Jungshin didn't know what to do anymore. He got back at eight PM like usual and Minhyuk hadn't been home. the boy's classes ended at four and he never went out without tellign Junghsin. 

    He waited. For one whole hour, Lee Jungshin paced, cursed, punched walls, and worried. But he waited for Minhyuk to comeback, tell him that he just went out to buy more milk or something, despite the brand new carton of milk in their fridge. After that one hour, he went out to look for the boy. Nine PM in their neighbourhoot was dangerous as it was, even more so when it was summer.

    So so dangerous. At ten PM, Lee Jungshin was getting beat up in a lone alley that they all said led to one of the headquarters of a local gang. At ten thirty PM, he was limping across town, his haid stuck to his forehead with sweat. At eleven PM, he barely escaped getting beat up again. He managed to run.

    At that point, Lee Jungshin gave up.

    At eleven thirty PM, he was at his own doorstep, tearing up as he listened to Minhyuk laughing in the kitchen. 

    He staggered in, finding no one save his best friend.

    "Kang Minhyuk, where the have you been?" He tried to hold back his tears; he tried to feel anger, rage, something-anything to motivate him and scream at his best friend.

    He wanted to be pissed off at Minhyuk when the small boy scoffed, told him he didn't care about him anyway, but all he managed was to roll his eyes and punch the boy's arm weakly. "I was ing worried sick."

    Minhyuk had to admit that he felt a bit guilty.

    In his head, he'd accused Jungshin of deciding to spend the night with Lizzy. In his head, he'd told himself that Jungshin wouldn't care if Minhyuk hadn't come home early. He told himself that Junghsin wouldn't even have noticed. But there he was, beat up because of Minhyuk; bruised because of Minhyuk; tattered because of Minhyuk.

    So maybe he wasnt just a little bit guilty.

    The guilt, in fact, came a bit stronger that Minhyuk was prepared for. He couldn't find it in himself to say sorry, as much as he wanted to and he really really did. Jungshin was his best friend. He was the one person that Minhyuk had at that point but the smaller boy was messed up. He turned around and walked away, tears welling in his eyes as soon as he'd brought himself out of the long haired boy's sight.

    Jungshin rubbed his temples, heaving a great sigh. Minhyuk still hadn't changed. For 21 years, Minhyuk only really opened up thrice. Twice about his parents and once about Soyu. He knew there was something just as serious this time; he knew he would have to pry it out of the boy again. He knew he had to get the boy to spill. He knew it would take a great deal of effort; that it took a whole month to get Minhyuk to talk about Soyu; that Junghsin had to walk in on his parent fighting and throwing furniture at each other for Junghsin to even know that that problem existed. He knew but he was willing to go through with it anyway.

    Minhyuk walked in on Jungshin's phone as it was in the midst of vibrating on his table. He figured he shouldn't touch it, but he did anyway, rather impulsively, when he saw Lizzy's picture plastered across the screen. He slid his finger across the thin touchscreen, punching in Jungshin's code that he knew all too well.

When are you coming back? -Liz

    Coming back. Jungshin. Lizzy. They did somethign back then. When Minhyuk drowned himself in tears and alcohol; when Minhyuk interrupted by calling Jungshin in the middle of the night. When Minhyuk sobbed in Jungshin's arms; When Minhyuk...

    Coming back.

    ...When Minhyuk asked Jungshin never to leave him.

    Somehow, Minhyuk wanted to drown that night out; pretend that it didn't exist. He couldn't remember what Jungshin said to him after that. He could only remember crying; being blinded by his own tears as he was at that exact same moment his legs giving way as he fell to the ground, his hands shaking again. He did remember exactly how Jungshin's arms wrapped around him and rubbed his back. He remembered how the taller boy's warm hands wiped away his tears.

    "Ssh, Minhyuk, it's okay." He remembered how it felt exactly the same way back then as Jungshin did it again this time.