The police officers leave the campus. Driving to their next destination.

Meldom Street.

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

"May I help you?"

Three police officers stand in front of his house. All but one wearing hard expressions. "Yes." The one in the middle crosses his hands on his chest, his voice is rough and deep. "Can we come inside? We have some questions for you."

Kai walks a few steps back and sighs at them to come in, he walks towards the living room. Waiting for them to follow. He offers them something to drink.

"Just water, please."

He comes back to the living room to see them already sitting on his couch. He sets a water pitcher on the coffee table along with some clear glasses. He chooses to stand, sliding his gloved hands in his pocket. "What's this in regards to?"

The captain narrows his eyes. "You are a student at Blue Springs, is that correct?"

"Correct. You haven't answered my question."

"You've most likely heard of the attacks happening right near your campus. There was another quite recently."

Kai grins. "That's still going? You must not do your job very well... "His subtle grin fades. "You're investigating everyone then, I assume. You wouldn't be biased toward me, now, that is just wrong. Not to mention, Illegal."

The captain shifts in his chair, and the air thickens. He coughs a little. "So, you haven't seen anything out of the ordinary?"

"No, Sir. I'm too focused on my studies to stay updated."

"Is that so?" the captain words skeptically.

Kai nods. "If there isn't anything else, I'd like you to go."

"Does our presence bother you, Kai?" The captain's eyes land on something and stay still for a few seconds as his voice trails off to a quieter tone. He points at Kai's gloves. "Do you usually wear those indoors?" he questions.

Kai's eyes harden. "I have sensitive skin," he explains in a more serious tone.

"Would you mind taking those off for us, Kai?"

"I don't see why I should. Like I said, I have a skin problem."

The policewoman gets up and sighs. "Let's go Cap, there's nothing here." She walks away from the couch, looking like she has a lot to say, but can't. The captain chuckles ironically. "Well, I don't see why not." He lifts his hands to the air.

She squints her already sharp cat-like eyes. "He just told you why not."

"Show me your hands, Kai. Surely, it's not a life-threatening request." He poses a harmless smile, trying to remain approachable. "Unless you have something to hide, of course."

The policewoman opens her mouth to argue but Kai stops her. "It's fine. As long as you leave right after."

"You have my word."

Kai peels the skin-like gloves down, revealing his charred skin little by little. He turns his head to the side, avoiding the scarring sight. The feeling of the air on his bare skin makes him cringe and it's a foreign sensation. Akin to removing your braces or taking off your cast after a long time and letting your skin breath again.

It's not relieving or anything positive. It makes Kai uncomfortable as if he's lost his shell and has the urge to do everything to cover his back again, or else something terrible will happen. He itches to cover them.

"Quite the burns you got there." The captain comments and Kai thinks that is a cruel thing to say.

"May I put them back on now?"

"Yes." The policewoman is fast to allow it. "Yes, you can. We'll be out of your hair now, sorry for the bother."

The captain nods. "Truly sorry." His tone is neither sorry nor guilty. Rather mocking is Kai were to say. "Take care now."

As he hears them exiting the two most talkative police officers argue between them, their voices extended over the walls of his house, allowing him to hear what they are saying.

"You can't abuse your power like this!" The policewoman seethes, both whispering and screaming through her teeth.

"I'll take your advice when you become captain, detective," he replies. "I wouldn't expect you to understand, this case is beyond your years in the force."

And from then on, their voices are too quiet for Kai to eavesdrop on. He exhales in relief, plopping onto the sofa.

Their car drives from his driveway and the noise of the wheels calm Kai. They're gone now, he tells himself.

He pours himself a glass of water. It slushes around in the glass, filled to its very top. He sets the pitcher aside and takes a long, satiating mouthful.

The door opens and shuts dramatically, Kai spills his water.

"Tell me those were not the cops." Beomgyu drops his bag to the ground, running his hand in his long hair. "I saw a police car driving by our street, they didn't come here, did they?"

"I'm afraid they did."

Beomgyu slams his hand down the drawer by the entrance. "What the fuck did they want?!?" he yells. "Did they have a warrant? They can't enter without a warrant, Kai."

"They simply wanted to talk, Hyung." Kai sighs, tired. He wishes to go to his room and sleep, and get rest during the remainder of his day. He closes his eyes, leaning his head against his palms.

"Talk about what?"

"Hyung, please. They've gone already, there is no need to spiral."

Beomgyu's eyebrows straighten over his eyes, the same eyes that are so warm to everyone but Kai, apparently. "Where were you today?"

"Campus. I've told you."

The older rolls his eyes. "Yeah, why were you there?"

Kai stammers, unsure what to say. He shrugs, getting up. "What importance does that make?"

"Hyuka." Beomgyu's eyes soften. "I don't like you hiding things from me, you know you can trust me."

"I know."

"Then who were you with? Was it Taehyun?" Beomgyu guesses and does so correctly according to Kai's expression. He looks down and crosses his legs, leaning his weight on the drawer.

Kai knows this pose.

"It's as if you're trying to sabotage yourself, Kai, do you really want to drag another person into your life when you know how dangerous it is." His voice is soft, but his words are not. "Do you like him?

"No."

"Kai." Beomgyu breathes sharply. "I don't want to burst your bubble, I really don't so I wish you could figure out why that is wrong by yourself."

He knows, he knows very well. "Why?" his voice shakes. "Can't I like him?" no, he can't. And he knows that, but he can't help but ask.

"Not with your current job, you can't," Beomgyu responds. "Don't you see? If you let him get any closer, he's going to find out. He might not care but do you think he deserves a life with someone who's constantly walking on eggshells with the law?"

"I will always be walking on eggshells with the law, my work or not."

Beomgyu raises his hands as if it's obvious. "Those are your words, not mine."

Kai breathes into his hands, hugging his body with his arms, he lets Beomgyu's words sink in. "I can quit."

"Can you quit being yourself?"

"No, my job. We have enough savings already; I can take on... waitressing. Or-"

"Go on then, see who hires you with your name on your ID." Beomgyu is being painfully honest and that makes Kai want to scream. He won't, though. Because that'll show Beomgyu the side of himself he never wants people to know he has. "Better yet, you should see how people would treat Taehyun if you two are together. He's only in his first year like you, do you want his next 3 years to look like yours? Would you be happy to have had a hand in fucking up someone else's social life-"

"I think I got it," Kai whispers.

"-for the rest of their college years, and if, if Taehyun wouldn't be sick of that by his graduation-"

"I-I said I get it, Hyung."

"-Which, by the way, I would give him a month until he realizes whatever you guys have right now, is just not worth the mistreatment of others. I know because I have been in his shoes. Kai. I've been beaten to a pulp in high school because of you and had trash thrown in my face because of you. It doesn't matter the things you do now or don't, the problem is who you are now, and the person you will always be. Are you really okay with letting Taehyun get hurt again and again?"

"I-"

"Taehyun is a good person, Kai." Beomgyu interrupts his brother. "He's a kind person, and I know you don't have control over who you are, but you do get to decide whether he gets affected by that or not."

"So, I am just doomed to be alone, no matter what?"

Beomgyu sighs. "You know what, Kai? You only have one person to thank for that." He lifts his bag from the floor.

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

He finishes two packets that night. He never smoked that much at once, and in such a short time frame too. But as soon as his mind replayed Beomgyu's words he reached for one more, just one last more.

Then 14 last more's.

Eventually, the taste in his mouth is too much for him to handle and the excessive smoke makes him so dizzy and nauseous, that he doubles down on the floor of the roof, emptying the contents of his stomach on the ground.

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

"Declined?" Soobin retracts his card. He came all the way to the convenience store just to have his card declined. It took everything in him to step outside of the campus and even then, he did it for sweet bread. Now he will have to go all the way back empty-handed. "Could you check again?"

The worker, a girl his age swipes his card again and shakes his head. "Sorry. "And she looks like she truly means it. Someone enters the store, she perks up. "Hello!"

"Hello." the stranger walks straight for the counter. "Could I get a Sobrani Black?"

Soobin turns around. That voice is familiar.

"And, whatever he's getting as well." Kai hands her a black card and she looks puzzled. "Are you sure?" she asks. "That's kind of you."

"In that case-" Soobin chimes in. "Let me add another thing." He turns to Kai and the younger nods as a go-ahead. Soobin comes back with a small, 2-inch bottle with some kind of juice in it and puts it on the counter for the cashier to pass through the scanner.

Kai pays for his cigarettes and Soobin gathers his things in a bag and the two exit the store. He looks around suspiciously, clutching onto the plastic bag. "Thank you."

Kai nods. "You're Taehyun's friend, right? Consider it a return for helping me the other day."

His words sound almost empty to Soobin's ears. Too monotonous, too robotic. He's not sure what to say to that so he smiles tightly in return. He fishes something from the bag, pulling out the small bottle and handing it to the other. "For the eye bags." he explains.

Kai takes it with a graceful hand.

The sudden rustle of leaves breaks the silence and Soobin flinches. "Fuck!" He jumps, looking in the direction of the sounds, he's wound up and on edge since he knows this is the place his friend, Yeonjun got attacked right nearby. He shouldn't have left campus; he knew this was a bad idea.

Kai tilts his head. "Are you alright?"

Soobin whips his head back and nods." Y-yeah. Fine. Goodnight, thank you for the-" He hears footsteps and trails off, his eyes darting anxiously all over. He gulps, closing his eyes.

"Where are you headed?"

Soobin opens his eyes, raising one eyebrow as if to say Why do you want to know? "Campus." He resigns to answering anyway.

"Care for a ride?"

"Oh- No need." Soobin laughs to hide his nerves. Classic serial killer moves, come to your aid and then kill you when you least expect it. All Kai needs now is a cast and a pitiful face to match Ted Bundy. No, Soobin won't fall for that.

He's still too young to die.

2 men then walk up to them. "You're blocking the entrance." one of them talks behind Soobin's back and he is so spooked he tumbles and falls forward. "Damn, sorry." the man laughs. "Take it easy." they walk into the store.

Soobin stabilizes himself. He looks up to see Kai almost looking amused. He swallows his pride. If it's a choice between a short car ride with a possible psychopath or a 10-minute walk back to campus and he's not sure he can survive either. If Taehyun likes him, he can't be all bad, so Soobin is hoping.

"A ride sounds nice, thank you."