A stream of concentrated hell streaked across his face, waking Chen from his slumber. Using as little energy as possible, he flipped over on the thin mattress to grasp for the blinds that were a few centimeters out of reach. The plastic mattress cover and stiff sheets crinkled under his weight.

He rolled back over forcing sleep back into his mind. Sleep was kind. It took him away from reality. Although he couldn’t dream, it sent him far from the noisy streets of Seoul. The contemporary world bombarded one with technology: television, music, touch screens, etc. Each spewed its special brand of noise that was sponsored by a different type of noise: trendy clothes, sweaty sport teams, weight loss supplements, etc.  A break from stimulation was rare in this world that wears one down with advertisements.  

To his dismay, sleep was an unkind mistress that left as soon he opened his eyes. He flopped over nearly knocking his knee into the nightstand to his right. Cracking his eyes open, he saw that the cheap, cramped hostel room he had rented was sparsely furnished.

With the money that Suho had given him, Chen could’ve afforded a nicer hotel for a few nights but that was risky. High tension, high lost situations weren’t his style. Then again, Chen wasn’t much of a gambler. That only leads to nights under the night sky while huddling for warmth. If he used his money wisely, Chen could find shelter for more than just a night or two.

Along with his undergarments, he pulled a pair of worn blue jeans and a plain black t-shirt  out of a hiking backpack. It was normally kept in a small dimensional gap. The bulky bag was otherwise difficult and tiring to lug around.  If he had got his way, he would expand that gap to live separately from humans entirely. He would create a world without humans, a noiseless world. If he had enough energy to do that, he should just destroy the Earth. It would be months before he gathered enough strength to achieve do that goal.

Chen sighed as he entered the shower. If he had to face the day and humanity, he demanded to be clean first.

“It’s not here,” a low voice murmured.

Luhan sighed, “We can search for a little longer; it wouldn’t hurt, Tao.”

Tao made a whining sound in the back of his throat. A pointed glanced from another one of their friends shut Tao up. He crouched back over to continue his search. A light breeze danced through the alley causing papers and other trash to scatter and obstruct his pitiful attempt.

“Thanks, Kris,” Lay commented from his position by the trash cans.

“No problem,” Kris grunted.  

“If we don’t find it in the next hour, we’ll report it to the cops, okay?” Luhan questioned Lay.

He nodded, “Thank you, everyone.”

“What are friends for?” Luhan patted Lay on the shoulder. Kris bobbed his head in agreement and Tao reluctantly nodded.

“Okay, let’s do this,” Lay smiled as if recharged by their kind actions.

Luhan dropped back onto his knees with a light thud. Rustles came from the area were Kris dug through resting newspapers. Tao kicked up a storm of dust as he meandered down the alley.

Chen coughed. The steam from his shower clouded up the industrial glass of the mirror. His  arm blindly scavenged for the thin complimentary towel.  With quick efficient swipes, Chen rubbed the moisture off his face, back, legs, and arms.

After donning his undergarments,  he jammed his body into his jeans, the one of five pairs he owned. He pulled over his head a plain black t-shirt. Using the comb offered by the hostel, Chen turned his damp hair into an orderly array. Surveying the area, Chen picked up his items to shove into his bag. Then, he threw the bag back into the dimensional gap. His stomach grumbled at the exertion.

Thinking of a warm meal, Chen walked down the narrow hall to the register. He pulled a few bills from his wallet to pay off the hostel before heading towards the alley. The alley was only his secondary goal - the first was a meal. The street after the alleyway was a business street. A street down from a mall and half a block from a movie theater, it was crammed full of restaurants.  

A pair of red  dice crossed Xiumin’s path, a pair of sixes. With a small grin, Xiumin leaned over to pick them. He turned so that he could shift his weight on to the railing behind him. The thick metal bar dug lightly into his back to ensure his safety. It guarded him from the dangerous cliff below. As though to reinforce the purpose of the railing, the wind dragged a loose bag from the ground pass Xiumin. It dropped and dropped and dropped, running nearly parallel to the jagged surface .

Rolling the die in his fingers, Xiumin looked for their owner. A relatively tall, tanned-skinned man in loose jeans and a sweater saluted him. A smirk danced on his lips. The phrase “Lady Luck” was plastered across his snap back’s upturned rim. Then, he hopped within an arm’s length of  Xiumin. The gravel crinkled under his weight.  

“Kai, did you set it up?” Xiumin inquired, tossing the die back.

The younger man’s smirk grew wider, “Of course, Chen’s totally going to blow.”

Xiumin hummed. Even without his powers, he could predict that Chen’s reaction would be rather extreme, a mixture between outrage and lividness. Unfortunately for Kai, that was a necessary side-effect of his intended goal.

“Keep out of his sight,” Xiumin gestured pointedly. “His fuse is short.”

“Roger that,” Kai nodded. Pulling a set of headphones over his ears, Kai hastily bowed before walking off. He headed in what he hoped was the opposite direction of Chen.

“Oh. I forgot,” he turned sharply on his heels to shout, “Sehun says that energy is low. We have six to nine months to plan.”

Xiumin blinked. Kai spun once more and continued hastily off.  Xiumin  added this nugget of information into his web of knowledge. Turning around, Xiumin now leaned his weight onto his arms. As his eyes wandered the cityscape, Xiumin’s mind spun new networks of expertise.

Oh mercy, they multiplied, Chen commented  unhappily on the scene before him.

In addition to the original two unusuals, there were two more individuals. Each occupied an area in the alley that they combed through with a fine tooth brush. From the dirt on their palms, Chen surmised that they had been at it for at least an hour. Luhan was on the left side of the alley, feeling near the walls. One whom Chen couldn’t name stood in the back of the alley. Lay was crouched near the mouth of the alley. The final one stood at the edge of it.  

Chen rocked on his feet. In his left hand, he grasped the wallet loosely. He still had time to turn back. After all, no one would know if he broke his promise. If he left now, the group would be none the wiser. Plus, he wouldn’t have to deal with people.

Mid-turn, Chen made eye contact with the tallest one. Kris -he overheard Lay call the man that - dropped his gaze from Chen’s eyes onto the wallet. Clenching the wallet tighter, Chen puffed out his chest. If he left now, he would be branded thief and coward. He might be the former, but he refused to be the latter.

Pulling back his shoulders, he wasn’t about to allow himself even appear  to be scared off by a human. He took measured steps toward the group. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the wallet towards Lay who had moved closer to Kris.

“Here,” he stated and then turned to leave.

A rough, large hand clasped around his dragging him back.

“Apologize,” Kris ordered, “that was rude.”

Chen arched an eyebrow. Straightening out his back, he glared at the taller man. Taking in an even breath, Chen returned the man’s display of dominance. He wasn’t about to let a mere human dictate his actions.

Before he could say anything though, Lay appeared between them. His fingers were wrapped around Chen’s biceps and Kris’s wrist. Lay’s eyes glowed with emotion.

“Stop,” he pleaded. “It’s fine. I have my wallet back.”

Chen grimaced as he tugged his wrist from their combined hold. If the touch from one human was intolerable, the touch from two was corrupting. Staring at Lay, Chen rubbed his wrist as if to purify it of their presence.  Chen stepped back. He his heels to leave. Brushing shoulders with Luhan, he hurried off before he was into anymore interactions.

Noisy, he thought. Humans were so noisy.

Lay watched Chen’s retreating frame in shock. Kris wasn’t wrong, but that was not the right way to go about it. Lay apologized on behalf of Kris but it did not seem to have appeased the irritated man. Lay’s eyes widened when he realized that failed to get the man’s name.

Oh no, I forgot to thank him, Lay thought, regretfully.

It had been abnormally considerate of Chen to return the wallet. For a human to have criticized him for it was, well, unbelievable, he bristled. Chen walked so briskly that it was like he was attempting to recapture his escaping peace of mind.

Any thoughts of his, including his hopes that he wouldn’t see those humans ever again, fleeted his mind as a distraction gnawed at him. His stomach howled with vengeance leaving a hollowness in its wake. It demanded attention and to fought to get it.

Chen walked more quickly to find the nearest restaurant before his lack of energy lead to some unsatisfactory side-effects. It didn’t matter to him the quality of food as long as it was cheap and tasty.

The wind carried on it a slip of paper that choose to plaster itself on Chen’s face. Irked, Chen ripped it off his face. He nearly threw it back in the air when he noticed it was a coupon for the fried chicken place only three stores down.

Bands of  yellow minimally altered the typical laminate fast food decor. The cashier wore a matching uniform of yellow with red highlights. Taped to her face was a sunny  smile; she greeted him.  

“One meal set,” he ordered tartly.

After paying the lady, Chen proceeded to the back of the store. He passed a couple holding hands under the table, a worker who was on a break, a crowd of delinquent girls, and an elderly couple. He found a corner seat that was relatively far from the counter. It was a table with four seats organized around it. Sitting on the side that faced to the wall, he avoided the gaze of the other occupants of the store. Even if he had to listen to the humans in the room, he didn’t want to see them.

The chattering was more than enough torture. The cacophony of noises was a mash up of high pitched laughter, flirtatious giggles, low mutters, tapping fingers, and clunky machines that entwined itself with the the awful orchestra of automobiles. construction work, and people that came from the streets.  

When his food came, Chen felt relieved. The faster he ate, the quicker he could leave the joint. The aroma of warm food caressed his senses and teased his hunger. His stomach responded with a demand: eat. That was the only thing on Chen’s mind. He wanted to calm the gnawing sensation in his stomach.

As he ate, the lunch crowd filtered into the joint. The amplitude of noise grew louder and more irksome. It was a miracle, actually, that Chen could isolate a voice or two in that horrid crowd of rushed workers. Luhan’s voice drew his attention, “Hey, isn’t that him?”

Chen tilted his head to glance at the counter. The group of four: Luhan, Lay, Kris, and another boy stood there looking back at him. Without thinking, Chen rubbed his bicep as if the sight of them triggered phantom pains for an ancient injury. Ignoring the group, he dropped his gaze to continue eating. It was a coincidence; there was no reason to pay attention to them.

“There’s no place to sit,” complained Tao.

Luhan remarked, “Don’t complain. We already ordered.”

“It’s really that guy from earlier,” Lay said.

Before any of them could stop them, Lay had already begun to walk towards the nameless figure. Maybe it was his kind-hearted nature, but Lay found it hard to distrust others. Perhaps it was because he assumed everyone else was as naturally good as he was. That was why concern marred his aura at the sight of the man’s lonely figure. He had yet to thank the man or to have even learned his name.

He tapped the man on the shoulder, “Hello. Thank you for finding my wallet. I’m called Lay.”

The man looked up - glared - and rubbed his left bicep. His eyes widened; the right arm dropped back to his side. It was as though the man had read Lay’s mind, whoever the man was.

“Chen,” he said brusquely.

“Chen, can we sit next you?” Lay asked, “I know we just met but all the seats are taken.”

Lay held his hands up in a gesture of helplessness before continuing, “I mean only if it doesn’t bother you.”

Chen planted his feet in the ground as if to protect his territory. His eyebrow twitched as he stared at Lay. In a low, gruff tone, Chen replied, “-ssi”

“What?” Lay inquired, tilting his head in confusion.

“Chen-ssi. don’t act like you know me,” Chen growled.

Lay glowed red with embarrassment. He was a foreign exchange student so he knew better. He had learned better than to speak so rudely. It must have been a slip of the mind. Regardless, it was rude. The familiar words of apology, especially to Lay’s tongue, never finished forming because their were interrupted.  

Clicking his tongue, Chen shoved his items onto his tray. He turned to leave. He said,“Just take it. ”

Once was a coincidence. More than once was unusual. But meeting Lay’s group six times, that was impossible. There was little to no chance that Chen and those humans had simultaneously decided to frequent the same fast food joint and park and cafe and riverside and hillside and bookstore. This is especially strange because Chen always choose places because of their absence of people.

The park was two blocks from an industrial area and one from a bad neighborhood. One would not find one’s grandfather playing chess in this park or children chasing another. The risk of meeting a delinquent or worse a drug dealer crossing one’s path left the park rather vacant. Despite that, while napping in the prickly grass, Chen had been hit by a soccer ball. A group of students decided to begin a game and were short a player. Lay had invited him to join in. Chen left.

The cafe, although not as isolated as the Minute Cafe, was located awkwardly on the third floor of a building between a laundromat and cigarette shop.  Along the right wall was the counter, three or four dinky tables were kept against the left wall. The three seats at the counter shrank the half meter space between the tables and the counter.   The cramped and narrow four by six meter shop was shaped more like a to-go bar than a cafe. Because of that, it was treated as such. As long as Chen kept to the back, he could avoid all the traffic concentrated at the cash register . It was just his luck that Kris’s washing machine had broken down. Chen had overheard this statement when they sat quarter meter down from him in the cafe.  

The same strange meeting occurred at the riverside on the opposite side of Seoul; the hill hidden by skyscrapers; and the bookstore located between a pawn shop and a Happy Massage Parlor.

By the sixth meeting, in the secondhand bookstore, Chen was fuming. If their initial meeting had antagonized an old wound, the sixth one ripped it open and then proceeded to  rubbed sulfuric acid into it. His arm ached from the amount of pressure he placed on it each time he rubbed. A bruise had most likely formed from this habit.

Chen heard Lay say it was like fate that the two of them kept meeting. Chen scoffed.

Fate didn’t exist, he knew that. There were only meddlesome gods and chance .

A growl vibrated up his throat. Chen clenched his fist and thought, Or both.

Before Lay had a sixth opportunity to speak to Chen, he had taken off. His feet pounded against the concrete. His arm fought the air as he sprinted off.

Kai sat with a smirk on his face, “Royal.”

He placed down the cards and claimed his prize. The pile of money was modest; it was an alleyway game between old men who worked part time after all. It was probably no more than two hundred thousand won but Kai smirked as if he had won billions.

He stood up to leave. Kai knew better than anyone else that it was best to stop when luck still favored them. Luck flirted with all but grew bored easily.

“Leaving?” asked an economics major that stumbled into their game.

Kai nodded.

“Come on,” Jaejin, Kai believed it was, begged. “Give me a chance to win back my rent.”

“Nah,” Kai held up his hands in surrender. “I know my limits.”

He was better than humans in that aspect. He had control. It was odd to him that people would risk their lives for ink-stained slips of paper. They were interesting in that way too. It was fun to see how far they went and how hard they fell.  Their paradoxical nature - to risk everything to gain more security - was so fun to watch.

“Here,” Kai handed twenty thousand won to Jaejin. “Try to win it back.”

“Seriously?” he held onto to the edges of the paper with his life.

Kai jerked his head, “Yeah. Make a wish to lady luck and maybe you’ll make a profit. I have a good feeling about it.”

“Thanks,” Jaejin snapped the money from Kai’s grasp and ran back to the tables.

Laughing, Kai thought about doing the opposite of what he promised. The reaction would be hilarious but risky. Losing a client was deadly in his livelihood. Prayers, even as vague as that one, were rare to come by especially ones properly directed towards him. Deities needed the energy to sustain their existence and  true worshippers were rare in this era of  technology and science.     

Whistling, Kai hopped off to the next trigger happy concentration of people. He dragged his fingers along the brick wall and turned the corner. Would it be a poker game or a pool match? He was favored dance competitions since he was a dancer himself. It was a nice way to gather subsistence as well as to amuse himself.

Maybe it was the leftover hype from winning the poker game or his anticipation of his next energy spike, but Kai did not sense oncoming danger.

His body was jerked into the air and stopped by the rough brickwork. The air was knocked out of his lungs; he sputtered. The whiplash slammed his head into the stone which caused stars to line his vision.

The only thing he comprehended was an low harsh growl demanding, “Who put you up to this?”  

That was followed by a string of threats that altered between dismembering him and eating him alive. The impact with the wall left Kai speechless and dazed. That only served to further infuriate his assaulter.

“ it, I’ll just rip your throat out.”  

This onslaught of anger sounded like thunder pounding the on roof of Kai’s mind. Even as confused as he was, Kai knew that the threat was real. He could see the storm brewing in Chen’s livid eyes. Thunder always appears  before lightning strikes.  

A/N: A special thanks to jlambxd  for beta-ing.