Kai slides his new packet of cigarettes into his coat pocket, he clicks his lighter one or twice before it zaps the tip to burn, and he inhales the sweet killer air into his body. He lines the sides of the smooth lighter with his covered fingers.

He'll have to buy a new battery soon; the current will soon run out.

As he blows the smoke out, he catches a glimpse of his target. He distinguishes the reddish orange tip between his fingers and slips the cigarette bud in his pocket along with the lighter.

He proceeds with cautious, light steps. The target just left the convenience store, approaching a more dim-lit street.

Perfect, Kai thinks. He opens his phone, comparing the photo his brother, Beomgyu sent. It matches, even a blind person could tell the two were the same.

Kai looks back and finds his opening after 3 or 4 minutes of tracking the man. He lunges, locking the man's throat with his arm around him. He drops the bags in his hands, choking. He taps Kai, begging for him to yield the grip.

He does, in favor of pinning the man against the curb, folding one of his arms uncomfortably behind his back. He pulls.

The man yelps, coughing from lack of air. "What-" he erratically breathes out. "If it's money... "he assumes Kai wishes to rob him, but Kai has more malicious, vengeful intentions. "I can give you my wallet if you let me go." he's near tears. "Please, let me go."

Kai tsks his tongue. "Sounds familiar, does it?"

The man writhes beneath him, confused. "What?" He wonders if someone is playing a joke on him. "What are you talking about? I'll call the police! Let me-"

Kai grabs a fistful of whatever hair the man has left on his head and smashes his forehead dipper into the asphalt, shutting him up. "Two weeks ago, you and three others lurked behind a student returning to his campus." Kai digs his knee into the man's back when he tries to wriggle his way out of the tight hold Kai has on him. "He gave away his wallet willingly, yet you continued to violently assault him."

"I didn't-"

"Oh... But you did. And I'm here to deliver an eye for an eye."

.............

Kai sprays some mint refresher into his mouth hoping that'll do the trick. He airs his coat and checks his breath before stepping inside of his house.

He sneaks in, taking off his shoes at the entrance and slides into a pair of slippers. It smells of honey and spices. "I'm home." he announces. There's shuffling in the kitchen, the sound of a pan sizzling.

Kai tries to keep his body from cringing.

A pair of feet runs into the living room. Beomgyu is in comfortable wear, managed to take a shower and proper dinner after arriving from his late class. He looks nervous, almost apologetic. "Did you, do it?" he asks quietly.

"You know I did."

He nods, smacking his lips. "You know I wouldn't ask unless-"

"You didn't have to ask, Hyung." Kai presses his lips in a tight smile. "I care for Yeonjun too, even if from a far. Even if he's unaware of my relations to you, even if he is clueless about my identity. My existence."

A flash of hurt passes in Beomgyu almond eyes. "You know it doesn't have to be like that."

Kai smiles ironically, taking a seat at the dining table with his back facing Beomgyu. "Don't be ridicules."

"I'm not-"

"This conversation is over." Kai's voice is sharp, leaving no room for debate. He rests his head in his hands. "I'm starving, Hyung." His voice softens. "Can we just have dinner now?"

Beomgyu sniffles, turning away. "Sure, whatever." He marches towards the kitchen, turning the stove on to reheat the food that has already gotten cold. The blue flames engulf the bottom of the pan, resuming the sizzling. The sauce thickens around the floating pieces of honey chicken and rice, steaming.

When Beomgyu deems the food hot enough, he carefully grabs the hot pan with an oven mitten only he's not observant enough and too caught up with their short talk, he forgets to turn off the stove. The glove gets too close to the flame and soon it catches on fire.

The heat hit Beomgyu's fingers and in the midst of panic he loses his hold on the heavy pan, and it smashes on the ground, hot food splattering everywhere.

The loud clank on the pan against the floor catches Kai attention. "Hyung." He gets up.

"Don't come in!" Beomgyu yells from the kitchen, shaking the flaming glove off his hand. "Kai don't come in!" he warns.

Kai stops in his place when he smells it, smoke.

One important thing you need to know about Kai, before we continue retelling the story. Everyone has their kryptonite...

Fire is Kai's.

..............

"Hey... breathe." Beomgyu pats Kai's back. The younger holds onto the porch's railing, struggling to catch his breath. He can still smell the smoke; he can always smell the smoke. Follows him wherever he goes. "Hyung's sorry, so sorry." Beomgyu tries to sooth him but to no luck.

Kai's hands burn. He knows realistically they're not, but he feels them burn and it's just the same.

"I'll order some take out, okay?" there's guilt laced in Beomgyu's voice.

Kai shakes his head, getting up slowly from his crouched position. He's lightheaded. "Not all that hungry anymore, Hyung." he rubs his hands together.

Beomgyu looks up at him, his eyes are teary. "No, it's my fault." he blames himself. "You said you were starving. I'll make you something."

Kai dismisses him with a subtle wave of his hand. He feels like throwing up. "I'll be in bed now, goodnight."

He leaves Beomgyu standing alone on the porch, he watches Kai disappear into the bathroom and only then does he let out a choked cry, and in a spur of frustration and self-anger he slams his hand on the railing of the porch.

There is no moment where he hates their situation more than on that very evening.

................

Soobin is a third year pre-med and unlike Taehyun, he has actual passion and interest in medicine and healthcare. Despite the different ways they rolled into the major, they both have the dream of applying for residency in the same hospital and going through the hardships of becoming doctors together.

Being a lot more knowledgeable than Taehyun, Soobin offers to sit with him that afternoon to tutor him in bio- studies.

They skim through Taehyun's textbooks and Soobin explains everything Taehyun marked in red for "completely lost" in great detail. There's no doubt in Taehyun's mind that Soobin will grow to be a great surgeon, he can't say the same thing about himself.

After 3 hours Taehyun yields and announces that he is officially done for the day. Which Soobin can understand, so they both pack their things and leave the library for a coffee run.

"I have a paper due tomorrow at midnight." Soobin explains when he sees Taehyun question his choice to order black coffee at nearly evening.

Taehyun swipes his card as a thank you for the tutoring. "If I had known, I wouldn't ask you to sit with me today." his lips pout outwards. "You're too selfless for your own good." he scolds.

"Nonsense." Soobin takes a big sip from his paper cup. "I'm just happy you're not falling behind on your classes."

"Yeah." Taehyun replies bitterly. "All thanks to you."

Soobin pinches Taehyun's cheek and pulls the skin. "I'm just that good of a teacher." he brags. A ding then interrupts the flow of their conversation. Soobin fishes his phone from his pocket. "It's Yeonjun, Him and Beomgyu just got out of their art history lecture. Is it okay if they sit with us?"

Taehyun nods. He likes the two, like their major, they both have a light and chill vibe about them that makes Taehyun feel surprisingly open despite his eversion from people. Just as he thinks that he sees Beomgyu skipping towards the cafe, Yeonjun falls behind with the crouches. The couple enters through the doors.

Yeonjun waddles in dressed in a black tank-top, big kind of funny looking yellow crocs and a dark plaid shirt. Taehyun remembered him a lot more intimidating looking, but maybe it's the comically large crocs' fault.

"What do you want, Hyung will treat you." He hears Yeonjun say as he and Beomgyu stand in front of the cashier. They get their order and head to Taehyun's table.

Yeonjun puckers his lips and gives Beomgyu a peck. "A handshake for Soobin's socially anxious friend." He takes Taehyun's hand, maneuvering a cool shake and fist bump routine right after outing Taehyun's dirty laundry. Uncalled for.

"What's going on with you? Settling in nicely?"

Let's see. In his very first day he witnesses someone almost plummet to their death. On his second he lost his first kiss to that said someone, was then threatened and frightened to a panic attack. In the third... he doesn't even know how to explain whatever happened in his evening lecture.

"Yeah, I really am." He lies through his teeth. "Soobin is helping me find my way around, I have terrible sense of direction." He navigates the conversation into a different subject.

Beomgyu nods. "I can vouch for that."

Yeonjun laughs. "I'm the same, been stuck to Beomgyu for 2 years because I couldn't remember for the life of me where everything was. It's actually the only reason why I got with him. Now it's too awkward to leave, you know?... "He whispers, like he's telling Taehyun a secret.

Beomgyu ignores Yeonjun and takes a seat next to the window. "If not me you'd be crawling to your classes."

"Oh, speaking of!" Soobin exclaims, opening something on his phone. "There had been another attack close to our campus." He is almost tactlessly excited by that.

"And are you happy..." Taehyun trails off. "Why exactly?"

Soobin puts down his phone for a few seconds he wonders, eyes turned up. He looks at Taehyun. "I don't know." he replies in a candid tone.

"Is this common?" Taehyun plays with the rim of his cup. He tries not to sound too much like a scaredy cat. "These attackers?"

"Who tells you it's a different person?" Soobin questions. "It may be the same group of people."

Taehyun is reminded of the guy in the long coat, Kai. He ran that night, with bruises all over his face. If it is a common thing, then what happened to Yeonjun must've happened to Kai as well.

But then, why would he run from the police and not to them?

"Show me that for a second." Taehyun gestures at Soobin's phone.

Soobin hands it to him. "It's an article, nothing special."

Yesterday, around midnight a pair of high school students found a middle-aged man lying on the side of the road, injured and unconscious. The female students then called an ambulance, and it is assumed that the incident was either a robbery or a gang activity near-by.

"Recent." Taehyun notes.

Soobin took his phone back. "That's what I said, idiot. It's becoming a wave now."

"You did not say it happened yesterday." Taehyun argues.

Yeonjun opens his mouth, his face is suddenly gloomy. "Can we not? Actually."

Instant silence dawns on their table with Soobin reddening to the shade of a tomato and Taehyun sinking down in his seat. He mumbles a silent "Sorry"

"We didn't mean to-"

"It's fine." Yeonjun licks his lips. "Can we talk about something else though?" he suggests, and Taehyun can swear he hears a subtle, barely-there exhale of relief from Beomgyu. Odd. But not too odd to catch his undivided attention.

They talk about the party Friday night to which Taehyun gets an invitation to from Yeonjun. He politely declines, explaining that he's not exactly a party person. Too many people. Too much booze.

He prefers his mind steady; he doesn't say that though. Worrying it may sound condescending in a way.

"I'll be going too." Soobin says. "Will you be fine on your own this weekend?"

Yeonjun snorts. "Planning on getting hammered, are you?"

Soobin's lack of response is a loud "yes" in each of their ears. "I'll crash at yours if it's fine." he asks Yeonjun who nods as if to say it's no question at all.

"Beomgyu?"

................

"Where are you off to?"

Beomgyu slides on his sneakers. "A party, don't wait up."

Kai's hands hover over the keyboard, his assignment is 90 percent done when Beomgyu comes out of his room wearing an outfit clearly meant for a late-night outing. He runs his hand through his hair. "Do you have your location up at least?"

Beomgyu knows Kai is biting everything else he wants to say. He hums positively. Kai scratches his ear and breathes deeply; he resumes his typing. "Have fun." he settles on saying.

Beomgyu's upper lip tugs up in a subtle smile. "There's food in the fridge." He gets Kai's attention again.

"I'll make sure to eat, then."

He's about to leave the door when Kai abruptly calls him. "Yeah?" He returns to the living room to see his brother look hesitant.

"Call me? If anything happens, that is."

Beomgyu opens his phone to see a notification from Soobin, they're already there. "Yeonjun will be there." he reassures Kai. But the younger insist. "Still. You know you can call me."

Beomgyu lifts his head from his phone, but Kai already went back to his assay. His heart suddenly swells at Kai's apparent eye bags and bruises he tries so hard to cover with foundation, thinking Beomgyu wouldn't notice.

"Right... I'll be going now."