It was too late in the night and too early to really be morning when I heard the banging.

It was soft at first, like hesitant knocks on timber but then it got faster and harder. My head was throbbing with a premature hangover, so I couldn't tell if it was an actual sound or just the pounding in my skull. I crawled onto my knees, almost nervous to move quickly in case I barf over Baekhyun's floor. 

But then I heard him. 

"Sehun! Open the fck up! Sehun-ah, please. Please!" 

Too sudden, too quick, I wasn't prepared to face him yet. Crawling over to the opposite side of the room, I leaned tight against the wall, cowering away from his voice. I was trying to move on, I didn't want to see him. I was almost there. I was healing. I was—

The door whisked open, but Baekhyun's body blocked my vision.

"Move Byun Baekhyun. Let me see him!"

The boy didn't reply immediately, just pulled the door close enough to stop Kai from pushing through, "you're disturbing other people. Leave while I'm being civil."

This only made the other become louder, angrier and ruder. I didn't have to be near him to know he had more than a few drinks, the smell of alcohol was stronger than when I was in my own space. The other students started opening their own doors, tiptoeing to watch the scene unfold as Kai continued to bark against my best friend. 

I could see the tremble in Baek's hands, his face starting to turn a deeper shade of red and a clenching mouth. 

"Kai, if you think I'm going to just watch you fck his life once more over, then you're worse than the bastard I thought you were." 

And bam.

Baekhyun threw the first punch, then another and another but I couldn't tell if his opponent threw back. Kai just swaggered back, spitting blood and egging Baekhyun on, almost like he was begging for him to beat him some more. 

By the time I went to push them apart, Baekhyun only had split knuckles and an untouched face whereas the other boy gasped for air, his eyes barely opening.

"Sehun-ah?" He whispered, his hand reaching out to me despite his grave state, "fck I've missed you."

People were watching, Baekhyun was shaking his head like he couldn't believe how ridiculous that sentence was. "Sehun, just leave him there, he won't die from a few hits."

I wanted to nod my head, add a few punches myself then throw him in some alleyway. I really did. 

"Baekhyun, help me get him up."

The boy just stared blankly at me, trying to check if he misheard me or maybe I actually meant help me beat him up. I almost smiled when he gave a deep sigh before he bent low to help me pull Kai up, mumbling about how he would have saved his energy if I was going to just run back to him anyway. 

"I'm not running back."
"Then leave the fcker where he belongs. The ground."
"How are you going to answer when people other than the students question why you left a badly beaten man to die outside your door?"
"I'll ask them if they wanna join him."

I chuckled because I knew that if I didn't ask to pick him up, he would have done it himself later anyway.

"Where are we taking him?"
"Our room."
"That's not the direction of our room."
"Not that one. The other our."