“Yongguk hyung, I’m still waiting.” Junhong said as he held the receiver with trembling hands. “Where are you? I need you. I hate it here. It’s getting worse. They beat me up again. It hurts, hyung. Can’t you come and take me away? Please…come back.”

Junhong let go of the receiver and leaned against the glass of the telephone booth, gritting his teeth as the pain started torturing him again. Then he dropped himself on the floor, closing his eyes.

He was drenched by rain and blood.

Aron had hurt him again. This time he had slit his right forearm. The previous one was on his left.

Junhong held up his forearm and stared at the ugly cuts. Blood was oozing out of the gap and when he strained his muscles, it hurt more.

At that moment, Junhong wished he could just die in the telephone booth. No one cared about him anyway. If he were to die, he could meet Yongguk.

I can meet Yongguk hyung.

Junhong laughed at himself. What an idiotic thought he had in his mind. Now that life had turned harder, he became suicidal.

But what else could he do?

Nothing seemed to work out for him ever since Yongguk left him. He hadn’t received warmth for a long time now.  

Junhong shuddered when the cold wind blew from the tiny gap of the telephone booth, caressing his bruised cheeks as if to comfort him.

He was feeling cold.

He would freeze soon.

He would freeze and drift away-

“Who did this to you?!” A familiar voice asked Junhong.

Junhong looked up and saw Himchan standing outside the telephone booth, gripping on the door until his knuckles turned white. He looked angry and sad at the same time, his mouth twitching and his eyes dark. Not dark with evil but dark with sorrow.

Junhong kept his mouth in a tight line, breathing heavily as his vision started blurring.

“Junhong, tell me!” Himchan bent down to grab him by the shoulder. He attempted to shake him but when he realized that Junhong was in pain; he withdrew his hands and sighed. “Dammit Junhong, you need to tell me who beat you up! Are you planning on hurting yourself for the rest of your life?!”

Junhong stared at Himchan and squinted. He was starting to see two Himchan instead of one.

“Junhong, we can work this out.”

Junhong’s breath hitched.

The moment Himchan reached out to help him up, Junhong out.

♦

 “Jello, I’m home.” Yongguk exclaimed as he entered the house, plopping himself on the couch after tossing his jacket aside. He’d just gotten back from work and he was extremely exhausted. He planned on dozing off but after realizing that Junhong hadn’t responded to him, he grew worried. “Jello?”

Yongguk got off the couch immediately, walking into Junhong’s room to find him sitting on the floor, arms wrapped around his knees, eyes staring into space.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Yongguk sat down beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Junhong turned to face him and frowned. Yongguk stared back, eyebrows knitted in confusion and then pain when he realized that his brother was sad.

Then he saw it.

In Junhong’s hand was a card—a birthday card to be exact. Their parents had given it to Junhong when he was five. That was the first and last birthday card Junhong would ever receive from his parents.

Yongguk let out an apologetic sigh and embraced his brother who had tears rolling down his cheeks by now.

“I’m so sorry. I forgot that today’s your birthday. I should’ve known. I’m so sorry, Jello.”

“I wish we were still a happy family,” Junhong whimpered, his shoulders trembling.

“Me too,” Yongguk shut his eyes, blaming himself for everything that had happened. “It’s alright, Jello. We can work this out.”

♦

Junhong opened his eyes and turned to face the beeping machine. He frowned when he realized that he was in a hospital. He sat up immediately but ended up lying back on the bed when he felt pain all over his body.

“Okay, thank you.” Himchan’s voice was coming from outside. Junhong waited for a while. When Himchan entered the room, he greeted Junhong with a friendly smile. “Hey, how are you?”

Himchan placed a bag of apples on the side table and was about to wash his hand at the sink when he saw Junhong scrambling out of the bed, tearing off the needle of the IV drip from the back of his hand.

“Yaa, what are you doing?!” Himchan pushed him back on the bed. “You haven’t recovered completely. Gosh, why are you so stubborn?”

“Don’t touch me!” Junhong yelled at him.

Himchan gasped and quickly recoiled from him. He wasn’t used to Junhong’s voice. He wished he could hear him talk more often but it seemed impossible since the boy was always petulant and reluctant to socialize with people. The warden had told Himchan about Junhong when Himchan came for a visit the other day.

Junhong was a loner. He didn’t talk to anyone and he didn’t even seem to like the orphanage. No one wanted to approach him because he looked harsh and cold.

Typical kid, Himchan thought. But then again, there was something else which made him stand out.

It was the look in his eyes.

It was full of pain and anger.

There was more to the look in his eyes but Himchan couldn’t figure it out.

“You need to rest,” Himchan told Junhong when the boy had eventually given up from fighting back.

Junhong rolled his eyes and lay on his side, facing away from Himchan. It hurt his ribs but he ignored the pain and closed his eyes.

A smile crept over Himchan’s face. Good thing that the boy didn’t run away or else he would’ve caused more damage to his injuries.

Pulling out a chair for him to sit on, Himchan grabbed the bag which contained apples and started peeling the fruits with a knife which he’d obtained from a nurse.

The atmosphere was light and peaceful.

Junhong felt sleepy but he didn’t want to sleep. He wanted to enjoy the serenity because it had been a long time since he last felt at ease.

He wished he could stay like that forever.

As he basked himself in the heartwarming tranquility, he heard a hum coming from behind. It was Himchan. He was humming a song— a song which Junhong didn’t know.

Junhong listened to his hum, his eyes remained closed and the next thing he knew, he’d fallen into a deep, peaceful slumber.

♦

 “We’re going to my house.”

Junhong shot Himchan a surprised look. Himchan glanced at him but then turned back to focus on the road, not able to multitask. 

“Stop the car.” Junhong told him.

“Why?” Himchan risked another glance at Junhong. “I told you I’m going to take care of you from now on.”

“Stop,” Junhong said it in a cold tone, his hands in tight fists.

“No, I’m not gonna stop until we reach my house.”

Junhong glared at Himchan but the man didn’t seem to be affected by the childish treatment. Junhong crossed his arms angrily, mouth twitching in annoyance.

Himchan relaxed for a while but then it was Junhong’s turn to surprise him. Junhong reached out his hand to open the door. Luckily, Himchan was quick to react so he locked the doors of the car with the automatic button.

Junhong shot him another glare but Himchan returned it with a victorious smile.

“Look, I know I might sound like a creep but I’ve decided to let you live with me.” Himchan spoke up after a few moments of silence passed by. When the boy didn’t respond, he continued, “The warden told me that you don’t like living in the orphanage. You don’t interact with the kids and you always sneak out of the orphanage at night. Where did you go anyway?”

Junhong stared at him for a brief moment but then turned away, looking outside the window.

“He also told me that you don’t want to be adopted. Do you hate foster families that much?” Himchan waited for an answer but just as he’d expected, he was greeted by silence once again. “The warden is worried about you, Junhong. You won’t let anyone help you and you don’t help yourself. You have to open up, you know? I want to help you.”      

Himchan parked his car at the driveway and unlocked the doors. Junhong got out of the car immediately, walking away from his house.

“Yaa, Junhong!” Himchan called out, fumbling with his car key as he tried locking the door before he chased the boy. “You won’t be welcomed at the orphanage anymore. Your place is already taken by a new kid.”

Junhong came to an abrupt halt, and then turned slowly to face Himchan.

Himchan shook his head, a gesture which told Junhong that he had no other place to go. Junhong sighed, his eyes downcast as his shoulders sagged in defeat.

It was true, he didn’t like the orphanage. But it was quite cruel for them to erase his trace completely. He didn’t even get to say goodbye to his roommate, Youngjae. Not that he thought of him as his friend—Youngjae had helped him in so many ways. Well, maybe Youngjae had thought of them as friends but Junhong couldn’t think the same way. He just couldn’t.

“Come on,” Himchan beckoned him over, slowly making his way back to his house. “I’m not going to eat you. You don’t have to be so afraid.”

Junhong glared at him. Himchan chuckled and unlocked the front door. The moment he opened the door, Bbang greeted him with a long meow.

“Hey, buddy.” Himchan bent down to pet him on the head. Then he lifted him in his arms and smiled at Junhong. “From now on, this is your home, Junhong.”

Junhong stared at Himchan silently, his hands trembling.

He couldn’t believe that he’d ended up living in the murderer’s house.

How could he ever call this house as his home?

Junhong closed his eyes and bit his chapped lips.

Yongguk hyung, what should I do?