Turning down the stove, I scribbled a note for my father and left it on the counter. If he came home for dinner, it was prepared for him, and if he didn’t, well, there was enough for me and that’s all that mattered.

Swallowing the remainder of my coffee, I rinsed the empty mug in the sink and snatched my keys on the way out.

My watch read: 4:30 P.M.

It would take about twenty minutes to get into the city by bus, and then it was a five to ten minute walk to the designated skyscraper. I still had no idea why the meeting place was in a high end building. How had someone from upper-class society ended up with my phone? Was that what rich people did on their nights off – hit up parties in the poor districts?

I flashed my student pass to the bus driver as I boarded. He just grunted. Finding a seat, I settled down, dropping my head. The day had started out terrible and so far, it was still terrible and descending into deeper .

Who was Choi Siwon? I had searched his name, but there were too many all over the internet. Even when in relation to the address, I found nothing on this man who had written that note.

Furthermore, I was hoping that Kyuhyun would drop by at some point to bug me, but he never showed up. In a way, he had done what I always hoped he would do – mind his own business. But on the other hand, I knew that he would definitely have an idea of who that Siwon person was. After all, a normal person wouldn’t have pick-pocketed me only to leave a ransom note.

The walk to the building was much shorter than I originally though. There was little people traffic, oddly enough. It appeared that city folk stayed late or maybe I was just occupying a district that wasn’t incredibly busy. Perhaps it was a generalization to think that every single square inch of a city was going to be cramped.

There were well-dressed men and women leaving the skyscraper, their fingers a flurry of movement across the touch pads of their phones. I weaved my way between them, a little scared to bump one of them and get verbally attacked.

Once inside, I passed the front desk, headed straight for the stairwell before anyone could ask me what I was up to. There was no way I wanted to explain myself to someone. It had never been a strong suit of mine: confrontation, that is. Most of the time, I avoided it at all costs because it’s clear that living quietly and in the shadows is much easier.

“Suite B…,” I muttered, slowing down in front of a glass door. Carefully, I curled my hand around the metal handle, pushing it in.

There was a secretary desk, but no one was there. My heart jumped, but I ignored it, continuing on to the second door. This one was distorted glass, obscuring the room beyond. I knocked a few times and waited.

“Come in,” a deep voice answered after a minute or so.

Automatically, I pushed the door open, peeking inside uncertainly. There were windows from floor to ceiling, and sunset streaming through them. “Hello?” My eyes rested on a tall, caramel haired man sitting at his desk. His suit was well-fitting and his features were handsome and clean, as expected of an executive or some other official. “Are you the one who wrote this note?” I pulled out the paper, starting to really doubt myself now.

However, he didn’t dismiss me. Instead, he waved me in, smiling. Sluggishly, I shifted fully into the room but hung back. He stood up from the desk, approaching me with an extended hand. “My name is Choi Siwon and yes, I am the one who wrote that note.”

Out of habit, I shook his hand. “Uhm, sir, why did you take my phone? I’m really confused on what’s going on in general, actually.”

He slipped his hands into pockets. “Please, have a seat. We should talk comfortably.”

It wasn’t much of a suggestion. Stiffly, I marched over to the visitor’s couch, taking the offered seat. There were some snacks and tea on the table, but I had learned my lesson the night before: don’t take food or drinks from anyone.

Siwon settled down across from me and placed my phone on the table surface as he reached out to pour himself a cup of tea. “I rent that space in the slums. It’s a passing enjoyment of mine,” he began to explain, “and last night at a certain party, I came across a sleeping boy.”

Heat crept up the back of my neck, but all he did was chuckle and continue talking. “Not just any sleeping boy though, I came across the son of Cho Kyuhyun’s parole officer. You could say that I was intrigued. I’ve heard plenty of stories about you running around watching out for Kyuhyun, but I never expected you to get so involved with him – to the point where you would be going to parties in such a dangerous area.”

I should’ve known it was directly related to that troublemaker. “Look, if there’s something that Kyuhyun owes you, I don’t know anything about it. I haven’t—”

“—that’s not what I was going to say,” Siwon interrupted, smiling. “No, rather, I’m interested in what sort of person you are. It’s clear that you’re not scared of Kyuhyun, but it’s also apparent that you don’t approve of what he does.” The man leaned forward on his elbows, head tilting slightly. “And so I asked myself, ‘What is this boy, Kim Ryeowook, really like? What does he think about the world I’ve created for Cho Kyuhyun?’ And now that you’re here, maybe you can answer me.”

I took a sip of the tea without thinking. All I needed was something to wet my throat. When had I gotten a cup of tea anyway? Then again, maybe it wasn’t the time to think about that. “I think of it like anyone else would. It’s illegal and dangerous,” I answered calmly.

“I don’t think that’s it,” he retorted coolly.

My fingers curled into my pants. “Sir, I don’t know what you want from me.”

“Here, let’s break it down,” he offered, “Tell me, do you believe in justice?”

“Justice?”

“Yes, like law enforcers and the self-imposed values.”

I shrugged in the tiniest way. “I’m the son of an officer, of course I believe in law enforcers.”

“Are you sure about that?”

My chest squeezed. “What?”

Siwon took a sip of his drink. “Are you sure that you really feel that way? So far, your only defense has been that you were raised by a police officer. That doesn’t tell me much.”

“My view on justice is average,” I snapped. “Can I go now?” I reached for my phone, but his words stopped me.

“If your view is average, why are you getting so defensive?”

Our eyes met and then my hand was curling back of its own accord. Siwon broke a cookie, taking a bite out of one half. I stared at him for a long moment, wondering if he was going to tell me off again. It didn’t happen.

“If I tell you, can I go home?” I blurted.

Siwon nodded faintly.

Taking a deep breath, I snatched my phone and stood up. “I don’t believe justice exists.”

“Then does that mean you don’t believe in public enforcers?”

“I think they’re doing what they can. That’s more than anyone else.” I grabbed the door handle, letting myself out, but not before hearing his promise.

“I’ll be seeing you soon, Ryeowook.”