The Secrets We Keep - Taekai

the one where jongin accepts it

Jongin followed Jongdae and Sehun back to EXO's dressing room, trying to swallow back all his feelings - trying to swallow back the bile he could almost feel sneaking up his throat.

Jongin had been struggling since Taemin dumped him, struggling more than he wanted to admit to even himself. But he hadn't really thought about the idea of Taemin struggling as well. He knew Taemin missed Jonghyun, he knew that - everyone knew that.

But he didn't really realize how much Taemin could have been missing Jonghyun.

All Jongin's bandmates had always made comments about how Taemin practically ran to Japan after Jjong's death. All the Japanese concerts, the Japanese CD he was working on. All Taemin's attention and efforts had been focused on Japan.

It seemed like he was barely ever in Korea anymore.

Jongin hadn't really viewed it as Taemin running away from Korea, but he knew it was because Taemin didn't want to deal with the feelings of losing Jonghyun - if he wasn't in the country, he could pretend that Jjong was still back here - alive.

But he hadn't realized exactly how true he might have been about that until now. Taem had struggled so much with Jonghyun's death, locking himself away in Shinee's dorm after the funeral - barely talking to Jongin when Jongin was sitting right there.

Telling Key that Jongin had always reminded him of Jonghyun.

■

"What was that out there?" Sehun asked as soon as they were within the confines of their dressing room.

Jongin shrugged, "I just went up to talk to him and things got out of hand."

"Well I don't like how he was talking to you. Like he was the only one that had lost something - like you had no right to judge him."

"Let it go, Sehun."

"No, Jongin. I'm not letting it go cause you're practically my brother and I don't wanna see anyone talking to you like that. Especially not Taemin after all he did."

"Sehun - let it go. It's okay really. Taemin's just - he's going through a lot."

■

Jongin spent a lot of time with Jung Ah and Sehun after that. As much shit as he gave Sehun over dating his sister, Jongin had to admit Sehun wasn't that bad of a guy and he always had Jongin's back. Sehun took up for Jongin whenever he needed him to - and even sometimes when Jongin didn't need him to.

So Jongin found himself being more and more supportive and approving of the relationship as time went on. At the end of the day Sehun was a good guy and Jongin was glad Jung Ah had so far picked a decent guy to be dating.

Jongin had to admit that Sehun had his approval when it came to dating his sister. At the very least most days Sehun provided Jongin with some company when they were both at the dorm, cause Sehun seemed to have made it his personal mission to not let Jongin mope around on his own.

But none of Sehun's insistence on getting him out of the dorm helped him miss Taemin less, just like dating Jennie hadn't worked and neither had hooking up with anyone he could.

Worst part was Jongin knew that there wasn't much he could do to change how the situation was currently. Jongin and Taemin's discussion the last time they had came face to face had settled that in his mind.