He had reached the platform by the second floor when he suddenly found himself face to face with a man, with only the window in between them. The man was Asian, just as the two on the fifth floor and he was just as blond as them too. Kyungsoo froze in his spot and slowly looked down on the man’s suit. His eyes widened when he saw the small red rabbit logo on the man’s chest and he whipped his head up to look at the man’s face again. They got eye-contact and the man’s eyes widened in realisation (what it was he could realise Kyungsoo did not know) and then suddenly the guy on the phone shouted:

“Run!”

The man on the other side of the window turned around to shout something and when he turned back Kyungsoo was gone. Kyungsoo was running as fast as he could down the stairs while the man at the phone was shouting encouragements at him (it was starting to have a weird echo the nearer they were getting to each other). The crash of the window being broken made Kyungsoo freeze in his steps and he looked up to see the blonde man climbing out of the broken window. He started making his way towards the stairs and Kyungsoo was suddenly jerked forward and down on the ground by the phone guy (Kyungsoo really needed to learn his name, but now was not the time to ask) who had run up to get Kyungsoo out of his daze.

“I need you to keep running, okay?” the guy said and pushed Kyungsoo forwards for him to start running. “They know me and hopefully they’ll start chasing after me instead of you if I distract them.” Kyungsoo had only taken a few tentative steps away from the stairs and the guy who suddenly yelled.

“Run!” and Kyungsoo took off sprinting.

~ * ~

After five minutes of running his lungs were burning and everyone were looking strangely at him but he still didn’t dare to stop running or look behind himself because he really did not know what he would do if he saw someone following him. It was a wonder he hadn’t died in the traffic yet considering the many read lights he’d ignored.

After a while Kyungsoo really needed to breathe. He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, trying to not be in the way of bypassers as well as not to cough up his own lungs. He could taste blood and he begrudgingly admitted that he’d never survive in a Doctor Who episode. It probably wasn’t the smartest idea to stop while possibly being chased but he also knew that if he continued running he would be caught either way because of possible fainting due to lack of oxygen. He leaned against the nearest building and spared a glance backwards, and to his luck there was no one there. No blonde man or nothing, only a bunch of people walking past him while looking weirdly at his dishevelled state of being. If Kyungsoo hadn’t been busy trying breathe he would’ve probably been doing a celebratory dance by now. The looks by the bypassers was starting to irk him. Sure, he was a short guy in a wrinkled suit having trouble breathing and with hair that was standing in all directions but the right one, but seriously, he couldn’t be looking that weird.

“Kyungsoo?” a woman’s voice sounded and Kyungsoo looked up to come face with face with a short woman. She had her platinum blonde hair tied in a high ponytail and her big eyes were lined with kohl (although you probably noticed her green eyebrows before the eyeliner). Both her wrists were covered in numerous colourful ribbons from different festivals and convents she’d been on. She was wearing her work attire but that didn’t help Kyungsoo’s confusion but only added to it.

“Enya? Aren’t you supposed to be at work right now?” Kyungsoo managed to get out, his breathing almost back to normal.

“I am.” She pointed at the big sign above Kyungsoo’s head and all the tables outside the door that led into the restaurant/bar. “And I could be asking you the exact same question?” She asked and raised an eyebrow in confusion. Kyungsoo understood her confusion because his work place was nowhere near the Jamming Grill. He was about to answer but was suddenly engulfed in a hug.

“Kyungsoo!” a second woman squealed. She released him after a second and put both hands on either side of Kyungsoo’s face. She turned his face in different directions and looked him up and down. “Whatever happened to you?”

“Hi, Bell.” He smiled weakly at her. Not many would guess that Anabel and Enya were identical twins due to their completely different fashion style. While Enya had long straightened blonde hair Anabel wore her hair short and in their natural colour and curls, if Enya liked dark make-up Anabel wore either no make-up or extremely bright coloured. In clothes Enya preferred natural colours while Anabel  preferred weird colours and patterns. Neither was a big fan of skirts though and only wore them if they absolutely had to, in work for example.

“Let go of him, Anabel, don’t squish him to death.” Enya said and dragged Anabel off of him. “Come on, let’s go in, I bet Chad’s been dying to see you too. It was far too long ago since you dropped by.” Enya took his hand and dragged him inside and to the bar in the back where a tall, dark haired guy was standing with the back towards them. At the sound of them approaching he turned around and immediately ungracefully leaped over the bar to hug Kyungsoo.

“Why are you all behaving like I didn’t see you only two weeks ago?” Kyungsoo asked while awkwardly hugging Chad back feeling like he could be his son looking at the insane height difference between the two of them. “And did you dye your hair?”

“Did you seriously notice him dyeing his hair a slightly darker shade of brown but not me colouring my eyebrows green?” Enya asked.

“Oops, sorry Enya.” He smiled apologetically “but to my defence you’re always having weirdly coloured eyebrows ever since high school, it’s hard to keep up.”

Chad released him from the hug and took a step back to look him up and down, Kyungsoo feeling smaller than ever, had Chad grown even more since last time he saw him? Chad pushed Kyungsoo to sit on one of the bar stools and went to stand behind the bar again, Anabel joining him while Enya sat herself down beside Kyungsoo.

“Sit down.” He commanded and Kyungsoo was about to answer that he already was sitting and weren’t the three of them supposed to be working and taking care of the guests but was interrupted by Anabel placing a glass of water in front of him.

“What happened to you?” She asked and rested her elbows on the counter.

“And before you can answer nothing we all know something happened to you. We know you and we can see it.” Chad added serving a glass of beer to a random customer sitting at the end of the bar (drinking beer so early in the afternoon?).

“You’re looking stressed and like you’ve been running. And I don’t know if you’ve noticed but you’re constantly glancing at the doors like you’re afraid that something or someone will come bursting through them.” In fact Kyungsoo hadn’t noticed that and he started to wonder if maybe he should tell them the truth. They’d been his best friends since high school and they had been through so much together and they did deserve to know. The only problem being that Kyungsoo had no idea how to tell them. He sighed.

“I never told you about the accident I was in last week, right?” Three heads shook in answer.

“Last week I was in an elevator that started malfunctioning. I don’t know what happened but suddenly it just started falling.” Kyungsoo swallowed, feeling the stress creep up on him again and Enya put her arm around his shoulders. “Miraculously it stopped so we could get off before it crashed to the ground and I know that if it hadn’t done that I wouldn’t be here today.” He could see the panic on his friends faces but continued anyways seeing as everything actually had ended quite happily and he didn’t want to worry his friends further.

“Then this guy told me that I had to leave quickly because apparently otherwise the ones that had broken the elevator would kill me. And today he called me again to tell me that the guys responsible for the elevator were searching the building and they shouldn’t see me. So I had to flee from work and was chased by this buff blonde dude for a while and then I ran here without knowing. And that’s basically what happened and why I look like I do.”

He looked at the blank faces in front of him when suddenly Chad slammed his hands down on the counter and Kyungsoo wasn’t the only one jumping from the surprise (the poor beer-man being one of the others).

“You’re too naïve, Kyungsoo…” His voice was surprisingly calm. “Why did you believe this phone dude? How do you know he’s not the bad one and the men in the building was after him for a reason?” Kyungsoo froze in his seat. He hadn’t thought of that possibility. But for some reason he had a hard time believing it, it was just something about the guy that made Kyungsoo believe in him.

“I don’t know…” Kyungsoo sighed “But there’s something familiar about him… it feels like I have met him before even though I know I haven’t. But he did say that he knew me so maybe it’s just that I can’t remember him? He doesn’t seem bad though.” Now it was Chad’s time to sigh.

“You trust people way to easily, and just because he doesn’t seem bad doesn’t mean he isn’t… Anyways, I don’t believe him. Give me your phone.”

“What? Why?” Kyungsoo said, hugging his precious phone close to his chest.

“Because you said this guy called you and I’m hoping his number isn’t blocked so I can call him. And I don’t trust your judgement so I want to speak with him myself.”

“Oh. Okay, I guess that’s fine then.” Kyungsoo hesitantly gave his phone to Chad who immediately unlocked it to try to find the phone-guy’s number. Seeing as it’d been hidden it did take him some time but thankfully Chad was technically inclined and somehow managed to find the number. Chad called the strange phone guy and walked a few metres away from his three curious friends plus the beer man.

“Hi! You called my man Kyungsoo today!” Did he just call Kyungsoo his man? Kyungsoo facepalmed while the twins tried to stifle their laughter.

“Yeah and I want to know what you your business with him are!”

“I’m just trying to save him, you know. Can I speak to Kyungsoo himself?”

“No, you can’t! And from what may I ask?”

“I can’t tell you that, sorry. At least not now. But if you would be so nice and tell Kyungsoo that I want to meet him tomorrow at the Starbucks near his workplace. I have stuff I need to explain to him.”

“Okay, but when? And he won’t be coming alone just so you know!”

“Oh, he doesn’t need to be alone. He can bring someone, but I would like him not bringing too many. Wait, are you his boyfriend?”

“What? No!” Chad suddenly looked extremely flustered and Kyungsoo wondered what the phone-guy had said.

“Okay, good. There would be trouble later otherwise. But I’ll see Kyungsoo and whoever he brings with him at 2pm tomorrow then. Bye.”

“What? Yeah, okay.” Chad hung up. The phone was handed over to Kyungsoo who stared blankly at Chad for a second.

“You didn’t ask for his name?” He asked. “Isn’t that kind of the basic question to ask if you want to know who someone is?” Kyungsoo tried to not notice the small voice in the back of is mind that whispered “hypocrite” to him. He, himself had forgotten to ask that very same question, but then again the circumstances of when the question could be asked were quite different from each other.

“Do you even know anything about him after that short phone call?” He continued.

“I know that he wants to meet you tomorrow at 2pm at the Starbucks near your workplace..? And you are allowed to bring someone so if you want I can always join you there.” Chad answered.

“Tomorrow? Why? And don’t you have work? I can always ask Jongin to come with me, as far as I know he’s free tomorrow.”

“I don’t know, he wanted to explain some things or something.” Chad said, still looking a bit lost like he had ever since the phone call ended. But at the same time as he was looking lost he also looked like he was trying to figure out something about Kyungsoo. The question was what.

“Just remember that if Jongin can’t come with you, call one of us and we’ll call in sick so we can go with you, okay?” Enya said and placed a hand on Kyungsoo’s shoulder. The latter turned around to smile at her.

“Thank you, I will.” He answered before turning around towards Chad again. “And why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?” At the questions directed at him Chad seemingly woke up from his daze.

“What? Oh, nothing. Or… is that guy hitting on you?” He said pointing at Kyungsoo’s phone for him to understand who “that guy” was.

“What? No! Why would you think that? When would he have the time? We’ve spoken a total amount of two times!” Kyungsoo answered looking at Chad as if that was the stupidest thing to say.

“Well I don’t know!” Chad defended himself. “But he asked me if I was your boyfriend and when I said no he told it was good because otherwise there would be a problem!”

“Why would that be a problem?” Kyungsoo asked. Their conversation was slowly starting to get louder and more frantic with every answer.

“How should I know? I didn’t have the time to ask before he hung up on me!” Chad almost shouted and Anabel placed a hand on his shoulder and glanced pointedly at the beer-man to make him quiet down and not disturbing their costumer. “Either way I think you should tell him about Jongin, because if I remember correctly he doesn’t exactly like other guys flirting with you.” He continued in a much more reasonable noise level (the beer-man had to strain his ears to try to hear their conversation now).

“If it comes up, then sure, but I don’t see a reason to randomly announce my relationship status to a random stranger who’s not even hitting on me!” The start of the answer was just as quiet as Chad’s latest statement but the longer into the sentence Kyungsoo came the louder he said it. Apparently he took it as a huge insult that anyone could be flirting with him instead of a compliment as most people probably would. Well, at least he was true towards Jongin. A snicker from Anabel interrupted Chad’s reply to Kyungsoo.

“Look, Enya, that guy’s hair colour matches yours.” She pointed at someone outside the bar. “Maybe you should go chat him up? Although he does look a tad young…” She winked at her sister who scoffed in response. Kyungsoo turned to look at the guy Anabel was teasing her sister with. When he saw him, walking on the pavement opposite the restaurant, he could almost feel all blood being drained from his face. It was him, the guy with the blue fringe from before. He needed to get home. Now.

“Seriously, Bell? He looks like he’s still in high school. And you kno-“

“Sorry, guys, but I have to go now.” Kyungsoo interrupted and stood up from his seat. “You don’t happen to have a backdoor or something?” Chad, confused, only nodded and pointed to a door behind him.

“Okay, thank you. Bye! I’ll see you all later!” He said while running to the door. The only answer he got was confused waves from his three friends and the beer-man who actually also said a muffled goodbye against his beer glass.

AN:

What? I'm actually updating!! :O I feels like forever since I last updated and I'm sorry for taking so long... but well... school... but only one term left and then I'm freeeeee!!! 

Hrm... Okay, back to the point if I ever had one... which I didn't... But well after this chapter things will actually start to happen, yay :D and I'm thinking of starting to write a nieljoe fic because feeeeels after the snow kiss mv, but I don't know... orz

I hope you liked this chapter to at least some extent :3 ily~