Chapter 175 - EXOTIC (VII): The Family They Never Had

His words echoed throughout the room. For a minute, there was pin drop silence as KJ tried to digest those words.

"What did you just say?" he asked. 

"It's time to honor our vows, KJ," Jinhyun whispered. "Disband EXOTIC and-"

But KJ stood up abruptly. "I can't believe you just said that." His voice was trembling. Not out of anger but out of fear. Disband EXOTIC? That was a preposterous thought for him. The group he had nurtured for ten years, the music they created together. They laughed together, faced so many hardsh.i.p.s with each other. They were a family. How can Jinhyun just casually mention that it was time to disband?

Jinhyun too, stood up. "KJ, I know you're angry," he reasoned. "But we can't go on like this! What Ash did was wrong but you can't deny that he was an important part of EXOTIC. Even if we can go on without him, the hole he left behind is too big!"

"Would you have said the same thing if Dasom or I had left?" KJ asked furiously.

"KJ, please calm down," Mirae said in a worried tone. She could feel his anger rising up and it was not the best time for him to lose his cool.

"Yes I would have!" Jinhyun claimed. "I would have said the same thing if any of the members of EXOTIC had left! It's either all four of us together or none at all!"

"Disband for the sake of the guy who abandoned us?" KJ accused. "Jinhyun, are you even hearing yourself? Have you forgotten what he did?"

"I haven't," Jinhyun replied. "I wouldn't forget what he did to you. But I can't forget the moments I spent with all of you. I won't forget the hardsh.i.p.s we went through to debut. I won't forget the happiness we felt when we finally performed on stage for the first time. I won't forget the first song all of us created together. I won't forget anything. Which is why, we have to disband. As long as EXOTIC exists...those moments will haunt us."

"I am not hearing this," KJ said, turning away but Jinhyun was adamant.

"Are you really not going to look at the blank spot everytime we will perform together on the stage?" Jinhyun questioned him. "Are you not gonna suddenly refer to Ash whenever we write a song? And when we'll win awards, won't you turn around to hug all four members of EXOTIC only to realize one of us is missing? Are you really not going to do any of those?"

"No," KJ lied. "I won't."

"KJ, please just remember our promise-" Jinhyun started but KJ had enough.

"Finish the rest of the food. I'll be gone for a while," KJ said, turning to Mirae. She was watching them argue helplessly.

"Y-yah," she mumbled. 

"KJ, please-" Jinhyun pleaded but KJ walked out. He stared at his friend's back, unable to muster the courage to follow him.

"Umm...Jinhyun?" Mirae spoke up. "What is this promise you are speaking of?"

Jinhyun sighed and sat down again.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," he apologized. "I really didn't want to say all this in front of you since you've just been through a lot…"

An awkward silence fell upon them as Jinhyun fidgeted in his seat. While Mirae was quite well acquainted with Hyun Jung and Dasom, she was not so close with Jinhyun. He always remained so busy that it was difficult for them to talk much. 

"I believe we haven't talked much before," she said awkwardly. 

"Yes, it's kinda strange," Jinhyun chuckled. "I'm Jinhyun! The main vocalist of EXOTIC!"

He playfully held out a hand. Mirae smiled and took.

"Hi Mr. Main Vocalist," she remarked. "I'm the CEO of Abyss!"

They laughed at their antics. "So what is this promise you're referring to?" Mirae asked.

Jinhyun sighed. "Ten years ago," he began to narrate. "When EXOTIC debuted, we made a pact. The day any of the members left the group for any reason, EXOTIC will disband. All of us knew that without any of the members, the group would be nothing. We can go on to have success and fame but it will never be the same. And…"

He looked at her with a guilty expression. "I know what Ash did to you," he admitted. Mirae felt as if her heart stopped at those words. "He broke your heart and it may take you a long time to recover from that…" he trailed off. It was hard to put his words together and for the first time, he was at a loss on what to say.

"But, I can't help but remember all the time we spent together," he went on. "To me, I remember the kind and caring Ash. I want to hate him, I really do. But…"

"But you can't forget the friend you had so many fond memories with," Mirae finished the sentence for him.

"Are you angry with me too?" Jinhyun asked in a soft tone. He felt guilty for having to say these to the CEO of Abyss. It did not sit right with him to be discussing these with her especially looking at her condition. "I shouldn't be discussing all this with you when you're not in good health," he said. "I should go."

"No, please stay for a while," Mirae insisted. "Let's talk. I feel like I haven't talked properly to someone for ages."

Jinhyun looked at her persistence and sat back down. 

"I'm not angry at you, Jinhyun," Mirae stated gently. "You're not wrong in remembering the friend you thought he was. Despite what he did, he was an important member of EXOTIC. But I might end up killing your friend the next time I see him," she added with a finality. "Even if he's your friend, I'll shoot him on sight."

"Can I admit something to you?" Jinhyun asked. "In some way, I wish he had died before being revealed to be a traitor. At least he would have died as the kind friend we knew rather than a cold blooded murderer."

He clenched his fists, surprised at himself at the anger he was exuding. Even Mirae, who knew him as a naive and carefree person, was shocked.

"Are you really determined to do this?" she asked. "EXOTIC could still go on as a trio."

"A promise is a promise," Jinhyun said. "I won't leave until KJ makes his decision. But if we don't disband, it will be an insult to all those years we have spent together as a team. We'll never be able to forget Ash and his betrayal if we continue with EXOTIC."

Mirae observed Jinhyun's troubled expression. He was very confused about the turn of events and she could tell that there was a part of him which was still hoping that all of this would turn out to be a lie. That his friend would return and they will reunite again. Truthfully, somewhere in her heart, she was also hoping for the same.

But those were pipe dreams. The reality was in front of them and both of them were afraid of confronting it.

"I wish he was here too," she admitted. Her voice was choking up. "I wish he didn't betray us...I wish he died before he was revealed as a traitor too."

Her tears would not stop flowing. Every time she vowed not to cry over him, the damn tears would come back. Her own body was betraying her now.

Jinhyun held her hand. "If there is something I have learnt in my life is that everything happens for a reason," he advised her. "What you lost...it's irreplaceable. But you still have us. You have people who love you and care for you. Like you, I was also alone."

Mirae looked at him, her tears still not stopping. "I'm an orphan," he stated sadly. "I never had a family to begin with. I don't even remember what my parents looked like. All I remembered was a tiny, cold orphanage where I grew up in. The first family I had was with EXOTIC. Despite our struggles to make it as a group, we were happy together…"

He trailed off as he remembered those moments. The moments which used to give him peace were now piercing his heart. "You still have us," he reminded her gently. "All of us. Whereas he...he is all alone there. Ash may think he can win over the Cartel, but at what cost? In the end, he has no one to share a warm meal with. So who do you think really lost this battle? You or him?"

His words struck Mirae. A slight ray of hope was probably out there. He was right. She may have lost her baby but she was not alone. She still had people she could call a family. There were people who loved her and wanted her to return home.

"Thank you, Jinhyun," she whispered gratefully. "Thank you."

Jinhyun smiled at her. "I should get going," he said. "Here, I'll help you tuck in."

He fixed her pillow and gently helped her lay back on the bed. "Take some rest, CEO," he winked. "Be ready to return home and kick some ass."

"I will," she promised. She meant it. She will return home no matter what.

Jinhyun turned to leave when she held his hand. "Please rethink your decision," she requested. "It might hurt KJ a lot."

"I know him," Jinhyun said. "He'll be angry. He'll be hurt. But in the end he'll honor his friendship above everything else. You may think he's cold and uncaring but the truth is, he cares the most. I have faith in him. He'll do the right thing."

With an assuring pat, he let go and exited the room. Mirae watched him leave in awe. She had not noticed it before but Jinhyun had a calming yet majestic aura about him. He walked with humility but it felt as if an emperor was passing by with the highest elegance. 

Mirae was about to fall asleep when her phone rang up. It was Riggs.

"Hello," she answered.

"CEO, please turn on the TV," Riggs said frantically. "Now!"

Concerned, Mirae reached out for the remote and turned on the TV. Plastered on the news channel was a picture of her resting KJ's shoulder.

"Nation's Idol, KJ in a secret affair?" the news anchor was questioning. "We received damning evidence that not only Kwon Jiwon is having an affair but is also abusive towards his girlfriend, identified as Miss Jung Mirae. Exposed has submitted evidence that KJ's abuse had caused her to miscarry their child!"