Kyuhyun gave Sungmin's hand one last squeeze before reluctantly going to the door to talk to Kangin.

 

“W-What is it?” Kyuhyun stuttered out when he saw the slightly guilty expression on Kangin's face.

 

“I'm sorry.” Kangin muttered out. He looked down at his feet.

 

“What? What are you talking about? Are they done?” Kyuhyun asked. He could feel his heart start to race. Kangin was acting strange, stranger than he had been before.

 

Kangin looked up at Kyuhyun, then peeked around him to look at Sungmin who was still sitting on the bed looking at the picture frame. “C-Can I talk to you out here?” 

 

Kyuhyun was a bit hesitant, but decided to leave Sungmin in his room, shutting the door behind himself as he following Kangin into the hallway.

 

“What is it?” Kyuhyun started.

 

“I-I don't know how to say this. I'm sorry. I had no idea they would want this. I tried to fight for him, to make them change their mind, but they...they're dangerous. I didn't know they were like this. A friend of mine said they would help. They just kept talking about him and I didn't think it was a big deal, I thought they were just worried about him saying something. But now they want him and I tried to talk them out of it, but they...they have guns, too. And I don't know what to do anymore; I didn't want this. I didn't want it to go this far. Hell, I didn't even know it would go this far. Kyuhyun, I don't know what to do. They won't back down. And-”

 

“Kangin. What are you talking about? Who are they? Who do they keep talking about?” Kyuhyun interrupted. Kangin was rambling and panicking; Kyuhyun didn't like it. Kangin was always calm and collected, but now... Kyuhyun could feel a flush burning from his cheeks, he was starting to think something horrible was about to happen.

 

Kangin looked up at Kyuhyun. He finally met his eyes, and Kyuhyun could sense the sincerity in his next words. “Kyuhyun, I'm sorry.” Kangin looked back down to his feet, and Kyuhyun needed to ask him again to explain what was happening.

 

“They are criminals, Kyuhyun. More than we are criminals. I had though I recognized them when they came here, but I couldn't figure it out. They are wanted, the police are looking for them. But...but not for robbery.” Kangin again looked up at Kyuhyun. He was hoping that somehow, magically, his message would come across in his apologetic eyes. 

 

Kyuhyun felt his stomach churn. What was Kangin trying to say? “What do they want, Kangin?” 

 

“They...Sungmin.” 

 

Kyuhyun was silent. Had Kangin not been standing directly in front of him, he would have vomited. 'Why did they want Sungmin? What did he mean by 'want'? Whatever they mean, they can't have him!' Kyuhyun thought.

 

“What...What... I don't... Why?” Kyuhyun asked. He didn't know what to do. He needed to save Sungmin, but he didn't even know from what, yet.

 

“Kyuhyun. You've seen them on the news, too. They don't want to take him. They want to...use...him.” Kangin could feel his heart breaking when he saw the fall in Kyuhyun's face. He had been rough with Kyuhyun earlier, but he would never, ever seriously hurt him. Kyuhyun was one of his best friends, a friend that he had grown to treat like a younger brother. Although, he hit him and scared him, he would never truly harm him. The look in Kyuhyun face as he was trying to figure out what exactly 'use' meant, gave off the impression that if Sungmin was hurt, Kyuhyun would be hurt. With this fact, Kangin didn't want to hurt Sungmin, either. But he didn't know what else to do anymore. 

 

The two guys that had come to help him did their research. They found out who lived in the house and took a liking to one of the sons. They also found out who they were helping. They found out about Kyuhyun, Kangin, and even Leeteuk. They had no idea Sungmin would be here, but they knew Kyuhyun would be here, and they figured Kyuhyun would be a good enough substitute. 

 

They planned to blackmail Kangin by threatening to hurt Leeteuk. They knew he cared too much about the man that he wouldn't know what to do. They were right. 

 

Upon threatening to harm his beloved Leeteuk, Kangin panicked and accepted that they could have Sungmin. What else was he going to do? Their guns solidified his decision. He had a gun, too, but if it was two against one, he didn't have a chance. 

 

“Kangin, w-what exactly are you saying?” Kyuhyun asked when his mind refused to understand.

 

“Kyuhyun, they want to...play with him. They don't want to kill him. They said that to give them two hours and they will leave and not do anything. Kyuhyun...I'm so-”

 

“They want to him.” Kyuhyun said, emotionless. It was no longer a question.

 

“I...I think so. Yes. Kyuhyun, I'm sorry. They threatened to hurt Leeteuk. I-I don't know how they know about him. But it's...it's like they knew everything about us...like they planned this better than I did. Kyuhyun?” 

 

Kyuhyun was staring blankly more through Kangin, rather than at Kangin. He was stunned into silence. How much hell was this day turning into? How could Kangin have ever agreed to give them Sungmin? Kyuhyun was speechless. 

 

“Kyuhyun?” Kangin tried again. He reached out to touch Kyuhyun's arm, but the younger flinched away harshly and moved towards Sungmin's bedroom door.

 

“No! you. You can't take him. I'm not gonna let them touch him.” Kyuhyun said, using his body to block the door from Kangin.

 

“Kyuhyun, I don't want to take him. You don't understand...” Kangin tried.

 

“No! You don't understand. They can't have him. I-I...care for him. I'm not letting him get hurt anymore!” 

 

“Kyuhyun, I know. I know you care about him, I can tell. But you really don't understand. We don't really have a choice...”

 

“ you! We do have a choice! Get rid of them! Leave to where ever it is you are going and then Sungmin and I will be safe.”

 

“Kyuhyun, please listen to m-”

 

“No! Not Sungmin!”

 

“Kyuhyun! It was him or you!” Kangin finally yelled in order to get through to Kyuhyun.

 

Kyuhyun was once again speechless. He stared dumbly at Kangin.

 

“It was him or you. They have guns; they're wanted for and murder; they threatened Teukie and they made me chose. You, Sungmin, or Leeteuk...what was I going to say?” Kangin sighed. This wasn't how he wanted this to go. It was supposed to be simple and he was to leave for good. No one was supposed to get hurt or in trouble. 

 

“I'll go.” 

 

Both Kyuhyun and Kangin jumped at the small voice that came from behind Kyuhyun. Without either of them noticing, Sungmin had quietly opened his bedroom door; he had been listening from in his room the entire time. 

 

“Sungmin...” Kyuhyun said softly.

 

“No...I don't care; no one else cares, either. I-” Sungmin started.

 

“I care.” Kyuhyun quickly interrupted. Kangin stood to the side in order to give them a moment. He continued to think of something, anything he could do to stop this and get everyone away safely.

 

“I-I know. B-but he said it was you or me...I would rather it be me. You have people who care about you; your friend choosing me over you is proof of that. I don't have anyone...except you now, I guess.” He added the last bit when he saw Kyuhyun start to interrupt him again. 

 

“Sungmin, you're being ridiculous. This is ing stupid. You are not sacrificing yourself.” Kyuhyun said.

 

“There really isn't another way. We are on the second floor, it's not like we can just walk right by them and everything will be fine. Your friend said they have guns. What else do you have in mind that we do?” Sungmin seemed to have snapped out of his somber mood earlier. 

 

“I don't know, but...” Kyuhyun said.

 

“Exactly. I don't want you to get hurt. I would rather it be me.”

 

“Sungmin, this is stupid. Just stop it. There has to be another way. We could-” Kyuhyun was interrupted by hearing the two men start to come up the stairs. 

 

Kangin and Kyuhyun looked to each other before Kangin moved to block the two criminals and Kyuhyun grabbed Sungmin and made to push him into the bathroom. However, the two men were quicker.

 

Kangin was shoved out of the way by the slimmer of the two while the more muscular one moved to grab Sungmin. Kyuhyun tried to stand his ground and fight for Sungmin; however, his opponent was just as tall and much more muscular. Still he put up a fight.

 

Kyuhyun managed to get in one good punch before the man completely overpowered him. After several punches to different areas of his body, Kyuhyun was dragged to the ground and hit, once again, square in the jaw, causing the cut on his lip to reopen. Quickly, the man brought out his gun and placed it against Kyuhyun's head. He was a bit disoriented from the blow to the head to really realize what was happening. It wasn't until he heard Sungmin screaming that he grasped that Sungmin had tackled the man before he could shoot Kyuhyun. 

 

Kyuhyun rolled over to see, although a bit hazy, Sungmin being dragged downstairs by the man that had held him down. He tried to move, but his head was still swimming. He could see Kangin being held against the wall at gun point by the other criminal. He tried to move again, but with no success. He laid on his back, waiting for his head to right itself. He felt tears stinging his eyes at the complete helplessness he felt. 

 

“Han Geng! Lock them in a room and get down here!” The man with Sungmin yelled from downstairs. Sungmin could be heard struggling from his new captor. 

 

The man pointing his gun at Kangin, Han Geng, quickly shoved Kangin into the nearest bedroom, Sungmin's brother's room. Kyuhyun was still dazed and unmoving on the floor, but he could hear the man threatening Kangin to stay in the room. Soon he felt the man grab him from under the armpits and drag him in the bedroom with Kangin. He was ungracefully dropped once all the way in, and he hazily saw the man point his gun at Kangin before closing the door and locking it from the outside. 

 

Kyuhyun, again, relaxed on his back, trying to will his mind to clear. His head was throbbing and he could taste the blood that was spilling from his lip. He just wanted to sleep a bit, but he could hear a small voice, a quiet voice in the back of his head saying he needed to save Sungmin. But his want to sleep was quickly overpowering that voice. 

 

Kangin knelt down beside Kyuhyun and started to shake his shoulders a bit. 

 

“Kyuhyun? Kyuhyun, don't go do sleep. Kyuhyun, wake up. You have to stay awake.” Kangin continued to shake him. Kyuhyun would crack his eyes open but then scrunch them closed again, trying to rest.

 

“Kyuhyun. Wake up!” Kangin yelled. He grabbed around Kyuhyun's cheeks and started shaking his head a bit. He must have grabbed a bit of Kyuhyun jaw because all of a sudden he shot up groaning in pain and pushed Kangin's hand away. 

 

“Sorry.” Kangin said gently. He watched as Kyuhyun gingerly rubbed his jaw and experimentally poked at it, only to flinch away from his own touch. 

 

“H-He has Sungmin, doesn't he?” Kyuhyun asked when he could finally see straight. 

 

“Yes. The guy was gonna shoot you, b-but Sungmin tackled him. He took him downstairs after that. I-I would have stopped him, but-”

 

“I know. I saw the guy pointing the gun at you.” Kyuhyun interrupted. He tried to stand up, but tumbled back down. He tried again, this time putting most of his weight on the bed next to him, and was successful. He then tried to make his way to the door. He found that his ribs hurt each time he took a step; it must have been from when the guy was hitting him. 

 

Once at the door, he tried the knob; it wouldn't budge.

 

“.” Kyuhyun mumbled. Sungmin was downstairs about to get abused and he was locked in a bedroom upstairs. He felt so helpless.

 

“I'm sorry, Kyuhyun.” Kangin muttered behind him. A wave of guilt washed over him and he felt like he could cry. But he didn't cry; he was the strong guy, the touch guy, the number one handsome guy; Kangin did not cry. He stood motionless, staring at Kyuhyun who had leaned his head against the door in deep thought. 

 

“Kangin?” Kyuhyun started, not removing his head from the door. “Kangin? Who are these people? You said I've seen them on the news. Who are they?” 

 

Kangin stared at the back of Kyuhyun for a moment before answering. “They have been wanted for the past three weeks now. They killed an entire family. They police only know who they are because one of them had the son and police had his DNA. I don't know how they weren't caught, yet. But they are...Han Geng and Siwon.”

 

Kyuhyun visibly shuddered at the mention of the two men's names. Kangin was right, Kyuhyun had seen them on the news before. They had been all over the news for the past three weeks. Words describing the crime ran through Kyuhyun's head, 'heinous,' 'disturbing,' 'disgusting,' 'inhumane,' and 'viscious.' Kyuhyun could throw up. 

 

“I'm sorry.” Kangin said again.

 

“ you.” Kyuhyun muttered softly.

 

“What?” 

 

“I said, ' you!'” Kyuhyun yelled as he turned around. “This is all your ing fault! It's your fault we are in this ing mess! It's your fault Sungmin is down their with those psychos! How did you not know who you were getting involved with! It's your fault if Sungmin dies! And, so help me god, if he dies, you are gonna wish you died with him before I'm through with you!” 

 

Kyuhyun had moved towards Kangin at a horrifying pace. He shoved the larger man against a wall and held him there by the throat.

 

Kangin merely stared at him with wide eyes, unsure of how to react. Before, he had easily overpowered Kyuhyun. But now, now he believed he deserved it. Now, he didn't even try to push Kyuhyun away. 

 

Kyuhyun loosened his hold around Kangin's neck and stared him in the eyes. 

 

“You are helping me save him.” Kyuhyun stated. It was clear to both parties that it was more of a command than a polite suggestion.

 

“How?” Kangin asked. He wasn't going to fight Kyuhyun on this. After everything he saw today, he felt he understood, to an extent, Kyuhyun's true feelings for Sungmin. He needed to help.

 

Kyuhyun thought for a moment. “Do you still have your gun?”