"It was. But it wasn't just that."
Haejin looked at each of them. His brothers. His family.
"I was crying because we made it. All of us. Without any of you experiencing what I went through."
His voice broke.
"You got to be trainees the right way. You got to debut with happy memories. And I... I finally felt like maybe all that pain meant something. That I'd protected you. That I'd won."
Silence fell over the room.
Heavy. Emotional.
Then Doyun was moving. Crossing the space. Pulling Haejin into a hug so tight it looked like it hurt.
"You won," Doyun said. Voice muffled against Haejin's shoulder. "You fucking won, hyung."
Minjae joined them. Then Taekyung. Then Jisoo. All of them holding their leader. Their brother. The person who'd suffered so they wouldn't have to.
Soorin watched from her spot on the couch. Her eyes were wet too.
'This is what family looks like,' she thought. 'Broken and healing and choosing each other anyway.'
