The hot water was boiling in the kettle. I was standing in front of the stove, leaning against the kitchen counter to ease the pain in my leg, and watching the hot white steam going up to the ceiling. The house was slowly warming up and I was glad the boiler was working well. I didn´t have any more strength to cut wood and stuff like that. Waking up from the comfortable trance I took the kettle down and filled the paper cup with instant noodles with the hot water.

I sat down on the old sofa and took out the laptop from my bag. I opened it on the coffee table and while the noodles were cooking I put on a random movie. It started raining outside and the temperature went down gradually. The main room in the hut wasn´t heating up very quickly but I expected this much already. I brought a soft blanket from the bedroom and cocooned myself with it. Only my head and my right hand were peeking out so I could watch the movie and eat.

Around eight I was already getting tired. But I should prepare in case I had a visit in the morning. The police would probably look into our family properties, if I haven´t hidden in one of them. Sighing I began with the preparations. I turned off the heating because I felt warmed up already and the lights or warm temperature would give me out. Then I cleaned all the mess I made in the kitchen and living room. There wasn´t much anyway. I hid my bag, clothes and even shoes in the wardrobe and opened all the curtains. Why? The police wouldn´t need to open the door and check if anyone is inside if they had a clear view of the whole place from the windows.

Lastly I wrapped myself in three blankets and hid under the table. I made previously sure that the angle, when looking from the outside, didn´t allow anyone to see under the table. The summer hut was too obvious hiding place that I was almost sure that during tomorrow or the day after the latest somebody would come looking for me. But if they don´t find me, they would give up and search somewhere else, thus I would have my long awaited peace. At least until the second round of searching would start. By that time I hoped I would already have a better plan what to do with my life.

I was dozing off, thinking about my future. Where do I go? Maybe somewhere abroad but they won´t let me through, right? Maybe I could go secretly on a boat to Japan and stay with the Korean minority there. Nobody would ever find me and they would stop looking for me eventually. I sighed not really like this plan. It would work but I wasn´t really ready to tear myself completely away from this land. But do I have a right to be picky now? I´m not sure but I do have the right to want to be happy. That´s what matters the most. I bit my lip feeling pained by asking myself questions I´m not supposed to at my age. I was about to go and drink a glass of water to calm myself down when I heard a noise coming from the outside.

Already? I have to stay still. There was a sound of a very familiar motorbike. Kim Heechul? Is that even possible? Why him, why now, why even? I was panicking on the inside and tried to persuade myself that the sound actually wasn´t what I thought it was. Unfortunately it was impossible to deny what was apparent.

“Lee Hyukjae, are you there?!” The cat lover´s annoyed voice boomed through the quiet place.

The man jumped down from his bike as the water splashed when his heavy boots hit the ground. Then I heard footsteps coming closer until they stopped in front of the door. Heechul knocked a few times and getting no response, he decided to take a look inside. He walked around the hut and I heard him stop a few times. From the sound I guessed it was near the windows so he could check inside but everytime he failed to spot me and in the end he gave up altogether. Why does it make me disappointed? It´s going according to my plan and Heechul is returning home. I´ll be here alone again. I heard the engine boost and soon the hut became silent. Alone again.

I curled into a small ball and squeezed my eyes tight. I was able to admit it to myself; I was hoping he would find me. I wanted somebody to look for me, to solve the problems for me, to notice me. I felt my eyes burn; I was on the verge of crying when the sound of the motorbike returned. Why? Again the splash and knocking on the door. This time I couldn´t hold it anymore and awkwardly struggled out of the blanket cocoon. I hit my head on the table but I didn´t care, I was in hurry. I ran to the door and unlocked it. I opened it widely breathing heavily, talk about being dramatic.

“I knew you would be here,” Kim Heechul said quietly. It was the first sentence since our fight yesterday.

He was drenched from the rain, frozen because he yet again didn´t wear proper clothes. It wasn´t raining hard anymore but the drizzle wasn´t any more pleasant. The sound of the forest and lake nearby were apart from my panicked breaths the only sounds. We were both frozen in the place, I in the doorway and Heechul in the rain. Our eyes were locked so strongly that it didn´t seem like they would unlock any time soon. But opposite to usually, we weren´t having a mental battle. We were trying to convey things we were unable to do through the talk. We had a hard time communicating but right now it was consequential for me to make him understand. I was breaking from the inside but the outside shell was too firm to crack. I could crumble inside and only the empty shell would be left. Save me, you idiot! I cried but I wasn´t sure whether someone like Kim Heechul would be able to hear me.

“We really need to do something about this communication stuff,” the elder said and stepped forward.

Heechul spread his arms and forced me against his chest. I didn´t protest, though, and let him hug me tight. I put my chin on his shoulder and he began my blonde hair with his long fingers. I sighed in comfort. The exhaustion came suddenly all over me and I relaxed in his arms. I didn´t understand why this person that so openly hated me felt so safe and comfortable. Maybe I simply reached my limits. Japan? What a joke, this was as far as I could run.

“Let´s go inside,” Heechul spoke up and fast began ordering me around, “you start the heating and make us a tea or cocoa or whatever, I´m freezing.” He broke the hug and invited himself.

With one hand he closed the door behind us but the other was surprisingly still entangled in my blonde locks. He must have been hesitating whether it was right to let go or not. The gesture was really nice so I made it easy for him and started walking towards the kitchen counter, naturally his hand fell down and he was released. I heard him sigh behind me and then walk to the bedroom.

“Can I borrow you father´s spare clothes? I´m totally wet,” he yelled at me.

For a second I wasn´t really sure, if that would be a good idea but I could already hear him open the wardrobe. My clothes wouldn´t fit him and I didn´t need him to fall sick again. Nope, better if he borrows something. “You can,” I called back after a while and continued making the cocoa. I was craving some hot milk anyway.

Just when I was putting down the cups with the sweet treat, Heechul came back wearing my father´s sweatpants and hoodie. I was scared it would smell like him and I would feel bad but instead the clothes had the smell of old wood and humidity they gained by being stored in the hut. I sighed in relief; the last I would want would be getting emotional over something like this.

“It´s pretty cold, you turned off the heating on purpose, didn´t you?” Heechul said after sitting next to me on the sofa.

“Yeah, and it worked,” I chuckled a little weakly and stood up. I crouched down and pulled the blankets from under the table to cover the both of us. Heechul only shook his head after finding out where I slept. “Why did you return, tho?” I couldn´t help but ask.

“I´m not sure you will believe me,” Heechul sighed playing with his cup, “but I could feel it down my fingers. You had to be here, Hyukjae,” he looked me in the eyes and put his hand on his chest. Sixth sense, huh. And you say I´m weird.

Hi! Another update. After reading your coments, I guess I would surprise you in the future a little. An action is coming too. :) Enjoy and thank you! - PandaHero