The rest of the school day was a blur for the brunet. His vision was clouded with only one image appearing on repeat until he got home. It was that singular white door that led to his favourite place, and everything else was dark. He didn’t pay attention to his friends who went on talking with each other although now and then Zhoumi or Kibum would say something to him and he’d just nod, hoping that the day would end already. He really needed to get back home. He really needed to get back to his room. He needed the day to be over.

Finally the sound of the bell echoed in his ears and he was on his way home. Sungmin wasn’t sick anymore so he could have gotten a ride, but he didn’t much feel like talking to anyone and he was sure that if Sungmin saw him like this he’d know something was wrong right away. Instead, Donghae walked straight home, walking as fast as he could, and he almost tripped a few times along the way. It was just all too much for him right now. Everything that happened today, the things he saw and heard, now he felt as though there were eyes on him everywhere he went. He felt like everyone was staring at him like they knew, and they were laughing at him with their friends. Their evil faces that pointed and glared made him shiver and shrink and his legs quickened their pace to get away. Away from the people, away from the noises, away from him.

“Hey, is that who I think it is?” A voice creeped out from the shadows.

The brunet didn’t want to stop, he didn’t want to cease moving and risk being captured by this devilish sounding voice. It wasn’t really familiar, but he knew he’d heard it before, and if he was hearing this voice, then someone much more dangerous must be near. His legs were stiff, but he was able to will them forward and he began walking with shaky breaths.

“Oh, it must be him if he’s trying to make a getaway like that.” The man snickered and soon emerged from the shadowed alley he had been suspiciously lurking in. Kyuhyun stealthily rushed forward and grabbed onto the back of Donghae’s shirt, pulling him back until his back hit Kyuhyun’s chest with a rough bump. “Looks like I caught myself a little fish. Hey, come check this out, Hyuk.”

Hearing his name made Donghae’s blood run cold. His body stiffened and he held his breath wishing for this moment to be over. He really didn’t want to see the blond, especially not today. Just as Donghae thought he was going to be killed or suffocate himself, Kyuhyun laughed and let him go.

“Just kidding.” He shrugged his shoulders and looked at the brunet with a straight face. “Eunhyuk’s not actually here, I just wanted to play a little prank on you.”

Donghae visibly calmed down, although he stayed alert since he wasn’t sure if what Kyuhyun had just said was also a joke.

Kyuhyun must have realized this because he put his arm around Donghae’s shoulder and told the brunet not to worry, that he wouldn’t ‘joke’ about something like that.

“What do you want?” Donghae mustered up the strength to ask.

“Hmm… let’s see, I want a lot of money, that new special edition StarCraft content, and maybe some enjoyable entertainment.”

“I didn’t mean it like that.” Donghae pouted. “What do you want from me?”

“Do I have to want something? Although I know I can always get some entertainment from you.” Kyuhyun laughed again, he sounded like he was up to something, but Donghae wasn’t sure what to think.

“Um, then why don’t you just let me go?” Donghae risked asking. It wasn’t that he was very afraid of the boy, he was just being careful since Kyuhyun’s character was a little off in some way.

“Let you got? Why would I?” Kyuhyun started walking, with the brunet still under his arm and being forced to walk with him. “You see, I’m bored. Being a genius does come with its downsides; I’m often left unsatisfied with life, there just isn’t much that’ll get me excited anymore. Then I found Eunhyuk and he seemed like a really good way to get some top grade fun. Oh and then you popped up and things couldn’t have gotten better because I’d just found myself my very own play to watch, I even play a small role in it.”

“…Why are you telling me all of this?” Donghae asked, looking up at the boy and noticing for a moment that his hair wasn’t red anymore, in fact it now gave off a blue hue.

“So that you don’t mess it up.” Kyuhyun’s voice and face were serious, and his eyes looked almost like they were red, to say the least it scared Donghae less. Then the now blue haired boy cracked a smile and ruffled Donghae’s hair. “You want to get something to eat? There’s a convenience store up here.”

“S-Sure…” Donghae stuttered out of fear and looked at the ground, watching his feet move alongside Kyuhyun’s.

They were sitting outside and waiting for their noodles to be ready soaking in the hot water. The brunet sat across from Kyuhyun and nervously played with his chopsticks. He wasn’t sure what was happening and he didn’t trust Kyuhyun with his devilish grin and his playful eyes. All he wanted was to be home, home in his confinement room, but instead he was still outside in the dangerous air. He was starting to sweat a little from the anxiety of being alone and away and with a strange person and not in his room. He started to think that he should have gotten a ride with Sungmin in the first place.

“So,” Kyuhyun opened his cup noodles and starting to stir it up, Donghae did the same, after all he couldn’t pass up food.

“Huh? Yes?”

“I was wondering about what happened with you and Eunhyuk?” Kyuhyun asked, slurping up some noodles.

“You don’t already know? I thought you guys were friends?” Donghae asked carefully. He didn’t feel like reminiscing about that.

“Yeah, well we are friends, I wouldn’t say we’re besties, but yeah friends.” Kyuhyun pursed his lips and took a sip of the broth. “Look, I’m like a year younger than you guys, and before this year I went to a different school. In short, I’ve only been buddies with Eunhyuk for like half a year maybe when we met by chance. You guys were over when we met and he’s not been the talkative type until maybe the beginning of the school year when… well let’s just say the beginning of the school year. Anyway, I only know bits and pieces, and I like to know everything about the characters in the play I’m watching.”

Donghae really didn’t want this. Just thinking about it all made him want to puke. Plus, he was feeling really hot right now. His anxiety and the hot noodles and the warm September air were all making him feel rather uncomfortable. He had to come up with some kind of excuse or he didn’t know what would happen. He wasn’t even sure what the blue haired boy’s intentions were.

“I thought that you don’t know everything about the characters until after the play is over? Isn’t that the whole point of a story that you don’t know what’s going on until it’s over?” He spat out in one breath so it may not have sounded as convincing, and more of a poorly put together excuse.

“Oh ho, well said Lee Donghae. I hadn’t thought of it that way, but look at it this way: what I want to know has already happened, it doesn’t have anything to do with the events yet to come.” Kyuhyun smirked, as if he knew that he would win this conversation no matter what the brunet said.

 “Why don’t you just ask H-Hyuk-k… him then?” Donghae sighed, it was hard for him to even say the blonde’s name, and how was he supposed to retell everything that happened last year?

“I’ve already got his version of the story… I’m more interested in yours.” Kyuhyun propped his elbow up on the table between them and rested his head in the palm of his hand, staring at Donghae with intrigued eyes.

It seemed like Donghae didn’t have much of a choice, but he really wasn’t feeling well. He just wanted to go home. The sun was starting to set and Donghae didn’t want to be left in the dark after Kyuhyun left. He just wanted to go home. The brunet didn’t want to think about last year. He didn’t want to think about him.

“Woah, hey Donghae, are you alright?” Kyuhyun suddenly asked, leaning over the table with one hand reaching out to the brunet. He touched his forehead and then quickly brought it away. “God Donghae, you’re burning up! Hey, where do you live? I’ll take you home now.” Kyuhyun was rambling and started to approach the brunet. Donghae started to scream and he knocked Kyuhyun’s hands away. His eyes were closed and his body was shaking. He was starting to black out.

“Hey, babe, are you alright?” A worried voice called out to the drowsy boy and slender fingers reached out to feel the brunet’s burning forehead. “Oh Hae, you’ve got a fever. Don’t worry, I’ll nurse you back to health. Wouldn’t you like that? Your own personal nurse.”

A soft grin and then cool hands on the brunet’s body carrying him to his bed.

“What are you worrying for?” Donghae smiled and held the other’s soft cheek in his palm. “Just seeing you makes me feel better…” The brunet felt soft lips on his forehead.

“Hey, hey, stay awake Lee Donghae! I don’t know what to do with you…” Kyuhyun’s voice seemed far away to the brunet. Donghae’s head was ringing with pain and he clenched his eyes shut. Everything hurt and he was starting to remember unpleasant things.

“What am I going to do with you?! You lie to me as if I didn’t matter anymore!”

Donghae was so confused and he didn’t know what was happening anymore.

“I’m not lying, I swear Hyuk, and I wouldn’t lie to you.” Donghae’s eyes were starting to tear up he bit his lip to stop the tears from falling.

“Don’t you dare cry, you little . You don’t deserve to cry after what you did.”

“But I didn’t do anything!” Tears were running fast like a river in a storm. Then thunder struck and Donghae fell to the ground with a hand to his cheek.

“Like hell you didn’t.” And the brunet felt the rain that fell from above.

A/N: Exams are finally over :)