Unfortunately for Soobin, the coffee that Hueningkai had been positive would make him pass out only served to make him more wired than normal. When he had gotten back to his apartment after being dropped off by Hueningkai, Soobin tried to do things that would calm his over-simulated self. However, no amount of dish washing or vacuuming made him exhausted.

Standing by the kitchen window over the sink, Soobin watched as the stars began to twinkle into view. Night was falling once more, but he could already tell that sleep would yet again not be in the cards for him. With his stomach growling, he looked away from the window and moved to open his fridge. The dull light that kicked on showed him the almost empty interior. There were only a few take-out boxes inside - but as Soobin reached in to pull one out to examine it - he saw it was more a science experiment than something to eat. Sighing, he grabbed all the take-out boxes and threw them in the garbage. He knew that his cupboards would be worse off than his fridge. He kept putting off going to the store, but it was obvious now what a mistake that was.

Consulting the clock that hung on the wall above the television in the living room, he saw that it wasn't overly late yet. Soobin grabbed his apartment keys and bike, deciding to see if there was any place open nearby where he could grab a bite to eat.

- - -

Yeonjun wandered the sidewalks for a few hours after leaving the hardware shop, trying to see if a foot search for the van would prove beneficial. When the sun started to set with no such luck in sight, Yeonjun knew that he would have to suspend his search until the morning at least. It also didn't help by this point that he was starving and exhausted. His right arm was a throbbing reminder that he was human and wearing down, having realized an hour or so ago that his right arm bore severe road rash from his roll off the van earlier in the day.

Keeping his hood pulled up to combat the chilly evening breeze rushing down the streets, Yeonjun stumbled across a small diner. A sign in the window boasted that it was a 24/7 joint, which was a relief to Yeonjun. He was hoping that he could get some food and maybe - if he was lucky enough - get away with trying (and surely failing) to sleep at a booth in the back.

Opening the door to the diner, Yeonjun stepped inside. He walked over the pastel blue and gray tiles and to the L-shaped bar counter at the front. A middle aged woman with a soiled apron stood near a register up front, looking towards him as he approached.

"How can I help you, young man?"

Yeonjun looked at the menu board up on the wall, thankful that at least the food in this strange new place was similar to what he had back on Nova.

"Could I get a BLT sandwich with some of your homemade fries?"

The woman nodded, jotting his order down on an order pad beside her as if she would forget it.

"Is that it?"

Yeonjun nodded his head as the woman rang it up and gave him the total. He reached into his pocket and dug out the bills that his hand had come into contact with when he had been looking for his ID card earlier. When he handed the woman the purple and yellow bill, she immediately raised a brow.

"What is this?"

'Why was I hoping my currency would be received any differently than my ID card?' thought Yeonjun with a sigh as he watched the woman push the bill back towards him.

"I'm sorry, sir. I can't accept that."

"Just...never mind with the order then," said Yeonjun, his stomach crying out in protest. "Can I at least have a glass of water and borrow your first aid kit?"

The woman looked at Yeonjun a bit warily but nodded her head. She disappeared out back for a moment and soon returned with what he had asked for.

"Thank you," he said with a brief incline of his head, moving to sit at a booth in the back just as a bell chimed over the door as another customer entered.

"That was strange..." murmured the woman as she turned her attention to the next customer. "Hello, young man. How can I help you this evening?"

Soobin stood in front of the woman at the counter, a bit puzzled since he had overheard her muttering as he approached.

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, just some weirdo trying to pay for food with fake money," said the woman, waving a dismissive hand towards Yeonjun who was sitting in a booth at the back with his back to the two of them and his hood still up.

"What was he trying to order?" asked Soobin.

"Why?"

"I'd like to have a BLT and fries," he said, "and whatever that man wanted as well please."

"You're going to pay for a stranger's meal?"

Soobin nodded as he dug his wallet out of his pocket. He wanted to pay it forward; his mind recalling the time his friends had done that for him when he had been down on his luck.

"Alright...I'll get that ready for you then," she said. "You both wanted the same thing so it should be easy."

Soobin nodded again as he paid her once she rang up the total, shoving his hands into his pocket as he stood by the bar and waited for her to return. He turned his head to the side to look at the man sitting in the back. From where Soobin stood, he could see that he had a first aid kit open on the table currently; the sleeve of one of his arms rolled up to the forearm as he treated a wound.

'How did he hurt himself?' thought Soobin. 'Watch my wired brain just have paid for a meal for a criminal or something.'

"Here you go, sir. Have a great evening," said the woman as she suddenly returned with two trays with an identical order. The only difference was that there was a cup of cola on one tray for Soobin.

"Thank you. You have a great evening as well," said Soobin with a flash of a smile.

He took a tray in either hand as he made his way towards the back booth where the man was. His plan was to hand the man the tray of food and leave before he could be thanked. Soobin didn't want thanks. He just wanted to think that he was finally able to help someone after feeling helpless all this time.

"Excuse me," said Soobin as he approached the hooded man.

The man paused in tending to his injury as Soobin spoke. Soobin reached out to put a tray of food down on the table in front of the man.

"I heard you were trying to buy food, so I thought I'd help you out. Have a good..."

Soobin's words trailed out as the man turned to look at him. The moment the two of them locked eyes, both of their eyes grew to the size of quarters; Soobin dropping his tray of food onto the ground in shock.