“Guys, I am really proud of you,” Taeyong said, his voice calm but warm as he looked around the room. He stood at the head of the long conference table, arms crossed, posture straight but noticeably more relaxed than during missions. “You did an outstanding job in America. You stayed professional under pressure, followed protocols, ” His gaze wandered from face to face, lingering just a second longer on Sungchan, before he continued. “but most importantly—you came back alive.”
“What do we get as a reward?!” Lucas blurted out immediately, leaning back in his chair with a wide grin, completely unfazed by the seriousness that usually lingered in this room.
Several of the boys groaned and shot Lucas annoyed looks. Taeyong, however, surprised them by chuckling softly, shaking his head.
“You really are unbelievable,” he said, amusement flickering in his eyes. “But fine. Since you all did more than just a good job…”
He paused deliberately, letting the suspense build.
“You’re getting a break. A real one. There’s nothing urgent on our radar right now, no active targets, no immediate threats. For once, we can actually relax.”
For a moment, the room went completely silent.
“...For real?!” someone finally asked, disbelief clear in his voice.
Taeyong only nodded, lips curling into a small but genuine smile.
“For real.”
The boys looked at each other excited.
“The only thing we need to coordinate is Hyunseong’s arrival on Monday," Taeyong continued. "Other than that—nothing.”
He waved his hand lightly.
“Dismissed.”
The reaction was instant —chairs scraped back, voices overlapped, laughter filled the room as the boys rushed out of the meeting room like kids released from class, spilling into the garden outside.
Taeyong turned, noticing that one chair was still occupied.
“What about you, Jaehyun?” he asked gently.
Jaehyun didn’t look up right away. “Nothing, hyung… I was just thinking.”
“About what?”
Jaehyun hesitated before answering quietly, “…Soul.”
Taeyong’s expression shifted from relaxed to attentive in an instant.
“What do you mean?” Taeyong asked carefully, turning his chair toward him.
Jaehyun finally lifted his head, eyes tired, voice barely steady.
“Hyung… am I a bad brother?”
The question hit Taeyong harder than any mission briefing ever could.
“What?” he asked, genuinely shocked. “Why would you even think that?”
Jaehyun swallowed hard, his eyes tired, rimmed with guilt.
“I left them,” he said slowly. “I chose this life. And every time something happens… every argument, every tear… it feels like I’m failing her all over again.”
His hands clenched.“I see it in her eyes, hyung. The disappointment. The fear. And I start thinking—maybe she’s right. Maybe this is my fault.”
He exhaled shakily. “I lied to you, hyung. I thought I was protecting them by keeping things quiet. But after Sungchan told me they fought because of it…”
