•How long till you start falling apart?•
Min Sehyuk, a new transfer student from the U.S. joins Hanhwa university and entangles himself with the resident bully after defending a student. He becomes the new target, taking each punch with a smile, ask...
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Kihyun settles on the bench in the park near Jaemin's house, pulling his feet up and curling himself into a fetal position. Thoughts from different walks of his life invade his mind, his brother and friends, parents, and his new target of bullying, Min Sehyuk.
The blond is a strange guy, willingly offering himself to be bullied. Although he wears baggy outfits, Kihyun can feel his body under his fists through the layers of clothing, something taut, unlike the usual soft tummies of the ones he's bullied till now. Neither does the boy cower in fear but instead always has a challenging glint in his eyes. And not to forget the transferee's take-no-bullshit attitude when it came to football and replacing him. Kihyun finds his presence and mannerisms are unsettling, unable to pinpoint specific characteristics of the freshman.
Jaemin swore Kihyun didn't have a mean bone in his body. He wonders when it stopped being true. Was it when he saw his closest friends on the day of their high school graduation or when he learned the truth about his brother? Even so, it doesn't excuse his actions. Not that he cares about it anyway.
Kihyun lets out a tired sigh, moving to lie down on the long bench, a hand coming up to cover his eyes from the starry sky above, back relaxing onto the cool surface of the chair. He still has to face his parents for insulting them at the party and he knows he's not going to be let off with just a simple lecture. But he has no energy to deal with them right now. He raises his wrist to look at the time. It's past midnight and maybe Kihyun could sneak into the house after a while, when his parents would be sleeping.
The day has been taxing apart from the brief conversation with Kim Haneul. He was surprised to meet someone who knew his brother and lets out a deranged chuckle at the same lies he had fed both Haneul and him. "A new business? Yeah, right!"
As minutes pass by, Kihyun's eyes get heavier, his thoughts fading and his mind decompressing. Not long after, the boy lets the curtain of sleep fall, the state slowly embracing him like a toddler coddled in its mother's arms.
"...you're powerful, bribe the judges and get Minwoo out."
Kihyun stills outside his father's study, eavesdropping on the conversation between his parents.
"They have clear evidence, there's nothing even I can do." Kang Wooshik says dropping onto his office chair. "The sentence is the least he could get so we should be grateful."
Kihyun pushes the door, hearing enough. "What happened to hyung!" he demands, a mix of confusion and anger painting his face.
"Kihyun, nothing is wrong. You don't have to—"
"—no, he should know everything, Hyesuk. After all, Kihyun is not going to see his brother for five years." Wooshik interrupts his wife, folding his arms over his chest. "The police found kilos of drugs in Minwoo's room."
The boy shakes his head in denial. "T-that can't be..." he murmurs taking a step back.
"And the so-called business he was setting up was no other than a damn drug cartel," his father continues, ignoring the shock on Kihyun's face. "It's a good thing he was caught before he got involved in anything major."
