Kyuhyun’s POV

“Kyuhyun.” A recognizable coarse voice called as Jessica cried in my arms.

I turned around and found myself facing the person i’ve been avoiding all this time. My father.

“You are not dead.” He said, coldly. “I thought you were since it has been...how many years has it been since you decided to run away from me?”

His arrogant smile gave me an urge to punch him right on his face. Jessica tightened her grip on my arm. I took a deep breath to calm myself down. Tonight is not about me. It’s about Jessica. Don’t let him get into your head.

“And who is this?” he asked, shifting his eyes to Sungmin, who shifted uncomfortably. I realized it was a mistake bringing him along.

“I am Sungmin, sir. Kyuhyun’s...friend.”

“Friend? You have a friend?” he mocked with a smirk. “Well, i am Kyuhyun’s father.”

Damn it!

“Oh, nice to meet you, sir.” Sungmin said with a polite bow while he just majestically stood there as if he owned the world.

“I am leaving Sica. Mr. Jang will take of the formalities and the funeral. I’m afraid i won’t be able to attend it though.”

“But...”

“I have to go now.” He said paying no attention to Jessica. “And i hope you stick around this time. We have a lot to catch up.” He said before walking away.

I saw Sungmin look at him with uncertainty.

Sungmin’s POV

What’s wrong with this family? The son acts as if it doesn’t matter that his mother diedl well it is his step mother but still! And the husband says he can’t attend the funeral? And he was smiling when he said it which gave me chills.

Kyuhyun has some pretty heavy explaining to do.

“Oppa, umma wanted you to have this.” She said passing him a white envelope

He took from her and tore the side and pulled out a folded paper from it. “It’s a letter.” He murmured. And the expression that followed while he read the letter wasn’t good. His brows furrowed and his lips quivered while his trembling hands clasped on the piece of paper. After a while he folded the letter back and stuffed it back into the envelope.

“Oppa, what is it?” Jessica asked, sniffing.

“Sica, i have to go. I promise i’ll be back...home tomorrow.” He said, while desperately trying to hold his frustration back. “Sungmin, we are leaving.” he held my wrist and dragged me away, giving me no chance to speak to Jessica.

What in the world?

“Kyuhyun-ah, wait...stop pulling me!” i exclaimed out of exasperation. He didn’t, of course. He continued walking across the parking lot, while i hopelessly tried to keep my shoes from falling off.

“Get in.” He commanded as we reached the car.

“No. Not if you are driving.” I said between breaths. “Give me the key.” I said as i doubled over.

“Sungmin-shi...”

“You are obviously outraged about something. And i’m i guessing your father has something to do with it. You emotions aren’t under control, Kyuhyun. If you lose your cool in while driving...” i explained. “I am 26. I am too young to die and so are you. Now give me that damn keys!”

****

I stopped at the first red light after we left the hospital. The atmosphere swirled with dark tension. He had his arms folded stiffly around his chest while he looked out of the window. I knew for sure he wasn’t doing it to enjoy the scenery. I wish i could just blink us back home instead having this tormenting car ride. I shifted the gear when the light turned green and drove.

“Pull over.” He said in a low voice.

“What?” i asked, thinking that i heard wrong.

“Pull.Over.” he enunciated.

I heard it right. And i did as he said.

“Are you okay?” i asked. Not the smartest question to ask a person with a presumably dark past.

He took a deep breath. “i think it’s time i tell you who i really am.”

“Kyu—”

“Shush...don’t say anything. It’s alright.” He said straightening up. “My mother died at childbirth. And my father, that man you met, loved her so much and couldn’t accept the fact that she was gone. He blamed me for her death. Almost every day, he would yell at me that he despised me and wished i was never born. Never once in his life has he spoken to me lovingly or embraced me. I was brought up by my nanny. My needs were taken care of by the butler. He would go off for months and when he returns he would ignore me and soon his business picked up. It wasn’t long before he was engulfed by greed. He found happiness in being in control, having power, being dominant." he said, rubbing his forehead.

"When i was 7," he continued, "He remarried. And Jessica was her daughter from her previous marriage. So we are not blood related in anyway. She was 5 at that time.” He said, leaning his head back with a sad smile.

“The lady he married was nothing but a puppet. She was the daughter of a wealthy old man who was cheated by her husband. She was a perfect tool for him to ace even further in the corporate world and he made full use of it. He never bothered about her and she was too afraid to do anything to claim her rights as his wife. She never stood up for anything. Not for herself or her daughter.”

He took in shaky long breath. I could see this was a torture to him and i wanted him to stop but he shushed me when i tried to speak.

“When i was 10, Donghae came into our lives.” He said, smiling at the memories.

FLASHBACK

Author’s POV

14 years ago.

Kyuhyun stared at the brightly shining sun as he lay down on his back with his hands folded under his head. His father was returned home for a couple of days and Kyuhyun knew that the last thing he would want set his eyes on was him. So he escaped. He slipped thru the kitchen door; skilfully dashed across the newly landscaped garden, climbed over the wall, fought his way thru the bushes and was exhausted by the time he scurried into his little hideout he discovered when he was 7.

For three years this secret spot has saved him from numerous calamities. All of it involved his father of course. His father had the the talent to pinpoint Kyuhyun’s smallest flaw or mistake and blow it up to the size of an extra large hot air balloon. Eventually the balloon bursts and so does his sanity. And whenever his father loses his temper it usually ends up with Kyuhyun getting belted.

Red marks could be seen clearly on his milky white pale skin whenever this happens. And on his 7^th birthday, he was about to receive a similar ‘present’ but thanks to the kind-hearted butler, Kwon ahjusshi, he managed to get away. That is when he stumbled upon this place and gratefully accepted it as a gift from god for his birthday.

He sighed and thought if his life would have been different if his mother was alive. He never knew how his mother looked like. His father claimed that he had burned all the pictures of her the day of her funeral.

“After you killed her.” He would say.

But Kyuhyun was certain that there was a picture of her somewhere in his father’s room.

“And one day i am going to get a good look at it.” he told himself.

“Take a good look at what?” a voice asked, making Kyuhyun sit up in shock.

“Who is that?” he asked, anxiously looking around.

“No one” was the answer. "And you know, it's dangerous to stare right into the sun. You might go blind."

“You don’t scare me. Come out before—”

“BOO!” Kyuhyun heard the voice scream followed by a loud thud and dry leaves crunching.

“AH!” he shrieked closing his eyes shut.

“So much for not being scared, buddy.” He heard and felt a poke on his forehead.

When he opened his eyes he saw a boy around his age crouched in front of him wearing an impish grin.

“You are Kyuhyun right?” he asked.

Kyuhyun managed a nod despite the shock.

“I knew it.” He said. “I’m Donghae. Your new driver is my father.”

“Oh, i see.” Kyuhyun responded. “How did you find this place?”

“I was just wandering around, got lost and ended up here.” He said, shrugging.

Kyuhyun felt a little sad that his hideout is no longer a secret.

“So you hide here a lot?” Donghae asked, stretching his legs.

Kyuhyun nodded.

“I heard that your father has a very bad temper.”

Kyuhyun nodded again.

Donghae ruffled the younger boy’s hair. “Don’t worry. I promise i won’t tell anyone about this place. You have my word.”

The promise made him beam. He never had a friend, he was home-schooled and his father rarely allows him to leave the mansion. Plus, all the kids are petrified of his father and stayed as far as they can from Kyuhyun.
 

But this boy was different. Despite knowing the facts about Kyuhyun and his father, he wasn’t afraid to speak freely with Kyuhyun. And so, Kyuhyun decided to push his just a little further.

“Umm...can we...can we be friends?” he braved himself to ask.

When he saw Donghae smirk, he immediately felt gloomy. “Friends? Me and you?” he asked.

Kyuhyun hung his head down in disappointment. I’m never going to have a friend in my life.

“Yah, i am elder than you. Let me be your hyung. How is that?”

Hyung?

“Hyung? I can call you hyung?” he asked, rejoiced.

Donghae nodded with his eyebrows raised. “Sure.”

“Arraseo. Donghae hyung.”