True to his word, the first thing Yeonjun does after brushing his teeth and washing his face is grab a pair of shoes and drive Beomgyu to the college dorms.

In retrospect, maybe he should have waited with that until emotions could come down from their high. Perhaps if he waited until Beomgyu wouldn't have been this affected by tonight then he would not have needed to stand beside while Beomgyu strides towards Kai with a scrunched face.

"Are you fucking-" Beomgyu pushes his palms forward and pushes Kai's chest. He huffs. "-Kidding me?!" he yells, hitting Kai again and again. The boy stands still; indifferent. "Do you how worried I was!?" his face crumbles into an ugly expression of both anger and catharsis. "How could you do this to me?! Do you hate me that much?!" He throws allegations in in brother's face.

Taehyun swallows his concern from the side. His hand lets go of Kai's. He inches closer to Soobin; distancing himself from the mess. Beomgyu is terrifying like this.

Hands hold him back from behind. "Beoms, stop," Yeonjun says, dragging him away. He looks around for spectators, but the hallway is empty. At least that.

"We're going home." Beomgyu comes to a resolve, his eyes radiate fury. "We are going home," he repeats, breathing deeply. His dark eyebrows rest straight above his eyes; sharp. Still.

Kai nods, and it's the first in many hours that Taehyun sees him responding in any way to another person. He hands Beomgyu his coat; the other looks through the pockets until he finds the keys to the black Cadillac. "Put your shoes on."

Taehyun shakes his head. "He came with no shoes on, Hyung." He finds himself gathering enough courage to say to the already angry boy.

"I have a spare." Soobin offers. He opens the dorm room, coming back only 2 seconds later with slippers in his hand. "You must be the same size as me," he says, and it makes sense since they are only a couple of inches apart in height.

"Let's go." Beomgyu orders. "Thank you for taking care of him," he tells Taehyun, and he leaves without another word, dragging Kai behind him.

He killed our parents, Hyung.

"What on earth happened to the driver's seat?"

He killed our parents, Hyung.

"You smoked, again. Kai, it smells like a bonfire in here." Beomgyu seethes. "Just get the fuck inside." He sits behind the wheel, shaking with anger. "I can't believe you."

He killed our parents, Hyung. "You are mad," Kai says as a matter of fact.

"Of course I'm mad, Kai." Beomgyu swallows his fury. "Of course, I'm fucking mad... "He presses harder on the gas and trains his eyes on the road; he can't even bring himself to look Kai in his eyes. "Can you even begin to understand how much you mean to me, you little shit? Do you even perceive in that empty brain of yours the damage; how devastated I would be if something happened to you?" His breath quickens and he stops in front of a red light. "Why on earth-" he yells. "Would you not pick up my calls? Why on earth would you smoke this much when you know it's bad for you!?" He picks on the dead skin around his nail while his other hand turns the wheel to the side.

Kai stays quiet.

"Of course I'm mad, Kai... " Beomgyu's voice trembles. "Would you please, just-" he sighs. "Would you please just stop?"

"No."

Beomgyu bites his shaking lip, swallowing his tears. "Why not?" wetness coats his lash line. "Kai, let's just stop now. Okay?" he cries quietly, the tears fogging his vision. He wipes them with his sleeve. "I saw the bullets in your drawer, Kai."

The silence coming from his younger brother suffocates him. "If you did something bad-"

He killed our parents, Hyung. What was I to do?

"I'll do everything if my power to help you," he says. They enter Meldom Street. "I'll clean whatever needs to be cleaned, I'll lie, I'll say you were with me the entire time. We can fix this, but I need you to tell me what you did tonight." He parks the car up in their driveway.

"I'm not sure I know what it is you are referring to."

Beomgyu lets his head fall on the wheel. "Kai, please... "he drags the words so painfully slowly, his voice is strained yet strong. "Work with me here," he begs. "I can't help if you won't let me."

"I'm spent." Kai unbuckles his seatbelt. "I'll be going first." He opens the car door and steps outside. Beomgyu opens his mouth to call him, but Kai already disappeared inside.

Beomgyu folds himself into his seat and begins crying loudly; His scared sobs are muffled by the glass windows.

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

Kai is not to be seen anywhere on campus. Not on Monday, Tuesday, or even Wednesday. When Taehyun asks Beomgyu about it he replies saying Kai has not left his room either.

He left meals behind in front of the closed door at least twice a day. He picks them up either untouched or only a quarter eaten.

It seems like the situation is affecting Beomgyu as well because he is no longer opting for short coffee runs or study sessions in the library. Being too busy preparing for the recital Thursday night, Yeonjun is finding it hard to check up on his boyfriend especially when Beomgyu stopped picking him from practice.

He leaves practice on Wednesday night at around 1 am and opens the door to Taehyun's car. "Thank you."

Taehyun waves him off. "No problem. Are you excited about tomorrow?" he refers to the recital. Yeonjun nods his head, smiling widely. "I can't wait... "he answers. "I know I started later than everyone else, but I think I got this... and Beomgyu will be watching from the crowd. I just want to make him proud of me."

Taehyun smiles. "I'm sure he already is. I'll be crossing my fingers for you."

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

Their Sociology class got canceled. Not that Taehyun was expecting Kai to come in on Thursday when he was absent all week, but Mr. Harrison canceling class at the last minute. That is odd.

With his lecture now canceled he has the time to visit Kai. It's exam period so he did not get the time to shower for more than 5 minutes but with a 3-hour window opened he finds it the perfect time to possibly see Kai, if the other lets him.

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

Beomgyu opens the door with an apron around his waist and a spatula in his hand. He wipes his other hand on the apron. "Hey, Taehyun." It's still awkward between them so he's not sure if he should greet Beomgyu back.

"Is Kai home?"

"He is." Beomgyu unties the apron and walks toward the living room, Taehyun follows him. "It's good you are here. I need to get ready for Hyung's recital. I'm getting to the venue a few hours early, would you mind being here until Soobin Hyung picks you up?"

"Oh... Umm- sure."

"I'd stay here tonight if I could, but I can't miss it."

"I get it," Taehyun says and he does get it. The recital is a big deal which means both him and Soobin will be there too at 8pm sharp. "Is Kai-"

"He's not coming, obviously." Beomgyu's tone is seldom.

"Right," Taehyun remembers something about Yeonjun inviting Kai and the younger politely declining the invitation.

He steps up the stairs and knocks on Kai's door. "Kai... it's me," he says. He hears the shower running, Beomgyu must be washing himself before he leaves. "Are you asleep?" His voice is gentle. He does not hear any noise from Kai's room.

Taehyun knocks again. "Are you not hungry?" Beomgyu told him dinner was in the fridge and that Kai hasn't eaten well all week. He can't help but imagine the dark-haired boy scrunched on his bed, his stomach growling. His concern grows when no answer comes.

The door to the bathroom opens and Beomgyu waves Taehyun off before he leaves the house for the venue, all dressed up and neat.

Finally, he hears light steps against the floor and the rattle of a key. He sees a pair of dark eyes and suddenly everything else mutes. "Hey." Taehyun manages to say. "I have... this week's notes, for you...-" the wind knocks from his lungs when he is pulled into a crushing hug. He thinks his ribs must be broken from the iron hold.

"You should not be here," Kai whispers.

Taehyun smiles, returning the hug. "Then why are you hugging me?" He sounds amused.

"I must."

"You must?" Taehyun parrots.

"Once a day is what you said." Kai's voice sounds like he hasn't used it the past few days, scratchy and unclear as low but not as velvety as Taehyun remembers it to be; More pained, if anything.

"Are you compensating for-" The air leaves Taehyun's chest as he gets squeezed harder? He laughs. "-For the entire week?"

Kai nods but he also loosens his grip, Taehyun's feet reach the ground again.

"You need to eat," Taehyun says.

Bile rises in Kai's throat. "You have a lecture now," he whispers, burying his face deeper in Taehyun's nape. Peaches and cream, peaches and cream. He missed that smell. He never misses things.

But that scent makes his heart jump to his throat.

"It got canceled." Taehyun tilts his head. "The administration sent an email." He thought Kai would have seen it too.

They break apart. "The lecture got canceled?" Kai's voice dips lower. "For what reason?" He appears confused, annoyed even.

Taehyun shrugs, unsure why it is a big deal. "They didn't say." he brushes the tips of his fingers against Kai's hand. "Are you coming down? Beomgyu said there is food in the oven."

His body feels a little heavy as they go down the stairs. He hasn't moved his body in countless hours, he wonders if he is slowly atrophying (if he is, it would not be the worst thing. Maybe his body is slowly disintegrating into itself.

Taehyun's hold on his hand if what keeps him walking towards the living room. He's like a ghost being led by others. All his life he had been led by his father, dead or alive. But now, he's not sure what keeps him going.

There are already two loaded plates on the dining table. He feels sick.

He was right, Taehyun should not be in this house. His house. It is a grave mistake. He will sink into Kai's mistakes, his ghostly life.

But he cannot let go of him. He can try, just like his father did. But their fire does not listen to reason. It just wants to spread. "You don't have to eat everything." Taehyun notices the grimace on Kai's face upon seeing the food on his plate. His heart wrenches as he tries to think of the cause of Kai's change in behavior.

He wonders what Kai saw that night, a week ago when he knocked on Taehyun's door. What has he seen to make him look so... vacant? "When are you planning on going back to college?" Taehyun asks, smiling softly. he looks down at his plate. "Everybody thinks you left for good... " his voice quiets down to a whisper. "I'm getting tired of telling them otherwise."

Kai bites his bottom lip, not giving much of an answer other than a glance into the redheads big, hopeful eyes. Maybe if Kai never came back, Taehyun would be okay. should he have listened when Beomgyu told him never to administrate? now he has Taehyun in his dark web of strings and sooner or later he is going to hurt the innocent red fly. he is going to hurt them all. Kai knows there is something truly messed up inside his mind, since those thoughts pass through him yet all he wants is another hug from that boy with the big bright eyes. One hug should make it feel okay. Make himself feel okay. All those days he felt

Their eyes lock, like two pieces of magnet. "A-Are you not eating?" Taehyun asks sheepishly. He's swallowed by Kai's eyes, sinking into the dark sea. At once, he drops his fork, and their mouths find their way to each other.

Taehyun slings his hands around Kai's neck while the other relishes the gentle kiss. The entire world quiets down for a second and for once in the entire week Kai's mind receives a relived break. It is like jumping into a cold pool on a scorching summer day. Like drinking tea after a long cold day, when you forgot to bring an umbrella and now your socks are soaking wet.

He lets out a strangled noise, his pain begging for a way out. He held Taehyun's waist, hoping he didn't hear the distressed sound coming from his throat. He's barely holding out.

Even Taehyun did hear him, he didn't comment on it.

Taehyun's legs dangle freely from the chair. Then, his toe hits something small. He smiles, breaking apart from Kai. "Sorry, I think I dropped something." He lifts the tablecloth, bending forward to find his knife.

But his knife is on the table next to his plate. And what he hit from under the table was a single black and gold bullet. At first, it looks like a battery, those chunky long ones but as he goes to pick it up, he sees the head of the bullet and he gets up so fast he bumps his head against the table. "Ow... "he nearly drops the bullet, but he quickly catches it again and rises above the table.

"Are you alright?"

"Kai-" He gulps. "What-What is this?"

"What is what?"

Heavy knocks jolt Taehyun from his seat. He engulfs the cold metal bullet with his fist. The knocks sound like they are a second from breaking down the door. "Police! Open up!" A voice yells. Taehyun looks at Kai, his eyes dilating in fear. "W-What's that?" he stammers, his palms begin to sweat.

The knocks rattle the entire house, and a deafening sound follows. The sound of metal falling to the floor. Taehyun covers his ears, yelping in surprise.

A few men in uniform swarm the apartment, it's too sudden Kai can't do anything but watch. Hands yank Kai from his seat. "Hey! What are you doing?" Taehyun yells out of reflex, his heart hammers hard. His blood freezes. He's being pushed back lightly by one of the officers.

"Kai Kamal Huening." One of them calls. "You are arrested for the murder of PHD Jack Harrison." He's about to cuff the dark-haired boy but Kai resists. He throws the man from him. An expression of pure confusion on his face.

"What are you talking about?" He asks, but they won't give him an explanation. Instead, 3 more men and a woman officer jump on him. He is being pulled to the ground, his head bangs the ground loudly and bounces back, soon enough he feels blood dripping from a gash in his forehead.

They are rough with him. Perhaps they think he will resist again. His arms are stretched back as the cuffs click behind him and when he is pulled back up again and is not face into the ground his head pounds; something is wrong when the entire room spins. He feels like his head was just cracked into two halves.

Taehyun backs away, his eyes zero on the trail of blood going down Kai's right eye. "Is it true, Kai?"