I awoke in the morning in intense pain, before the sun rose. I laid on my stomach for a few minutes, but frowned and got on my knees when I didn't think I could stand it anymore. I got up from the floor and quietly left the room and made my way into the bathroom. I opened the medicine cabinet for painkillers. When I found some, I limped into the kitchen for a glass of water and flicked the lights on. I took the pills hastily, and then closed my eyes in an attempt to forget about the pain.

When I opened my eyes, I finally looked up. No one had cleaned the mess in the living room the night before. I rubbed my forehead. Was it really supposed to be my job?

I slowly moved to the living room and bent down to pick up an empty beer bottle, then paused. Why was I doing this? I put the beer bottle back down. It wasn't my mess to clean last night, and it wasn't my mess to clean now. I returned to Donghae and Sungmin's room and feeling the painkillers starting to kick in, laid back down to go back to sleep.

I spent the entire day off alone in the dorm lying on my stomach on the floor, catching up on schoolwork that I had fallen impossibly behind on since the week before. No one cleaned the living room in the morning before leaving, and I didn't clean the living room after they left either. A few of the older members had returned to the dorm early, but made a point of not cleaning the dorm. The cleaning of the living room seemed to represent admittance of fault, and neither I or the older members were going to do it.

I was still labouring through my schoolwork that night alone in our room when I heard the door to our room open. To my surprise, Kangin was standing at the doorway. I knew I should get to my feet and bow, but I had lost all respect for Kangin that I ever had before after the night before. As rude as it was, I was still lying down when I just turned my head towards Kangin, and gave a slight drop of the head.

"Cho Kyuhyun, you still haven't cleaned the living room," he said.

I looked up at him - I wasn't even surprised that he wanted to order me around anymore. When I didn't say anything, Kangin spoke again.

"You know I was drunk last night, right?" asked Kangin with a smile as if to say I was being an unreasonably petulant child.

There was an uncomfortable silence. "Is that supposed to be an apology?" I asked coldly, although I was still using honorifics.

"You can call it whatever you want," said Kangin with a noncomitant shrug.

"Am I supposed to accept the apology then?" I asked, looking into his eyes. I was searching for sincerity in Kangin's face, but no matter how hard I looked, I couldn't find any.

"I don't care. It makes no difference to me," said Kangin.

"That's great to hear, sunbaenim, because whatever it was that you just said makes no difference to me either," I said with a glare.

Kangin seemed to reel in his anger at me at the doorway, and I was momentarily afraid that he would start shouting. However, he just breathed in and shot me a dirty look.

"If you don't have the living room cleaned by tomorrow morning..."

"I'm not doing it," I said, shaking with anger. "You asked me if I'd rather clean or get hit last night. I think it's clear to both of us which of those things happened."

Kangin stared at me for a moment, then laughed. "You've got some nerve, Cho Kyuhyun. But you're forgetting your place as maknae."

I looked at the floor. "Maybe," I said. I then looked up and looked into his eyes. "But I think you're also forgetting your place as a hyung."

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY? " said Kangin, furious, then he lunged at me. He took me by the front of my shirt, sat me up and shoved me into the wall.

I was frowning in pain already and in order to avoid sitting on the floor directly, I got on my knees.

"Sunbaenim, how do you expect me to accept my responsibilities as the maknae when you're not accepting yours as a hyung?" I demanded with a glower.

And as soon as I said this, Kangin took an open hand and slapped my face with all his strength.

I felt my head turn from the impact at the same time that I saw stars. I took a moment to allow the stinging to ebb away, then faced front to look up at Kangin.

"What happened last night was because you were drunk, was it?" I said with a sneer. "Can you tell me what changes when you drink, sunbaenim? Because I don't really see a difference."

"You - " I saw Kangin raise his hand again angrily it landed on my cheek again with a tremendous tide of sting and pain. I looked up into Kangin's eyes but this time, I was in too much pain to say anything. Watching me not lower my gaze, I saw him raise his hand again and I squeezed my eyes shut with my head slightly turned, readying myself for the slap. However, it didn't come.

"It never matters whether or not you treat them well," said Kangin under his breath, lowering his hand. He got to his feet. I was trying to keep silent for my own sake, but I spoke before even realizing it.

"This is you treating me well?" I retorted, my hand on my cheek.

I saw Kangin pause at the doorway with anger, but he left the room, slamming the door behind him, without saying anything else. I finally got to my feet and had my back to the door when I heard the door open again.

"Cho Kyuhyun, are you insane?"

I turned around again to find Ryeowook was standing at the doorway.

"What?" I said, turning my head away.

"Are you trying to get into trouble on purpose?" asked Ryeowook angrily.

"Ryeowook - "

"Stop it. Please. It's no wonder the older hyungs aren't pleased with you. At least he took the time to speak to you about last night."

I didn't say anything for a second. What, my life was supposed to revolve around pleasing the hyungs? I looked at him coldly. "Are you trying to teach me something?"

"No, I just want you to have an easier time, damn it," said Ryeowook, clearly aggravated.

"Whatever. It's going to be over soon." In exactly two weeks minus one day, in fact.

"It won't be over soon if you keep acting like this," said Ryeowook.

"You have no idea," I said, shaking my head. I rubbed my sore cheek with the back of my hand. "Don't worry about me."

"What's wrong with you?" asked Ryeowook, shaking my shoulders. "Do this for yourself."

"Okay, Ryeowook. Go away," I said, putting my hand on his back to usher him out of the room.

"Kyuhyun, I'm serious."

"Okay. Go away now," I said carelessly.

"You're always telling me to go away," said Ryeowook, looking betrayed.

"Because I want you to go away."

"Fine. Just... please tell me you'll start taking care of yourself."

I rolled my eyes. "You sound like manager hyung. Go away."

Ryeowook sighed. "You make even me mad."

"Good night, Ryeowook," I said, pushing him out of the room.

"Go away," said Ryeowook with a pout.

"Let's both go away," I said, laughing.

"Okay. Good night, Kyuhyun," said Ryeowook with a small smile, and he turned around to walk into his own room. I sighed as I closed the door.

God, Ryeowook. Stop caring so much about me. You'll regret it.