What Kyuhyun had such an urgence to tell Ryeowook on the fateful day of his twelve-hour-long kidnapping wasn't just a simple apology towards his younger and much caring roommate, it was a true declaration of peace.

It happened on that same day that, while the older man was busy at assisting his dear friend Kim with her tasks at the university and eventually took a short break into the practice room surrounded by brushes and paints, Kyuhyun was noticed in the midst of pouring his artistic self on the canvas. The natural way he approached the painting tools and used them, as if he were born just to do that specific work, caught the attention of a renown painter and reviewer who was spending some time in Japan to supervise a project in collaboration with some professors.

He was so caught into the honesty conveyed through that smooth yet distinguished blend of colors, that he couldn't refrain from proposing to Kyuhyun a very interesting deal.

"There's a painting contest in a couple of weeks, which I've been asked to attend as a honorary guest. Please join it, I'm sure that if you could submit a sketch of yours to the screening commitee, you will be picked as a contestant. The final prize includes a fair amount of money to spend for studying purpose in the field, but the best part is that the runner ups could be joining me and my team for a little empowerment stay in Okinawa. It's worth a try, isn't it?"

That day, when he met that man who could have perfectly been his future mentor, or simply an angel sent to stay by his side from his loving granny, Kyuhyun felt fully happy for the first time in his life. He needed to share the news with someone; he needed to, but no one came up into his mind, until...

Kyuhyun was on his way home and stilled on the sidewalk, nearly bumping into a group of startled little children walking home from school, when he realized that his angel might not have been that painter, but Ryeowook. The boy had kinda suggested him to look for a painting contest before, something that could have been fitter to his standards, but his discomfort pushed him never to look for it. And Ryeowook had simply almost foreseen everything, he had pronounced in a small overescited chirps of his what was to be Kyuhyun's future.

He was given not only another chance to prove to the world who Cho Kyuhyun really was, but also - and most importantly - he was given a precious second chance to play it fair to Ryeowook, fix their mishaps and show the young boy that he was ready for their...whatever one could call their almost-friendship-relationship.

The rest was unexpected, since he was made to wait like an idiot at home and in the meanwhile Ryeowook sent no life signals, because whether the boy had wanted to decline or accept the invitation, Kyuhyun wasn't informed and the more he tried, the more couldn't get through the line of the other's busy cellphone at any cost.

The man didn't really know how to explain the way he - almost by mistake - got a phone call from an overly worried and desperate Hyungsik threatening to barge inside Ryouma's club and kill the man there and then. The student told Kyuhyun everything he saw while waiting for Dongwoon and N to show up at their meeting point.

He described the way Ryouma was welcoming his two thugs at the backdoor, his unmistakable, annoying grin plastered on that false face of his; he revealed how his two eyes couldn't believe the scene he was watching, thinking of it being a mirage, or more naturally a bad nightmare, since Ryeowook laid almost lifelessly in the arms of one of the two men, his legs hanging loosely, arms folded over his chest and head tilted backwards, swinging in the void.

Hyungsik's squirms of help over the phone made Kyuhyun fear for Ryeowook's life, and his worse predicament about the boy being threatened got true.

He couldn't stay still, he had to act and save him...again, and again, because, now that he thought about it, maybe Kyuhyun's true purpose in life was taking care of clumsy, clueless Ryeowook from the very beginning, from their very first encounter.

His repetitive attempts to convince the police to follow him on the site of the perpetrated violence made him look like a fool, but his persevering self won in the end and the police had to reward him with thankfulness for helping them to uncover such a large web of dirty affairs.

Kyuhyun didn't need those people's apologies or their clumsy thankful words, not when his eyes landed on a beaten and bloody Hyungsik and an almost-on-the-way-to-unconsciousness Ryeowook. The rest didn't matter, when his remorseful heart was praying hard to simply hug Ryeowook and make him feel even a little bit of desired warmth. And for that, before losing his senses, Ryeowook prized him with a goofy smile, which was enough to relieve Kyuhyun of all his faults and mistakes.

So...the declaration of peace proposed by Kyuhyun to Ryeowook presented itself on the first day after being discharged from the hospital.

Kyuhyun had ordered take away pizza to celebrate Ryeowook's freedom and was busy at setting the table with the two huge boxes of mixed slices, coke cans and glasses, when he turned around and, while calling Ryeowook to come closer and sit down with him, he noticed for the first time that strange glowing aura the boy was issuing with his lonely existence.

Ryeowook was sitting on the edge of the bed, one knee lifted and rested on the mattress as he uselessly pointed his eyes in the direction of the window on the left and left himself in the spiral of pure, enticing emptiness. The strong, golden sunshine from lunchtime crept directly from south and dove into the room, showering half of Ryeowook and enhancing his soft, boyish yet already too beautifully defined and mature features. 

His thick, black lashes fluttered in the air even though Ryeowook's empty stare was unmoving; his nose poked from his sideline and continued below the philtrum in a tight line of rosy, thin lips that somehow made Kyuhyun tremble in a strange call of desire - which he punctually shoved off his mind with a decided shake of his head; Ryeowook's soft, plump cheeks in truth got sharper in his jawline and cheekbones, smoothing and refining his profile with that stained maturity of someone who had to grow up too fast in very little time. Ryeowook's chest rose and lowered with every breath he took, his ribcage enlarged under the thin white t-shirt and that sea of black dots that the boy seemed to love. His fists unconciously clenched the covers and betrayed his uncertainty about the future.

Those feelings were so raw and sincere, beautifully shaped in what Ryeowook's body had to suffer throughout the years despite his soul had become just the anguished prison of a little child locked and cursed never to find a way up to the surface of that delusional, bottomless well, filled with echoes of cries and please of help.

Kyuhyun couldn't just stand there. With vaguely dumb expression - hanging mouth and focused eyes - he rushed to his desk, took sketchbook and carbon pencil in hand and perched himself on a chair. Slowly, their silence was broken with the light rustling of on paper, while Kyuhyun intently tried to carve into the surface Ryeowook's unknowingly elegant posture and pour every single feeling of the boy on his quick portrait.

The pencil suddenly broke, a little clicking noise disturbed the flow of Kyuhyun's actions since the broken point had fallen down onto the floor. Ryeowook woke up from his daze and snapped his head as fast as he could in his crush's direction, lightly blushing for sitting in silence for long time and feeling slightly dumb at the same time.

"Ehm...were you calling me?" Ryeowook blurted out, as his hands released the fabric he didn't know he was clutching in his grip "I'm coming..."

"Please!" Kyuhyun quickly stood up. It was a flash and the chair even tipped over with a loud noise on the wooden floor. The man stretched both hands towards Ryeowook and signalled the boy to stop and not walk closer, not yet. 

Ryeowook popped his eyes open in shock. Was Kyuhyun simply telling him not to stay over anymore? It wouldn't be really a news...it was rather an ordinary fact.

"Please!" Kyuhyun repeated as he stood in the same position "Ryeowook, be my muse!" 

And Ryeowook looked more shocked than before: "W-what?" he asked, still not sure about what he had truly heard from Kyuhyun's mouth.

Kyuhyun moved with unusual swiftness as he dodged the corner of the table and walked up to where Ryeowook was, showing him the sketch in his hands: "Honestly, it's been a while since this thought crossed my mind, but today I just realized this is the perfect chance to ask you"

Ryeowook glanced at the soft lines that travelled on the paper and that in less than a bunch of minutes had perfectly recreated his posture and sideline profile, stained with a wise game of shadows to enhance the model. He suddenly felt overwhelmed with a strange heat somewhere in his chest. Was it embarrasment, or shyness, or...pride? The more Ryeowook looked at the drawing, the more his heart swelled with pride at the thought of being finally useful to someone, and not a burden, for the first time ever, especially if this someone was his loved Kyuhyun.

"Please, consider my offer" Kyuhyun shyly smiled, holding out both hands to grasp Ryeowook's "You were right, I'm a bit too proud and stubborn to admit it, but I received an offer to join another contest and, I don't know why, but somehow I think I might actually get chosen"

Ryeowook followed his words with utmost respect and silence, he couldn't believe his ears. On one hand it was like Kyuhyun had finally accepted to deal with his issues and keep on fighting for his dreams, on the other it seemed the older one was basically begging him for help...or was it?

"I've got less than a week to submit at least one drawing, portrait, painting, or at least a full sketchbook in order to be selected but I've completely lost track of my inspiration" he admitted in a sigh as he averted his eyes from the questioning expression portrayed all over Ryeowook's face and cast his gaze down, on the wooden floor.

"What do I have to do with this?" Ryeowook asked, tilting his head to a side and keeping questioning the man, at first with furtive glances, then with true words.

Kyuhyun turned to face him again, this time a tentative, small smile stretched across his face: "Just pose for me as my model, I intend to exploit your collaboration in order to come up with the best ideas to draw on paper"

Ryeowook's eyes popped open and his embarrassment grew to the point of feeling suffocated and in need to escape Kyuhyun's hopeful glance. He dodged the man and swiftly walked around the table, so he was standing right next to a chair on the other side: "No, no, no...I'm sorry, but I'm not at the height for doing th-"

"Stop nagging!" Kyuhyun pouted too suddenly, leaning over the table to grab Ryeowook's hands and clutch them hard to convey all his hope "It's not about feeling at the height for the task, it's more like helping a friend!" he explained "And with that, who knows...we might end up bonding for true!" the man let his mouth escape those words, truly convinced of being able to get close to the boy and set up a good friendship in between them, but of course he didn't put into account the other meaning Ryeowook's brain intercepted concealed in them.

"Me? Your model?" Ryeowook murmured, acting as if he were really taking a couple of minutes to think about it.

"Yes, you" Kyuhyun nodded, still showcasing his confident smile "No other than you could do that for me, you are...beautiful" he pronounced, not without feeling stuffed with a certain amount of a strange heat all over his flushed face. It felt unusual to compliment a fellow man that way, even though it was simply the truth...

Ryeowook's cheeks got tinted of a pinkish shade as he averted in every way Kyuhyun's gaze. With a small smile and a light scratch on the nape of his neck, he finally nodded and gave his consent: "Okay, I'll do it"

"Great! I've got plenty of ideas for you!" Kyuhyun somehow betrayed his previously stated indecision about not knowing how to use his blocked inspiration for work, and lightly hopped on his spot to celebrate Ryeowook's wise decision.

Sighing, Ryeowook simply sat down at the table and proceeded to get a slice of pizza to fill his stomach. Didn't Kyuhyun just say he had lost his precious inspiration? As he slowly chewed and savored the rich tomato and mozzarella cheese in his mouth, he couldn't stop a lovely grin to appear on his lips, while all he could do was listening to Kyuhyun's overexcited planning about plenty of outdoor places where to set up their posing locations.

Between school and the last study session before exams, Ryeowook would have been way to busy to even think of other pending problems. It seemed that nothing could ruin his growing happiness ever since his activity at the club had officially ceased and Kyuhyun was so kind as for hosting him home and finally behaving like the family he had always wished to have.

For once, he decided to even ignore that annoying beep on his cellphone screen, and welcome with a smile yet another nubmer that had just decreased of one digit on the calendar countdown: -99.

---ooo---

Another day, another clattering noise of a train approaching the platform on the subway line.

Kyuhyun had never happened to take public transportation that much ever since he decided to followe little Ryeowook around and study his every move.

"Come on, it's pretty annoying, you know?" Ryeowook scoffed right on Kyuhyun's left side. The boy feigned to dislike Kyuhyun's new kind of attention - it had increased to unbelievable maximum levels in the last couple of days - but in truth he was very much delighted to be under strict observation, as Kyuhyun followed him everywhere to grasp the student's habits and tastes.

Ryeowook rolled his eyes and pretended not to care about Kyuhyun, who stood at his side with a little sketchbook in hand, reserve pencil expertly perched behind his ear auricle and other various tools stored in a pencil case in his bag. The man was intent at studying the best angle to portray on paper Ryeowook's elegant aura.

"Stop that, I said!" Ryeowook chuckled as a cute dating couple passed them by, and the girl squealed in admiration when she noticed Kyuhyun while in acti