Chapter Text
The announcement came on the morning of February 15, 2029. Social media exploded at the same time as news sites and fan forums: HYBE had officially released the military enlistment dates for the members of Enhypen.
Jungwon saw it while sitting on the dormitory couch of the apartment he shared with the other members. His phone buzzed with dozens of notifications, but one in particular left him frozen. Weverse. The official announcement. And the names: Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, and Heeseung. Four out of seven.
The room went completely silent for a few seconds.
—You’re not on it —Jay said beside him, also reading the post with a furrowed brow.
Jungwon felt his stomach twist. Of course, they already knew. They had prepared that lie for weeks, trying to make sure it all sounded convincing. But now that it was real, now that the whole world would read it, the weight of the deception hit him hard.
The reactions came quickly. The fandom was sad —some were crying over the group’s impending pause— but most couldn’t understand why the leader wasn’t included. Theories appeared one after another: a clerical error, a voluntary postponement, health issues. Some were absurd, others dangerously close to the truth.
At that moment, Jungwon locked his phone and let himself fall backward, staring at the ceiling. He knew he would have to face the camera soon and say what they had rehearsed. He had to appear calm, convincing, as if it were just a bureaucratic misunderstanding. But his heart pounded hard, as if the secret was too heavy for his body.
—Are you okay? —Jay asked, now sitting beside him, his voice soft, like always when he tried to calm him.
—I don’t know if I can do it —Jungwon admitted, lowering his gaze—. I hate lying like this. I’ve never been good at it.
Jay didn’t answer right away. He just moved closer, wrapped his arms around him, and pulled him against his chest.
—We have to, Wonie. Not for us. For everything it took to get here.
Jungwon nodded silently. He stayed still, listening to Jay’s heartbeat, trying to sync his own with it. He knew Jay was right. This whole plan existed to protect them, to stretch the time as much as possible before facing the inevitable.
Two days later, Jungwon went live on Weverse.
He was alone, with a half-finished cup of tea on the table and his face carefully composed to look calm, even though he hadn’t slept well in nights.
—Hi, Engene —he greeted with a small smile—. Thanks for joining. I want to talk to you about the enlistment announcement...
The words flowed just as they had rehearsed: there had been a problem with the paperwork, a form had been rejected, and they would resubmit it by the end of the year. He said everything with a clear and steady voice, though his fingers nervously toyed with the edge of his sleeve.
—I’m really sorry. We didn’t mean to cause confusion —he said at the end, lowering his gaze for a few seconds before smiling again—. Thank you so much for your concern. We’ll keep you updated, okay?
He ended the stream and stared at the reflection of his face on the dark screen. He didn’t look like himself.
Jay appeared shortly after, silent, and without a word, led him to bed. There was no need to speak. They simply held each other, tangled together as they had done so many times. But this time, the shadow of the truth surrounded them completely.
—It’s okay, Wonie. We still have time —Jay whispered, gently stroking his hair—. We’re in this together.
They had been together since 2022, when everything started to feel like more than just friendship.
And even though Jungwon’s heart was racing with fear, he knew that as long as Jay was by his side, he could hold on a little longer.