The maknae

CHAPTER TWO

° (indicates emphasis on the word)

-- (indicates a thought)

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Jaekuk smiled at the girl one more time as she moved down to the next member, and turned his attention to the current girl before him.

"Jaekuk oppa!"

Jae chuckled at her excitement.

"Hello pretty girl, it's nice to meet you."

The girl blushed at the compliment. "It's nice to meet you too oppa, you're my favorite member."

"Thank you! Although I've been with the group for about two years now, this is my first fanmeet, and I was a bit worried about how I would be received."

The girl smiled widely at him. "Oh no need to worry oppa, you're amazing, just perfect. So much better than Jungkook was. I never understood why everyone called him the Golden maknae, he was such a brat, and so overrated."

Jaekuk heard a snap from his left. From the corner of his eye, he saw Jin hyung clenching his jaw, the pen in his hand snapped in two. It was obvious he heard what the girl said, and wasn't happy. The girl however, seemed completely oblivious as she continued to praise him and insult Jungkook at the same time.

"Honestly, I'm glad he's gone, Bangtan's better off without him, especially now that they have you. He wasn't worth anything." 

Jae could see Jin fuming. Before anything else could be said, the girl moved down to the final member. Jaekuk placed his hand on Jin's fisted one in a sign of comfort, letting the sadness show in his eyes.

When the members returned to the dorm after completing their schedule, Jin stormed to his room and slammed the door behind him. The walls seemed to rattle with the slamming of the door. The others looked at each other, at a loss as to what to do. They had never seen their hyung so angry before, and it frightened them.

"W-what happened?" Jimin asked.

Jaekuk sniffled softly, drawing everyone's attention. 

"Jae, what's wrong?" Taehyung asked softly, taking his boyfriend in his arms to comfort him.

Jae latched onto Taehyung, crying softly into his chest. "I-I know why Jin hyung is upset."

"You do?" Namjoon asked from over Tae's shoulder.

Jae nodded.

"Can you tell us?" Tae asked gently.

Jaekuk shook his head in response.

"Please baby?" Tae asked as he tilted Jae's head up so their eyes met.

Jaekuk pulled back from Tae's embrace a bit and took a shaky breath. "If I tell you, all of you would become just as upset as Jin hyung, and...and it scares me and hurts me to see you that way. The last time this happened, you all ignored me, looked at me as if...as if I-I..." Jaekuk left his words hanging in the air unfinished as he started to cry once again.

The other members looked at each other in confusion. What could make them so angry that they'd...

"They mentioned °him."

Jaekuk saw them all stiffen, felt Taehyung go still in his hold.

"What did they say about °him."  Yoongi said, voice cold and monotone.

Jaekuk repeated all that was said at the fanmeet, feeling the members growing angrier with every word he spoke. "Ji-Jin hyung heard everything, that's...that's why he's upset."