flutedrum | woosan ✓

28

Wooyoung sat in the living room, his head leaning back against the couch as he let out a long, frustrated sigh. Another week had passed, and he was still trapped in this endless cycle. Everything he loved seemed so far away. Every day without San was like a punch to his chest. The ache of missing him had grown unbearable, gnawing at him constantly. He wanted nothing more than for San to come back, to be in his arms, to hear his voice. But that felt impossible now.

He closed his eyes, trying to push the painful thoughts away, but they wouldn't leave him. Why did everything have to be taken from him? The exhaustion was getting to him—not just physically but emotionally. He was so tired of all of this.

Before his mind could spiral deeper, the sound of Mingi's frantic footsteps filled the dorm, followed by his panicked voice.

"GUYS! You need to see this—right now!" Mingi shouted, bursting into the room, his face pale with shock. He waved his phone wildly, as if the weight of the news had made him lose control of his usually calm demeanor.

Seonghwa, who was in the kitchen, immediately looked up. He never left his cooking unless it was something serious. And this? This seemed more than just serious. Seonghwa didn't waste a second, abandoning the food he was preparing to rush over to Yunho's side, eyes wide with concern.

"What's going on?" Seonghwa asked, his voice trembling slightly as he reached for Mingi's phone.

"There's this new article," Mingi began, still breathless from his dash into the room. "It just dropped... it's all over the place. JWSM—they're being accused of... everything. Drug dealing, fraudulent schemes, money laundering. And that's just the start."

Seonghwa's eyes widened even more as he scanned the article on Mingi's phone, his face growing darker with each line he read. He hadn't cared much about anything in the outside world for weeks, but this... this was something he couldn't ignore.

Jongho, who had been sitting quietly nearby, his usual calmness masking his sharp mind, perked up at the mention of the company's alleged wrongdoings. "Someone must have hacked into their messages or something connected to the company," he mused, his brow furrowing in thought. "That's the only way this kind of information could have gotten out. There's no way they could've hidden all of this otherwise."

Before Jongho could continue his analysis, the sound of aggressive knocks on the dorm door rang out, echoing through the room. Everyone froze, exchanging uneasy glances. Those knocks weren't just urgent—they were angry.

Seonghwa, always the brave one, slowly approached the door. His hand hesitated on the handle as he looked back at the others, who all held their breath, bracing for whatever was on the other side.

Seonghwa opened the door, revealing their manager, his face twisted in fury, eyes blazing with rage. His voice was low, cold, and venomous as he stepped inside.

"Whichever one of you fuckers did it, speak up now."