Volcano | Bangchan

The truth always comes out

Chan's POV

I was out of focus. It's been an hour since I started working on a composition, but nothing good came out. We landed in New York in the middle of the afternoon, and we all had the rest of the day to chill and rest a bit before a busy day tomorrow. I went to grab something to eat for dinner with Changbin and Lix, and after that, I came back to my room to work a bit. But I couldn't focus on the music, my mind was somewhere else. 

Next week, Sooki will be turning 24. I had no idea what to do or what to gift. She had already warned us not to organize a big party or even a fancy dinner. She wasn't comfortable with us being all together in New York because it could drag attention. After what we dealt with a few months ago, I understood why she wanted to prevent any rumors. So we planned on having a party when we came back home. But there was no way I would let her be alone on her birthday.

At first, I wanted to bring her to a little restaurant and then spend the entire night just hanging out in the city together. But then I painfully reminded myself that doing that just the two of us could be a bit weird and disrespectful towards her boyfriend. And that thought brought me to the best idea for her. What could make her happier than having her boyfriend with her for her birthday ? I could book them a fancy restaurant as a gift. Of course, I had another present for her, but I wanted to do something else. My mind settled, I grabbed my phone and dialed his number.

"Hello ?". "Hi mate, it's Chan !". Dk's voice sounded surprised, which made me giggle. "You probably wonder why I'm calling you, but I swear you're gonna love my idea. So, as you may know, Sooki's birthday is coming in a few days.". "Chan..." Dokyeom tried to interrupt me, but I couldn't stop. I had to admit that, even though it was my idea, it was hard for me. A part of me knew that if I let him stop me, I might not do it. So I ignored him and continued : "And I thought about the thing she would want the most. You know how her loved ones are the most important things in her life, so the best gift is to bring you here, in NYC !". "Chan, please listen -". "I'll book you a flight in no time if you say yes, I even thought about a beautiful restaurant for the two of you. What do you say ?". 

I waited for an answer that wasn't coming. The silence at the other side of the line was loud, too loud. I started feeling a bit uneasy without really knowing the reason. Dk finally spoke : "...Why did you call me Chan ? I don't get it. You have free rein now, so why try to bring us back together ?". What ? I was genuinely confused. What was he talking about ? Free rein for what ? Bring us back together ? "I... I don't understand. What do you mean ?". It was Dk's turn to sound confused : "... She didn't tell you ?". "Tell me what ?". The line went silent for a few seconds. I heard Dk taking a deep breath : "... We broke up, Chan. It's been two months.".

My brain froze. Hell, my whole body froze. I stood up automatically and stood there, looking into the void. I didn't know what to say. They broke up two months ago ? And I had no idea. I tried to articulate, even if a part of me was too stunned to speak : "I... I'm so sorry... I had no idea...". Dk sighed : "It's okay. But honestly, I am not over it yet, so I'm gonna hang up if you don't mind.". I nodded before realizing he couldn't see me through the phone : "Yeah, I understand. Take care, mate, and sorry again for that.". I was about to hang up when DK shouted out : "Oh and Chan ?". "Yeah ?". "If I were you, I would ask her the reason behind our break-up.". And he hung up, leaving me frozen once again.

My mind was a mess. I couldn't believe it. Dokyeom and Sooki were not an item anymore ? Why ? How ? They were the perfect couple, they were so happy. What could have happened ? And why did he want me to ask her ? Speaking about her, why didn't she told me ? I was replaying all our conversations for the last two months. She never said she wasn't with him anymore, but she never spoke about him either. When we talked about her coming here for a few weeks, I asked her if Dk was okay with the idea, and she told me he wouldn't mind. Now, her answer had a whole new meaning. That made me think, was I the only one totally clueless about their situation ? I had to ask the boys. I rushed to the room next to mine.

I barged into the room without knocking. Okay, maybe I had a hard time controlling my emotions. Han and Lee Know were watching an anime on Lee Know's bed. They looked so cute, Han huddled in Minho's arms. And I totally ruined their moment. Completely taken aback, Minho pushed Han who fell off the bed, as if they were doing something wrong. Han grumbled : "Hyung, why ?". Minho giggled and helped his friend get back on the bed. Without apologizing, of course. I didn't waste another minute and asked straightaway: "Han. Is it true ?". The two of them looked at me confused, so I clarified : "Sooki. Is it true ?". Han seemed to realize what I was talking about, and his face changed. He looked at his hands and asked in a soft voice : "How did you figure it out ?". 

I started pacing back and forth, explaining with a bit of anger in my voice : "I wanted to surprise her by bringing her boyfriend here for her birthday. So I called the poor boy. Imagine my face when he told me they hadn't been together for two months !". Minho looked stunned, too. He gave a quick glance at Han, who was trying to create a hole by looking at the floor. He knew. Han knew. My first kid knew, and he didn't told me. I shouted out of frustration : "Why didn't you tell me Han ?!". The anger in my voice made him jump in fear. Minho put his hand on Han's shoulder and glared coldly at me. "Hyung, calm down. It wasn't his place to tell.". 

Han was still looking at the floor, like a kid who was being scolded. I sighed and came to sit on Han's bed. I patted Han's shoulder before throwing myself back on the bed. "Sorry, bro. I... I'm just a bit lost.". Han patted my leg : "It's okay, Hyung. We told her many times to tell you. But she is stubborn.". Minho asked him : "Who knows exactly ?". "Only Seungmin, Nomi, and I.".

I closed my eyes. Of course, the crew knew. I couldn't help but replay again and again all our previous interactions. Suddenly, I straightened and looked at Han, who looked back confused. "She wasn't sick ! Back then, when she didn't come to work for a whole week. She wasn't sick, right ?". He gave me a small smile. "She had to cope by herself first.". I pinched the bridge of my nose. How could I have missed that ? I felt a bit guilty for not being there for her at the time. Dealing with a break-up is hard, and I didn't see a damn thing. She should have told me, I would have done everything to help her.  

Suddenly, DK's last words popped up in my mind. "Ji. DK told me something strange before hanging up. Why did they break up ?". Han's eyes widened, he stood up. "AHEM, I'm thirsty. Do you want a drink ? I'll pay !". I stood up as well, a bit amused by his attempt to escape. "Don't even think about it. Why did they break up ?". Han sighed : "I'm sorry, hyung, but I can't tell you. If you want to find out, go to her.".

My brain was making up many theories. Why couldn't he tell me ? If Dk told me to find out, could it be... ? I shouldn't hope for that, but I couldn't help it. What if the reason why they broke up, the reason behind her will to hide it from me, was because I was the reason ? I had to know. I didn't say another word and stormed out of the room.