You took a break from your job hunt sitting on a bench near the river. All the interviews had been wrong, some didnt hired you and some required too much work for not enough money. At first you tried to look for a job related to tour carrrer but now you just wanted a decent job.

You checked the hour on your phone but there was an unread message.

USER9011: did you have luck?

You: no 😰 this is harder than expected. But thanks for the sugestions they were useful.

USER9011: don't worry, if it's you it wont be that long until you get hired. I'll let you know if I find something new, ok?

You: thank you, leo. But I don't want you to spend your saturday in something like this.

USER9011: No problem. Hakyeon is here helping too. He says " good luck"

He attached a selfie of him and Hakyeon making a V-sing and smiling. well, hakyeon smiling not him but still, it was cute. You felt cheered up right away.

"Why don't you just give her the money, if you want to help?" Hakyeon asked as he scrolled down the job list on his phone "But I gotta admit his plan was very smart, selfish but smart, it's like trying to keep her for him trough a debt as an excuse to see her even though he is married" he said to himself

Leo marked down an add on the newspaper "because, I want to respect her dignity. I'd be doing the same as that guy if I just gave her the money, right?"

"right. Gosh, you are so wise" he patted Leo's head and he treathed with hitting him "anyway, are you going to meet that ex-blonde? I still think it's a bad idea"

"yeah, but I don't want him to blackmail her with that, so instead of paying him she could pay me. That's why I'm going to see him, not because I want to"

"And we can blackmail her?" Hakyeon snickered. Leo rolled his eyes.

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" what are you doing here?" Leo felt kris hand on his shoulder and finally turned around to meet his glaring eyes with equal amount of disgust. 

"I'm here to meet you" he said in a neutral tone but his forrowing eyebrows didnt relax until Kris removed his hand from him.

They moved to his office and waited until the secretary brought them two cups of coffe.

"Cut the chase amd tell me what do you want?"

" i'm here to pay her debt. I heard you covered all her school's fees and all, that is so sweet from you but still very posessive when you know the reason behind it"

They both took a sip from their cups but didnt break the eye contact. The air around them was so shap that it could cut paper.

"And how are you supposed to pay it, of I remember correctly you are also on a scholarship"

"My parents may not have an empire like yours, they are normal people. but..." He accentuated " i have money of my own"

Kris felt the indirect jab coming from his words.

"Ok, lets suppose I believe you" kris scoffed "where did you get the money from?" 

"Art trading" leo answered confidently " you wouldnt understand the value of art since you are an economy major but dont they say that in time of crisis you should invest in gold and art? I got the scholarship because I've got the brains"

"Mmmm...interesting" kris leaned back in his coach "but I don't want you to pay me a cent. After all, this was to apologize to her. I even paid her brother's school. They deserve it and more so I wont allow a nobody like you to get close to them...

" too late" leo cut him off and sighed "I'm already part of their lives and Im not planning to leave them any time soon" he sighed again and stood up "and here I thought I could play fair against you and tried to negociate but I guess its not possible" he looked down to Kris.

"Don't try to play games you can't win, Leo" kris sneered when he was about to go out.

"I never said I'll lose" leo turned around with playfull smile "she is mine"

Kris stood up and laughed out loud even though he felt the the anger crawling up inside him that made him reply with something Leo would had never expected " I don't think so but you can try and make her yours; I bet she'll scream my name"

And Leo lost it, he saw everything red and without hesitation one of his hands grabbed kris collar and the other clashed against his haw, busting his bottom lip. But the slightly taller man would not retreat so easy, he quickly regained his composture and punched Leo on his right cheek, he stumbled back a little but he was fast enough to tackle Kris down; they landed on the small center table, the glass ornaments on it crashed on the floor.

That fight had been pending from a long time now, they had been wanting to beat each other up almost since they knew about each other existance, when Kris felt you were being taken away from him.

The skinnier guy tried to push him back but Leo was letting it all out on him, both men had bruises all over their faces, lips busted. Kris managed to kick him away and back off for a second, both took the chance to take a breath before attacking again; their eyes were bloodshot red and what used to be formal shirts were unbottoned and ripped off.

Jab after jab, punch after punch. they didnt even notice when some emplyees entered the room. the secretary covered to muffle her horrified scream.

Kris tried to choke Leo but he buttheaded him and Kris fell back pressing his nose and looking up, verifing it wasnt broken even though it was bleeding.

"Security! Pleasee!!" a woman yelled on the hallway.

Two man debated if they should stop them but they couldnt find the right time to get between them. What if they get in the middle and end up fired because of it. They remained there watching the two men crashing the mobilliary and going full savage until two built up man in black clothes broke the fight. By that time their appearence was nothing like before but their wicked smiled remained, both trying to look like they werent hurt even though their face and clothes were covered in blood.

"Is that all you've got?" Kris huffed dusting off his clothes.

"hell no" leo panted and tried to break trough the experiencied bodyguard's lock but it was useless.

"what do we do with him?" the tall and muscular guard asked kris. 

He meditated for a second and the idea of sending him to jail crossed his mind, but like it or not. he was your friend now and you'll never forgive him for it.

"Scort him to the exit, that's all" he redid his necktie "if this goes out of these walls you'll be fired without exception, understood?

"yes, sir" they bowed.

Leo, whom was being pushed off the office couldnt help but find it unfair how someone like him had so much power to do as he pleased.

Leo left quietly while Kris was already machining another plan in his mind.

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You entered your home, dragging your feet and tossing you purse to the sofa in the living room.

"welcome back" you brother shouted from the kitchen "Do you want something to eat? I'm making ham and eggs"

"Are we celebrating something?" you took you heels off, your feet were killing you.

you filled a glass with iced tea and drank it. the cold relaxed you dried troath like you hadnt drank water in years.

"For the looks of it, you couldnt find a job, right?" he said turning to the stove "and yes, we are celebrating that my school fees had been paid, I think it was 'him'.

Since the wedding, your brother had avoided mentioning Kris in front of you to not hurt you. but you knew he definitly missed a boy around the house.

You almost spat the tea "what?!" you say frantically "is he insane?!"

"why so angry? It's a good thing; now we can use the money in other things"

"you don't understand..."

you were interrupted by the sound of the doorbell.

"I'll get it, you watch the stove" your brother offered.

You stired the jam on the pan and put the slices of bread in the toaster.

"What Happened?" you heard your brother ask alarmed "come in, hurry"

You turned the stove off and went to see who it was. Your eyes grew wider at the sight of a beaten up Kris, leaning on the boy's shoulder. The blood stains on his clothes made you gasp. Without a second thought you hurried to help him move to the living room. He sat on the sofa next to your purse.

"What the hell happened?" your brother asked him.

"Your friend happened" he said in a sour tone.

"what friend?" you already knew who he was refering to but you couldnt believe it 

"Leo" he looked down, immersed in his thoughts He showed up in my office and tried to pay back the money for the school's tuititon but I didnt accept it and he said to stay away from you but I said you were my friend and he didn't accept it" he bitterly smiled

"Bring the first aid kit" you said to your brother.

you sat next to him and scanned his busted lips and brows "Why would he go as far as to do something like that?"

"because he is obsessed with you" his eyes met yours "you should stay away from him, like I told you sicne the beginnning. who knows? maybe he can hit you brother or you"

when the first aid kit arrived you asked your brother to leave you alone for a moment and he tried to protest but Kris seconded you and he left.

you took a cotton ball and dipped it in the desinfectant "this might hurt" you pressed it on a busted eyebrow. he flinched and you blew it to lessen the pain.

You proceded to patch some other wounds and apply unguent on the swollen areas.

It was uncomfortable the way he never stopped looking at you even though you were so close.

"what?" you asked trying to make it less awkward.

"you havent said a thing about it" he said.

you moved away from him and looked at him in the eye. "it's because I don't believe you"

"what?" he blinked a few times

"I've come to know Leo enough to believe he wouldnt do such things; I don't know what happened but he is not one to act like that without a reason" you said as you remembered the real story behind Leo's incident that turned him into the school's thug "So stop badmouthing him"

He stood up indignated, his nosetrills flaring "you put him before me, who had been your friend for almost a decade?! I cant believe it!" He threw his arms in the air.

You looked up at him " you are right but I can't recognize you now"

"Everything fell Apart since he appeared!" He shouted " if you had never met him..."

You jumped off your seat "If I had never met him, I'd be in pieces right now! I wouldnt have know how to get by after your wedding?!" You rised your voice as loud as his but you could only heard the sound of your blood pumping in your ears "what makes you think you have the right to come all of a sudden and tell me to stay away from him?!" By the time you finished talking your eyes were bloodshot red and your chest was heaving.

Kris was shocked "then why did you treated my wounds? If you hate me that much, why?" His voice sounded deeper and his gaze turned darker when he narrowed his eyes.

You walked towards the door and opened before him.

"Because you are my friend, just that" you replied exhausted "now leave, your wounds should be treated by your wife, not me, kris"

He didnt say a word after that and left.

............:...................

Leo finished patching himself up and laid on his bed cursing Kris' existence. He was about to fall asleep when his phone rang. He answered without looking who it was.

"Uhmm" he said, thinking it was Hakyeon or someone from his family.

"Leo?" He immediately sat on the bed when he recognized your voice but he forgot the already turning blue bruises on his abs, he he groaned in pain

are you okay?" 

"Yeah, I hurt my back while working out"

"I know what happened today so you dont have to lie" 

"You do?" He sounded surprised and scared at the same time.

"Yes and I wanted to know if you were okay and why you did it"

"I'm okay and for the reason behind it, I don't think I can tell you?

"Why not? It cant be that bad" You remembered kris deep wounds and regreted saying that right after you finished the sentence.

"If it wasnt that bad I would have kept my cool and saved myself some wounds and bruises" he tried to laugh but the pain back.

"Sorry"

Akward....

"Dont be. He deserved it but, what makes you think Im not at fault?"

"I know both of you, kris can be quite the manipulator and he is good at getting on peoples's nerves. While, you wont hit anybody without a reason"

"Woah, you are smarter than you look" he joked before sighing out loud "well, i want to keep talking to you but I need to rest"

"Are you sure you are okay?"

"Of course, a little bit of adrenaline is good for the body. Besides that rich kid is not that good at fighting"

"It's not funny Leo" you whinned "and dont forget he's my friend too"

"Friends respect each other and I haven't seen or heard him being respectful to you since I met you"

You couldnt talk back

"Gotta go. See you tomorrow" he hung up.

The next morning you went to school and took a detour to Leo's class but you only found Hakyeon. He was focused typying something on his phone that he didnt notice until you were right in front of you.

"Hi"

He looked up at you with a concerned expression "hey! I was about to message you. I was on the phone with Leo just know, it seems like he is not feeling well; I volunteered to visit him but he told me not to but I'm worries"

You tried no to mention the fight in case he didnt know.

"Is he sick?"

"No, he got in a fight yesterday and I think his wounds are worse than he says"

He omited Kris just in case you didnt know.

You thought it made sense, Leo was the type to hide his pain in order to not worry his friends or lose his cool. Images of him passed out on the floor or suffering alone crossed your mind.

"Can you go see him in my place, please. I know he wont say no to you" he put his hands together to plead.

"Eeehm... Sure" you tried not to sound that desperate "send me his address and I'll see him after school"

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