When Jinki entered BD, he headed straight up to the second floor as though he has already been here countless of times. It was just after he received a text from someone that he knew he had to do something to stop Taemin from going berserk.

              He walked all the way to the end, because the last room was the only room that had the door left ajar. The moment he peeked through the gap, he saw Minho pointing a gun in a certain direction – at Taemin.

              The only thing that went through his mind at that time was; Minho, the gun, Taemin.

              No.

              No way can he shoot Taemin.

              Minho smirked and closed one of his eyes, like how he always does when he aims on a dart board. “Taemin!” Jinki almost stopped breathing as he pushed the door wide. He ran towards Taemin and shielded him from the bullet.

              ‘BANG’

              In a blink of an eye, in one swift press, in one loud bang. Don’t you find it amazing how such a simple thing can end a person’s life?

              And that was the simple thing that drew Jinki to being part of the gang.

“,” Jinki gasped, staring at the pen-like equipment. “Why, Jinki? Are you scared?” Minho smirked, shrugging beside him.

              Jinki was fifteen and Minho was fourteen, but Minho has never address Jinki as ‘hyung’.

              Scare? I won’t be here in the first place if I’m scared.” The older one scoffed and lay down on his stomach on the bed. Right there and then, Jinki was getting himself inked.

“What, why?!” Minho retorted after Siwon said that Jinki will be in charge of the plan.

              “He’s older than you.” Siwon replied bluntly. “But I’m your son!”

              “Adopted son.” The head corrected, and Jinki watched as Minho’s eyes got filled with disappointment.

“In the future, I’m going to take over the Dragon’s.”

              Minho looked far away as the both of them stood at the rooftop of BD. “What about you, Jinki?”

              The older one looked down the building, eyeing the citizens as they scurried along the street like busy ants.

              “I’m quitting.”

“Hyung!”

              Jinki’s vision was blurred but as it gets clearer, Taemin’s face appeared before his eyes. “Hyung, stay awake!!” He saw Taemin fidgeting with himself while the latter was trying to find his phone. “, where the is my phone…” Taemin mumbled and his hands were trembling non-stop. He placed one of his hands on the gunshot wound to stop the bleeding but it seemed like it wasn’t working when his hand got all stained with Jinki’s blood, some even got on his shirt.

              Jinki could hardly breathe. He wondered where the bullet shot him, he felt numb from his chest all the way down to his toes. Could be it that it shot his heart? Did it?

              “Somebody, call the ing ambulance!” He heard Taemin shouted at the group of people crowding around the door. Perhaps they were here only after hearing a gunshot.

              Jinki’s hand reached out to grab Taemin’s, he smiled. He called him ‘hyung’ just now, did he?

              “It’s been…so…long…thhhat you called….hyung…”

              He never knew that talking requires so much effort until he finds it difficult to even utter a word. It took him almost all of his energy just to say a sentence. “Hyung, stay awake, don’t close your eyes please, the ambulance will be here soon…” Taemin lifted Jinki’s head up to his lap and his hands were messing with Jinki’s hair without him knowing. “Hyung…please, don’t close your eyes.” He pleaded when he saw Jinki slipping in and out of conscious and a tear drop falls on Jinki’s face, making him open his eyes fully.

              “Don’t…” Jinki wanted to say don’t cry but he finds it so hard, so hard to even breathe. “Hyehee!” Taemin turned over and shouted for their sister. Hyehee blinked, still sitting blindly on the bed with Taemin’s jacket over her. She froze, and it took her a while to crawl down the bed and over to her brothers’ side.

              Hyehee quietly came up to Jinki, her trembling and bruised arms reached out to Jinki. When Jinki saw her bruised arms, he cursed himself for failing as a brother. Hyehee…I’m sorry…Jin oppa couldn’t protect you…

              “Jin oppa…” Hyehee’s voice came out cracked and muffled, she was crying so badly that she couldn’t stop. Her whole body was trembling and Taemin was looking at it with so much aching in his heart. He turned and glared around the room, Minho wasn’t here anymore. .

              “Tae…” Jinki breathed and Taemin came down until his ear was near to Jinki’s lips, “…take….c…care….Hye…he….” and his eyes went closing because he felt so tired.

              “No…” Taemin blinked when he found Jinki losing himself. “Hyung…” he called, and it scares him so much when Jinki doesn’t respond anymore. He cried, for the third time in his life.

              Why did you save me, hyung?

              Why?

              Hyehee needs you; you can’t just die…hyung?

              I should be the one dead, not you, hyung.

              “Hyung…” He called out for the last time...before noticing a pair of bare foot beside Jinki’s body. He looked up and saw Jinki in the same clothes, except that it was clean, no blood, nothing. He even gave off a glow and Taemin wasn’t sure if he likes that glow.

              “If I’m given a chance again, I will still save you.” Jinki squatted down and placed a hand on Taemin’s shoulder, and it took the latter a while to realize that he was the only one that could see him. “Believe me, Taemin, you can take care of Hyehee better than I could.” Jinki said with a smile.

              “Hyung…”

              “Taemin…my beloved brother...” Jinki’s smile faded, “You will always be my brother, no matter what.”

              That was something Taemin always wanted to hear from his favorite hyung, he didn’t know that he could only hear it when he was dead. Taemin reached out, only when his hand went right through his body that he realized he wasn’t real.

              “Thank you…hyung…” Taemin mumbled with tears filling up his eyes, and his vision was blurred until he couldn’t see Jinki anymore.

It was already the next morning when Hyehee sat on Taemin’s bed with her knees up against her chest and the blanket wrapped around her.

              Yesterday after the ambulance came to collect Jinki’s body, she passed out and the next thing she knew, she saw the familiar ceiling when her eyes open. She was still in her ripped clothing, but she doesn’t care. She couldn’t find Taemin anywhere in the room but she didn’t feel like leaving the room either.

              Until when Taemin came into the room in the midnight, looking disheveled and tired, she was relieved that she finally wasn’t alone. “You woke up,” Taemin said, his voice hoarse, probably because he has not been hydrating himself. When Taemin came up close to Hyehee, she saw his lips cracked and eyes swollen. Both of them didn’t speak a word and they were just staring at each other, until Taemin reached out to circle her in his arms.

              Hyehee didn’t return the hug, she still didn’t speak.

              He hugged her for very long; he wanted to assure her that everything was fine and that she still got him with her. At the same time, he wanted to assure himself. Hyehee blinked, she wanted to comfort him like how he did to her, but she doesn’t have the strength to do so, it was like everything closed down in her system. “Let’s get you clean up,” Taemin said, releasing her from his embrace. Hyehee didn’t respond, she simply allowed Taemin to scoop her up and go into the bathroom.

              Hyehee sat in the bathtub with her back facing Taemin the entire time. He was certain that he couldn’t leave her alone, so even if he had to watch her clean herself, he will; and he was glad he did. It became a disaster when she started scrubbing her arms with her nails. She uses so much force that it became red within a few seconds; it was as though she wanted to tear her skin off.

              “Hyehee!” Taemin exclaimed, rushing over and squatting down beside the bathtub. He held both of her hands and stared at her tearful eyes. “…oppa…” Hyehee whimpered and her voice was so weak. She couldn’t care less if she was in front of Taemin, because she knew that Taemin was the only one she has right now. “I felt…so…dirty….” She said low, almost a whisper that Taemin couldn’t hear.

              Taemin watched her, he couldn’t speak a word. He looked at her body; it was covered in bruises caused by Minho. He doesn’t know how far Minho went; he doesn’t know how hurt Hyehee was. The only thing he knew he had to do was to mend his sister back together. So Taemin took his shirt off and went into the bathtub, he positioned himself until Hyehee was between his legs.

              “You’re not dirty, Hyehee, you’re my angel.” Taemin said, squeezing some soap on his hand before rubbing it on Hyehee’s back. “Tae oppa will clean you up, don’t worry, and don’t be scare. I am here. No one is going to hurt you.” He whispered softly as his hands went to the side, rubbing on her arms now. He hugged her when he saw her trembling with tears cascading down her cheeks.

              Hyehee cried in silence. She felt dirty when she recalled how Minho was touching her in places that she didn’t want anyone else to touch. Except that now, she felt secured with Taemin’s body pressing against her back, with his hands touching places that Minho had touched before. It was weird, but it was comforting, and she doesn’t hate it.

              When Taemin finished washing her hair, he rinsed her body before getting up from the bathtub. “Wait here,” he said, but Hyehee tugged on his arm the moment he turned. She didn’t look at him, but Taemin knew what it means. He bends down and scooped her up from the water before walking towards the bed. Halfway, he opened the wardrobe with his foot and grabbed a piece of towel with his hand under Hyehee’s thighs.

              Nobody at that time cares if the bed was going to be wet. He placed Hyehee on it and wiped her body with the towel, and for each time his fingers run pass her bruises, she would flinch. Taemin gritted his teeth; he should have brought in some cream for the wounds. He sighed as he brought his face nearer to Hyehee’s body, and he kissed her wound, hoping that she would feel better.

              Hyehee quivered when Taemin’s cold lips came into contact with her skin. She wasn’t really sure what he was doing, but she knew he was making her feel better. Taemin kissed her from her shoulder blade down to her palm, the places where Minho hurt her, Taemin was making it go away.

              The night was quiet, and the room was dark. Taemin had Hyehee in his arms as he gently patted her to sleep. He constantly whispers words in her ears, telling her everything was fine and she wasn’t alone. Hyehee managed to sleep.

              Taemin sighed silently, he still haven’t told Hyehee about him not being her brother, and yet he bathed her, sees her body, and hugged her to sleep. Now that Jinki is dead, he’s the only one left for Hyehee, and the last thing he wanted to do was to hurt her.

              Jinki hyung…

              He closed his eyes, taking in the scent of Hyehee’s hair.

              “I’ll protect you…Hyehee…Tae oppa loves you.” he whispered, planting a light kiss on her forehead.

              But he doesn’t know if the loves he said was as a brother, or as a man now.

Taemin came into the room with a tray of food when he sees Hyehee sitting on the bed. “Why did you leave me?” was the first words Hyehee said. “I was only getting you food.” He replied, setting down the food on the bed side table before going over to her.

              She was still wrapped with the blanket, her hair messy and lips cracked. She watched him, noticing that he had changed into a new pair of black jeans and a knitted sweater. “You’re going out?” she asked.

              Taemin looked at her, his hand reaching out to her face and she saw the bracelet tangling on his wrist. The bracelet that almost got him killed. “Yeah.”

              “Where are you going?” She asked again. “I’ll be back soon. I promise.” Taemin replied, giving her a light kiss on her forehead. “Remember to eat.”

              Hyehee frowned, and she watched him going to the wardrobe for a few pieces of clothes. “Here is my shirt and jacket, wear them after you’re done eating. I’ll ask Key to check on you in the afternoon.”

              “Wait,” Hyehee called when Taemin went for the door, “You’ll come back, right?”

              Taemin blinked, he turned to her with a small smile. “With my angel here, of course I will be back.”

“Where are you going?” Jonghyun asked when he saw Taemin coming down the stairs. “Out.”

              “You’re going to find Minho, aren’t you?” he questioned, getting up from his seat and walking over to Taemin. Jonghyun has always been good with observation and judgment. “Where is Key?” Taemin walked past him, clearly ignoring what Jonghyun was going to say.

              Jonghyun swallowed when Taemin went into the kitchen and he followed him with his hands on his hips. “Key, help me check on my sister later. I’m heading out for a while.”

              “Yeah, he’s going for revenge.” Jonghyun said, sneaking up behind Taemin and picking a knife out from his back pocket. “Hey!” Taemin spun around as he grabbed hold of Jonghyun’s wrist. “Taemin, what are you going to do with a knife?” Key asked.

              Taemin rolled his eyes. “What if you got killed? Just yesterday that your sister saw with her own eyes that her brother got shot and now you want her to experience the same thing again?” Jonghyun blurted and pulled his wrist back.

              “At least she’s not there to see me get killed this time.” Taemin mumbled, snatching the knife out of Jonghyun’s hand. “Taemin!” Jonghyun almost shouted, he sighed in defeat.  “What’s wrong with you? You can’t do this alone.”

              “I can, and I will. He killed my hyung, and he will pay for it.” Taemin gritted his teeth. “Key, your job today is to look after my sister. Make sure she finishes her food and if she doesn’t, I’ll shoot you.”

              Key felt a cold shiver down his spine, and it certainly wasn’t nice to have your good friend threatening you with a serious tone. Jonghyun sighed again; he looked at Key after Taemin left.

              “Did he even sleep? After he gets Hyehee back home yesterday he went out again until midnight. What is this person doing? Is he trying to get himself killed?” Jonghyun muttered under his breath, loud enough for Key to hear.

Hyehee was still in the same position with her chin on her knees. She stared into particularly nothing, into the right corner of the room.

              “If Tae oppa was here, he won’t treat me like this.” Hyehee said, tightening her grip on the blue gift box. “How I wish that I was being sold to the Mafia together with Tae oppa. I would rather be with him than with you.”

              “What was I doing…how I could…say that to Jin oppa…?” She closed her eyes, feeling the sadness taking over her body again. She leaned back against the bed frame, with the smell of the food infusing into her nose, she felt nauseous.

              She almost got by her boyfriend.

              Taemin came to save her, they fought, and her boyfriend pointed a gun at Taemin’s head.

              Jinki died saving Taemin.

              Jinki died…

              A tear slipped behind her eyelid.

“Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?”

              Fourteen year old Jinki stood behind twelve year old Hyehee; both of them were in their parent’s room, looking at the floor length mirror on the wall. “Oh! It’s Hyehee!” Jinki exclaimed, moving slightly away from his sister so that only her reflection was reflected.

              Hyehee giggled, pulling Jinki back and tugging on his arm. “No, it’s us.”

              Until when Taemin came into the room to take something, he took a glance at them and scoffed. “Tae oppa!” Hyehee let go of Jinki’s arm almost immediately. She went over to Taemin and pulled him over such that the three of their reflections were reflected. Jinki watched as Hyehee hugged onto Taemin’s arm with both hands.

              “Tch, leave me out of this.” Taemin rolled his eyes and walked away with Hyehee tailing behind him.

              And Jinki was reflected alone in the reflection.