Steam rose from the mug of tea as Kim Kibum stirred the liquid with a toothpick. He sat in the recliner chair, barely listening to the nasely weatherwoman announce the upcoming weather, when, suddenly, like the breaking of an old piano string when strummed one time too many, Key snapped.

this, he thought as he stood from the chair, slamming the glass of tea on the table and ignoring the way it burned as it splashed up onto his hand. He swiped his father's credit card off his desk in his office, and grabbed his coat, heading for the door.

Friday night in Seoul was buzzing as Key walked swiftly towards his favorite diner, Paulie's. His breath escaped his mouth in small, white puffs of clustered air, captured by the cold of late fall, and he strode with purpose. This was the fifth time that month that his father disappeared without a word. The first time it happened, Key had been grateful; things between his father and he had never been quite peachy, and a break from the man was welcomed. But then it happened again, and again, and again, and finally, Key had enough. He didn't need to stay up worrying like a housewife, wondering what he could be doing. He didn't need the stress.

Key entered the American-style diner, greeted with the usual "Welcome, Key-Oppa!" by Mi-Hyun, the owner's daughter. She worked most of the shifts at the Diner, and Key had honestly grown quite fond of the peach-haired girl with the bright smile and the sparkling eyes. Of course, no romantic fondness could be found in this relationship- Key was the gayest person in Seoul, according to Mi-Hyun. Sweet girl, but straightforward as hell.

"Evening, noona," Key greeted moodily, sliding into a seat at the counter. She frowned, pouring him a glass of his favorite caramel hot chocolate.

"Something the matter, Oppa? You can tell me, I'm a great listener." Mi-Hyun smiled. Key nodded, returning it. He knew she was- he couldn't could the amount of time he sat at the diner, spilling his worries, complaints, sorrows, to the young waitress.

"Dad's gone again. Hasn't called or anything. Honestly, I don't know how much longer he expects me to worry. One of these days, I'll be out of there, and when he comes home, he wont have anyone to take care of him. Old man's got to realize this some time." Key huffed, upset. Nodding empathetically, Mi-Hyun sighed, knowing of Key's father's disappearances.

"Well," Mi-Hyun said with a sweet grin, "this time, your meal's on the house. Whatever you like." Another customer entered, and with a small wave, Mi-Hyun scurried off to help them. Key stirred the hot chocolate, watching the whipped cream swirl in the cup like clouds.

He directed his gaze toward the window nearest to him, watching people pass. Key had always loved observing people. They were all so... so interesting. And sometimes, he made up lives for them. Watching a short girl and tall boy pass, Key observed their shared scarf and hands clasped together, and sighed. He always wanted a relationship like that. So honest. So pure. Believe it or not, Key had never been in a relationship. Of course nobody would want to date the weird gay kid.

Key always tried his best to be himself. Whether that be sporting make-up and a designer jacket in public without feeling ashamed, so be it. He was himself. Other people just didn't seem to like who that was.

Looking past the couple as they disappeared around the corner, Key noticed a peculiar sight. He watched with scrunched eyebrows as a hooded figure was shoved forcefully into an alley, three people behind him. One was tall and lithe, and from a back view of the person, Key recognized broad shoulders that could only belong to a male. Another figure, shorter than the other two, had his body held up in a confident sort of way that Key had seen on so many other males his age. The third figure was obviously female, with platform boots and curly hair that trailed her back like rapids. Key frowned as the shortest figure pulled something out of his belt, and gasped loudly as the moonlight flicked light off of what it was- a fresh, dangerous knife.

Shoving away from his seat, Key ran from the diner, ignoring Mi-Hyun's curious inquiry, and raced to the alley. Figuring it was a terrible idea just to burst into the alley, Key sneaked to the edge, watching in horror as the hooded figure was shoved against the wall by the shortest male with the knife. Key strained to hear their conversation as the male began to speak.

"You dirty little er... Thought you could run, didn't you?" He said in a dangerously calm voice, smiling, showing a strip of pearly teeth. Jabbing the knife toward him without puncturing him, the male gave a chuckle. "Well, even if you did, I've proved you wrong by now, haven't I?"

An annoyed sigh came from the female as she tapped her boot. "Oh, my God, Jjong, will you just get on with it? It's my turn to cook dinner tonight and I want to drop by the store before it closes."

Ignoring her, "Jjong" his lips. "What was a lowly demon like you doing all the way out here in uptown Seoul, if I may ask?"

The hooded man spat in Jjong's face, sneering. "Go yourselves!" With a grin sharper than the knife Jjong wielded, the man snickered. "My master will kill you all. Just you wait and see. All of your kind will fall, and you'll grieve the day you-" Key never found of what they would grieve as Jjong plunged the knife into the hooded male's abdomen, and unable to help himself, Key gasped. The tall male and the female glanced towards him sharply, but Jjong and the hooded man didn't release their locked stares. Something about Jjong's stare had changed, Key observed. Before, it had been lighthearted teasing with a slight sharpness around the edges of his cold, golden eyes. But now, all Key saw was stoic hatred. The hooded male crumbled to the ground, clutching his stomach, groaning. Blood splattered the walls of the alley and the ground as the man began to twitch and writhe, and Key had to shield his eyes as a burst of light came from the man's eyes, and when he looked back, there was naught but three strangers... standing right in front of him.

"Ah!" Key jumped back, and in a split second decision, the spot and ran, down the street, around a corner, into another alley... and face to face with the short, golden eyed boy.

"Quit running; you won't get anywhere." He said evenly, a small smile on his lips, and Key turned anyway, racing the other way. The other two strangers, however, were right behind him, glaring.

Pushed into the alley, Key tried to keep his heart from beating so loudly. Was he going to die here? , he was so going to die here.

Now closer, Key could get a good view of what these people looked like. The shortest one in the middle, pressing him against the alley like the man from before, was... absoloutely gorgeous, to say the least. With angular features and blonde, brown, and black hair, he was a gem. Golden eyes wrapped up the handsome appearance, and all Key could do was stare for a moment. Sure, he was short, but that didn't stop his arms from looking toned and his muscle-shirt from doing him not enough justice.

The female to his right was striking. Key wasn't into girls, but if he were, he would be starstruck. Her eyes were pitch black in the moonlight with a hint of shine, and her hair waved melodically down her face. Her body was -to say the least- incredibly fit, and even without the boots, Key suspected she'd be talller than him, anyway.

The male on the left of Jjong was very... chisled. With dark eyes and a quiet handsomeness about him, Key could honestly say that he was the type of man Key would stop and stare at on the street. Nothing like Jjong, but surely something.

"Want to tell me what you saw back there, little boy?" Jjong brought his attention back to him. "Cooperate and I'll leave your pretty face be."

Shuddering in fear, Key shook his head wildly. "You're ing crazy! You killed that man, you- you-"

"Man?" Raising a fine eyebrow, Jjong smirked. "You saw the light, didn't you? No human could possibly emit such a show." Pausing, Jjong cocked his head to the side. "How you saw it, though, is the more pressing question I'm wishing to know the answer to."

"Jjong, let's take him back with us. Erase his memory, drop him off back here before he wakes up." The tall male suggested, but Jjong shook his head, cocking his head to the side.

"He saw the Light, somehow." Jonghyun mumbled, half to himself. "I'm curious." The small upturn to the corners of his lips and moonlight outlining his thin yet toned frame took Key's breath away. "I say we take him back to Sun-Min, see what she thinks. She ought to have a good take on who this guy is."

"Jonghyun, that's a bad idea." The girl hissed, looking between Jonghyun and Key. "Let's just get rid of him now. He could just be some guy who has RV- no one important. And then we'd have to kill him anyway."

Rv? Key thought in puzzlement.

"He's coming with us," Jonghyun said clearly, firmly, commanding.

The male sighed, glancing at the girl, and the girl huffed in annoyance. She spun on her heel and began to walk down the alley, calling back over her shoulder, "Fine, but he's your problem. Don't involve us." The male tossed a sheepish shrug Jonghyun's way, and left as Jonghyun nodded at him. Swallowing hard, Key finally spoke up.

"Hey, I don't know what's going on here, but I want out. I'm not a part of all of this... this crazy talk. You're murderers, and...!" No, no this was the wrong strategy to get out of this. "What I mean to say... Is that I promise I wont tell anyone. I'll... I'll give you money. I'll give you anything! Just let me go, for the love of-"

"Your voice is annoying," Jonghyun snapped at Key, and grinned slyly. "Just shut up. My mind's made up, you see, and once I make up my mind, there's no changing it. This'll only hurt a bit..." Jonghyun swung his free hand up at Key, and for a moment, Key thought he was going to hit him. But after a moment, soft fingers rested on the back of his neck, caressing, almost.... and with a simple press on his pressure point, Key's world twisted until he found himself cheek to cement, staring at Jonghyun's shoes as the world faded from his sights.

sorry for the quick finish, my mom kicked me off the computer Dx HOPE YOU ENJOYED