Embers of Hope// Hyunlix

Chapter -13

[Warning: Sensitive topic. Mention of rape ⚠]

Chan's POV: 

I stepped out of Felix's office, my phone vibrating in my pocket. As I checked the screen, I saw it was Jeongin calling. Odd timing, but I answered quickly, half expecting it to be something casual.

"Hey, Innie, what's up?"

"Chan, you need to come home. Now." His voice was tight, panic laced through every word. "It's hyung... he's not okay. He's crying, and we can't calm him down. Minho, Jisung, Seungmin, and Changbin are here too, but he's completely breaking down."

My chest tightened instantly. I knew Hyunjin had been holding in so much, but this... this sounded like something far worse than anything I had imagined.

"I'll be there in 15 minutes," I said, my voice steady, even though my mind was racing. "Just stay with him. I'm on my way."

I hung up, my thoughts already miles away from the office. Rushing back to Felix's door, I opened it, catching him off guard. He looked up, confused by my sudden reappearance.

"I've got to go, Felix. It's urgent," I said, already moving towards the exit.

Felix started to ask something, but I didn't have the time or the words. "I'll explain later," I muttered quickly before closing the door behind me.

The drive home felt like a blur. My mind raced with every possible scenario, each one worse than the last. Hyunjin had been through enough—more than enough—and now he was breaking down? The thought of him, the strongest person I knew, in that kind of state left a heavy pit in my stomach.

When I finally reached the apartment, I barely took time to park properly. I ran inside, my heart pounding, and flung the door open.

Inside, the room was thick with tension. Minho stood by the doorway, arms crossed, his face grim. Jisung was sitting on the floor, his head down, while Seungmin and Changbin hovered near the sofa. And then there was Hyunjin.

He was curled up on the couch, a pillow covering his face as his body shook with silent sobs. It was like watching someone break apart, piece by piece.

"What the hell happened?" I asked, my voice low but filled with urgency.

Jisung finally looked up, his eyes red from holding back his own emotions. He hesitated, glancing toward Minho before speaking. "Hyunjin... he was raped, Chan."

The words hit me like a freight train, knocking the breath out of my lungs. For a second, I couldn't move, couldn't think, couldn't even breathe.

"What...?" I whispered, my voice cracking as the weight of the truth settled in.

Jisung nodded, his own tears starting to fall. "He didn't tell us right away. He kept it inside, and we just... had to force it out of him..."

I looked at Hyunjin, still curled up, and my heart shattered into pieces. My best friend. Someone who had always been so strong, so resilient, now reduced to this.

I took a deep breath, steadying myself. I needed to be strong for him now. "Does Felix know?" I asked, though I already suspected the answer.

Minho shook his head. "No. Hyunjin doesn't want him to know."

"Not yet..." Jeongin repeated softly, like he was trying to make sense of everything, just like the rest of us.

I sat down on the edge of the sofa, gently placing a hand on Hyunjin's back. His body trembled under my touch, his sobs muffled by the pillow. I didn't know how to comfort him, didn't know what words to say. All I could do was be there.

"I'm here, Hyunjin," I whispered, my voice steady despite the overwhelming ache in my chest. "We're all here. We'll get through this together."

He didn't respond, just kept crying into the pillow, but I knew he heard me. And that was enough for now.

The room remained quiet, all of us unsure how to move forward from this. But one thing was clear—Hyunjin needed us, now more than ever.

And whatever it took, we would be there for him.

As I sat there, watching Hyunjin break apart on the couch, a wave of frustration washed over me. It was agonizing to see someone so strong reduced to this.

Why was life so unfair to him? Why did he have to endure so much pain? It felt like the universe had singled him out, throwing tragedy after tragedy at him without any mercy. My heart ached for him, each sob a reminder of the injustice he had faced.

Hyunjin had always been the one to lift others up, the light in our group, and now he was the one drowning in darkness. I couldn't comprehend why this had to happen to him.

Tears pooled in my eyes as I thought about the battles he had already fought—the trauma from his past, the burdens he carried silently. He had spent so much time trying to be strong for everyone else, and yet, here he was, completely shattered.

It wasn't fair.

I clenched my fists, a swell of anger bubbling inside me—not at Hyunjin, but at the world for treating him this way. He didn't deserve this. No one did, but especially not him.

"Hyunjin, why you?" I whispered, my voice cracking with the weight of my own sorrow. "Why does it always have to be you?"

He didn't hear me, still lost in his pain, but I hoped he could somehow feel my presence, my unwavering support. I wanted to promise him that we would fight this together, that he wouldn't have to carry this burden alone.

I glanced around at the faces of our friends—Minho, Jisung, Seungmin, Changbin. Each of us was grappling with our own anguish, trying to figure out how to help him. But I could see it in their eyes: we all felt helpless, wishing we could take away his pain, wishing we could turn back time and erase everything that had happened.

But we couldn't.

"Hyunjin, please," I murmured, brushing a strand of hair away from his forehead. "You're not alone in this. We'll find a way to get through it, I swear."

The world felt heavy around us, but I knew we had to remain strong. For him. For each other.

I was determined to be his rock, to stand by his side as he navigated this unbearable storm. It was time to fight back against the darkness that had crept into his life.

He deserved to see the light again.