Over the course of the next week, it was like Kibum was on autopilot. Wake up, go to class, go home, study, sleep, repeat. It was all he could do to keep from breaking down. During the day, he was distracted enough to be okay, but it was nights when he had the most trouble.

Immediately when the lights would go out and Kibum would crawl under his covers, thoughts of Jonghyun would flood his mind. He tried to be quiet as he fell apart into sobs and shaking. His parents couldn't know how much this was tearing him apart.

All he could think about was the look on Jonghyun's face when he broke up with him. Like his whole life just shattered because of his harsh words. He wanted to take them back, so, so badly. But he couldn't. His parents made their stance on Jonghyun very clear. Disgusting. We won't have a homoual for a son. You'll have to leave this house if you continue to behave in this way. 

Hours. He heard things like this for hours the night his parents found out about him and Jonghyun. That's why he had to break up with Jonghyun, or at least, that's what he thought at the time. He couldn't let his whole world fall apart over one man. 

But he wasn't just one man. It was Jonghyun. What if Jonghyun was his whole world, and it had already fallen apart?

It was too late, anyway. Jonghyun probably hated him now. After a week, it seemed he had given up on trying to contact him. Kibum couldn't blame him, really. He hated himself, too.

Two weeks after they had broken up, Kibum was walking across campus after his classes were done for the day, when he heard someone calling his name from behind. He didn't want to look back, in case it was Jonghyun, but the voice wasn't right.

"Kibum, we need to talk." It was Jonghyun's friend, Minho.

As quickly as he glanced at Minho, Kibum turned to walk away again. "I don't see why you and I should talk. We have nothing to do with each other."

Another voice broke into the conversation, stopping Kibum in his tracks. "Stop running away from your problems, hyung."

Turning around hesitantly once more, his heart almost stopped seeing his old friend. "Taemin?"

"You're doing it again, hyung. I can't let you do this to yourself again," Taemin spoke somewhat hesitantly.

"What do you know? You don't know me anymore." Kibum kept his voice cold and even, despite the shock of seeing him again.

"Bull." Kibum and Minho both gave the youngest a shocked look. "You're exactly the same as you were back then, hyung, don't try to act like you've changed somehow. I know you. In fact, I'd say I know you better than you know yourself."

"You don't--" Kibum tried to speak, but Taemin wasn't done talking.

"You're scared, right? Scared that if you get too close to Jonghyun, your world will fall apart?"

Kibum kept silent. He couldn't look at Taemin, knowing it would give away what he was feeling.

Taemin continued, voice strong. "That's what you did to me, hyung. You pushed me away like you did to everyone else. But you know what? You're hurting us, yeah. But you're hurting yourself, too, whether you let yourself feel that or not."

Kibum wrapped his arms around himself, looking down at his feet. He knew Taemin was right. He always had been. "It's too late, anyway." His voice was a mere whisper.

"Too late for