“Jello,” Yongguk called out for his brother.

Junhong opened his eyes and sat up, rubbing his eyes with his knuckles.

“Jellooo,” Yongguk whistled playfully.

Junhong looked around him. He was in a park, sitting on a bench. No one was there except for him. The teenage boy squinted his eyes, trying to listen to his brother’s voice that kept on calling for him.

“Yo!”

A poke on Junhong’s cheek made him jump in surprise.

“Hyung!” Junhong yelled at him when Yongguk came to sit down beside him.

“Why do you look so tired Jello?” Yongguk asked him, ruffling the younger boy’s hair gently.

Usually Junhong would scowl when his brother did that to him but at that moment, he needed nothing but his brother’s warm touch. He felt like it had been years since he last received that comfortable warmth.

But still, as Yongguk ruffled his hair, Junhong couldn’t ignore the empty feeling that had been weighing down on him. It felt like Yongguk wasn’t really there—as if Junhong was imagining everything. He could feel a gap between them, separating them from each other.

“Did you come to take me with you?” Junhong stared at his brother with wide eyes, a smile grazing his lips.

“Jello, you’re not answering my question,” Yongguk knitted his eyebrows, worry evident on his face.

Empty.

Junhong didn’t understand why that feeling still remained inside of him although Yongguk was there, sitting in front of him.

“Hyung, take me away from that place,” Junhong wrapped his arms around his brother and closed his eyes, burying his face in his shoulder. “No one likes me. I can’t live there.”

“You have to be strong, Jello. Life isn’t as easy as it looks,” Yongguk his head and held him closer. “Now open your eyes, Jello.”

“No,” Junhong kept his eyes closed, tight. “Yongguk hyung, please take me with you, I don’t wanna go back.”

Junhong could feel the gap widen. But he refused to let his brother go. He didn’t want to lose him.

“Jello, you need to wake up.”

 “No!”

♦

Warmth.

That was what Junhong felt when he came back.

He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling for a moment, contemplating whether he should get up or stay on the comfortable bed.

He chose the former.

“Bbang!” a familiar voice shouted outside the room where Junhong had spent the night.

Junhong blinked and tried getting off the bed when he was reminded with the bruises and cuts. He gritted his teeth when he felt the pain and studied the bruises. They were purple and black. They were hideous.

When he let his eyes travel down to his hands, he noticed plasters covering most of the cuts.

Someone had treated his injuries.

“Bbang, where are you?” once again, the familiar voice sparked Junhong’s curiosity to know who the person was.

Junhong got off the bed gingerly as to not move his limbs too much. But it was difficult. Every step he took was agonizing. When he finally made it to the door, he turned the knob and pushed the door open weakly.

“Bbang, I’m-”

Junhong should’ve recognized the sandpaper voice.

“Hey, you’re awake,” Himchan smiled at Junhong and approached him. “Are you still in pain?”

Junhong stared at him silently.

How did he end up in the murderer’s house?

Junhong looked around him and stopped when he saw a white cat sauntering towards the hallway.

“Bbang, there you are!” Himchan grabbed the cat and started its head. The cat purred and closed its eyes, comfortable under its owner’s touch. Himchan showed his cat to Junhong and said, “Meet my cat, Bbang.”

Junhong didn’t say anything. He just stared at the cat like it was nothing but a blank paper. Himchan didn’t seem taken aback by the silence. Instead, he continued talking.

“Oh, I think your blazer’s already dry. Let me get it for you,” Himchan released Bbang and walked away before he said, “I’ve made porridge. Sit down at the table and make yourself at home.”

Junhong shifted his gaze to a dining table in the small kitchen. There were foods on the table. They were steaming so Junhong assumed that Himchan had just finished cooking them. He then scanned the place curiously, noticing a few photos of Himchan’s cat and himself hanging on the wall. There were no photos of other family members, just Himchan and his cat and one photo of him and his friends at the beach.

It felt weird staring at the photos so Junhong tore his gaze away and reminded himself that he shouldn’t be there for too long.

“Yaa, where are you going?” Himchan called out when Junhong opened the front door. “Junhong!”

Junhong stopped in his tracks.

Did Himchan just call him by his name?

He turned around and looked at the brown haired man. He was carrying his blazer in his right hand. Just then Junhong realized that Himchan had found out his name by looking at the nametag.

Junhong stood there awkwardly but then snatched his blazer away before he staggered outside the house.

“Are you going home?” Himchan asked as he trailed behind the boy. “I can drive you there. It’s drizzling out here. You don’t wanna get sick.”

Junhong ignored him and kept on walking towards the orphanage which was 30 minutes away from Himchan’s house. Himchan fell silent for a while. Junhong thought that he’d gone back home but when a see-through umbrella appeared above his head, Junhong knew that Himchan wasn’t going to let him go just like that.

What a stubborn guy.

“Why do you have to be so stubborn?” Himchan spoke up after a few seconds of silence.

Junhong stopped walking and turned to look at him. Himchan stared back, his lips almost forming a smile. It seemed like he was trying hard to maintain his serious face.

It was weird when Junhong realized that they’d been thinking of the same thing. For a second, he thought Himchan had read his mind.

“You’re not fully healed you know…” Himchan told him when he started walking again. “Who beat you up, bullies? Did you tell your parents about this? Do they know?”

Junhong shut his eyes and bit his lips as hard as he could although it was painful.

Why would this guy ask him so many questions? Why was he acting all nice to him? Did he know who Junhong was?

Did he know that Junhong was Yongguk’s brother?

“You live at the orphanage?” Himchan asked him when they’d reached the orphanage. “The gate’s closed, how can y-”

Himchan stopped talking when he saw Junhong climbing up the fence. Junhong was still in pain but he still managed to get to the other side safely.

“Okay, that works too…” Himchan scratched his head and smiled at Junhong. “You shouldn’t go to school tomorrow. Rest up for at least two days, you hear me? Yaa, I’m talking to you!”

Junhong made his way back to the building without even glancing back to see whether Himchan was still standing there.

He didn’t want to see him ever again.