Chapter 14: Hikaru's Dilemma

HIKARU made his way towards the main room, where the rest of his members were sitting, with heavy feet. He crossed the ceramic floor while dragging his feet to take a look inside the room, catching the sight of some of his members chatting together with enthusiasm.

"Morning, Hikaru!" Soul chirped with a wide smile. Hikaru couldn't tell if it was a fake smile or a sincere one, because, at that point, he had no idea what was real and what wasn't.

"Good morning, hyung." He replied in a firm, neutral tone, refusing to return the smile.

He wasn't in the mood for Soul's bullshit at the moment.

"Well, you want to sit down? Because we have news!"

He almost rolled his eyes at his older friend if it wasn't for his lazy, barely open eyelids. Despite how sleepy he was, he could see Soul's smirk and how excited he seemed, along with some of the older members.

"What is it, hyung?" He asked, his voice raspy and his eyelids heavy.

"Well, we're going to visit our dear friend, Junwon, today! So get dressed and we'll meet again at three o'clock."

Hikaru's heart could almost skip a beat at the time before he realized that today was their day off. They could do whatever they wanted, except go somewhere far without telling their managers.

And he hoped that he would get some time alone after sleeping in until it was almost midday. The group members were equally exhausted as well, so he knew they could relate to him.

He rolled his eyes at his older friend and made his way back to his bedroom once again, trying to ignore the pit forming in his stomach.

He had no idea why, but he knew that the older members were up to no good.

And the last thing he wanted was to spend his weekend caught up in their drama.

And the last thing he wanted was to involve his sick friend, Junwon, in that mess.

After all, it was already enough that Junwon had been sick with food poisoning for the past ten days. And according to the company, who took words from his lover's mouth, he was in no way close to getting better.

As he made his way up the stairs, he gulped while realizing that he wasn't looking forward to visiting Junwon's house. After hearing the rest of the members making fun of Junwon and his lover, Mal, behind their backs, he was almost certain that he couldn't look them in the eyes again.

He sighed before entering his shared room once again, heading towards the closet after letting out a huff of boredom. He eyed his clothing options in dismay, already wishing he could just go to bed and continue sleeping after a long, exhausting week.

But he couldn't.

After settling on a simple black t-shirt, and a matching pair of sweatpants, he closed the sliding door of the wardrobe and threw the clothes on the bed, then made his way towards the bathroom to take a quick shower.

. . .

Hikaru's eyes met the sight of a gigantic Georgian-style two-story mansion that had a wide yard with multiple types of colorful flowers scattered around the place, dim-lit windows, and a huge secured door. He could spot some of the security cameras from the gate, then at the entrance of the house, and some by the cement walls that surrounded the yard.

As his pupils grew bigger with wonder and bewilderment, he glanced at the older members in question. "Is that it?"

They nodded, then unlocked the car doors and stepped outside. Hikaru soon followed, shutting the door behind him after making sure that everyone was out of the car.

The mansion was more beautiful up close. The sunlight shone down the roof and hit their eyes gently, while the members could do little to look away.

"Are you telling me that Junwon lives here, in a house that's double the size of our old houses, and triple the size of our dorms combined, and doesn't even pay any bills?" Minseo sharply began, taking small, sharp glances at the pink and red flowers scattered across the lawn.

Hikaru could almost roll his eyes at his older friend if it wasn't for the severe jealousy forming in his chest. He could almost agree with Minseo despite how dry his tongue was.

"It's giving sugar mommy vibes," Sungmin added, glancing at his glossy nails. Some members lightly chuckled at that, including Soul, whose mind was sending flashbacks to that fateful night of his fight with Junwon, when he caught him and his lover making out in an empty room.

"She does feel like a sugar mommy to me," Hanbin replied, crossing his arms close to his chest, "you can't tell me otherwise."

After the door opened and Mal jumping in to greet them and lead them to the living room, the other members eyed the luxurious interior as they made their way to sit on the fancy black couch.

"It's nice to meet you again, noona."

"It's nice to meet you guys too," Mal responded in a soft, sad tone, and it was only then that the members could finally take a long look at her.

Her long, dark hair was made into a messy ponytail, along with her black lounge-set silk pajamas and her black, fluffy slippers that somehow matched. Hikaru could only assume she tried to put on something nice despite the terrible feelings in her insides as he saw her somewhat swollen face, her puffy eyes, and her wet eyelids, which told him she had been crying for a while.

Some genius he was.

"Are you okay, noona?" One of the younger members asked in a sympathetic voice, while Hikaru's shiny eyes continued to stare at the older girl.

"No, I can't lie to you and say that I am." She whispered, images of Junwon crossed her mind, causing her heart to break (more than it was already). "He's really, really sick. And I don't like seeing my baby sick."

The angel on Hikaru's shoulder ordered him to say something to show his sympathy for his friend, and for the woman. But the devil on his other shoulder, however, told him exactly the opposite.

Despite Junwon being his friend, whom he tolerated and liked ever since the survival show, he could barely sympathize with someone who had everything handed to him.

Yes, Junwon was working hard.

But he also had everything he needed to do so. Food, drinks, a nice house. Everything he asked for was just handed to him, especially with having a billionaire girlfriend by his side. Junwon didn't need the money. For a brief moment, he wondered what even made him want to become an idol in the first place.

"May I ask where are Junwon's parents now?" Hanbin questioned, biting his lower lip nervously in fear he might upset the girl.

Hikaru mentally sighed in relief. Lucky for him, Hanbin asked that question so that he didn't have to.

"They, um, died a few years ago," Mal replied, then attempted to gulp down her saliva, "in a car accident, along with his brother. He has no other family. I was there when it happened too. I think I was heartbroken just as much as him, because I loved them very much."

Hikaru's eyes widened in shock at the news. He never knew where Junwon's parents were, but he had no idea that they were dead. Most importantly, it didn't cross his mind that Junwon didn't have parents to support him like the rest of them.

"How long have you and him been together for?" Minseo asked, trying to ignore the melancholic atmosphere that was caused by Hanbin's question.

"Five years, actually. Our anniversary is next month."

The others' gaze widened.

And so did Hikaru's.

He had no idea that his friend had been with his lover for such a long time.

For some reason, it didn't even cross his mind that the couple had a backstory worth knowing. Mainly because he hadn't thought about it like that before.

"Can you tell us how you two met, noona?" Kaedan, the youngest member, asked.

"Oh, me and my family were here in Korea for some business, and his parents were our partners. I first met him in the company. He was playing with the flowers outside the company, and since I loved looking at the flowers, I decided to sit with him and look. I was fascinated by how cute and sincere he was. We then opened up a conversation, and I think it developed from then." Mal recalled fondly, her lips curving into a smile at the memories. "When me and my family had to leave for Thailand, we exchanged numbers and I promised to text him whenever I got the chance. I later met Santa and Yacht during the same visit to Thailand."

Oh, how it all played out in the end.

Hikaru faintly smiled at the words, then waited for Mal to continue her story. Curiosity got the best of him at that point. He, along with the other members, wanted to hear more about Mal's backstory, along with Junwon's.

"What happened after?"

Mal's soft smile faded into a neutral line over her lips as she took a long glance at the members. The same members hated her lover with passion and made his idol life a living hell.

And for a moment, she couldn't believe she had been such a fool.

Why would she tell all that to them?

All she knew was that she wanted to talk about how great Junwon was and how he made her happy in front of someone. Anyone. But not them.

Never them.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have drifted away so much." She spoke, her eyebrows furrowed with anger, which was mainly directed at herself. "If you'll excuse me, I'll go get Junwon now."

Their gazes followed her figure as she hurried away from the living room, and then made her way up the stairs.

Towards her and Junwon's room