You stand up and look at Kyuhyun apologetically as you bite your lip.

"Sorry."

Then you turn around and run into the darkness of the garden.

I can't afford to get hurt again. And I don't want Flashlight Guy to be hurt either. He's always been there for me. And Kyuhyun is just...

You feel the heavy weight of your body as your feet strike the hard loamy earth. You're no longer on the path. There are no lamps around you anymore but you can't stop running. You stop and try to listen for the sound of his footsteps.

There!

You follow the sound and the rustling of the grass as you run faster and faster. The sound gets closer and closer.

You are falling. Your hands wave frantically in the pitch blackness. You scream but it is cut off with a loud splash.

"AAAHH---"

You panic in the cold water. "HELP!! HELP!!!"

Why oh why?? Am I going to die like this? Dx Please God help me!!

Then you feel your feet touch the bottom. You stand up in the water. It only went until your chest.

._. Okay, stupid me.

You heave a sigh of relief and try to feel for a way back up but all you get are cemented walls and a very steep hillside. "Um..." you say nervously. "IS ANYBODY THERE? I'm stuck!" 

You hear nothing except the crickets.

... Is it just me or is the water getting higher? Oh no, I'm sinking!!

You try to step closer to the sloping part of the area but you can't move your feet. The mud is too thick now and you are slowly sinking, being pulled down under the water.

"HEEEEEELLLLLP!!!!!! I'M SINKING!!!!!" you scream with all your might.

The water is now up to your chin and you keep your face turned upwards toward the sky, hidden by the dark clouds. "Help me... please..." you cry, losing hope.

You see a bright light. You close your eyes slowly.

Am I dead?

"Haneul?" a voice shouts from somewhere above.

I'm dead... And I'm hearing God talking to me... Sigh... Are you gonna pick me up now, grandpa?

"KIM HANEUL!" the voice shouts again.

"Yes, God?" you shout back.

"... WHAT THE HECK, YOU'RE NOT DEAD, HANEUL! GET A GRIP!"

Your eyes shoot open. "HELP ME!!!" you shout.

"Just a minute, I---"

He is interrupted by a loud splash. Someone is in the water with you and you are now being pulled towards the steep hillside. "Haneul, are you okay??" he asks. The light from the flashlight illuminates your faces.

"Y-yes... Kyuhyun?? What are you doing here?"

"Trying to save you, ." He tries to pull you out of the mud but then starts to sink himself. "$^&%," he curses.

"NOW WE'RE BOTH SINKING??!" you say hysterically.

Kyuhyun looks at you with wide eyes. Then he turns to the guy holding the flashlight who is still standing atop the hill. "HEY! UP THERE! Can you give us a hand??"

You could have sworn you heard Flashlight guy say "idiot" from way up there, but then he throws down a long rope tied to a tree. "Hold on to this!" he shouts.

"You go first, Haneul," Kyuhyun says. "Climb." He pushes you up with all his might.

When you are no longer touching the water, you look back at Kyuhyun who has his leg stuck underwater. You see the pain in his face as he tries to pull himself free, his hands begin to bleed from the friction on the rope.

You reach out your hand. "Come on!"

"No, you might fall down again," he says, struggling.

"You're not getting anywhere like that!" you grab his hand and use all your strength to help him get out of the water. A burst of pain shoots up your arm. You remember that you broke this wrist at the pool.

"AAAUUUGHHH!!" you scream in pain. But you pay no mind to it and just focus on getting Kyuhyun out of there. Your eyes are blurry with tears. It hurts so much... But I can't let go... I can't just leave him here...

Kyuhyun looks up at you when you scream and then looks at your swollen wrist. His eyes open wide and there's an expression of guilt painted across his eyes. He shakes your hand off and instead grabs above your elbow. You take a deep breath and pull really hard, sinking your knees and toes into the steep earth. 

Finally, he is out of the water and he gives you a great push upwards. He helps you climb up-- a great relief for your broken wrist.

Once you're there, you both see no one but a lone flashlight lying on the grass. The light is still on.

"You keep this," he says. "You might fall down again."

You say nothing and just stare at it. Where did you go? Are you really real? Or are you really a ghost? Or maybe... Grandpa, was that you all this time?

It is cold and windy and you're both drenched, but you just sit side by side atop the grassy hill. Kyuhyun breaks the silence.

"I'm really sorry, Haneul," he says. "I was such a jerk to you before and now I'm being a burden. I'm like a hurricane in basically all aspects. Unpredictable, and sometimes acting without reason."

You sigh and run your hand through your hair. "Will you finally explain everything to me?" you ask.

He nods and folds his legs together, and then folds his hands together as well and rests his chin on them. He is quiet for a moment, and then he begins.

"Our family is rich and accomplished. I never get to see my parents. My parents divorced when my sister and I were little, but we both stayed with our dad because he made our mom leave. My dad is always busy. Even with that, I can't do the things I want to do. He wants me to become a doctor but..." he lowers his head. "I want to do something else. All my dad's friends and coworkers, all our other relatives are forcing these ideals on me. 'You should be this!' 'You should be that!' 'If you do that, you'll never get anywhere!' Being the stupid kid that I am, I accepted everything they said because they're the adults. They must know what's right. I threw away my dreams and followed whatever they told me to. Then I woke up realizing that I didn't know who I was anymore. I had to get myself back. So I ran away from home. Until now, I'm trying to get myself back. Trying to figure out what truth remains in this world. Searching for something that I can hold on to without worrying if it'll leave me when I've lost everything."

He looks at you. You ask curiously, "So did you go back home already?"

"No," he answers. "Never did."

You blink at him surprised. "Really?? How did you get by?"

"I work part-time at a cafe. I do several odd jobs. And thanks to the dorm in this school, I have a place to stay."

...

You slowly recount your memories with Kyuhyun. You realize something and then ask slowly, "So... when you were suspended... where did you stay?"

He looks at you silently, then turns away. "In a 24/7 diner. On the streets. Other places. It doesn't matter. I've gotten used to it."

Your eyes are wide open in shock. All this time, he was going through these things?? "Why did you cause trouble in the first place?" you ask, struggling.

"Honestly? I wanted to get rid of you because I hate new things and new people."

"... But why?"

He looks at you squarely in the eye. "Because it's when those things come that everything crumbles and changes."

You can't find words to speak. He continues, "I had gotten so used to my stone-hearted self that I didn't want to revert to the weakling I was before. I knew it, you see. I knew you were going to do something to me. So I wanted to get rid of you as fast as possible. I went so far as to stretch my limits just to get you out of my sight. And now... look at me. I'm breaking apart." He rubs his face with his hand.

You swallow the lump that had gotten stuck in your throat.

"I... I'm sorry..." you whisper.

He shakes his head. "No, you didn't do anything wrong. I was just scared. I hate feeling vulnerable and you were a threat."

"You could have told me--"

"Would you have understood?"

"I... I'm not sure," you answer truthfully.

"There you go."

The crickets fill in the silence between the both of you as the night grows older. The full moon comes out from behind a big cloud and you wonder why you had never seen it out before. The garden was always so dark. But now, you are able to see Kyuhyun beside you, the silver light from the heavens tracing his pale face as he stares off at nothing.

"So..." you say after several minutes of silence. "Are you still going to treat me the same way as before?"

Kyuhyun snaps out of his trance and twitches his lips to one side.

"Yes."

._. "Really?"

"If people realize the change, they'll get curious, they'll start investigating, and along the way they might even find out what you really are."

"Oh..."

"So I stay a jerk, and you stay a stubborn annoying short guy who always seems to get into trouble. But don't worry," he winks. "I won't be any trouble for you anymore."

"Okay then... Thanks, Kyuhyun."

"Why are you calling me Kyuhyun if we aren't even friends?" he says sarcastically.

"Well, I'm sorry, Your Hiney-ness," you glare at him, confused.

To your surprise, he just grins at you. "Now you get the idea."

You laugh comfortably.