Hyukjae stumbled along the street, tearing himself away from the park. As he left that place, he swore never to go back again. He only hurt himself every time he went there, and he would leave with red eyes from crying.

 

 

 

It didn’t take long until the darkened sky began to weep along with him. Hyukjae wanted nothing more than for the rain to wash away all his memories of Donghae form his mind.

 

 

 

He still loved him, but it was about time to move on.

 

 

 

“Monkey boy?”

 

 

 

A soaking wet and tired Hyukjae lifted his head and stared at his childhood friend, Kim Heechul. Heechul and his mean friends sometimes bullied Hyukjae, but ever since the day he met Donghae, Heechul had become one of their best friends. Another man ran up behind Heechul, his boyfriend Hankyung, carrying an umbrella in his hands.

 

 

 

“Hyung?” asked Hyukjae weakly. “What are you…?”

 

 

 

Heechul strolled quickly over to Hyukjae and caught him before he collapsed on the wet pavement. Hankyung immediately followed them and shielded them from the rain with the umbrella. They both knew that Hyukjae was still waiting for Donghae to come back the past two years. The redhead always sat on the park bench and patiently stayed there until he either was too tired to stay awake or just ended up sleeping there.

 

 

 

“We should have never left him alone,” Hankyung whispered softly. “He was so unstable when we flew to China.” The Chinese man’s face turned sad and guilty. “We knew, but we went anyway.”

 

 

 

Heechul nodded, his face unreadable. On the outside he looked stoic, impassive, but on the inside, Heechul was freaking pissed. This had gone on for far too long.

 

 

 

“He’s got to forget Donghae,” Hankyung said. “He’s going to keep making himself sick if he doesn’t.”

 

 

 

Gritting his teeth, Heechul unconsciously clenched Hyukjae tighter. I swear, Donghae. When we find you, you are going to regret what you did.

 

 

 

Hyukjae squinted through the bright lights as he slowly began to wake up. He didn’t know where he was or how he got there. He was in a red and pink-walled room that was vaguely familiar, and there was a long gray cat curled up at the foot of his bed. Hyukjae slowly sat up while rubbing his eyes like a child.

 

 

 

Trying to remember, Hyukjae saw flashes of broken images in the back of his mind. He recalled the park, and there was someone that he had met before he out. The person was an undeniably handsome man, with dark brown hair and brown eyes.

 

 

 

While he was trying to remember, Hyukjae’s stomach growled hungrily.

 

 

 

“Yah, when was the last time you ate?” the same person from earlier said with a scowl. He was reclining in one of the nearby chairs.

 

 

 

“He-Heechul hyung?” Hyukjae blinked in confusion. He quickly stammered a weak lie. “Th-This morning.”

 

 

 

“How stupid do you think I am?” Heechul crossed his arms over his chest. “You were skinny before, but this is ridiculous Hyukjae. There’s barely anything left to you. Trying to kill yourself?”

 

 

 

Hyukjae blinked again. Heechul spoke so bluntly. “I…I…No…”

 

 

 

“Chul ah,” Hankyung said, poking his head in the door. “Oh! Hyukjae! You’re awake! Come eat. You too, Chullie.”

 

 

 

Heechul stood up and glared coldly at Hyukjae. He wasn’t trying to be angry. He was just pissed off by the way Hyukjae was neglecting his health. But, Heechul was far more irritated at a certain fish boy he had once put his trust in.

 

 

 

He threw Hyukjae a look with a clear message attached: We’re going to talk later, whether you want to or not.

 

 

 

After they finished some of Hankyung’s Beijing Fried Rice, Heechul stalked out of the kitchen angrily, only to come back a few seconds later. He was trying desperately to control his temper. The aggravation of the whole situation that started two years ago was emerging, and Heechul couldn’t take it anymore. He slammed his fist against the wall.

 

 

 

“Your skinny pale is so lucky we found you!!” Heechul snapped.

 

 

 

Hyukjae listened from his chair quietly. He knew that Heechul really cared about him and that was why he was yelling at him. Still, Hyukjae flinched at the harshness in Heechul’s voice. The guy may be beautiful and have delicate features, but make him mad and your dead.

 

 

 

“Hell, when you pass out on the sidewalk, anyone could carry you off. What if you were kidnapped? What if you fell in the middle of the street and got hit by a car? You seriously want to die?”

 

 

 

Hankyung stepped in and placed a hand on Hyukjae’s shoulder. “We were looking for you ever since we came back yesterday. This was not how we wanted to find you. Hyukjae, your health is so important.”

 

 

 

“I’m sorry, hyung,” Hyukjae mumbled.

 

 

 

“You should be sorry!” Heechul continued to shout. “Now promise me that you will never act so stupidly ever again!”

 

 

 

Hyukjae sniffled, tears trickling down his cheeks. He nodded, whispering a small promise. It hurt both Hankyung and Heechul to see someone as innocent as Hyukjae so deeply hurt.  

 

 

 

“Forget him.” Heechul spoke more calmly and leaned against the wall across from the island in the middle of the kitchen where Hyukjae was sitting. “Forget him and move on.”

 

 

 

“I’m trying!” Hyukjae cried in his defense. “I-I just can’t.”

 

 

 

“There are more fish in the sea, Hyukjae,” Heechul replied, resting his head against the wall. “Donghae swam away so just let him go.”

 

 

 

Hyukjae nodded. Maybe it was time to leave Donghae in the past. It was obvious that he didn’t want Hyukjae anymore. Hyukjae’s heart didn’t want to let go. It was like it was being torn in half. It was already missing a piece of it. That followed Donghae, wherever he was now. But Hyukjae’s mind was telling him to forget.

 

 

 

He knew that Heechul was right about him. Hyukjae would just keep hurting himself if he didn’t move on. Enough was enough. Two years of suffering over someone who did not love him back was just making him empty. Where was the happy Hyukjae?

 

 

 

It was about time to bring him back.

 

 

 

Besides, Donghae had disappeared the day he broke up with Hyukjae. He hadn’t come back and no one expected him to.

 

 

 

Six Months Later

 

 

Hyukjae was doing much better. His health was back to normal. He was still thin, but not starving himself. In fact, he ate so much that Heechul and Hankyung had no idea how he didn’t gain weight. He appeared to be glowing with a new confidence. His eyes sparkled the way they did when he was younger. There was a freeness about him.

 

 

 

The redhead had rediscovered his love of dancing and practiced with Hankyung every other night. Heechul was impressed at how well Hyukjae had handled the situation, with their help of course. It had taken six months, but Hyukjae was practically healed.

 

 

 

Hankyung had found him a job as a waiter in the café where he worked. Ever since Hyukjae started working there, the business had increased because more and more customers wanted to see the redheaded young man with the charming gummy smile.

 

 

 

Actually, there was one particular customer that Hyukjae enjoyed seeing. The kid was a little cocky, but he really looked like he had some kind of affection for Hyukjae. Heechul approved, seeing qualities of himself in the guy. Besides, Hyukjae smiled more brightly when the person entered the café. If Hyukjae was happy, then Heechul was content.

 

 

 

“Hyukjae hyung,” the young man said one day, his laptop powering down. “Come play games with me after work.”

 

 

 

“But you always beat me, Kyuhyun ah~” Hyukjae half-teased/half-whined as he wiped down a nearby table. He glanced up at the wavy haired boy and smiled.

 

The younger boy grinned confidently to hide the fact that he was blushing from Hyukjae’s breathtaking smile.    

 

 

 

It was like Lee Donghae had been erased from Hyukjae’s mind entirely. Even if the brunette were mentioned in a conversation, his facial expression wouldn’t flinch at all. It seemed as if Hyukjae never knew Donghae.

 

 

 

Donghae was gone for good.

 

 

 

Heechul did not believe that however. He knew Donghae well; perhaps better than Hyukjae did. Although Heechul was strongly disappointed in the fishy boy who had been his favorite dongsaeng, and he did not respect his decision to just dump Hyukjae without a real explanation, he was more curious than he was angry. Donghae would come back. It was only a matter of time.

 

 

 

And when he did, Donghae was going to be put through hell.

 

 

 

Donghae deserved to experience the pain Hyukjae was put through.

 

 

 

It was a cold winter night when Heechul’s phone rang.

 

 

 

“What the hell is it?” Heechul growled into the phone. It was 3 in the morning and Heechul did not like his beauty sleep disturbed.

 

 

 

“It’s me, hyung,” a smooth voice said through the phone. There was a hint of desperation in it though. “I made a mistake. I came back for him.”

 

 

 

“ you, Donghae.” And Heechul hung up.

 

10/31/10