I'm out on the edge and I'm screaming my name
Like a fool at the top of my lungs
Sometimes when I close my eyes I pretend I'm alright
But it's never enough
___________________

Pretty nervous and most of all worried, the four of them let themselves fall on the sofa in Baekhyun's living room. All eyes were on Jaehyun and just waiting to hear the bad news. Taemin had fallen down beside Taeyong and looked at him from time to time. Baekhyun cleared his throat slightly.

"So go ahead and tell us." The oldest was still rather suspicious of the youngest. In Baekhyun's opinion, he especially should have stayed at Taeyong's side and listened to him, after all the two had been more than just friends. Taeyong didn't know if he was ready to hear bad news again. He didn't know how much more he could bear without breaking down completely. He still thought that he deserved it somehow, but he was also just a person who could break easily. Jaehyun nodded slightly and thought about how he could best express it. What he had heard in the morning had completely left him speechless and made him incredibly angry. Jaehyun cleared his throat.

"You remember Lei said at the very beginning that he's still close friends with Suga from BTS, don't you?" He spoke directly to his ex-boyfriend.
Taeyong nodded his head.Of course he remembered and because of Lei's past with Big Hit this was foreseeable and realistic.
"Well, it's exactly this connection or friendship he wants to use against you."
Confused, everyone looked at Jaehyun. But Jaehyun had not finished talking.
"Shortly after you had left the house, which we had all noticed by the way, I passed Leis room on the way to the kitchen and heard him and Johnny talking. Believe me, I don't see how Johnny can be supporting him in all this."
Jaehyun sighed while everyone still looked at him in confusion. No one had any idea yet what this conversation would lead to.

"I heard Lei say that he talked to the management, told them everything and asked to kick you out of the band."
Baekhyun took a frightened breath, but Jaehyun continued to speak unflustered.

"Lei said the management didn't believe him and wanted to hear your side of the story first."
Taeyong looked up slightly surprised. The management had always treated Taeyong as one of their favorites and now it finally counted for something.
"This made Lei pretty angry and he told Johnny how unfair it was and how stupid SM would be to keep someone like you in the company. Well, since Lei wants to get rid of you, he told Johnny his plan and when I heard about it, I had the feeling that my blood was freezing. I can't understand how he could think of such a thing to do to someone."
Jaehyun clenched his fists. Taeyong knew that he always did this when something made him angry and furious.
"He explained to Johnny that he had talked to BTS and they promised to help him in his fight against Taeyong. He had actually managed to manipulate BTS into blackmailing Taeyong in public."
Taemin raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Why would they do that? I know these guys a little bit.They didn't seem to me to be prejudiced."
Baekhyun nodded in agreement while Jaehyun sighed immediately.
"Those were my first thoughts too, after all I know Jungkook a little bit, but Lei must have manipulated them somehow, because he explained that he had made a plan together with them. BTS would publish a video about Taeyong as soon as Lei gave the signal, where they would publish all his lies, as those of Lei, and so the whole world would know about it and think the worst about Taeyong and therefore the management couldn't do anything else but to kick him out."
Jaehyun looked around slightly distressed. "I think Lei came up with even worse things than the ones he told us because I don't think BTS would be able to release such a video through the current rumors and consciously ruin a person's career and life. So he must have told them something new and I believe that he will tell us, NCT, a new story about Taeyong in the near future."
Baekhyun rubbed his forehead. "I still don't understand why BTS should get involved."
Taemin nodded in agreement. "Lei must have manipulated the boys incredibly. This isn't like them." Taemin sighed and got up from the sofa. "I need some alcohol now. Would you like a beer?" Jaehyun and Baekhyun nodded slightly and Taemin left the living room.
Baekhyun stroked his hair nervously. "So what do we do now? We can't just let this happen and wait for Lei to make the next move."
Jaehyun nodded immediately. "I will definitely talk to Johnny. He's my best friend, he'll listen to me."
"The idea sounds good. With Johnny, he would lose his best ally." Baekhyun sighs again. "How can one person be so vicious..."

While Jaehyun and Baekhyun continued to talk about how they would proceed and how incredibly horrible Lei was, Taeyong had the feeling that he was about to panic at any moment. He had never thought that Lei would continue the fight outside the band and involve other bands. It drove him crazy to know that now seven other guys, with whom he never had contact before, thought the worst of him and believed Lei's lies. Yes, he was an ass in his childhood and mean to Lei, but none of his actions came close to those of Lei. The only thing Taeyong did were small, childish jokes like children do. His hater had always made the rumors about his schooldays look worse than they really were. Again and again new rumors came up and Taeyong was downright portrayed as a bullies. SM as well as his fans constantly tried to fight against these rumors. Taeyong knew that if BTS would release this video, there would be nothing left to save his reputation. BTS had too many fans. His career would be ruined immediately.

"W..what if..." Taeyong cleared his throat quietly and played unsteadily with his fingers. "What if I leave NCT by myself? Then Lei finally has his wish and doesn't have to involve BTS."
If he would leave the band voluntarily, Lei would have no more reason to do this to him. Both Jaehyun and Baekhyun looked at him with a frightened look.
"What? No!" Baekhyun's voice sounded high and quite frightened.

Jaehyun, also looked at his ex-boyfriend with big eyes in shock and knelt down in front of him. "Tae." He took his hands in his and looked at him. Tears were forming in Taeyong's eyes.
"You always told me never to give up. No matter how hard the road is, no matter how many barriers you have to face, you can always make it to the end goal. Don't give up. We'll get it all back. NCT wouldn't be NCT without you. NCT would be nothing without you. I would be nothing without you." He gently stroked Taeyong's finger. "I'm incredibly sorry for not listening to you. I should have known from the start that there was something fishy about Lei. I'm so sorry, Tae. The picture he showed me was just so real and... I-I can't explain it."

Taeyong had no chance to hold back his tears and they were now streaming down his cheeks. Jaehyun gently stroked them away and pulled the older one into his arms. Taeyong immediately clung to him and sobbed up. He buried his face in Jaehyun's chest while his fingers clung to his shirt. He clung to his ex-boyfriend like a drowning man, who also pulled him close and held him tightly. Baekhyun, who had watched the two quietly, left the living room quietly so that he wouldn't disturb them any further and also interpreted Taemin who came back with three beers to leave them alone for a while.

"I'm so sorry, I never meant to hurt you." Jaehyun's voice also sounded shaky, which only made the two of them hold each other even tighter.

"I-it's okay Jae, I... I forgive you."