Sooyoung’s eyes widened at the sight.

She gasped, “CHOI MINHO?!”

She lightly brushed off Changmin's hold around her as she mindlessly made her way to the scene.

Loud honks accompanied by the screeching of tires surfaced as Changmin's arm pulled the girl just in time. She barely survived that hit from a car.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" His voice quivered, cupping her face gently as his heart skipped what seemed to be a thousand beats at the thought that he could have lost her in a second. He looked at her sternly as he let out a deep long sigh; relieved that she was okay.

"Choi Minho...he's in danger."

He looked into her big brown eyes and saw her concern. He brought his hands away from her face, down her shoulder and held her hand firmly as his fingertips rubbed along hers.

"Stay here." He reluctantly let go of her warm hand.

"What are you talking about?" She pulled him back by the hand as he attempted to run across. "You're not going alone...we should call the police."

"You can't...they won't give a damn about a fight like this. It's the sad reality. They won't come until someone's dead." 

Once again he took a few steps forward before she tugged at his shirt aggressively.

"CHANGMIN, NO DON'T! We should at least call someone."

"I'll be fine, don't worry." He shot her a weak smile, for he himself had a hard time believing what he just said. He released the worried girl's hard grip from his shirt. He then brought her hand up to his lips as he gently kissed it.

"Stay here."

With that being said, he looked at both sides making sure that the street was clear before crossing it. He had no idea that she would follow him from behind.

He felt the adrenaline rushing through his veins.

Changmin pulled one of the men back as he took a swing at him, knocking the fellow cold onto the floor. He tackled another directly crushing the enemy's rib cage. One by one he took on the middle aged guys that picked on the poodle head.

Just then, one of them rose from the floor and gave a clean shot to Changmin's face causing the boy to spit blood out.

"CHANGMIN!" Her voice rung through his ears. He lifted his head to see Sooyoung standing just a few meters away. His heart fell to the floor. He didn't want her to see him like this.

Gathering enough strength he reached for Minho, dragging him out from the hands of the others as he swung him towards Sooyoung.

Her long arms caught the boy as she wrapped one of his arms around her neck, just barely being able to hold him up.

"Take him and leave!" He commanded her as the men exchanged hits to the now tired Changmin that struggled to stand straight.

"NO! I can't leave without you!" She screamed at him. She felt useless, not being able to do anything for him.

From her blind spot a man approached her silently as he held a jagged piece of wood up ready to hit.

“SOOYOUNG!” He desperately cried out to her.

She noticed the slight sound of footsteps approaching all the while a visible shadow creeping up from behind. Her heart began to beat faster as her feet didn’t have the courage to move. She did all that she knew how to do ---close her eyes tightly and silently pray for the best.

Although it was difficult, Changmin rushed his way to her; kicking and punching until he was right beside her. He ran towards the one he cared for as he covered both her and Minho; spreading his arms over them.

The heavy wooden object landed directly on top of his back, the thump of the hit haunted Sooyoung at that moment. She opened her eyes and met Changmin’s gaze as he spat out more blood onto the floor.

“Go…” he weakly exclaimed to her with lifeless eyes. He turned around and began to fight once more to hold them off, giving all that he had within himself to protect her.

Although she didn’t want to, she knew that she had to go. Sooyoung pushed herself up and began to barely run away with Minho in toe. She turned her head one last time to see Changmin exchange fists with the burly men. Taking it all in, hit after hit.

She quickly walked away from the violence with the wind whipping her face harshly. Tears fell down her face at that moment. She couldn’t stop them from falling.

I’ll come back for you, Shim Changmin…

“Noona, 1501 NamDong Rd.” Minho’s voice softly called out as he winced in pain.

Sooyoung looked at his diminished face and weakly nodded as she made her way to the according location.

__________________________

She placed him gently onto his bed. His face still marked with cuts and dry blood.

“Omg…what am I going to do?” Her eyes widened just by looking at the injured boy.

Violent acts were never something that she got used to. Back in Australia violence was only something she saw on the television. Things were much different here…

“Water…” Minho weakly replied. Immediately Sooyoung stood up and headed to the kitchen in search for the desired liquid.

Once she stepped foot out the room, Minho turned to his night stand and grabbed the picture frames that were placed neatly on top. He concentrated on them for a while before placing them inside the drawer, placed down.

A few minutes later, Sooyoung returned with a big glass of cold water and placed herself comfortably at the end of his bed. She curiously looked around his room, taking in everything that occupied the large space.

“Do you live here alone Minho?” she asked.

“Well, my grandmother and I lived here actually…but she died just recently, so now I’m alone in here…”

“…”

“She died on that day…the day we planned-“

“Are you hungry?” She cut him off as she quickly stood up. “I’ll make you some porridge alright?” Sooyoung didn’t wait for his reply as she darted off back into the kitchen.

Minho smiled as he watched her leave the room.

He then got inside his bed, snuggling onto the soft comforter. He reminisced on the times where his grandmother would make him porridge at night, whenever he felt bad. He tossed himself upright as he lay looking up at the ceiling.

He couldn’t really feel anything. No sadness from being alone, no pain from all the cuts, no anger from those idiotic old drunken men…he felt absolutely nothing.

A few minutes later, he heard the creaking of the wooden floor. Sooyoung was entering his room. Quickly, Minho shut his eyes and pretended to sleep.

“Minho?” She softly called out. “Are you asleep?”

With no reaction, she slowly took steps back out and turned off the light switch behind her. She pulled out a scrap piece of paper that was hanging out on a random table and began to write,

“Choi Minho, by the time you read this I’m probably gone. I made porridge for you just like I said. Eat some later alright?”

She started to fold the paper when she noticed ink on the other side. She flipped it over and read the message.

“If it’s bright then dark, you can’t see anything. But if it’s dark from the beginning you get used to it all and eventually you can see everything. I’m fine dad.”

She felt completely sad as she finished reading. Before leaving his house, she turned to look at his room and thought to herself:

He must be going through some rough times right now…

____________________________

Sooyoung glanced at her watch 7:00PM. She ran down the sidewalk furiously as if she competed in a marathon, desperately fighting for the first place.

I have to go back….I need to go back…Changmin, I’m coming, just wait for me!

Her legs burned at the sensation of being overworked as she refused to stop for a second until she met him again.

Finally she found herself at the exact spot where she had left him. The alleyway was completely abandoned as not one single peep emerged from the place. She was just a few minutes late…a few minutes too late. 

She looked down on the floor and saw evidence of what had went down earlier that day. Red blood stains covering the black paint.

There it was again, tears aimlessly falling down from her eyes.

_____________________________

Thirty minutes earlier…

Changmin sat on the ground sighing in disbelief. How he was able to come out of that fight alive remained a mystery to him. Although drenched in blood and sweat, he felt happy.

Happy that Sooyoung was not hurt.

Happy that he lived for another day, enabling him to see her again.

He looked down the sidewalk, remembering that it was there where she ran off to. He sat there motionless staring off into that direction for a good forty minutes.

A hand fell across his shoulder, patting it softly…

“Hey man. You called?”

He lifted his head up at the sound of the voice. It was his good and reliable friend, Eunhyuk. He helped the injured guy off the ground as he extended his arm down to him.

“Changmin…I know you told me not to ask, but damn what is up with your face?” Eunhyuk looked at his long time friend with an odd face. He never saw Changmin this badly beaten up.

“Sooyoung…” He simply replied back as his voice trailed off. He brought his head back down and looked at that same sidewalk once more.

With that single name, Eunhyuk didn’t need to ask anymore. He knew how much that girl meant to him. Although to himself, Sooyoung was just a simple girl – just Yuri’s older sister.

“Did you call her?”

Changmin shook his head. “I don’t want to worry her.”

Eunhyuk had no idea that Changmin had such a soft and warm heart; for all these years he seemed so indifferent to everything. He examined him. It seemed as if he was waiting for something…waiting for someone.

“Changmin, what’s up? You don’t wanna leave yet?”

The question snapped Changmin back to his senses. He just smiled weakly at his friend.

“I would never want her to see me like this, but I dunno…I just thought maybe, just maybe, she’d come back for me.”