The sun filtered through the tall windows of the library, basking the nearby shelves in soft, glowing light. Eunhyuk shuffled through the towering shelves, a book under his arm as he made his way towards an empty table. Sitting down, he eagerly opened his book and began reading. 

The library was one of his favourite places. It always made Eunhyuk feel safe and offered him an escape from reality. He knew nobody from school would ever set foot in here, as he knew that they'd think a public library too beneath them, and heck, they probably owned their own private library. Here, Eunhyuk was able to relax, the thousands of books giving him so many different worlds to escape to, letting him forget his own life for a while. For a while he could be someone else. He could explore new lands, battle ferocious monsters, save the land from warlords. For a short time he would be someone important, someone strong and charismatic. He would have friends and be accepted and for a while, he wouldn't feel so alone. 

Eunhyuk eyes leapt along the page of his book eagerly, teeth biting his lip anxiously as the protagonist faced off with his archenemies in a bloody battle of wills, a fight to the death which only one of them would walk away alive from. Hand poised to turn the page, he was interrupted by someone clearing their throat. 

"Excuse me, but do you mind if I sit there?" A boy with brown hair and round doe eyes asked, nodding to the empty chair beside Eunhyuk. 

He turned to the other, eyes beginning to narrow in irritation for being interrupted in the of his book, when with a start, he realized he recognized the doe-eyed boy. He often saw him around the library, and though they never actually talked to each other, whenever they'd pass each other in the aisles they would nod to each other. 

"Sure, go ahead," Eunhyuk said, smiling slightly before returning to his book. He heard the other murmur a thanks before moving to settle into his seat and opening his own book. 

They were quite for a while, the only sounds the flip of pages turning, when the boy spoke again. 

"Is that Dragon King?" 

Eunhyuk looked up and blinked at the other. "Yeah, it is." 

"Do you like it so far?" 

Eunhyuk nodded. "It's interesting." 

"The ending is really intense," the other boy informed him, a smile on his face. 

"Oh?" 

"Mmhm! Had me on the edge of my seat. There's a lot of twists that I never saw coming." He smiled, looking at the book almost fondly. "I'm sure you'll really enjoy it. In fact, I guarantee it!" 

Eunhyuk smiled back. "I'll take your word for it then. But what are you gonna do if I don't like it? How will you ever face me again?" 

The other boy laughed. "I'm sure I'll find a way," he said. "I'm Sungmin by the way." 

"I'm Eunhyuk." 

"Nice to finally meet you, Eunhyuk." At Eunhyuk's raised eyebrow Sungmin blushed. "Well, I mean, I see you around here a lot, but today's the first time we've actually talked." He paused. "I've actually been wanting to talk to you for a while now." 

Eunhyuk gazed at him with wide eyes. "You wanted to talk with me?" A hint of amazement lined his voice. 

Sungmin nodded. "You looked nice enough. And it's not everyday you meet a fellow bookworm the same age as you. I thought that maybe we could be friends." 

Eunhyuk gaped at him. 

Sungmin shifted uncomfortably under Eunhyuk's stare. "Well, I mean, only if you wanted to of course. I understand if you don't. After all you just met me and we're practically strangers and I'm probably coming off as a creep right now and-" Sungmin rushed out, looking like he wished the floor would swallow him up. 

"I - no," Eunhyuk stammered out, raising a hand to stop Sungmin's babbling. His mind spun at Sungmin's words. He wanted to be friends. With him. "I mean, I'd like that. Being your friend that is," Eunhyuk said. 

Sungmin grinned in relief. "Great! That would've been awkward otherwise." 

Eunhyuk laughed, nodding his head in agreement. "You were awfully pink. I've never seen anyone turn that pink so fast in my life." 

"Shut up," Sungmin grumbled, embarrassed, and sent Eunhyuk a scowl, which Eunhyuk returned with a cheeky grin. A smile formed on Sungmin's lips. "Was I really that bad?" 

~~~~ 

The breeze stirred the leaves, causing them to rustle in the morning light. Eunhyuk found his eyes fixated on them, watching in fascination as one of the leaves broke off from the branch, quickly twirling away on the breeze. Eunhyuk was struck with the sudden desire to fly away with it. 

With a sigh, Eunhyuk hiked his backpack higher up on his shoulder and reluctantly turned his attention back to the figure in front of him, who was watching him with an amused smile. Eunhyuk felt like punching the smile off his face. 

"You're not doing anything tonight, right? Wanna go do something?" Kyuhyun asked. 

Eunhyuk shook his head as he walked past him. "No thanks." 

"C'mon, Eunhyuk! It'll be fun," Kyuhyun protested, hurrying after Eunhyuk. "We can go to the arcade, maybe get something to eat." 

"No thanks," he repeated more firmly, "I have things to do." 

Eunhyuk felt his patience wanning as Kyuhyun continued to needle him. He wished Kyuhyun would just leave him alone. Though he no longer felt the burning desire to hurt him every time he saw the other, and began to speak to him again, that didn't mean he wanted to hang around the other. Something which Kyuhyun didn't seem to understand. He was still hell bent on convincing him that he was sincere in his apology and continued to tail him like a shadow at school, even after 7 weeks. 

If he was being honest with himself, Eunhyuk was impressed, and maybe even a little bit flattered, that Kyuhyun still hadn't given up yet. It filled him with hope that maybe their friendship had meant something to Kyuhyun too, and not just himself, that maybe he was actually important to the other. The hope he felt scared Eunhyuk. He didn't want to be taken for a fool again, to be hurt again. 

Disappointment shone in Kyuhyun's eyes when they reached the school and he still refused. 

"Next time then." Kyuhyun said. 

Eunhyuk hummed non-committedly as he walked through the school doors. Immediately, he felt all eyes on him as he walked to his locker. The stares felt like daggers, cutting into Eunhyuk, as the narrowed eyes and jeers followed him down the hall. Beside him, Kyuhyun stared determinedly in front of him, ignoring all the jeers. Eunhyuk couldn't help but reflect on Kyuhyun who, just 2 months ago, had been cowering under the slew of taunting. The change was almost enough to give Eunhyuk whiplash. 

Maybe he really is serious in wanting to be friends again. 

They froze once they reached Eunhyuk's locker. 

Kyuhyun pursed his lips but stayed silent as they regarded Eunhyuk's locker, which was covered in insults written in sharpie. Eunhyuk quickly unlocked his locker and grabbed his books before slamming his locker shut and hurrying away, ignoring the way his heart twisted in his chest. 

~~~~ 

Eunhyuk rushed across the third floor, books clutched tightly in his hand as he headed towards his 3rd period class on the second floor. The stairs were right in front of him when he felt unforgiving hands clamp onto his back and push. His eyes screwed shut as he tumbled down the stairs, landing in a painful heap at the bottom. 

"Go back to the poor house, freak," a voice yelled, before laughing coldly and running off. 

Eunhyuk laid still for a moment, head spinning and body numb, trying to come to terms with what had happened. Someone had pushed him down the stairs. A choked sob escaped his lips as he stared up at the ceiling. Someone, some kid he didn't know, hated him enough to push him down the stairs. 

After a few moments he collected himself. Slowly, he stood up, grabbed his books that fell nearby, and began to walk to class. After he took his first step, his ankle flared in pain and sent him to the ground again with a hiss. After a few moments the pain subsided, and he slowly stood up again. Hand against the wall, he learned into it as he walked, trying to take as much weight off his foot as he could. Slowly but surely, he made his way down the hall, the back of his eyeballs stinging. 

~~~~ 

"Eunhyuk!" Kyuhyun exclaimed as he burst through the doors of the nurse's office. His eyes landed on Eunhyuk's immediately, and he rushed over to him. 

"Are you okay?" He asked, scanning Eunhyuk's body stretched out on the bed. He eyes rested on his foot that was wrapped in bandages. He stared at it for a moment, eyes turning dark with an unnamed emotion, before turning back to meet Eunhyuk's eyes. 

"I'm fine," Eunhyuk answered. When Kyuhyun continued to look at him, disbelieving, he added, "It's just a sprained ankle. Nothing life threatening." 

Kyuhyun's gaze burrowed into Eunhyuk's, his dark eyes intent and laced with worry. Eunhyuk felt his throat close, his stomach during weird flips at the look. Face turning red, Eunhyuk cleared his throat and looked away, feeling angry at himself for reacting this way. It was Kyuhyun, for Pete's Sake, the person who caused him so much pain. But he looks really worried. He honestly cares about you. 

"They'll pay for this," Kyuhyun growled, his hand clenching into a fist. 

Eunhyuk just shook his head. "Don't, Kyuhyun." 

Kyuhyun spluttered. "But Eunhyuk! They hurt you!" 

"It's not the first time I've been hurt." 

Kyuhyun flinched, face twisting in guilt. 

"This is different, Eunhyuk. There's a difference between roughing someone up and pushing someone down the stairs. They could've seriously hurt you!" Kyuhyun clenched his fist so tightly, Eunhyuk could see blood welling in his palm. "If something happened to you Eunhyuk, if you got really hurt, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself." 

"Why do you care?" Eunhyuk asked softly. 

Kyuhyun froze, meeting Eunhyuk's stare. "Why do I- why do I care?" Kyuhyun repeated. 

Eunhyuk nodded. 

"I care because I'm your friend, Eunhyuk," Kyuhyun said, staring sincerely into Eunhyuk's eyes. "Though I know you don't consider me a friend, not after what I've done to you, you have, and you always will be my friend." 

Eunhyuk said nothing, just stared at the floor, unable to speak. The room was silent for a few moments before Kyuhyun stood up abruptly. He stared at Eunhyuk's bandaged foot before meeting Eunhyuk's gaze. 

"I'll be back," he said, taking one last glance at Eunhyuk's foot before leaving the room in a whirl of anger. 

~~~~ 

Kyuhyun stormed down the halls. It was lunch time, and he knew where Heechul and the others would be. He'd been friends with them for years, after all. 

Disgust filled Kyuhyun at the thought. How could he have been friends with them? How could he have willingly hurt others? How could he have been so blind? His thoughts drifted back to Eunhyuk, laying alone in the nurses room in pain. Anger filled Kyuhyun's vision with red. He kicked open the school's side door, and there he saw them, leaning up against the brick wall of the side of the building. 

At the sound of the door banging open, Heechul and Kangin looked over. 

"What do you want?" Heechul asked, his eyes narrowing. 

Kyuhyun said nothing. 

This was going to end. Now. 

~~~~ 

Eunhyuk struggled with his crutch as he tried his best to hurry down the hall. After Kyuhyun had left, he had a bad feeling worming away in his stomach. The glint that had been in his eyes had screamed trouble. 

Arriving at the door that led outside to where he knew Heechul and his cronies ate lunch sometimes, he braced himself and pushed it open. What he saw on the other side of the door left his stomach clenching in fear. 

Kyuhyun laid on the ground, battered and blooded, Heechul and Kangin looking over him with smug expressions. "Thought you could take us on all by yourself, Kyuhyun?" Heechul sneered, glaring down at the boy beneath him. "As if. You were never a match for us." 

Heechul sent one last kick before walking away, earning a groan from Kyuhyun, his laugh echoing behind him. Kangin stayed behind a beat longer, looking down at Kyuhyun with a blank expression. "You should've known better, Kyuhyun." He turned around and caught up to Heechul. 

Once Eunhyuk was sure they were gone, he raced to Kyuhyun's side as fast as he could. He dropped to the floor beside him, hissing in pain as his ankle made contact with the pavement, and scooped Kyuhyun's mattered head off the cold, hard pavement and into his lap. 

A black eye now sported Kyuhyun's handsome face, as well as fat, purple bruises. Gingerly, Eunhyuk wiped away the blood that trailed down from his mouth. Kyuhyun's eyes fluttered open at his touch. His eyes met with Eunhyuk's, filled with guilt and pain. 

"I'm sorry, Eunhyuk," he whispered hoarsely as tears slipped from his eyes, "I couldn't do it. I failed." 

Eunhyuk shook his head. "It's okay, Kyuhyun. It's not your fault." 

"But it is! It's all my fault!" He argued, fully sobbing now. "You got hurt and I couldn't do anything to stop it." 

"I'm so sorry, Eunhyuk. I'm so sorry," Kyuhyun repeated, over and over, a hoarse whisper as great heaves racked his body. 

"It's okay, Kyuhyun. It's okay. I forgive you," Eunhyuk said, his own tears falling from his face with resounding plops on the pavement. 

And it was true, he did forgive Kyuhyun. Forgave him for bullying him, for betraying him. For forgetting him. For the boy in his arms was still the same little boy from all those years ago, the same person he had first fallen in love with. The same boy who vowed to protect him. Whose still trying to protect him.