(I've a little task for you guys so do check out the note at the end!)
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Joshua kicked the small pebble on his way as he somehow reached the mansion, dejected on himself for yelling at Seokmin. But he had to do it, the younger was supposed to forget his fears and stay strong for the ship to sail.

It was when he noticed Jeonghan at the main gate with his arms crossed against his chest. He wasn't in a mood to talk so he decided to smile and slip through his gaze.

"Hong Jisoo." Jeonghan called his full name, "In the meeting room, now!"

What was that? Joshua thought as the leader disappeared. Why did he call him so sternly into the meeting room late at night?

What did he even do?

Nevertheless, he walked to the meeting room where Jeonghan was waiting for him.

"What happened Jeonghan?" Joshua hesitantly asked.

"I'll give you one more chance." Jeonghan muttered beneath his breath, "Where were you?"

"I went to have some fresh air." Joshua lied profusely, "Did something happen when I was not around?"

He was done with him hiding everything from his as if he would eat him if he shares it. Was he not close enough to him? Was he not his comfort person? Was he not worth enough to be considered as a close person?

"Don't give me crap, Joshua!" Jeonghan slammed his hand on the table as he stood up, "I know that you're dating Seokmin! I'm so tired of you all hiding everything from me for stupid ass reasons. Why do I always come to know about you through a third person or by hiding behind the bushes?"

"You-" Joshua stuttered, "You know-"

"Unfortunately."

"So are you going to execute me or something?" Joshua straight up asked.

Jeonghan calmed his temper as he sighed heavily, "Why would I execute you? What crime have you done?"

"I-"

"Just stop it." Jeonghan furrowed his brows, "How many times have I told you that you're free to talk to them? Whatever happened between me and Seungcheol has nothing to do with you guys but it was you who denied every time."

Joshua stood silent. His leader wasn't mad at him. Instead, his friend was hurt due to the secrecy between their friendship.

"And why were you yelling at Seokmin?" Jeonghan cocked a brow, "You know he can't take this type of outburst very well right? He was so hurt-"

"And what about me?" Joshua looked up, "Are you going to defend him? Mind you Jeonghan, he was the one insisting to play a whole drama just to keep our relationship hidden."

"I heard it." Jeonghan confessed, "But you should've just talked. Screaming didn't do shit."

"Enough." Joshua chuckled bitterly, "How can I forget that Yoon Jeonghan is a really fine manipulator?"

"What?"

"You're just playing with my mind right? You're pretending that you've no problem with me dating Seokmin when in reality you're burning inside." Joshua glared at the older, "You're playing tricks to gradually grow us apart."

"Do you even understand what you're saying?" Jeonghan clenched his teeth, "I would never do that-"

"You can!" Joshua intervened, "You can do anything to keep Serenity away from Rose Quartz. But our relationship has nothing to do with your rivalry-"

"Shut up just shut up and go away." Jeonghan yelled, "I'll say this again Joshua, I've always asked you, Hoshi and Mingyu to keep interacting with them accordingly but YOU guys always denied. YOU said that it would not be fair. YOU said that their leader would not accept it. And now you're here blaming me for your relationship falling apart when the truth is that it's because you can't sort things out peacefully."

Joshua simply stared at the older. He himself didn't know why he was reacting like that, it wasn't a Joshua behaviour at all. He didn't know but he was getting really obsessive with Seokmin and everything was the result of the same.

"Get away from my sight." Jeonghan looked away, "I don't want to see you today. Go and calm yourself first with some introspection and then we'll talk, probably."

"Really?" Joshua walked forward, "Fine Yoon Jeonghan, why for today only? I'll just leave forever but without owing anything to Serenity."

He recited a spell to pull out all of his supernatural powers into a small gem and placed it on the older's table, "Goodbye."

"What are you doing Joshua?!" Jeonghan's eyes widened, "Don't fuck with me right now. Have you seriously gone insane?"

"Yes, so what?!" Joshua yelled, "Let me just leave."

"HONG JISOO." Jeonghan held the younger's arm, "You're well aware of the fact that the demons are roaming free out there right?"

"Why do you care?" Joshua yanked his arm away, "Why would anyone care?"

Jeonghan scoffed as he calmed his demeanor, "Listen to me, I know you're really sensitive right now and you're not in a good state to make the right decisions. Please go to your room, we'll talk tomorrow."

"I don't want to talk, Mr. Yoon." Joshua walked towards the door, "It's over." He slammed the door shut and left.

Joshua grabbed his hair in frustration. Why did he act like that? He didn't know either. He knew he went overboard with his words but he couldn't help but explode.

You can't entirely blame him. He just wanted to spend the small time he used to get with his lover, peacefully. But then Seokmin suggested a dumb plan and then came Jeonghan blaming him for this and that.

He was hiding his relationship for a reason. He wasn't ready to reveal it yet and so was Seokmin. Was it such a big deal?

Plus yelling at Seokmin, he was angry, really angry but he still made sure that something genuinely hurtful wouldn't come out from his mouth. He was just trying to pull Seokmin out of his fear zone for their own good.

But a lot happened within a small amount of time that his mind took a 360 degree turn and he did all those things he never wanted to.

Threatened his love.
Fought with his best friend.
Left his home.

Wow, great!

"

Wonwoo hyung." Seokmin peeked into the older's room who instantly turned towards himself.

"Yeah Seokmin?" Wonwoo gestured for him to come in, "You didn't sleep yet?"

"Can I talk to you?" Seokmin mumbled slowly, "Please don't get mad."

Perceiving the younger's gloomy state, Wonwoo asked him to sit down and patted his shoulder, "Tell me."

"I went to meet Shua hyung." Tears brimmed in Seokmin's eyes, "I was scared when you said that you wanted to talk to Cheol hyung and Shua hyung told me that Hoshi hyung came to know about us as well."

It was when Seungcheol passed through Wonwoo's room whose door was slightly opened. Seokmin's sniffles made him halt on his way as he began to hear their conversation.

"I asked him to keep a distance for a while, this hide and seek was too much for me." Seokmin continued, "But he got mad."

"Then?"

"He warned me." Seokmin broke down, "If I continue to be a coward, we will have to break up."

"What?!" Wonwoo was amused. He couldn't believe that Joshua could say something like that.

"Yeah." Seokmin sobbed, "He's fed up with everything, I know. He had been taking everything calmly and his patience broke after a long time so he's reacting like that. But as I told you yesterday, I don't want any drama because of our relationship."

"Drama is inevitable." Wonwoo mumbled in horror. Seokmin looked to witness the older's eyes fixated on the door.

Seokmin didn't understand at first but his soul left his body once he turned around to witness Seungcheol with rage taking over him.

"How dare he?" Seungcheol blurted out, "How dare he hurt you? HOW DARE HE MADE YOU CRY?"

"Hyung-"

"No don't defend him." Seungcheol walked away, "I'll teach him a good lesson today."

"Stop him!!" Seokmin shook Wonwoo. Both of them got up and ran behind the leader.

"Seokmin, go and call Woozi." Wonwoo suggested, "I'll try to stop him."

Seokmin nodded and rushed to Woozi's room. Meanwhile, Wonwoo followed Seungcheol, "Hyung! Hyung wait! Please listen to the whole thing first! HYUNG!"

But Seungcheol refused to listen. After witnessing Seokmin's tears, he was seeing red. He couldn't digest the fact that someone had hurt his younger one, even if the culprit was his long lost best friend.

Joshua walked through the pathway of Serenity HQ for one last time. One part of him knew that he wasn't doing right but he was just fed up. His limit was broken, he just wanted to go away from everyone. He craved for peace.

It was when he heard a thud and turned around to witness Seungcheol while Seokmin, Wonwoo and Woozi followed him asking him to stop from doing something Joshua didn't know.

But he noticed it, the sword shining in Seungcheol's hand.

"Who do you think you are?" Seungcheol yelled, "How dare you hurt Seokmin?"

"What are you talking about?" Joshua frowned.

"Hyung please listen-" Seokmin tried to calm Seungcheol but was asked to shut up instantly.

"Don't be modest." Seungcheol cocked a brow, "He loves you so much that he hid his relationship with you for years but you just decided to leave him crying? And why? Because he didn't want to be a sneaky bitch like you?"

"So that's how you served everything to him?" Joshua chuckled bitterly looking at Seokmin, "I didn't expect this from you Seokmin. You've literally learnt to play the victim card from your leader."

"No-"

"The way you're talking right now makes it pretty obvious Joshua." Seungcheol stepped forward, "That you're at fault."

"Hyung wait, you don't know the whole thing." Wonwoo intervened.

"Don't make up stories to protect him now." Seungcheol warned as he turned back to Joshua, "I thought everything was getting back on track but you guys have swore on your lives that you'll keep the rivalry till the end of time."

"And? How innocent are you and your fellas Seungcheol?" Joshua mocked, "I bet you don't even know one-forth of whatever has happened. But you need to boast your designation to the world for your damn ego."

"Yeah, back again at blaming me." Seungcheol laughed, "Isn't this your little escape? Whenever any if you do something wrong, you smoothly bring up the past and start to blame me. Not anymore, how dare you try to hurt him?"

"Seriously Seokmin?" Joshua raised his eyebrows, "How can you do something this low? Do I not have the right to get mad and express my emotions sometimes? Did I harm you physically or did I abuse you? Just tell me what I did to earn this betrayal from you?"

"Stop fucking manipulating him." Seungcheol interfered, "You're literally brainwashing him right in front of my eyes."

"And who the fuck are you to talk between our matter?" Joshua yelled, "Why will you jump into our personal matters like this huh?"

"I care for him unlike you who left him heartbroken." Seungcheol retorted.

"I can't believe this." Joshua inhaled a deep breath, "Heartbroken? You're exaggerating it a bit too much! Now I doubt if you know even one-forth of the thing. I just can't understand why everyone is making a big deal out of a small argument."

"Enough." Seungcheol swung the sword in his hand as he ran towards Serenity's member with his dazzling red orbs.

No, he wasn't going to kill him or something, definitely NOT. But a little lesson to behave well was necessary, from Seungcheol's point of view.

Joshua unconsciously summoned his own sword but that was when he realised that he had already given up on his powers. He shouldn't have been reckless.

"What is he doing?" Woozi mumbled as the others remained confused over why Joshua wasn't protecting himself.

"Please do something hyung!!" Seokmin cried as he begged Wonwoo and Woozi for help.

Joshua just closed his eyes, ready to accept his fate. It was when a loud sound of swords clinging was heard.

He opened his eyes to witness Jeonghan standing in front of himself as his eyes blazed red and his sword stuck to Seungcheol's.

Yes, the exact friend with whom he had just fought for his love.

"What do you think you're doing?" Jeonghan mumbled in rage as completely covered Joshua from Seungcheol.

Hoshi and Mingyu came running as well. Mingyu recited a spell to return Joshua's power who flinched with the sudden force. Both of them assured the older that he would be fine.

But in reality, nothing was going to be fine when the two leaders had their swords against each other.

A/n : Meanwhile me and the demons : 👁️👄👁️

What are your thoughts over what's going to happen next? Let me give a spoiler. The next chapter is crazy but the chapter after the next one is even crazier.

Planned one more book (tmi : not the typical arranged marriage story over their parents' business) I just love this black and white theme 😩😩!!

So, the task is: I need some usernames of fans for this book so please drop some usernames here. You can include your own username too, if you want!
(Closed for the PROLOGUE now, sorry. You can still leave your usernames, I'll use them in later chapters)

So now I've 8 books in my drafts lol.

Anyways, take care everyone!

-Jeonghanneyonghaseyo