The Breaking Point

The tension in the air was suffocating as Woozi yanked his wrist away from Hoshi's grip, his fiery glare locking onto the older man. "Fine," he spat, his voice trembling with a mixture of anger and betrayal. "If you won't tell me, I'll find out myself. But don't think I'll forgive you for keeping this from me." His eyes shimmered with unshed tears, his voice laced with both fury and pain.

Hoshi reached for him again, his tone softer but still pleading. "Jihoon, I'll tell you. Just... not now. Please. Not here."

Before Woozi could retort, the sound of wheels squeaking against the floor interrupted them. Everyone turned as a stretcher carrying Jeonghan was wheeled out of the operating room. The sight of him made all their words falter.

Jeonghan lay pale and fragile, his face partially obscured by the oxygen mask strapped over his mouth and nose. IV lines and monitors connected to him, tracking his shallow breaths. He seemed so small, so vulnerable, like a ghost of the vibrant person they all knew.

The sight hit them like a punch to the gut. Woozi felt his knees weaken, but he didn't move. Minghao clenched his fists, his jaw tightening as fury overtook his grief. The group, silent and heavy-hearted, followed the stretcher as it was taken to a private recovery room.

Once Jeonghan was settled, the room became a picture of strained silence. Everyone was scattered around, too weighed down by emotions to speak. Dino sat beside Jeonghan's bed, his small hand tightly clutching Jeonghan's uninjured one. Tears continued to roll down his cheeks, but his grip was steady, as though anchoring himself to the older man. The sight was almost too much for Joshua, who stood nearby. His chest tightened painfully, realizing just how much Jeonghan meant to the boy.

Breaking the silence, Minghao's voice cut through like a blade. "Enough of this." His tone was sharp, his eyes glaring daggers at Jun. "Explain. Now. No more dodging, no more lies." His teeth were gritted, his restraint barely holding back the storm brewing inside him.

Jun hesitated, his gaze darting to Hoshi and Wonwoo. They exchanged tense looks before giving Jun the smallest of nods. Jun swallowed hard and took a deep breath before speaking, his voice low and deliberate.

"The truth... is a lot to take in. But you all deserve to know." He paused, his eyes briefly landing on Dino before continuing. "Jeonghan got involved with us because of Seungcheol."

"Who's Seungcheol?" Woozi asked, his tone sharp and accusatory.

"Seungcheol is our leader," Jun admitted, his voice steady but heavy. "The leader of our group—S.V.T. It's a gang." Gasps rippled through the room, but Jun pushed on. "He met Jeonghan by chance, and... he fell for him."

Minghao scoffed, his anger palpable. "A gang leader? He fell for him? And that somehow makes all of this okay?"

"Let me finish," Jun snapped, his tone uncharacteristically firm. "Viktor, the man who hurt Jeonghan, had been threatening him. Seungcheol knew Jeonghan would never be safe if he stayed out here, so he made the decision to take Jeonghan to the mansion—to protect him. It wasn't just about Seungcheol's feelings. It was about keeping Jeonghan alive."

Joshua frowned, his expression conflicted. "And what happened after that?"

Jun's gaze softened. "Jeonghan was scared at first, but... he grew close to us. To all of us. Seungcheol loved him, and he loved Seungcheol. Dino—" Jun gestured to the boy sitting by Jeonghan's bedside. "Dino got attached to him, too. Jeonghan became family to us."

"And Viktor?" Woozi pressed, his voice ice-cold. "Why was he even after Jeonghan?"

"Viktor saw Jeonghan as leverage. A way to get to us," Jun admitted. "Seungcheol thought he could end it by signing a deal with Viktor. The terms were that Viktor would leave Jeonghan alone if Seungcheol let him go back to his life here."

"And then this happened," Minghao said, his voice dripping with venom. "Some protection."

Jun flinched, guilt evident on his face. "None of us wanted this. None of us thought Viktor would... do this." His voice broke slightly as he gestured toward Jeonghan's pale figure.

Joshua's eyes drifted back to Dino, who hadn't moved from his spot. The boy's small frame was hunched over, his tear-streaked face pressed against Jeonghan's arm. Joshua felt a lump in his throat as he realized something: whatever had happened in that mansion, Jeonghan wasn't harmed there. He was loved. Cared for. Protected—until he wasn't.

The room fell into a tense silence, broken only by the sound of Jeonghan's heart monitor beeping steadily in the background. Woozi, his face pale and his body trembling, took a shaky step forward. "So you're telling me," he said, his voice barely above a whisper, "that all of this happened because Jeonghan got caught in the middle of your mess?"

Hoshi, for the first time since the conversation began, looked Woozi in the eyes. His voice was filled with anguish as he said, "Yes. And we'll never forgive ourselves for it."

The weight of the room was unbearable, the atmosphere charged with rage, guilt, and unspoken blame. The friends of Jeonghan stood clustered, processing the revelations, their grief now laced with anger.

"Look," Wonwoo said finally, his voice low but steady, as though willing himself to remain calm. "None of us wanted this to happen. Our only intention was to protect Jeonghan, not to harm him."

Joshua, who had been silent for a moment, snapped at those words. His tone was sharp, his eyes glaring with fury. "Protect him? Then you should have done it right!" He gestured toward Jeonghan's pale form on the hospital bed. "If he was safe in your mansion, why let him come back before Viktor was dealt with? That was the worst idea you could've come up with!"

Hansol, hesitant but determined, spoke for the first time. "It wasn't our decision. Seungcheol decided to let him go back."

Before he could finish, Seungkwan cut him off, his voice trembling with both rage and sorrow. "And you? Did you just stand there like statues? Did you switch off your brains and mouths at that moment? You could've stopped him! You could've said something!" His words were laced with venom, his teary eyes glaring at the SVT members.

The group was spiraling further into chaos when the conversation was abruptly cut short by the sound of the door swinging open with such force it slammed against the wall. Everyone froze as a towering figure entered the room. It was Seungcheol.

He looked utterly devastated. His normally commanding presence was muted, his face hollow with fear and anguish. His eyes were wide, darting around until they locked on Jeonghan's still form on the bed. He looked like a man on the verge of breaking apart.

It happened so fast that even the SVT members were stunned. How did he get here so quickly? The usually composed leader looked nothing like the man they knew. His every step was heavy, trembling, as though his body was moving on sheer instinct.

Dino immediately sensed him. His head whipped around, and without a second thought, he ran to Seungcheol. Throwing his arms around the older man, he sobbed, his small frame shaking violently. "Hyung! Jeonghan-hyung isn't waking up! Please do something!" His cries were desperate, almost childlike, as though Seungcheol's presence could magically fix everything.

Seungcheol, visibly trembling, placed a hand on Dino's shoulder, giving it a small, reassuring squeeze, though it lacked his usual strength. He walked past the others toward Jeonghan, every step slow and deliberate, as though the air around him had thickened.

Reaching Jeonghan's bedside, Seungcheol knelt down, his body sinking to the floor with a heaviness that spoke of defeat. His hands hovered for a moment before they finally reached Jeonghan's hair, trembling as his fingers brushed through the strands with infinite care. His lips parted, but the only words that came out were a broken, "I'm sorry." His voice cracked, barely above a whisper.

Everyone was silent, the tension thick. They watched as Seungcheol's head hung low, his broad shoulders shaking ever so slightly. A tear slipped down his cheek, then another, until the silent stream became impossible to ignore.

Dino, standing beside him, gasped softly, drawing the attention of the room. "Hyung..." he whispered, his voice filled with awe and sadness. "Hyung is crying."

The revelation stunned everyone except Seungcheol, who remained kneeling by Jeonghan's side. It was the first time Dino—or any of them—had seen Seungcheol shed tears. His sorrow was raw, unhidden, the sight so alien that it left the group speechless.

Joshua, standing toward the back, felt his throat tighten. For all his anger toward Seungcheol and the SVT members, this moment stripped away any doubt: Seungcheol loved Jeonghan. Truly, deeply. His tears weren't performative—they were the breaking point of a man who had tried and failed to protect the person he cherished most.

After what felt like an eternity, Seungcheol raised his head. His tears had dried, but his face was hardened, his jaw clenched. The sorrow in his expression was now layered with something far more dangerous: rage. His fists clenched at his sides as he stood, his height towering over the others. His eyes turned to Wonwoo and Hoshi, his voice low and venomous.

"I need Viktor," he said, his words slow and deliberate, each syllable seething with fury. "In the basement. Within 24 hours." His teeth gritted as he spoke, his hands shaking with the effort to contain his wrath.

Hoshi and Wonwoo exchanged glances, their faces pale but determined as they nodded. "It will be done," Hoshi said, his voice barely audible.

Seungcheol didn't acknowledge the response. His gaze returned to Jeonghan, and he sat down beside him on the bed, his fingers once again brushing through Jeonghan's hair with infinite tenderness. The contrast between his earlier rage and his current gentleness was jarring. He didn't blink, didn't move from Jeonghan's side, his eyes fixed on the man he had failed to protect.

The room remained heavy with silence, the group unsure how to proceed. It was Seungkwan who finally broke it, his voice quivering as he whispered to no one in particular, "He's going to be okay... right?"

Seungcheol didn't respond. His focus remained entirely on Jeonghan, as though nothing else existed. His lips moved slightly, but no words came out. His trembling hands continued to caress Jeonghan's hair, each motion a silent plea for forgiveness.

The room hung in silence, heavy with emotions too complex to name. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath, too afraid to shatter the fragile atmosphere. Minghao, however, couldn't take it anymore. The tightness in his chest grew unbearable, his thoughts swirling with fear, anger, and heartbreak.

He pushed himself off the couch, his steps deliberate as he approached Jun, who had been standing near the corner of the room, his expression stoic but his eyes betraying the storm inside him.

Minghao stopped a few feet away, his voice trembling as he finally broke the silence. "This..." he started, his voice barely audible. Then he looked directly into Jun's eyes, his hands shaking as he gestured toward Jeonghan's unconscious form. "This is what I was afraid of. You asked me, didn't you? If I was afraid? This is why. This is the price we have to pay when we become your weakness."

Jun's jaw tightened, but he said nothing, his gaze fixed on Minghao, who was now visibly shaking.

"What have I done to you?" Minghao's voice cracked, and tears welled in his eyes, but he fought to keep them from falling. "All I ever did was love you. Was that such a crime?"

Jun's resolve broke at those words. He stepped forward quickly, pulling Minghao into a tight embrace, his arms wrapping around him protectively. "I'm sorry," Jun murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "I'm so sorry, Hao."

But Minghao pushed him away, his tears spilling freely now. "Will your sorry wake him up?" he demanded, his voice rising as he pointed toward Jeonghan. "Will your sorry fix any of this? What happens if something bad happens to me next, Jun? Huh? What then?"

The room was deathly silent, everyone watching the scene unfold but too paralyzed by their own emotions to intervene.

Jun opened his mouth to respond, but the words caught in his throat. Before he could gather his thoughts, Minghao's voice broke again, his anger morphing into despair. "I was scared, Jun. Every single day, I was terrified. Not just for me but for you. For all of us. And now, look at what's happened. Look at what your choices have done to us."

Jun's face twisted in pain as Minghao's words hit him like a physical blow. He stepped closer, but Minghao shook his head, taking a step back.

But then something shifted in Minghao. His body trembled, the weight of his emotions too much to bear, and his anger gave way to exhaustion and heartbreak. Before he could stop himself, he stumbled forward, burying his face in Jun's chest as the tears came in uncontrollable sobs.

Jun caught him immediately, his arms wrapping around him once more. This time, Minghao didn't push him away. He let himself fall apart in Jun's arms, his fists weakly hitting Jun's chest as if trying to push away the hurt that consumed him.

"All I have for you is anger," Minghao mumbled through his sobs, his voice muffled against Jun's shirt. "But I can't—I can't hate you. Why can't I hate you, Jun?"

Jun's heart clenched at the vulnerability in Minghao's words. He held him tighter, his hand gently running up and down Minghao's back in a soothing motion. "You have every right to be angry," Jun whispered, his voice thick with regret. "You have every right to hate me. But I swear, Minghao, I'll fix this. I'll protect you. I'll make sure nothing like this ever happens again."

Minghao didn't respond, his sobs continuing to wrack his body as he clung to Jun like a lifeline. Jun lowered them both onto the couch, his arms never leaving Minghao as he guided him to sit. He kept holding him, one hand cradling the back of Minghao's head while the other rubbed slow, comforting circles on his back.

Slowly, Minghao's sobs began to subside, his breathing evening out. Jun didn't dare let go, his heart breaking at how fragile Minghao felt in his arms. For the first time in years, Jun allowed himself to hope. Maybe, just maybe, they could get through this. Maybe, after eliminating Viktor and putting an end to this chaos, they could find peace. Maybe he could finally give Minghao the safe and happy life he deserved.

The silence in the room remained, but now all eyes were on Jun and Minghao. Joshua had stopped sobbing in Seokmin's arms, his gaze softening as he watched the pair on the couch. Mingyu and Minghao exchanged a glance, their expressions heavy with understanding. Even Dino, who was still glued to Seungcheol's side, looked toward them with wide, tear-filled eyes.

The only one who didn't react was Seungcheol. His focus remained entirely on Jeonghan, his hand still resting gently on Jeonghan's head as if silently willing him to wake up.

Jun didn't care about the attention. He didn't care about what anyone else thought. All he cared about was the man in his arms—the man he had let himself be vulnerable with, the man who had broken through his walls, the man he loved more than anything else.

"I'm here," Jun whispered, his voice steady but full of emotion. "I'm not letting go, Minghao. Not now, not ever."

Minghao didn't respond with words. He just rested his head against Jun's chest, his breathing evening out as his tears dried. And for the first time in what felt like forever, he allowed himself to feel safe.

He allowed himself to belive

To hope....... once again

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happy joshua day mah fellas.........

all i have been thinking since morning was Sunday morning~~~ (holy jisoos effect.)

anyways there are awaiting heartbreaks mah fellas.... <3 

stay tuned and do vote 

and comment your feelings on this chapter here .... 

yours lovingly ...

<3 Author <3