Kyungsoo felt his anger flaring up. He saw the derogatory gaze of the man standing before him, looking down on him, and his arrogant grin.

Kyungsoo withstood his piercing glance, looking up to the slightly taller man.

“Did you hear me, ? Or are you deaf? Should we communicate in sign language?”

Kyungsoo squinted his eyes, he tried to control his voice the best he could.

“How could you make fun about deafness? How could you look down on other people, judging them, even though they have no control over it? What makes you think you have the right to do that?”

The man took a long drag on his cigarette, never breaking the eye contact to Kyungsoo. His grin vanished and was replaced by a fierce and unreadable facial expression. He took a step closer to Kyungsoo, purposely blowing the smoke directly into Kyungsoo's face again.

“I think you forgot who I am, you little prick.”, he spat, “Do you think you can speak to me like this?”

“I exactly know who you are. And I know what you are trying to do, but I will tell you, you won't be able to daunt me. I don't feel responsible for you in any way, like Jongin. Neither do I respect you for any reason.”

The man huffed, “So you are telling me that your mother is a complete failure, not able to teach her bastard respect for elders.”, he tilted his head to the side, “I think this is the reason why you grew up as a fagot, even dragging my son into your doings.”

Kyungsoo stepped backwards, clenching his fists, his anger threatened to get the upper hand.

“So what are you trying to do now? You insult my mother because by insulting me, you didn't archive what you wanted to? I will tell you two things: I respect all people who deserve to be respected, regardless of age, gender and whatever else. And I stole your son? Jongin ran away from you, because you beat him, you insulted him, because you treat him as someone worthless.”

Kyungsoo's voice became louder with each sentence.

“He is a wonderful person, highly intelligent and absolutely worth loving. If you want him back, and Min Soo too, you should consider what you have done to him, what awful things you did when you lay your violent hands on him! ”.

Kyungsoo was shaking, he tried to control his anger, but in the end he wasn't able to. In his mind, he saw Jongin bruises, his hurt expression, Kyungsoo imagined what it would be like if Jongin and Min Soo grew up in a loving environment the last three years.

“Jongin is physically able to defend himself from you. He could easily shove you away or even hurt you. But do you know what? Jongin respects you, he loves you because you are his father. ”, his voice calmed down a bit again, “He won't report you because of this. But I don't have to hold back, I will press charges against you, because I won't allow you hurting Jongin anymore, in any way.”, he took a deep breath in, “Did you feel superior while beating him, while hurting him physically and mentally? Did you have fun while seeing him like this?”

Kyungsoo couldn't see the other man's eyes. He stood there, completely motionless, his head lowered. Kyungsoo just could see the smoke of his cigarette fading. Kyungsoo had a notion what might happen now, he knew that it just was the calm before the storm.

And Kyungsoo was right, the man's head sprung up, Kyungsoo flinched when he saw his eyes, full of anger and rage. Throwing away his cigarette with a visibly annoyed manner, he came up to Kyungsoo with quick steps, raising his hand.

“You ing little bastard! You want to report me? I will beat your bratty brazenness out of you!”

Kyungsoo couldn't react quick enough, he was rooted to his spot. Squinting his eyes, he waited for the impact, but there was none.

When he slowly opened his eyes again, he saw another figure standing right besides him.

“Kris?”

Kyungsoo was dragged away, he heard how Suho said something to him, but he couldn't process any of it, his eyes were glued to Kris who was build up in front of Jongin's father, strongly gripping the man's wrist.

“Are you okay, Kyungsoo?”, Kris said in a low voice, his eyes still on the man in front of him.

Kyungsoo just could nod his head even though he knew that Kris couldn't see him.

Jongin's father freed himself by force, glaring at Kris, then to Kyungsoo.

“I won't let this go! You will regret this!”, he snarled before turning on his heels and walking away in complete rage.

Suho's grip on Kyungsoo's arm never left him, “Kyungsoo, who was this man?”

Kyungsoo saw how Kris stood on his spot for a few seconds, making sure that the man wouldn't return. Then he went over to Kyungsoo and Suho. He just looked at Kyungsoo, like he was waiting for an answer.

“I am sorry... I...”, Kyungsoo's voice shivered,his hands trembled. He had to bring up all his courage and his willpower to withstand that man, now he felt exhausted, like all his energy left him.

“Who was that?”, Kris asked him in a calm voice.

“Jongin's father.”

Kyungsoo saw Suho's questioning look out of the corner of his eyes. He saw that Suho wanted to say something, wanted to ask something, but Kris pre-empted him, “Perhaps we shouldn't ask further. The important thing is that you are unharmed, Kyungsoo.”

“Thank you.”

Kris nodded his head, being on the swift of walking away. Kyungsoo quickly stopped him by holding his arm.

“I mean it, Kris. Thank you.”

Kris weakly smiled at him, “I just want you to be save. Come on, I will walk with you.”

After Kyungsoo promised Suho to write him and saying goodbye to him, he and Kris walked to the bus station. Kyungsoo's mind was filled with Jongin and the previous happening.

“Are you okay?”, Kris words jolted him out of his thoughts.

“Yes...”, Kyungsoo answered in a quiet voice.

Kris nodded his head and kept quiet afterwards.

Kyungsoo felt uncomfortable, he wished he could talk to Kris like before.

“I am sorry, Kris.”

Kris turned his head towards him and looked him directly into his eyes, a earnest expression on his face.

“Kyungsoo, stop thinking that I am mad at you.”

Kyungsoo flinched, it was like Kris read his mind.

“Because I m not. I really...”, he lowered his head and scratched his cheek, “I really like you. Still. I want you to be save and I want you to be happy. I just need some time to adjust to this situation.”

“I really need you by my side, Kris.”

“Yes, I need you too, Kyungsoo.”

Even though Kyungsoo insured Kris that he doesn't need to bring him home, Kris insisted. So they both took their seats in the bus.

Kyungsoo was glad that Kris didn't ask him questions, he just looked outside the window, seemingly in deep thoughts.

Kyungsoo rummaged around in his pocket until he found his phone. He wrote one of his co workers a message, asking if he could cover his today's shift. The answer came back a few minutes later, “Don't worry, I will cover for you.”

Kyungsoo quickly wrote back a “Thank you.”, then he put his phone away.

* * *

Kris walked Kyungsoo to the door of his house. Kyungsoo turned around to him, but before he could say anything, Kris said, “No need to thank me again. You already did.”

Kyungsoo nodded towards him, an apologetic smile on his face. Kris answered with a smile on his part, turning on his heels, “If you need my help, don't hesitate to call me, okay?”

“Okay.”

“See you at school then.”

“See you, Kris.”

Different thoughts went through Kyungsoo's mind when he opened the door and stepped inside. He immediately heard loud and lively chatter and laughter.

Kyungsoo's father rushed to the entrance, “Soo baby, they are mobbing me! Hey, why are you at home, what about your job?”

Kyungsoo weakly smiled to his father and to Jongin who came half running to the entrance too, with two little girls clinging to each of his leg. Jongin brightly smiled, but his facial expression immediately shifted into a worried one, once he took a glimpse of Kyungsoo.

“I will explain later.”, Kyungsoo said.

“Kyungsoo, did something happen?”

Kyungsoo kept smiling, patting his sister's hair and his father's shoulder.

“Jongin, can we talk?”

“Come on, girls, let's go back to the kitchen and finish baking the cookies. Your beloved oppas will join us later, right?”, Kyungsoo's father said enthusiastically, taking Haru by his one hand and Maru by the other.

Jongin's worried expression stayed unchanged when Kyungsoo lead him to their room, closing the door behind them.

“Take a seat, Jongin.”

“Kyungsoo, what happened?”

After both sat down on the bed, Kyungsoo told Jongin what happened.

Jongin stood up, walking restless back and forth in the room.

“Did he hurt you?”

“No.”, Kyungsoo also stood up, slowly approaching the other boy.

“Did he want to hurt you?”

“Jongin...”

“He raised his hand against you, right?”

Kyungsoo took a deep breath in, before he answered, “Yes...”

Jongin turned around to Kyungsoo, taking him into his arms, pressing him tightly against his ch