“P-put your hands up!”

Changmin had been lounging on the bench, savouring the few moments of silence he rarely got. He was trying his best to not go crazy with his new work schedule and the best way for him to achieve that, in his opinion, was to escape from everything work related. Including his friends. He needed silence. Needed to be away from all familiar faces. And this was the perfect spot. Of course, at the time he was much too unaware of the dangers that lurked in these streets. Being new to the city, he was not yet acquainted with the people nor the streets of his new home. So how was he to know this area was mostly off limits?

Especially for people wearing expensive attire.

Like he was.

“I said put y-your hands up! Put them up!” The voice was shaky.

As soon as Changmin had felt the cool touch of the blade against his throat he’d gone rigid, then relaxed as his training kicked in. Don’t panic. Don’t react.  He’d had enough gym session to easily suppress his opponent. Whoever they were. And he could have done exactly that. But he decided not to. He didn’t want to end things just like this. After all, a little excitement would do him wonders. Plus he could safe other citizens the trouble of at least one street thug. Or so he’d thought.

“Don’t stand up.” He was ordered as soon as he’d placed his hands up in the air. His curiosity built by the minute. From the voice and presence behind him he got a rough idea that it was a male and a young one at that. A teenager? Such a tragedy. Whoever the boy was, Changmin thought he was clearly inexperienced. Not only was his voice hesitant, but also, the hand holding the knife against his throat was shaking. Maybe he should end the boy’s misery and just put him in a headlock and call the police, or something.

“Do you have mo-money?” Really now? Changmin was more annoyed than intimidated. The kid’s voice was almost close to tears. If he was going to be confronted by any street criminal, Changmin thought he should at least get a good fight out of it. An adrenaline rush would put him in a good mood. But instead he was stuck with a kid who was obviously scared. What the hell was he thinking anyways? Didn’t these kids learn not to take on someone bigger than them? Changmin just assumed he was the bigger one…he could be wrong.

Oh and not to mention, why the hell would you ask if someone has money if you’re going to rob them!? Shouldn’t you make sure they do, first, before attacking? I mean who would tell you they have money at knife point? They’d lie if you ask! Was this not common sense?

He was about to turn around and give the brat a good whooping, but he suddenly got a good idea. A hero complex, actually. Instead of handing over one to the police, he could follow the kid and probably be led to a group of them. He’d be doing the city a favour.

“In the bag.” He said, nodding his towards it.

One hand stayed by his throat, holding the knife, while the other reached for the bag. Changmin expected him to run off with the bag but the shuffling implied otherwise.

“Don’t move, please.”

Please? Was he for real? What, was this a polite dinner conversation? He rolled his eyes.

It took about a minute of searching through the bag – during which the idiot even removed the knife from his throat – before he chucked the bag beside him on the bench. The knife didn’t return.

“I’m sorry.” It was whispered really low. In fact, Changmin doubted if he’d heard right. But still, before he could react he heard fast-paced receding footsteps behind him.

He quickly got up, grabbing his bag, before heading towards his car. Which, conveniently, was parked in the direction the criminal ran towards. He was going to chase the brat and enjoy the watching reaction on his face when the cops showed up.

Well, that’s what he thought would happen.

H couldn’t have really predicted the scenario as it really played out.

***

It had started raining by the time the boy stopped running. Not a lot of time had passed by, they remained in the same neighbourhood as he followed the skinny boy in his car. He wasn’t wearing much against the cold weather, but that didn’t seem to bother him as he entered the busier part of the streets, out of the park area.

There were more cars here, so following was a little difficult. But he didn’t really need to chase for long.

The boy stopped running a little ahead of where he got stuck in the traffic, and entered a pharmacy. Huh? Changmin knitted his eyebrows in confusion, trying to keep an eye on the traffic light and the pharmacy door at the same time, not wanting to lose his prey nor piss of other drivers.

It took less than ten minutes for the boy to reappear, during which Changmin had tried his best to go in circles without causing an accident. Though he should have probably just left it and gone home. But he was nothing if not stubborn. And he was going to make something of the night’s adventure. Also because he’d wanted to retrieve his wallet, which was the item missing from his bag. He didn’t really have anything important in there other than a picture of himself (yes he suffered from narcissism, like you’d blame him) and money. Lots of it. Money he was going to use for food when he could escape from his work. Or even during work. Who cares? Food has no time.

There was what seemed like a plastic bag (mind you it was raining so he couldn’t see very clearly) in his hand as he jogged back the way they’d come from. By this time, the kid was drenched.

Another stop was made at a take-away, which the boy came out of holding a paper carrier bag, trying his best to shield it from the rain.

It suddenly occurred to Changmin that the boy was probably homeless. Why else would he go straight to get medicine and food? Now he wasn’t so sure about his little plan. It’s not like he couldn’t spare some money. But still… Even to someone homeless, you wouldn’t just hand over your wallet. Would you? And don’t forget he had a knife and stole. To let it go would be to encourage such behaviour.

The boy stopped at a stop light and turned into an avenue. The road was very small, so Changmin had difficulty getting in without destroying his newly polished doors. Once he got in, he had to drive around a little until he got to the alleyway. The remains of a demolished building branching out from the two other constructions on the sides protected the alleyway from the downpour of rain.

There was no way his car could get in that tiny space.

It seemed like he didn’t need to either, because the boy had stopped.

Changmin still couldn’t see very clearly with the windscreen wipers moving in front of him, but he could still see enough to justify his change of heart.

There was someone else there. At first Changmin thought it was a child, but after squinting really hard, he could see the wheelchair. Whoever that was was looking up at the boy and making wild hand gestures. Perhaps the medicine was for this new character?

He observed as the boy got on his knees and opened the bag. Again he couldn’t see very clearly but could make out the actions of feeding the person on the wheelchair. Was that a medicine bottle?

As the boy opened the paper bag and took out a small pizza box, Changmin decided he’d seen enough.

***

He probably should have called the police. That would have been a smart thing to do. But Changmin couldn’t do it. The sight of the figure on the wheelchair, the medicine and food… It got to him.

He knew homeless people had to live through hell. Life wasn’t easy. He knew that. He wasn’t an . If anyone had asked him what he’d do in this situation yesterday, he probably would have told them he’d call the police or beat the criminal up.

But you know what they say about theory and practise. There was something about the scene he witnessed in the alleyway that stopped him from what he wanted to do. A reality’s slap in the face.

That was the time Shim Changmin went against all his set rules and let a criminal escape his wrath. Forget the money. If it could provide food or anything necessary for someone who desperately needed it, then let it be. He hoped the skinny boy wouldn’t try that again on someone else, because Changmin was sure he would probably get beaten up. He was skinny, inexperienced and from instinct Changmin knew he wasn’t a bad person.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. He could respect that.

He just hopes he hadn’t given two kids a good sum of money to do and themselves up with drugs or like that. The thought made him cringe.