“Ryeowook?”

I walked past him.

A desperate hand coiled around my wrist, pulling me to a halt. Stumbling back, I turned my head, sighing when I saw Mir crying. “What?”

“Can you please talk to Kyuhyun?” he asked hastily, eyes swollen, “He won’t talk to me or answer my calls and texts. You’re the only person I can rely on.”

It was like a cheesy movie. I had seen it happen time and time again on the big screen. Never in my life did I think I would be a part of that horrible plot. “I can’t help you,” I stated, attempting to get away from him.

The grip on my arm just tightened and I winced. Mir didn’t care though; all that was reflected in his eyes was self-pity and pathetic infatuation. He didn’t love Kyuhyun and I wished whole-heartedly that he would realize that so I wouldn’t be stuck in the current situation. “Please Ryeowook…no one will help me and I’m out of ideas. If he won’t even talk to me, I…I don’t know what I’m going to do,” he sobbed.

Sighing, I ripped away from his grasp, staggering a bit. “It’s not my problem to fix,” I shrugged my backpack higher up my shoulder. He whimpered something but I was already walking up the steps to my house and slamming the door shut.

“What was that about?”

I kicked my shoes off, looking up to find my father sitting at the kitchen table. He was dressed in a crisp suit and his face was clean shaven. “Nothing,” I shook my head, “why aren’t you wearing your uniform?”

“I’m going out of town,” he answered, drinking his coffee calmly, “for two weeks…maybe three weeks. There’s a promotion ceremony or something and then a conference. I’ll probably be back for your graduation,” he offered lightly, “if not, make sure Kyuhyun doesn’t do anything to ruin the event.”

At those times, I recalled why I disliked Kyuhyun. Everyone cared about him one way or another, including me. There was a magnetic attraction about him that could draw in anyone and repel anyone as he pleased. If there was a way to escape the madness surrounding Kyuhyun, I would do it in a heartbeat. These were the times when I didn’t think of him as a friend and comfort. These were the times where I loathed him with all my might for controlling his life and the lives of others without a thought.

“Have a safe trip,” I mumbled, leaving the kitchen.

“Wait.”

I looked over my shoulder, just in time to dodge a heavy, sleek object. It crashed into the floor, skidding down the hall. Going after it, I picked it up carefully, running my thumb across the surface.

“It’s a pocket knife,” my father grunted. He was leaning against the entryway to the kitchen, “an early graduation present since I might not be there.”

That little token of affection was the only one he had ever given me. “Got it,” I nodded softly, closing my fingers around the smooth exterior, “Thanks.”

“Don’t hurt yourself with it,” he yawned, twisting around and heading back to the kitchen.

You would think that I spent the next few hours toying with the knife, but I didn’t. There wasn’t much about it that appealed to me. Sure, I had been happy to get the present, but weapons didn’t click with me. At least, I felt like they didn’t.

I’m not sure when my father left, but by the time I went downstairs again, the kitchen was dark and a sliver of light was just disappearing behind the trees. Flicking on the lamp, I sat down in the living room and stretched out on the couch. There were cars rolling by that I could see through the window and younger kids playing night games. Lightning bugs flashed every once in a while, but I wasn’t particularly looking at them. In fact, I wasn’t sure of anything that came into my line of vision.

Eyelids grew heavy and just as everything was about to fade out, three sharp knocks at the door jolted me awake.

Sitting up, I cracked my neck and walked over to the back door, already knowing who it was before answering it. The door creaked open and I found Kyuhyun…and Changmin. “What are you doing here?” I asked.

“Your old man told me that he’s out of town for a while,” Kyuhyun smirked, “I figured I would come and keep you company.”

“Don’t need it,” I tried to close the door, but he shoved it back open and invited himself in.

“Sure you do!” He found a seat at the kitchen table. “I brought some cards, we can order food, and make a night out of it. What do you think?” Kyuhyun was already shuffling the deck of cards though.

Seeing as there was no way to argue, I stepped aside for Changmin and closed the door once everyone was inside. Picking up the phone, I dialed a nearby Chinese take-out place. From the corner of my eye, I could see Changmin alternating between throwing me sidelong glares and flirting with Kyuhyun.

Didn’t I say so before? Everyone loved Kyuhyun and everyone hated Kyuhyun. It was impossible to just be indifferent towards him.

“Order dumplings, too!” Kyuhyun remarked, standing up and sidling up behind me. Normally, I would be okay with the touchiness, but not when there was someone in the room who very obviously disapproved of my presence.

“Stop,” I pushed him away, but he either didn’t feel it or ignored it. “Kyuhyun,” I whispered urgently when he kept mumbling orders into my ear.

“Just do what I say,” he tightened his arms around my waist.

Sighing. I avoided looking at Changmin and told the take-out restaurant whatever Kyuhyun wanted. I gave him a curious look when he chose an octopus dish, but he simply grinned. “Okay, fifteen minutes?” I nodded absently, “Thanks see you then.”

“Was that so hard?” Kyuhyun leaned his head on the shoulder that Changmin couldn’t see, brushing a soft kiss in the crook of my neck.

“Do you always let people touch you like that?”

I tilted my head, meeting those judgmental eyes. No matter how casual his voice was, I could see it in his gaze – the disdain…maybe even a little fear masked as annoyance. My father hadn’t been around the past few years, but he had taught me enough about reading situations and people. I bet his father had done the same to him.

“Kyuhyun does whatever he wants,” I shrugged, “I can’t stop him.”

“That’s a really strange attitude,” Changmin laughed, “you can stop him if it makes you feel really weird, you know. I’m sure he’s a big boy that can handle his feelings getting hurt.”

Jealousy?

Or did he just want to pick a fight?

“I guess I don’t care then,” I answered, struck with surprise when I saw a glint of satisfaction in those features. What could he be happy about? “It’s just touching.”

Kyuhyun pulled away then. “Let’s play poker,” he interrupted, sitting down at the table again and shuffling the deck.

“Sounds good,” Changmin grinned, angling his body away from me as I found my seat between them. “So did you guys decide on your future plans?” He wasn’t asking me directly, but by the tenseness of his posture, it had to be directed more so towards me than anyone else.

“A took a university exam for fun,” Kyuhyun yawned, dealing out the deck, “I haven’t responded to my admittance yet.”

“And you?” he glanced at me.

“Same as Kyuhyun, except it wasn’t just for fun,” I mumbled, organizing the cards in my hand. “How about you?” I set the playing cards back down, peering over at him.

Changmin’s mouth twitched, but other than that, he didn’t change that face. “Law enforcement,” he answered easily, “there’s nothing else I’ve ever wanted to do. I bet you understand.”

“I don’t idolize my father,” I responded.

“Growing up with someone who takes the law so seriously must have had some affect on you,” he persisted with a relaxed chuckle.

My fingers pressed faintly into the smooth backside of the cards. “I deal with Kyuhyun constantly. That must mean something.”

“Hey now,” Kyuhyun snapped, glaring at me.

“I’m not sorry,” I returned the look, “considering how much mayhem you cause.”

“You enjoy it, don’t you?” he smirked, “It’s not like you’ve ever stopped me.”

Something about the entire situation was starting to feel wrong. Kyuhyun was random, but he was also possessive. In front of other people, we were never truly on good terms, but then why would he suddenly let a random person in on our personal relationship?

More so, why did it seem like I was being grilled for information? Was it just because I hadn’t been around many people and now it felt weird to interact? Did people even interact like this?

Kyuhyun’s words finally registered. There was a slowly sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I had always justified myself for never stopping his minor offenses. But…was there any point in that? If justice didn’t exist in my mind, then wasn’t trying to justify something even more hypocritical than it normal was?

“I…that’s true,” I conceded, “maybe.”

We played one round of poker before I had to leave to get the food. Nothing particularly interesting happened in that one game, except maybe my thoughts. It was as if I had a glass shattering epiphany about my own behavior. How could I be this way? Why didn’t I care about what Kyuhyun did? I should have cared even a little bit as a simple human being.

Where was my mold? Where was I supposed to fit myself when I couldn’t even trust my own mind?

“I’ll come with you,” Kyuhyun started getting up from the table but I stopped him, holding the door handle already.

“Don’t. I’ll be back soon,” I shook my head, locking the door behind me.