I was at the lake for what seemed like an eternity before they arrived.  The water flowed gently and soothingly but inside I felt like a heap of vicious waves were roaring towards and crashing wildly against me.  I closed my eyes and counted to ten so many times while standing there, trying to calm my nerves, my anger, my anxiety, my fear, my heart.  When the car finally approached, I felt a horrendous amount of relief only to be replaced with immediate fury.  Siwon stepped out first, followed by Kangin, Hangeng, Donghae and then another car approached which was emptied by Kibum, Yesung, Kyuhyun and of course...  Miyoung.

The sight of all of them standing there enraged me beyond belief.  It took everything to stop myself from marching over there and tearing them all apart.  My muscles quivered and twitched with the adrenaline coursing through me and I knew they could see the rage urging to take over me.

"Annyeong, Oppa~  We missed you so much!  How glad I am to see everyone here!"

The people I once called friends stood in front of me.  They stood with the same cocky faces, the same dark eyes and the same vicious appearance I had once stood with alongside them.  For the first time, I realised how much I had changed since I met Hyojin.  My whole self-image had changed.  The way I felt had changed.  And the things I wanted had also changed.  My future now, with Hyojin, would be very different than the future I would have faced if I had stayed with these guys.

I was so thankful to my wife.

I stared at their empty expressions and said with a stern confidence, "Where is she?"

A laugh broke from Kyuhyun's face.  He had always been the most menacing of us all.  As the youngest, he had no sense of fear.  He was naive and filled with a ferocious need to show us he was able to fit in with us.  His body, clearly filled with the urge to fight or to cause some sort of hassle, was practically pouncing as he seemed unable to stand still for a split second.

"Now, Leeteuk, there will be time for that later.  I want to talk about us," Kibum stepped a little closer while still keeping a comfortable distance between us, "You've been inactive in the group for way too long.  Miyoung's raised concern that you're easing into a new life with that other girl.  A family life.  Do we need to remind you who you really are?"

"My name isn't 'Leeteuk', and there is no 'us'.  That other girl is my wife, she is my family.  Do I need to remind you who I'm not?"

The sass clearly did not amuse any of them.  Suddenly every single one of them showed grave expressions before Yesung stepped forward, "I think you're forgetting a lot.  I think you're forgetting what we've done for you."

"What you have done for me!?  You gave me nothing!  Not one of you have a future in this lifestyle, you have no hope, no aspiration, no sense of self, no future, no life at all!  You have nothing!  I have something now!  Why would I ever go back to the life I had before!?"

"We have each other.  Blood in, blood out.  You know that's the way it is," this time it was Kangin talking.  His cliche remark sparked an unnerving laugh from somewhere deep inside me.  The sound was distant to even myself as my senses clouded with rage.

"So what, you're going to kill me?"

Hangeng looked at me.  I saw that look in his eyes.  The look we all made fun of before.  Now, I didn't find it funny at all.  I knew he hated the life he was living.  Thinking back to how I treated him before, calling him degrading names and acting tough on him, I felt sick to my stomach.  I looked at him square on and said, "Hangeng, you don't need to stay with them anymore.  You can come with me.  We have a spare home, stay with us until you get on your feet.  Leave this place, it's not a place for you, you know that."

"Shut you're ing mouth!"  Siwon bit and I flung him a scowl.  He wouldn't intimidate me with his commands nor his cursive language.

That's when I felt the punch on my rib.  Yesung, he had always been known for his sneak-attacks.  Kyuhyun was smaller than he, but had way too much energy to be as sly and surprising as Yesung was.  I felt the blow and then they seemed to pour down on me one after another.

I had no chance to collect or protect myself.

* * *

I heard the brawling but the noises sounded distant and far away.  I felt spacey and light-headed until one voice brought me back.  It boomed through my ear drums and pounded at my heart.

"Give her to me now!"

The emotion in that sentence pierced through me and left me breathless.  I struggled and pulled myself up.  I didn't have much strength and my wrists and ankles were still tied but I wriggled and squirmed until I could slightly see out the window.  I was in the backseat of a car.  The car wasn't very spacious but I hardly cared about that.  There was a car in front of the one I was in and beyond that, I could scarcely see a mixture of bodies tumbling and launching themselves at each other.

The collection of limbs pounding down on one man caused me to scream and wail.  I struggled again and dragged myself up to a sitting position.  I struggled to breathe for a few seconds before kicking my legs at the window.  I needed to get to Jungsu.  I didn't know how, but I knew he was out there.  I knew he was amongst those bodies.  I had no idea if he was one of the attackers or if he was being attacked, I couldn't see much of what was happening out there, but I just knew I had to get to him.  I had to protect him.

The glass was sturdy and refused to break but I kicked and heaved out each breath as my feet clattered against the strong, fogging surface.  The car was filling with a strange smoke and I tilted my head in time to see where the smoke was coming from.  The vents at the front of the car.  They were puffing out a strange substance.

Holding my breath, I kicked once more.  The hardest I had ever kicked in my life.  I kicked so hard that upon the smashing of the window, the impact also pushed me up and caused my head to bang against the opposite door handle.

It didn't stop me.  I shoved my body upwards and rolled out of the car.  The grass welcomed me with a hard thud but it was only seconds before I was wriggling and pushing myself towards the crowd.

"Jungsu!!"  My voice was hoarse and scratched my throat, but I continued to scream his name again and again.  On the fifth time, the crowd split and a body was shoved towards me.  That's when I saw him.  I saw his face.

Jungsu was badly hurt.

Miyoung's voice purred through the atmosphere, "Now the party begins."

--

[A/N:  Annyeong-haseyo~ ʚ♡⃛ɞ(ू•ᴗ•ू❁)

Wahh, I'm wondering if anyone found the new writing technique helpful?  One writer voiced her concerns that she was unable to decipher who's perspective I am writing in now that I am writing in both Hyojin's and Jungsu's points of view.  To deplete these troubles, when I write in Jungsu's perspective I will write the first five words in bold and I will write the first five words of Hyojin's perspective in italics.  Hopefully this method will help people understand whose points of view they will be reading from now on. ヾ(◍’౪`◍)ﾉﾞ♡

I feel like I almost had to rush this chapter slightly, I hope it wasn't done too badly.  You see, I live with my Granny and my Dad and Step-mum are taking my Sister and I out to a gig tonight.  I won't be home until midnight and I really wanted to post this chapter before tomorrow so I've been writing it for the passed hour.  I hope it's not too disappointing, I sincerely apologise and I promise to work hard tomorrow on chapter twenty-one to make up for the failings of this chapter.ヽ(愛´∀｀愛)ノ 

It's only six days to Christmas!  Again, I apologise if the idea of Christmas does not appeal to anyone's cultural/religious beliefs but I'm just so excited!  Even though Christmas doesn't exactly fit in with my own beliefs [I'm a Spiritualist after all] but I find this time of year a very special time for personal reasons.  I hope my positive vibrations reach each and every one of you and help you to feel happy also. ✿♥‿♥✿

Blessed love and light,

-Kang Hyekyo ლ(|||⌒εー|||)ლ ]