“Why isn’t Donghae answering?”

Sungmin clicked his tongue, frustrated and annoyed. They had been looking for Donghae for so long now but the soccer captain could not be found. Deciding to just end the day, Sungmin turned around to Ryeowook who was tiptoeing to search through the rest of the house. Sungmin suggested that they just continue this tomorrow and find Donghae in school. Ryeowook reluctantly agreed and both of them headed out of the house. While walking back to the car, Sungmin suddenly felt Ryeowook tugging at his shirt.

Ryeowook called hurriedly, “Sungmin, look! It’s Eunhyuk!”

Sungmin’s head snapped to where Ryeowook was pointing at. Eunhyuk was leaning against a car, arms folded and head bowed down. Sungmin exchanged glances with Ryeowook and then proceeded to Eunhyuk. When Eunhyuk heard them coming close, Eunhyuk brought his head up. He looked drunk however with his red face and glassy eyes and a silly grin.

“Oh hi-ya!” Eunhyuk brought his hands up high and started waving. “Donghae’s buddies, aren’t cha!”

“Yes,” Ryeowook answered softly, “Are you… Are you drunk?”

Eunhyuk laughed and pushed himself off the car, swaying a little. “Nope!”

“Right,” Sungmin muttered sarcastically. He could smell the alcohol from where he was standing. “Eunhyuk, where’s Donghae?”

“Home!” Eunhyuk replied, giggling. “The handsome boy went home! Without…. Me!”

Eunhyuk started singing a random song and Sungmin frowned, glancing to Ryeowook and saying, “Donghae left without Eunhyuk?”

Ryeowook shrugged. “What should we do with him then? He’s drunk.”

Sungmin shook his head and sighed, glancing back at Eunhyuk who had stopped singing and was now looking up at the sky and counting out the stars out loud. “Do you have a ride home?”

“NOOoooooooooOOOoooo!”

“Stop shouting, god.” Sungmin pressed his hands on Eunhyuk’s mouth. “Come on Wookie, let’s just… Drop him off at his place.”

Ryeowook nodded as he dragged Eunhyuk by his arms while Eunhyuk continued counting the stars out loud and then started singing twinkle twinkle little star. God! How pathetic was this guy? How could this same person be… H? Right, Sungmin froze as he watched Ryeowook help Eunhyuk into the back seat of the car. Eunhyuk was the enemy here… Why were they helping him? But then again…. The guy was drunk… And Sungmin would rather he bring Eunhyuk home than anyone else in the party. No one was kind enough back there. Once Eunhyuk was settled in, Sungmin and Ryeowook buckled up in the front and Sungmin started the car, driving out of the neighbourhood.

Sungmin cleared his throat while he drove, eyes locked on Eunhyuk’s glassy ones through the rear-view mirror. “So… Eunhyuk… Ryeowook tells me your real name is Hyukjae?”

Ryeowook flinched and gave Sungmin a deathly stare but Sungmin shook his head, eyes promising Ryeowook that he knew what he was doing and that it was alright, Eunhyuk was drunk anyway. This was how they would be getting the answers they needed.

“I don’t like it,” Eunhyuk slurred as he answered. “My name is E-U-N-H-Y-U-K!”

“Where were you from before this?”

Eunhyuk giggled, “Anywhere and everywhere!”

“Right… So… Did you know Ryeowook before this?”

Eunhyuk popped his head in between the seats and looked at Ryeowook, all wide-eyed and drunk. “Nope! But he’s cute!”

Ryeowook’s blushed, looking away. “Th..Thanks.”

“Ah, but not as cute as Donghae! Donghae’s soooooOOOooososososo cute, he looks like a puppy, a lost puppy and-”

“Where were you on Sunday afternoon?” Sungmin interrupted, asking him what he had been wanting to ask straight to the point. He was getting really impatient with this drunk guy.

Eunhyuk was silent for a moment and Sungmin watched as Eunhyuk rubbed his hands over his chin repeatedly. “Donghae! Lee Donghae! That blue bedroom!”

“Donghae… Blue bedroom…” Ryeowook repeated. “That’s Donghae’s room isn’t it?”

Sungmin nodded, remembering those time that they had spent with Heechul in that room together. “So… You were at Donghae’s house? With Donghae? In his room? You were not… At a flower shop? At… Sapphire East Flora shop, maybe? Making deliveries… ”

Eunhyuk burst out laughing, “Flowers!?”

Ryeowook frowned and worriedly chewed on his nails, “Do you think… Do you think he’s lying?”

“I don’t know… It sounds like the truth. But… Let’s just… Continue… Trying.” Sungmin then asked Eunhyuk in a more serious tone, “Why did you deliver those flowers to Ryeowook?”

From the rear-view mirror, Sungmin could see Eunhyuk’s eyebrows knitted and his forehead creased. Eunhyuk’s mouth looked like it was in an O shape. “Re-oh-wook… I think you are pretty…. But… My flowers will only be for Lee Donghae.”

“Geez,” Sungmin muttered, “Is he Donghae-crazy or something?”

“Eunhyuk… Do you know who H is?” Ryeowook suddenly asked from the side. “Were you the one who bought those flowers and delivered them to me?”

Instead of answering however, Eunhyuk starting talking about something else. “Buy flowers… Donghae would love them! BUTTTT! My money!! My wallet! Precious Donghae helped me… Find me… When… It was at that café… With really REallly good coffee. Everything’s gone!”

“Wallet? Everything’s gone?” Sungmin repeated, “You lost your wallet?”

“At that cutesy small ugly green coffee café thingy!”

“When did this happened?”

“After… After that… Bo…dy… Was found.” Eunhyuk then squeezed his eyes shut. “Kim Heechul.”

“Do you… Do you know who killed Heechul?” Ryeowook swallowed and then continued, “Did you… Did you… Kill Kim Heechul?”

“NO, I DIDN’T!” Eunhyuk screamed and then laughed, head falling roughly back against the seat. “But I wanna kiss whoever who did! Nononono. I can’t kiss them. I wanna hug them! And I wanna kiss Donghaee!”

“Why?” Ryeowook and Sungmin asked at the same time. They had arrived outside Eunhyuk’s house. Eunhyuk looked out of the window and made a noise from the back of his throat. He clumsily tried to unlock the door a couple of times before finally succeeding in opening the door. Before he got out of the car however, he popped his head in between the front seats, startling Ryeowook and Sungmin and answered,

“Because… Donghae is hot!”

“And …. Kim Heechul deserved it.”

***

“Mum? Dad?”

Ryeowook cringed. The minute he stepped into the house, he heard shouts coming from the living room. His parents were arguing about something and they had not realize that Ryeowook was home until Ryeowook entered the living room, calling after them. Both of his parents looked… Well… Like they had been screaming and shouting at each other for a long time. Ryeowook would think that this was their normal arguments they usually had once in a blue moon but something told him that this was more than just that. Ryeowook noticed that his mother’s make-up was messed up and that her eyes were bloodshot and swollen. Had… Had she been… Crying?

“Mum? Dad? Is… Is everything alright?” Ryeowook asked nervously.

“Why didn’t you tell me, Ryeowook?” Ryeowook’s mother suddenly demanded in a voice filled with heartbreak. “Why didn’t you tell me!!?? You kept it from me, your own mother!”

Ryeowook stepped back, confused while his father stepped in front of him and argued, “You can’t be angry at Ryeowook, YeJun.”

“What… What do you mean?” Ryeowook questioned, confused. “What’s going on, dad?”

Ryeowook’s father sighed when his mother stomped towards him and shoved him a piece of paper. Ryeowook blinked, puzzled and confused and held up the letter, eyes scanning across the printed words. As he read it, Ryeowook’s eyes widened and his body froze. Oh my god…

Tears welled in Ryeowook’s eyes as he glanced at his mother. “I… Mum, I’m… I… This was….”

“You don’t have to say anything, Ryeowook.” Ryeowook’s father interrupted, hands squeezing Ryeowook’s trembling shoulders. “Just… Go up to your room. You shouldn’t be in the middle of this.”

Ryeowook wanted to argue, wanted to say something, anything, but all he could do was nod. He walked p