It is funny. That boys and girls are lining up. To go out with the little monkey. But Hyukjae just turns them down.

Because he's a wimp.

"I don't waaanna go to schooool..."

Hyukjae plops on the couch. Sticks his legs out. They've gotten longer.

"Have you ever wanted to go to school?"

The boy pouts in misery. Donghae gives him a bowl of rice. With an egg. Then pats his head.

"Monkey. Just apologize for running away and tell him you want to be his friend, not boyfriend."

"Easy for you to say," Hyukjae mutters. Sits up. Shoves half the egg into his mouth. "VYou're a fffemon." He chews. Swallows. "You've never been on the receiving end of a confession, let alone from someone you care about."

"Yeah?"

"I bet no one has even kissed you!"

"Mmm."

"I bet if anyone even tells you they like you, you'd say, off! And then like, incinerate them, and then... go sit on your king chair. For demons."

"Mhm."

Donghae has stepped back. To the kitchen. He checks the fridge. Closes it. 

"I should get some groceries today..." he murmurs.

He puts away some dishes. Turns. Finds Hyukjae staring at him. Donghae frowns.

"Hyukjae, you have ten minutes."

"So is that... true?"

"What?"

Hyukjae puts his bowl. On the table. "Because, um, isn't that woman someone you loved?"

"Excuse me?"

"T-The one in your dream--"

Donghae's insides twist violently. He glares. Hyukjae stops. Picks up his bowl again. Shovels food into his mouth.

"Showwy..."

---

"But don't you think, like, if... um, if I told you so much, you should tell me something too?"

Donghae closes his eyes. They're waiting at the bus stop.

"Told me so much about what? All you do is compain about school and being poor -- and when you're not doing that, you're giving me stupid orders and making all of this difficult."

"N-No!" Hyukjae crosses his arms. His lips grow twice their size. "I told you about my family and me! You know so much now and I-I don't know anything!"

"You didn't tell me much. I figured most out on my own."

"B-But I did tell you stuff too, like... some stuff..."

"Because I need to help you and protect you," Donghae says. "Since I don't really have a choice, do I?" He tries not to grit his teeth. But he turns to Hyukjae. With a hard stare. "And what makes you think you're entitled to knowing anything about me? For what purpose? Are you forgetting what this is?"

Hyukjae's expression changes. Donghae sees a flash of hurt. Feels it too. The damned connection. Worse, he regrets his words. Hyukjae has lowered his head. He kicks at the pavement.

"Okay..." he mumbles. "It's just... I feel this... inexplicable sadness, sometimes. A-And anger. So much anger. It's like... this burning in my guts... and I know it's not mine, because it's different, so I w-wanted to know if--"

Donghae grabs his arm. Yanks him close.

"Didn't you order me to stay out? Didn't I tell you to do the same?"

Hyukjae appears frightened. Donghae instantly releases him. There are other people. At the stop. They've looked at them. Donghae fakes a laugh. Ruffles Hyukjae's hair. 

"You're such a jokester!"

Up ahead... the bus has turned. Onto this street. Hyukjae turns away. Hurries to join the queue. He doesn't look at Donghae.

---

There's faint smoke. It floats in from behind him.

"You're always quick," Donghae says. "I appreciate that."

"Um, sure..." Yesung approaches. Glances down at him. "Why are we here?"

He's holding two coffees. Donghae extends his hand out. Takes one.

"Thanks, Yesung. I need this."

Yesung steps around. Donghae's sitting on an old stool. On a rooftop. Of a building. Close to... Hyukjae's school.

"Did something happen?" Yesung stands in front of him. Blocks his view partially. "Why aren't you in your apartment?"

Donghae takes a sip. "I feel like there."

"You feel like ?"

He tried a few areas. Hyukjae's place. His own. The other side of the school. Hyukjae is... upset. Donghae's still forbidden. To reach into anything. But when it's intense... he doesn't need to. He's had this... repetitive prick. Since Hyukjae got on the bus. It grows. It doesn't even feel like... anger. Towards him. It's just that. Upset. Sad. In some way.

Donghae's forbidden from the school, too. From going anywhere near it. So he tried a few buildings. Finally, he came to this. He's able stay. It doesn't help that prick. But it does ease his mind.

Donghae can act a little more quickly... if he needs to.

Wait.

But only if Hyukjae asks him. Needs him to help. Reaches for him.

He... would. Of course.

Right?

"Yesung..." Donghae lets out a tired sigh. "All those years of ruling, spending decades up here, and I don't think I've ever been as frustrated and helpless as I am now, with this stupid child."

Again: he feels bad. For saying this.

Yesung hums. Steps back. Leans on the short wall. "Well, it can't be worse than dealing with her treason."

.

Donghae's chest contricts. His throat tightens. Slowly, he takes a sip. Struggles to gulp it down. He avoids Yesung's eyes.

Not treason. Just... descent into madness. Downfall. He wants to say this. But he'll receive pitying looks.

"Yes..." he admits. "It isn't."

It gets quiet. They hear the traffic. Broken conversation. Donghae inhales deeply. Gets to his feet.

He's wondered: if Hyukjae would clear things up. With that dance friend. He wondered if he'd feel it. But it's past the lunch hour. There's nothing.

"So?" Donghae says. "Did you find out?"

Yesung takes a noisy slurp. "About Siwon?"

Donghae's already too furious. So he just glares at Yesung. The other takes a less noisy sip.

"Yes. One of Siwon's teams is, indeed, slaughtering those strays here."

"Great. Did you tell him?"

"He said no, he can't."

"What?"

"He said no, he can't--"

Donghae takes Yesung's coffee. "Don't act like Kyuhyun now, please. Be serious. Why can't he do it? These are orders."

"Oh, that's what you meant..." Yesung blinks at the coffee. Donghae gives it back. Yesung smiles. Continues. "Okay, yeah. He said no, he can't, because they're increasing in numbers and recently, one of their hunters was severely injured in a strange attack, so they're all hands on deck to prevent anything like that from happening again."

"Those same aberrants?"

"Yeah," Yesung says. "Ryeowook and Kyuhyun bet that they're trying to trace you to find Hyukjae."

"You're completely sure they come out here... meaning to?"

"Yeah, but they can't trace him or you. One of Siwon's teams is stationed near the cafe, because of that portal, and because the aberrants lose you once they're here, the hunters are quick to destroy them."

Donghae gazes towards the school.

"If you didn't actually summon us into these spaces," Yesung says. "I doubt even I'd be able to find this boy easily." He stands straight. "So don't worry, king. No one's getting to the boy that easily."

But it is easy. It just needs someone clever. To see the loopholes. Notice any energies. Especially i