Suho helped Kai out of the car and supported him while walking into his house. He sat Kai down on their couch and ran to go get an extra pair of warm clothes. ‘I’ve never seen Kai this upset before…’ Suho thought while scrambling around in his closet to find something for Kai to wear. He then picked up a loose-fitting sweatshirt and a pair of pajama pants and walked back to where Kai was sitting. Kai was just staring straight ahead; it was as if he were looking at everything yet seeing nothing.

“Kai-ya… I brought you something warm to wear,” Suho said soothingly and handed the clothes to Kai.

Kai looked at the clothes and took them slowly. “Thanks…” he said barely audible. He started to try and change into the new clothes but seemed to be having a hard time so Suho helped him. When he finally got changed, Suho helped Kai sit back down on the couch.

“Will you tell me what happened now?” Suho asked, looking at Kai with intense worry behind his eyes.

Kai sighed and looked away, hating that Suho had to see him so broken like this. He didn’t want anyone’s pity… especially not Suho’s or Kris’s. He could survive on his own… he always had.

“It’s nothing. My… uhh, my car broke down while I was trying to find you,” Kai lied and gulped slightly, hoping that Suho didn’t notice but – he noticed. Suho always knew when Kai was lying.

“Come on Jongin… I know when you’re lying to me,” Suho said with a sigh, “you said you’d never hide anything from me anymore… so what happened?”

“I told you it’s nothing. It means nothing to me anymore,” Kai said bitterly and balled his fists in frustration.

With Kai’s last statement, Suho immediately knew what he was talking about. “It was Luhan… wasn’t it?” Suho inquired and raised an eyebrow. At the mention of Luhan, he then noticed several shifts in Kai’s facial expressions from anguish… to anger… to confusion… all until his entire face went blank.

“Suho… I don’t know if I can let him go,” Kai said quietly, fidgeting in his seat.

Suho wasn’t used to seeing this side of Kai. Kai had always been the strong one in the group. He was the glue that kept everything from falling apart and he was always there when either him or Kris needed a shoulder to cry on. Kai was always there but… no one was ever there for him – not even since birth.

Suho felt a pang at his heart with this realization. He realized that he wasn’t always there for Kai when he needed him these days. Now Kai needed him more than ever and he was too busy being caught up in his own love story to see that.

Suho cleared his throat and hugged Kai tightly. “Then don’t,” he said, “why don’t you try talking to him tomorrow?”

“I c-can’t,” Kai said and buried his head in Suho’s shoulder, “they…”

“They what?” Suho asked softly while Kai’s back.

“I s-saw them… they… kissed…” Kai finally managed to say and clung to Suho tighter.

Suho’s eyes widened with that statement and he hugged Kai tighter. “It’ll be okay… I promise,” was the only thing that Suho could think to say at the moment – he was too shocked to say anything else. He couldn’t believe that Seung Gi and Luhan actually kissed.

“I’m fine now… I just want to go home,” Kai said inconsolably and pushed Suho away, his eyes growing cold again.

“What’s wrong with you?” Suho exclaimed and looked at Kai with disbelief. Kai never snapped at him like that before.

“Just take me home. You and I both know that it isn’t going to be okay so you can just cut the bull, okay?” Kai retorted, his piercing eyes staring directly at Suho.

“I know you’re mad but don’t take your anger out on me,” Suho replied sternly.

“I’m not… I just need to go home. I want to be alone,” Kai said before struggling to stand up.

“Damnit Kai, didn’t I say that you didn’t have to go through this alone?! Why can’t you just trust me?” Suho exclaimed, finding himself growing angry at Kai for being so irrational.

“Trust you?” Kai jeered, “I’m done trusting anyone.”

Suho stared blankly at Kai for a few moments – he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He always believed that Kai put his complete and absolute trust in him but now as the angry Kai stood before him he had second thoughts. Maybe he was finally seeing Kai for who he truly was… or he was finally seeing the true Kai that had a tough exterior only to be the same frightened, abandoned child on the inside.

“You know you don’t mean that,” Suho said and stood up too, facing Kai.

“I’m just… I’m tired Suho. I’m s-so tired of hurting like this,” Kai said between choked sobs and a few tears fell from his eyes.

‘And I’m tired of seeing you hurt like this,’ Suho thought sadly and pulled Kai into another embrace.

It was the next day at school and Luhan was sitting in the classroom early as usual. He made it his regular thing to now come to the classroom early… it gave him a chance to think about everything. It was his chance to get away from it all even if only for a little while. Though Seung Gi had been nice to him for a while, he still couldn’t bring himself to like him in the least bit – he only pitied him.

“I… I know that… I know you don’t love me back but… but I won’t give up until you do.”

Seung Gi’s words rattled around in his mind for a while until he found himself unable to think about it any longer. How did Seung Gi expect him to fall in love with him after everything he has done? Seung Gi hurt him and not just physically… but emotionally. No amount of presents Seung Gi could shower him with could ever excuse the fact that he yanked away the only person that he ever loved. All Luhan used to ever care about was money and fame… now all he wanted was to see Kai smile – and for him to be the cause of that smile.

The students began filing into the classroom and the last to enter was Kai who desperately avoided looking at Luhan. He couldn’t bear to look at Luhan… not just yet. He then took his seat and coldly stared out the window debating whether to try and say something to Luhan. ‘Maybe after class…’ Kai thought to himself and then drifted into his own thoughts.

The class ended and Luhan began quickly packing up his things as Seung Gi was waiting for him just outside the classroom. Seung Gi didn’t like it when Luhan took too long to pack up his stuff after class, so to avoid his wrath, Luhan resorted to throwing everything inside his backpack.

Kai was still sitting in his seat and turned his head to see Luhan hurriedly packing his things.

“L-,” Kai began.

“Luhan palli! I’m always waiting on you,” Seung Gi unknowingly interrupted Kai while impatiently tapping his foot on the ground.

“N-Ne, mianhae!” Luhan stammered and quickly put on his backpack but then – a piece of paper fell out of one of his back pockets as he rushed out the classroom.

‘What’s that?’ Kai thought and crossed the classroom over to the piece of paper. He then picked it up and carefully unfolded it.

‘A contract...?’ 

Thanks to all my new subbies and thanks for all the congratualtions! <3 ^w^

I hope you enjoy!