KOREA;
It was later that night when he first felt the pain in his stomach. Careful not to wake the other person in the dormitory, he silently made his way towards the kitchen. Hands shaking slightly, he grasped the cup and barely managed to place hot water in it without burning his hand.
Hankyung swallowed the pill tentatively, sighing in relief as he felt the pain subside. The doctor's words came back to him.
"I'm afraid you have an ulcer."
"An ulcer?"
Dr .Chan nodded and looked him over, noting his pale skin and the bags beneath his eyes. "You haven't been getting enough rest lately, have you?"
Hankyung looked away.
The doctor was also Chinese, which was part of the reason why Hankyung made him his attending physician. He could see the worry in the older man's eyes.
"I'm alright." He smiled slightly.
Dr. Chan sighed. "You need a vacation. You have to take care of yourself, especially so that you are so far away from home."
The young man nodded and accepted the bottle of medicine that the doctor was handing over to him.
"Drink this twice a day, or whenever you feel pain. But seriously, Geng, you really need to rest.
That check-up was two weeks ago and he really appreciated the medicine that the doctor had given him for it had helped in making the pain tolerable.
He almost dropped the cup in surprise as the kitchen lights came on, revealing Heechul in his pink Bugs Bunny pajamas.
"Yah, what are you doing so late at night?" The older man yawned and caught sight of the bottle in Hankyung's hand. "What are you holding?"
Belatedly, Hankyung tried to hide the bottle but Heechul had already taken it.
"You're taking medicines?" Heechul was staring at him accusingly after he had read the bottle's label and Hankyung knew that he couldn't lie.
"Yes."
"And you didn't tell me because…?"
Hankyung sighed. "I didn't want you to worry because of such a small thing."
He flinched inwardly as he saw Heechul's glare.
"The last time I checked, Han Geng, a stomach ulcer was not a small thing."
"I'm fine. The medicine helps a lot."
Heechul breathed in deeply, trying to calm himself down. "So, what else did the doctor say?"
Hankyung mumbled something incomprehensible under his breath.
"Dammit, Hannie! Speak clearly and loudly so that I could understand!"
"He said I needed to rest!"
The two men looked at each other for a while and Hankyung immediately felt bad for his outburst. But the apology remained stuck in his throat when he saw Heechul's determined eyes.
"We are going to speak to Leeteuk tomorrow. And you are going to tell him everything."
He did not call himself 'Umma-Teuk' for nothing and so Leeteuk was not surprised when Heechul and Hankyung barged inside his room so early in the morning.
"Hankyung has something to say." Heechul was pulling the other man by the hand.
Leeteuk yawned tiredly, he had barely gotten three hours of sleep, and smiled at his dongsaengs. "Good morning to you too, Heechul-ah, Hankyung-ah."
"Good morning, hyung." Hankyung bowed slightly.
Leeteuk sat up and looked at them expectantly. "Alright, what is it that you want to tell me?"
Almost an hour later, Leeteuk was wearing a frown on his face and glanced worriedly at Hankyung. "Are you sure you're alright?"
"Of course, hyung." He smiled a smile which he hoped was reassuring.
Heechul, on the other hand, was not smiling when he spoke. "You do know what this means right?" He was staring meaningfully at the leader.
The latter nodded before smiling sadly at Hankyung. "We're going to need the help of Kangin."
"What? Why?" The puzzlement was evident on Hankyung's face.
"You're going to leave Korea." Heechul glanced away from Hankyung's disbelieving face and struggled to keep his voice from breaking. "And we're going to help you."
Heechul watched in silence as his roommate placed clothes into the bag, stopping just once to think about what else to bring. Soon, Hankyung was done and he went to sit beside Heechul.
"Chul-ah, I'm going to go soon."
All he got as a response was a curt nod. Heechul was staring out into space, seemingly interested in the flakes of paint coming off on their light blue wall.
Hankyung sighed and placed an arm around the older man. "Why don't you speak to me, Heechul-ah?"
With those words, Heechul threw his arms around Hankyung and let the tears flow. For the nth time since planning his 'escape', Hankyung felt guilty and he hugged his loved one tightly.
"Just say it, Heechul-ah, and I would not even dream of leaving."
But Heechul shook his head at once and buried it deeper into Hankyung's neck, his sobs quieting down after some time. Hankyung continued stroking Heechul's back before kissing the top of his head gently.
He left later that evening, with only three of the members knowing about his departure. He glanced back and was met with the sight of Leeteuk hugging Heechul with Kangin rubbing his back. He didn't have the courage to look back again. If he did, he knew he would have abandoned any thought of leaving and would have rushed to Heechul to stop his tears
When they had revealed Hankyung's leaving to the other members the next day, Heechul fought the urge to cry again. He avoided Kibum's slightly accusing stare and Siwon's hard gaze. He deliberately ignored the choked sobs coming from Ryeowook and Sungmin. He intentionally chose to overlook the silent tears flowing down from Kyuhyun's, Yesung's and Shindong's eyes. But he winced when he heard Donghae laugh. The laugh had sounded forced and so unsure.
"Yah, Heechul-hyung, your pranks have really gone up a whole new level, haven't they?"
But the laughter died in Donghae's throat as soon as he noticed Heechul's red and puffy eyes, Leeteuk's woebegone expression and Kangin's clenched fists. The color drained from his face as the reality of the situation sunk in. He brushed away the tears starting to fall from his eyes and clung desperately to Leeteuk when the leader had pulled him into his arms.
Heechul turned away from the sight of his favorite dongsaeng crying and noticed Eunhyuk for the first time. Of all the members, he had expected Eunhyuk, the one he had christened as the group's 'crybaby', to be among those silently crying. But now the younger boy's eyes had gone dull, his face devoid of any emotion. He walked towards the younger man and pulled him into his arms.
"Hyukjae-ah, snap out of it," he said softly but firmly.
Eunhyuk was in shock. The news had been as unexpected as rain on a summer's day. Coupled with the fact that it was Hankyung who had left—Hankyung who was sweet and kind and loyal, Hankyung who had cooked food for them without any complaint, Hankyung who had held him tight and promised over and over again that Super Junior would always be together—made the news almost too hard to bear.
He dimly registered the fact that someone was talking to him. He was pushed out of his reverie when someone shook him hard and all but shouted at his face.
"Dammit, Hyukjae! Hankyung left! He abandoned us and he may not be coming back! Do you understand?"
With those words, Eunhyuk finally broke down in tears.
Four hours later, the situation had calmed down a little bit. Aside from the occasional sniffles, the members stayed quiet. Leeteuk chose to speak first.
"We all know that soon all of Korea will be talking about this. What do we want to do about it?"
Shindong shrugged and answered in a flash. "We keep quiet, of course."
The others nodded in agreement; it seemed that all of them wanted to keep things like this as private as possible.
The eldest smiled for the first time that day, his dimple showing, once again proud of his members' loyalty. "Thank you. All right then, I'm sure you have many questions, who wants to go first?"
Kibum raised a hand and ten pairs of eyes glanced in his direction.
What is it, Kibum-ah?"
The actor of the group looked at Heechul, Leeteuk, and Kangin in turn before speaking, his voice low. "Why did hyung leave?"
Heechul chose to answer with a single statement. "He was sick."
"Sick?" Siwon was puzzled by the older man's cryptic remark.
"Yes, Siwon-ah, he was sick. And if he didn't get out of Korea, he would have been sicker still."
Kangin spoke for the first time, his deep voice filling up the spacious living room. "We are all aware of our working conditions aren't we? That should be an enough answer to your questions."
The members remained silent, suddenly reminded of the unending schedules, the days with no sleep at all, the rest periods and vacations denied by the company and understood why Hankyung, who was the farthest away from his family and his home, suddenly decided to bail out.
"But why didn't he tell us?" Sungmin looked like he was going to cry again. "We would have allowed him to go…"
Kangin shook his head. "It would have been harder, Sungmin-ah, both for us and for him."
Eunhyuk suddenly stood up. "I'm going out for a while."
Without waiting for an answer, he strode out of the room with Donghae at his heels.
Ryeowook also stood up and followed the two, glancing back towards the others. "I just need…fresh air."
Leeteuk was about to go after the trio when Yesung grabbed his hand and shook his head. "They're just confused, we all are, and they probably need time alone. They'll be fine."
Leeteuk hesitantly sat down again.
Kyuhyun strode over to Heechul and sat beside the older man. "Hyung, I understand Hankyung-hyung's reason for leaving, really, I would have done the same. But hyung, why do you think I still feel like I've been abandoned by someone I really love?"
Heechul just stared at the youngest, for the first time not being able to come up with a witty remark. The magnae's words seemed to have struck a chord among those in the room because the tears started flowing again.
The members slept in only one dormitory that night. They had dug up sleeping bags and slept side by side in the living room, each of them drawing comfort from the mere presence of the others.
It was nearing midnight when Ryeowook decided to give up trying to sleep again and walked as noiselessly as he could into the kitchen. He was unsurprised to find Sungmin and Kyuhyun sitting side by side, each holding a cup of steaming coffee.
He sat down next to Kyuhyun, accepting the cup of tea that Sungmin offered. "Thank you, hyung."
Sungmin smiled tiredly. "You're welcome, Ryeowook-ah."
The three of them remained silent after that, each lost in his own musings.
It was Kyuhyun who broke the silence. "Do you think we could convince Hankyung –hyung to come back?"
Sungmin immediately shook his head, his signature smile absent from his face. "If Heechul-hyung was not able to convince him to stay, I don't think we have the power to make him come back."
Ryeowook silently agreed. They were all aware that the person who could make Hankyung do almost anything was Heechul.
The situation seemed hopeless.
CHINA;
It was good to be home and although he was still getting used to the peaceful atmosphere of their house, Hankyung was very happy. He smiled blissfully as he got a whiff of what his mother was cooking. One of the things he had missed during his stay at Korea was his mother's delectable dishes. When he had arrived unannounced at their doorstep, his parents had not asked any questions and welcomed him with a warm smile and hug. After he had explained the situation and his decisions, they had supported him wholeheartedly.
After eating and thanking his mother for the food, he locked himself inside his room and immediately opened his phone. He had hoped to see a message or a call from his members but he found not one among the messages from numerous friends, from his manager and various people from the company asking him where he was or why he left, etc, etc.
It had been almost a month since he had left and there had been no news from the people he loved in Korea. He sighed and smiled, forcing himself to believe that they were merely busy.
The next day, he was pleasantly surprised to find a message from Heechul. Excited and smiling truly for the first time in weeks, he immediately opened it. But a frown crept its way into his features as he read the rather lengthy message.
"Good morning! Hannie, the company has been screening our calls and messages that's why we weren't able to call or text lately. Because of that, this would also probably be the last text I would send to you in the time being. By mutual agreement, all of the members have refused every interview offered and denied giving any comment regarding all of this. Frankly, the company's getting frustrated. Some of the members did not take the news as well as we thought at first, but everything's fine now. So here I am to pass on the other's messages. Hyukkie and Hae say you owe them your Beijing fried rice for leaving without saying goodbye and Shindong wants to say hello. Siwon, Leeteuk and Kibummie want you to take care of yourself. Kangin says you should keep a low profile until all of this is sorted out. Yesung and Wookie miss you and Sungmin says that he'd have a new dish for you when you come back. Kyuhyunnie has discovered a new game and he wants to play it with you soon. Aish, that's it, my fingers hurt. Anyway, I'm doing great as always. Stay safe and I miss you. It's probably better that you don't reply to this, okay? Miss you, Chullie."
He read the message twice before wiping the stray tears which had managed to escape his eyes. At the least, he had expected them to be mad or annoyed at him for his actions but on the contrary, they wanted him to stay safe and to come back. He smiled through his tears and was struck with an almost painful sense of longing to be with his members—his brothers—once again.
And he really did miss Heechul terribly.
He was still crying quietly, ten minutes later, when his mother came to check up on him.
"Geng, are you alright?"
He hurriedly wiped his tears and smiled. "Yes, Mama."
The older woman sat beside him and rubbed his shoulder. "You miss them very much, don't you? Are you going to go back?"
Hankyung shook his head. "I don't know what to do anymore, Mama. I miss them but I don't want to leave you and Papa."
His mother pulled him into a hug. "Whatever you decide, Geng, Papa and I would always support you. Do you know that this is the first time you've cried on one of your visits from Korea?"
Hankyung did not answer and merely waited for his mother's next words.
"I think you need them as much as you need us and they need you too. It would make you happier if you were with them, wouldn't it?"
He embraced his mother tightly, the tears he was trying so hard to hold in, now flowing freely down his cheeks as he heard his mother's last statement.
"My dearest son, follow your heart and your happiness will be unending."
Mother and son separated from their embrace as Hankyung's father appeared in the doorway. "Geng, there's someone who wants to see you."
Hankyung wiped his tears and glanced questioningly at his father. "Who is it, Papa?"
The older man offered a strained smile. "Lee Soo-man."
The president of one of Korea's largest talent company was sitting in his living room couch and Hankyung took a deep breath before facing the man.
"Good morning, Mr. President."
Lee Soo-man stood up and smiled, taking Hankyung's hand in a firm handshake. "I'm sorry to barge in so suddenly."
Hankyung's mother came and placed two cups of tea on the table before leaving. "We'll leave you both to talk."
Lee Soo-man took in the appearance of the young man in front of him and took a sip of the tea. "Would you care to explain you actions, Geng, so that I would understand the situation wholly? Your members have refused to say anything, you know."
Hankyung decided to be honest. He related his sickness, how all of his requests for a vacation period were denied, how three of the members had decided to help him leave Korea and how he managed to leave.
The president was nodding thoughtfully. "I guess, it was my fault for being negligent…and for that I'm sorry."
Hankyung nodded and smiled.
"If I promised to do my best to improve all of your working conditions, would you consider going back to Korea, to Super Junior?"
When he answered, it was a very resolute "Yes."
KOREA;
Donghae grunted in annoyance as he heard the incessant knocking. He willed himself to stand up, knowing that the others were much too tired to get up and he was the only one who had enough strength left to open the door.
"Aish! Wait a minute I'm coming!" He tried to remember who could be the one knocking but no one came to mind. They were currently at the dormitory Heechul, Hankyung and Kibum shared since they were planning Heechul's birthday party for tomorrow. The birthday boy, together with Kibum and Siwon, was currently in some place filming a drama. The sleep deprived brain of Donghae had trouble remembering the exact location.
"Alright, alright…" He opened the door, ready to yell at whoever was behind it but stopped in his tracks.
There standing on the other side of the door, with an expression of shock that mirrored his, was a person he hadn't seen in almost two months.
Donghae struggled to formulate anything to say but all that came out was a quiet, "H-Hyung…?"
Hankyung was expecting to see Kibum or Heechul and was so surprised when he realized that it was Donghae who had opened the door for him. He cleared his throat and smiled. "Hello, Donghae-ah."
In a speed that amazed the older man, Donghae had already pulled him into his arms and was jumping up and down in joy.
"Oh my god! You're back, you're back!"
Hankyung laughed. "Yes…I missed you, Donghae-ah. I missed all of you."
The younger boy was still bouncing up and down when a door slammed open to reveal a very sleepy Eunhyuk.
"Hae, it's three in the morning! Why are you so noisy?"
Donghae grabbed Eunhyuk by the hand and pulled him towards Hankyung. "Look! Look, Hyukkie! Hyung is back!"
Eunhyuk's eyes went wide and he blinked as if trying to figure out if the image he was seeing was not just an illusion. "Hyung? You really came back..?"
Hankyung nodded and grinned. "It's nice to see you, Hyukjae-ah."
With a cry of joy, Eunhyuk hugged him tightly and Donghae also joined in. Apparently, they were too noisy because several doors opened moments later. Out came a very cranky Kangin, an annoyed Yesung and a sleepy Shindong who were followed by the rest of the members, Leeteuk, Sungmin, Kyuhyun and Ryeowook, each displaying varying amounts of sleepiness and exasperation. But all of their expressions changed into one of astonishment as they saw Hankyung standing at the living room.
"Hankyung-ah…"
"Hyung, you're really here?"
Hankyung smiled once again and said the words he had wanted to say for so very long. "I'm not leaving, ever again."
After tearful greetings and joyful remarks, the members sat around Hankyung as they exchanged stories about what had happened in the two months they had been apart. Hankyung had just finished relating his encounter with their president.
"Why are you all here again?" Hankyung directed the question to no one in particular.
"It's Heechul-hyung's birthday tomorrow, hyung. We wanted to plan a surprise party for him." Ryeowook leaned his head against Yesung's shoulder and yawned.
Hankyung nodded in understanding. He glanced questioningly at Kyuhyun as he saw the magnae looking at him while smiling devilishly and whispering something to Sungmin.
"Why are you looking at me like that, Kyuhyun-ah?"
The youngest of the group smiled innocently. "Nothing, hyung. I was just saying that we've found the perfect gift for Heechul-hyung's birthday."
The rest laughed wholeheartedly as Hankyung felt a blush forming on his cheeks.
Heechul could not help but breathe a sigh of relief as he heard the director yell, "Cut! Good work everyone!"
He exchanged pleasantries with his fellow actors and thanked the people who worked with him before walking to where Siwon and Kibum were waiting for him.
"Yah, we're done, finally. Let's go."
Kibum nodded and stood up, leading the way towards their waiting car.
Siwon smiled at Heechul. "Happy birthday, hyung."
The birthday boy rolled his eyes. "Ugh, don't remind me. I'm getting older, aish!"
Siwon chuckled and assured Heechul that his age didn't matter that much.
When they were in the car, Heechul hummed silently before smirking. "Yah, they probably planned a surprise party for me, haven't they? They are so predictable." He chuckled and missed to see the look that passed between Siwon and Kibum.
Leeteuk had called them early that morning, relating Hankyung's arrival and the plan for the surprise. Both of them had spoken to Hankyung and had forced themselves to remain calm when they faced Heechul, careful not to reveal anything.
Kibum glanced back at the older man, who was humming 'It's You' under his breath. Their unsuspecting hyung was about to have the biggest surprise of his life.
When they got to the parking lot, Siwon turned to Heechul and smiled. "Well, hyung. You know the drill, right? Kibum-ah and I are going to go ahead. You follow after a few minutes."
Heechul waved them away dismissively. "Yeah, yeah…I know. Just go alright!"
The two waved once before entering the building.
Heechul smiled despite himself. The members were really thoughtful. If only, he was here, Heechul would be really happy. He shook his head, trying to remove any depressing thoughts from his head. He was supposed to be happy! Today was his birthday! Besides, he really appreciated all the efforts the other members did to be able to make him smile again.
He entered the building and walked faster than usual towards the dormitory.
He cleared his throat as he got to the door. "Yah, I'm coming in!"
He was surprised when he heard nothing from the other side. No last minute noises, no anything, he also took note that the dormitory was brightly lit, as opposed to the previous surprise parties where the lights were turned off. He shrugged, thinking that maybe the other's had another strategy in mind.
He grinned widely and opened the door.
The sight that greeted him was so unexpected, so unbelievable that Heechul was left gaping, unable formulate words to say. His brain was too busy processing what he was currently seeing.
There, standing in front of him, smiling widely was Hankyung.
"Happy birthday, Heechul."
It was only when the younger man had pulled him into his arms and had hugged him tightly, that Heechul finally reacted, throwing his arms around Hankyung and embracing him just as tight. He cried and laughed at the same time as he heard Hankyung's last statement.
"I'm back."
a/n: Okay, so I wrote this when I first heard about Geng's lawsuit and this is actually the very first SuJu fic I made... I hope you like it. I know, I know...the scenario I laid out isn't going to happen but, a fan girl can hope right? Anyway,please drop a review (or two) and make me very happy. Thank you.