Clockwork

Didn't mean to

Hyun Ki didn't really mean to do it. His eyes seemed to move on their own, drifting over to the other kids' paper before he could stop himself. None of this would have happened if he had just studied like he had been telling his hyungs he was doing but of course, he had lied and now he was in so much more trouble. 

"I hope this is a one time, young man" Mr. Kim scolded harshly. Hyun Ki almost rolled his eyes but he stopped himself. He had never really liked his history teacher but Hyun Ki tolerated Mr. Kim because he had to. 

"Of course, it won't happen again" Hyun Ki fully intended to make that be true; not for Mr. Kim or the school but for himself. Hyun Ki knew one thing: his hyungs were quite literally going to kill him. Doing good in school was one of the things most valued in the group and that was no surprise, considering that more than half of the group was still in school and those not in high school or middle school were doing college classes. A moment later, Jin-woo walked in without saying anything. He walked over to Hyun Ki and grabbed his arm, pulling the younger boy up. 

"I'm very sorry for my dongsaeng. I promise you, this will be dealt with and he will never cheat again. Please excuse his behavior" Jin-woo turned to Hyun Ki's teacher and principal.

"Of course. Go on and take him home. He can return tomorrow" The principal nodded, letting the two of them go. Jin-woo bowed again, thanking the principal, before dragging Hyun Ki out.

"Your so damn lucky that I picked up the phone" Jin-woo couldn't even look at his dongsaeng. Hyun Ki had to take two steps just to keep up with his hyung but he was still struggling and Jin-woo's grip on his arm was beginning to hurt. 

"I don't feel lucky. Can't you just take me home and skip the lecture?" Hyun Ki pleaded. Jin-woo stared down at the kid, extremely confused. Did Hyun Ki think that just because it was him who answered the phone and not one of the older members, that meant that Hyun Ki was off the hook?

"Would you rather be facing Min-hyung!? Or maybe I should call Li Jie hyung! I'm sure he would like to know what you've been doing?" Jin-woo threatened. Hyun Ki looked at the ground, his fists clenched in anger. Jin-woo noticed but decided to leave it alone. In the middle of a school parking lot was not the best place to be lecturing his dongsaeng.

"Let's go" Jin-woo wrapped a hand around his kid brother's arm again, pulling him over to the company car that Jin-woo definitely had not stolen from one of their managers. The ride to the dorm was silent and then they were pulling into the driveway and stopping. Jin-woo looked at Hyun Ki but the leader was avoiding him.

"I can't even imagine why you would do this. If you were struggling, you could have just asked one of us. We would've helped you, you know that" Jin-woo sighed, disappointed. Hyun Ki felt his anger slip away and tears rise in his eyes. 

"I should've studied but I had been slacking off and I was too scared to ask for help because then you guys would know that I was lying about doing my homework! And I know it was wrong, please don't tell hyungs! I'll do anything but they can't know! I'm supposed to be the leader, I can't make mistakes like this. They can't know that I made a mistake" Hyun Ki pleaded. He would do absolutely anything to keep the crown line from finding out about this. 

"So not only did you cheat on a test but you have been lying to all of us? For how long?" Jin-woo questioned. 

"I don't know...a while" Hyun Ki shrugged, fiddling with his hands. He should've just kept his mouth shut instead of going on a ramble.

"Not going to work. Try again, with the truth this time" Jin-woo demanded.

"A few weeks I guess. But I really do not see the point! I have my entire life ahead of me, already decided and everything. I don't need school" Hyun Ki argued. Jin-woo crossed his arms, giving the younger a dsappointed stare.