8-Teez Makes Chaos (spanking fic)

Happy Little Campter Pt 3 - Numb

If the Ateez members had thought yesterday's breakfast had been awkward, then today was a whole other level.

Poor San and Mingi had been quite left out of yesterday's events, so needless to say, they were considerably shocked to see Hongjoong limp into the dining room with the help of Seonghwa. To further add to it, Yunho and Wooyoung gingerly sat down, wincing and hissing painfully as they did so, and Jongho and Yeosang entered the room last with dark circles under their eyes. Yeosang looked like he had spent the night crying, while Jongho seemed oddly relaxed despite his disheveled appearance.

Breakfast passed in an unsettling silence, until finally Hongjoong put down his spoon and stood up, his hands against the table to support himself.

"Everyone to the living room. We need to talk."

Yeosang let out a strange hiccuping noise, and San and Mingi glanced at each other in bewilderment.

Seonghwa gestured for them all to hurry and move, before slipping his arm about the captain again and helping him walk to the living room. Instead of sitting however, Hongjoong grabbed onto the mantelpiece above the fireplace, and told Seonghwa to sit with the others. He gazed over the members as they all sat down and stared up at him expectantly. But his gaze finally settled on one.

"Yunho," was all he said.

Yunho had shut his eyes before Hongjoong had even spoken. He knew his name would be the first to be called out. Forcing himself to his feet, he slowly went to stand near Hongjoong, then turned to face the others. He closed his hands into tight fists and took a deep breath.

"Jongho, I'm....I'm sorry for slapping you the other night." He bowed his head low, his hands visibly shaking by his side. "I shouldn't have hit you. I...I was wrong."

Jongho squirmed uncomfortably, his gaze immediately drifting towards Wooyoung. So, Yunho had been punished after all.

San, in the mean time, felt a prick of injustice. "Hyung, you can't make him apologise. Jongho completely deserved it."

Hongjoong looked sharply in San's direction, causing his dongsaeng to shrink back against the couch cushions. "If Yunho is allowed to smack our maknae in the face and leave a bruise, then what makes us any different from the manager?"

San flushed as all the other members turned their eyes on him. "I....I didn't mean it like that."

"We never hit in anger, San," Seonghwa spoke up in a gentle tone. "That is why Yunho was in the wrong. We are not saying that Jongho should be allowed to get away with speaking to you the way he did."

Jongho shifted uncomfortably as everyone unintentionally looked at him at the same time. He pretended not to care though and gave a light hearted shrug.

"It was a bit much to slap me like that, but I guess I half deserved it."

Yunho shook his head, his face growing redder by the minute. But he swallowed his pride and gazed at Jongho again. "No, you didn't. I didn't even hit you because of what you said to San. I was just looking for an excuse to take my anger out on someone and saw you as the opportunity. I am really sorry, Jongho."

Too everyone's surprise, Jongho just let out a high-pitched giggle.

"Aw, you are all so dramatic. I barely even remember it."

Hongjoong shot him a frown, but didn't say anything. He just gestured at Yunho again.

Yunho turned to the others. "I also wanted to make an apology to the group. Yesterday I said some things that I never truly meant. It's not true that I hate being responsible. Yeah, it's less fun, but I am sorry I made it seem like you guys are a burden. I honestly never meant it that way. I just...I just wanted to annoy Hongjoong-hyung. I didn't think about how it might hurt you all as well.  I am also sorry for escalating the situation with the game. It wasn't fair on everyone that I pretended not to know that Mingi was cheating. And I definitely shouldn't have lost my temper over it." He bowed his head. "I'm really sorry."