been and how ready he was to risk it all just to avoid lying in front of the cameras.

And lastly, it made him think of himself. It wasn’t really a secret but Donghyuck wasn’t exactly straight either and considering his platonic crush on Lucas for two months, his not-so-platonic admiration towards Mark, and the fluttering of his heart every time Bang Chan would do something nice for him, then it was safe to say that he, too, had benefitted from Bang Chan’s revelation to the public.

It gave him reassurance that it was okay and perfectly valid to feel that way towards guys. That there was nothing wrong with it. But as soon as he would start to feel better about himself, Donghyuck’s stubborn mind would venture again to Mark Lee… and all those what could have been's.

“You have spaced out on me for a while there, Hyuck. Are you sure you’re okay?”

Donghyuck turned to look at the voice. Since when was Bang Chan beside him? Wasn’t the older guy recording inside the booth?

“Oh! Uhmm… ah I’m okay, hyung. When are the boys coming home again?”

Bang Chan looked at his wristwatch, “Jeongin, Seungmin, and Yongbok should be home by now. Changbin and Hyunjin would come home a little later and I think Minho and Jisung are already there. Want to go now?”

Donghyuck nodded, still pretty distracted by his thoughts. He thought the presence of the other members might help him snap out of it.

“Yeah. That would be great, Chan hyung. If you don’t mind, of course!”

Preparing for a comeback without one of their most crucial members felt different. It almost felt wrong but Mark didn’t let the thought weigh him down. He knew he couldn’t mess this up because aside from the fact he just got added back to NCT DREAM, he had something else to prove to himself.

We could do this without Donghyuck.

It was ridiculous he was more than aware but there was always this lingering thought at the deepest part of his mind repeating the words “You need Donghyuck.”

As he was getting lost in his thoughts trying to come up with the perfect killer verse for their title track, Mark couldn’t help but wonder how Donghyuck was doing. During this time of the year before—just a few months prior to a comeback, the two of them would bury themselves in creating rap verses that were up to Donghyuck’s liking and revising some of Donghyuck’s lines with help of Mark himself. It may not look like it but out of everyone in the group, Mark believed that aside from Taeyong and Kun, Donghyuck had the most potential when it comes to songwriting. The younger just had this flair for anything related to music and literally everything he touched, he could make them better.

Doyoung even mentioned it before during one of his Vlive with Donghyuck. The older frankly pointed out that Mark succeeded because he worked so damn hard to hone his skills but Donghyuck was just born talented and capable. And the older couldn’t be any more right as Mark could perfectly remember his trainee days with Donghyuck. Whereas he needed all the extra hours for training, the younger didn’t need to do any of those. He still did though. The tanned trainee with the brightest smile always accompanied him anywhere, everywhere, anytime, and every time.

The sudden blast of wind from the air conditioner brought Mark back from his reveries when he realized that he did it again. He thought about Donghyuck again. He knew he missed the younger but it was getting more and more ludicrous. Usually, nothing could ever distract him from composing his verses but lately, he couldn’t just seem to focus on one thing. Mark sighed. It was affecting his work ethic and he didn’t like it one bit.

The door of the private room suddenly burst open before NCT Dream’s manager came rushing through as if he had just run a marathon.

“Hyung, what’s wrong? Can I help you?” Mark offered the nearest seat to the older but the latter declined, shaking his head frantically as he tried to catch his breath.

“Mark, you need to come with me to the recording studio…”

“What? Why?”

“…It’s Chenle and Jisung. They refused to record properly saying that they need their Donghyuck hyung and all of that. Jisung is purposely messing up his verses while Chenle kept on pushing that only Donghyuck could hit the high note well. What should we do? We can’t possibly kidnap Donghyuck in JYP and bring him here.”

Yeah. That was a huge problem alright. He was half-expecting that something like this might happen and yet he was still unprepared when it actually happened. Jisung and Chenle were acting like kids and Mark couldn’t even put the blame on them.

Mark contemplated for a minute when an idea struck his head.

“Would video call be enough, hyung?” He asked the manager who still looked like he was on the verge of passing out.

“Video call? Mark, it’s 4 in the morning. Wait! Are you going to contact Donghyuck? Is that what you mean?”

Mark nodded, “Well, yeah! I mean if he still doesn’t change his personal number and he’s not sleeping or busy at the moment then I guess I could ask him for some of his time. The comeback date is approaching faster than expected and we have to do everything to complete it, hyung.”

Their manager looked deep in thought for a few seconds before nodding. “Sure. You do that, kid. I’m going to head back now to the recording studio. Make sure to be there as soon as possible. And with Donghyuck in the phone, I hope.”

“I’ll try my best.”

The door closed with a moderate sound before he found his thumb hovering dangerously above Donghyuck’s name on his contact list.

It’s just Donghyuck, Mark. What are you so goddamn nervous for?

“Ah, fuck it,” he whispered under his breath before dialing the all-too-familiar contact number. As preposterous as it may sound, Mark knew Donghyuck’s number by heart. He managed to memorize it since those sets of digits were the only thing on his mind when Donghyuck broke his leg and injured himself.

Mark was agitatedly tapping his fingers on the wooden desk when he heard someone pick up the call.

“Hello? Donghyuck?”

“Hello? Who’s this? It’s 4 AM.”

No. That didn’t sound right. The voice wasn’t the usual nasally and dripping with honey.

“Donghyuck, this is Mark.”

“Oh! Mark sunbaenim? Uhmm… Donghyuck is sleeping right now. This is Bang Chan, leader of Stray Kids. Is something wrong? Should I relay a message?”

Bang Chan? Mark unconsciously clenched his fist.

“Hello, Bang Chan-ssi. Sorry for calling this late—or early, I guess. Can you please pass the phone to Donghyuck? This is kind of important.”

“Sure, sunbaenim. Let me just go wake him up.”

And Mark heard what sounded like the Stray Kids’ leader waking Donghyuck up. That was when Mark realized that the two were either roommate or they slept beside each other. And the latter thought didn’t sit well with him at all. He heard even more rustling and some yawns.

“Hello? Mark hyung? What’s wrong?”

***

“You both did great, Chenle-yah, Jisung-ah! Make sure to thank everyone in there, okay?”

Mark tried his best to show Donghyuck to the youngest members by tilting his phone in the direction of the two although he, too, wanted to see his former member’s face. He could already imagine the fluttering of the other’s eyes. It was past five in the morning anyway but of course, Donghyuck would be way too stubborn to tell Jisung and Chenle that. The sun-kissed male would do anything for the youngest members of NCT and that much Mark was sure.

“Thank you, hyung!” Chenle beamed, pulling Jisung closer to his side so they would fit well in the screen. Mark’s heart slightly welled at the sight of his members being that happy. Usually, the two wouldn’t be this bright and cheerful. They would sometimes avoid the members like a plague—most especially the older ones from 127 and seeing them so happy at the sight of Donghyuck meant that they had fucked up badly.

“Aussie hyung! Can Jisung and I go there again?”

Mark looked at Chenle when he heard the latter ask that as if it was nothing. He knew that both Chenle and Jisung had grown accustomed to the members of Stray Kids but he didn’t know they were that close already.

He heard a series of chuckles from his phone before a voice that was obviously not Donghyuck’s resounded throughout the small room.

“I’ll try my best to make it happen, Chenle-yah. Didn’t you say NCT Dream has a special performance on Music Bank next week?”

Chenle and Jisung nodded, “Yes, hyung.”

“Stray Kids will be there too. We were invited to perform for the special episode as well. Donghyuck and I will make sure that we will get to visit your waiting room. How is that?”

The Chinese member visibly beamed at the suggestion and Mark resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

“That would be awesome, hyung! Please bring the other Stray Kids hyungs too. Promise?”

“Promise.”

“You should go now and rest, you two. Great job!”

“Thank you, Donghyuck hyung. Thank you, Bang Chan hyung!”

And before he knew it, Chenle was hugging Mark as if his life depended on it while Jisung was smiling at them.

“Thank you too, Mark hyung. You don’t know how much you made us happy.”

Mark chuckled, ruffling Chenle’s hair. “Of course I will do anything for you and Jisungie.”

I wish you had done the same for Donghyuck.

Still, Mark could not help but taste a bitter tang in his mouth. Donghyuck and his leader, Bang Chan looked terribly close already. It was absurd but he felt like he had lost big time. 

“Mark hyung…”

Mark stared at Jisung before realizing that they were the only ones left inside the recording studio.

“Yes, Jisungie?”

The youngest member grinned sheepishly at him as he put on his violet sweater. “You should really try harder, hyung. Controlling your expressions I mean. Jealousy is not a good look on you.”

Chapter Text

“Mark hyung, why? Why didn’t you fight for me? Why did you let me go?”

“Donghyuck, I…”

“Hyung, it hurts! I didn’t do it. I didn’t hurt anyone. Why didn’t you believe me? Why did you let them break me down?”

“I’m sorry. Donghyuck, I’m sorry. Please come back to us. I can’t do this alone.”

“THEN WHY DIDN’T YOU HEAR ME OUT? WHY DIDN’T YOU ASK ME TO STAY?”

Heart pounding wildly against his chest, Mark’s eyes snapped open. He was covered in cold sweat and his hands just won’t stop shaking. He tried to pat his cheeks to wake up further when he realized that they were wet.

It was that dream again.

“Woah there!”

He looked to his side and found his Jaehyun hyung on the other bed staring worriedly at him. Why was Jaehyun there?

And that was when it clicked to him that they weren’t at the dorm but inside a hotel that the group was staying at and the older member was his roommate.

“You good, Mark? Should I get a glass of water?”

Mark shook his head as he slumped back to the headboard of the bed. His head was starting to ache terribly and all he wanted to do was to go back to sleep but he was afraid.

“Are you okay?” He heard Jaehyun’s deep voice asking him with a tone of concern and genuine worry.

Mark nodded, looking straight at the older. “Yes. I’m sorry, hyung. Did I wake you up? I just had a dream. A really bad dream.”

“Was it Donghyuckie?”

It was soon followed with nothing but silence. There was no denying there anymore.

“Yes, hyung,” Mark let out an airy chuckle. “He was continuously pestering me why I didn’t fight for him. He was so angry, Jaehyun hyung. And so sad that it always breaks my heart to pieces every single time.” Mark clenched his fists to his side, shaking his head as if the thought was driving him crazy. “I’m being ridiculous right now. I’m sorry, hyung.”

“No, it’s okay. Don’t worry about it. I get them too…”

The rapper instantly looked at the older.

“…And so does Johnny hyung, Yuta hyung, Taeyong hyung, and everyone in the group. Every night actually. I just find it funny how Donghyuck’s already in another group and yet he’s still being that perky, little menace here.” Jaehyun looked at him with a small smile and an unreadable expression. “Do you miss him, Mark?”

“So much.” Came the immediate answer. Mark answered in a heartbeat that it shocked him and amazed Jaehyun. “I miss him so much more than you could ever imagine, Jaehyun hyung.”

Jaehyun chuckled, “Yeah. Yeah, I guess I can see that. Try to go back to sleep, kiddo. We have a long day ahead tomorrow. And if you can, tell Donghyuck in your dreams to get out and let you sleep peacefully.”

“I doubt he will listen. You know him, hyung. He never does.”

A series of chuckles came from Mark and Jaehyun and could be heard in the middle of an otherwise silent room.

“Jaehyun hyung, can I ask you something?”

Jaehyun hummed, “Sure. What is it?”

“That incident with Donghyuck,” Mark abruptly stopped. Suddenly, he couldn’t think of the right words to say, and yet he felt like every word was on the tip of his tongue, aching to be said. But he had to try. For the peace of his mind, he had to try.

“Don’t you want to know the truth?” Mark asked. “Are we just going to move on with our lives without finding out what really happened that day?”

“Of course a huge part of me is still yearning for the truth, Mark,” the older member shrugged, feigning nonchalance but Mark knew better. “But will it make a difference?”

“Huh?”

“I talked to Taeyong hyung about this matter a few days ago and he, too, is still hesitant to ask for the truth,” Jaehyun smiled just like he always had been every time he was talking about their leader. “I guess it has something to do with the little pride Taeyong hyung has left for himself.”

Mark’s eyebrows creased in confusion. “What do you mean by that, hyung?”

“Think about it this way, Mark. Imagine if we find out one day that Donghyuck was indeed innocent after we all had failed to have his back that night, Taeyong would break. Undoubtedly. Our hyung is already falling apart now. What more if he finds out he turned his back to Donghyuck? To one of his treasured dongsaengs?” Jaehyun offered him an empathetic smile. “Do you get it now?”

“Yeah,” Mark reluctantly nodded. “Yeah. I think I understood.”

And yet he couldn’t help but think that it was wrong.

***

One of Mark’s mentors when he was still a trainee told him once that he should always be keen and on his toes at all times. The middle-aged mentor kept on pushing that someone out there would just barge into his life and ruin it all. Fourteen-year-old Mark Lee didn’t understand what the statement was even supposed to mean. And not to mention that his mentor used ‘would’ and not ‘may’ or ‘might’ and that confused little Mark Lee from Canada. It was almost like a guarantee that someone would indeed destroy his peaceful life as an adolescent boy and as SM’s golden trainee.

And that was when he met Lee Donghyuck.

Thirteen-year-old Lee Donghyuck had a mischievous look on his face, and even more mischievous glint on his eyes, and a laugh that could be heard everywhere in the company building. The new trainee also had a relatively tanned skin that glistened under the rays of the sun and a honey-like voice that instantly caught Mark’s attention. It scared Mark so much in a way that he couldn’t and wouldn’t want to stop listening.

The two of them didn’t get along well at first. No! Not really. In fact, they became sworn enemies.

Although Donghyuck got along with literally everyone in the company, he couldn’t seem to get along well with Mark without teasing him or making fun of him. At first, it was just about his Korean—or his lack of skills in Korean—but then the younger trainee started making fun of his looks, his talents, his favorite color, his favorite food, and just everything about him.

It took him quite a while to realize that maybe Donghyuck was the person his mentor was referring to. Someone that would just barge into his life and ruin everything. Only Donghyuck fitted the description and it even seemed that his mentor’s words were meant to describe the mess storm that was Lee Donghyuck.

His mentor, on the other hand, had failed to mention that this 'someone' would be absolutely intolerable. He was the only human being alive that did not possess a single ounce of shame in his body or a single cell in his brain. And the only one who had taught Mark, in a strange, painful, and an unparalleled amount of stress, what it truly meant to love someone.

But Donghyuck was no longer beside him. He was now a shadow of a stranger that gave him lots of memories to hold on to. Memories that were better left unrecalled for now. Tuck in the back of his mind for when he would need to feel extra happiness and inspiration.

***

NCT Dream was abruptly given an invitation to perform their hit songs “Boom” and “Ridin’” in the month-ender episode of Music Bank. Mark opted to sit out the performance to give way to the five members who had originally promoted the two songs. Fortunately, the management immediately gave him the go signal to do just that and his members were also okay with it.

To make it up for the younger members, Mark invited Taeyong to visit the five Dreamies at the broadcasting station instead and the leader instantly accepted his invitation. The other NCT 127 members also wished to go and support their ‘babies’ but they had their individual schedules to attend to. Johnny and Yuta were requested to join as guests on the Foreigners’ Special of Happy Together. Doyoung, Jaehyun, and Jungwoo will guest on MMTG while Taeil had to record a music video for the new SM Station. So, it was just really Mark and Taeyong for the day, and who were they to say no to a break?

“Are you sure the kids will be happy with just these pretzels?” Taeyong asked as soon as the two of them boarded the elevator. The older was gazing at their bag of purchases worriedly.

Mark laughed, “Hyung, they will be fine. The kids love pretzels and they will appreciate them more than bread or anything from the bakery.”

Taeyong hummed, “Okay. If you say so—”

“PLEASE HOLD THE DOOR!”

A loud and surprisingly familiar shout disturbed Mark and Taeyong’s conversation (and probably the entire floor) before a hand appeared on the elevator’s door, stopping the poor thing from closing.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m just really late and my members will kill me—”

And as if the world was hearing Mark’s internal prayers for the last few months, Donghyuck appeared in front of him. He heard gasps both from Taeyong and Donghyuck before the latter bowed his head as a sign of respect and acknowledgment.

“T—Taeyong hyu—I mean sunbaenim, Mark sunbaenim…” Donghyuck’s voice wavered considerably and Mark’s heart stirred painfully at the sight. The Donghyuck in front of him and Taeyong looked and seemed so unfamiliar and apparently, he wasn’t the only one who had noticed that detail.

“Haechan-ah…” Taeyong’s voice also quivered and Donghyuck took a step back.

“I’m sorry. I’ll just take the next lift.”

Mark cleared his throat, wanting Donghyuck to look at him.

“Don’t be silly. We’ll be going on the same floor anyway. Hop in!”

The tanned male looked reluctant for a few seconds before joining him and Taeyong inside. Mark missed this kind of sight. He felt his lips tug up. This was real! Donghyuck was truly just a few steps away from him. An arm-length at most and yet Mark also felt as if Donghyuck was so far away. Unreachable at its finest.

“Are you doing well, Haechannie?” Mark looked at Taeyong who had asked the question before staring at Donghyuck. The latter didn’t look uncomfortable with the sudden question but he saw from his trembling fingers how nervous or awkward he must have been feeling at the moment.

“I—I’m fine. I’m doing well,” Donghyuck slightly bowed. “Stray Kids members are taking care of me.”

The leader smiled, “That’s a relief. I’m glad.”

And just when Mark thought the conversation would end there, Donghyuck opened his mouth albeit with uncertainty.

“Are—are you all doing well?”

“We are,” Taeyong answered. “Thank you for asking, Haechan-ah.”

No, we’re not. Taeyong hyung, tell him the truth. We’ve been such a mess since he left. Mark wanted to scream at his hyung in frustration but that would be unnecessary and totally out of place.

Just then, the elevator dinged before the doors opened. The three of them were immediately greeted by the face of the Stray Kids leader who had bowed at them and greeted them instantly and with enthusiasm. They returned the greetings and the next thing Mark knew, Donghyuck scrambled to get out of the elevator and beside Bang Chan.

However, before the two of them could even take a step out of the lift, Donghyuck turned to look at them once again.

“Uhmm… I know this won’t mean as much to the both of you anymore but I think you both deserve to know the truth about what happened before.”

“Haechan-ah…” Taeyong called.

“I didn’t do it, Taeyong hyung, Mark hyung. Attack the trainees I mean. I really didn’t do it…” Donghyuck smiled at them. A genuine one. “I wish NCT the best and I will always support the group in the future. Thank you for everything, hyungs.”

And before they could even react, Donghyuck was already out of their sight.

The journey from the entrance of the elevator to the waiting room was filled with nothing but thick silence that it was almost stifling. Taeyong was obviously lost in his thoughts and truthfully, Mark wasn’t managing any better. From the corner of his eyes, he could see the leader staring at nothing in particular while chewing the insides of his cheek. An evident indication that he was deep in his thoughts.

The laughter that was unmistakably from the Dream members reverberated throughout the hallway and Mark cleared his throat as a signal to himself that he needed to get his shit together before facing the younger members. And ostensibly, the action also brought Taeyong back from his reveries.

“Mark, I want to talk to you for a moment.” Taeyong proceeded to pull him away from the door even before Mark could open it.

“What is it, hyung?”

There was a clear hesitancy in Taeyong’s eyes but the leader continued anyway.

“I think… I think I’m ready now.”

“Hyung, what do you mean—”

“I want to know the truth,” Taeyong said with conviction. “Pride be damned, Mark. We have to request a formal investigation on this matter. We have to talk to Donghae hyung again as well as all the trainees involved.”

“Hyung, I don’t know…”

“We have to do this for Donghyuck, Mark. We have to know the truth for Donghyuck.”

What he did on Music Bank last week in front of the elevator and in the presence of two of his former members was nothing but a stupid, impulsive decision on his part, Donghyuck would like to believe. He was caught up in the moment of being with them again after a long time that his mind went on auto-pilot.

Donghyuck couldn’t even believe he did that. It was almost like a dream and he was so sure it was just a dream if only Bang Chan wasn’t there to witness it all. The leader was teasing him about his thoughtless stunt every chance he gets and that soon became an inside joke to the entire group. He was okay with it, surprisingly. He knew the members meant no harm by doing so but just to remind him that with every stupid decision he will do in the future, the members will be there to pick him up.

The incident was nothing but a meaningless blur to him now and maybe it was for the best. He could not even remember Taeyong and Mark’s expressions when Donghyuck blurted out his innocence but perhaps he should be blamed for that one. He literally ran away after causing a scene dragging Bang Chan along.

“Hey! You have been spacing out on us, Donghyuck-ah. Are you okay? Feeling under the weather?”

Donghyuck blinked twice as his vision focused on one of his seniors here in JYP.

“Oh, I’m fine, Wooyoung sunbaenim. I just thought of something irrelevant,” he smiled tentatively at the older male.

What happened an hour ago was that Stray Kids had been practicing for their second to the last Kingdom performance when their practice room was ambushed by four 2PM members: Nichkhun, Wooyoung, Chansung, and Junho. Bang Chan instantaneously halted their practice to accommodate their seniors.

Hyunjin, Minho, and Felix were currently getting some pointers from Junho and Chansung on how they could make their moves more swiftly and effortlessly. Han, Seungmin, and Jeongin excused themselves to buy some snacks from the cafeteria. Donghyuck and Bang Chan, on the other hand, were sprawled out on the floor with Nichkhun and Wooyoung sitting across from them.

Their 2PM hyungs, much like Donghyuck’s Super Junior and EXO hyungs, were quite hands-on when it comes to their juniors. It was his first time officially meeting them but they made him feel like he was a part of their company from the very beginning.

“Donghyuck-ah, if you don’t mind us asking, how’s your Super Junior hyungs when you were still there?” It was Nichkhun who had asked him the question.

“Oh, uhmm… Suju hyungs are doing well and I’m sure they are still doing okay. Leeteuk hyung, Heechul hyung, and Donghae hyung reached out to me a month after the incident.”

The two 2PM members nodded.

“That’s good,” Wooyoung playfully scoffed. “I’m glad they are doing okay.”

“I heard you, hyungs are close with Super Junior sunbaenims,” Bang Chan intercepted and Nichkhun nodded his head.

“Yes, we are close with them but we kind of lost regular contact with some of them after enlistment although Siwonnie and I still exchange messages from time to time,” the Thai idol explained.

“Good for you!” Wooyoung snorted and that earned him a smack on the back from his bandmate.

“Oh, don’t mind him, kids! Wooyoung here is still bitter to anyone related to SM because Donghae rejected him when he courted him several years ago.”

Donghyuck’s eyes widened. “Sunbaenim, you courted Donghae hyung?”

“As surprising as it may sound but yes! I courted Hae,” Wooyoung chuckled. “You could ask him about it actually and I’m sure he will tell you all about it.”

“So, what happened?” Surprisingly, it was Bang Chan who had asked that. Donghyuck looked at him and the leader genuinely looked interested.

“I courted Donghae when the 2^nd generation of KPOP was on its peak but just like what this stupid Nichkhun had said, he turned down my confession. Hey! How would I freaking know he and Hyukjae were together as in together together? Hyukjae and I are best buds but you wouldn’t want to know his expression when I told him I liked Donghae and I wanted to court him,” Wooyoung laughed. “He almost had my head on a stick.”

Nichkhun chortled, clapping his hands. “Those two took the idol shipping to a whole new level. We thought it was just for fan service but who would have thought they were actually  together?”

All four of them shared fits of laughter as Nichkhun continued to expose Wooyoung and his unrequited love towards Donghae.

“Oh, wait! I have a better one,” Nichkhun called for their attention. “I’m not sure if you can remember but when the dating scandal of Wooyoung and Taeyeon exploded because this idiot was spotted inside SM, he was actually there for Donghae.”

The four of them continued talking about anything and everything under the sun until Junho called for the two and decided it was time to go back.

Donghyuck truly had a great time with his 2PM hyungs and he appreciated how kind, genuine, and welcoming they were to him. He was bidding them goodbye and a promise to hang out soon when Wooyoung looked at him and smiled.

“It’s really great to have you here with us in JYP, kid. Just know that we are here for you if the things from the past bother you or anything. And know that the truth always prevails no matter how long it will take. Fighting, Donghyuck-ah!”

Chapter Text

[SHOCKING NEWS: Truth about former NCT member Haechan’s misconduct scandal will finally be revealed!]

[BREAKING NEWS: Former NCT member Haechan is innocent after all?]

[HOT TOPIC! President of SM Entertainment Lee Sooman to face the media after the confirmed innocence of former NCT member Haechan]

[JUST IN: Super Junior Donghae submits his testimonies disproving the alleged verbal violence of former label mate NCT Haechan]

[BREAKING NEWS! Trainee ‘A’ that initially spoke up about the verbal abuse will finally break his silence]

[EVEN MORE SHOCKING NEWS! SM staff ‘B’ revealed to be the one who had stopped any formal investigations regarding the alleged verbal attacks by then NCT member Haechan]

[SPOTTED: NCT leader Taeyong and main rapper Mark spotted outside an established law firm in Gangnam]

[What will happen to former NCT member Haechan and now Stray Kids member Donghyuck? Stay tuned to find out!]

The entirety of SM Entertainment was in shambles. Absolute utter shambles! Members of the different media outlets across South Korea as well as hundreds of paparazzi were scattered everywhere and around the building hoping to encounter at least one member of the group in question or someone from the higher boards.

These people were honestly scraping the bottom of the tin can at this point, creating unnecessary noises and dramas while desperately and simultaneously searching for something to add fuel to the fire.

Mark honestly had no idea that the company would immediately release a statement that a formal investigation was now ongoing. Last thing he remembered was his conversation with Taeyong the very last time they saw Donghyuck and everything that followed that incident was a blur.

Taeyong had opened up the thought to the entire NCT unit that very same day and although the leader got screams and shouts from Chenle and Jisung asking what took the older so long, everyone was onboard. It was apparent that they, too, were aching to find out the truth.

To be honest, it was painful and downright agonizing. Mark knew deep inside his heart that Donghyuck was innocent and yet there was a small part of him wishing for the scandal to be true. It was the selfish part of him that was slowly dying due to guilt and remorse. It was that part of him that failed to listen to his best friend—the love of his life. The part of him that was ruthless, immature, and unbelievably stupid.

When Mark heard that SM Entertainment had been in contact with JYP Entertainment to help in protecting all the artists involved in the fiasco, he was so worried. For the future of the group? Probably. But for Donghyuck? Definitely! After seeking a much needed legal advice, Taeyong briefed every one of them about the potential hits and jabs the group might get but it didn’t matter to them. They were part of this mess and it wouldn’t escalate this much if only they knew how to listen. All of them held equal weights of things to be blamed for and so all of them should be held accountable. But Mark was the most worried for Donghyuck. Just like what his Donghae hyung had said before, it may be hard for NCT but it could be harder for Donghyuck. He was the one who had to take all the jabs and hits before despite tirelessly fighting for his innocence.

“Mark hyung, if you are not an idol, what do you think you will be when you grow up?”

Mark put down his guitar from his lap to his bed when he heard Donghyuck asking him. The younger male was lying upside down on the other bed beside his own. They were once again in a luxurious hotel in preparation for their SM Town Concert for the next two days. Mark hummed as Donghyuck was seemingly looking at him with that familiar stars dancing inside his orbs.

“A teacher perhaps?” He answered and the tanned male snorted at him. “Why? What’s wrong with my answer?”

“Why does being a teacher fit you well? I can imagine you wearing your usual boring outfits as you run around the room chasing noisy but cute children? And then the kids will call you Teacher Markie!” Donghyuck laughed, rudely pointing at Mark’s face.

“Hey! What’s so funny about my choice of outfits?” Mark whined. “What about you? What will you be if you’re not in NCT?”

“I wanted to be a doctor at first because I want to help others but then blood scares the shit out of me,” the younger male huffed as he gazed at the ceiling. “But then I realized that maybe I am better off as a lawyer. A human rights’ lawyer.”

“Human rights’ lawyer? That’s oddly specific.”

“It sounds cool though, right? I want to help those people who are falsely accused for crimes they did not even commit.”

“You watch too much series, Hyuck!”

“But isn’t that amazing, hyung? Imagine me being a human rights’ lawyer and I managed to defend someone, I would look really cool. I can make a difference, Mark hyung. Attorney Lee Donghyuck! That sounds so cool.”

Mark couldn’t help but laugh at the younger’s antics. “Sure, Hyuck. If that will make you happy then continue dreaming!”

Another issue of the latest newspaper landed near Mark’s left hand as he looked up and saw Doyoung frowning.

“What’s up, hyung?” Mark greeted the older and offered the empty seat for his hyung who looked like he was so close to passing out. This whole ‘investigation’ thing was starting to take a toll on every member and it was finally showing. “What’s the latest scoop?”

“JYP just released a statement saying that Donghyuckie has permitted an interview about the issue sometime this week. Taeyong hyung said that we should also be prepared in case SM wanted us to attend a press conference.”

“Okay, Doyoung hyung.”

This is for you, Donghyuckie. I’m sorry for letting you down once. I’ll make sure not to do that ever again and so I will fight for the truth too.

The moment Donghyuck woke up, Minho instantly showed him several clips regarding the chaos that was currently happening at SM Entertainment. He grimaced to himself because the current situation in JYP wasn’t any better. The media was so persistent on trying to get to him and hear his thoughts but all Stray Kids members were also persistent on protecting him.

Some JYP staff that he came across with on his way to the practice room were asking him how he was doing and all he could do was nod in assurance and thank them one by one for their concern. But despite putting up a strong front, he wanted to shout deep inside.

Damn! It was so liberating that he wanted to jump happily like a kid. So freeing. He was aware how absurd it was to feel that way but he felt like he just got acquitted for a crime he didn’t even commit in the first place. Now he know the feeling of those people who were wrongfully suspected of crimes.

He was also aware that his face and name were all over the Internet and TV channels at the moment. He had multitude of questions on what actually happened and what triggered his former agency to dig up the truth but he didn’t care anymore. These were the questions that might be better left unanswered. Maybe he would be asked by JYP to release a statement or permit an interview regarding the current investigation but that was a problem for future Donghyuck. For now, he wanted to bask in the warmth brought upon by liberty and justice.

You can now continue living in peace, Lee Donghyuck. Start anew. You did well. Claim it because you deserve it. 

One year later…

To celebrate Donghyuck’s first anniversary with Stray Kids, he was invited to Happy Together for an intimate episode special for those KPOP idols who had once lost the light but managed to come back even brighter. So far, the shoot was going well. Everyone was treating him well and with respect—from the National MC Yoo Jaesuk to the other hosts to the other guests—despite being the youngest in there.

The atmosphere and vibe inside the set radiated comfort making it easier for Donghyuck to adjust well and fast. Seated on his right were former Monsta X member Wonho and former 2PM member Jay Park while the ones across from them were former 2NE1 members Gong Minzy and Park Bom alongside former CUBE Entertainment artists Hyuna and Dawn.

Wonho and Jay Park were taking utmost care of him and they did not hesitate to give him some tips on how to answer intimate questions without feeling uncomfortable. They were also giving signals to him every time it was his turn to speak or answer a question and he was grateful.

Inspiring stories were heard one after another and Donghyuck’s respect to these people escalated to the highest level. These were the people who had experienced controversial things just like him. These were the people who would understand him the best. The people who shared the same sentiments despite facing different backlashes and storms.

“I know this may sound insensitive but I guess everyone wants to know why SM let go of someone as precious as you despite them knowing that you are innocent since the very beginning,” Yoo Jaesuk turned to look at Donghyuck.

From his side, he could feel a gentle squeeze from his Wonho sunbaenim.

Donghyuck let out a smile. “Maybe I am too flawed… Too imperfect… And maybe… maybe SM realized that and so I was let go.”

Hums of understanding resonated throughout the set and he was so sure he saw his Hyuna sunbaenim and Park Bom sunbaenim were tearing up.

“You became an inspiration at such a young age, Donghyuck-ah. Our show would like to know if there is anything that had happened last year that you wish to change, what is it?”

“I guess it’s a bit overdue by now, sunbaenim but I think that maybe all of the things that had happened to me was really bound to happen one way or another no matter what I did or what I should have done. There’s no point turning over a new leaf when the whole tree was already cut down, does it?” Donghyuck playfully chuckled and everyone cooed at him. They were literally treating him like a baby.

“Wise words for someone so young, don’t you guys think so?” Jo Seho, the other emcee commented and he shook his head, chuckling at the older. Dawn, Minzy, Bom, and Hyuna gave him thumbs up while Wonho and Jay Park patted his head.

“Well, you made a really great point there. Now, I think all of your fans including everyone in here would also like to know if you are happy right now.”

Donghyuck slightly shifted on his position and briefly looked behind the rows of cameras filming them. He imagined his members standing there while looking proudly at him. However, his heart stopped momentarily when he visualized not just the eight members of Stray Kids but also the other twenty-two members of NCT. He even made eye contact with imaginary Mark Lee, his best friend who was clapping his hands while smiling at him. He was standing in front of the others and Donghyuck had the sudden urge to reach out to him.

“I guess I am. I know I sound like a broken record right now but the members of Stray Kids are nothing short of amazing. They accepted me and trusted me when I couldn’t even accept and trust myself. They are lovely and they truly make me happy.”

“We are happy that you are happy, Donghyuck-ah. Now, before our commercial break, we also would like to ask you. What is NCT to you and what is Stray Kids to you?”

“That is a bit tricky, sunbaenim but NCT was my family and Stray Kids is my home.”

Eight may be fate but nine will surely make Stray Kids shine.

END.