DAY6-The Book of Us: Hidden Pages

IV- JAEPIL: Guess Not

"We will prepare the documents and give them to you for your signature when it's ready." JHP's lawyer said before they went out the room.

Everything was not sinking in yet. He tried to smile, hide his anxious voice with his chuckles, but his eyes would say that he is not in any form okay. And maybe that's why he's not having eye contact with Sungjin who went with him inside the conference room.

Sungjin let out a deep sigh as he squeezed Jae's shoulder. There's no words that can comfort Jae right now. He's just letting him know that he's there for him.

"I'm okay. I'm fine." Jae said, trying to shake off the emotions that's already ready to devour him.

Sungjin knew that he's not.

"Don't let them know yet. I'm gonna tell them after the concert." Jae asked Sungjin with shaky eyes.

--

It's been two weeks since Jae and Wonpil broke up. Jae had moved out to a new apartment so Wonpil moved back to their dorm. The environment there was eerie. It's like everyone was trying to act normal when in reality it's exactly other than that. There was a heavy atmosphere surrounding them, they have an upcoming concert in just a few weeks, and it seems like the news is not going to disappear anytime. It's just not one of the good days for the band.

Sungjin, who is normally the last person to break down or at least the last person to show that he is panicking has been showing signs that things are really out of their control. He would not give pep talks to the members anymore. They just play their instruments, come back to the dorm and then repeat. After the concert, no one really knows what's gonna happen to the band.

Everyone is walking on eggshells especially when Jae and Wonpil are in the same room. The members would try to act casually so they can do music more comfortably but having two members not talking to each other, or three with Brian still not speaking directly to Jae, it was really difficult to work on their music. It feels like a tiny string is just what's keeping them from falling apart. And everyone is trying their best not to break that.

Jae was unusually down these past few days. His energy was gone. The members assume that it's just because of the break up but Sungjin knows that Jae is carrying more than that.

Jae left early that day because he had some things to take care of, leaving the four in the practice room. That was the chance that Sungjin decided to grab.

"I'm not siding with anyone but Jae's really having a bad time these days. He's trying to trace the person who wrote the article and he's just doing it alone. He's basically owning all this mess, not that I want anybody else to own it, but you know what I mean.With us avoiding him, with us not talking to him, it's just not making his life easier." Sungjin explained to the members.

"I just don't know how to talk to him again. I'm not mad at him anymore. It's just, it's awkward." Brian confessed.

"I know. Let's just not make him feel that he's alone." Sungjin said before they continued practicing.

Wonpil noticeably became quieter. He hasn't said a word since they started practicing until they reached the dorm. Everyone went to each other's room and started to get ready to go to sleep. All the lights were off now except for Wonpil. In fact he didn't even change his clothes since they got back. He just sat on the edge of his bed tired, devoured by guilt, and longing for Jae. He misses him so bad that he just sometimes wants to drop it all and run to him, hug him, and be with him always. But he's scared. He's a coward. And more than the pain that he's feeling for not fighting for his love for Jae, what prevailed more is the hate that he has for himself. He's just staying there, looking at the person he loves the most fall apart, alone.