Chapter Text
‘Can you just give me a second Seokmae? Can you hear me out… Matthew!’ Hanbin’s voice echoed through the whole dorm.
Gunwook and Ricky came out of their room into the corridor, which connected some of the rooms, wondering what was happening. Jiwoong also stepped out from his room, still clad in his pajamas with a book in one hand and glasses in the other. Gyuvin stumbled out of the washroom, looking confused at the commotion. The clock hour hand was barely touching 6, and each person in the ZB1 dorm would tell you it was an ungodly hour to even be awake, much less for a commotion.
Gunwook stepped forward, confused. However, his initial uncertainty turned into hesitation as he saw Zhang Hao sitting on the couch, curling up in himself with his face set in stone, while Yujin stood beside the door to his and Matthew’s room, looking dazed.
‘I’m in no mood for another of your lies, hyung! So just please!’ Matthew’s voice echoed, devoid of much emotion. The dark tone sent shivers down each of their spine. Gunwook took a step towards Yujin, who looked like he would burst out crying any moment. All of them stepped forward towards the room, equal parts apprehensive and afraid of what was going on inside.
Though what they could gather from the peek they took from where the door was left ajar was enough to send them into a spiral. Matthew was packing his stuff, haphazardly throwing his stuff in his travel bag while Hanbin was trying to hold him back with tears streaming down the older’s face.
‘Matthew, please, just listen to me. Please, just give me a few seconds. I can clear it up.’ Hanbin’s voice sounded cracked and dry. Jiwoong frowned. It was certainly the most unusual scene he had ever witnessed, and he wasn’t prepared for something like this at such early hours.
‘Listen to what? More of your lies so you could persuade me? So that you could somehow justify your actions… or whatever you’ve been doing. No thanks!’ Matthew replied with a snark that he reserved for select few instances. And him using that on Hanbin was an unprecedented event.
Gyuvin leapt forward and wrapped his hands around Yujin, who was visibly shaking now. Gunwook guided them to the couch. Ricky looked at Taerae’s room door, which was still shut and made his move to sit beside Hao, who was still to move or utter a word. Jiwoong looked towards the ajar door, wincing at the flashes of the scene that was unfolding. It gave him flashbacks to the select few instances he had seen Hanbin and Matthew fight. The first had been on the boys planet, and then there had only been two odd events where Matthew and Hanbin had fought. Sure, they had their ups and downs, which felt too visible to everyone as the two were mostly like an open book, at least on the matter of their friendship. But other than that, Jiwoong had witnessed them fight on two rare occasions.
But things never got this heated. Matthew never spoke like this to Hanbin, no matter what. And the expression on Hanbin’s face from what he had been able to glimpse showed him a sort of vulnerable desperation that must’ve been reserved only for Matthew to see. Maybe Hanbin himself wouldn’t know that, and that’s how their relationship had been.
‘What is going on, Hao? Yujin?’ Jiwoong asked, trying to keep his composure. It wouldn’t bode well if his voice showed any hesitation or how scared even he was about how things were unfolding.
‘Matthew, you know I never meant any harm. Things just happened like that and I…’
‘And you didn’t even have the mind to tell me about it, not even once. Not even when… Not even…’ Everyone winced upon hearing Matthew’s voice crack and the sob that racked Hanbin. It felt eerie and unreal. Jiwoong wondered if he was still dreaming because how could any of this be real?
‘Yujin-ah! What’s going on?’ Gunwook asked gently, voice breezing through like a whisper. Yujin choked, before tears rolled down his face.
‘I was just getting up to go to the washroom when suddenly Matthew hyung barged into the room with Hanbin hyung following him. I left the room, closing it behind me, and then they started fighting. I couldn’t understand, and then someone hit the door before it fell open, and then Hao hyung came from the front door. They’ve been fighting ever since, and I think Hanbin hyung has done something really wrong because I’ve never seen Matthew hyung like that.’ Yujin said in a croaky voice, his words breaking up.
‘Hao! You’d like to add anything? What happened? You three stayed over in the company last night, right?’ Jiwoong asked, keeping his voice composed yet stern.
Hao shrugged, not responding to anything. His face was dazed, and it looked like he was lost in his own world.
‘Hyung, please!’ Gyuvin whispered, feeling annoyed and irritated at the older. In reality, he was scared because a scene like this was right out of one of his nightmares, where the members fight and then the group breaks off, and he’s not able to do anything.
‘What do you want me to say, Gyuvin-ah? If you really want to know, then why not go and ask Matthew… or better yet, ask your Hanbin hyung.’ Hao almost shouted, looking visibly disturbed.
‘Hao, enough.’ Jiwoong interceded, anticipating that the situation might spiral out of control here as well. One fight was enough as it is. ‘Is there anything you know? If so, please do tell.’
‘Hyung! I… It’s really not my place to say anything, hyung. It’s better if they…’ Hao said, hesitantly looking at the door of Matthew and Yujin’s room, which had gotten silent.
‘Okay… Ok. Let’s all calm down…’ Jiwoong said, trying to compose everyone, but more so himself. Being the oldest, he felt it fell upon him to somehow try and get the situation under control. But before he could act, the door opened and Matthew strolled out with a bag over his shoulder.
‘Matthew!’ ‘Hyung!’ multiple members chimed in, taking Matthew by surprise. By the looks of it, Matthew wasn’t expecting almost all of them to be there in the living room. Seeing everyone, his stance loosened. The pain visible on his face morphed into one of remorse and guilt.
‘I’m… I’m going home for a few days. Something has come up and…’ Matthew tried to speak but felt his throat close up. All the pent-up anger and frustration making it hard to speak. And looking at his members' clueless and tired faces, the guilt was enough to eat him alive.
‘Matthew, what happened?’ Ricky spoke up in English, making Matthew smile bitterly. Even in such moments, the comfort of his mother tongue somehow soothed him. He saw Jiwoong stand up, face full of questions.
‘Hyung, not now. I promise we’ll talk…’ Matthew said, trying to sound reassuring. He turned his face to look at his room once, wincing at the image of Hanbin sitting motionless on his bed. It hurt, but that’s how things came to be.
‘Things are a bit… complicated right now. But, we’ll talk later, hyung.’ He said, and Jiwoong nodded, stepping back.
‘Hyung…’ Yujin said in a small voice. Matthew felt taken aback, looking at the three maknaes, standing there like little kids; afraid and confused.
‘My babies…’ Matthew said, ushering them towards himself. The three ran towards him, engulfing Matthew in a group hug. Matthew bit his tongue, trying not to cry at the overwhelming display of love.
‘What’s going on? When will you come back, Mashu?’ Gyuvin asked.
‘Soon. Don’t worry!’ Matthew cried his best to reassure them while trying his best not to break down. As they all separated, he tried to level his emotions before speaking again. ‘Don’t worry. I’ll see you all soon. I just need a little break. So till then, take care of yourself. And Yujin-ah, don’t trash the room when I’m not here.’ He said, making Yujin chuckle, despite the tears in his eyes.
Taking a step back, he grabbed the bag that had fallen on the floor. He walked towards the door, steps small yet resolute. However, he paused as the front door approached.
‘Hao hyung, please take care of hyung!’ Matthew said, voice broken and hurt, before leaving.
No one present in the living room needed to ask which ‘hyung’ he meant by that.