Hala Hala ||| Ateez

14

Hongjoong pursed his lips as he saw Seonghwa disappear with Wooyoung down the hall. He was still fuming on the inside and he didn't know what to do.

Part of him wanted to run after the pair and make sure Wooyoung was ok. The other part wanted to give him the silent treatment and place him in an actual jail cell so he couldn't get out for a bit.

But that wouldn't solve anything.

So he just huffed loudly and started making his way back to his office without saying another word to anyone.

The fact that Wooyoung had disobeyed a direct order was a problem though. And it could lead the others to doing it too. If they didn't respect him as a leader, then the team wouldn't be functional.

Hongjoong paused as soon as he stepped into his office.

What had he really done to show he was a leader though? Sure there had been the one mission he had failed. And he got them set up in their own wing so they could be together... But that was it.

They had no reason to put their faith in him outside of the false freedom they had been given.

He was such a fool...

Just as he was ready to sink to his knees, a pair of arms caught him and kept him standing. "Are you ok?" Mingi's deep voice sent a chill down his spine.

"I feel like I've failed again." Hongjoong whispered as his vision blurred a little. "I'm... I'm not a good leader."

"What makes you say that?" The taller asked, slowly wrapping his arms around Hongjoong's chest and holding him tight.

Hongjoong closed his eyes and found himself leaning into the embrace. It had been a long time since he'd had anyone comfort him...

"I had this grand idea in my head that everything would fall into place. That this would just work." He whispered as he brought a hand up to place it on Mingi's joined hands. "It was foolish, I know. How do I make us a team? This is all so new to me... I'm used to it being just me and Yunho. That's how it's always been."

"Well he should probably be the one you ask then, but, I think the first thing we need to do is get to know each other a little better. I know you gave Yeosang his own area. Is it possible to move all of us over there so we aren't just stuck in our cells? Maybe give everyone a home and they will start to open up a little more. If they are anything like me, they haven't had a home in a long time." Mingi said softly.

Hongjoong could hear the hurt in his voice and knew he was thinking about his parents. He found himself nodding, agreeing with what he was saying. "I'll see what I can do."

He felt Mingi smile into the back of his head as they continued to stand there, not saying anything more, lost in their own thoughts.

.

.

.

.

San glanced at Wooyoung's door before ducking into his own room with Yunho right behind him.

"Have you taken your medicine today?" The taller asked quietly.

Fuck off.

San jerked his head, trying to shake the voice away. "Y-Yes." He muttered as he clenched his fists. It had been a struggle for him to take it though. His other side fought him every step of the way and even made him try to throw it up again.

It almost succeeded too, but San was determined to win this fight.

"Hey, I know it's hard." Yunho tilted his head and smiled at him. "Is there anything I can do to help?"