Semi was incredibly glad to find herself left alone to prepare for university the next morning.  Xiumin appeared, eye bags dark and looking absolutely shattered, when Jongin started using the doorbell to blast out the rhythm of the Party Rock Anthem.  As Xiumin opened the door, Semi saw him shaking his head and briefly caught sight of Jongin shuffling, still using one hand to mash the doorbell.  Semi was happy she could at least start the day with a laugh.

Her nerves about the upcoming chat she’d agreed to with Xiumin were clearly showing, though, because halfway through a seminar Jongin was pretending to take notes in, he poked her in the side with his pen and whispered “Wendy’s eyeing you like she thinks you’re going to pass out.”  Semi raised her head and managed to give Wendy a wan smile, only to receive a frown in return and a balled-up paper note from Tao asking if she was ill.  Chewing on the inside of her lip, Semi contemplated telling Jongin about what had transpired the previous night.  Telling Wendy would stress her more than it would help, and she wasn’t sure how the police would react.  Sehun she knew would be very unhappy about it.  Jongin was almost like a brother to her, though, and much more likely to be objective.  In the end, though, she passed up on it.

Jongin brought up the subject of Xiumin on the way home, though, as he decided to accompany her via public transport because Semi wanted to get some new piano music on the way.

“Something happened yesterday,” he said, “and Kyungsoo said it wasn’t on camera, so it was while you were babysitting at the Kangs’.  Is everything okay?  Do you need somebody to squat in the apartment with you?”

Semi sighed.  “I don’t think it was something bad… I’m just still wary.”

“What did he do?”

“In a nutshell, he apologised for being an a**hole and broke down in tears.”

Jongin raised an eyebrow.

“I know,” Semi muttered.  “I’m confused.”

“Do you believe him?”

“I don’t know.  But that’s irrelevant if I can’t trust him, isn’t it?”

Jongin considered for a moment or two and then gave a response halfway between a shrug and a nod.  “Stick to your guns, girl.  We’ve got your back.”

“I’d rather have your guns.”

Smirking, Jongin flexed his biceps and leaned in close.  “Which guns are you talking about, sweet thing?” he purred.

Laughing, Semi shoved his face away.  “Don’t even pretend to flirt with me, you tool.”

“We’ve had this conversation before.  I’m an awesome tool, not just any tool.”

“No, you’re just a tool.  I’m pretty sure we settled on that.”

Jongin clung to her arm.  “You’re so mean to me!” he protested melodramatically.  “What did I ever to do deserve this?”

“You spoke.”  Semi flicked his fingers playfully off her arm.

They were still bickering lightly when they reached the apartment door.

“Bye, snotface!” Jongin called down the corridor after her.  “I won’t miss you!”

“I won’t dream of you either, blubberworm!” Semi retaliated as she scanned herself in.  She almost tumbled into Xiumin on the other side of the door.  Taken aback, he steadied her and then put a good few feet between them, gnawing obviously on his bottom lip.  Semi raised her eyebrow at him with a hard expression.  From the way he fidgeted nervously under her gaze and went backwards and forwards in a small space a few times, she wondered exactly how long he’d been standing behind the door, whether he’d been waiting for her to return – which she figured he probably had been – and whether his fidgeting had manifested itself as pacing.

“What?” she demanded eventually.  His eyes snapped up to meet hers.

“Can we eat out?” he asked.  “I don’t want to talk in here.”

“You were fine with it last time.”

“I’m not this time.”

Semi glanced down at her shoes, which she hadn’t yet taken off, and then back up at him.  “What are you suggesting?”

He shrugged.  “Thai?  There’s supposed to be a pretty good place not far from here.  It’s next to a park.”

“I’d rather eat here and then go out.”

Xiumin instantly turned and headed for the kitchen.  “Let me just whip up something quick.”

“Something quick” was a stir-fry, and the meal was eaten in utter silence.  The second they were done eating, Xiumin whisked all the eating implements away and shoved them in the dishwasher.

“Let’s go,” he said.  “I’ll drive.  It’s really cold out.”

Semi didn’t even bother protesting about going in a car – it meant that the police would have a much better idea of what was going on for longer, and also that she could sit comfortably in the back and ignore him instead of walking more or less side by side.  Walking side by side, however, was exactly what they ended up doing when they reached the park.  Semi tried to hide her shiver in spite of three layers and a thick coat as she trudged along, but Xiumin noticed.

“Do you want my jacket?” he asked her, already shrugging out of it.  Semi waved the offer away, but instead of putting it back on, he kept it draped over his arm.  They continued walking in silence until they reached a bench, which Semi plopped herself down on without warning.  Even though it was dark, there were still a number of people walking out and about, and she didn’t want to have to talk while trying to navigate her way through bunches of slower walkers.

“You’re making me restless,” she told him bluntly.  “Just sit down and say what you have to say so we can go back.”

With a sigh, Xiumin put his jacket down on the bench and then lowered himself to the ground, putting his back against the seat.

“I’m not sure where to start,” he admitted, tilting his head as though he wanted to rest it against her knee but thought better of