"My dad died."

The words rung in Hyesung's ears as he came to a complete stop in the middle of the sidewalk. Eric realized that he was no longer next to him and turned to find him.

"What?" He asked, wondering why he had stopped.

"What do you mean, what. Your dad ing died and you didn't tell me?"

"Yeah..." Eric looked away, ashamed.

"Well why the hell not?"

"I didn't want to get your family involved. You were going through a hard time, too, with you dad being fired and all..."

Hyesung couldn't believe it. The reason that they hadn't talked for so long was because of a reason like that. If anything, they should've become closer. He covered his face with the back of his hand as tears welled up in his eyes.

"Hyesung?"

He didn't respond. He just stood there silently crying.

"Yah, Hyesung. It's alright, it's in the past."

Hyesung's head suddenly shot up, and Eric took a step back, a bit surprised by his sudden action. He saw that his eyes were red and his eyes were watery.

"It's not alright, idiot! You should have told me..." He looked down again and cried more. Eric felt a sharp pain in his heart. He walked over to Hyesung and hesitantly embraced him, knowing he didn't like skinship. He didn't pull away, instead he leaned against Eric's broad chest as Eric gently the back of his head.

"I'm sorry..." A muffle came from Eric's chest.

"What? Why?" Eric said, pulling back to look at him.

"Because I called you rude things. Because I didn't bother to talk to you, even thought I knew something was wrong. Because I was a bad friend. Because-"

"No! Don't be sorry! I deserve it." He pulled Hyesung back into an embrace. "Besides, I should be sorry. I should have talked to you about it, but I was stupid and tore our friendship apart."

Hyesung and Eric stood there looking each other in the eyes. Suddenly they realized how many people were watching them and became rather uncomfortable. Eric quickly pulled away and Hyesung wiped his eyes with his sleeve.

"So... uh..." Eric said, clearing his throat. "Shall we continue to talk someplace less... crowded?"

"Y-yeah." Hyesung sniffed.

They decided to go to a nearby park and sit on the bench. Eric explained how his dad suddenly died of a heart attack, how he found out, why he didn't tell Hyesung, and so on.

"So, how is your mom doing now?"

"At first she was devastated. I mean, who wouldn't be. The love of her life was suddenly dead. But now, she has a boyfriend, and she seems to be happy again."

"What is he like?"

"He treats my mom so well. I can really tell he loves her." Eric looked down at his shoes. "But..." he hesitated.

"But what?" Hyesung looked at him.

"But, he started to abuse me after a while."

"What?" Hyesung asked, appalled.

"Yeah..."

"No. That's not okay." Hyesung huffed. "You didn't tell me this either?" He started getting mad again. He suddenly shook his head and stood up.

"No!" Eric said, grabbing his wrist. "Don't go."

Hyesung turned to face him.

"Don't go." He repeat, a hint of sadness showing in Eric's eyes. The emotion on Eric's face seemed to have been copied on to Hyesungs. He sat back down, Eric still holding his wrist. Hyesung adjusted it so that he was holding his hand.

"Okay. I'll stay. I'm sorry." He gave his hand a squeeze. "Will you continue?"

"Yeah..." Eric said, smiling a bit. "He started physically and verbally abusing me whenever my mom wasn't around. He burned me with cigarette butts, cut me with his pocket knife, and just be me up in general." His voice started to get shaky. "My mom noticed a cut one day, and I told her I had gotten in a fight. That was when I decided to join a gang, realizing that I could use getting in fights as a cover up of my moms boyfriend abusing me. After a while I just got into it and started beating people up. I used it as a chance to release my anger towards him."

"Why don't you just tell your mom?"

"She's so happy with him, and she finally got over my dads death. I don't want to ruin anything for her again."

"You are such a good son." Hyesung said, and Eric leaned his head onto the other's shoulder. They sat in silence for a while, until Hyesung felt a wet spot on his shoulder. "Are you crying?"

"N- no." Eric said, sitting up and hastily rubbing his eyes with his hands.

"Yes, you are." Hyesung patted his back. "Just do it. Cry. Scream. Curse. Whatever. You deserve it."

And with that Eric broke down. He placed his face in his hands and sobbed. Hyesung put an arm around him and pulled him over to have him lean on him. Hyesung started crying a bit, too.

After they were both finished crying. They realized how late they were for school.

"!" Eric said, looking at his watch. "Second period is already starting!"

"Oh , you're right! Let's go!" Hyesung said also looking at his watch. He picked up his bag and they ran to school, still holding hands. When they got to the gate, it was already closed, as they expected.

"What do we do now?" Hyesung said, bewildered.

"I'm late everyday, of course I know how to get in." He pulled Hyesung over to a spot where the fence around the school was a bit shorter on the top than the rest of the wall. How convenient. Hyesung smirked. He climbed up the wall and jumped down to the other side.

"Hey! You!" Hyesung looked toward a school guard who was running over towards him. "What do you think you are doing!?"

"Eric, hurry up!" He said, his voice panicked. Eric jumped down and grabbed Hyesung's hand.

"Let's go!" Eric said, and pulled the other along. They ran towards the front entrance, followed by the guard who was cursing at them.

"What did he just call us?" Hyesung said, offended by one of the particularly rude swears.

"I think he thinks we are female dogs now, Sungie." Eric chuckled. Sungie. Hyesung blushed. He hadn't called him that in a long time. Boy did he miss it.

They continued to run all the way to their classroom, still holding hands. When they got to the door, they threw it open, and stood in the doorway panting. They sudden action and noise caused the class to be shocked. When they realized who it was, they were even more shocked.

"Why are you so late?" The teacher, Mr. Jang, sternly asked.

"Sorry. Overslept." Hyesung lied. Eric chuckled and walked inside, still holding Hyesung's hand. 

"Ya! What are you doing right now?" Minwoo yelled from his seat. Hyesung looked down and realized neither of them had let go.

"Ah. Sorry." Eric said, blushing, and let go of his hand.

"It's okay." Hyesung said, a little disappointed.

After that class went on as usual. Lunch came around and Hyesung looked behind him, only to face Hakyeon. He had forgotten about him and the other new kid. Hakyeon noticed his staring and smiled at him. The smile sent chills down his spine. He decided to brush it off.

"Eric ah, wanna eat lunch together?" Hyesung said, smiling. Eric smiled back.

"Yeah, let's do it." They stood up and began to walk to the door.

"Yah! What about us?" Minwoo said, appearing behind them. Dongwan was standing behind him, looking at the ground.

"Yeah, come on. Eric has to introduce himself to the group." Hyesung said. Eric clicked his tongue in disappointment at having to be with someone else besides Hyesung.

They made there way to the cafeteria and Andy and Junjin were already there. They went and sat down at the table. Hyesung sat down next to Junjin. Minwoo tried to sit down next to Hyesung, but backed off when Eric gave him a death glare. So instead he sat on the other side of Eric, next to Dongwan. 

"Wow. Eric hyung is here." Junjin said, surprised. "What made you decide to come today."

He didn't respond. He sat and stared at Hyesung's hands on the table.

"Yah, Eric." Hyesung said. He looked up at him. "Introduce yourself."

Eric gave Hyesung a do-I-really-have-to look and received a slap on the arm from him.

"Do it."

"I'm Eric." He sighed. He looked around at the table, everyone, with the exception of Andy staring at his plate, looked at him with expecting faces.

"What do you do?" Hyesung asked when he didn't continue.

"I... I beat people up."

"And?"

"That's about it." He shrugged.

Hyesung sighed. "Well, it's a start."

"Hyung, where did you go yesterday?"Junjin asked  "You didn't come to lunch."

Eric furrowed his brow and tried to remember hard what happened. He had gone to the canteen, but on the way there he suddenly out. What had happened?

"I... I don't know."

"Well how did you get to school today."

"Sungie found me yesterday and that's all I remember."

"Sungie?" Minwoo chuckled. "Cute." Eric sent him another glare.

"He was all beat up in the alley in between the convenience store down the street and the building next to it." Hyesung said. "I had gone to the store to buy bandages for Andy, when I heard him there. I took him home and cleaned him up."

"Wow, what a kind person," Junjin said "You helped someone out even though you hate him."

"Yah, I don't hate him." Hyesung said looking at Eric. "We just had some misunderstandings."

Eric smiled at him. Junjin, Minwoo, and Dongwan looked at him, shocked. Andy, on the other hand, started laughing.

"What?" Junjin asked. "Why are you laughing?"

"No reason." Andy said and continued eating.

"Oh! That's right." Hyesung said with a clap. "Why did you want me to get the bandages?"

"Well, what did you use them for?" Andy asked, to everyone's surprise. Hyesung pointed at Eric. "What does it matter? You used them." He looked at Eric. "You're welcome."

They sat in silence, surprised by Andy's sassy attitude that they had never seen before.

"Daebak." Junjin finally said, breaking the silence. Andy blushed at his comment. Just then, Minwoo's phone rang. He looked at the number and a wide grin grew on his face.

"Sorry." He said to the others at the table as he got up to take the call. "Amy! How are you?"

Dongwan looked down at his food, suddenly feeling discouraged by the call. Andy looked at him and smiled.

"Dongwan hyung, what's wrong?" He asked.

"Huh?" Dongwan looked up, flustered. "No-nothing. What do you mean?"

"You looked a bit upset."

"No... I'm fine..." He suddenly stood up and collected his books. "I gotta go..." He turned around and left as Minwoo was coming back.

"Wannie, where are you going?" 

"Uh... study" He said and quickly turned around and walked to the class.

"Strange." Minwoo said, sitting back down.

"Not really..." Andy mumbled, still smiling.

"Anyways, I'm going on a date this weekend with Amy!" Minwoo said, smiling brightly. "I can't wait, it has been so long since the last time I have seen her." He pouted. "I miss her."

"Good for you hyung." Junjin said. "Hey Andy," Andy looked up from the table. "Want to go on a date this weekend, too?"

"Idiot!" Andy said flustered and left in a hurry.

- - -

Meanwhile, on the other side of the school, Hakyeon got off the phone.

"Who was it?" Taekwoon asked, not looking up from his food.

"You're 2nd head." Hakyeon said, grinning. "Amy."

- - -

(A/N OH SHIET CERBERUS HAD THREE HEADS. OH SHIET WHATS GOING TO HAPPEN? OH SHIET RICSUNG. OH SHIET. OHHHHHHHHHHH SHIEEEEEEEEEEEEEET. k please leave comment thank~ /le heart)