Everything needs to come to an end and every ending needs something to trigger it.

It already had been few days since Kibum’s and his newest side-kicks visit, but WooHyun still couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Kibum, or Key as he demanded to be called, even though a spoiled and as from side could seem weak guy, was probably one of the most dangerous, if not the most dangerous person WooHyun had ever met in his life. If Key didn’t get what he wanted, he did everything was possible and even impossible to get it never the less, but even if that didn’t work, he had his revenge, as he took it far too personal one should.

And this new guy – JongHyun – there was something wrong with him, something WooHyun couldn’t quite tell, but it disturbed him. There was this small voice at the back of WooHyun’s head, screaming that JongHyun might turn out to be even more dangerous than Key, and that would mean even more trouble than WooHyun imagined.

Yet he didn’t regret his answer and decision. He was not willing to leave SungGyu, to throw away his trust and care, to throw away the new kind of trust he had gained from his friend and the something near peace he had gained.

That might sound selfish in a way, but truthfully it wasn’t, as he knew how it would probably hurt everyone, if he would betray them and go back to being a dirt-bag he was before, and in all honesty, he already had enough dirt staining his soul and he didn’t want to add any more.

“If you will continue to clean that spot, you will end up rubbing a hole in the table.” SungGyu’s voice snapped WooHyun out of his thoughts and made him look at the table in front of him and in deed – his hand was moving in steady round movements, polishing the same spot on the table over and over again.

It was late Saturday evening and any customers appearing was less likely, as there was some sort of event near to centre of city and everyone who usually enjoyed a late meal here, were now there, letting the diner to be cleaned and closed earlier than usual.

“What were you thinking about?” SungGyu came closer to WooHyun, who had now stopped polishing the table and glanced trough the window.

“About Key and JongHyun.” WooHyun said looking at now nearly ginger-haired one.

“You think they will do something?” SungGyu moved one of the chairs at the table and sat down, so did WooHyun.

“Key’s dangerous, I know that, and I assume JongHyun is as well….” WooHyun said putting the cloth he was using to clean the table down on the said surface, along with his gloves. “And when I think about, I as well didn’t like the way he mentioned SungJong.” He said, sudden shiver running trough him. “He has never liked him for some strange reason and I him mentioning SungJong so much just wasn’t right.”

“Did you tell others, that Key visited?” SungGyu leaned forward a little, resting his elbows on his knees.

“I told them, SungJong included and made him promise to be careful.” WooHyun nodded. “But I am still worried.”

“I’m sorry. I think I brought this upon you, by saying that I didn’t like the way Key spoke.” SungGyu said with a small sigh.

“No. You were right. I only understood it afterwards.” WooHyun shook his head and looked at SungGyu. He already opened his mouth to continue his sentence, when the bell at the door rang.

“I’m sorry, we’re closing.” SungGyu spoke with a small, polite smile before looking up. His smile fell at the very moment and he jumped up from his seat and rushed to the door immediately.

WooHyun reacted a bit later, following SungGyu with his eyes, only then noticing SungJong standing at the door.

Poor teen had a split lip, blood trickling down the corner; there were bruises on his cheeks and forehead, one nasty one above his eyebrow, from which small stream of blood flowed down the side of his face and neck; it looked like his nose had bled as well and he had wiped it away with his torn, messed up and, of course, bloody sleeve.

It took WooHyun a minute to actually realize what he was seeing, and only when SungGyu came in to his vision wrapping his arms around shaking SungJong’s shoulders and guiding him further in the diner to the kitchen, he actually registered what had happened.

Key did it. Either Key or JongHyun for sure – no one else had any reason to harm SungJong and what ever reason both of previously mentioned had found wasn’t legit.

“WooHyun!” SungGyu’s voice from the kitchen made WooHyun to snap out of it and he went to the kitchen as fast as he could.

SungGyu had made SungJong to sit on the only chair that was in the kitchen, he himself was stooping next to him – first-aid kit next to him and a wet towel in his hand.

“Does it hurt anywhere? Leg, arm, ribs?” he asked to SungJong, whose gripping the fabric of his jeans above his knees.

“No.” The teen answered, his voice shaky but loud enough.

“That’s good.” SungGyu says, indeed sounding relieved. Carefully, he wiped away blood from SungJong’s cheek and neck, just lightly patting the wounds with the towel, before reaching to the first-aid kit.

“This will sting.” He said, pouring some sort of liquid on a piece of cotton, to which SungJong replied with a nod, gripping harder on his pants when SungGyu started to clean the bruises. Only then WooHyun noticed that the younger one has bruises on his hands as well, so he had fought back who ever attacked him.

“Will you help, or just stare?” SungGyu spoke, obviously to WooHyun, who had drifted away in thoughts again.

“I… don’t know what to do…” WooHyun admitted.

“Pour him a glass of water and call his mother afterwards.” SungGyu instructed.

“Why WooHyun-hyung needs to call my mom?” SungJong asked.

“You should stay over. First – the redness of the bruises will be less noticeable in the morning. Second – we’ll you home in the morning, now it’s not safe.” SungGyu said and SungJong nodded, taking the glass of water from WooHyun.

“It was Key.” The teen said after taking a gulp from the glass.

WooHyun put down the phone he was holding and came closer.

“He just stood and watched, but it was his order never the less.” SungJong continued, looking first at WooHyun, then at SungGyu and then turning to the glass in his hands.

“Did he say anything?” SungGyu asked, taking another piece of cotton and pouring the same liquid on it, before taking one of SungJong’s hands in his to clean the bruises on it.

“No.” SungJong shook his head. “Just that my advertising skills are too good and conveying a message to you won’t be a problem.” He said and looked at WooHyun.

He conveyed the message well enough. Key had absolutely gone mad with greed for power and what not and had started to cross all possible lines. Could it have something to do with JongHyun guy? Could he be the one who triggered the darkest side of Key?

“WooHyun.” SungGyu spoke and WooHyun understood he had been zooming-out far too much tonight. “Call SungJong’s mother.” He said, his voice calm as if he understood why WooHyun was zooming-out all the time.

The later nodded and took the phone he had put down on the counter before and called SungJong’s mother.

She didn’t seem too stressed, as she didn’t know why exactly SungJong was staying over and WooHyun decided not to tell her sooner than necessary, as SungJong was safe and taken care of.

“She’s okay with it.” WooHyun said with a sigh, putting his phone in his pocket.

“She won’t be okay in the morning.” SungJong said with a small pout.

“If you would go home like this or like when you came in, she wouldn’t be okay at all.” SungGyu said finally standing up, as he had remained stooped next to SungJong the whole time. “I’ll lock everything here, you two can go upstairs.”

WooHyun nodded and watched how SungGyu goes to the main hall, before going to SungJong, who already stood up from his seat.

“I’ll give you some clothes.” WooHyun said with a small smile, trying at least somehow to brighten the heavy atmosphere. “But you’ve grown so much, I don’t know if they will fit you. They might be too short.” He continued, leading the way upstairs and quickly glancing at SungJong over his shoulder and earning a small smile from the younger one.

“Where did they…” WooHyun started the question and stopped half trough it, when they reached the top of the stairs.

“Where they attacked me?” SungJong finished the question in WooHyun’s place. The older nodded. “At that event where the biggest part of people that live on this side of the city was. I just said goodbye to my school-mates and headed home, but they caught up with me.” He said, walking further in the living room. “There was too much noise for anyone to hear a fight.” He said with a small sigh. “But I got loose and run. And I think I broke one of their noses or something.” He turned to WooHyun with a smile.

“I’m sorry, SungJong.” WooHyun muttered, lowering his gaze.

“Well, you shouldn’t, because going to Key was never an option, hyung.” The younger one said, making WooHyun to look up at him and smile.

“Come, let’s get you some clothes.” WooHyun said, leading SungJong in what used to be his room when he first arrived here, but now had turned in to a wardrobe.

“I assume you sleep with SungGyu-hyung then.” The younger one said, entering the room and receiving a nod. “Good.” He said. “This is one more reason why you shouldn’t even think about having any business with Key.”

“Sometimes I’m amazed on the amount of sense you have in your age.” WooHyun said with a smile, giving clothes he had just picked out to SungJong.

“That’s what one can gain when hanging out with old people.” SungJong said quite casually.

“You’re being extremely calm after what happened.”

“You know well enough this is not the first time I get beaten up for various reasons. Besides, freaking out or what not, wouldn’t help.” SungJong replied calmly.

“Maybe you have too much sense.” WooHyun sighed. “Bathroom is right across the living room, I’ll make a place for you to sleep,” he continued and received a nod from the younger one, before he left the room.

The door opened again soon enough only this time it was SungGyu.

“Where’s SungJong?” he asked, first aid kit in his hand.

“In the bathroom, changing.” WooHyun stood up from the blankets he had just ordered on the floor and looked at SungGyu and then turned his gaze to the first-aid kit.

SungGyu caught his gaze and replied before WooHyun even asked the question. “I need to apply some unguent on the bruises, so they would heal faster.”

WooHyun nodded and right then SungJong entered the room.

“Sit down.” SungGyu looked at SungJong and nodded toward the blankets, waited for the younger one to do as told and then kneeled next to him, taking an unguent tube from the kit and started to carefully apply it on the bruises.

“Thank you, hyung.” SungJong said with a smile, actually surprising SungGyu, who looked stunned at SungJong for a second or two.

“It’s nothing.” He finally replied and finished his work, before standing up. “Sleep well and just in case we’re in the next room.” He said and headed to the door and glanced at WooHyun, who stayed in his place.

“I’ll go after a minute.” WooHyun said and SungGyu left the room with a nod. He turned to SungJong as soon as the door closed. “Are you indeed okay?”

“I am. I was just a bit shocked and scared while I run here, but I’m fine now, really.” SungJong smiled. “Go to SungGyu-hyung, I’m fine.”

“Goodnight.” WooHyun smiled, his hand already on the door handle.

“Goodnight.” SungJong replied, crawling under the blanket.

“He’s a strong kid.” SungGyu says as soon WooHyun enters the room.

“He’s been hanging out with me and others back from the days we still went in the same high-school he goes now, and in if he wanted to be friends with us he had no other choice to be strong, especially when DongWoo and Hoya came out. The one who got hit the most was him.” WooHyun sighed sitting on the blankets.

Only then he noticed that SungGyu was holding his phone in his hand which did rarely, as he had no one to call.

“Were you calling someone?” WooHyun asked.

“Me? No.” SungGyu shook his head and put his phone away. “Let’s go to sleep.” He said crawling under the blanket.

With a sigh WooHyun changed and crawled under the blanket as well.

The morning came eventually and so did the meeting with SungJong’s mother, who freaked out seeing her son’s bruised face, but soon calmed down and switched to questioning SungGyu as it was her first time meeting him, so SungGyu and WooHyun got away only in late afternoon.

“She’s a nice lady.” SungGyu said and WooHyun nodded. “How she treats Hoya and DongWoo, as I assume she doesn’t know about you?”

WooHyun looked at SungGyu and then back at the road. “Just as nice as all of us. She would care, if SungJong would start liking boys, but he doesn’t and he will not, so she’s fine with our choices.”

“I see.” SungGyu nodded and the rest of the way back to diner they were quiet, yet when the diner appeared in sight something felt oddly wrong, as there were people standing next to it in Sunday.

“Something is wrong.” SungGyu muttered before rushing forward, WooHyun right behind him. He slowed only when the glass from the big front window started to crisp under his shoes.

The window was broken, door broken open, all tables and chairs in a mess. Someone had demolished the diner.

-----------------
Hello.
First of all – don’t freak out about the title which is:

NELL – The Beginning of the End (시작의 끝) [Let it Rain, track 05]
it’s not the end you think off.

Second, sorry for hurting SungJonggie, but I needed something to trigger… certain future actions.

Thirdly – don’t forget about the FAN ART CONTEST.
No one seems to be interested in that though T_T

Till next time!