"But...."

"No but, Minho." Jinki cut the tall guy in front of him off before he sighed and said again "Just leave without me."

Minho frowned "Hy-"

"Just pick me up in the morning."

Minho sighed at the older's stubborness, as he glanced once again to the motel room in behind the Prince, across him and he opened his mouth"If you tell me you're not gonna do anything inappropriate with that guy, I'll leave in peace." he finally said.

"I'm not." Jinki reassured him "I just have something important to tell him and when i was about to talk to him, he passed out in front of me." he sighed "I won't ever have another chance if I ruin this one, Minho."

And although Minho didn't understand the tiniest bit of it, by seeing Jinki's expression alone, he finally came to believe in him. Like he always believed in Jinki for the past twenty years. His only blood unrelated hyung.

"Be safe, hyung. Jinki hyung. " Minho said before he took his time to bow sincerely in front of Jinki "My Prince."

Jinki smiled softly at the sight and he nodded, before letting Minho to turn back and walk back to the car. Tho suddenly he remembered something that he had to call the younger back. "Minho."

"Yeah ?" the other turned around and frowned.

Jinki sighed deeply as he stared at Minho. He opened his mouth to talk but he closed it again, hesitating.

"Hyung ?" Minho raised his eyebrows.

"When the time comes.." Jinki fnally said, pausing for a while before he stared straight again to Minho "Take care of Taemin for me."

"Wha-"

"Just promise me." Jinki insisted.

"I promise." Minho said "Bu-"

"I'm going back in." Jinki cut off, waving  "Goodnight."

--

Kibum groaned in pain as he tried to open his eyes hours later. Cause it felt so heavy like there's a stone keeping his eyelids shut close.

"Here, drink it."

Someone was passing him a glass of water and Kibum just took it without much thinking, while his half-hazy state commanded him to push his body to sit on a headboard.

Wait.

He's in a bed ?

Kibum snapped his eyes open as he tried to adjust his sightings and comprehend his surroundings.

He frowned.

So he was sleeping in a foreign bed. In a foreign room. With a fore..

With who exactly ?

Kibum wandered his eyes around to figure it out and he furrowed his eyebrows as he saw a silhouette that seemed had gone back to stand by the window after giving him the water before, his back on him.

Why did he think he know that guy ? His frown got deeper. Did they meet on the club ? Did they..

"Why am I here ?" he finally decided to ask, hoarsely as his hand came up to rub his throbbing temple, aching from hangover.

"You passed out.." the guy said.

Passed out ? Kibum tried to dig in his mind, trying to search the most recent happening before he got um.. unconscious.

"You passed out after crying.." the guy added "Over me."

What ? "Over.." Kibum repeated subconsciously, but before he couldn't finish the sentence, the stranger had finally turned his head around to see him.

"You !" That Prince !

Kibum was gaping for a good twenty seconds before the realization hit him and he barked out.

"What the are you doing here ?" he spat, as he let the gear of his mind working and started to freak out. "Are you.. Are we.. Having.." and he quickly glanced down under his sheet.

"No. I'm not doing anything." Jinki said calmly. If holding you the whole night when you're sleeping didn't count as anything.. he sighed "Like I said, You passed out and i brought you here."

Kibum frowned, so he wasn't dreaming seeing Jinki back then in Skeleton. But, what on earth Jinki was doing there ? He frowned to himself as he glanced to the older. Just to meet him ?

Well, not like he should care. He thought as he tried to shove aside those effin' familiar persistent flapping butterflies on his belly.

"Whatever." Kibum finally said, tossing his blanket aside as he stood up quickly from the bed and nearly stumbled on the way. "I'm going."

Jinki only watched in his own amusement as the bloathed-looking Kibum tried to find his jacket that Jinki took off the night before, thinking how lovely it would be if he could still tease about how hideous the younger looked at the time, but no, he only had this chance to say what he had to say.

It's now or never.

"Get out of the way." Kibum ordered as he fixed his outfit cursorily, standing three meters away from before Jinki.

The exit door was apparently beside the window where the older stood by. And Kibum didn't want their paths to cross, as if it hadn't.

"You gotta hear me first." Jinki insisted, didn't budge from where he was.

But Kibum acted like he didn't hear anything. Instead, he decided to gather the courage and took a step closer to the door in the end.

Whatever, he scoffed. He could just push that guy aside and run outside.

"Even if you want to tackle me and run, it's no use." Jinki blurted out what Kibum'd been thinking to do, before he lifted his hand to show the key chain dangling from his point finger. "I have the key."

Kibum growled in frustation before he darted toward Jinki, outstretching his arm to reach the key. "Give it to me." He snarled.

But Jinki was faster to keep the key behind him and to the back pocket of his jeans.

"Listen to me, Key." Jinki said in the midst of the small chaos, catching Kibum's right wrist with his fingers "Listen."

Kibum still refused to obey and stubbornly trying to yank his trapped wrist out, but by then Jinki's other hand had already came out to grab Kibum's other wrist.

"Listen !" Jinki was almost yelling as he shook Kibum harshly by his trapped hands, frustated.

And the younger was seemingly surprised by it that he finally stopped struggling.

Jinki gulped down as he stared into the swollen feline before him once again, taking a deep breath before he opened his mouth "You should run, Key." He finally said, in an undeniable tone.

"You should run from Shadow Dragon. As far as you can. By the end of the month, at the time your big boss comes, my soldiers are going to come to catch you, to catch all of you. To kill you." He emphasized the kill' word as he went into silence after that, letting his words sink inside the younger's mind.

But Kibum only frowned "And why should i believe that ?" he asked, rather rhetorically.

"You just should." Jinki said, exasperated as he shook his head "Tell Amber, Joon, Changmin, Jonghyun, everyone. Everyone you care of. Tell them to run."

Kibum squinted again, still couldn't believe "If this is another lie, you know i'll die once i leave the kkangpae. No one leave kkangpae. Unless.."

"Unless in the form of corpse. I know.." Jinki sighed "But this isn't a lie." He persisted "You have to believe me this time. Save yourself."

"What if... "

"There's no what if, Key." The older said "The plan is to surround your headquarter in four rings of armed forces. From the land and the air. Even if you get to escape the bullet, you can't with the firebomb."

"Kkangpae could fight back." Kibum replied stubbornly, eyebrows furrowed.

"How much members do Shadow Dragon have in total ? Three hundreds ? Five ?" Jinki asked desperately "The palace is preparing more than three thousand soldiers and police from adjoining units. The airport has been watched. Even your headquarter neighborhood. Believe me, Key. Run while you can."

Kibum was still eyeing Jinki suspiciously "Why.. are you telling me this ?"

"Cause.." Jinki stopped for a while, still doubting for a while if it was still proper for him to say it. But he braced himself as he stared right into the younger again.

"'Cause I love you, Key.. Kibum." he said, as he slowly loosened his grip from the Kibum's wrist and continued with all the sincerities he had "I did. I do.."

Kibum shook his head as he pulled his hand away, trying to ignore the thought about how suddenly cold it was for him to lose those digits' warmth "I still haven't forgiven you."

"I know." Jinki smiled weakly "But it doesn't change a thing."

Kibum only frowned at Jinki's crescent, doubtful.

The older sighed as he lifted his hand again, to caress Kibum's puffy cheek -tho hesitantly- this time "I wish.." he said, sighing "I wish we could meet under different situation, that's less... complicated than this. Than all of these."

Kibum closed his eyes as he turned his head to the side a bit, so that Jinki's hand couldn't touch him anymore.

It only made the older smiled heartbreakingly a little as he decided to bring his hand down, saying again "I wish I'll get to see you again someday. Maybe in the next life. When i could do the right thing… When you could finally forgive me… When i could forgive myself…"

Jinki smiled for the last time before he fished out the room key from his back pocket and inserted it to the doorlock. He turned it once until he could hear a click and stepped aside to make a way for the younger.

Away from him.

"Goodbye, Key."

--

"Are you crazy ?" was the only thing Jonghyun blurted out when Kibum brought up the runaway plan, when he shared to his bestfriend what Jinki had told him because he couldn't keep it only to himself any longer and he didn't want to go crazy alone.

"We'll die, Kibum. They'll track us down." Jonghyun said, frowning. "And you know yourself how insanely secure the protection around the big boss. He always leave every scene unscathed no matter how hard the rivals try to touch him. We won't lose."

"But he said there will be more than three thousands soldiers, Jjong. What if..."

Jonghyun scoffed "Three thousands my .. I don't think our capital has that big number of soldiers. Pfft."

"But-"

"No but, Kibum." he cut off again before he frowned as he realized something "Why should you trust him anyway ? He lied to you.."

Kibum only bit his lip, looking away to the wall "I.. I just want to believe in him for the last time, Jjong."

"You're completely crazy then," Jonghyun rolled his eyes "Whatever. I'm not going anywhere. And I'll get it covered for you if we win. I'll just say you run to daegu to wake your cat from death or whatever when you're back."

Kibum didn't know whether he had to laugh or cry at that.

--

Because he could never go back.

He could never go back to live in smoke and ashes where his house once stood.

And it was all over the news.

The first open battle in between the nation armed forces and the biggest mafia gang in South Korea.

Two days of bloody fight. Since the Shadow Dragon refused to surrender and instead, they launched the first firenomb right in front of the second ring of the guard to trigger the battle. It was clear then that they wanted a war, and everyone was ready.

It was two days long with no sleep. For the faithful soldiers that were ready to die for the name of their King and their country. For the citizens that had been praying for the end of the mafia terror.

It was two days long for the three wounded figures to hide in behind the wild rose bushes some kilometers away from the bloody land, where they could still hear the firing gun and see the smoke, but also could run further without anyone knew if it's necessary. But they opted to stay for a while, to know the end of what was once their big family.

It was two days long, for the palace to be in frenzy since almost of the occupants were monitoring the war from the big screen. Meal was forgotten. Even the King didn't bother about his pride when the Queen had to forcefeed the food to his mouth, because his eyes were never leaving the television.

It was two days long, until the war ended with the soldiers victory, the last firebomb that was dropped from the helicopter exploded right in front of the big boss. The study room where he was hiding smashed into rocks and dusts.

And it was two days long for the Crown Prince to taste his own grief. He didn't feel joyful like anyone else in the palace. He just felt numb. As he saw Jiyong's body was being pulled out like a garbage bag from the ruins. Then he saw Jonghyun, dying with no right arm. And he felt like he was going to be sick. He couldn't watch again after it.

It was two days long until he realized he couldn't be the successor of his Father. Ever. He couldn't be a ruler. Not when his heart was crooked into two different directions.

A King should not love anything more than he loved his land, even not his own Queen.

And Jinki knew where his heart and his loyalty were lying now.

It's not on his country. He had betrayed it by letting it's enemies flee with his own will.

He had betrayed it long since he acknowledged the Kkangpae, the threat of his future subjects, as his other family.

A righteous King shouldn't have another heart rather than the heart for his nation.

But his, was already stolen by the pair of feline eyes that were not gonna ever give it back.

And by that conscience, Jinki stood up to walk to his Father's study and admit his crime, ready to be punished by even a death sentence.

--

Daegu, Winter, Six months later.

"Kibum-ah,"

"Eo ?"

"What are you doing ?"

The young guy turned around from the sink to see a wrinkled old lady standing behind him.

"I'm washing the dish, Grandma Jung." he smiled sweetly "Do you need something ?"

"Eo." Grandma Jung nodded "The sunday quiz is gonna come up next on tv. That old Byung Min has challenged to compete with him. You should be there to see me beat him into a pulp."

Kibum released a hearty laugh before nodding and saying "Alright.." while wiping the last plate he just washed before walking toward the door and taking the woman's fragile hand on his arm. "Is Grandpa Byung on the recreation room already ?"

"Hmm. He's not there before i went to pick you up. Aihoo. Let's get there quickly before he's taking my seat."

"Alright, Grandma. But watch your step."

"What are we going to eat for dinner, Kibummie ?"

"I'm planning to make egg stew and seaweed soup. Today is Grandma Kim's birthday. She loves egg stew."

"Ah really ?" the old woman asked "Then will you make me jjampong on my birthday ?"

"Of course, Grandma Jung. If you're willing to share your secret recipe."

"Oh !" The grandma exclaimed excitedly "No one ever ask about my jjampong recipe since thirty years ago. Not even my daughter."

Kibum only smiled gently "I really want to learn it from you, tho."

"Omo.. You're such a sweet boy, Kibum !" Grandma Jung said, half-hugging the young guy sideways.

Kibum smiled again before taking a deep breath and turned his head back to the front. Patting the wrinkled hand around his arm, he slowly remembered why he ended up staying and working on the retirement house.

A month after he left Kkangpae, he still didn't know where to go. While Amber and Joon, the only two persons who believed in him had parted to each of their own ways.

Then one day when he decided to go back to his hometown, he found a lost Grandma -whose name Grandma Cho, by the way- in front of the small convenience store he just got out from. She was only looking blankly at him and followed him around like a lost puppy.

And that's when he finally decided to approach the Grandma and trying to talk to her, but all that she did was blinking at him.

Guessing the Grandma was sort of mute, Kibum slightly panicked thinking what should he do if the Grandma decided to keep following him around when he didn't even have a permanent place to stay.

But not long after it, fortunately, he found there's a small tag attached on the sleeve of the clothes that the old lady wore.

It was an address and Kibum concluded after that, it maybe wasn't the first time Grandma Cho had lost. So, without much thinking he decided to take her back to the place.

And the address turned out to be a retirement house. Which where Kibum finally found his next home, for now.

It all happened like a play of fate, because just a second right after he handed Grandma Cho back to the head of the house's hand, he suddenly remembered the only thing he had ever loved with all his might, before he was left an orphan, long before he decided to join Kkangpae.

His late Grandma.

So without much thinking, he directly asked Mrs. Oh, The Head of the Retirement House if he could stay and help. And luckily, the motherly-looking woman accepted him rightaway because it'd been months since she was looking for volunteer.

Things settled themselves for him after it. He thought he had finally found his inner peace.

"Sit beside me, Kibum-ah." Grandma Jung pulled him out from his thoughts as soon as they arrived in the recreational room, where Grandpa Byung hadn't showed up, it seemed.

Kibum nodded and smiled before sitting on the old flowery couch beside the Grandma after taking the tv remote control on the table.

"Is the quiz on this channel ?" Kibum asked as he switched the channels.

"Eo." the old lady nodded "Is it not up yet ?"

"Seems not." Kibum said, staring at the screen "Oh. There's a breaking news, Grandma. It'll usually be over in less than five minutes. Wait a bit, then your quiz will start."

"Ah. Is that so ?" The old lady nodded "What is the news about ?"

"Hm ?" Kibum squinted his eyes, trying to read the headline in the bottom of the news anchor appearance "It's about.. Oh.." he should've not watch it.

"What is it ?" Grandma Jung pushed herself forward to get a better sight "Oh. The Crown Prince ? Are they gonna let us see his face for the first time ? I still don't get why our tradition only allow us to see our future King when he was fully grown up or ready to rule.."

Kibum only took a deep breath and turned his head away from the screen, staring absentmindedly to the flowery pattern of the couch while his nail digging into the pillow.

"Aihoo. Such a handsome young man..." Grandma Jung croaked, the news must'd been shifted from the studio to the live report.

Kibum sighed when Grandma Jung kept repeating the news over.

"Who's his name ? Lee...."

Jinki. He answered himself.

"Oh. Tae-min. Lee Taemin.."

What ? Kibum automatically turned his face to the screen again, making sure Grandma Jung's bad sight didn't get on the way. Because how could the crown prince be...

Lee Taemin. It said Lee Taemin.

--

"... announcing the next legitimate successor after King Lee Sooman, Prince Lee Taemin."

A young man in padded jacket stopped his forkful of ramyun that was about to go into his mouth mid-air, his eyebrows raised at that bits of news that was broadcasted through the television on the small noodle shop he was in.

He looked up and stared in silence at the television, looking at the gentle smiling Lee Taemin on the screen, his baby brother who was brave enough, way braver than him to take his place carrying the burden of the nation on his small shoulder.

Jinki sighed before he looked away, slowly stirring the no more appetizing ramyun in front of him.

It wasn't easy, he thought. Definitely wasn't easy for him to decide leaving the palace.

But what done had done, this was his decision and it wasn't like he had the plan to go back to the palace and beg on his knee to live there again.

No. he told himself. Man up, Jinki.

--

It only took His Father a second to read his face, to understand what the real reason he was there. Because blood was thicker than water. And betrayal smelled like a rusty metal to the ruler.

And it only took His Father a second to say the word, to set him free.

"Leave."

And it was a command. From a mighty King at his reign. Not a bluffing threat from an upset father.

Jinki knew it. And with cloud of feelings and still uncertainties, he slowly took a bow to both his Father and his Mother, ignoring the hysterical cry that was suddenly coming from the latter.

It took a while from him before he straightened himself up, right at the time his Mother had already came running to him and shaking his body violently, pleading her eldest son not to go.

And he could see Taemin was just staring at him with a frown and a gloomy face, not even a single tear running down his cheek this time.

His Father was already looking away, that Jinki couldn't tell anything about what he's truly feeling. Maybe being a King for dozens years had trained him not to show any expression anymore.

And Jinki knew he was selfish. Throwing anything to the dump just to chase his own happiness, which actually he didn't even know whether he would find it ever again or not.

But he couldn't go back. Not at this point.

"Please, Jinki. Please." His Mother's sobbing was too heartbreaking "Don't leave me alone, Jinki. Please."

"Mother…"

It was not his voice that came to soothe The Queen this time. He looked up. It was Taemin, who just decided to step up, tho still frowning.

"Taemin.." Their Mother decided to cling into her younger son this time, pleading again "Tell your hyung to stay, Eo ? Tell him.." before she broke into tears again.

"Please bring Her Majesty to her room." Taemin looked aside to their Mother personal maids, who had prepared themselves to be called and quickly rushed to The Queen to hold her up.

The Queen was too weak, weakened by her own sadness, too struggle back that all she did when she was taken away was only kept sobbing about Jinki' and don't go'.

Jinki only closed his eyes and sighed as the sight of His Mother disappearing from the room, honestly didn't expect it would earn that much drama for his departure.

"I'll take care of it." Taemin said, with an ambiguous meaning whether it was only meant for their Mother or for everything. "For you, hyung."

"Taemin, I.."

"I respect your decision, hyung." The younger cut him off again, smiling sadly "I somehow had seen this coming so, it's just about time… And I know you, hyung. I know I can't keep you here if you don't feel like it, even if I tie you down. You'll always be better at where you want to be. I know it'll be okay. You will be okay."

"Taemin," Jinki tried to say again, but words seemed to choke him.

"Just shut up and hug me." The younger said, trying to be playful tho it was painstaking.

Jinki smiled, broken as he pulled his only brother into a hug, whispering "Thankyou." and "Sorry.. I'm so so sorry." over and over again like a broken record.

Deep down inside, he knew that just apologizing wouldn't make things any easier for Taemin, but he understood he couldn't do anything about it anymore.

"Thanks again, Tae. Really." He said again, sincerely.

Taemin shook his head on his older brother's shoulder, feeling his tough façade shattering and he's back into a toddler seeking warmth from his big brother on a stormy night.

"I'll miss you, hyung." he mumbled with a cracking voice "I'll miss you."

Jinki could only hold onto his brother tighter.

--

Jinki tightened his jacket as he stepped out of the noodle shop to the roadside. The weather was getting chilly in the second day of winter and unluckily, he forgot to pack his scarf and glove along with his belonging.

His belongings that were all just sum up to the big rucksack on his shoulder.

He didn't quite know himself why he only packed a little.

Maybe it was because he knew he was not going to stay just in one place.

There was only one thing in his mind after he got out from the Palace. To search.

Searching for something, maybe home or maybe someone that had embodied himself as the epitome of it.

On the other word, Kibum.

Tho he didn't know where he was. Or whether he was still alive or not.

Jinki sighed. It was his first day arrived in Daegu, last night he was still on board, sleeping uncomfortably on the bus that brought him from Busan.

He was not going to complain, tho. It's not like he could afford riding on KTX again. Not with the rest amount of money on his account.

He still didn't know for how long he would stay on travel like this. Cause even now, he counted he had gone to more places than he had been along his life.

So he had to spend his money wisely.

It's possible that he had to start working soon.

Jinki looked up and swept his gaze to his left and right, trying to find a cheap motel for him to stay.

Just like any other places he visited on his journey, he would just stay around for a week or two and moved again if he didn't find anything.

Anything. That if not Kibum, something that could set his mind in peace.

Jinki took a deep breath and wandered his gaze to the road again, while his hand slowly went inside the pocket of his jacket because he just realized that his fingers were freezing cold.

Maybe getting a cup of warm coffee and rest again for a while would be a great idea. He thought to himself as he saw a small convenience store on the corner. And he could also ask the clerk if he/she knew a cheap motel around, which stupidly he didn't have the chance to ask to the noodle shop ahjumma from before.

He puffed his breath out, still trying to warm his hands up as he stepped inside the store and heard the bell on the top of the door clinging to welcome him.

"Annyeonghaseyo." Jinki greeted the clerk.

"Annyeonghaseyo." the clerk greeted back "How can I help you ?"

"Where can I get the coffee ?" he asked again.

"Oh. It's in the back, beside the vegetable rack."

"Oh. I see." Jinki smiled again "Thankyou."

"Ne."

It's fortunate that in the convenience store he could just take a paper cup from the stack, put it under the spout, push the button on the vending machine and the pre-made warm liquid would fill the cup itself.

Or else, it would be quite a problem.

Because actually, Jinki wasn't used to make his coffee alone. Back in The Palace and even when he was with Kkangpae, it's Kibum who was always making him his.

Jinki sighed as he took his already filled cup and brought it close so the steam could warm up his face, thinking that he really needed to learn to live.

"2,500 won." the clerk said in a glance as he Jinki came to his counter to pay.

"2,500 ?" Jinki asked back before he fished out small change from his jeans and put it on the counter.

"Ne. Thankyou." the clerk replied as he counted the coins.

"Um. Do you know some cheap motel around ?" Jinki finally made himself to ask.

"Cheap motel ?" the clerk frowned for a while "I think there's one. Two blocks from here. But i don't quite remember the name. It's not really well-known."

"Ah. It's okay." Jinki thought. As long as it's cheap "Thankyou."

"Ne. Thankyou. Please come again."

Jinki made his way out from the store, still holding his half-filled cup of coffee now, he looked up to see his surroundings again.

Wait. He tilted his head a bit as he came to think about something. Is that motel two blocks to the right or two blocks to the left ?

And Jinki had almost turned around to go back to the store again, to ask further, when he realized there's someone who had been staring so intently at him from his right side.

Her old eyes were blank.

Jinki frowned.

--

"Eh ? She's missing again ?!" Kibum widened his eyes "Grandma Cho ?"

"Aihoo." Mrs. Oh sighed as she hit her own forehead "Someone must've forgotten to lock the door. Omona... Where could she be.."

Kibum narrowed his eyes, frowning as he pursed his lips. "Are you positive she's not inside some room ?"

"I've already checked through.." the Head of The House answered, which Kibum replied with a worrier look. Only God knew what could be happen to that missing old lady now.

"Can you look for her, Kibum ?" Mrs. Oh pleaded "I'm afraid she's lost in the town again.."

Kibum nodded "I'll ask around if anyone happened to see her."

Mrs. Oh nodded back "I'll give you her latest photograph. The neighbors around may recognize her face. But I'm not sure with the others."

"Ne. I understand."

--

"Um. Then... Are you.. from around here ?"

Jinki raised his eyebrows, waiting expectantly for an answer. But the old lady was only blinking absentmindedly to him.

"....."

He slowly closed his eyes and sighed deeply for the nth time that noon, wanting to palm his face but he knew it might not be an appropriate gesture to do infront of the elder.

Tho this elder before him was as clueless as a new born baby. If he could say so.

Jinki was too confused to do anything about the Grandma.

It'd be better in his state if he just left The Grandma alone, but he didn't have the heart to do so and it's not like The Grandma herself didn't decide to start following him.

That now, they ended up sitting together on the table outside of the still same convenience store. Jinki was still trying to dig in the information from the old lady so he could drop her back home and he could go to the cheap motel, his initial destination.

He scratched the back of his neck as he opened his eyes again and back to stare at her.

"Grandmother. It's not like I don't want you around but your family must be looking for you, right ? Don't you want to get back home ? Jinki asked again, more slowly this time. Even I want to get back if I still have one.

A blank face.

"Okay." Jinki took a deep breath as he stood up "Let's just take a walk together, Grandmother. It's quite impossible that you walk too far so we may find your house or someone that's looking for you around."

And The Grandmother also stood up just because she wanted to follow Jinki.

--

"Annyeonghaseyo. How can I help you ?"

"S-sorry.." the raven haired young guy panted as he supported himself by his hand  on the front counter of the small convenience store he just decided to drop by "I don't come to buy anything .."

"Ye ?" the clerk frowned.

"Sorry. I just want to ask if you happen to see this Grandmother ?" Kibum straightened himself up as he showed the photograph in his hand.

The clerk frowned deeper as he took a look at the picture "I guess... so." he said hesitantly.

"You guess so ?" Kibum raised his eyebrows as he pulled the photograph back.

"Yes." the clerk nodded before he stretched his neck out to see through the store big window across him. "I think she was sitting there before, with a young man. But now... Maybe they've gone."

"Eh ? A young man ?" Kibum asked, widening his eyes "Really ?"

The clerk nodded. "Eo."

"Aihoo." Kibum puffed a breath out. Was Grandma Cho planning to reenact the scene with him months ago ?

"Anyway, Thankyou." he quickly said to the clerk as he's being pulled away from his thought and ready to walk out of the door "I'll sure buy something next time I visit."

"That's fine." the clerk replied "Good luck in finding."

Kibum smiled briefly as he nodded.

Didn't know that the good wish would turn out better than what it intended.

--

"Seriously, where are you Grandma... Do you even wear your sweater.. It's cold.." Kibum mumbled to himself under his breath, tightening his oversized coat that was luckily more than enough to warm up his body.

He walked with a cloud of worries on his face, taking a step forward absentmindedly to the bank of the road side to cross the street.

Tho he still had to wait because the traffic lamp was still green.

He bowed his head to stare at the asphalt, frowning. He had been wandering around for an hour but he still couldn't find the old lady.

Where else could she be ?

Grandma Cho wasn't being kidnapped, was she ?

Kibum sighed as he looked up to see the traffic light which had slowly shifted to yellow, getting ready to cross the street.

And it was when he was focusing himself to look straight to his front after, absentmindedly seeing the vehicles on the road that had also started to halt, that his eyes suddenly caught something odd on the opposite of the street.

It couldn't be.

Kibum widened his eyes, frozen in place.

Onew ?

--

On the other side, Jinki had started to cross the road, while still busy dealing with his own freezing body, cause apparently he was just lending his one and only jacket to the Grandmother beside him.

He took a deep breath, thinking that he had already visited almost all places nearby but no one seemed to know her.

Maybe he should try looking at the housing complex or something.

Jinki slowly sighed again as he decided to rub his cold hands against each other, trying to heat them up, before he lifted his head again to see his way upfront.

And through the crowds that were passing by, he held his breath, as their eyes met.

--

Kibum's eyes were focused on the steam from the cup of chamomile tea in front of him, in order to distract himself from the awkwardness that surrounded them.

Thirty minutes after the incident on the road, they ended up sitting in a small café around the neighborhood after they took Grandma Cho back. To talk.

Tho they were not really saying anything to each other for the past fifteen minutes after they ordered their drink.

"So, you live here.” Jinki finally was the one to open his mouth first “All this time." I should have known. But he bit back that last sentence, afraid that he would scare the younger away more if he talked too much.

Kibum nodded stiffly, still not looking up to him.

Jinki also brought his head down as he took a deep breath, understood that maybe after months they had parted, after all the things that had happened, the big attack and else, it was not easy to face each other again.

“It’s very quiet here, right ?” the older tried to open the conversation again “The kind of place you like. Like that rooftop…. Maybe I..” he suddenly paused, hesitated.

Kibum only raised his eyebrows, subtly.

“Maybe I should’ve came to find you here since the beginning.” Jinki finally said it and he continued to stare at Kibum to see the younger’s reaction to it, which was only a deeper bowing of head and a timid gulping of tea.

Wrong move. Jinki thought as he sighed again and he stretched his hand out to take his own cup of coffee.

And the older seemed to give up after it. Because in the next five minutes, there’s no one talking again. And Jinki only set his eyes on the pattern of the table cloth.

But Kibum finally took that time to stealthily observe the man in front of him.

Kibum couldn't help it. Not when he wasn’t even expected to see Jinki again, at the least. He had thrown away that kind of dream since a long time ago.

He could see that Jinki was different since the last time he saw him. He looked older. More tired, more burdened, but at the same time, more like a man.

Jinki had grown up. Kibum thought. Not like he hadn’t before. But this new growing up deemed Jinki a more mature charm, a more breathtaking appearance.

Did it has something to do with that announcement ? he thought.

But that was when Jinki suddenly looked up, catching Kibum red-handed going all moony eyes over him.

And he raised his eyebrows, as if asking ‘Why are you looking at me like that ?’ which made Kibum hurriedly looked away, nervous.

It snapped some particular lovely memory back into Jinki’s mind, tho sadly, he decided that he had to hold back the smiles that came with it.

“Are you…” Kibum finally made himself to ask, after glancing at Jinki’s adorable half-smile. “Are you… going to stay here ?”

“I don’t..” Jinki shook his head as he looked down. “I don’t know..” Not after seeing your reaction, not if you would always get this uncomfortable around me.

Unconsciously, Kibum gripped his cup tighter, frowning to it.

But Jinki didn’t say anything anymore this time.

And it made the younger bit his lip, didn’t know why he felt like just one word from him after this would affect Jinki’s decision.

Whether to stay or to leave.

Why am I still so doubtful ? he asked to himself, confused.

Because you’re still afraid. Another small voice on the back of his mind answered.

Kibum sighed under his breath, still too anxious.

Don’t you realize that the person in front of you is no longer a Prince nor a King to-be, Kim Kibum ?

And the person inside you is not a part of criminal anymore..

Wasn’t all that what you’ve been yearning for ?

And at the time when Kibum finally lifted his head back to stare at the man across him, with a slowly crumbling doubt, he realized it.

Now.. he was just Jinki. And he was just Kibum.

Living through the ghost of their pasts that didn't matter any longer, because in the end the only path they found was the only way back to each other.

“Stay.” Kibum finally said.

Tho it’s barely audible that Jinki had to frown and ask “Sorry ?”

Kibum bowed his head down, suddenly nervous again “I said.. Stay.” He repeated timidly “Just stay here. If you.. if you don’t have another place to go.”

And a relieved smile slowly painted itself on Jinki’s face. The older shook his head again after he saw Kibum lifted his head up to see him again.

“No,” Jinki said “I don’t have to go anywhere anymore.”

Kibum replied with a confused smile.

“I’m home.” Jinki stared right into the younger’s eyes.

And Kibum knew he was home too.

-The End-

A little extra

[After went out of the cafe...

Jinki : (suddenly grabs Kibum's hand in his, brings them into his jacket pocket)

Kibum : (surprised) "Your hands are freezing, you idiot!"

Jinki : (widens eyes) "Woa.. Woa.. Look at who’s back with his yelling skill..”

Kibum : (rolls eyes) "Whatever.” (snickers) “You don't even wear glove and thick coat.. It's winter, you know? Winter. Really…”

Jinki : "When I left home it was still autumn."

Kibum : ....

Jinki : "What?"

Kibum : "Don’t you still need warm clothes in fall ?”

Jinki : (chuckles) "Ah. You're right.”

Kibum : “Tch..”

Jinki : (suddenly frowns) “Anyway, where are we going?"

Kibum : (bites his lips before turns to Jinki) "Home ?"

Jinki : "Home ?” (a sudden cheesy smiles) “Then it means wherever with you ?"

Kibum : (gapes) “Did something happen to your head on your way ? Did you knock it on a rock ?”

Jinki : (laughs) “Still, you’re blushing..”

Kibum : (taken aback) “I’m not..”

Jinki : “Obviously..” (smiles)

Kibum : “Ugh..” (pouts)

And so they weren’t letting each other go. This time, forever.]

Author Note

Max2Min : so umm... okay first I'd like to say hello to all readers HI CUTIES thank you for waiting and continuing to read this story until the end OMG THIS IS REALLY ENDED ;-;;;
BIG THANKS for jinkionki93 for the chance and your patience in dealing with me XD really enjoyed to share the madness with you bb ♥
just thank you thank you thank you that's all. also to all readers please give us more feedback (let's have a talk) since this is the last chapter, okay darlings? love you and you.

Jinkionki93 : this is the first onkey chaptered fic i've ever written til the end. And for that, I send a lot of gratitude to my partner, Max2Min. Tho we had a lot of heated discussion for almost every week in order to make this fic suitable for you all, our readers. I also want to apologize to her if my stubborness and selfishness sometimes got in the way when we were discussing and writing the chapters together. And last but no least thanks to you all, our readers, that have been sticking to this story til the end ! I hope you enjoy the ride ! See you later ! ^^b