“We are going to bring you back home.”

I tell the kids as they eat their pizzas. Young seems to be too in love with pizza to pay any attention to me but Hana stills and then turns and looks up at me with wide eyes.

“I don’t want to go back there.” Hana whispers. “Please don’t bring us back to those mean man.”

“Honey, that’s not your home.” Ryeowook reaches across the table and gives a soft pat on her hand. “Home is where your mother and father is, where they will shower you with love.”

“Omma and appa?”

“Yes, you’re finally going back home.” I rub her back. “Are you excited?”

Hana stays silent. She looks bothered more than excited though to be honest. Could it that it’s because she has forgotten who her parents are? Or was she scared? I don’t think Young understands what is going on. Either that or he just doesn’t care. He ate two whole slices of pizza and he has another two more in both his hands. Ryeowook offered to cut them into smaller pieces but he shook his head, cutely asking if he could eat the big slice on his own. I’m more worried about Hana though. I hope she will tell us what is bothering her.

“Do you want to go home, Hana?” I ask silently. “Do you want to meet omma and appa?”

Hana shakes her head, truthfully telling me, “I don’t remember them.”

My heart clenches. Of course she doesn’t. I hang my arms around her and pull her close giving her a warm hug. She looks up at me and gives me a soft but sad smile and I can see her feelings right through her eyes. She’s scared but at the same time, I can see a little glimpse of hope swirling through her eyes. She still has hope that she’d find her happiness with her brother one day. And I promise I’ll bring her that.

“Eat up alright? We don’t want to be on an empty stomach.” I playfully tap her cheeks. “Young, do you like the pizza?”

“Yes!” Young answers with his mouth full, he lifts up the pizza he’s holding in his hand and grins. “Pizzwa!”

Once we are done, we head back to the car to continue our journey. We still have about a forty to fifty minute drive. In twenty minute, there are already soft snores coming from the backseat and I chuckle. Both the kids must have fallen asleep. I make a side glance and Ryeowook has fallen asleep too, his head resting against the window. I smile and cannot resist myself. I reach up and his cheeks lightly.

I have a confession to make. I have a crush on Ryeowook. I like him, like like. I’m gay and well, I know Ryeowook is biual. Or at least I hope so. He never tells me anything about his love life – partly because he doesn’t really have one- other than that one time when he had a short crush on Yoona. But… It’s Yoona. Come on! Every straight or biual guy have liked her at least once. But other than that, I don’t ever recall Ryeowook ever telling me who he found cute or hot or had a crush on. I, on the other hand, have been crushing on Ryeowook for… Years. It’s been torture. So painful. For years, I’ve drop hint after another but Ryeowook doesn’t seem to catch any of them. I touch him more than I touch the others, I protect him more than I should, I treat him like a boyfriend instead of a friend. But he never notices! It’s frustrating, it really is, but I cannot stop liking Ryeowook. I don’t know but there’s just an instant pull whenever it comes to Ryeowook. I’m attracted to everything he does.

I want to confess to Ryeowook. A part of me feels that Ryeowook has some romantic feelings for me too but another part of me tells me that if I do confess, I’ll not only make things awkward between Ryeowook and I but also within the whole of Super Junior. We’re the two main vocals and it’s important that we’re on good terms. I don’t know… I’m just so confused and scared. I don’t know if Ryeowook likes me and I don’t even know if Ryeowook wants a relationship. He views me as his close friend and I think that really is all. Ryeowook looks like the type that prefer guys that look more like Hyungsik or L from Infinite. I don’t know. I don’t think I’m good-looking enough for Ryeowook.

I drive into a neighborhood and poke Ryeowook, waking him up. He looks around and I ask him to read out the address for me so that I can follow the signboards. He gives me directions to the address and we end up stopping an old apartment building. The building looks dirty with algae and vandalism all over. I enter the car park and find a car park.

“Are you sure this is the place?” I ask, looking around.

“I’m sure it is.” Ryeowook nods.

There are a few man seating around the car park, smoking. They give Ryeowook and I a one of a kind look and I’m suddenly afraid for my car. I pray silently hoping that they don’t do anything stupid and steal my car or worse, damage it or something. Ryeowook must have known what I’m thinking because he gives me a squeeze on my arm.

“There are cameras here.” Ryeowook says pointing to the cameras. “Don’t worry.”

I nod and the both of us get out of the car and wake the kids up. They stir awake looking dazed and sleepy. Ryeowook adjusts their jackets and we help them out of their seat. They look so sleepy that Ryeowook and I just decide to carry the children. Ryeowook holds onto Young while I carry Hana. She’s so light, anyone would have doubt if she is already five years old. She hangs her arms around my neck and rests against my shoulders. I lock the car and make our way to the lobby. Ryeowook presses the elevator and he presses onto the third floor. Young yawns cutely and Ryeowook giggles softly, the boy’s hair.

“Almost home, Young ah.” Ryeowook says.

Once the elevator stops at the third floor, we step out and Hana struggles out of my arms. I put her down onto the group feeling a little disappointed. These kids are so adorable and I think that we bonded well while on the way here. But now that we’re almost near to their home, I feel a sense of dread. I don’t want these kids to leave.

“Hana, do you remember this place?” Ryeowook asks.

Hana looks around, her eyes shining. She shakes her head and links her fingers through mine all of a sudden. She steps closer to me and hugs my arms when she hears a loud thump coming from one of the houses we passed. The hallway smells of cigarettes so bad that Hana starts coughing. Not to mention that only a few lights work that the hallway look so dark and creepy from the graffiti on the walls. We stop outside a house and Ryeowook looks down at Hana.

“This is it.” Ryeowook says.

“Omma and appa hwere?” Young asks pointing at the door.

“y… yes.” Ryeowook suddenly sniffles and gives Young a kiss on his forehead. “Do you want to knock, baby?”

Young leans forward in Ryeowook’s arms and knocks lightly on the door. He knocks a few times and then quickly leans back to Ryeowook, hanging his arms around Ryeowook’s neck. Young’s smile is gone too and I wonder if the kid is confused with what is happening or that he just doesn’t want to part with Ryeowook. He looks comfortable with Ryeowook and he’s holding onto Ryeowook so tightly. Hana is doing the same too and I wonder if all this time, the kids have finally trusted us and found happiness in us. Ryeowook tries knocking again when there is no answer, this time a little louder and the door flies open.

“What the do you want?!”

A woman appears, wearing a really short shorts and a tight black shirt. She looks at us with an unamused look, waiting for us to respond.

“Umm… Hi.” Ryeowook says nervously. “Is Mdam Baek in?”

“You’re looking at her, kid.” She replies. “Who are you?”

“Ummm. I’m Ryeowook and this is Kyuhyun.” We both bow at her. “Mdam Baek… This is Young and Hana. They’re your children.”

Mdam Baek’s eyes goes wide. She looks from Ryeowook to me and then to the children. She’s frozen at the doorstep, expressionless. I don’t know if I’m being too judgmental but… This woman doesn’t look like a mother. She doesn’t even look like a mother who has lost their children for one and a half year.

“What’s all the noise out there?” Came a man behind her.

This time the man is big and muscularly. He’s only wearing a pair of jeans and a tank top and both his arms are filled with tattoos. He has a few gold chain around his neck and a lot of scars on his face. He looks downright scary that Hana pulls my arm and hides behind me and Young hides himself in the crook of Ryeowook’s neck.

“It’s Young and Hana.” Miss Baek tells the man.

“What?!” He replies and then narrows his eyes at us. “Where the did you bastards find them!?”

I quickly step up. “We found them on the road in Seoul. They were kidnapped before this.”

“No they were. Give us our children back!” Mdam Baek demanded trying to pull Young away from Ryeowook.

Young screams and starts to cry, his grip on Ryeowook tightening. Young’s mother tries hard to pry Young’s fingers off Ryeowook and succeeds and holds him towards her. The man glares at me and roughly pulls Hana into the house. The woman brings both their children into the house and disappears from our sight leaving her husband and us in the front.

“Listen kids, do you know who the kidnappers are?” He asks.

“Umm no.” Ryeowook replies. “But your kids were badly hurt when we found them. They’re still under therapy and needs to go back to the hospital every two weeks.”

Ryeowook reaches behind to his backpack and takes out a few pieces of paper. “These are their appointment information.”

The man rolls his eyes and roughly shoves the papers away. “The kids don’t need any stupid appointments.”

The screams and cries goes off louder in the house and I can sense Ryeowook stiffening. His expression changes as he stares at the man. The man looks like he just wants us to get the hell away but… I cannot. And I know Ryeowook can’t too. These adults… They don’t look like parent material. Hell, the mother herself shoved and roughly handled the kids earlier on. Ryeowook tiptoed around to look into the house and the man pushes Ryeowook, looking annoyed. Instinctively, I pull Ryeowook closer to me.

“What do you think you’re trying to do?” He raises his voice. “Get lost!”

“A thank you would be nice.” Ryeowook mutters and then gives him a stern look. “I want to see Young and Hana before we leave.”

The man grits his teeth, obviously irritated. He pushes the door and lets us in thinking that the sooner he let us see the kids the sooner we would leave. We step into his house, into the living room and Young and Hana runs from where they are seating to us, hugging our legs. Young is crying so badly that his face is all red and wet. Ryeowook bends down and picks him up, hugging him.

“Shhh baby, are you okay?” Ryeowook asks softly.

“I’m scwared.” Young answers.

I don’t have to ask Hana to know what she is feeling too. She’s holding onto me for her life and I hold her close to me, her hair. I take this opportunity to look around the house and it sickens me at how this place does not look like a house at all. There are plastic wrappers everywhere, dirty plates all piled up at the sink, the place smells terrible and it is not child-friendly at all. I’m starting to have second thoughts about bringing the kids back home.

“Do they have their own rooms, Mdam Baek?” Ryeowook asks nicely.

I’m not sure what Ryeowook’s intention are but he looks like he has something up his sleeve. I can literally see the flames of determination in Ryeowook’s eyes and I know there’s something going on right now in his mind.

“No, they don’t.” Mdam Baek answers quickly.

“Hmm… You must have been worried sick.” Ryeowook smiles.

“Yes… Well…. I didn’t think they were still alive when they took them from us.”

“Did you give up hoping that they would come back?”

“I…”She trailed off and then narrowed her eyes. “Don’t you boys have to go to work or something?”

Ryeowook catches my eyes, warning me to prepare for something. I don’t understand what he means but I just nod, playing along. “We…We’re actually the police.”

“!”

Everything suddenly comes to life, everything starts to happen in a blink of an eye. Mdam Baek abruptly stands up and runs to her husband and her husband suddenly takes out a freaking gun and points it at us. Ryeowook holds Young close to him and raises his free hand, breathing hard.

“Relax, relax.” He repeats. “Put your gun down and let’s talk first.”

I don’t know what the hell is going on. I want to move to protect Ryeowook but my feet don’t want to listen to me. My body does not want to move. I’m stuck and the only thing I can do is hold Hana close to me. Ryeowook steps forward toward the man and I want to scream and pull him back but again, I’m frozen. What the hell is Ryeowook doing?! Ryeowook suddenly attacks the guy and bites the arm that is holding the gun. The guy curses and points the gun upwards, accidentally shooting his ceiling. He hits Ryeowook but Ryeowook attacks him with his full body strength and he drops the gun, screaming in pain from having been bitten by Ryeowook. Ryeowook quickly runs and grabs the gun, before running towards the door.

“Kyu, let’s get out of here!!”