Kibum felt his stomach drop and his chest fill with what seemed like cold ice as he watched Jonghyun's mother, followed by a crowd of reporters and whatnot, enter the café two days later, her gaze sweeping over the interior with disdain that only intensified as they landed on Kibum, before she approached him. He wished he could move, run as far away as possible from this terrifying woman. But he was frozen, nailed to the floor by her strong gaze, distantly aware of Minho, who was standing beside him, reacting the exact same way. Both of them silently watched her cut the line of two people coldly to stand right in front of Kibum who was behind the register, in the middle of taking an order. He was caught in her eyes by a mesmerized horror, faintly registering that the color of them was the same as Jonghyun’s only colder, harder and emptier.

“You,” she started and Kibum swallowed down the lump of fear in his throat, his body seemingly unfreezing, “I was under the impression that filth like you did not exist anymore in our advanced society.”

Kibum drew in a sharp breath at the venom dripping from those words and trembled a little. He wondered briefly where all the fight in him had gone. He had bravely taken someone like Lightwood on, but Jonghyun's mother who didn’t even have any magical abilities somehow scared him more. At least Lightwood had seemed to have some emotion in him, however disgusting or loathsome they were. Jonghyun's mother, however, was nothing but a cold shell. Kibum could feel no emotion, no nothing. Just coldness and venom.

“And I will not allow such a thing as you to corrupt my son.” Her poison filled voice continued. “I will obliterate you if you even so much as breathe the first syllable of his name ever again.”

This was worse. This was so much worse than Lightwood.

Her cold eyes continued to bore into his and suddenly Kibum smiled. He must have lost his mind, but there he was, giving the cold shell of a woman a smile. She continued to stare at him and Kibum interpreted the ever so little change in her expression to be surprise.

“Excuse me, madam, but you’re cutting the line.” He said, his voice even although his insides were turning and twisting into knots of fear and his heart was beating hard against his ribs with what he was doing.

He heard Minho's breath stop and felt more than saw how the taller robotically turned his head to stare at him like he was a mad man. Maybe he was since he probably had gone officially insane.

“If you want to follow the rules and norms of society, you might want to start with the little things.” Kibum continued, just wishing he would shut up.

But suddenly he realized that he wasn’t going to shut up. He didn’t know what came over him, but suddenly all he wanted was to show this woman that he wasn’t going to let her break him and Jonghyun apart as easily as she thought she could.

He almost missed the way Jonghyun's mother’s hand rose in the air and he barely managed to register he was going to get hit when another arm shot out, grabbing her wrist to stop her in mid-air. Kibum blinked and turned to look at Minho with wide eyes but the other's gaze was locked on Jonghyun’s mother.

“Choi Minho.” She spat. “I would have thought your parents had brought you up better than mingling with this filth.”

Minho stared at her, not letting go of her wrist. Kibum was glad that looks couldn’t kill because he had no desire to pick up the pieces that would have once been Minho.

“I think it would be best if you left, madam. You’re causing a scene.” The taller finally said in a low voice, after having a short staring contest with the woman.

She glanced behind her at the crowd still outside the café, some of them taking pictures, others talking on their phones, before she wrenched her arm free and her heel.

“You are going to regret this dearly.” Was the last thing she said before she ordered her tag along crew to open the door and left.

Kibum, Minho and the few customers left in the café all watched her tentatively as she slid into the backseat of a shiny white car and it drove off, the crowd outside thinning out, after the excitement of seeing a well known person had gone.

The small line that Kibum had intended to serve before Jonghyun's mother walked in was gone as well and he let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding, turning to Minho again.

“Thank you.” He mumbled, his heart still beating hard against his ribcage.

Minho turned to look at him blankly. “Well, I couldn’t let her hit you. I would have hated myself if I knew I was here and could stop it but didn’t.”

Kibum took a deep breath to calm himself down and nodded.

“And besides, Jonghyun would skin me alive if he knew I let her hurt you.” Minho chuckled before suddenly turning serious. “But what were you thinking? You have no idea of what she could do.”

Kibum rubbed his forehead with one hand. “Well, I can kind of guess.”

The other raised his eyebrows at him and he let out a sigh.

“Are you aware that our supplier is not doing his work properly?” Kibum asked.

Minho's eyes widened slightly and it looked like a light went on in his head.

“Is that why…” He started, gesturing to the displaying counter.

Kibum pressed his lips together and nodded. “I don’t want to be unfair but... I just got a feeling Jonghyun's mother isn’t entirely innocent.”

The taller frowned and tapped a finger to his chin in thought.

“It is very likely.” Then he let out a scoff and rolled his eyes. “Geez, it’s like we’ve been thrown into a soap opera or something.”

Kibum blinked at him confusedly and Minho started laughing.

“You know… with the whole mother causing trouble thing?” He chuckled although he still looked a bit concerned.

Kibum's mouth formed a silent ‘o’. He didn’t have a TV so he had never really watched any soap operas or the like, but he did know the basic plot in them. Minho just shook his head, turning to a customer who had just entered.

Kibum stood looking at Minho taking the order for a few seconds, wondering slightly if this would be a sad soap opera ending or happy one, before he decided to go check if they had a few left over scrapes of something out of the pastries. He had already raided the kitchen two times but he was going to do it just one more time to be sure.

He had just closed the door to the fridge with a heavy sigh when Sunny banged the back door open, muttering loudly. Kibum jumped slightly in surprise and turned to look at her with wide eyes.

“That goddamn bastard!” She said angrily, still unaware of Kibum's presence. “I can’t believe him!”

Kibum cleared his throat and her head snapped up to look at him in shock.

“Oh, Kibum.” She said slowly.

He raised his eyebrows at her. “Are you okay, Noona?”

Her expression fell into a scowl and she banged her bag onto the counter. “No. The bastard that is our supplier is the most cowardly human being I have ever had the unpleasure to encounter.”

Kibum's eyebrows rose slightly higher.

“Why?” He asked even though he already suspected what the answer would be.

She turned to him abruptly and scrutinized his face, completely ignoring his question. His back straightened slightly in automatic response and he fidgeted a little under her gaze, chewing on his lip.

“Is he worth it?” Sunny suddenly demanded.

Kibum just stared at her uncomprehendingly. She sighed and jumped up to sit on the counter, letting her legs dangle.

“That boy, Kim Jonghyun I believe his name is.” She elaborated.

He swallowed, his throat feeling dry all of a sudden.

He hadn’t told her about Jonghyun, had he?

“H-how-”

“Please, Kibum.” Sunny gave him a look that told him not to underestimate her and he closed his mouth quickly. “Is he worth it to you?”

Kibum swallowed once more before nodding determinedly.

“Do you know what people that boy’s parents are? What they can do?”

He nodded again.

“And you still took that path?”

Kibum suddenly felt like crying. “I-I’m sorry…”

Sunny took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Don’t be. I’m just asking to make sure. And you’ve been happier these past weeks than I’ve ever seen you.”

“B-but, his mother is probably the one-”

“She is the one doing this, but there is always a loophole.” Sunny smiled slightly at him. “Now we just have to find it.”

“This is my fault.” Kibum sighed, closing his eyes. “What can I do? Should I leave?”

Sunny fixed him with a hard stare. “I will not allow you to leave to sleep on the streets again just because of this!”

“This isn’t just!” Kibum argued. “This is your living!”

“I will make it through, somehow.” She argued back. “Like I said, there’s always a loophole somewhere.”

Kibum's shoulders sunk and he let out an exasperated sound. “What if she does something worse? Like actually hurting you?”

Sunny let out a dry laugh. “If that happens I’ll get back at her tenfold. She’ll never want to look in the mirror again.”

Kibum stared at her with his mouth hanging slightly open. “Wha-”

“Noona!” Minho entered the kitchen. “I just called my dad and told him about the situation. He’ll help us!”

Sunny’s face lit up in an enormous, surprised smile and Kibum turned his widening gape to the taller.

“Thank you! But… is it really okay?” She asked, worry passing her features.

“Yeah.” Minho smiled as well and nodded. “He knows I really like working here so he didn’t hesitate to offer a helping hand. And besides, we can’t go down without a fight!”

“Right? Let’s show that .” Sunny said, looking like a soldier ready for war and Minho agreed loudly. Then she turned to Kibum, smiling. “Look, loopholes. Like I told you.”

Kibum just blinked at her, not really being able to follow exactly what was happening. He has somehow suddenly entered an unofficial war-zone. A war-zone unknowingly created by him.

A/N: Okay.... so I have been crazy busy these past few weeks and couldn't write or upload any new chapters, but I finally got to sit down and do it! :) I'm sorry for the absence!

I haven't really read this through so it might be a bit strange, but yeah... youll have to deal with it until I find the energy to edit it! :P

Anyway, I hope you liked it! Sorry for taking so long! I'm not dead at least! xD

LOVE YOU ALL!!

Bye~! <3