The cold rain was pouring down on me. I lost orientation by now and don't know where exactly I am nor how I got here.

Single phrases kept repeating in my mind as I went down the crowded street of Seoul. 'We're sorry' that's what they kept saying.

'It's just for a while' 'It's gonna be ok' Tears ran down my cheek, unnoticed because of the rain.

Yeah..

People watched me with weird looks as I passed them. Who wouldn't wonder when they saw a boy clothed in a hoodie without a jacket on a rainy October day? 'We can't anymore' 'We're sorry'

A sob escaped my lips. I covered my mouth with my hand trying to silence myself. 'We'll be going then'

I went into an alley and leaned against the wall. The cold wind blew, making me shiver and my legs shake. I couldn't hold myself anymore and slid down the wall.

'We're sorry' I looked up into the dull gray sky. Large, cold raindrops hitting my face. Unbearable roaring from the bypassing cars and people filling my ears.
 

FLASHBACK



"Heechul! Get your sister and come into the living room. We need to tell you something."


"Both of you, sit down" they said in a sad voice
"Umma, Appa?! Why are you like this?" My sister asked worried

"Yah.. What's up? Ohhh you look like on a funeral" I tried to lighten the mood as I always do.
"Heechul. It's important" My mother eyed me sadly. Ok something was definitely wrong.. She would at least smile lightly when she heard a sarcastic comment. But her face stayed sad.

"As you know, recently I lost my job, right? Since then I... well..." My father couldn't express himself as tears ran down his face.

“Dad, we know that you messed up in the past months. Getting drunk and stuff, but it's ok. We still love you.”

I nodded. A slight smile formed on my fathers lips despite the tears that were running down his cheeks.

“That's not the point.” He whispered avoiding eye contact.

My mother cleared .

"We can't pay our debt anymore."

"Mom it's ok! I'll get a job and ---" "Darling.. you can't make it alone." She interrupted my sister. "It's to high" A lightning hit somewhere near letting the living room glow in a bright color. A second after the room was back in it's dim light.

"High? What do you mean? How much is it?" I asked seriously but she shook her head. "It doesn't matter" "Mom?" "You don't need to know"
 

"We're sorry"

The thunder followed.

"What do we do now?"
"We'll move."
"Move? But where? What do you want to do now?"
"We're gonna live with your Uncle in the south of Korea. Live in his house and work for him." "It's just for a while. We don't have any other perspective here." My father continued.

"Perspective? Selling fish is a perspective then?? I don't want to! You can't--"
"It's the only way" she interrupted me.

"We're sorry." The rain dripping on the window, leaving long trails.

"How much is it?" "Heechul I told you. You don't need to know."
"How. much?" I repeated with more force.
"Very much"
"HOW much?!"
Silence filled the room. The only sounds came from the rain hitting the window and some thunders. The were trees swinging in the wind. Shadows of it's branches reaching for us like claws.. It looked dangerously how the shadows danced on the living room floor. A lightning made the shadows look even sharper, longer and more dangerous.


 

"More than 145mio."
 

I felt my heart stop.

For a moment everything stopped.

Everything fell silent.

No sounds were heard, no shadows moving, nothing.

Even time stopped. Everything slowed down.



Just silence.



Another thunder pulled me back abruptly into reality, into the dark reality. Confronting us with the hard reality.
 

"145 mio.?" My sister repeated next to me with a shaking voice. "B-but how? I m-mean" Tears ran down her face. Leaving trails, just as on the window.
"We're sorry" "It will be ok. We'll somehow manage it."

"Manage?!!!" Abruptly I stood up. Anger boiling up in me. "How do you want to manage that??!!!!! How could this happen?!! How long do you-- " "Heechul we---" I ignored them and continued

"--you already know about this?!! Why do you tell us just now?! How could you? We could have solved it together. We..." I was at loss of words as my voice got weaker and sobs escaped my lips. Tears ran down my face.

The shadows reaching us with every light flash. Reaching us like the people we owe money to. A sob escaped my lips. They knew all the time.

They knew.

'We're sorry'

Without caring about my surroundings or dressing me correctly I ran out.


Out into the darkness of the cold autumn evening. Out into the pouring rain.

Out, down the streets of Seoul. Out of the sadness filling my home. Out of the depressing situation.



END OF FLASHBACK


They knew all the time. They didn't do anything against it. They could have told us. We could have solved it together.

But now? I chuckled darkly
Now it's useless.
They... No we can never repay such high debt by selling fish.
I stumbled back up, out onto the busy street.
The rain pouring onto me. Wetting me to the bone. Still I pulled over my hood and walked down the streets.


End of POV.

While Heechul walked ahead with his head hung low, another person was sitting in the back of a car. Warmth surrounding him. The rain running down the window. “Sir where do you want to go?”
“Just stop by over there. Let's eat something.”
“The Italian restaurant? I understand.”

The chauffeur went over to open the door of the stretch limousine for the Young Master. With an umbrella held by his chauffeur the Man got out and mustered the chosen restaurant, before approving with a nod.
 

A certain person shuffling down the pavement.

“I guess this is fine.” “Yes Young Master.” He bowed

Both of them were walking without paying attention.

“Young Master! Watch out!” “Huh?”
Thump.

Heechul fell to the ground due to the collision.

“Ahh what the hell?” irritated the other man looked to the ground seeing a soaked person.
“Yah!! What--?”
The man froze in his tracks eying the sitting Heechul.



The man's POV:


First I was mad. Couldn't he watch were he goes?? Was he blind or something?? He splashed my clothes with the dirty water!!
I was about to shout at him.

I looked at him intensely. Wet clothes, hood pulled over his head, bangs falling onto his face, head sunk low, shaking lips, probably my age. He must have been walking like that for quite a long time now. He didn't seem to mind either..

He looked... pathetic.

"I'm sorry" He muttered in a hoarse voice, nearly inaudible.

He dirtied my clothes! He had to repay me! Plus, he would get seriously sick, and even probably die if I let him go like that. Thus he won't be able to repay the money he owes me...


End of POV


'I'm sorry' Heechul muttered standing up and adjusting his clothes as far it was possible. Without looking at the other man. He passed them continuing in his tracks.

A few moments passed before the man came back to reality. "Sir? Should we go in?"
"Get him"
"Sir? Are you sure? I mean.." He sounded surprised at the command.
"Go! Get him back here. He splashed my clothes. I can't go in there like that. I'll be waiting in the car." "W-what should I tell him?"

"Don't know, Just bring him here." The young man snapped the umbrella away and went back to the car, leaving a surprised and dumbfounded butler in the rain. The older man was staring at his Master in disbelieve, before snapping back and chasing after Heechul through the heavy rain, who has been nearly out of sight even with his slow pace.


While his Master sat back in the car, the butler caught up with Heechul. "Mister. Could you come with me for a moment? The Young Master wishes to see you"
With a blank expression Heechul looked at the older man.

He just stared for a moment before turning and going in the direction he just came from.

Surprised and relieved the butler followed.

Opening the door for him, Heechul sat at the window with folded hands not bothering to look at the other man sitting across of him.


"Young Master?"

"Drive us home" "I understand" He said before closing the black window separating the areas.
 

The man had his eyes still on Heechul, who was ignoring him all the time.

After some quiet minutes passed the man spoke

"Are you alright?" concern was clearly heard in his voice.
 

no answer.

"Hey, are you alright?" I shouldn't have brought him..
"What does it matter to you?" Heechul answered in a hoarse voice still not looking at the man.
"I don't know. Let me help you" I want my money~

"Just let me out here. I don't need your help. I can go by myself" At a red light he wanted to get out of the car but the man held him back by his wrist.
"You dirtied my clothes!"

The man looked in the red puffy eyes of Heechul.
"Have you been crying?" Heechul shot him a glare. "Let go."

The latter felt a bit of sympathy for the boy who's wrist he was holding. It was freezing cold.
“At least change in some clothes at my home. Take a warm shower, I'll lend you something to wear. We'll talk about my clothes and then I'll bring you back home.”

Heechul stared at the mysterious man in front of him.




"Who are you?" Heechul asked.
The latter smiled over his success. Gotcha!
"I'm Hankyung"