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The news came suddenly to them. Heeseung is leaving Enhypen.
Heeseung will no longer be a part of Enhypen starting April 2026.
It felt like the world broke down on top of Jay's head. What...? Heeseung hyung is leaving? Why? Why??
Jay isn't given the explanation he so wishes to know, all he's told is they will be a 6 member group without Heeseung's participation from April.
Everything comes crashing down. It's hard to believe. Hell, he still hasn't believed it. Sunoo gasped out loud when they were told the news, Jungwon asked the staff to stop joking, Sunghoon and Jake laughed like it had been a joke, Ni-ki stared confused. And Jay realised that Heeseung's fear came true. He looks up at Heeseung, who's standing by the staff, head down towards his feet and not saying a word as the members shower him with "why?"
What Heeseung had told him a few months ago in the corner of their studio, it came true. Back then, he brushed it off as a silly thought, as something Heeseung had overthought about. Never had he imagined that certain warning would come true, and would come this brutally.
"Jongseong-ah, promise me you'll stay with me even when I'm not with you?" he asked between kisses, hands desperately holding onto Jay's face as if he was scared Jay would disappear if he let go.
Jay didn't think much of it, he just hummed a yes and got back to kissing. Because why wouldn't Heeseung be with him?
Now he knows why.
"For a solo career," they say. But the Heeseung he knows would never abandon them to pursue a solo career. But the Heeseung he's loved for 10 years isn't someone who'll leave him so easily. He knows his hyung didn't choose this. He couldn't have. So he stays quiet as they're told to learn new choreographies with 6 member formations. He looks at the floor and holds back tears as he hears he's gonna have to learn Heeseung's lines to cover it in certain songs.
Heeseung has left the picture by now. He's sitting alone in their van, rethinking each and every one of his life choices. His hardwork to get into the group in iland, his devotion to enhypen once he debuted with his members. Everything is gone. It's escaped through the gaps of his fingers, he couldn't hold back even a speck of it. Tears have gone dry from his eyes, he can't cry even when his heart aches, even when he wants to cry. Seeing him little brothers' reaction to the news of his departure, all he wanted was to run to them and hug them, beg for forgiveness and say "I'll never leave you guys." But he can't do that. The decision has been made, he has to leave and debut solo. He has to leave Enhypen, his brothers, and Jay...
Jay...
The face he made when he heard the news, Heeseung failed to see it. No, he didn't see it on purpose. He knew he wouldn't be able to hold back tears if he saw it. So he didn't look up, he stared at his feet and avoided their eye contact. He needs to be stern. He needs to be strong.
He is strong...
Right?
No, no he isn't strong. He isn't stern. He doesn't want to leave Enhypen, he doesn't want to separate from his members. He doesn't want to go solo. He doesn't want to leave Jay. He wants to stay. He wants to stay so bad.
All of this comes crashing down when Jay visits him in his room late at night. His tears finally fall, and they fall violently. His shirt is drenched, Jay's shoulder is all wet by the time Heeseung has stopped crying. His hold on Jay's shirt doesn't loosen as his tears slow down and sniffing increases.
"I don't wanna leave..." his voice is small, weak, powerless.
"I know..." Jay says, patting Heeseung in the back.
"I don't want to leave Enhypen, Jongseong-ah. I want to stay with you guys, I want to perform a lot more with you all..." his tears begin to fall again as he talks, choking on his own voice when getting the words out barely.
"I know...hyung. You'd never leave us by own choice."
Heeseung desperately nods his head. He wouldn't leave them, he'd never leave them if he could.
"Please don't tell the other kids... Let them think it's my choice."
"Hmm" Jay hums, leaning his head on Heeseung's. Heeseung doesn't want to tell the others that he's been forced to leave. For why, it hurts so much more to digest the reality than to believe in the lie. If they think Heeseung left on his own, they'd resent Heeseung for abandoning them and get over it quicker. But if they know about the reality, it'd hurt them as much as it's hurting Heeseung. And Heeseung doesn't want that, he wants anything but for his members to be hurt.
But they're not stupid.
It's clear how much forced the decision was. It's not only Jay who knows how much Heeseung loves Enhypen. Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, Jungwon, Ni-ki, every one of them is aware of how much Heeseung loved them. Every one of them is aware that the company forced him out. But what can they do when they're under a contract that forbids them from speaking? What else can they do but pretend as if nothing is wrong until the day Heeseung is no longer with them?
So they pretend. They act as if nothing is going on. They act like everything is fine.
Everything needs to be fine.
But how is it fine when they know the 7th chair on their dining table will be empty from next month? How is it fine knowing Heeseung's room will fall empty very soon? So everything gets awkward. They try to act, but fail to do so. They try to laugh, but it comes off queasy. They try to pretend, until they can't do it anymore. Sunoo breaks down first, crying his heart out as he stares at nothing. It doesn't take long for the others to catch on. Jungwon bites his lips, holding back the tears. Ni-ki looks u to the ceiling, making sure the tears don't fall. Jake let's a tear escape, and Sunghoon runs to hug Heeseung as he stares at the floor and repeats "I'm sorry."
For someone like Sunghoon to try and comfort his hyung... Heeseung knows they're aware of the reality, yet he tried to act as if it was his own decision. Yet, he tried to make himself the villain to lessen the pain even if just a little. But it didn't work. His members love him too much to fall for the bullshit he tried to portray.
And Jay stares at him from afar, his eyes saying "See? They're not stupid."
.
The day comes, March 10th. The announcement was as sudden as the news. The fans go crazy on the internet, half of them don't even believe it.
Protest trucks come by, "Enhypen is 7!" they scream.
Nothing works to budge the company. "Heeseung will not be returning to Enhypen." they declare. The fans go crazy, then they calm down.
The shouts die down, slowly. Some fans are protesting even after two months, but most has accepted the fact that Heeseung and Enhypen are separate entities now.
Now, Evan's debut awaits in June.
Heeseung prepares for his debut. His second debut. The one where no one is there by his side, where his members aren't there by his side.
He does public appearances, all alone. People crowd him, and he's standing there hunched over himself, alone.
All alone.
At least he's not home alone. He goes back to his dorm, his own dorm. And gets welcomed by Jay.
He's been waiting there hours, he's been waiting for Heeseung to return...
"Welcome back." he comes over to give Heeseung a welcome kiss, "I cooked you dinner." He says it so casually, just like the days in Enhypen. Just as if Heeseung is still part of Enhypen. Heeseung can't help smiling through the ache in his heart. He follows Jay to the kitchen, reaching out his hands to hold Jay from the back. His hands clasp at the front and his head rests on Jay's shoulder.
"Why do you do this for me?" he asks. Why does Jay do all this for him? Even after he left them?
"Because I love you?"
The straight laced answer made Heeseung's ears go red. How easily he could say it.
"But I left you..."
"...You didn't."
Jay turns around, now facing Heeseung as Heeseung's chest press against his in a tight embrace. He locks his hands behind Heeseung's back.
"You didn't leave us. You're still here, no? You were forced out of the group, you didn't leave us." Jay says it sternly, making sure there's no scope of doubt left in Heeseung.
And surely, Jay's words work on Heeseung like a charm.
.
.
Evan's debut is nearing. And he hasn't felt more alone in the last 6 years. But he doesn't feel lonely. Why, you ask? Because he's not alone.
He might feel alone, as the recording and shooting must be done solo, but there's always one or two of his members hanging behind at the back, cheering him on.
After every shoot, Jay would come over to give him a kiss and call it a "good luck charm." During recordings, Jungwon and Sunghoon would bring him snacks and praise his voice like they always did before. Jake would message him late at night and invite him in a game with Ni-ki. Sunoo would call him at random times just to ask "are you okay?" which often made him break down. They're all there. They're all present in his life despite the fact that he left theirs.
Right now, he stands in the rooftop of the Hybe building with Jay beside him, drinking coffee from the same cup.
"Your debut is this month, right?"
"Hmm." Heeseung nods, smiling bitterly at the thought of having to perform on stage alone from now on.
"Best of luck on your debut, hyung. I'll be in the crowd cheering you on."
Heeseung moves to Jay, taking the coffee cup from his hand and putting it on the railing. He slides his hands through Jay's arms and hugs him tight.
"Y-yo, people could see us here." Jay warns, his hands splayed at the side and eyes scanning the entire area for any sight of others.
"Let them. Just blame it on me, they already kicked me out, what more are they gonna do?"
"Still!"
"Jongseong-ah, I love you."
Jay melts at the soft voice, his hands slowly come together to hug Heeseung back, his face buried in the crook of his hyung's neck.
"Hmm...I love you too, hyung.."