Kyuhyun P.O.V

I put on my sport shoe and prepared a small water bottle. Taking out a small sticky note I put a note stated that I’ll be out for jog and stick it on the fridge. There are times when Ryeowook hyung searched for me as if searching a lost puppy and reacted as if I’m gone from his life. My dramatic hyung, I wish he’d act more like a grown up person. Considering loosing someone important, Ryeowook hyung is the only family I have and I’m the only family he has. 

After going out from the house I managed to plan going to the furthest areas and I hope I won’t be lost. Suddenly I realize of forgetting to bring the cassette player. Talking about cassette player, it reminds me of the guy on the bus who secretly returned my player. Unfortunately, I hadn’t get the chance to say thank you. I waited for him but he didn’t appear. The next day and days and so on, he’s nowhere to be seen. I’m not sure why he kept appearing on my mind, maybe after I get the chance to say thank you I might be able to forget him. 

Get a grip Cho Kyuhyun, he’s just a stranger. He is just a living human like any other billions of humans. Chances of meeting him was probably below two percent. So I had to dare try not to feel guilty about it. 

As I was enjoying my morning walk I heard a thump sound from above. Not bothering to look up and thought it was a bird, my eyes set at the shadow on the ground and suddenly from above, a figure landed in front of me making me startled. The figure seemed to have jumped off from the roof. How in the Starcraft world did he even managed to jump off from a high rooftop? I stare at the figure in horror and my face turns puzzled as I realize it was the guy who returned my cassette player.

“It’s you—!” I exclaimed before he covers my mouth with his big hands and drag me to a hiding spot. What the hell happened? 

“Don’t move.” He whispered and I shiver as his husky voice reached my ears. I was tensed, I could hear footsteps of more than one person. Was he being chased? Well definitely he was being chased, the fact that he jumped off from a high roof to the ground. May it be a purpose or an accident but that’s just not a good way to escape from being chased. Is he a ninja or something?

After there’s no more sound, he lets go of his hand from my mouth and return to the road side. He was about to walk away when I stopped him.

“You’re the guy from the bus.” I said and waited for him to reply but instead he just looked at me with those empty eyes. “Thank you…For returning my cassette player...If it wouldn’t—”

“Oh..It’s nothing.” He said before turning around to walk away.

What the heck?

I’m trying to express my gratitude and he just cut my words like that? He may look handsome and has a look of a good mannered person but...Where are his manner? “Yah! I’m just trying to say thank you!!” Did he heard me? Because he just continue walking away as if I’m not there. I scratch my non itchy neck. I don’t know how many times the world taught me this but I guess I learned it again today, never to look people on the outside and I hope not to ever see him again.

But I guess God didn’t hear my wish.

The day after tomorrow going home from school my eyes caught his figure on the right corner seat of the bus again, this time he’s asleep. I take my seat at the usual place. I hate to admit, even his sleeping figure looks mesmerizing. Today was different sight, he had his blazer off and only wearing white uniform. His head lowered and arm crossed. 

Not even a wind passed, suddenly there’s a bump and his head hits the window side. Ouch. I heard him winced in pain. But then my mouth forms a smile, somehow I find that funny. I tried not to laugh. Ha! That’s what you get for being ignorant when I’m expressing my gratitude! 

“What are you looking?” Oh, didn’t expect him to talk just like that. 

“You finally talked.” I said, “How do you feel?”

He sighs and look away. But I didn’t expect there’s going to be another bump causing my head to hit the window side. I could hear him releasing a short laugh from our small distance since there are less people in the bus. The road workers really need to remove the bumpy thing on the roads, it’s really annoying.

“Don’t laugh. You don’t have the right to laugh.” 

“Hm? Do I need permission to laugh at you? Hey, can I laugh at you? Hahaha.” Look who’s talking sarcastically. That’s the longest sentence that has ever escaped from his mouth.

“Thank you so much for laughing at me Mr. Ninja.” I didn’t bother to wait for his reply since I’m aware that once he’s not replying, he will never reply, just like that jogging incident. The bus finally came to stop and I leave from it without looking back and proceed walking home. 

“You lost our cassette player for a day and the next day some random guy returned it back?” Ryeowook hyung was really excited after I told him about it. Just, what is so exciting about it? “Cho Kyuhyun. You didn’t tell me you lost the player!”

“I was afraid you’ll be mad.” I said, sighing. “It was something that mother left for us before she passed away…”

“You’re right, but you could’ve told me about it. I won’t be mad.” I doubt he’s not going mad if I were to tell him that. “You should thank him though. If it weren’t because of his kind doing, the cassette player might be lost, forever. ” Thanking? I did thank him and I thought that could make me forget him. If only that jogging incident never happened. If only he didn’t appear in front of me jumping from a rooftop. But the result tells me I couldn’t forget him. What is wrong with me? 

“Geez, what are you brainstorming Kyu?” Ryeowook hyung gives me a warm milk and I empty the milk in three gulps. “Don’t think too much or else you’ll ended up liking him.” Liking him? Not in a million years of my life that will ever happen. Lucky hyung the milk reached my stomach otherwise he’s going to receive milk shower from me. “Sometimes unplanned encounters can mean something. Trust me, you know how I ended up being with Yesung and maybe my dear brother, you’ll be the next one. But…For a stranger to visit your school just to return the cassette player is really something. ”

I frown, “What do you mean?”

“He could’ve ask the bus driver to return it back to you. You sure the day he came to your school was the first time you saw him?”

“I was so sure… are you trying to say he’s a regular bus passenger?” I was always too busy with my own world that I’m not looking at my surroundings. 

“He could be one of them.”

“The lights weren’t properly placed. Move it on top of the stage. Please add more chairs.” The school will be having a festival by next week and the student councils are in charge of preparing well, mostly of the stuff. Unfortunately, I am one of them and what’s more, this is our third day of working. My feet are sore for standing a lot. I just hope I could escape from all these and let others handle it.  In the end, we decided it’s best to leave school at 7 o clock as we think everything was finely finished.

“I’m staying over at Minho’s.” Changmin said as he fix his things. “You coming?”

“You know I hate last minute plan. Maybe next time. I’m really tired!”  I said before leaving. “Be sure to lock our class! You keep the key!”

Finally being able to leave and walk out from school was really something, even though tomorrow the students need to gather again. My neck, legs and every part of my body felt really sore but somehow I feel hungry and plan to stop by at the street food side near the market. Maybe a small portion of spicy rice cake would be nice. 

Just as I walk pass a store building my eyes caught a drunkard holding an empty bottle on his hand, swaying and wobbling around an empty dumpster. I tried not to stare but seeing a drunkard really made me uneasy that my eyes can’t stop looking at the drunk figure. 

My fault for staring. All of a sudden the crazy drunkard pulled my collar and push me to the wall in a swift after he caught me staring. Panic, I tried to scream for help but it was a little too late since my mouth was covered by his hand and my arms are gripped by his other hand.  I tried pushing him away forcefully and  kicking his stomach but failed too. I’m a male, but I’m weak when it comes to self-defense. 

“What a beauty. How much for tonight?” What was he saying? Does he think I’m someone who plays around at night? What a crazy guy. I feel like vomiting. 

“I think—you got the wrong person!” 

“When I ask you should answer me !!” He sway around the empty bottle as if he wanted to hit me and finally, he smacked the bottle to the wall and points out the broken bottle near my face. 

“Let him go.” Different voice appears. I look at the source of the voice and surprised to see the guy from the bus. I give him an eye of ‘go away’ but he doesn’t bother to give a reply. What the hell is he doing here? How did he even get here? Going to add more problems? Before the drunkard could reply, the bus guy swiftly pulled him from the back and push him down to the ground. Bus guy then took my arms and drag me away but halfway the drunkard stands and give him a punch in the face.

“Oh my god! Yah! Both of you stop—” My words are cut since I’m trying to dodge from a broken glass attack. It’s true when I said I’m weak in self-defense, the fact that I got a small scratch on my right cheek. It’s not really painful but it stings quite bad. 

Finally, the bus guy successfully give the drunkard a last hard punch before the police caught the act. Not spilling any words we were brought to the police station nearby and showered with questions as how did we get there, how it happened and why did we decided to fight back when we’re not supposed to. I told the police it was a self-defense and it seems that he’s considering it.

“You seemed to be a student.” The police told me and turn his eyes to the bus guy who’s seated beside me looking at the empty space. “And you too. You students… Should have know that it’s dangerous to hang out at night especially when you met a crazy drunkard who started attacking without any reason. It’s a fortunate you boys are fine. Wait here I’ll be back.” 

The police walks away. I then decided to look at the bus guy and realize he has a bruise on his chin and near his lips. This guy… Just what did I ever do to him that he’s trying his best to save me? Why must it be him the one who saved me? Why can’t it be other people? I swear to myself of not wanting to meet him again however on the back of my head I just can’t forget him. 

“Are you stupid? Appearing just like that and inviting a fight? What if something even worse happened to us?” I said and he faced me. I take out a handkerchief and start patting it on his bruise, gently and carefully. Still, he hissed in pain. My hand just automatically move. I had no idea why I did that. He then take my handkerchief and start patting it on his own bruise. Just then I noticed his fist are red. “But…Once again, thank you. If you’re not there, I wouldn’t want to imagine what will happen to me.”

“I would’ve done the same to other people.” He said calmly. Why do I find his voice soothing?

I chuckle, “Like a super hero you are.”

“Excuse me?”

“Yes. Super hero. You came to safe people.” We were about to engage in a  conversation until the police came back and allow us to go home. Because of the incident I forgot how hungry I was until my tummy started to growl silently. Sighing, my eyes spot a spicy rice cake.

“Hey, you eat dinner yet?”

No answer like usual. So I drag him to the small food corner and place him to seat.

“Let’s eat. My treat.” 

Soon we start eating silently and I realize of not knowing his name yet.

“I’m Cho Kyuhyun and you?”

“Choi Siwon.” 

“Siwon-ssi, do you always wander around at night with your friends?”

He sighs, “I don’t have any friends.”

Heck?! Someone please tell me that’s a joke. He has no friends? That’s merely impossible for a guy like him. 

“No friends? Then... I’ll be your first friend!”