─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

❝ Pinky promise means you're linking each other's trusts, and when something is written in the stars, it means anything can happen ❞

🎼

C H A P T E R  F I V E

JACOB AND CHANGMIN HAD MADE A PROMISE. Sunhee said to let their promise up to the heavens above. Maybe she's confident, but the light in her eyes at age seven said otherwise.

She's right—it's painful, like falling off his bike, hurting his knee as if it's nothing, or twisting and turning, on the edge of doing the same to his ankle while dancing. But it already was too late.

Shouldn't the pain make someone stronger?

His younger sister comes back home, bright brown eyes sparkling with mischief and joy painting her face. She runs into his arms and starts talking about saving her classmates from bullies, and he feels a smile bloom on his mouth.

And if he gets Kevin to smile, he might be the happiest person alive.

"You did what?" Changmin bemuses. He's washing the dishes their father and second mom left for work, telling them they won't be back until tomorrow morning.

Eunji didn't leave them in a rushed manner, make it seem lonely, shutting the door on them, though. His mom didn't create their home a dark place—shadows creeping, walls closing.

He figures everything has feelings, and kindness is a gift taken for granted, sprouting from the tiniest seed into a blossoming dandelion that's stepped on.

After his mom passed away, his brother promised him and their younger sister different vows on a mission to-do list.

One, work part-time and maintain good grades.

Two, leave New York City behind for a new life in Seoul, Korea: Changmin has a chance at dancing, and their grandmother lives there.

Three, stay together no matter what.

The last one Jacob promised Changmin isn't on the list.

It was only between them—don't hurt Kevin.

Don't hurt the boy with glasses, hickory hair, warm and sweet voice like coffee who plays the piano, and yes, Jacob's best friend.

"Why? I wouldn't hurt Kevin."

"Please, for me? I see the way he looks at you. His eyes shine, and his smile—I don't want to see him sad."

"I can't promise."

"I'll leave you behind with that arrogant, selfish, two-faced man. He didn't think about mom, then he wouldn't think about us," the younger swallows the remaining insults.

"Hey, it's okay. It's going to be okay," Jacobs says softly, walking over. He pulls him into a hug and runs a hand down his back soothingly

Jacob holds Changmin tight regardless that he's breaking apart on the inside, and his arms tighten around him like he's shielding him from the demons of the past.

It's one thing to keep another breathing, alright, and another to stop them from remembering the dark past.

He can't do the last one, and it's hurting them both.

"Promise me," Changmin pokes his head out from Jacob's shoulder, glistening eyes looking at the aspiring songwriter.

"Okay, for you."

Changmin breathes.

Training her concerned eyes on the teenage boy entering the house, the girl blinks at the catastrophic scene.

Touseled hair, uniform soaked from the rain, smears of dirt and bruises line his jawline. "I'm home," he calls, managing a small smile.

A flame of revenge grows in Sunhee's stomach, and spreads up to her chest, enveloping every fiber of her body. She wants to fight, to protect him, and she remembers why dad left them.

He gave up.

He didn't want them anymore.

Changmin stops everything at the voice like a broken wind instrument and meets Jacob's eyes.

And Changmin's heart shatters into a million pieces.

Jacob's always been the definition of sunshine to everybody. To him, he's more than that.

He's family.

. . .

"WHO DID THIS TO YOU?" CHANGMIN SAYS, TONE direct as he places a bandage to the bruise, and Jacob watches him, syrup eyes holding affection, thinking back to the fight. He doesn't deserve to heal.

"Just someone," Jacob says quietly, tearing his gaze away.

Changmin gives him his best award-winning horror movie glare and shakes him by the arms playfully. He removes his hands off him, brow lifting at the groan of discomfort leaving Jacob's lips.

"Does your arm still hurt?"

"I'm okay."

"No, you're not. Tell me what happened."

Jacob can't face him. Not when he broke his promise. Not when he is having trouble apologizing to Kevin for kissing without consent.

Not when he couldn't fight back.

That worried look in the singer's eyes, him shouting he should know better than to get himself into trouble, made him realize Hyunjae never loved him.

"I just wanted to make Hyunjae jealous," he doesn't say anything for a beat of seconds, face flushing from embarrassment. "I thought it would work."

At this, Changmin immediately sits on the bed across from Jacob. "Aren't you guys together?"

"No. Hyunjae's just a nice guy. He got into a fight. I couldn't just stand there or leave him alone. He doesn't like me and I kissed Kevin. I didn't stop myself. I couldn't stop myself, knowing you have feelings for him—I'm so sorry, Changmin."

"You were confused. It's okay, really," Changmin comforts.

"I'm sorry I broke our promise. I can't even face you guys, yet you're here. It scares me."

The worst part was knowing his best friend likes him, but he doesn't, and he led him on.

"Hyunjae must have been an idiot for not seeing how amazing you are. The energy you bring when you walk into a room makes things lighter. Your comfort is unreal. Anyone who takes advantage of you will have nightmares," he grins at the smile unfolding on his brother's lips.

"You're not mad?"

"Let's not talk about this anymore, so apology accepted. I can't be mad at you for realizing your mistake," he laughs. Truth be told, there's this fear of potential rejection.

He wants to save another from heartbreak.

He wants to fall, lean in, and somebody to rescue him too. Is it too much to wish for his brother's best friend to be that person, but both broken hearts cannot fix each other unless they are willing to be fixed?

It's childish and irrational.

But, logically speaking, how can love in the movies become true and not a lie in real life?

"Do you still like him?" Jacob's question catches Changmin off-guard.

He smiles a weak smile, brown eyes twinkling, mirroring his. Jacob gets his answer.

"I hope all of our wishes come true, that mom up there accepts all of your faults and imperfections," he says.

"Haven't you read The Faults in Our Stars?"

"Haven't you watched The Perks Being a Wallflower?"

. . .

THE BROTHERS STAY TOGETHER, TUCKED IN BLANKETS AFTER the sunsets. The bedroom is quiet and dark except for the wall lights hanging, and their breathing is the only sound to their ears.

Midnight conversations and over-the-moon smiles light up the bedroom with their little sister sleeping peacefully between them.

Sunhee is the golden sun.

Changmin and Jacob are radiating stars that will shine.

. . .

SHOES SQUEAKING AGAINST HARD FLOOR AND CHAOTIC YELLS traveling from the gymnasium to the locker room means one thing, and that's basketball. Changmin long decided playing sports wasn't for him.

He enjoys the thrill and the competition as the time counts down, but the best thing is the joy surrounding the team after the match is over. Changmin's standing at the wide entrance doors and waves his hand to Juyeon.

A small laugh bubbles out his mouth finding him trapped in the crowd, struggling as the wave pushes him back. Juyeon catches his gaze, and Changmin beams, face buoyant.

Juyeon, their school's basketball team captain, focuses on the dancer's brown eyes, determined to push through, and reach his dance partner.

Celebrating victory comes later.

Changmin comes first.

. . .

JUYEON FEELS HEART RIP IN HALF LISTENING TO Changmin asking, "Why did Jacob come home injured?" He was half expecting bad news and good news from the younger. The term bad can have several definitions according to the situation.

In this case, it meant bad as the band breaking up, and keeping his gaze down on the algebra final practice worksheet doesn't help him hide the regret making him sink into the chair.

Lifting his head to look at him, the truth speaks for itself.

"How could you?" Juyeon yells, chest heaving.

"I didn't want to, okay! Hyunjae tells him, holding Juyeon's glass-layered eyes.

"You hurt him. You lied. You know how important their friendship is," the words taste bitter on his tongue, hands fisting his bandmate's collar.

"It wasn't your fault, so stop, please," Jacob reassures, hurrying over

Sangyeon's pecan eyes glitter with concern as they take in Jacob's flushed face, and messy dirty brown hair. "What were you thinking, making Hyunjae jealous? This is not like the movies, this is real life. Why would you put yourself in such trouble?"

Then, the guitarist arrives and rushes to the boys, sliding through their arms to get in between, "Enough. Fighting isn't going to solve this," Sunwoo's voice raises, panting.

Hyunjae and Juyeon stop fighting, their gazes tearing away, ashamed.

Silence.

Changmin, baffled, stands on the sidewalk. His bicycle drops out of his grasp, and clashes on the hard concrete. Lightning flashes in his eyes as the dark clouds echo.

Thunder rolls in like a silent earthquake.

"Hyunjae likes Kevin, but Kevin likes Jacob. We're going our separate ways. The band wasn't here to stay, it was just the five of us in our own world."

"Did you guys ever think about me?"

"I'm staying. You're my friend, anything for you," Juyeon says, throwing him a reassuring smile where his eyes squint like a happy cat, cheeks round. Changmin's mouth barely lifts, but it's enough, knowing their friendship is strong.

Juyeon wouldn't leave him and the band for a boy, right?

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

A U T H O R 'S N O T E

I lowkey don't know what I'm writing and this must have been the hardest chapter to write as of now because I wanted to get the emotions surrounding the band's friendship breaking and that people come and go.

I've been exhausted these days, so if the updates aren't twice a day, I'll make sure to post them soon as possible. I apologize for any mistakes and if you see them, please don't hesitate to let me know!

If you ever think your friendship isn't doing well, do make sure to talk it out, and let your friends know how you feel. Sometimes they don't work out & sometimes it can still stay strong with some understanding here and there.

I have a hard time in this area still, but alestial your reassurance helps more than enough

Thank you for giving this story a chance 💖💛 💚 💙 💜