“Baby, are you ready to go now? You better hurry up or we both will be late to school.” Karam knocked on the door and waited for a response. "Changmin!" He knocked again with more persistence, hoping that his brother would respond this time. He didn't hear any sounds coming from the room and thought maybe he should go down to the kitchen first to prepare for breakfast.  As he sat at the table having his milk, he thought about how to fix the mess he had made. Even thought he wasn't happy, it didn't mean that he had to make his brother miserable too. He wanted him to be happy, and if that meant pretending nothing happened last night, then he would do it.

Changmin came into the kitchen still in his pyjamas. “Hyung, I’m not going to school today. I’m taking sick leave.”

“Baby, are you okay? Do you want to see a doctor?”

“No, Hyung, I’m not okay and stop calling me baby!” Changmin suddenly snapped. “Hyung, you're just making things more difficult.”

Karam winced at his words. He glared at him. “And what exactly are these ‘things’ you are talking about?  Do you want to tell hyung about it?”

“Hyung, I have nothing to tell you. Bye, Hyung. Have fun at school. I’m going back to sleep.”

Karam just watched his brother walk out of the kitchen. He knew that Changmin didn't have any feeling towards him like he did for his brother, but being completely ignored by the person that you love was too much to handle.

Karam was so frustrated, so angry, that he was driven to the point of embarrassing tears. He quickly walked out of the house as he didn't want to let Changmin see the stupid traitorous tears. Trying to ignore his blurred vision and wet cheeks, Karam tugged his key chain out of his bag and fumbled for the car key. Finally finding it, he unlocked his car, climbed inside hastily and drove away.

Changmin stood by his bedroom window and watched the red car drive away until it was lost from his sight.

He lay back on his bed and looked up at the ceiling. His bed was soft and warm as he buried his face into the sweet smelling fabric, but all he could feel was the miserable loneliness, only this time it felt just a bit more real. He slid down from his bed and went out of his room and stood in front of Karam's door, holding his breath without even realizing it.

Changmin shakily turned the knob and opened the door, feeling as if he might die as he entered Karam's room. The room was so neat and tidy. Everything was arranged neatly and the room's aromatic perfume had a calming scent.

"Hyung, why do you have to be so perfect?" He mumbled.

He walked in slowly as if his legs were glued to the floor and lay on the bed, feeling lost, alone. He was alone in this room, the room that had once been his favorite place to hang with his brother. It was all so different now. He often wished he could be entirely ignorant. Then he could live in an entirely different world. Maybe that's what they were doing right now? Maybe they were sleeping soundly while cuddling tightly?

Changmin could feel himself blush. He let out a long sigh.

"Hyung, I'm sorry that I keep hurting you. I love you, Hyung." At that point it took everything Changmin had to keep from running to his brother and telling him the truth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Karam was so frustrated by how Changmin kept avoiding him, as if he had made a huge mistake. Had he? It had been three days and he and Changmin had not talked to each other. They went to school separately. Changmin had asked his best friend, Kyuhyun, to fetch him to school.

A few nights later Karam came to a conclusion. He was awake in his bed, trying not to be afraid of the thunderstorm that he could hear rumbling in the distance, moving closer.

"This is really tiring," he muttered, alone in his blanket. He pushed himself out of bed and headed to the room next door.

Changmin slowly opened his eyes at the loud knocking on his bedroom door. He looked o