"Why?" He demanded into the darkness of his bedroom. "Why Kyuhyun? Why'd you have to do that?" 

Eunhyuk glared up at his ceiling, as if expecting it to be able to give him answers. He had been lying in his bed the better part of the night. Sleep evaded him as his mind churned and spun in all different directions as he tried to come to terms with Kyuhyun breaking off their friendship. 

"Was that really the only option? Was it really so bad being my friend? We could have made it if we had stuck together. Could've stood up to them," he ranted. 

"You couldn't have toughed it out a bit longer? I've been bullied my whole life. Why couldn't you have just ignored it. Gosh, you are so weak, Kyuhyun." Eunhyuk slammed his fist into the mattress and angerily flipped over onto his side, turning his glare to the wall. 

"You don't want to be friends anymore? Fine. In fact, I'll do even better. I'll forget about you," he declared. "You hear me, Kyuhyun? From this moment onward, I, Lee Eunhyuk, will forget about you."

He nodded confidently and told himself that the pain he felt in his heart wasn't there, ignored how it clenched painfully in his chest.

"I don't need you. I don't need anyone. I'm better off on my own," he declared.

Eunhyuk was silent for a long while. Emotions swirled inside him, sending his emotions spirling all over the place. He switched from angry to sad to vengful to understanding. His head spinning, he found himself remembering the short time that he and Kyuhyun had been friends. All the times they had eaten lunch together. All the times they laughed together. He remembered the time the two had gone to the movies together. How their hands had touched in the popcorn bucket. He could easily remember how fast his heart had been beating then and how hot his face had felt. He remembered how they would treat each others wounds when the bullying had turned particularly rough, the gentle smiles they shared. Remembered the tense atmosphere that had decended upon them near the end. 

"How am I supposed to forget about you, Kyuhyun? Me, whose in love with you," Eunhyuk whispered, his voice thick with unshed tears.

~~~~

He was afraid to open his eyes. Afraid of what he knew he would see. Afraid to face reality. 

Slowly his eyes creaked open and with them, any false hopes he may have had vanished. "Life was really too cruel," He thought bitterly to himself as his eyes focused on the three standing in front of him, their leering faces filling up his vision. Kangin. Heechul. And there, staring at him with those all too familiar eyes, Kyuhyun. 

"It hurts so much I can't even breathe."

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the freak," Kangin sneered. 

"We haven't seen you in a little while. Did you have a good weekend?" Heechul asked, feigning niceness. "Look, we brought you a present." With a smirk, he guestured to Kyuhyun. "Your friend, Kyuhyun! Go on, talk to him. We brought him just for you."

Eunhyuk stood still. His gut clenched painfully while Kyuhyun's cold eyes stared at him, as if he was a stranger. 

"You guys are friends, right?" Heechul asked in mock confusion.

Noticing Eunhyuk's pained expression, Heechul's grin grew, his eyes glinting sadisticly. 

"Oh yeah, that's right. Silly me, I totally forgot. Kyuhyun called it off, right? Decided you weren't worth it and came back to us." Heechul laughed meanly.

"Tell me, how does it feel to have no friends? To know that nobody actually likes you?" 

Eunhyuk flinched. He could hear a ring of truth in Heechul's words, and it hit Eunhyuk like a slap in the face. Because it was true, wasn't it? He didn't have any friends. Nobody liked him, the bullying throughout his life was testamount to that. Everywhere he went, he was greeted with scorn. Even when he had thought he had finally gained a friend, it turned out it was just a lie, only ended up hurting him.

Kangin sauntered up to where he stood, an ugly expression on his face as he pulled his arm back, eyeing Eunhyuk's face. However, before he could make the punch, Heechul raised his hand.

"Hold on a minute, let's give Kyuhyun the honours of having the first punch. It can be a way of celebrating Kyuhyun's return to us."

Heechul gazed at Kyuhyun expectantly, a challenge in his eyes. Kyuhyun's jaw clenched but he didn't move, his eyes clouded.

"What's wrong, lover boy? Afraid of hurting your boyfriend?" Kangin taunted.

Kyuhyun's eyes cleared. He squared his shoulders. "No way. I hate him." 

Eunhyuk felt himself numb. Kyuhyun...hated him? Kyuhyun, who always ate lunch with him, hated him? Who smiled with him, laughed with him? A wave of nausea swept over him as his eyes lost focus. Not wanting to be friends was one thing, but hating him?

Quick as lightening, before Eunhyuk could even so much as blink, Kyuhyun's fist flew at his face. Staggering backward, hands clenching his nose and his vision going fuzzy, he was unprepared for the kick aimed at his legs and fell backwards onto his heavily. 

Eunhyuk stared up at Kyuhyun, a feeling of betrayal layering his gut. How could Kyuhyun so easily return to Heechul and the others side? So easily bully him again? Did their friendship mean nothing to him? 

Anger prickled his skin as he glared at Kyuhyun. "Why are you doing this? We were friends!" Eunhyuk demanded, the hurt in his voice evident.

Kyuhyun's eyes flickered with guilt as he met Eunhyuk's stare and he quickly looked away.

Snickers were heard, and Heechul clapped Kyuhyun on the shoulder. "Like Kyuhyun would ever actually be friends with someone like you," Heechul chuckled. "Don't you know? The only reason why he was nice to you was because he pitied you."

Eunhyuk stared at Kyuhyun, his eyes wide, silently begging him to say it wasn't true. That their friendship had been real.

Kyuhyun merely stared at him, his eyes dark and unreadable. 

It hurt. It hurt a lot. He wished Kyuhyun would say something, anything. Anything but this silence. Even if it was to confirm his worst fears, Eunhyuk thought that it wouldn't hurt as much as his silence. It was as if Kyuhyun didn't care. 

"Look at him," Kangin sneered, bending down and peering into Eunhyuk's face. "He looks so pathetic. Its a wonder you put up with him so long, Kyuhyun."

Kangin laughed as he straightened and shoved Eunhyuk onto his back. Eunhyuk winced as his head bounced off the concrete. Kangin placed a foot on Eunhyuk's ribs, a sadistic smile sporting his face as he began to apply his weight. Eunhyuk wheezed as he felt all the air leave his lungs, his ribs feeling as if they would break when Kangin lifted his foot only to slam it back down. 

Pain filled Eunhyuk, and he looked up at Kyuhyun with wide eyes, silently asking him to help. Kyuhyun stared at him, his face dark before pointedly looking away.

It felt as if someone stabbed him in the heart. Twisted the knife and left it there, forever cutting into him.

Kangin stepped off of Eunhyuk snickering and kicked him once again for good measure before moving to stand by Heechul and Kyuhyun. 

Heechul observed Eunhyuk as he gasped on the ground. He shook his head. 

"How our school let someone like him enroll is beyond me. Trash like him bring down the standing of our prestigious school," Heechul commented as he looked down his nose at Eunhyuk.

"You and your family should just go back to whatever hick town you came from. No body wants you here," Kangin added.

Eunhyuk lay still on the ground. Blood ran down his face from his nose, slowly dripping down into the pavement. He could feel eyes stare at him, silently judging him.

"Speaking of family," Heechul said, "Kyuhyun told me you have two younger siblings. Twins, right? They must be adorable."

Eunhyuk's eyes widened in panic. He glared at Kyuhyun accusingly. The brunette's eyes were wide in surprise. He sent Eunhyuk a guilty look.

How could you tell them about the twins? Whatever your problem is with me, Kyuhyun, how could you be stupid enough to get the twins involved?

"It would be a shame if something were to happen to them, wouldn't it?" Heechul said menicingly. His threat hung unsaid in the air.

Eunhyuk felt the first stirings of anger well up inside him, wild and dark with his panic. His fists clenched at his sides, his nails drawing blood. It dripped slowly down his palm, but he paid it no notice.

Eunhyuk didn't care what they did to him. They could do whatever they wanted. But Eunhyuk would never let anything happen to his family. They were the only happiness he had in his life, and there was no chance in hell he would let them get hurt. 

"Don't worry though, we wouldn't hurt them too much. Maybe a few kicks, a good shove or two," Kangin said.

Looking at Heechul's sadistic smirk, at Kangin's grin, at Kyuhyun standing there, letting it all happen, Eunhyuk felt something inside him snap. With Kangin's words echoing in his head, he could feel rage building in him, ugly and bubbling and sinister, clouding his thoughts until his vision was tainted red.

He sprung to his feet, wounds forgotten as andrenline fueled him. Brining his arm back, he slammed his fist into Kangin's surprised face. A resounding crack filled the air, and Kangin staggered backward with a strangled yell, his hands clenching his nose as it gushed blood. Not missing a beat, Eunhyuk aimed a kick at his stomach, sending the still dazed teen sprawling onto his back on the pavement. A loud, drawn out moan escaped Kangin's lips.

Eunhyuk spun on the balls of his feet and faced Heechul and Kyuhyun, who regarded him in astonisment and fear. Crouching, Eunhyuk's eyes glinted dangerously as he stared at the two. 

"Come on then, let's see what you got. Or are you too scared?" Eunhyuk taunted, his voice rough. 

Heechul's eyes narrowed at the insult and with an angry yell, he sped towards Eunhyuk, his fist poised and ready to strike. Ducking, the fist whizzed past Eunhyuk's head. Taking advantage of the other's outstretched arm, Eunhyuk stepped close to Heechul, and with a spin, elbowed him in the face. Hard. 

Heechul screamed, his hands clamping over his nose. With angry tears, he made another pass at Eunhyuk, his fist thundering towards Eunhyuk once again. Eunhyuk easily dodged it, as well as the other punch sent his way, and manuoved himself so he was standing behind the tall male, a foot inbetween his legs. Quick as lightening, Eunhyuk pulled his foot, and Heechul fell, but not before Eunhyuk was able to get one punch in at the back of his neck. Heechul landed on the pavement in a heap, spluttering and coughing. 

He turned to Kyuhyun, who stood weairly, his eyes as dark and unreadable as ever. Eunhyuk moved to punch him, his body practically buzzing with anger, when he stopped and slowly lowered his arm. Kyuhyun watched him in confusion

"I can't do it. Not when it's you," he explained soflty, his fist clenched at his side. He was angry at himself for not being able to punch Kyuhyun. He wanted to, oh he wanted to. But he couldn't.  Out of respect for the Kyuhyun of the past, he would not hurt him. Even if he was a jerk. 

Eunhyuk angerily turned back to Heechul, pinning the other with a glare. Heechul looked up at Eunhyuk, his eyes fearful. Eunhyuk stared at him, his eyes alight with rage. 

"Don't ever threaten my family again. Don't ever come near them. Don't ever talk about them. Don't even think about them. If I find out you've touched so much as a hair on their head, I will find you," Eunhyuk snarled. 

Heechul nodded hurridly, his eyes large. Eunhyuk spun on his heel and walked away, sending Kyuhyun one last glare as he did. 

He made it until he got a block away before he collapsed against a wall and silently sobbed as his adreninline faded away and his nerves took over.