૮₍ ˶• ༝ •˶ ₎ა 🎀

“What do you mean yn is going to stay in the group?” Yunho huffed, disbelief sharp in his voice.

Hongjoong barely reacted, only raising an eyebrow.

“She’s part of this group, regardless of your history with her,” he said evenly. “How is it fair to take that away from her when she has the same dream the rest of us do?”

Yunho went silent, jaw tightening as his gaze dropped to the floor.

A quiet sigh left Seonghwa.

“I don’t have an issue with Yn,” he said carefully. “I just figured… after a year away from us, she’d gotten the healing she needed. From everything.”

Across the room, Yeosang bit the inside of his cheek hard enough to stop himself from reacting.

Hongjoong stayed quiet for a moment before speaking again, his tone carrying finality this time.

“With that being said, Yeosang and I will be moving into a dorm with Yn. The rest of you can either stay here or rearrange. Your choice.”

The room fell still.

“I want things to be normal once recording sessions and dance practices start again,” Hongjoong continued. “For Atiny too. We continue as usual.”

“But something did happen,” San cut in, frustration slipping through his voice. “Why are we pretending it didn’t?”

“I don’t think you get much of a say in this, ghosty,” Yeosang snapped, the edge in his tone sharp enough to silence the room.

San immediately opened his mouth to argue back, but a hand landed on his shoulder before he could.

Mingi shook his head slightly.

“We’ll act normal,” he said quietly. “So it doesn’t raise suspicion with Atiny… it’s the least we can do.”

Hongjoong gave a small nod, ignoring the lingering stares directed at him.

The tension in the room thickened, stretched so thin it felt ready to snap at any second.

And none of them were prepared for what came next.

ATEEZ in a Poly Relationship? Shocking Allegations Surface

An anonymous source has come forward with explosive claims regarding ATEEZ, alleging that all members were involved in a romantic relationship with fellow member Yn Ln.

According to the source, the situation took a devastating turn when every member reportedly ended things with her, an event they claim is the true reason behind Yn’s sudden hiatus.

Fans were left shocked and concerned when the group’s beloved maknae stepped away without clear explanation. At the time, KQ Entertainment provided minimal details, only stating that yn would be taking time off for personal reasons.

Since then, speculation has only intensified.

Rumors of a possible pregnancy circulated widely online, though these claims have neither been confirmed nor denied by the company. Now, with these new allegations surfacing, fans are questioning whether there was more happening behind the scenes than anyone realized.

As of now, neither ATEEZ nor KQ Entertainment have responded to the claims.

Everyone sat around the round table, heads lowered, eyes fixed anywhere but each other. The weight of it all pressed down hard shame, embarrassment, the quiet understanding that something irreversible had just been exposed.

No one spoke.

Not until the CEO finally did.

“We’re working on identifying the source,” he said, voice calm but firm, cutting clean through the silence. “But until then, all of your phones will be confiscated.”

The words landed heavy.

“No one leaves the building until we figure this out.”

The words echoed in your head, louder than they should have been.

You couldn’t stop shaking.

Your knees bounced uncontrollably beneath the table, the movement subtle at first until it wasn’t. The table trembled with it, giving you away no matter how hard you tried to still yourself.

Every eye that had been avoiding you now had a reason not to look.

Like if they acknowledged it, they’d have to acknowledge you.

Hongjoong reached over without a word, his hand settling gently on your knee.

It wasn’t enough to stop the shaking.

But it grounded you just enough to remind you that you weren’t completely alone in the room.

His thumb moved in slow, steady motions careful, intentional, like he was trying to match your breathing, pull you back before you slipped too far under.

“Breathe,” he murmured under his breath, quiet enough that only you could hear.

You tried.

God, you tried.

But the walls felt like they were closing in, the weight of the accusations, the stares, the silence. all of it pressing down at once.

And for a terrifying moment, it felt exactly like before.

Like you were about to fall apart in a room full of people…

and no one knew how to catch you.

Tears welled up, blurring your vision as your lip trembled uncontrollably.

“I’m… I’m so sorry,” you mumbled, your voice barely holding together.

You could feel it. the shift in the room.

The attention.

The eyes that finally landed on you all at once, heavy and suffocating, making it harder to breathe, harder to think.

“I’ll leave the group,” you rushed out, words stumbling over each other in desperation. “I’ll take full responsibility if I have to—”

“No one is leaving the group.”

The CEO’s voice cut through yours instantly. firm, final, leaving no room for argument.

The room fell silent again.

Even your breathing seemed too loud.

“We knew the risks when you and Hongjoong first brought the relationship to us,” the CEO said, his tone steady, unwavering. No hesitation. No room for doubt.

“We will handle this.”

The words settled heavily over the room, firm enough to anchor what felt like it was unraveling.

“And ATEEZ will continue as nine.”

Silence followed. thick, stunned, almost disbelieving. He was the first to stand up, everyone shortly follow afterwards before it eventually became just you and hongjoong.

Your chest tightened painfully.

“I’m so sorry, Joongie,” you whispered brokenly. “If I didn’t fall in love with—”

“Don’t you dare,” Hongjoong snapped immediately, cutting you off before the thought could fully leave your mouth.

The sharpness in his voice startled you into silence.

“We all agreed to this,” he said firmly, softer this time as his hand squeezed your knee. “And I’m positive not a single one of us regrets falling in love with you.”

Mingi and San had decided to take over your old room.

Neither of them spoke as they stepped inside.

The room looked almost untouched, like pieces of you still lingered in every corner despite how long you’d been gone. A hoodie tossed over the desk chair. Faint marks from taped up polaroid's still visible on the wall. The soft scent of your perfume clinging stubbornly to the air.

Mingi froze near the doorway.

The smell hit him instantly.

You.

His throat tightened painfully as memories crashed into him all at once: your laughter filling the room at three in the morning, your sleepy voice complaining when he stole your blankets, the way you used to curl into his side like it was the most natural thing in the world.

And now all that remained were traces.

Leftovers of someone he loved too much and hurt anyway.

San stayed quiet beside him, watching as Mingi’s shoulders began to tense.

A shaky breath left him.

Then another.

Before tears finally welled in his eyes.

“Mingi…” San started softly.

“I can still smell her,” Mingi whispered, voice cracking around the words.

That was what finally broke him.

He turned away quickly, dragging a hand over his face as tears slipped free despite his efforts to stop them.

The guilt had always been there.

Heavy. Suffocating.

But standing in your room, surrounded by the ghost of everything he’d taken for granted, made it unbearable.

Mingi lowered himself onto the edge of the empty bed, the mattress dipping slightly under his weight. For a moment, he just stared at the floor—like if he looked long enough, he might find the right words there.

Then he finally looked up at San.

“Why did you break up with her?” Mingi asked quietly.

San didn’t answer right away. He stepped further into the room instead, fingers catching on the hem of a forgotten hoodie draped over the chair. He turned it over in his hands like he didn’t know what to do with it.

“I didn’t even—” he started, then stopped, jaw tightening.

Mingi let out a short, humorless breath.

“Oh yeah…” he muttered. “You pretty much just ghosted her.”

The words weren’t loud, but they hit anyway.

San flinched slightly, eyes dropping back to the hoodie.

“I didn’t know how to do it right,” he admitted finally, voice rougher now. “Every time I tried to talk to her, it felt like I was already too late. Like I’d already messed everything up and saying it out loud would just make it worse.”

Mingi’s expression shifted—anger still there, but tangled with something heavier.

“That doesn’t make it better,” he said.

“I know,” San replied immediately, sharper than before. Then quieter, almost swallowed by guilt. “I know.”

The room fell into silence again.

" i miss her."

“I called this meeting because someone has leaked that we’re in a relationship,” Hongjoong began.

The room went silent.

Eyes widened across the table. shock rippling through every member, except you.

You sat beside Yeosang, frozen in place, your knee bouncing uncontrollably beneath the table. The movement betrayed you even as you tried desperately to still it, to swallow down the panic rising in your throat.

Don’t speak. Don’t apologize. Don’t—

“What the fu—”

“Is that why they came in and took our phones and everything?” Jongho cut in, his voice sharp as he interrupted Yunho before he could finish.

Hongjoong gave a small nod.

“They’re handling it,” he said firmly. “They’re preparing a statement and locking down the source.”

The words should’ve sounded reassuring.

But instead, they only made the room tighter.

You felt your breath hitch again, fingers curling into your sleeves as if you could physically hold yourself together. Apologies pressed against your teeth, begging to come out, but you forced them down.

“Do we have any idea who would leak this?” Wooyoung asked, his brows drawn together. “I mean, we were careful. No one ever saw us go out unless we were with you, hyung.”

A few heads nodded in agreement, the same question hanging uncomfortably in the air.

Hongjoong let out a quiet breath, shoulders tense.

“I have no clue,” he admitted. “I really don’t.”

That answer didn’t settle anything.

“I bet it was Yn.”

The room went dead quiet.

Every head turned toward Yunho.

He was already glaring, arms crossed tightly over his chest, jaw clenched like he’d been holding that thought in for too long. The accusation sat between you all like something toxic. impossible to ignore. impossible to pretend wasn’t there.

For a moment, no one reacted.

Then Yeosang pushed back his chair so fast it scraped harshly against the floor.

“Don’t—” he started, sharp enough to cut through the silence.

At the same time, San stood up immediately too, tension snapping through him like a wire pulled too tight.

“Hey, stop,” San warned, eyes flicking between Yunho and you, already on edge.

The room shifted instantly.

“Why are we defending her?” Yunho snapped, voice sharp with frustration.

Seonghwa exhaled sharply, shaking his head.

“What is up your ass, man?” he shot back. “You’re acting like we’re not at fault either.”

Yunho let out a humorless laugh, rolling his eyes. “Whatever.”

Just one word.

Dismissive. Cold.

Like he suddenly didn’t care anymore.

But everyone in the room knew better.

Because Yunho only ever said whatever when he cared too much.

The room stayed tense, no one daring to speak first.

Seonghwa stared at him in disbelief, brows furrowed as if he couldn’t recognize the person sitting across from him.

Even Wooyoung looked caught off guard.

Because this wasn’t frustration anymore.

It wasn’t anger.

It felt uglier than that.

And sitting beside Yeosang, your stomach twisted painfully as your fingers tightened around your sleeves.

Because deep down, beneath the panic and hurt, a small, cruel part of you wondered if Yunho had always felt this way.

You leaned against the sink, palms pressing into the cool marble as you stared at the mirror in front of you. A small cleared spot remained where you'd wiped away the fog with shaky fingers, leaving the rest of your reflection blurred around the edges.

The entire morning replayed in your head on a loop.

Every stare. Every silence. Every word.

Especially his.

Your chest ached painfully as Yunho’s voice echoed through your mind, each sentence somehow sounding harsher now than it had in the moment.

You shouldn’t have let it get to you.

You knew that.

But it did. God, it did.

Slowly, you lifted your head, forcing yourself to look.

For a second… you just stared. Because the person looking back at you didn’t feel familiar.

The dark circles beneath your eyes. The exhaustion etched into your face. The way your shoulders looked smaller somehow, like you’d spent so long trying to make yourself take up less space that your body had finally listened.

You barely recognized yourself. And maybe that was the part that hurt the most. Not the rumors. Not the scandal. Not even the breakups.

But realizing somewhere between losing them, losing yourself, and trying desperately to survive it all, you had somehow become a stranger too.

And that realization hurt more than anything.

Because rookie you would’ve never tolerated this. Rookie you would’ve rolled her eyes, crossed her arms, and thrown the same energy right back. She would’ve stood her ground. Defended herself. Refused to shrink for anyone. Especially not for Yunho.

You stared at your reflection harder, searching for that version of yourself somewhere beneath the exhaustion.

When did you become so... weak?

The thought slipped in before you could stop it.

When did you become the person who stayed quiet?

Who sat there and let people speak over her?

Who let herself be stepped on while everyone else fought battles that should've been hers to fight?

Your fingers tightened around the edge of the sink.

Because somewhere along the way, you stopped recognizing the difference between healing and disappearing. After the breakups, after the tears, after months spent alone in an apartment that never really felt like home, you had made yourself smaller.

Quieter.

Easier.

As if taking up less space would make people stay. As if being less you would somehow make you easier to love.

Your eyes burned again. Because standing there, staring at the mirror, you finally realized something terrifying:

You couldn't remember the last time you fought for yourself.

A soft knock against the bathroom door startled you, your body jolting slightly.

“Yn?”

Silence.

Then, “It’s me…"

Wooyoung’s voice was quieter than usual, stripped of its usual playfulness. “I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

Your eyes squeezed shut. Of course it was Wooyoung. For a moment, you just stared at the sink.

At your reflection. At the tears gathering all over again.

Because the terrifying part was you almost told him you were fine.The words sat right there on your tongue. Automatic.

Easy.

The same lie you'd been feeding everyone for months. Instead, you unlocked the door. The soft click echoed in the quiet bathroom, and slowly, you pulled it open. Wooyoung stood on the other side. And the moment you looked at him it hit.

Not the comfort. Not relief. The hurt.

It slammed into you all over again, sudden and vicious. Because this wasn't just Wooyoung.

This was one of the people you cried to after Seonghwa left. The one who held you while you broke after Yunho ended things. The one who promised he'd stay. Until he didn't.

Your chest tightened painfully. You took a slow breath in, trying to steady yourself, trying to hold together the cracks threatening to split open. Then you looked at him.

Really looked at him. And glared.

“Where’s Hongjoong?” you asked quietly.

A beat.

“Or Yeosang?”

The question hit harder than if you’d yelled. Because Wooyoung’s expression fell instantly. Not because of what you said but because of what you didn’t.

You didn’t ask for him.

You didn’t reach for him.

You asked for the two people you still trusted.

“Uh—” Wooyoung stuttered, stepping back instinctively as you walked past him. You didn’t look at him. Just stepped out of the bathroom like he wasn’t even there. Like it didn’t matter anymore.

His throat tightened as he watched you move down the hallway, shoulders tense, expression unreadable in a way that scared him more than anger ever could.

“Hyung went to see manager-nim,” he said quickly, voice catching slightly as he followed a few steps behind you. “And Yeosang is in the kitchen.”

Not even saying thank you, you left Wooyoung behind. A quiet sigh of relief slipped out of you the moment he stopped following.

Turning the corner, you spotted the kitchen.

Yeosang was there, along with Jongho and San.

For a split second, everything in you tightened.

Then you moved.

Fast.

Before you could second guess it, before your brain could remind you of everything that had happened, you rushed forward and stopped right beside Yeosang like gravity had pulled you there.

Like he was the only steady thing in a room that kept shifting beneath your feet.

Yeosang looked up instantly, surprise flashing across his face but it softened the second he saw you. Even before you spoke, his posture changed. Subtle. Protective. Familiar.

San and Jongho both went quiet, the air in the kitchen shifting as they took in your expression. Because you weren’t smiling. You weren’t pretending. And you weren’t looking at anyone else, just him.

“How was your shower?” Yeosang asked, passing the bowl of meat over to San like nothing had happened, like the world hadn’t been cracking open around all of you for days.

“It was good…” you replied, forcing your voice to stay steady. “Had me thinking.”

Yeosang’s eyes flicked to you immediately, cautious now, like he could sense the shift even in your tone.

He reached out and lightly poked your cheek.

“Don’t think too hard,” he said softly, a small attempt at easing the heaviness. “Hongjoong went to talk to our manager. He said he’ll be back in time for dinner.”

You let out a soft hum, your eyes drifting toward Jongho who immediately looked away the second your gaze landed on him.

he couldn’t hold it. he didn’t deserve to.

Your attention shifted back to Yeosang, who had noticed the exchange almost instantly.

“Why don’t you talk to him?” he asked quietly, leaning in just enough for only you to hear. Your head snapped toward him.

“No.” The answer came fast. Final.

Yeosang blinked slightly, caught off guard. “Why not? We were just talking and—”

You let out a sharp scoff, cutting him off. “Of course they would talk to you before talking to me.”

The words landed heavier than you intended. Yeosang’s expression softened immediately, his voice dropping. “Baby, Jongho—”

“I’ll talk to him,” you interrupted, voice tight, controlled in a way that barely held. “But it doesn’t mean I forgive him.”

Yeosang didn’t hesitate. He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to your forehead first, slow, grounding, then a quick, gentle peck to your lips like it was instinct more than thought.

“I’ll be right here if you need me,” he murmured.

You nodded, swallowing hard, even as your awareness caught the weight in the room.

Jongho and San were both watching.

San let out a quiet curse under his breath the second he realized the meat was starting to burn, quickly turning back to the stove as if it gave him something to focus on other than the tension splitting the room in half.

You didn’t react, instead, your gaze locked onto Jongho.

You gave a small nod then motioned toward the kitchen island.

A space just far enough to feel separate. Just close enough to stay seen. Private but not hidden.

Jongho hesitated for half a second, jaw tightening, before he slowly followed your gesture and stepped toward the island.

i've been searching for an empty box, thats what i need. the memories you left in the drawer of my room.

You could feel the tension the second you sat across from Jongho. It settled in your chest like something heavy and familiar. unwelcoming , but not surprising anymore.

Your fingers started tapping against the edge of the table before you even realized it. A small, restless rhythm you couldn’t stop no matter how hard you tried to still yourself.

Jongho noticed. Of course he did.

But he didn’t call it out. Instead, he shifted slightly in his seat, elbows resting on the table for a moment before pulling back again like he wasn’t sure he was allowed to take up space in front of you anymore.

His jaw tightened. Then loosened. Then tightened again.

Like the words were stuck somewhere behind his teeth, refusing to come out clean. “I…” he started.

Stopped. Looked down.

A long silence stretched between you.

Your tapping got a little faster. Jongho exhaled sharply through his nose, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I don’t really know where to start,” he admitted quietly.

“A sorry would be a nice way to start,” you snapped, the hurt breaking through before you could smooth it over.

Jongho went still.

Then lowered his gaze, nodding slowly as if accepting the hit without argument.

“You’re right,” he said quietly. “I do owe you an apology.”

The room felt smaller as he finally steadied himself.

“I’m sorry for leaving you,” Jongho continued, voice rougher now. “I’m sorry for making you deal with all of our breakups back to back. You shouldn’t have had to carry that.”

His fingers curled slightly against the table, like he needed something to hold onto.

“And I should’ve been there for you,” he added, swallowing hard. “Like Hongjoong and Yeosang were… and still are.”

That last part lingered in the air. Jongho shifted in his seat, turning his body fully toward you now. No distractions. No excuses left to hide behind.

Your expression still hadn’t changed. Guarded. Flat. Unreadable in a way that made the silence between you feel even heavier.

“I love you, Yn,” he said quietly. “I truly do.”

The words hit softly but they didn’t land softly.

“I’m not asking for forgiveness right away.” He paused, breath catching slightly as he searched your face, like he was bracing for you to shut him down completely.

“I just… don’t want to lose you completely,” he admitted, voice lower now. “Even if I don’t deserve anything else from you right now.”

You gave a subtle nod, letting him know you were still listening.

“I’ve just been hurt, Jongho,” you began, voice quieter now. “Over and over again.”

Jongho didn’t interrupt. He just stayed still, like he was afraid even breathing wrong would break you further.

“I didn’t have space to breathe,” you continued, swallowing hard. “I was, still am suffocating. The year away… I don’t even know how I got through it.”

Your fingers tightened slightly against the edge of the table.

“I don’t feel like myself anymore,” you admitted, voice cracking at the edges. “I just… Jongho, I really trusted you. And even if we can’t get back to what we used to be… I just need more time to heal.”

The words hung in the air after you said them.

“And with our relationship being leaked, Yunho blaming me, it’s like the wound being reopened.”

Jongho didn’t answer right away.

His gaze stayed fixed on the table, like he was choosing each word carefully before he let it exist out loud.

“I don’t think you would ever do that,” he said finally, voice steady but low. “You always made sure to keep us safe. You double-checked everything when we went on solo dates… you were always careful.”

A pause. His jaw tightened slightly.

“Hyung… he’s being stupid for blaming you,” Jongho continued, a little more firmly now. “And if he can’t see how much you love us… then he doesn’t deserve your love like that.”

You swallowed hard, the words catching in your throat before you could respond. Your gaze dropped to the table instead, fingers tightening slightly against the edge as if grounding yourself there was the only thing keeping you steady.

Whatever you were about to say… never made it out but Jongho knew.

Jongho didn’t push you to speak. He didn’t fill the silence. He just shifted slightly in his seat, careful and slow, like he was approaching something fragile he didn’t want to scare away.

Then hesitantly he placed his hand over yours.

A simple touch.

Light at first, like he was ready to pull away if you flinched.

But you didn’t, you stayed still. Getting up from your chair, you pulled away but not before patting his head. A smile being placed on his face.

still making it like a rainy day i think i should send it now. and i'll never miss you. I got to move on full of traces i cant even shake off the accumulated dust

Wooyoung sat on the edge of his bed, the room too quiet around him. His eyes stayed fixed on the photo resting on his desk. It was you. Both of you. Caught in a moment that felt impossibly far away now.

Your smile in it was wide, unfiltered, bright in a way that made his chest ache just looking at it. The kind of happiness that didn’t feel fragile back then. The kind that felt like it would just… stay.

His fingers hovered near the frame, but he didn’t touch it. Like he was afraid it might disappear if he did. The memory came back anyway.

“Wooyoung, look!” you had said, already halfway running toward the arcade machine. “A plush machine!”

He remembered laughing under his breath as he followed you, shaking his head.

“Watch me win it for you,” he had said, pulling out his phone to record you.

Twenty minutes of failure and teasing and soft encouragement until finally the machine clicked.

The plush dropped and he remembered the way you both cheered like you’d won something far bigger than a toy.

Wooyoung let out a quiet breath, still sitting on the edge of his bed.

The memory didn’t fade, It just changed shape.

Back then, it had been joy, messy, loud, uncomplicated.

Now it felt like something he couldn’t reach anymore no matter how hard he tried. And worse than that, it brought back you.

The way your expression shifted when it ended. Not dramatic. Not loud. Just that slow, stunned kind of hurt that didn’t fully hit at first… and then all at once. Like something inside you had just given out.

He shut his eyes briefly. “Fuck…” he muttered under his breath.

The word didn’t help. Nothing did.

He fell backward onto the bed with a groan, one arm covering his face as frustration built in his chest tight, restless, impossible to settle.

Because this wasn’t new.

He always felt it. Right after. The second the words left his mouth.

Regret. Sharp and immediate. Like clockwork.

He exhaled again, lower this time, staring up at the ceiling without really seeing it. Because no matter how many times he replayed it in his head, there was no version where letting you go felt right. Only versions where it hurt less… temporarily. And even that never lasted.

And when he went to check on you earlier, there had been that small, selfish flicker of hope he hadn’t been able to silence.

That you might collapse into him. That you might forgive him on instinct. That maybe, just maybe, you’d take him back like nothing had happened.

He knew it was wrong the moment the thought formed. And he could already hear Yeosang and Hongjoong calling him out for it if they ever said it out loud. But it was there anyway.

Lingering. Unwanted, but honest.

Wooyoung turned his face slightly into the pillow, letting out a quiet, frustrated breath. Because what he missed wasn’t just you. It was everything that came with you.

The easy routines. The comfort of knowing what made you smile without guessing.

Handing you his card on date nights without a second thought, watching you hesitate for half a second before giving in and picking something you’d been eyeing for weeks. He missed the way your eyes lit up when he surprised you, like he’d just given you the world instead of something small.

Now the silence in his room felt too loud. Too empty.

Waking up to the sound of his door being knocked on, he moved at a snail’s pace. Wooyoung rubbed his eyes as he shuffled forward, still half-asleep, still caught somewhere between dream and reality.

The moment he opened the door he froze.

Because it was you standing there. Two bottles of your favorite drinks in your hands like it was the most normal thing in the world.

He blinked once, then again. Harder this time.

Like if he stared long enough, the image might change into something less impossible. But you were still there.

Real. And looking at him. His breath caught slightly as his grip tightened on the doorframe, grounding himself.

“Yn…” he rasped, voice rough from sleep and something else he didn’t want to name yet.

You didn’t smile. Didn’t soften. Just looked at him and asked, quietly.

“Can we talk?”

And suddenly, Wooyoung wasn’t sure if he was still dreaming… or if this was the moment he’d been hoping for and dreading all at once.

Wooyoung and you sat outside on the balcony, the night air cool enough to make the silence feel sharper.

For a while, neither of you spoke, just the faint city noise below.

Just the space between you that used to feel easy and now didn’t. Wooyoung shifted slightly in his seat, hands clasped together like he was trying to hold himself steady. Then he finally spoke.

“I’m sorry, Yn.”

The words came out quieter than usual. No jokes behind them. No deflection. No smile to soften it. Just honest.

He swallowed, staring down at his hands before forcing himself to look at you again. “I know that doesn’t fix anything,” he continued. “And I know I was the one who ”

He stopped. Jaw tightening. Because even saying it out loud still felt like admitting a fracture he couldn’t undo.

“I shouldn’t have left you like that,” he said instead, voice rougher now. “Not when you were already going through so much.” A pause.

Longer this time. Like he was searching for something that would make it less painful to say. But nothing did.

“I kept thinking about it,” Wooyoung admitted quietly. “Every day. And it never gets easier to sit with.” His fingers flexed slightly in his lap.

“Was it you who took care of me?” you asked, voice tight. “To move my doctor appointment to Zoom?”

Wooyoung nodded immediately.

“I made sure you also had your prescriptions filled,” he said softly. “Vitamins too… I didn’t want you forgetting while everything was happening.”

That detail landed in a way you didn’t expect. Because it meant he was still there. Just… not in the way you needed him to be. Tears welled up as you looked away.

“I… I just can’t,” you said, voice breaking. “Wooyoung, you hurt me deeply. I trusted you so much… I confided in you when Seonghwa first broke up with me.”

Wooyoung’s expression tightened, but he stayed silent, letting you say it all.

“I do appreciate you taking care of me from a distance,” you continued, wiping your face quickly like you were frustrated with your own tears.

“But why couldn’t you do that while still being my boyfriend? You got upset when Hongjoong and I got engaged… and then not even months later, you broke up with me?” Your breath shook as you forced the last part out.

“I hate how soft I’ve gotten,” you whispered. “I miss the old me. I want to forgive you… I want to go back to the way we were, Youngie… but I can’t trust you.”

The silence that followed wasn’t empty. It was heavy.

Wooyoung looked down for a moment, jaw tight like he was holding himself together by force alone. When he finally spoke, his voice was quieter than before.

“I know,” he said simply.

A pause.

“And I don’t think I deserve you trying to go back to how we were,” Wooyoung admitted. “But I still care about you enough to want you to heal… even if I’m not the one you trust to help with that anymore.”

You stared at him for a moment, breathing uneven, hands trembling in your lap. Then it came out anyway.

“But Yn, I mean it when I say I love you so much,” Wooyoung said, voice cracking at the edges now. “And I’m so fucking sorry that I broke you.” His fingers clenched together tightly, like he was trying to physically hold himself back from falling apart.

“I should’ve been there for you,” he continued, eyes glossy but fixed on you. “I shouldn’t have left. I regret it every single day.” The words didn’t feel rehearsed. They felt raw.

Like they had been sitting inside him for too long and were finally spilling out all at once.

“I know I can’t undo it,” he added, quieter now. “I know saying sorry doesn’t fix what I did to you.” A shaky breath left him.

“But I needed you to know I didn’t stop loving you when I walked away,” Wooyoung admitted. “I just… didn’t know how to stay without hurting you more. And I ended up hurting you anyway.”

“I hate you, Wooyoung,” you cried, sniffling as the words broke on the way out.

Then, quieter, more honest in a way that hurt more.

“I hate that you feel like home… and how I want to just forgive you and curl into your arms.”

Wooyoung’s breath hitched, like that hit somewhere deeper than anything else you’d said. You wiped at your face quickly, frustrated with yourself, voice trembling as you forced the boundary into place.

“I need space, Woo… and a little more time. Especially with everything going on.” The silence that followed was heavy but not sharp.

Not angry. Just final in a way that couldn’t be argued with. Wooyoung nodded slowly.

“I understand,” he said softly.

Then, more carefully, “Yn… I’m here for you whenever you’re ready for us.”

Not pushing, not demanding. Just leaving the door open. And this time, he didn’t try to follow you through it.

memories locked in my room that have stopped. now im going to let go, open the window. i got to move on. its time to move on

You laid curled against Hongjoong, his arm wrapped securely around your waist while Yeosang slept on your other side. Completely trapped mushed between the two of them.

Slowly, very slowly you lifted Hongjoong’s arm. Then you shifted an inch away from Yeosang. After several failed attempts and a few moments where both of them stirred enough to nearly send you into cardiac arrest, you finally slipped free.

Padding into the kitchen, you let out a breath you hadn’t realized you’d been holding. The dorm was still dark, still quiet. You filled the kettle and set it on the stove, the familiar routine calming in a way you desperately needed. Earl Grey.

Leaning back against the counter, you sighed and tipped your head upward. You wanted out, not permanently. Just… for a little while.

Away from the cramped dorm. Away from constantly feeling eyes on you. Away from the tension that had lived in every room ever since all of this exploded.

Though lately, it had gotten a little lighter after talking to Jongho and Wooyoung, something had shifted. Tiny and fragile but there. And you remembered the look on Hongjoong’s face when you came back after crying with Wooyoung. That tiny flicker of hope in his eyes. Like he’d looked at you and thought: Maybe. Maybe there was still a chance. Maybe the group wouldn’t completely fall apart. Maybe everyone could somehow survive this.

With the kettle whistling, you poured yourself a cup. The scent of Earl Grey tea filled the quiet kitchen, warm and familiar. As you lifted your mug, your eyes caught movement in the corner. Someone peeking around the doorway.

Mingi. You stared at him for a second.

“…Would you like a cup?”

Mingi blinked, then nodded quickly. You silently poured another mug and placed it on the table before sitting down yourself.

He followed a few seconds later. The chair scraped softly against the floor. Silence settled between you immediately. You lifted the cup to your lips. Across from you, Mingi did the same. Then quietly, he spoke.

“I’m a coward.”

Your eyes lifted, an eyebrow raised.

Mingi kept staring into his drink. His hands tightened around the mug until his knuckles turned pale.

“I should’ve never broken up with you,” he said softly. “I was scared. Scared I wouldn’t be able to fix anything.”

His voice wavered. “With Yunho and Seonghwa hurting you back to back and seeing you so broken - I…”

“So you decided to break up too while I was away?”

The question came out sharper than you intended. actually, no... that wasn't true. It came out exactly how you meant it. Mingi immediately looked up.

“It wasn’t like that - ”

“But it was, Mingi.”

Your cup touched the table harder than intended. “You decided while I was thousands of miles away…” your voice cracked slightly before hardening again, “you decided to send a breakup text.”

Mingi flinched.

“That wasn’t being a coward.” You looked directly at him now. “That was you being an asshole.”

Mingi stayed quiet. He just sat there and let you speak.

“And you haven’t even said sorry,” you continued, your voice shaking now, not from anger alone, but from everything sitting underneath it.

Mingi’s grip around the mug tightened.

“Mingi…” you swallowed hard, eyes burning all over again. “If anything, I thought you would’ve been the first one.”

Silence.

“After my hiatus…” your voice cracked. “I thought it would've been you.”

That finally made him look up and whatever expression was on your face made something in him break. Because he knew exactly what you meant.

Not Seonghwa. Not Yunho. Not even Jongho.

Him.

The one who used to chase after you over the smallest things. The one who used to hate sleeping angry. The one who would show up at your door with snacks and ridiculous excuses just to see you smile. The one who promised you, over and over, that no matter what happened, he’d always come find you.

And he hadn’t.

Mingi’s eyes dropped instantly. “I know,” he whispered. The words barely made it out.

“I know.” His voice cracked this time.

And when he finally looked at you again, there was nothing left in his expression except regret. “I wanted to.”

“Every day, I wanted to.”

His fingers curled tighter around the mug. “But after what I did… I didn’t think I had the right to show up and ask for anything from you.”

His voice lowered. “So I watched from far away instead.”

You let out a sharp scoff, disbelief mixing with the hurt still sitting raw in your chest.

“And you thought I was okay?” you asked, staring at him. “Didn’t you see how much I cried?”

Mingi’s expression fell immediately.

Your eyes burned again. “How much I cried for you?”

Silence. Because there wasn’t an answer for that not one that would make it better. that wouldnt undo the nights you spent breaking apart while he stayed at a distance convincing himself it was the right thing.

Mingi opened his mouth. Closed it. Opened it again. Nothing came out.

You looked away first. Because if you kept staring at him, you were going to cry again and you were tired of crying.

“Honestly…” You stood from your chair. Mingi looked up immediately.

“When you finally gather the courage to actually say sorry and show me...” your voice trembled slightly, but you forced yourself to finish.

“Then maybe we can talk.”

Mingi looked up immediately. The words hung there for a moment before you turned away.

Behind you, Mingi stayed frozen in his seat before the sound of uneven breathing that told you Mingi had finally started crying.

You didn’t turn around. Not once. Your chest felt too tight. Your hands curled into fists at your sides. By the time you reached the bedroom door, your breathing had gone uneven. Your emotions felt tangled, hurt wrapped around grief wrapped around frustration until you couldn’t tell where one ended and the next began.

You shoved the door open harder than you meant to and stepped into the room with anger radiating off of you. Only to freeze.

Because both Hongjoong and Yeosang were awake now. And judging by the look on their faces they knew something happened.

those shining memories that seemed like they would last forever. i'll bury it in time and let go. i know, i was the only one holding on

“They figured out who it was, so we should be able to go back to our usual,” Hongjoong said, looking around the room.

Everyone had gathered in the living room again. Just tension that had settled a little but not enough.

“What about our stuff?” Wooyoung asked from where he sat, arms folded across his chest. “When do we get our phones back?”

“Sometime this afternoon.” The answer should’ve eased something instead, silence followed.

“Did they already release a statement?” Seonghwa asked carefully.

Hongjoong nodded. “They denied the relationship. They stated only Yn and I are in a relationship.”

Because even if everyone knew it had to happen, hearing it out loud still felt strange. Hongjoong exhaled softly.

“And the person they caught released an apology too,” he added. “They said they were sorry... and admitted they were jealous.”

Silence again. Longer this time. Because after weeks of panic, blame, and suspicion, that was it.

Jealousy. Someone had looked at what all of you had and wanted it badly enough to destroy it.

“You’re saying the person they caught didn’t even have pictures of us?” Yunho asked sharply. “Just pure speculation and they ran with it?”

Hongjoong’s expression didn’t shift.

“That’s what I was told,” he answered evenly. “What matters is that we should be able to go back to our regular schedules.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“You’re lying!” Yunho shot to his feet so fast his chair nearly tipped backward.

The room froze and everyone stared. Because yelling wasn’t unusual. Yunho yelling at Hongjoong? That was.

“What the hell...” Mingi whispered, staring at him. “Yunho… what is up with you?”

Yunho looked panicked, like actually panicked. His eyes darted around the room, chest rising too fast.

“Hongjoong is lying to you,” he snapped. “He has to be.”

No one moved, no one even breathed.

Yunho laughed once, a short and unsteady laugh.

“That bitch threatened me,” he said. “If I didn’t break up with Yn… they said they’d leak us to the press.”

Complete silence. Confusion spread across every face in the room. Even Hongjoong looked caught off guard. You stared at Yunho. Because suddenly your ears were ringing.

“What?” Your voice came out small.

Seonghwa frowned immediately. “But…” he said slowly, eyes moving between you and Yunho. “I broke up with Yn first.”

The room fell quiet again. Then Seonghwa’s brows pulled together harder.

“And I didn’t get a message…”

Everyone looked at him, Yunho blinked.

“What?”

Seonghwa shook his head slowly. “I’m telling you, I never got anything.”

Yunho stared. Actually stared. Like the floor beneath him had shifted.

“I’m telling you the truth,” he said quickly, panic bleeding into his voice now. “I thought Seonghwa-hyung broke up with Yn because of it too.”

No one spoke. No one knew what to say. Because suddenly the story everyone had accepted, the thing Yunho had clearly built his decisions around had a crack in it.

Then Seonghwa spoke again quietly.

“No.”

The single word cut through the room. He looked toward you. And for the first time since this conversation started, his expression changed. Something heavier.

“I broke up with Yn because…” He paused. “I wanted some space to myself for a little while.”

Silence.

“I love Yn.”

your eyes widened instantly. Across the room, Wooyoung looked up. Mingi’s head snapped over. Even Hongjoong froze.

And Seonghwa, Seonghwa looked like he realized what he had said a second too late. Because after months of distance, pain, and pretending, those three words landed harder than anything else had all day.

Seonghwa looked away, your eyes stinging a little bit. You moved closer to Yeosang, his prescense bringing you comfort. " yunho look, you dont have to lie -"

“I’m not lying.”

The interruption was immediate.

“Then why?”

All eyes turned toward San. He was staring directly at Yunho now.

“Why would you say it was Yn who leaked us?”

Yunho let out a long breath, dragging a hand down his face. “I promise… I didn’t mean any ill intent,” he said quietly. “It came out of frustration.”

The room stayed silent for a moment before you spoke.

“That’s not an excuse for how you treated me though.”

Your voice cut through the room immediately. Everyone looked toward you. Because this time you weren’t shrinking into yourself. Weren’t hiding behind silence. You were angry. And for once, you let yourself be.

“You were the meanest,” you snapped, eyes burning. “The rudest and the absolute biggest asshole out of everyone that broke up with me.”

The words hit hard. Yunho visibly flinched. No one interrupted. Because no one could tell you that you were wrong.

Yunho swallowed. Hard.

“I—it's just…”

“Just what?” you shot back immediately.

Your breathing had picked up now. Your hands clenched in your lap.

“Please,” you huffed, staring directly at him. “I’m sure all of us want to know why you were so rude to me.”

“It was just little things, like, you never spent enough time with me alone,” Yunho finally said, the words rushing out now like if he stopped, he wouldn’t be able to continue.

His eyes stayed on the floor. “Or when Hongjoong proposed… you flaunted it like it didn’t hurt any of us.”

The room immediately stiffened and Hongjoong’s head turned.

“What?”

But Yunho kept going. “Yes, I’ll admit I was a dick for breaking up with you and never expressing any of this, but how was I supposed to?” he asked, frustration bleeding through now.

“Every time something happened, you ran to Wooyoung or Yeosang.”

Silence. “What about me?” he asked quietly.

Then louder, “What about San? Or Jongho?”

Your face slowly fell. Because Yunho wasn’t yelling anymore. And somehow that made it worse.

“We basically just sat there,” he continued, swallowing hard, “watching you play happy family with the people closest to you.”

heavy silence filled the room that felt suffocating. Across the room, Mingi looked away. Guilt spreading plainly across his face. Beside him, Wooyoung dropped his eyes too. Because neither of them argued. Neither of them denied it.

“Yunho, I—”

Your voice barely made it out but Yunho kept going.

“And then…” His voice cracked. “And then the miscarriage happened.”

Yunho swallowed hard, eyes glassy now.

“And all of our hearts broke when you just clung to Yeosang.”

“We wanted to be there for you too, Yn,” he whispered. “We were your partners too.”

“Fuck,” Yunho breathed, dragging a shaky hand through his hair. “Yn, I love you. I really do.”

Your eyes stung instantly.

“But seeing you pick them…”

His gaze flickered briefly toward Hongjoong and Yeosang. “…it hurt.”

And suddenly your anger faltered. Just for a second because you hadn’t realized. God… you hadn’t realized.

You thought you had given everyone time. You remembered date nights. Movie nights. Late-night talks. Remembered trying to rotate schedules and make things fair. You thought you had tried. You thought it had been enough.

But sitting there now looking around the room, seeing guilt on some faces and pain on others it became painfully clear that somewhere along the way…it hadn’t been. And what hurt most wasn’t hearing that they felt left out. It was realizing they had felt that way while smiling at you anyway.

While telling you everything was okay. While loving you quietly through it. Your chest tightened, because no one had told you. Your eyes slowly lifted from your lap. And for the first time all conversation fear crossed your face. you weren’t sure you wanted the answer but you asked anyway.

“…Does anyone else feel that way?”

No one spoke once, and that hit you just like when they broke up with you. This whole time you just kept making everything about you, not realizing how much you have been hurting others.

It suddenly made so much sense why Seonghwa wanted space. Why San just ghosted you. Why jongho didnt want to hang out as much like you used to.

Your chest tightened painfully. Because you thought they were okay. You thought if they weren't, they would've told you. Your eyes started burning all over again. Because suddenly it felt like you'd failed them. Failed everyone.

“I…” Your voice cracked instantly.

Across the room, panic flashed over Hongjoong’s face. Because he knew that look. Knew exactly where your mind was going.

“Baby—”

“I hurt you.” The words came out small.

You looked up slowly, eyes glossy. “I hurt all of you.”

Silence. Then an immediately “No.” left Hongjoong's lips.

Hongjoong’s voice cut through the room hard enough to make everyone look up. He moved forward instantly.

“Don’t do that.”

Your head snapped toward him. Because there was warning in his voice now. a real warning.

“Do not sit there and put all of this on yourself.” His eyes stayed firm.

“Because we did this too.”

The room shifted. Because this time it wasn’t Hongjoong speaking. It was San. Your eyes widened slightly. San looked uncomfortable the second everyone's attention landed on him, but he didn’t look away.

“We should’ve done better,” he admitted quietly.

“We should’ve actually spoken up and told you how we were feeling.”

Beside him, Jongho nodded.

“We should’ve communicated.” His voice was softer.

“Instead of bottling things up until it got ugly.”

Your shoulders slowly slumped.

Your head lowered. Shame sat heavy in your chest. Because even hearing them say that, it didn’t stop the guilt. Not really. Not when pieces were still clicking together in your head. Not when you were still realizing how many signs you missed.

Then Jongho spoke again and immediately the room shifted.

“Though what Mingi, Wooyoung, and San did…” he said carefully.

“…wasn’t okay.”

Jongho looked directly at his hyungs now. “We really were shocked when they broke up with you.”

Across the room, Mingi lowered his head further. Wooyoung visibly tensed. San looked like someone had punched him. Because hearing it from you hurt. But hearing it from Jongho? From someone who watched everything happen? That was different.

Jongho swallowed.

“You disappeared after Seonghwa-hyung,” he said quietly.

“And then when Mingi-hyung and Wooyoung-hyung followed…”

He looked down.

“…we knew then we fucked up.”

The room sat heavy with regret and grief. With too many feelings that should’ve been spoken months ago. Then Hongjoong exhaled. Long and slow.

“I think…” Hongjoong began, eyes moving around the room.

“I think we can all agree we fucked up royally.”

A humorless huff escaped someone. No one disagreed. Hongjoong rubbed at his face before continuing.

“I think… we all need time.”

His voice softened. “A little time to ourselves.”

The room stayed quiet. “To recover from this mess with the media.”

From the breakups, the hurt from each other.

He didn’t say those parts out loud. He didn’t have to. Everyone already heard it. Slowly, people began nodding. Not because they wanted distance. But because for the first time, distance didn’t feel like abandonment. It felt necessary. As chairs quietly scraped against the floor and people slowly began standing, you stayed still.

Emotionally exhausted. Drained in a way sleep probably couldn’t fix. You barely noticed Hongjoong move until he crouched beside you. His hand gently brushed against yours.

“I’m going to talk with Seonghwa a little more,” he whispered softly.

Your eyes lifted, immediately softening.

“I’ll see you in the room shortly.”

Then he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to your forehead. Small and gentle. as if he was afraid of overwhelming you. You looked up at Hongjoong and for the first time that day, maybe even for the first time in a while, you gave him a small smile.

A real one.

Not forced, not something carefully pieced together to reassure everyone else. One that actually reached your eyes. Hongjoong froze for half a second. Just enough for you to catch it.

That tiny look on his face, like he hadn't realized how much he'd missed seeing that smile until now. His own softened instantly. And for a moment, neither of you said anything. You didn't need to. Because tomorrow was another day.

And right now? You were exhausted.

Not physically, not the kind sleep fixed.

Emotionally exhausted. The kind that sat in your bones.

The kind that came from months of grief, heartbreak, fear, guilt, and finally saying things out loud that should've been said a long time ago. Today felt like years. Like you'd lived through ten different heartbreaks in one afternoon.

But despite everything, despite the tears and arguments and confessions, something felt... lighter.

Not healed. Not okay. Just lighter. Because secrets weren't sitting between everyone anymore.

Because for the first time in a long time, people had finally been honest. As Hongjoong stood and quietly walked away, your eyes drifted around the room. At the people you loved. The people who hurt you. The people you'd hurt too.

Messy.

Complicated.

Still broken.

But maybe. just maybe, not beyond fixing. And for now?

That was enough.

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