Jungsoo swiftly took care of the paperwork the next day, eager to get out of the hospital as soon as possible. Doctor Im had expressed his displeasure with Jungsoo once again, stressing the importance of professional care, but the blond man ignored him. No one knew better what to do with Hyukjae, what was better for him, than Jungsoo.

“Where are we going?” finally asked Hyukjae when they hit the highway and Incheon was nothing but a faint skyline in the distance. They were going the opposite direction from Seoul. Not that he particularly cared. As long as the destination was somewhere away from his mother he was fine with it. He had asked for the sake of striking a conversation, hoping to effortlessly talk to his best friend like they used to. A barrier had come between them, and Hyukjae wasn't sure how to deal with Jungsoo anymore.

“I booked a hotel room in a small town, 50-something miles from Incheon,” the older informed without glancing at Hyukjae. “Donghae will find us there.”

“I didn't ask about Donghae,” quietly retorted the younger, but his chest tightened in anticipation anyway.

“You didn't have to,” pointed out Jungsoo, still not looking at his friend, “Donghae is all you talk about lately, so I figured you'd want to know.”

The bitterness on his voice was obvious, and Hyukjae didn't understand the reason.

“Why do you dislike him so much?” he demanded, his trembling hands clenching into fists. “He and his mother took care of me, they invited me in their home even though I was a stranger. They've been nothing but kind, and yet whenever you talk about Donghae it's clear you're moments away from blowing a fuse. What's your problem, Jungsoo?”

The older scoffed. “My problem? What's my problem? You're the one who blindly trusts a random country boy, how's that my problem?” spat Jungsoo, the grip around the steering wheel tightening till his knuckles turned white. If Hyukjae wanted to act concerned all of a sudden, then he would tell him everything.

“I've been searching high and low for you for two months, Hyukjae, while Taeyeon is alone in Seoul, pregnant! I find you all cozy and settled in that boy's house and the thought of letting me know you're alright didn't even cross your mind?! What the hell, I thought we were friends! My problem is that I was the one who made sure you were alright all those years, but then Donghae came in the picture and it seems you erased the past just like that...”

He took a shaky breath and raised his foot from the petal which he had stepped on hard absentmindedly while venting. Hyukjae was silent beside him.

“What if I hadn't found you so soon? For how long would you have left everyone in the dark? Tiffany thinks you're dead, Junsu is seriously pissed off at you. Did you think that by leaving every issue would be miraculously solved? You've got people caring about you in Seoul, you didn't have to go looking in the other side of the country...”

It was stuff Jungsoo had told him before, but this time Hyukjae wasn't in a state of panic as he had been that day. Thinking about it, he could see Jungsoo's reasoning. But there was a small detail he couldn't let go of.

“Apologising won't make things go back to how they were, I know... but I'm sorry I caused so much trouble,” admitted Hyukjae. The older man spared two seconds to look at him.

“It's good that you recognise that at least...” he murmured. Hyukjae fumbled with the window switch, wondering...

“Out of all that you just said, I still see no reason for you to hate Donghae though...”

Jungsoo sighed in resignation. His friend was just too dense, too trusting to see through things.

“I didn't say I hate him, I just...” he paused, not sure how to express himself. “I don't get good vibes from him, Hyukjae, I don't know how to explain it... Ever crossed your mind that he's just being good to you only because he wants money?” asked Jungsoo, his gaze briefly turning to the younger once again.

“I've offered him money, and he knows who I am, my story. But you don't understand Jungsoo, he's not like that! He's too proud to accept money out of charity! He knows we're socially different but it means nothing to him! We are all people, all the same! Isn't that great?”

The younger spoke passionately, trying to make Jungsoo see. His friend was not that easily convinced.

“I don't know, Hyukjae. Being too proud about anything is never good. You saw how he attacked me when I barely pointed out his status.”

“You came across as arrogant, it wasn't his fault,” immediately counter-argued Hyukjae, ready to challenge anything the blond had to say against Donghae. Jungsoo couldn't comprehend what the brunet meant to him, how he has rescued him. He didn't know how grateful Hyukjae was to the seemingly unimportant country boy.

Jungsoo remained silent – nothing he'd say would change his friend's opinion of the boy.

The rest of the ride was spent in silence, both men preoccupied by their thoughts. The dark-haired man sat staring at the blurry scenery outside, a frown on his face, not really seeing anything. Hyukjae knew he needn't worry anymore about Jungsoo taking him to Seoul. Something had forced the blond to re-evaluate but Hyukjae was too tired to delve deeper into it. Guilt had nested in his heart at the thought of the people he had left behind: it was true that running away had been quite a rush decision. Hyukjae hadn't really spent time to think about it the past months, too content at his refugee to even consider his past lifestyle. Perhaps he had been selfish. To his defense, that had seemed like the only solution back then. Hyukjae was too trapped, too suffocated to think rationally, that's why he took the easiest (but admittedly not safest) route.

Regretting his actions he wasn't, but he could at least recognise his wrongs. How would have matters evolved if he hadn't left Seoul? If Donghae hadn't driven by when Hyukjae was seconds away from killing himself? The possibilities made his head hurt. He closed his eyes and rested his head back on the seat. Him and Donghae would have to talk...

“We're here,” came Jungsoo's voice from the distance after a while, and Hyukjae was nudged awake. The sun was high on the sky, the young man's stomach painful growling reminding him that they had skipped breakfast in favour of hitting the road faster. He got out of the car, gravel crunching underneath the soles of his shoes. Hyukjae looked around, spotting a familiar truck.

“Donghae is here already,” he muttered and Jungsoo nodded in acknowledgement. They found the boy waiting for them in the hotel's dining room after Jungsoo had paid in advance and taken their bags in the room. A bowl of rice was in his one hand, chopsticks raised to his mouth in the other, and a variety of side dishes arranged neatly in the low table before him. Kimchi sauce painted his cheek a deep orange as his head snapped to them, and he cursed, satoori and rice grains spilling from his permanently scowling lips. Hyukjae smiled despite himself – it felt good to see him again.

“Hey,” he said cheerfully and dropped on the floor opposite from the younger man, the brunet finally swallowing and offering him the tiniest of smiles in return. Donghae didn't stand up to bow to Jungsoo, and neither did the blond show any signs of recognition other than an irritated glance.

“You're a stupid, irresponsible ,” growled Donghae after he was done reassuring Hyukjae that he was fine and that his mum was sending her best wishes and several tupperware of her food.

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