“Hyung?” I knocked on the door of the bedroom. “Are you awake, hyung?” I called so softly again. “It´s already eleven o´clock, do you still feel sick?” Once again I tried but no answer from the locked door.

I can´t believe that a man like him can behave so childishly. Isn´t he around thirty already? You know, I´m quite tolerant and know how to withstand these emotional types, my mom was like that too, but this is going too far. It´s almost time for preparing lunch and the cook yet has to climb out of his bedroom.

If you expect me to say that it is my fault that the elder is sulking, forget it. It´s true, I ate his last cupcake because it was delicious and especially because it was his last cupcake. Kim Heechul made me a little mad. I´ve realised it way at the beginning that I´m no friend to him, that he thinks of me as if I was someone lower, someone less than human. Usually he forgets the fact but when he reminds himself, he gains that cold attitude towards me and tries to make me succumb to him. As if I would let him! I´m more human than he is! Yep, that´s why I ate the cupcake. Unfortunately since then he hasn´t come out of his room.

“Okay, do whatever you want,” I gave up and stomped away. Well, stomp wouldn´t be the right word, more like angrily shuffled away. My knee was getting better but I wouldn´t dare to stomp with it.

Talking about that, I was preparing for another escape. I thought I would need more time but since the old man is hiding in his room, it´s the perfect chance for me. I need to get out no matter what. I can tell that Heechul hates me and although Leeteuk was nothing but kind towards me, I could feel that he had a pretty serious side too. I didn´t feel safe here, not at all.

Not getting any response from the cat lover, I decided to take my plan into the motion. My bag was already packed so all I needed to do was to pick it up and get out of the house. From then on it would be easy. I slapped my cheeks to get rid of the nervousness and took a deep breath. Then I tiptoed to my room and took the bag only to tiptoe with it back to the main hall. There I put on my shoes, this time tying them properly, and my warm jacket. I stopped to listen to the sounds but didn´t hear anything except for the TV playing. I let it switched on on purpose so it would look like I was in the living room.

“Thank you, Heechul,” I whispered for myself looking towards the bedroom door.

For the last time I made sure it was safe and then unlocked the door. Quietly I left the house with the bag on my shoulder. Now I had to be quick and precise, a lot was at stake here. If I were caught on my third run, I would surely get punished severely. No, I had to be strong and save myself so I could live according to my own accord in the future. I wouldn´t let anyone hold me back or call me names.

While Heechul was at work yesterday, I managed to heck with my laptop on his locked Wi-Fi. I looked up the buses and trains and downloaded a map of this suburb. I worked really hard to make the plan flawless and to have at least one escape route for every wrong possibility that could happen. So now when I was finally out of the house, I knew perfectly which way to go.

“A ticket to the train station,” I told the woman at the information desk. She was looking at me strangely which was normal. At this time I should be at school and not buying a ticket to the train station with a huge bag over my shoulder. Anyone could find me suspicious like that, if I didn´t already thought of that beforehand: “And could you give me a receipt too? Grandpa said, he would pay me back the travel expenses since I´m coming to help him.”

“Such a filial grandson,” the lady suddenly smiled totally eating my lie.

Twenty minutes later I was already sitting on the bus on my way to the city centre and the main train station. I was watching the empty streets behind the glass. It was mid-day so it was still far from the rush hour, the best time for an escape. If Heechul realises I´m missing late enough, he might end up stuck in the traffic jam and the possibility he would get to me in time shrinks greatly. I might be able to succeed.

In the train station was enough people for me to disappear in the crowd. People didn´t notice a suspicious teenager with a bag over his shoulder, instead they busied themselves with whatever they had to. It was to the extent that none of the cashiers noticed me buying a different ticket from each. It was an important distraction tactic. It cost me a lot of expenses but it was necessary for me to higher my chances. Just as my next step. I found an ATM and took out every single won from my bank account. I was sure they would freeze the account soon and was even surprised that it haven´t happened yet. My last stop before getting on the train was at the convenience store where I bought a few necessities that surely won´t be stored at the summer hut.

Yes, that was my destination. It was the safest place I could use right now. I´m sure it won´t take the police too long to find me there but I hope it will be long enough for me to come up with a better plan. For now I needed solitude where I could think clearly. After meeting Kim Heechul and Leeteuk, even more questions popped up and I was more confused with myself than ever before.

The train arrived to the third platform and I hopped on. I went through the wagon until I found my place in the coupé number six. A woman was already sitting there so I greeted her politely and sat down next to the window, on the opposite side of the coupé. I put my bag on the empty seat next to me and turned to look out of the window.

“Where are you going, young man?” The lady asked me out of nowhere and not wanting to be impolite I answered.

“To help my grandpa on the countryside,” I lied to her. It was the smartest to stick to one story as to not confuse yourself when lying repeatedly.

“You are a nice grandson then,” she smiled at me and I felt a little regretful that I couldn´t return the smile. It became very hard for me to smile or display any kind of happiness. It would get better with time I hope. “Tell me,” she continued, “what is your dream, young man. Who are you going to be in the future?”

“I don´t know anymore,” I told her honestly. It was only an old lady in the train I would never meet again in my life. It was easy to open up and be honest with a stranger. A granny on top of that.

“How so?” The old lady inquired her face filled with compassion.

“I had a big dream but it can no longer be fulfilled no matter how much I want,” I bit my lip and looked out of the window. I didn´t want to cry, not here, not like that. “I wanted to become someone, who would be able to support the people I care for.”

I´ve dreamt of becoming the pillar of my frail family. The relationship between our family members has never been good, not even between my parents. I had my grandparents, aunt, uncle and a few more relatives left but none of them wanted to have anything to do with me. The fights were something usual and more than once it was because of me. So my biggest dream was to become a wealthy and more importantly a honest person. I would support the family and make them think differently.

“Why are you giving up then?” The granny opened a box and stretched her arm so I could take a cookie from the box. I hesitated at first but in the end reached out and took one.

“They are all dead,” I told her and bit from the cookie. It was delicious and I munched it down in one go. It was good because the lady didn´t know what to say to me and without the munching sound it would be painfully quiet.

“I´m sorry to hear that,” she in the end said and gave me a sincere smile.

“It´s alright, I´m not going to give up my life or anything,” I reassured her although it wasn´t really needed from me to do. I just felt like I shouldn´t worry this old lady because she looked like a nice person and surely my sad story would ruin her day.

“I´m glad, you are too young for giving up,” she chuckled and I wondered if she was reminiscing about her own youth, “and although it may sound a little harsh, I´m sure you will find another dream for yourself.” I glanced up at her probably too hopefully because the lady added one more sentence: “Or you may find another person to protect.” Yes, please. I don´t like to be alone.

Slowly the train arrived to my station. I bowed deeply to the old woman and wished her a good ride. The lady, though, had a better idea and forced me to take the box with cookies with me. It didn´t take me very long to lose the argument with her and so when I was standing on the platform and waving at the lady behind the window, I was holding the box with chocolate sweets in my hand. And when the train sped up and was almost invisible on the horizon I felt my lips twitch upwards.

Yosh! I pulled the bag over my shoulder again and started walking towards the local bus station, a single bus stop. Only a few moments and I´ll be finally there, only a few moments and I would be able to relax. Maybe this was what I actually needed. Just a little of someone´s time when he would tell me how strong I am and that everything would be alright. We didn´t speak too much and we didn´t even know each other, hell we won´t probably ever seen each other but she knew. She knew what I needed to hear and she even made me say it. Without any force I told her they were ´dead´. The word I was avoiding like plague for these past few days. And it took only a cookie to make me smile.

Why couldn´t you talk to me like that too, Kim Heechul?

Hi! So the situation got more complicated once again! You didn´t think Hyukjae would give up runnying away, did you? :P Thanks for reading and have a nice day - PandaHero