What's Broken Can't Be Fixed

21

     Minho, Jisung, and Hannah sit down together on the couch. It was quiet. Too quiet, they didn't like it. "Was Hyunjin being abused?" Jisung mumbles, and Minho shakes his head.

     "What the hell do you think? Yes, he was." Hannah listens to the two. She never thought that it would happen this way.

     "I just hate that he had to tell you guys like this." She sighs. Suddenly, Minho goes quiet.

     "What did you just say?" The way he was looking at her... made Jisung nervous.

     "What?"

     "You hate that he had to tell us like this?" He pauses. "You knew?"

     "Minho-"

     "Did you?" Minho repeats his question. Hannah swallows harshly before she answers.

     "Yes." Minho's eyes fill with rage. He gets up from the couch and grabs her by the collar of her shirt.

     "You knew this whole fucking time and didn't tell us?!"

     "Let go!" Hannah struggles to get out of his grasp, but he was too angry. She told Taehyun earlier, if she let any of the boys get hurt Minho would kill her. She knew he would.

     And by not telling them about Hyunjin's situation, she let him get hurt. "How long have you known?!"

     "Since he was absent for weeks... and then he came to school with that burn mark on his arm." Minho's demeanor relaxes, and he lets go of her. But then he starts to smile. His eyes begin to turn a red color. That's when Jisung knew all hell was about to break loose.

     "Five years..." He mumbles to himself. "FIVE FUCKING YEARS?!" Minho grabs Hannah's wrist, pulling her off of the couch, and then pushing her onto the ground.

     But before he could get closer to her, he feels a hand come around his neck. Jisung drags him to the ground, putting Minho in the tightest headlock he could muster. He knew he couldn't hold Minho forever, and he didn't want to hurt him. But this was the only way that he could keep the boy away. Jeongin and Changbin come running down the stairs from hearing all the commotion.

     Hannah's crying, Minho's crying, Jisung's struggling to hold himself together. It takes a few seconds, but Minho calms down. Jisung lets go of him, and he stands up. He couldn't believe that his best friend was being beaten every day. He wasn't only crying about the fact that he didn't know about it. But also, the fact that Hannah knew what he was going through and didn't tell anyone about it.

     "I'm sorry..." She whispers, and Minho looks back at her over his shoulder.

     "...Fuck you, Hannah." He had a red mark around his neck, but it didn't hurt. Losing your trust in your friend hurt more.

     Jisung gets up as well, but before he can walk away, Hannah grabs him. "Ji-"

     "No. Just because I didn't let him murder you doesn't mean that everything's okay." He pulls his hand away from her and leaves to go upstairs. Jeongin and Changbin didn't know what was happening. But they had a pretty good idea.

     They heard Minho screaming 'you knew' while they were upstairs. Hannah watches as the two boys walk back upstairs. She sits there, her tears blurring her vision. It wasn't her fault... It wasn't her fault. That's all she was saying to herself.

     She just wanted to keep Hyunjin's secret... That's what he wanted as well. Right? Upstairs, Felix and Hyunjin sit together talking quietly. "Hyunjin..."

     "Yeah?" Felix stares at him for a moment before talking again.

     "Are you ready to go talk to Chris?" Hyunjin flinches at the question. His headache begins to come back. Every time he thinks about that time... when his head slammed against the headboard of his bed. Something happened then. And every time he thinks about it that raging headache comes back.

     "I am..." Hyunjin gets up and walks out of the room, and into Chris' room. He stands in the doorway. Seungmin and Chris were just sitting on the bed, holding hands. As soon as they lock eyes, the brunette places a quick kiss on the top of Chris' head and then walks out.

     The odd feeling when Seungmin leaves the room... it didn't feel good. His hands start to shake again. The room was dark... so he couldn't see the boy's face. He could see Chris.

     "...Hyunjin?" There it was. His voice. Hyunjin walks closer to him. Chris' expression made him look... worried. He looked scared. But no matter how clear it was to Hyunjin that the other was nervous... he still couldn't bring himself to go closer to him. "Hyunjin I will never be your dad."

     Chris suddenly starts talking. "I will never be someone that will purposely hurt you. I'm really sorry that I pushed you. I shouldn't have... I shouldn't have been drinking. Not so much that I would lose my mind." He pauses. "You are my best friend Hyunjin. Okay?"

     "Okay."

     "How long have we been friends?" The question makes Hyunjin smile a bit.

     "Since 2007."

     "16 years..." Chris mumbles to himself.

     "You and Seungmin have been friends for 19 years."

     "What's with the sudden switch up?" He asks, and Hyunjin laughs plopping down in the space beside him. Chris' heart feels a bit lighter when this happens.

     "You're really asking why? He kissed you before he left the room Hyung."

     "Oh..."

     "So, are you two dating or...?" Chris exhales, looking up at the ceiling.

     "Yeah. We are." Hyunjin breaks out into a fit of laughter, patting Chris on the shoulder.

     "Congrats Hyung!" The older boy starts to get flustered, shaking Hyunjin's shoulder off.

     "Whatever! What about you and Felix?" Hyunjin pauses at the question, and Chris notices this change. "Come on, you don't think I notice all the lovey dovey shit that you two do?"

     "Anyways, I'm gonna go now."

     "Hyunjin!" Before he leaves, he turns back to face the other.

     "Thanks for this... I appreciate it." Chris nods, there was nothing else to say. When Hyunjin leaves, Seungmin doesn't come back inside the room. So slowly, Chris bends down and grabs the business card out of the bottom drawer. He stares at it a minute, and then sighs.

     If this was going to be over... they had to get it done. So, he made up his mind. They were going to this company tomorrow.