Darkened Mirror- Yeonkai

The Promise

Soobin paced around the door just outside of Kai's class, waiting for him to get out. His phone went off loudly, echoing down the halls. Yoon-gi was calling him which was never a good sign. Best case scenario was he was calling to check in. Worst case, the one he most suspected, was that something bad must've happened. "What is it Sir?"

"Taemin is dead."

"You think I'm next don't you?" The silence was almost as bad as a confirmation. "Tell me you've found Beomgyu."

"We're trying."

"TRY HARDER!"

"Nothing will happen to you."

"Yeah? And how the fuck did that work for every cop before me?" Soobin hung up. He then collapsed against the wall and slid down while trying not to cry again. Seeing Kai walk out didn't make it any easier. He quickly stood up and put on a fake smile. "Hey! You finally done?!"

Kai awkwardly hugged him then started walking towards the cafe. The taller's vibe was off. His eyes always gave him away just like Yeonjun's did. "What's wrong Soobin?"

"Nothing!"

"Soobin. Come on. I know you better than that."

"You're leaving tomorrow and I'm dead."

"You're not dead."

"They can't find Beomgyu..." Soobin stopped walking under a red light then grabbed Kai's shoulders. "Please. Do you know where he is?"

"I don't."

"Kai... I'm telling you that I'm fucking dead. My team can't find him. If you know where he is, if you care about me at all, then please... tell me anything you might know!"

"I do care about you Soobin but I'm telling the truth. I don't know where he is or where he could be. Yeonjun doesn't tell me anything about that side of his life."

Soobin dropped his hands in defeat. He believed Kai and he believed his time was running out. "Okay..."

"I'm just gone for two weeks. This isn't goodbye."

"Sure."

Kai decided they had been standing on the street for long enough. He started walking towards the cafe again so cab drivers would stop asking if they needed rides. "What are you gonna do when I'm gone?"

"Try stay alive."

"Soobin..."

"I'm sorry. I'm not trying to annoy you but that's really all that I'll be doing."

"Whoa..." Kai was filled with immense happiness when he saw the door to the cafe. Flowers upon flowers laid on the ground. Balloons were tied to nearby poles. "R.I.P" was written in chalk along the sidewalk and burned out candles were scattered by the windows. "He really was loved. Do you think he knew?"

"I think so. He loved his regulars." Soobin saw something he hadn't seen in a long time. Kai's smile. "He loved you too."

"I really miss him."

"Me too." Soobin knelt to the ground and begun to pick up letters that were left behind. "You think this place will ever open again?"

"I hope so. Maybe that's what I should do!"

"You want to run a cafe?"

"I didn't exactly have other plans. You could work with me!"

Soobin fished around his pockets for the cafe key once he picked up all of the envelopes from the ground. "I'd love to but you know Yeonjun would kill me for that."

"Stop saying you're dead."

"Fine." The door was angrily unlocked. All of the letters were carefully placed on the desk and then Soobin sat down in Taehyun's office chair.

Kai sat next to him after making them both a fruity tea. "Here."

"Thanks." Soobin took a long sip to kill some tension. Seeing the blonde check his phone only made it worse. Without thinking, he blurted "I'll drop the whole dead thing after I'm done but I need to tell you something first before I can't anymore."

"Sure."

"I love you. I am sorry for kissing you but I don't regret it. I know that you're happy with him but I also know that you're happy with me. You said so yourself that he doesn't share portions of his life with you. I do. All I want to do is see your smile every day because you are my sunshine in the shitstorm of my life. You are never alone and as long as I can help it, you'll always have me. That's all I have to say."

Kai took a long sip of his drink. The liquid inside no longer tasted sweet. His eyes wandered to the security camera monitor and noticed Yeonjun's car was parked outside. "Thanks..."

Soobin looked up and saw it too. "Are you leaving?"

"Yeah. But... before I do go... why are you so convinced you're going to die while I'm gone?"

"Because you'll be away from me with Yeonjun. You being with him is proof that he didn't do it." Soobin rested his hand on Kai's and asked "why are you so convinced he won't hurt me?"

"I..." Kai finished off the drink then threw it directly into the trash. Flies buzzed around it. The place overall needed a deep cleaning. To honor Taehyun, he promised himself to make it like new again. Nothing was going to change when he got back. That's what he told himself because he couldn't handle any more. "I made him promise he wouldn't."

"It's just words."

"It was the same promise with Taehyun."

"Did Beomgyu make the same promise?" No response came from the blonde. Only a glimmer of fear. Soobin stared at Kai's lips. It took everything he had in him not to kiss him again. His eyes started watering in the growing silence. "I love you... call me? Text me while you're gone? Please?"

"I'll-I'll try to but Yeonjun said we won't have a lot of signal where we're staying."

"Kai..."

Kai looked up again and saw Yeonjun walking towards the door. He stood up in a panic then grabbed his bag. "I have to go. It's just two weeks. I'll see you when I get back okay?"

"Kai..." Soobin broke down after the blonde left. Every day since he took this case, he seemed to find a new low. This was the lowest. After he pulled himself together, he left to make sure his family was okay.

"Hey baby!" Yeonjun presented the flowers with the bottle of lube in the middle as a joke.

Kai kissed him after taking the bouquet. He then held up the bottle and teased "think this enough?"

"We can buy more while we're there."

The car started. Kai glanced out the window to take one last look at the cafe. Aa far as he could see, Soobin wasn't inside. Their promise weighed on his mind. He had to know. "Is Beomgyu going to kill Soobin while we're gone?"