Junsu brings him water and bread.

      “Have you eaten anything today?”

Changmin shakes his head with difficulty. Junsu holds the plastic glass filled with water to Changmin’s lips.

      “Can you drink?”

It’s really Junsu, tending him, treating him, accompanying him. Changmin opens his hurt lips and swallows the cold water.

      “Drink slowly.” Junsu smiles. “I have a lot in my bag.” Junsu puts the empty plastic glass on the table. “milk too but I guess water is better for now.” He tears the wrapping paper and pinch the bread. “Here. Bite this. I’m sorry I just bring some bread. I bring ramen but we can’t cook it here.” He chuckles. “Those officers will want some and I just have four packs.”

Changmin chews the bread slowly. His eyes are wet and the stinging painful goes two fold but Junsu heals him just by sitting next to him.

      “Eat it up. I’ll buy more later when we get home.”

      “….”

Junsu smiles at him. He asks nothing. He says nothing. Junsu feeds Changmin instead of asking questions. Junsu unwraps the whole bread, feeding the bruised boy till no more bread left in the wrapping. He pours more water to the glass and Changmin drinks it better than the first time Junsu offered him.

      “We’ll do something with your bruises soon. Is it bad?”

Changmin feels so guilty and embarrassed. He shakes his head, swallowing back bitterness in his tongue.

      “I’m.. I’m sorry.. Junsu.” He trembles. “I didn’t mean.. I didn’t mean to kill Taecyeon or.. Chansung. I didn’t.. I didn’t even want to fight with them..” He shakes more. His aches and sores are nothing compared with the guilt attack overflowing him around Junsu.

Junsu rubs Changmin’s back in very soft movements.

      “You didn’t kill anyone, Min. You are not a murderer.” Junsu’s calm voice reaches Changmin’s ear.

      “I really.. didn’t.. mean to. They.. they came to me and said.. a lot.. of things.. I ignored.. them because you told me.. not to easily be .. provoked. I ignored them..

      “You did.”

      “But.. but.. they hit me. Chansung kicked me. I asked them to stop. I didn’t wanna fight, Junsu.. I didn’t want to fight with them…

      “Of course you didn’t.” Junsu keeps on rubbing Changmin’s back.

      “Taecyon hit me twice. Chansung too. I warned.. them to stop. They laughed at me. They said I’m a dirt. I’m a trash. They hit me more and.. and..

      “You kicked back.”

      “I’m sorry, Junsu. I’m sorry.”

      “Hey, hero.” Junsu squeezes changmin’s arm. “It’s alright. You didn’t start it. You’re provoked. It’s alright.”

      “I didn’t kill taecyon.” Changmin sobs. “I really didn’t want him to die. I just wanted him to stop beating me.”

Junsu slowly reaches Changmin into his arm and hugs the sobbing boy.

      “It’s alright. We’ll tell the police and everyone that you didn’t start it.”

      “They won’t believe me, Junsu. They won’t listen. They always take side and judge. They’ll send me to jail or.. or..

      “I believe you.” Junsu pats the shaking Changmin. “Yunho believes you. Police too. They are good people and they know who are the good ones and the bad ones. It’s alright.”

Changmin sobs more in Junsu’s arms. None believes him but this person. None cares about him but this neighbor. He cries deeper, afraid of everything. Afraid that junsu will disappear the next minute the questioning room’s door opens.

Yoochun presses the recording tape’s button. He glares at three officers standing behind him.

      “Police are good, eh?” He looks scary. “Do I have to tell you what to do too?”

The three officers bow and run out of the room in a dash.

      “Who is this Junsu, Yun?” Yoochun asks. His eyes are back on the two sitting figure in the interrogation room. “None of us was able to produce words from that kid and this man takes half an hour to get it done without asking any question.”

      “Can you run a background check?” Yunho scratches his shoulder. “Just met him today in Changmin’s flat. He said he’s just moved in four months ago.”

Changmin is still crying inside the room.

      “You know what?” Yoochun presses another button on the tape. “You’d better prepare a lot of papers from now on. I smell long week for you.”

Yunho huffs. He knows that without a doubt.

      “This man will be your report.”

      “Huh?”

      “Look at your kid. I say Changmin will only listen to and obey him. Didn’t you hear what he said before?”

      “I’m not a detective, thank you very much, Chun.”

Yoochun rewinds the tape and stops in one part.

      “Listen.”

They.. they came to me and said.. a lot.. of things.. I ignored.. them because you told me.. not to easily be .. provoked. I ignored them.

Yunho’s mouth opens.

      “I will be back, I promise.” Junsu assures the hurtful eyes of Changmin’s. “Yunho says there’s something they need to talk to me. I’ll be right back after it’s done.”

Changmin still holds Junsu’s hand in tight grip.

      “I’ll bring ice and all. Your bruises are getting more swollen.”

Changmin shakes his head, begging Junsu not to leave him alone.

      “Promise.” Junsu pats changmin’s hand holding him.

      “Promise?”

Junsu chuckles lightly.

      “To say you killed someone is so overboard. I’ll sue the person saying that.”

Changmin lets go of the hold reluctantly.

      “Changmin can be released after you pay for the bail.”

Junsu bites his lips. Money is something he couldn’t afford much.

      “The victim’s parent asked for five millions. I couldn’t do much about it.” The lawyer informs in apology.

      “I could try two millions.” Yunho volunteers. “Letting a kid sleep behind the bar is not me.”

      “Where will we get the rest three millions?”

      “Sir.” Junsu tries to sound normal. “Could I perhaps borrow any phone?”

Yunho quickly offers his phone to Junsu. Junsu’s hand is trembling as he makes the wanted call.

      “H-hello? Um.. Mr. J-Jaejoong?”

It’s such a long night for everyone. The lawyer, park Si Hoo, goes home an hour after midnight. Hyukjae comes to police station bringing a card belongs to Jaejoong. The bail is settled and Changmin is taken home after two am. Yoochun takes them personally to the flat. Yunho goes home together with the lawyer that turns out to be Hyukjae’s professor in campus. Yoochun helps Junsu opening the police car’s door and sees them to Junsu’s flat. People who are still awake at that hour peeking their heads out of their doors to see what happen. They take their popping head back in a second after knowing it’s a police detective climbing the stairs and carrying Changmin by the shoulder with Junsu.

      “Please let me know if there’s anything happens.” Yoochun smiles.

      “Thank you so much for taking us home, detective.” Junsu bows.

      “You are welcome. I’m leaving.”

Junsu lies changmin on his bed, careful not to cause more pain on the student’s body.

      “Now, we have to wash up first. I have some band aids here somewhere to patch your wound but first, wash up.”

Changmin thinks Junsu would strip him down but no, Junsu carries a bucket of warm boiled water and washcloths to him.

      “Please wash up well.” He smiles and closes the bedroom’s door.

Changmin opens his school uniform in difficulty. He reaches the wet warm washcloths and cringes at every move he makes. His ribs and flesh are screaming in protest. He does the chore of washing up very slowly, wincing and cringing in pain every now and then but he’s glad Junsu leaves him to do the task by himself. He couldn’t bear the thought Junsu undresses him and sees the bruises on his skin. Junsu understands his unsaid discomfort.

Junsu knocks the door asking if he finishes or not and changmin says not yet. The door opens slightly revealing a hand throwing shirt and trouser to bed. Only a hand and the door is closed again a second after.

      “I don’t have many clothes. I hope it suits you for tonight.” Junsu says behind the door.

An hour passes and junsu knocks again. Changmin opens the door after five minutes. Junsu is wearing his thin smile, his hands holding a pan emitting simmering smoke.

      “Ramen.” Junsu’s face is reddish from the smoke. “I don’t usually eat this late and in bed. Could you please..

Changmin opens the door wider, letting Junsu in. Changmin never sees Junsu’s bedroom and he barely realizes that the room has nothing but bed and a plain cupboard. Err.. clothes?

      “I’ll get table and plates. Don’t touch. It’s hot.”

Junsu goes and comes three times. Getting a short square table and two sofa cushions, getting plates, spoon, fork and napkin then getting a jug of water and two plastic glasses.

      “I made a lot. Let’s eat well.”

Changmin can’t help the roaring million butterflies in his stomach. He sits in front of junsu, facing the big pan of hot simmering ramen. Junsu fills changmin’s plate first and urges him to eat.

      “I put all of the seasoning. Hope it’s not too spicy or salty for your liking.” Junsu waits for changmin’s approval in clear expectation. Changmin chews and swallows the ramen in difficulty as his chest is pounding with flooding feelings he never felt before or he never understood what it is. It’s so warm and filling him up to his throat that he takes time to swallow and return some apparent thankful words to Junsu.

      “Very.. delicious.” His tears threaten to dance out.

Changmin catches a relief breath release and a spark of beaming on Junsu’s tired face.

      “I’m hungry. Wanna race?” the tadpole eyes round in a way that people hardly resist.

They eat in comfort at the foot of three thirty in the morning. The ramen disappears fast. So does the water. Both of them are too hungry to care about the burning tongues or the long noodles. They laugh in between the sweet silence. Changmin has never eaten anything so delicious and fulfilling like this. His mother hardly sat with him in any meal time. His father.. let’s just forget about him. People in the foster homes are either asking too much questions or putting too many rules in dining room. He has to act according to the rules while in the other hand he has to eat as fast and as much as possible or he will get nothing left on his plate. One home usually takes two or three foster children and all of the children want to stay permanently, dreams to be adopted as the family member and Changmin is sick with the fake play. Junsu doesn’t criticize his fast eating habit. He doesn’t comment on the splashed ramen broth on the floor. He doesn’t raise eyebrow or glare at the loud sound Changmin makes during eating. He clinks the spoon and fork to the pan often as he isn’t used to eating ramen with spoon. Junsu chuckles at his clumsiness instead. It is like magical moment. Simple but clawing deep in Changmin’s memories.  The awkwardness is gone right after Junsu spoons the ramen into his mouth and his face turns half red from the burning hot smoke. Changmin nearly spurts the half chewed ramen in his mouth and his face turns red too. They both burst out laughing.

      “Sleep well.”

      “Where do you sleep, Junsu?” Changmin sits up on Junsu’s bed. He winces at the biting pain in him. “This is your bedroom.”

      “Tsk.. I have some papers to write. I’ll sleep after putting some paragraphs down. Sleep first. You’ve had a long day.”

The door is closed. Changmin blinks and gives in. He’s more than exhausted. Too many things happened today. School, aunt Chae rim, Taecyeon, Chansung, police station, Junsu, his lips form a smile mentioning the name. Junsu, the way home, home, ramen, bed..

He falls asleep with utmost content and gratitude to God.

Junsu sleeps on the couch, too tired to set old blankets as bed. Floor isn’t a choice since it’s not cleaned for the past two, correction, three days by now. He stretches his too tired body and sleeps comes instantly.

Hyukjae comes waking him up after ten. Junsu is not a heavy sleeper. He hears the ongoing knocks and lazily brings his feet to the door.

      “Breakfast and lunch.” Hyukjae swings the packages in his hand. “you look awful, dolph.”

Junsu grunts and lets his best friend in.

      “Manager Jae asks me to drop in your flat before I go to campus.” Hyukjae places the packages on the table. “I’ll see professor Si Hoo too later. How’s the kid?”

      “Changmin? I think he’s still sleeping.” Junsu yawns. “I have to see manager Jaejoong soon today.”

      “Oh, about that too. Manager said your day off is on and he’s busy today. He’d not be in store till next Thursday.”

      “Eh, what?” the sleep goes away. Junsu sits straight, eyes blinked to focus better.

      “Big boss sent him to Japan or something for International book fair in Asia.”

      “But why so sudden?”

Hyukjae shrugs.

      “Do you have classes today?”

      “Just one at three.” Junsu still processes Jaejoong’s sudden leaving to Japan. “Paper revise or I can submit the first half of resume analysis.”

      “Great. Can you come at two? We can meet a bit there and talk about last night.”

      “I’ll try.”

      “Gotta go. I saw mess commotion on the first floor. A woman is dragged away all the way to the entrance gate by force.”

A very common scene here. Either flat payment arrears or big scandal. You choose. The first is the major cause while the latter occurs after long repetitive complaints or police affair.

      “Uh uh. I’ll see you in uni later, buddy. Thanks for the treat.”

Junsu goes back to catch another possible sleep before he has to start his day but he jumps up from the couch when something crosses his mind. Changmin’s aunt!

Changmin wakes up and feels the heightened pain and sore all over his body. He groans and stays still for some minutes to adjust the ringing pain on him. How long has he been asleep? Why doesn’t he hear his aunt’s screeching curses on him or her banging on his door to wake him up? It’s school day isn’t it? uh.. What the.. this room is too neat and clean for his own bedroom! His brain works faster as he shakes his head shooing the mild headache. Oh God. He’s in Junsu’s flat! He remembers now. He moves slowly to stretch and funnily.. he’s happy despite the bruises and aches he feels on him. When did the last time he smile not long after he wakes up?

Changmin gets to bathroom first before finding Junsu. It’s twenty past one. He sleeps past noon? Where’s Junsu? Working? Or going to campus? Changmin’s happiness dims as his brain chooses to show him what he did yesterday. No sight of the flat’s occupant anywhere in the square compact of a flat. His heart sinks deeper as he remembers that he has an aunt to answer soon. He doesn’t want to see Chae rim. He can’t. Not after what he’d seen that woman was doing in Changmin’s room. Can’t he stay here instead? But.. Will Junsu allow him? There’s that Yunho man who told him that Changmin has to graduate high school this year or else..

His clouded brain catches note and covered bowl on the living room’s table. He fetches the note and reads Junsu’s hand writing.

I have class in campus till five or six. Eat this before you go home. leave the key to Mr. Fujitsu or you could stay for a while till I’m back from campus. There’s milk in the kitchen’s board.

Junsu.

Changmin waits. Coming back to flat number 724 is in the bottom of his worry. He knows he has nowhere else to go but his aunt. He knows he can’t impose on Junsu’s kindness forever. Junsu came to see him in the police station is more than enough. Junsu came and gave him company. Junsu tended his bruises. Junsu kept his promise not leaving Changmin there. He even brought Changmin home and cooked ramen for him. It’s like all gifts Changmin deserves for the whole of his life was sent to him in one night. He knows it will end soon. Sooner than he could hold to prolong but that’s Changmin’s life. All the good things always end up escaping him. He braces himself to prepare mentally of the finale but.. he prays to God hard that he could delay the ending. He swears to God he’ll go to school and be a good boy. He’ll stay in school till the bell rings. He’ll study for real. He’ll listen and do whatever the adults tell him to as long as he isn’t led to stay with Chae Rim anymore. He’ll go to jail, alright. He’d prefer prison. The sound of opened door and light steps flick Changmin’s thick battle of thoughts to the present.

      “Hi. You’re still here.” Junsu closes his flat’s door without a sound.

Changmin bites his reduced swollen lips in worry.

      “Feel better? Sleep well?” Junsu places his bag on the couch. He takes a seat and stretches his legs.

      “Do I have to go to aunt’s flat now?” Changmin’s eyes are pleading and begging. He sits on the coach, attempting to .. prevent the finale to come.

      “Hm..” Junsu leans his back on the couch’s head comfortably, resting his worn-out upper body. “about that.. Yunho and your aunt are still considering a reexamination on your custody.”

      “I’m eighteen. I don’t need stupid custody!!”

Junsu breathes in and out, letting the worry ball in Changmin grows and rolls.

      “Yunho will come on Friday with the result of the reexamination. You could stay here till things settled and decided, okay. I don’t have much around to keep you busy, though.”

      “Junsu..

The tadpole eyes meet Changmin’s worried look.

      “You can say what you really want now, Min. Yunho shall listen and consider your thought for future decisions.”

      “I don’t want to go back to Chae Rim!!” Changmin is half shouting. “I can’t stay with her ever again!”

Junsu eyes him, asking no question about the reason of Changmin’s determined refusal.

      “Yunho will listen.” His thin smiles surfaces. “What I ask from you now is to give it a serious thinking. Beating someone into hospital isn’t a favorable deed though you weren’t the cause. People see the result, Min. All of us mostly take the outcome of things. When we buy bread, we pick the better shape, don’t we? We don’t ask about how it’s baked or how long does it take to bake bread. We simply pick the bread because it’s bread. Not flour, sugar, egg or rice.”

      “I didn’t start it!” Changmin defends.

      “We know you didn’t. We know Taecyon is under intensive care too. if you were a passerby, who will you blame for now? Your friend lying in hospital or you, sitting here with me rejecting to see your aunt?”

      “I didn’t wanna fight!!” Changmin is enraged. Junsu isn’t different from the other adults.

      “What you want and what you did are two different things.” The calmness in Junsu’s voice drives the anger higher. Junsu sees fire in Changmin eyes. He smiles at it. Sparkling fire just adds the bare beauty of Changmin. “I want to graduate soon from campus and writes books but you see? I’m still here.”

      “I don’t care. I don’t wanna go back to that d****** place.” Changmin snarls.

      “Leaving Greyfair? Going somewhere better where people talks by exchanging fists?”

      “You want me to stay with aunt??”

      “It’s not me, Changmin. It’s you.” Junsu shifts. “What you do want. It’s your life.”

The anger in changmin bumps into its basic worries. He is never faced to this kind of talk. Adults always tell him what to do and decide for him. Changmin knows Junsu is not that kind of adult. He’s not that old anyway but junsu just.. breaking a hole as a possible door for changmin. A door of another world changmin is completely blind of, unknown of, alien, bizarre.

      “I won’t say anything about what you want.” Junsu touches his nose, scratching it. “You could stay here till Yunho comes and talk to you. Think about what you really want, what you really need, what you really gonna do with your life, kay?”

The anger leaves as soon as it comes.

      “I.. I don’t know.” Changmin mumbles. “I just want to.. I don’t want to go back and..

      “You can start with I want to instead of I don’t want to.”

Changmin bites his lips again. Can he just say it now?

      “I.. I think.. what if.. I.. will you.. allow me..?”

Junsu encourages him by scooting closer to changmin. Not too close but close enough to see the honesty in changmin’s eyes.

      “Will you.. allow me to.. stay with you?” Changmin bites deeper.

      “Me?” Junsu’s eyes round. “You don’t like adults throwing rules on you. I have rules here.”

Changmin shuts his eyes in inexplicable hurt and disappointment. Junsu rejects him. he’s not wanted. He knows none wants him but junsu is..

      “Sorry..” Changmin is too disappointed and hurt to open his eyes and lift his head. He doesn’t see how junsu eyes him in softened gaze and genuine smile.

      “I haven’t said anything.” The calm tone crawls to Changmin’s hearing sense. “Just think about what you really want and need first. We can talk about it later after you do that.”

Changmin flutters his eyes open in a zap. Junsu will take him?

just usual reminder. unbetaed. you might be accustomed to it by now. hehe.