They arrive in Daejeon an hour after midnight. It’s probably too late for Lu Han to call Jongin, especially visit him at this time of the night.

(Although, Lu Han suspects this time of the day would the best and safest for him to visit the younger man.)

Kyungsoo is still fast asleep as Lu Han stops the car at a parking lot belonging to one of many identical buildings. At this time of night no one is probably going to scold them for parking at a forbidden spot.

Minseok is asleep as well, blanket thrown over his shoulders, his head seeking support on the window glass. He has his face pressed against the glass, the surface fogging under his uneven breathing. The seatbelt that has him pressed against the seat is cutting deeply into the flesh of his stomach and chest, so Lu Han moves in his own one to lean over the catboy’s body where the seatbelt buckle is hidden. When he frees Minseok’s body, the catboy makes a quiet sound, something very similar to a mewl and turns on his side. Lu Han can’t see his face now, but Minseok manages to sneak his tail up Lu Han’s leg, settling it comfortably on the flat of Lu Han’s lap.

Lu Han stiffs; his instincts tell him to pick up the tail and throw it from his lap. But the sight of Minseok quietly asleep makes a warm feeling - something he isn’t used to and doesn’t want to feel at the sight of the hybrid – spring inside of his chest, telling him not to disturb the other. Not knowing what to do, Lu Han lets the tail curl around his knee. He’s desperately trying to ignore the sensation creeping up his leg, when the sight of a billboard flashing from one of the buildings catches his attention. The sudden flash of neon lights blinds him for a second, until his vision starts clearing and a sight of a familiar face and wild grin makes him smile so bright, he starts the car in a second he catches the address and drives off.

~

Minseok only stirs a bit when Lu Han stops abruptly at a stoplight he almost missed, but doesn’t wake. The same goes for Kyungsoo, who’s curled in a tiny ball with Lu Han’s backpack under his head as a makeshift pillow. If Lu Han still remembers Daejeon, the concert hall should be at the side of the town where they’re currently headed, but the traffic is awful even at this time of the night and Lu Han fears he might not make it on time. With the town alive, he doesn’t have a problem asking for directions and everyone knows where the person he’s looking for is.

They arrive at the wanted stop after an hour of fighting through the busy roads, and it doesn’t surprise Lu Han to see hundreds, thousands, of people piling at the entrance, chanting the same name over and over again. It’s useless to call Jongin now; he’ll never find him in this mess. He might try going in, but it’s almost impossible at his rate, with the fangirls forming a human wall around the hall. Deciding to go out and try his luck, Lu Han locks the car just in case and starts walking towards the pile of people waiting for the one and only breaker of teenage girls’ hearts. The sight of everyone waiting by this door must mean the person Lu Han’s looking for is going to be right here.

~

It takes all of Lu Han’s will and patience not to punch anyone in the crowd as the fangirls won’t stop screaming and that one person standing in front of him just won’t stop stepping on his foot. The flashes of cameras almost leave him blind and when the music stops playing inside the hall, the screams only grow louder – is that’s even possible – meaning the wanted person is going to come out any second. He almost gets a punch in the nose with a digital cam as he starts pushing the girls away and making his way to the very begging of the line. He pretends he doesn’t catch one of the girls saying something about his mother as he elbows her in the waist, finally breaking to the first row.

He arrives just in time as the double door opens and girls start throwing him aside to get a better look at their idol. Their screams get louder and louder as a bulky guy dressed in a dark suit walks out first and starts pushing the girls away, trying to make space for the star. After minutes of girls chanting Kai! Kai! Kai!, their idol walks out and Lu Han nearly doesn’t recognize him. He’s not the same person from the posters hanging all over the town and magazines Lu Han read; his usual bright smile is replaced with a tired scowl, the dark sunglass cover most of his face where Lu Han can see the smudges of makeup he forgot to wipe, and a drop of his shoulders indicate he’s anything but restful. The girls ignore the obvious displeasure of the singer and start pushing harder, begging for him to wave at their direction and pose for the camera. He ignores them, only sending a smirk to some, but it’s nothing more than forced tilt of lips. Lu Han feels so, so, bad for him.

The guy next to Lu Han won’t stop screaming Kai’s name, waving his lightstick like a manic in front of Lu Han’s face, and Lu Han wants nothing more than to push the plastic stick up the guy’s . The erupt of flashes almost make him miss the singer as he walks past Lu Han, but Lu Han somehow manages to shout “Jongin!” on time. Kai’s head snaps up at the mention of the name and Lu Han can only hope he’ll recognize him, considering Lu Han probably doesn’t look as his usual self.

Suddenly Kai stops in his tracks, turning around to look for the person who shouted the name a moment ago. Lu Han calls for him again and Kai has to take off his sunglasses as his tired eyes widen at the sight of Lu Han. Lu Han starts waving madly and Kai’s lips extend in a grin he’s so famous for, shouting “Hyung?” for everyone to hear.

The crowd goes still for a merely a second, until they realize who’s the person Kai just asked for. The sight of Kai goes blank for Lu Han in the moment they start pulling him deeper into the mass, asking who he is and what does he have to do with Kai. Lu Han starts fighting back against the crowd, this time not holding back as he starts throwing punches at anyone who has the guts to touch him. Luckily, a hand grabs his wrist, pulling him out. He only gets to catch his breath until the hand that drew him from the crow starts pulling him forwards, breaking through another group of fans.

When Lu Han looks up, he grins at the sight of Kai –Jongin – dragging him along, trying to get them as far away as possible. Fans start chasing them, cameras flashing as they break from the crowd and loose Jongin’s bodyguard and staff. They’re probably after them as well. Jongin is still firmly holding onto his hand, trying to make Lu Han run faster. Lu Han doesn’t have enough strength in his body, so he pulls on Jongin’s hand, wanting to have his attention. Jongin turns to look behind his shoulder at Lu Han, still not stopping.

“My car’s around the corner,” Lu Han says. Jongin laughs for the second time as he allows Lu Han to pull him to the other side, hoping they’ll escape the fans if they change the road. Unfortunately, they’re only met with another group of people and this time it’s Lu Han who’s pulling Jongin, trying to find his car as fast as he can.

He spots the silver Ford parked along many more cars, probably from the people who attended the concert. He points the car to Jongin, signaling for him to run towards the backseat. Jongin only nods, dropping his hold onto Lu Han’s hand and they split so Lu Han could unlock the car and Jongin jump into the seat. Even from the distance, Lu Han can see Minseok’s awake, curiously watching two men running towards him, an angry mob chasing them. The two men soon turn to Lu Han and Jongin going for the car and the angry mob resolving into crazed fans, ready to get their hands on Lu Han and rip him into pieces.

Lu Han unlocks the door successfully and Minseok’s ears perk up as Jongin jumps into his seat, startling Kyungsoo who’s still lying in his own nest. Lu Han goes after him, hopping into his own seat as well. Luckily, he starts the car from the first try. He presses the gas pedal, ignoring the people surrounding them. Minseok shrikes as Lu Han almost runs over a girl armed with glowsticks, driving around her and getting into the main street. He can see in the rear mirror how people are starting their own rides and going after them.

“Gentleman, I think you should put your seatbelts on,” Lu Han warns and Minseok looks at him as if he’s gone insane. “We’re up for a wild ride.”

~

“I told you I’m not into playing Taxi nor Fast and Furious, let me out!” Minseok screams as Lu Han takes another wild turn. “Where are we even going? What did you get yourself into this time?”

“I think you should ask Jongin that,” Lu Han tells him. They’ve been driving for the past half an hour, desperately seeking shelter from the crazy fans, Jongin’s staff and press going after them. Minseok’s been throwing angry insults at Lu Han, oblivious to the man sitting in the back. Kyungsoo is now widely awake, his ears perking up whenever Lu Han would honk or cuss at a drunk stranger trying to cross the street. He’s ignoring Jongin, but Lu Han can see confusion mixing with fascination in Jongin’s eyes while he observes the hybrid sitting next to him.

Minseok finally turns to face Jongin. He looks mad as hell when he looks at the singer. He then turns to scream at Lu Han again, when something clicks inside his head. Lu Han can almost hear the puzzles fitting together, as Minseok turns to Jongin once again, then at Lu Han, then Jongin, then Lu Han.

“That’s Kai,” Minseok points out the obvious, making Jongin chuckle. Kyungsoo seems unfazed by the whole thing, obviously not knowing who Kai even is.

“That’s Jongin,” Lu Han corrects. Now Minseok is even more confused, as he looks over his shoulder to observe the silver haired boy who’s smiling at him genuinely. Minseok feels himself blush. He may live on the streets, but he knows who the Prince of Korea is - everyone knows who Kai is. For heaven’s sake, he even slept on Jongin’s abs once. And by that he means the poster he found peeking from a girl’s backpack. He was going for the wallet, but he got the poster as a bonus.

“No, that’s Kai.”

“No, that’s Jongin. He’s my friend.”

Minseok opens his mouth to argue again, when Jongin speaks for the first time since he’s gotten in the car. “Actually, my real name is Jongin, but yeah… you can call me Kai is you want.”

Minseok blinks. Lu Han smirks as Minseok takes another long stare at Jongin. Shifting in his seat so he could only look ahead, where a long road stretches into infinity, Minseok grabs Lu Han’s forearm. He doesn’t shift his gaze from the road when he says, “You’re friend who lives in Daejeon is Kai – the Kai.”

Lu Han nods happily. “Yup!”

“Oh”

“Nice to meet you, Kai,” a fourth voice speaks and all three of them turn to look at Kyungsoo offering his hand to Jongin. Jongin takes his hand eagerly. Lu Han’s not sure if the city lights glowing are making Jongin’s eyes sparkle, or it could be pure adoration he doesn’t try to hide as he greets Kyungsoo.

“Nice to meet you as well umm-“

“Kyungsoo”

“Kyungsoo!”

The two shake hands. Lu Han has to bite his lip and not smile at the scene playing behind him. Jongin always had a weak spot for puppies, even though Kyungsoo was far from one.

Laughing, Lu Han looks at the rear mirror and the scene makes his smile falter. There are still way too many cars; they haven’t lost a single one in the past half an hour, mostly because Lu Han is still very unfamiliar when it comes to busy streets of Daejeon. Four years ago he spent his best spring break in this town, along with Jongdae and their mutual friend Kibum. That’s why he has a problem remembering the streets - he wasn’t mostly sober during his stay. That faithful spring break is also the time when he first met Jongin, the boy still in high school and dreaming of reaching the starts with his voice and dancing. Lu Han was a freshman in college at that time and, as a responsible sunbae, he advised Jongin to follow his dreams and sing above the glowing audience. He threw up all over Jongin’s shoes after that, but Jongin forgave him because he was Jongin after all – a kind soul, wanting to please the crowd that the very life out of him. Even now, when Lu Han looks at Jongin with smeared eyeliner and steps that make the earth shake, he only sees a child he met all those years ago with stars in his eyes and wanting nothing more but to make his dreams come true.

He feels an unbearable wish to protect this boy and that’s why he wants to crush those journalists that ruined his life, along with the crazed fans and a power-thirsty company.

 “Jongin,” he calls for the younger boy to hear, “we can’t drive like this forever. Is there anywhere we can go?”

Jongin stops staring at Kyungsoo to look behind his shoulder where a row of cars won’t stop chasing them. His brows furrow in concentration as he thinks of a place for them to stay. Lu Han takes another wild turn, Minseok snaps at him and Jongin jumps in his seat, an idea coming up. Kyungsoo is still staring through the window, his face blank. He’s obviously unimpressed by the whole scene playing before him.

Jongin taps Lu Han on the shoulder, catching his attention. “There’s a place I recently bought. It’s not fully furnished yet, but it’s outside the town. If you take the side route, they will never find us. Only a few people know about it and my manager is not one of them.” He winks and starts giving Lu Han the instructions.

With the help of Jongin who grew up on the streets of Daejeon, Lu Han takes an impressive U-turn at the most crowded part of the city, fooling everyone on their track. They drive through the city for twenty minutes, Jongin pointing to streets Lu Han never would drive through in his life. He hopes the group of men who were gathered at a corner of an almost abandoned street, trading something that looked like a leather suitcase, haven’t remembered his plates. He honestly won’t tell anyone.

They end up at the verge of the town and hit the highway with a squeal of tires and Jongin’s excited laugh piercing through the night sky. No one’s behind them anymore and Lu Han lets out the most hysterical laugh, making Minseok shoot him a confused glare.

When Jongin gives Lu Han rest of the instructions, he starts unbuckling his seat. Kyungsoo watches in confusion as Jongin rolls the window and sticks his torso out, taking off the shades from his head and the leather jacket he wears. He lets the items fall behind them and screams from atop of his lungs. Minseok jumps in his seat, warning Lu Han to slow down. Terrified, Kyungsoo goes to grab the rim of Jongin’s shirt and pull him inside, but Lu Han’s voice stops him.

“Leave him.”

Kyungsoo nods, going back in his seat to watch Jongin who has his arms spread out now, laughing for the whole world to hear. Only there’s no one but them to hear him and Lu Han think that might be enough.

~

The house Jongin talked about is a two story accommodate, plain white color, not different at all from several houses they passed on their way here. There isn’t even a number marking it, but only a single trail leading through a yard where small bushes of lavender roses* were planted. Lu Han parks behind the house, just to be safe. Jongin assures the press won’t find them here, but Lu Han’s not sure about the suitcase guys.

The first thing Jongin does when he steps on the soft ground made of green grass is take off his shoes , allowing his tired feet to breathe. He wiggles his toes and giggles. Minseok looks at him as if he’s mad, a bit ironic considering he’s barefoot 24/7.

Lu Han is the last one to step out of the car, this time not locking it because Jongin jumps into his arms without any warning, making Lu Han drop the keys in the tall grass. Lu Han hugs him back automatically.

“Sorry for not calling you more often,” Lu Han whispers in the crook of Jongin’s neck. Jongin only tightens the grip he has on the back of Lu Han’s shirt.

“It’s okay,” he says. He steps out of the embrace and holds Lu Han at the length of his arms. For some reason, Lu Han can’t look straight into his eyes. The boy he met all those years ago changed into a man, a man who grew up under the stage lights and public eye. Lu Han’s truly scared that when he looks up, he won’t see the boy he met four years ago. He’ll see a stranger with bruises and weigh of life in his eyes. He’s scared he’ll see Kai and not Jongin.

“Hyung?” Jongin call and Lu Han can’t help the smile on his lips.

When he finally looks up, the smile on his face explodes in a grin. It’s not Kai, no. It’s Jongin with a dimple and childish glint in his eyes. It’s Jongin that makes Lu Han pull him closer again and pat the younger’s back in reassurance, feeling ridiculous for showing so much emotion in front of strangers like Minseok and Kyungsoo.

“It’s good to see you, Jongin.”

~

It doesn’t take them much to take the stuff out of the car, considering they’re all Lu Han’s belongings, the other three not having any. He snatched Jongin from the middle of an event, found Kyungsoo in a forest, and Minseok’s a homeless stray with nothing but the clothes he wears.

He almost forgot about the two hybrids, too engrossed in his own little world he built with Jongin, until Minseok runs up the stairs to claim a room. Kyungsoo simply shrugs his shoulders, his hands in the pockets of his shorts. “I can sleep on the couch if you want, I don’t mind.” With that, he leaves the room and goes upstairs to follow Minseok.

Lu Han and Jongin continue to stand in the hallway; Lu Han with his laptop and a suitcase, and Jongin holding another bag of Lu Han’s stuff. They choose not to take out the carton boxes, since they’re mostly filled with magazines Lu Han collected over the years and an obsessive amount of DBSK merch.

 (Jongin only looked at Lu Han with an unimpressed arch of an eyebrow when Lu Han showed him the content of the boxes.

“You still a fan?”

“Till my last breath.”)

Jongin’s house is very modest, considering who Jongin is and his earnings. It’s still a modern built, white mostly covering the interior, with a simple vase in a bright orange or navy to break the monotony. What surprises Lu Han the most is a huge shelf placed in the living room - made out of wood, painted white of course – decorated with dozens of small, ginger butterflies, puppy figures put in a random order and a huge amount of picture frames, all of them containing precious moments in various parts of Jongin’s life.

 Lu Han takes a step closer. Jongin continues to stand at the entrance, but follows Lu Han from the corner of his eye. He watches as Lu Han takes in the moments from the very birth of Jongin, the photos of dogs in his arms, the day he took his first steps, along with his first dance moves in the ballet school. Lu Han chuckles at the sight of Jongin in tights, making the latter blush and snap “hey!” at the older man. Lu Han starts searching through the rest of the pictures, like those where Jongin holds the diploma of a finished elementary school, then ballet school and high school in the end. There are pictures of four of them on the spring break – Lu Han ignores the hideous hairstyle he thought was cool at that time – wearing awful Hawaiian shirts and bottles of beer in their hands.  Jongin never made to college since it’s then when photographs from his trainee, then early debut days come. There are memories from the dance practice room, the ones with his best friend Taemin who got to debut in another group, while Jongin got chosen to go solo. Lu Han heard all about Jongin’s debut days from emails he regularly sent to Jongdae. He heard all about the rigorous diets and vocal lessons he had to go through, then the debut stage and first impressions of the scary world of idols Jongin hid behind a perfect smile and glitter in his hair. The emails stopped around the picture of Jongin and his trip to Japan, where he held his first oversea concert. It was the at time when Jongin’s image was so powerful, his day schedule was only practice, interview, fansign, another interview, three hours of sleep, and another trip and show in the morning. He was stuck in everything like a broken mantra, and Lu Han and Jongdae would never found out about it until Kibum – the bastard somehow managed to sneak himself into the world of entertainment – called them and told about the hardships Jongin had to go through, stubbornly refusing to admit it was breaking him from inside.

Ever since then, everytime Jongin would appear on television with another record-breaking album sale or on a cheerful variety, Lu Han could only see the cracks opening on Jongin’s skin, telling him to stop and it’s too much.

The last time Lu Han heard from Jongin was on his birthday months ago, right before the drug scandal happened, when Jongdae got a hold of his number and they called him, screaming the happy birthday song into the phone.

The last picture on the shelf was of Jongin and a girl he saw so much in the press - Jongin and the girl holding hands, Jongin and the girl kissing, Jongin and the girl apparently caught in a ual activity by a saseang fan. But on this photo, they’re only caught smiling from their makeup chairs, their names pressed on the back of it and holding hands between the seats.

“She was never my girlfriend, or a fame-thirsty as people on the internet called her,” Jongin says from the leather chair. Lu Han jumps in surprise. He didn’t hear the other move, overly captivated by Jongin’s life put in framed memories. “We were trainees together, but she stayed in the practice room when I signed the contract. She was one of my closest friends in the company, next to Taemin, and it seemed like she was on the verge of quitting the whole trainee life and going back to school, when the company offered her a deal. She’ll debut in less than a year, if she plays a role. That role was the one you probably saw on those ing gossip sites, the role that ruined her chance to debut and had to hide the fact that I’m queer. If I-,” Jongin suddenly stops in his story, having to take a deep breath to calm down before he continues, “If I knew I was going to ruin her life, to have psycho fans following her home and send her threats I would never, ever, let her come near me.”

“Jongin, I’m so sor-“

“Why are you sorry, hyung? You couldn’t have done anything about it.”

“I could’ve called you, comforted you like a real friend would do,” Lu Han says, moving closer to Jongin. He chooses to sit on a couch placed next to Jongin’s chair. He sits on the very edge, the couch squeaking under his weight, his knee bumping against Jongin’s. “Instead I stayed home, read all those lies about you, listened to them call you awful names and I- I’m so sorry for not dragging you out of this mess on time, for not staying by your side. That’s why I’m sorry, Jongin.”

Jongin looks at him, his mouth trying to form words but only gasps leaving them as he tries to look for an explanation.

“That drug scandal,” he croaks out, “It’s wasn’t me, I swear hyung. Someone put it there and I would never-“

“I know you wouldn’t,” Lu Han assures, bumping his knee again against Jongin’s. And then Jongin starts crying, and Lu Han’s never seen him cry. Not even on stage, or when he won his first award. Not a single time, because that wasn’t Jongin out there. That was Kai, this is Jongin, and Lu Han should never mix the two.

Just when Lu Han was about to stand up and offer a comforting hand for the other to take, Jongin wipes the tears off with the sleeve of his jacket and sniffles. A laugh escapes him in a single breath. “I haven’t cried in years. The last time was probably when I had to say goodbye to Monggu and Jjanggu during my trainee days.” Lu Han smiles fondly, remembering Jongin’s dogs and the love he has towards them. Jongin shakes his head, trying to pry off the tears still gathering in the corner of his eyes. “Never feel bad about me, hyung. We make our own destiny; and this time, I’ll try to make things right. That’s why I bought this house. I want to start all over again, to be the one controlling my life - not my manager, not my company, not the outside world, only me.”

Watching him talk like this, Lu Han once again can’t see the child he met all those years ago, the boy who dreamed and dreamed, but ended up in a nightmare of the cruel reality. Right now, the only child is Lu Han who spent the past years of his life dreaming and dreaming, but not moving from a single spot, allowing the universe to do everything for him. The universe probably thought it was a good decision to kick him out of Jongdae’s home where he lived like some sort of a parasite, giving him the harsh slap of reality he wasn’t prepared for. Jongin managed to pull out, save himself, but for some reason Lu Han feels like there’s no hope for him.

Nausea comes over him and Lu Han suddenly can’t breathe. Jongin notices it as well, his brows furrowing in worry.

“Hyung, are you okay?” he asks, and Lu Han can only nod, waving his hand off to tell him everything’s okay, because right now he can’t find words.

Jongin’s not fully convinced yet, but lets the subject drop, only to move to an even worse one.

“So, what happened between you and Jongdae?”

~

In less than an hour, Lu Han manages to tell Jongin everything – from the day he started living at Jongdae’s to the day he bought Joonmyun and kicked Lu Han out. Then he proceeds to tell him how he met Minseok, how they ended up in a love motel – Lu Han ignores the comment about Jongin not minding ending up in a love motel with Kyungsoo – his many fights with Minseok, and how they met Kyungsoo. He, of course, doesn’t tell about the night in the forest where he pet Minseok behind the ear and the latter curling up against his side. He also doesn’t mention Minseok taking him hostage, since the hostage situation is now over. Although, Lu Han can’t help but think about Kyungsoo and the catboy planning a raid or something like that, where they kick out Lu Han and his friend and then take over the house.

But Jongin won’t stop talking about how cute Kyungsoo is, and how his eyes are cute, especially the cute short tail wiggling above his cute . “There’s nothing cute about Kyungsoo,” Lu Han tells him. He also adds how the red marks over Minseok’s chest aren’t especially cute, but Jongin comments something about not minding them on his own chest and Lu Han gives up.

A loud crash coming from the second floor, something that awfully sounds like glass breaking, makes both of them stand on their feet and run towards the stairs. “Nothing happened,” Minseok calls from the second floor, making Jongin giggle. Lu Han turns to look at him in disbelief.

“What? I forgot what’s like to have pets in my house. Monggu and Jjanggu broke stuff all the time,” he explains. Lu Han only rolls his eyes, turning around to climb up the stairs. A hand on his wrist stops him from doing so and Lu Han turns around to face Jongin again. Only, Lu Han finds hesitation on his face, something he hardly ever saw, and wants to turn around to leave since Jongin rarely acted like this. It bothers him. And when Jongin speaks, he has all the right to feel that way.

“What about your book, hyung? You haven’t told me about it in ages. Have you finished it?”

“No,” Lu Han states simply, turning around to leave when Jongin’s hand tugs on his wrist harder.

“Are you in the process of writing it? Are you going to finish it soon then?” He’s persistent. Lu Han feels his patience running thin.

“I’m not going to finish it, Jongin. Not now or ever.” Jongin opens his mouth to protest, but Lu Han shushes him when he says, “It’s was just a stupid childish dream. I don’t have plans on going back to it.”

“But it was your dream, hyung! If managed to make my dreams come true, why couldn’t you?”

All of a sudden they’re by the river again, four years younger and they’re talking about dreams, dreams, dreams. Lu Han feels sick of dreams. He tugs his wrist out of Jongin’s grasp. Hurt shows on Jongin’s face and Lu Han ignores the light pang in his chest.

“And look where it got you.”

The hurt on Jongin’s face switches to something completely new. He takes a step, now the same height as his hyung, even though the elder is standing one step above.

“I never said I regret it. It only made me stronger and taught me something new. I think you should do that as well, hyung.”  With that he pushes past Lu Han, walking up the stairs where Kyungsoo and Misneok are. Lu Han hears him open the door to a room and laugh at something he sees. He hears Kyungsoo explaining what happened and Jongin shushing him, telling them “It’s okay” and “I’ll clean it up”

Not knowing where else to go, Lu Han walks outside. He goes to his car, unlocks the door, sits inside, makes sure the windows are tightly shut. And then he screams. Lu Han screams until he’s sure no one’s heard or seen him start breaking into pieces, just the way Jongin did.

~

The place Jongin choose to use for his new life couldn’t be more perfect, if you don’t include the lack of wifi and shops in the area of five kilometers, but Lu Han guesses he probably wanted it that way. There’s no one to bother him – Lu Han and two hybrids don’t count – and Lu Han can imagine Jongin actually living here, enjoying the touch of nature and peaceful life.

After his little breakdown, only the morning after, Lu Han comes back into the house. No one asked why he was absent; Jongin was too absorbed in his cooking, accompanied by Kyungsoo who sat on the bar stool placed in the kitchen. Only Minseok spared him a glance, but stayed quiet. He probably noted the change in Lu Han’s demeanor, observing the human with ears flat against his head and nose scrunched in confusion. Although Lu Han’s dumb self was back when Jongin flicked a piece of the cookie dough at his head and asked him to join, Minseok choose not comment anything. Until later that week, that is.

When night crept in their small residence, Jongin called for a “housemates meeting”. He gathered all four of them in the livingroom, starting the meeting with, “I think we should choose where to sleep, not counting the last night.” The three of them nodded, waiting for Jongin to finish. The singer stood up, pointing to Kyungsoo and then to himself. “Kyungsoo and me are going to share a room.” He grinned brightly. Kyungsoo shrugged, obviously not having anything against the decision.

Lu Han and Minseok only looked at each other in confusion. “I’m glad we got that settled. Hyung, you and Minseok can take the room at the end of the hall. The sheets are set, and there are even new pillows and blankets in the closet.”

Just when Minseok was about to nod, Lu Han jumps from his seat, eyes wide in disbelief. “I’m not sharing a room with him!” He points angrily to Minseok. He then turns to face Jongin, who already has Kyungsoo’s clawed hand in his own, ready to pull him upstairs. “I’m going to sleep on the couch.”

“I don’t think that’s possible, hyung. I brought this couch from my old home and I haven’t repaired it yet. Look how busted it is.” To prove his point, Jongin gives the couch a rough shove with his foot. True to Jongin’s words, the couch lets out a squeaking noise, a sound of wire breaking coming from inside of it. Giving Lu Han a pointed look, he pulls on Kyungsoo’s hand. The young boy lets himself to be dragged up the stairs where Jongin’s room is. “I’m really tired right now, hyung. We’ll talk in the morning, okay?”

“But-“

“Good night!”

“Good night, Jongin.” Minseok waves and Jongin repeats the motion, right before he shuts the bedroom door behind him. Lu Han continues to stand there, in the middle of the livingroom, tons of protests left unsaid on his tongue.

“Well then, shall we go?” Minseok says. He stands up and pats Lu Han’s as he brushes past him. Lu Han yelps in surprise, grabbing his cheeks to protect them from the catboy’s hands.

“I’m not sleeping with you!”

“Oh cut the crap, Lu Han. It’s only for tonight. If you want, I’ll sleep on the floor.” With that said, Minseok grabs a pillow from the couch and starts walking up the stairs. Not having anything else to say, Lu Han follows him quietly, arms crossed against his chest and a pout on his lips. He hopes Minseok can feel the tension as they step into the room.

Minseok turns on the bedside lamp. A light glow illuminates the single bed with two pillows and clean bedsheets placed on top. The bed is scandalously small; Lu Han doesn’t know how one person can fit, not to mention two grown adults. Minseok seems unfazed by the size of the bed. He takes his shirt off in a one go, startling Lu Han. It’s Lu Han’s shirt he wore, considering the only one he owned got destroyed by the hybrid currently sharing a room with Jongin. So Lu Han borrowed him another one, this one less valuable unlike the previous he ruined. He throws the shirt nonchalantly, ignoring Lu Han’s sounds of protest as the white polo meets the carpeted floor.

Too busy glaring at the shirt lying crumpled by Minseok’s feet, Lu Han fails to notice Minseok gathering the clean sheet along with a matching pillow in his hands. Only when he drops the pile next to the abandoned shirt, does Lu Han finally look up. The expanse of Minseok’s chest is what first meets his eyes, then the labyrinth of silver scars dancing along his skin. The faint glow of the lamp isn’t enough to show the most recent bruises along his collarbones and biceps, something he probably earned while tussling with Lu Han’s car, the seatbelt or during the brawl with Kyungsoo. And when he turns his back, Lu Han almost gasps in shock; the curve of his spine is followed by a rough cut of skin, starting from between his scapulae, divaricating and finishing at the very base of his back. It painful to even look at it and Lu Han suddenly feels very bad for driving Minseok around so much, putting the hybrid in pain on purpose.

Probably noticing the intense look the human’s been giving him – Lu Han was never know for being subtle – Minseok turns to face Lu Han again, his clawed fingers playing with the buttons of his jeans. He s his pants, allowing them to fall against his lean legs, ending up on the floor around his feet. For the entire time, Minseok’s eyes don’t waver from Lu Han’s. He plays his little show very well, scripted to very bits.

Lu Han only looks away when Minseok quirks his eyebrow, asking if he has anything on his mind.

“Don’t be stupid,” Lu Han fights back. He takes off his shirt as well, doing the same to his red sweatpants.

Minseok’s tail curves around his thin leg and Lu Han tries really hard and not stare at the perfect lines of Minseok’s thigh, too skinny to be healthy, only showing the life he had to go through when he lived in the very pits of society. He’s so fragile, but tough at the same, it’s almost impossible to see how the skin he wears isn’t thick at all. To see how frail, breakable, he is, Lu Han sees for the first time like this, under the pale glow of moonlight. He’s too exposed and Lu Han doesn’t know where these thoughts are coming from. He escapes them as he strolls to the bed, shielding himself with a thick blanket and back towards Minseok.

He can’t see the catboy, but he can hear him sigh and drop to the floor. The sheets rustle, interrupting the silence Lu Han didn’t realize surrounded them. Minseok turns around a couple of times. Minutes later, the room stills and Lu Han can’t hear anything but the heavy beating of his own heart. He doesn’t sleep that night.

~

That very evening is when Lu Han imagines soft onyx ears and sharp eyes staring at him from above, until they disappear somewhere under the sheets and wet lips kiss lower than anyone has ever before.

~

“Did you sleep well?”

Jongin greets them as Lu Han enters the kitchen, Minseok following him. Kyungsoo has his body pressed against the couch, reading from a book he probably got from Jongin’s room, since Lu Han hasn’t seen any on the living room shelf. He only greets the pair with a wave of his hand, not lifting his gaze from the book.

“Yeah, we did,” he answers Jongin.

He lies. He hasn’t closed his eyes at all the night before, not to mention he had to take care of a certain issue in the form of a morning wood an hour ago. He only prays Minseok couldn’t hear him. The catboy was soundly asleep, even when Lu Han tip toed to the bathroom and mumbled curses under his breath when he came all over his fingers.

Lu Han feels his eyelids flutter as he enters the kitchen, but the sight of Jongin in a ‘kiss the cook’ apron and spatula in his hand wakes him in an instant. “What the hell are you wearing?” He laughs as Jongin’s face turns the same color as the apron he wears. He never knew Jongin could cook.

So he voices his thoughts, making Jongin flush another shade of pink and cough embarrassingly in the crook of his elbow.

“It’s just something I did in my free time,” he explains. Lu Han hums in understanding, choosing a seat at the already set table. Minseok does the same. Lu Han hopes he isn’t too obvious with his secret glances towards the catboy, whose collarbones peek under the collar of Lu Han’s shirt. This one’s too big on him, so he has his sleeves rolled to his elbows. Dark hairs run up his arms, a perfect contrast to his fair skin. Lu Han hates himself for last night, for overly observing Minseok, for thinking of him in that kind of a way.

Although his fantasies are ruined when Minseok starts his wrist, the feeling in his chest doesn’t waver a bit.

“Stop doing that, I want to eat without having anyone to disgust me.” He kicks Minseok’s shin under the table lightly, making the catboy hiss. Kyungsoo spares them an unimpressed look, before going back his book again. Jongin’s too busy with making breakfast to notice Lu Han throwing a fit and Minseok sending threats his way.

“,” Jongin curses all of a sudden. All three people in the kitchen send concerned looks his way as Jongin closes the fridge and frowns in displeasure. “I forgot to buy milk the last time I was here. I can’t make pancakes like this,” he protests.

“You can use water instead,” Lu Han offers. If there’s anything he learned while living with Jongdae, it’s to make pancakes. There’s plenty of other stuff he knows how to make as well, all thanks to Jongdae who was too lazy to put any effort in the kitchen and, after a while, Lu Han simply got bored of the cheap take out. 

“Yeah but I want to put milk for Minseok. Can you go and buy it for me? Please hyung!”

Lu Han ignores the pout on Jongin’s lips when he loudly refuses. “Do you seriously think I’ll go out and buy milk for him?” He points to Minseok, the catboy baring his sharp teeth in response. “The closest shop is like two kilometer away!”

“There’s a local market an old couple own just down the road. If you drive, you can get there in less than five minutes.” Jongin makes the pathetic puppy eyes once again and Lu Han feels even more pathetic for falling for them.

“Fine!” he says finally, making Jongin yelp in delight and Minseok smirk.

“What are you smiling about!?” Lu Han snaps at Minseok when Jongin puts the money in his hands, pushing him through the hallway and under the warm morning sun. He doesn’t hear the response, if there was even any, because Jongin shuts the door after he points Lu Han the way and steps back into the house. Not having any option, Lu Han heads for his car.

The market itself wasn’t hard to find, the only problem was the macadam road leading to the small shop. Lu Han grumbles as yet another rock smacks against the underside of his car. He parks in front of the shop in a cloud of dust, the tires protesting loudly against the old road. A curious man, probably around the age of sixty, walks outside to see what’s going on. He’s heavily leaning on a wooden cane as he steps on the porch. Lu Han waits for the dust to clear so he can step outside as well.

The small shop looks to be a part of the house the old couple lives in. Constructed of two floors, the first floor turned in a shop and the top used for living, it’s mostly made of dark wood with heavy stairs built on the left side, probably leading to the second floor. Lu Han believes they turned the entire first floor into a shop so they had to build outer stairs.

When he finally steps outside, the old man standing on the porch greets him. A feline curls around the man’s feet, settling just by left shoe. Considering the time he spent with Minseok, Lu Han’s not surprised he forgot how a real cat looks like.

“Good morning,” Lu Han greets as well. “Umm, I came here to buy milk.”

“Oh, sure! My wife will serve you inside.” He points to the door where a sign written in hangul tells him it’s open for work. He bows slightly as he walks past the old man and steps inside the shop.

The entrance of the room isn’t much different from the outside. Dark wood covers the most of it, dozens of shelves lined up against the wall with all the necessary ingredients like flour, bread, sugar and milk. There’s instant ramen placed on some shelves, but fresh vegetables and fruit as well. Two freezers stand by the door way; one for fish and the other for ice-cream. Lu Han was right when he thought they turned the entire floor into a shop.

An old lady greets him the second he walks in, tearing her gaze from the TV playing in the corner of the shop. She looks younger than her husband, probably in her mid fifties. Her hair, only grey at the temple, is pulled in a neat bun and she wears a plain beige apron tied twice around her waist. She smiles politely when Lu Han asks for a carton of milk and she goes to reach it on the shelf placed on her left.

Lu Han waits patiently for her to grab the milk, her husband joining them inside. He comments the weather with Lu Han, asking him about the reason he drove all the way here just to shop. Lu Han lies; well he’s not sure if it’s technically a lie, telling how he came to visit a childhood friend who moved to this area just a month ago. It just turned out for this shop to be the closest one and milk was absolutely necessary for them to feet his friend’s cat. The old man nods in understanding, telling Lu Han how their own ginger cat is very needy and persistent to get what it wants.

“You don’t have to tell me about that,” Lu Han murmurs when the man picks up the cat walking between his legs for Lu Han to pet it. Lu Han gives the cat a playful pat on the head, the cat hissing at the rough treatment. You’re all the same, Lu Han thinks as the cat curls against his owner’s chest while he pets it playfully under its chin.

By the time the TV switches to the latest news, the woman is back with the carton of milk and starts typing the receive. The old man settles behind the counter as well, taking the single wooden chair for himself and the cat in his lap. He’s watching the news pretty intensely, commenting how today youth is getting out of control and how it was better when this whole idol thing never existed.

“Look at it,” he gestures towards the TV, “just awful. Do these TV reporters have nothing else to talk about other than these so called idols?”

“You’re simply too old to understand it, dear,” his wife says as she hands Lu Han the change and the plastic bag where milk was packed.

“Well I may be old, but I’ll never be old enough to not know what bull is.”

“Watch your mouth in front of the customers!” the woman warns, turning to give Lu Han an apologetic look. “I’m sorry you have to listen to this. My husband is sometimes like that. Hey, are okay? You look pale.”

“I-I’m okay,” Lu Han says, his hands shaking as he grabs the milk and change. “Just this weather is bothering me a bit, you know.”

She nods in understanding. “I know, this weather is awful! During the day it’s extremely hot and then bam, the night falls and it gets cold so bad you have to wear a sweater to warm up. Anyway, thank you for visiting and have a nice day. Make sure you rest properly, you really don’t look so well.”

“I will, thank you,” he tells her, getting out of the shop with hurried steps. As soon as he walks outside, he runs to his car and starts the engine. He has to inform Jongin as soon as possible.

~

“What a nice young man, don’t you think? So polite and kind, handsome as well.”

“I don’t know, he looks like that kid from the news today. The one who kidnapped that idol or whatever. I heard the whole state is after him.”

“Oh, stop being ridiculous. Not only you’re senile, but going you’re blind as well. Give me that remote, my show is about to start.”

~

“Jongin!” Lu Han screams the moment he steps in the kitchen, throwing the carton of milk from his hands. Minseok catches the drink before it could crash against the wall, scrunching his nose in disgust when Lu Han storms past him.

“You stink,” Minseok comments, but Lu Han ignores him in a favor of running towards Jongin, his hands gesturing towards something in the corner of the room.

“They – I - you – the TV – they’re looking for me,” he blurts out. Jongin looks worried as he steps from behind the counter, wiping his palms against the apron he still wears. Lu Han is slouched over the counter, trying to regain his breath as Jongin pats his back comfortingly.

“Calm down. Tell us what happened.”

Kyungsoo finally puts his book aside and is watching Lu Han with wide eyes, his tail moving rapidly in curiosity. Minseok’s still saying something about the way Lu Han smells. Very bad, apparently.

“I saw the news at the shop now. They’re telling the whole world how I kidnapped you and now everyone’s looking for me! They even have a reward for the person who sends them information about me. Jongin, you have to tell them what happened,” Lu Han pleads. Jongin looks taken aback, throwing the spatula on the floor and stepping back from Lu Han. Minseok wants to laugh, but Kyungsoo’s warning glare tells him how now is not the time.

“Hyung, I-I can’t…”

“What do you mean you can’t? Jongin, now is not the time for jokes. I have the whole country after my head! Are you seriously letting them do this to me!?”

“But look what they’ve done to me, hyung! Can’t I act as myself for just a day, to not have people judge me and I- please understand me.”

“You have to understand me as well, Jongin,” Lu Han says, his hands curled in fists by his side. “This isn’t about you right now. I might go to jail.”

Jongin looks even more lost now, his eyes jumping from frustrated Lu Han to a frightened Kyungsoo and then to his hands which have started shaking unconsciously. Lu Han looks at him exasperated and Jongin seriously doesn’t know what to do.

“It’s only a matter of time till they find us.”

“They’ll never find us, I promise you!”

“You don’t know that,” Lu Han snaps, his patience coming to an end. “It’s only a matter of time till those old people realize I’m the one they’re looking for. Minutes, hours, days… I don’t how long, but they will find us.”

“I-“

“I know this is all very hard for you, but you can’t disappear like this with everyone looking for you,” Lu Han says.

“I can and I will!” Jongin screams, pushing past Lu Han and running upstairs. They can hear the door shutting with a bang, the window glass clattering with the sound.

“Jongin!” Lu Han calls, but he gets no response. Taking a deep breath, Lu Han tries to calm himself. He slumps in a barstool standing alone by the counter. He feels a headache coming, the sound of Jongin crashing stuff upstairs not helping at all. He has no idea what to do, especially with both of them being in this state right now – Jongin frustrated and caged, Lu Han feeling the same.

A sound of someone turning off the stove Jongin left on makes Lu Han look from his lap to Kyungsoo who’s walking around the kitchen and cleaning the mess the singer left behind.

“I’ll talk with him,” Kyungsoo simply says as he wipes the counter with a clean rug. He puts everything back in the fridge, Minseok and Lu Han only watching him quietly. As he puts everything away, Jongin finally stops with the ruckus he was causing upstairs. Kyungsoo cleans his hands with a towel, folding it carefully on the top shelf. Without a word, he makes his way up the stairs where Jongin is. Lu Han hears him knock and walk in without waiting Jongin to respond.

Not knowing what else to do, Lu Han walks to the table Minseok’s seated at. He lets his head to fall in his palms, elbows rested on the table surface. Minseok watches him with a distasteful expression.

“You still stink,” he comments, earning a groan from Lu Han.

“I’m not in the mood, Minseok.”

“Seriously thought, did you fall in a pile of or something?”

“Excuse me,” Lu Han’s head snaps up, “but what the hell are you talking about? I took a shower this morning and you didn’t seem to mind my smell last night?

Minseok waves his palm in front of his face, his nose scrunched in disgust. “Well you smelled fine this morning,” he says and gets up from the desk. He walks to the barstool placed at the other corner of the kitchen, still trying to pry off the smell apparently only he can feel. Shocked, Lu Han watches the catboy curl on the seat, his back towards Lu Han.

“I don’t believe this,” Lu Han says. Deciding shower might help relax his mind and get rid of this imaginary smell that’s bothering only Minseok, Lu Han stands up and goes towards the door. Breakfast can wait.

“You know,” he says quietly before exiting the kitchen. He turns to look at the catboy who’s still sitting in the chair with his back towards Lu Han. “Things after this won’t be the same. I’ll probably have to leave and you’ll have to stay with Jongin. He really likes you and you’ll like living with him. If not, you’ll have Kyungsoo to stay with.”

Minseok doesn’t comment further, even when Lu Han doesn’t move from the doorway, waiting for Minseok to say something. When the catboy doesn’t show any signs of caring about Lu Han or what happens to him, Lu Han walks away. Minseok doesn’t say anything even then.

~

It’s around three in the afternoon when Lu Han makes lunch. Jongin’s still locked inside his room, Kyungsoo with him. He sets the table, four plates and matching glasses. Minseok shows up the second he smells fried fish and curry rice. Lu Han was surprised to find a various types of ingredients, spices, vegetables and many more necessary items to make an edible lunch. Right before he set the table, Lu Han had called Jongin to get downstairs and have at least a small portion, or Lu Han will be forced feet him through an IV. Jongin only said something about “coming down later” and the house went quiet again.

Unlike Kyungsoo, Minseok wasn’t able to resist the delicious meal. He even dared to clink his spoon against the porcelain plate, demanding lunch asap. Lu Han yelled at him for almost breaking the plate, but that was all they said to each other before Lu Han brought out different types of fish and meat, corn salad and the carton of milk he bought this morning. They ate in silence, Minseok letting out occasional mewls and positive comments about the way the fish was prepared.

“I never expected such comments from you.”

“Don’t get used to it.”

Lu Han cleans the table and washes the dishes. When he turns around, Minseok’s nowhere to be seen. He’s alone again. Lu Han wonders if he should get used to being left this.

~

The sun set faster than Lu Han had expected. By the time he cleans the whole living room, bathroom on the first floor and waters the bushes of violet roses outside, the transparent moon is already visible on the clear sky. He manages to wash the car and repack his stuff when the sun finally sets, reflecting its orange, pink and red rays on the now clean glass of Lu Han’s Ford. Jongdae would probably laugh if he saw him. Lu Han never cleaned.

When he gets inside the house, he’s surprised to find Kyungsoo lying on the livingroom couch, Minseok doing the same only on the opposite seat. They notice him walk inside and when Lu Han wants to ask about Jongin, Kyungsoo answers for him without the other even asking.

“He’s asleep. You can talk to him in the morning.”

Lu Han nods silently, making his way to the room he shares with Minseok. That night he decides he’ll pack the rest of his stuff and leave in the morning.

~

Lu Han doesn’t know the time when he hears the sheet rustle by his bed, the sound too loud to be a gush of wind or anything similar. The moon isn’t visible from his window, but it’s still dark outside. He can’t guess the time, so he turns to check the digital clock on the dresser, surprised to find Minseok looking at him from below. Right, he forgot Minseok slept in this room as well.

The bright red numbers show 2am. Lu Han falls back on the bed, ignoring the way Minseok had just looked at him - narrow irises staring at him deeply, emotions he can’t suppress blossoming in his chest.

The window is opened, with summer breeze splitting the curtains, cooling Lu Han’s heated skin.

“Lu Han,” Minseok calls and Lu Han stiffens. He pretends to still be asleep, Minseok for some reason falling for it. Lu Han hopes the other can’t hear his uneven, shaken breathing.

“Are you asleep? Yeah? Well, I don’t care so I’ll just say it like this. I talked with Kyungsoo today and he, well… Jongin wants to quit his singing career and move to this place. Kyungsoo will stay with him. Apparently he brings out the best in Jongin and Jongin wants him to stay. And me, as much as Jongin likes having me around, I simply don’t fit in the picture they’re trying to create.” Minseo gulps loudly and Lu Han really wants to see his face, to see how Minseok reflects emotions in his eyes.

“Kyungsoo is different from me. And Jongin… Jongin only wants him.” He lets out a shaky laugh. “I know how you said you’ll leave me here and I promised I’d leave you alone, so yeah. We might not see each other after this.”

“I don’t think so,” Lu Han says after a minute of silence. Minseok straightens in his makeshift bed, eyes wide. Lu Han turns on his left side to look at Minseok, wide awake as well.

“You were awake!”

“That doesn’t matter now. Listen, Minseok, you… that time when we were at the forest you said as long you’re with Kyungsoo, you won’t have to be scared of being left alone. And now, Kyungsoo’s going to stay and you... you don’t have to be alone again, Minseok.”

Minseok doesn’t blink, mouth parted slightly. Lu Han can see him taking deep, shaky, breaths.

“Does that mean-“

“Yes, you can come with me.”

Minseok gulps loudly, his Adam apple bobbing with the motion. He gives a slight nod of his head, slumping in his bed. He lies flat on the floor, throwing the blanket over his shoulders. Not expecting a response in a form of words, Lu Han lies back in his bed as well. He grips the blanket, hugging it tightly against his chest. He’s not sure if he can fall asleep again.

“Lu Han,” Minseok’s quiet voice comes from below. Lu Han doesn’t show any signs of moving, still lying firmly on his side.

“Yeah?” he says.

“Thank you.”

~

“Lu Han, can I sleep with you tonight?”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, catboy.”

“I don’t care, you still stink after all.”

~

Jongin finally comes out of his room the next morning. Kyungsoo and Minseok are in their usual seats – Kyungsoo lying on the couch, reading a book about post modern art (Lu Han has no idea where he found that) and Minseok playing with a rubber ball, lying on the couch opposite of Kyungsoo’s.

Jongin walks in the kitchen, hair ruffled and eyes swollen from the hours of sleepless nights. Lu Han is standing behind the stove, measuring cups of sugar necessary for lemon cupcakes.

Jongin clears his throat. “Hyung-“

“Good morning, Jongin!” Lu Han chirps, turning around to face the boy who had just entered the room. He’s wearing the ‘Kiss the Cook’ apron, the same apron he laughed at two days ago, accompanied by wide grin on his face.

“Good morning?” Jongin says cautiously, watching how Lu Han moves around the kitchen – spotless kitchen, by the way. The whole house is spotless actually; Jongin can’t see a speck of dust or anything similar. The floor is shining brightly, Jongin actually wouldn’t mind if breakfast got served down there. Lu Han steps from where’s standing to walk towards Jongin. He gestures to the younger boy to take a seat. The table is filled with the same fish he fried yesterday, but also with fresh bread and boiled eggs.

“Eat,” he orders, shoving a pair of chopsticks in Jongin’s hands.

After that, he goes back to his spot in the kitchen. “Cupcakes will be finished in twenty minutes,” he says.

Jongin doesn’t say anything at that, choosing to dig in his meal. Taking a first bite he lets out a loud moan and then another larger bite after that. Lu Han only smirks, satisfied.

After he finishes his meal, Lu Han has the cupcakes on a plate and on the table. Kyungsoo and Minseok join him as well, Lu Han taking the last free seat seconds later. They eat in silence, Minseok occasionally commenting how Lu Han doesn’t stink anymore, the lemon cupcakes he made probably covering the smell for now. Lu Han kicks him under the table for that.

“Hyung listen,” Jongin starts, but Lu Han stops him with a raise of a palm.

“I understand everything. I know how frustrated you were and I overreacted as well. We both kept so much inside ourselves, it was only a matter of time till we both exploded. I’m sorry for bringing you so much trouble, Jongin. Minseok and I have decided to leave today afternoon. We have our stuff packed and you have enough food to survive for an entire month. I’ll book a plane tickets for France today. Hopefully, they’re not looking for me over there. Also, you and Kyungs-“

“Wait, wait, wait! France? Hyung, what are you talking about?”

“Well isn’t it obvious?” Lu Han tilts his head and Jongin shakes his own. “I can’t stay in Korea. They’re looking for me! I’m still very young, I can’t go to jail.”

“Oh hyung,” Jongin laughs between the bites of his lemon cupcake. Kyungsoo laughs in his palm as well. Minseok looks confused the same way Lu Han does. “You don’t have to leave for France or any country outside of Korea for that matter. I called my manager yesterday and I told him everything that happened: how you’re my childhood friend, how I was the one who kidnapped you and made you stay with me, how I want to quit the idol job and you would never guess, but he actually agreed! He held a press conference this morning, saying how you’re not guilty of anything. The company, believe it or not, is actually glad to get rid of me. They have some new kid to debut and my scandals only brought them budget issues. From today onwards, I’m free as a ing bird. Kai doesn’t exist anymore, only Jongin.”

“Wait, so we don’t have to leave for France?” Minseok asks and Jongin laughs at him.

“No, you can stay here,” Kyungsoo says. Jongin nods, ruffling Kyungsoo’s hair. The wolf hybrid looks awfully okay with that.

Minseok and Lu Han turn to look at each other, then at the other pair sitting across them at the table.

“,” Lu Han only manages says, running his hands over his face. He takes time to process the info Jongin literally just threw at him. Minseok looks shocked as well, but glad at the same time for not having to move to France. They probably wouldn’t fit over there.

“So does that mean we can stay at Sehun’s?” Minseok asks all of a sudden and Lu Han only nods behind his hands.

This time, it’s Jongin’s turn to get confused. “You don’t have to move, you know? Hyung, you and Minseok can stay here and you can finish your novel and-“

“Nah, I don’t think Minseok and I quite fit the picture,” Lu Han explains. He winks at Minseok, the catboy chuckling in response. “Besides, we were planning on going to Sehun’s after some time. How’s your school buddy doing anyway? Is he still living in that hole of an apartment?”

 “Hyung,” Jongin says slowly, waiting for Lu Han to process every word carefully, “Sehun moved to Gwangju months ago.”

~

Checking the number twice before pressing the call button, Lu Han braces himself as the phone starts ringing. He holds the phone tightly against his ear – he finally had a chance to charge it – as a voice he never heard before answers. Lu Han is seriously going to kill Jongdae.

“Hello?” The voice definitely belongs to a guy, but he doesn’t sound like Sehun at all.

“Umm… May I speak to Sehun?”

“Sehun? Sure!” Lu Han lets out a quiet sigh of relief. “And who’s the person looking for him?” 

 “Tell him it’s Lu Han.”

~

“Are you sure about this?” Joingin asks as Lu Han closes the trunk door, his stuff packed and boxes lined carefully. “You and Minseok can always stay with me and Kyungsoo.”

“I appreciate the offer, but Sehun said it’s okay for us to come. You have a chance to rebuild your life again and Kyungsoo’s the only one who fits in that story.”

Jongin’s mouth frowns and Lu Han bumps his fist on the other’s fallen shoulder. Minseok’s already in the car, impatiently waiting for Lu Han to get in as well.

“Take care, Jongin,” Lu Han says, hugging Jongin tightly. Jongin returns the hug, his head falling on Lu Han’s shoulder.

“Thank you for everything,” he says in the sleeve of Lu Han’s shirt. Behind him, Kyungsoo smiles sadly.

Finally letting go, Lu Han steps out of the embrace and turns to open the door of his seat. He doesn’t say anything until he starts the car and rolls down the window. They’re still parked behind Jongin’s house, the sun setting behind the horizon.

“Goodbye, Jongin! Kyungsoo!”

Jongin has his hand in Kyungsoo’s, the other waving farewell at his friend. Minseok rolls his window as well, shouting goodbyes at the pair. They leave the driveway and hit the main road. In the rear mirror, Jongin and Kyungsoo keep getting smaller and smaller, until they turn into tiny dots that disappear behind the curve of the road.

“I’ll miss them,” Lu Han comments.

“Me too,” Minseok says honestly.

Lu Han hums, changing to the third gear. The twilight sun is following them, slowly hiding behind the houses they’re leaving behind. Minseok has the map of Korea’s roads opened over his knees, Lu Han’s blanket over his shoulders. He only says, “Turn at the next right,” and Lu Han does so, shutting only one of many doors on their journey.