When Life Repays You
Sungmin breathed in quietly. Three weeks had gone by without his moving from the bed. He had almost fully healed from the assault. Only the cuts on his back remained from that night. He would and could never forget that terrible evening. His voice had come back and he was thankful for it. He never spoke when Jiwon was around and had perfected his rasping whistle to trick Jiwon into thinking that he was still injured.
He slept constantly, needing his body to recover after the violent assault. He couldn’t think of anyone else but Kyuhyun. He thought about the younger one constantly, quietly aching for him and wanting to see him. He heard Jiwon moving around in the house and wanted nothing more than to have him suddenly have a heart attack.
He stared out the window at the blue, beautiful sky and wondered when he would get his freedom again. He had to go back to Kyuhyun. He would just be extremely careful and hope that Jiwon would have no idea where he was. He smiled tiredly. He would be free.
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Eeteuk, Kangin, Yesung, Ryeowook, Heechul, Hankyung, Kibum, Eunhyuk and Donghae sat in the living room. The nine of them were talking to each other, a regular Saturday. Ryeowook had cooked them lunch and now, they were finishing the story of the search for Sungmin for Kibum.
“I have an idea,” Eunhyuk said, standing up. Ryeowook looked up at him.
“What is it, Eunhyuk-hyung?” Kibum asked, wondering if this idea would get them killed.
“Why don’t we go visit Sungmin? He has to be home, it’s Saturday!”
Eeteuk jumped off the couch and hugged his dongsaeng tightly.
“That’s a marvellous idea!” Eeteuk grinned. “Kangin-appa! Get the car! I don’t think I can drive in this state!”
Ryeowook broke into a huge smile. Yesung jumped up and down and Heechul smiled and snuggled into Hankyung who looked ten times happier than he had before.
“We’re going to see Sungmin-hyung; we’re going to see Sungmin-hyung!” Donghae chanted.
“Come on kids! We don’t have all day!” Kangin yelled good-naturedly. He held his hand out to Eeteuk, “Come on, Teukie-umma, we have a child to visit.”
The nine of them piled into the car and began horsing around. Of course, nine people in one van made for a huge ruckus. Kibum was arguing happily with Ryeowook over who was the “real magnae”; Heechul and Hankyung were messing up one another’s hair, not caring at all.
Yesung and Eunhyuk were screaming random things out the window and Eeteuk and Donghae were smiling ridiculously, anticipating the visit. Kangin was trying to ignore them all but gave up. He tried to do his wavy arm dance and nearly ended up crashing into another car. No one cared, they were much too happy.
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Jiwon shook his head in annoyance and looked out the window. He wondered who the hell was making such a fucking racket. Couldn’t they see that he was a busy man and didn’t want to be disturbed by children’s songs and yells of random topics?
He walked to the kitchen window and looked out. A large bright green van had driven up to the curb and a bunch of people were climbing out, looking extremely happy. Jiwon narrowed his eyes as they began to walk up to his house.
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Sungmin also heard these shouts but had a very different reaction to them. At least someone’s happy in this world. Sungmin felt too tired to get up and see what the fuss was about. He curled his legs stiffly underneath him and closed his eyes. He slipped into blessed darkness where he could see the one he left behind and would return to.
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Eeteuk rang the doorbell joyously. He would finally see Sungmin after so long. He gazed happily at his ‘children’. They looked so happy right now. Eeteuk was determined to keep it that way.
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Jiwon heard the doorbell ring and cursed under his breath. He couldn’t hide, his car was in the driveway. Instead, he ran to Sungmin’s room and checked on him. The younger man was sound asleep. Jiwon felt cool air brush his cheek and he glared at the fan in the corner. He shut the door and locked it. Then he ran back to the front hall.
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“Yes?” A handsome man with a high forehead and dark eyes opened the door. Eeteuk grinned happily at him.
“We’re friends of Sungmin. We’ve come to see him!” Kangin announced. Eeteuk felt some of his happiness drain away when the man’s face grew solemn. He licked his lips nervously.
“Sungmin doesn’t live here with me.”
“What? But you’re his boyfriend!” Eeteuk protested. This couldn’t be happening. Where would Sungmin live if not with his boyfriend?
“Who told you that?” The man asked, raising an eyebrow in puzzlement.
“Jiyong told us. You work at KP Productions and Jiyong told us that you’re his boyfriend, Jiwon,” Kangin explained. He felt as though kimchee soup had been banned from South Korea forever.
“Oh, Jiyong. He’s never up to date on his information. Sungmin and I broke up two years ago,” Jiwon informed them. He saw their shocked faces and inwardly smirked. He knew Sungmin would be asleep for at least three hours. That would give him enough time. He decided to milk this for all it was worth.
“But….a woman on the street over said that a couple moved in here,” Heechul protested. Hankyung nodded.
“We moved here together two years ago. We lived happily for two months. Then Sungmin said it wouldn’t work out and he left. I never understood why, he never told me what I did wrong,” Jiwon gasped, tears rolling out of his eyes. “I don’t know where he went. The memory of it still hurts me.”
Jiwon sank to the ground, tears staining his shirt. Ryeowook dropped down beside him and placed a comforting hand on his back.
“We’re sorry for bringing up painful memories. We had no idea,” Ryeowook said softly. Jiwon looked up at him and smiled.
“I’m sorry. The memories….”
“We’re sorry for bothering you,” Eeteuk whispered. Where are you, Sungmin?
“I hope you feel better,” Eunhyuk added.
“Don’t cry anymore. Keep looking up,” Donghae advised.
“We’re sorry for what happened,” Yesung and Kibum said at the same time.
Jiwon nodded and sniffled. He stood up and waved to them. The nine waved back to him and piled into their car. There was no laughter or cheering as the car drove away. Jiwon closed his door and smirked.Idiots.
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Kyuhyun was going crazy. It had been three weeks. There was no sign of Sungmin. Kyuhyun had searched for him but to no avail. He wasn’t listed in the phonebook and Kyuhyun couldn’t remember where he had dropped Sungmin off last.
It was beginning to affect his work. Taeyang, his boss, had had to speak to him sharply once when he put onions in the place of garlic and the radishes in the freezer. Still, Kyuhyun worried. His heart was calling for him but there was no answer. Or maybe Sungmin was too beaten up to give him one.
“Yes! Time to lock up!” Seungri cheered. Kyuhyun woke from his daze. Seungri was taking off his apron and fixing his hair.
“Going out again with Taeyang tonight?” Kyuhyun asked, trying to sound interested. Seungri shook his head.
“No. Me, Taeyang and Daesung all decided to go to a movie together.”
“Have fun,” Kyuhyun tried to smile. Seungri nodded happily and bounced off to find Taeyang. Kyuhyun tried not to be jealous of him. Seungri knew where the one he loved was. Kyuhyun had no idea. Sighing, he took off his nametag and went to sign out.
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Jiwon was steaming mad. How dare Sungmin give away the place where they lived? The police could get a hold of the information. He stormed into Sungmin’s room and shook him awake roughly.
“Get up, Sungmin. GET UP!”
Sungmin woke abruptly. His arm was throbbing slightly from Jiwon’s shaking but otherwise, he felt fine.
He looked up at Jiwon. The man stared back at him before backhanding him. Sungmin’s head snapped to the side and he stared at the wall in shock. Jiwon wasted no time in picking Sungmin up from the bed and throwing him to the side. Sungmin hit the floor and breathed in sharply. Whatever happened, he would not scream. That would only make Jiwon angrier.
He was kicked in the waist and spun out into the hall. His head collided with the side of the door and he felt warmth trickle down his neck. He wasn’t worried. The scalp bled heavily from even superficial wounds.
He was picked up roughly and a fist met his stomach. He coughed, blood staining the carpet beneath him.
“You little shit.” Jiwon kicked him. “Now I’m going to have to pay to get the carpets cleaned!”
Sungmin honestly could have cared less. He would have done it again if he wasn’t so afraid of getting hit. He bit his lip as a foot connected with his breastbone. He was picked up and slammed into the side of the wall multiple times. His back sang with pain as a few of the cuts opened.
He was thrown once more to the side and into another wall. He braced himself against it. A hand was released into his stomach and he doubled over. Jiwon’s elbow came down hard on his back and he whimpered as the sharp bone dug into the slashed flesh on his back.
Jiwon brought his knee up and Sungmin was forced two different ways as his head snapped up and his body was swung to the side. He tripped and went sprawling on the floor. He released a breath as his back hit the ground.He resisted the urge to scream.
He was picked up again and Jiwon slammed Sungmin into the window with such force that it broke. Glass shattered everywhere. Sungmin couldn't help it. He let out a half whimper, half scream that made Jiwon pause for a moment.
“You…you can talk?!” Jiwon yelled. He threw Sungmin through the broken window. Sungmin felt his flesh part as a sharp point ripped from his shoulder, through his shirt and diagonal across his torso. Another edge drew a fine line of red from his cheekbone to his jawline. His head smashed another hole in the glass Sungmin raised his head weakly and saw his blood drip from the window.
He could feel the liquid seep into the grass beneath him. Jiwon stepped through the broken window and stared down at him coldly.
“Get out of my sight, Sungmin. I never want to see you in my house again. Leave,” Jiwon stated hard-heartedly. He stamped on Sungmin’s chest and Sungmin screamed as he felt sharp shards of glass enter his back. Jiwon smiled at this reaction and he flipped Sungmin onto his side and repeated the action.
Sungmin couldn’t hold back any longer. He let his tears fall as he felt the glass embed itself in his body. Jiwon, disgusted by the weakness of his boyfriend, kicked him off the porch and onto the lawn. Sungmin lay there, shuddering and panting. Then he kicked his ex one final time before going inside and closing the door.
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Despite his wounds, Sungmin felt the greatest urge to laugh. He couldn’t believe it. He hadn’t had to earn his freedom or run away. Jiwon had given it to him. He felt a grin spread across his face for a moment before he winced. The cut on his face stung.
Painfully, Sungmin got up. He looked down at himself. His shirt was split across the chest and the cut on his chest was bleeding hard enough to stain the cotton. He walked slowly away from the house of his nightmares.
Tired and bloody, Sungmin walked towards the park. Every single movement caused him pain. He felt dizzy but knew that he had to get to Kyuhyun’s apartment. The quickest way there was through the park and down two blocks if he remembered correctly.
His world was disorientated with the bite of his injuries. He moved slowly, taking care not to worsen any of the wounds on his body. He would have to get Kyuhyun to remove the glass from his body. There were dots of blood where he walked and with every step he grew weaker and weaker. He continued putting one foot in front of the other, knowing if he stopped, he wouldn’t be able to restart.
The glass in his body cut deeper when he moved. Through the haze of pain, Sungmin managed to make out the shape of Kyuhyun’s apartment building. He smiled in relief. Kyuhyun, I’m nearly home. He stumbled through the doors and into the elevator. He pressed the button for the eleventh floor and sank back against the elevator walls.
Random elevator music played as the lift went upwards, taking him towards Kyuhyun. Sungmin smiled slightly. He was free. Jiwon had let him go. He was now his own person again. The elevator made a “ding” sound and stopped. The doors opened and Sungmin moved towards them.
He staggered into the hall and made his way down to the very end of the hallway. He knocked on the door, praying that Kyuhyun was home. He was so tired.
“Kyuhyun…” Sungmin whispered.
Inside, Kyuhyun heard the knocking and sighed. He was troubled about Sungmin. He didn’t want to deal with salespeople right now. As he walked towards the door, his heart stopped and started beating again. His throat tightened and he paused for a moment. Then he ran to the door. His heart was beating wildly.
He pulled open the oak barrier and gazed at the person standing in the hallway, bruised and bloody. His eyes widened and a tear slipped from the corner. Sungmin looked at him, a smile lighting up his blood-spattered features. Kyuhyun reached towards him and Sungmin fell into his arms, finally able to relax.
Sungmin heard trickling water and felt himself being carried somewhere. The glass was still in his body and he winced in pain.
“Kyuhyun,” Sungmin croaked. The younger looked down at him.
“Sungmin! Thank God you’re awake! What happened?”
“He threw me into a window and then tossed me in the broken glass,” Sungmin answered tiredly. His voice was weak and he felt drained of any energy. He accounted it to the blood loss.
“I’ll need to get those pieces out then,” Kyuhyun glared at the air in front of him as he carried Sungmin towards the bathroom.
“That would be appreciated,” Sungmin responded, worn-out.
Once there, Kyuhyun sat Sungmin on the edge of the tub and looked around for tweezers and disinfectant. He placed bandages over Sungmin’s large cuts. Then he began pulling the shards of glass gently out of Sungmin’s body with the tweezers. The elder tensed but made no sound.
“Why did you go back there?” Kyuhyun asked. He didn’t trust himself to say anything else. Sungmin sighed quietly.
“I had to protect you.”
“I don’t need protecting, Sungmin. I need to do that for you.” Kyuhyun finished with Sungmin’s back and moved to his side. Luckily, the pieces weren’t large.
“He would have destroyed you if I hadn’t,” Sungmin replied.
“If you keep going back there, he’s going to end up killing you one day!” Kyuhyun said exasperatedly. He finished taking out the glass and began to wipe a wet, warm cloth over each cut. “Each time you’ve gone back there, you’ve ended up hurt! I’m not letting you go back again. I never will.”
“Kyuhyun, he kicked me out of his house. I’m not going back. I’m free from him,” Sungmin smiled faintly. Kyuhyun stared at him.
“You’re free?” Kyuhyun gasped. Sungmin nodded and his smile grew brighter. Kyuhyun hugged him. Sungmin lay his head on the younger male’s shoulder. His eyes widened when he felt something wet splash onto his neck.
“What is it?” Sungmin asked, pulling back and wiping the trail of moisture away.
“I was so scared. When you fell through the door injured, I panicked. I thought you were dying….” Kyuhyun trailed off. He brushed Sungmin’s hair out of his eyes, a habit that he seemed to have developed and Sungmin didn’t want to get rid of it.
“Don’t worry, I wouldn’t do that. You’re too important to me,” Sungmin murmured. Kyuhyun kissed his forehead. This time was different from the others. This time, Sungmin could feel the emotion and caring that Kyuhyun poured into the contact. And another emotion he couldn’t identify. Sungmin closed his eyes. Kyuhyun’s gentle touches had gotten even more tender than he remembered.
“And I had to get home to you,” Sungmin added softly.
“Because I have to heal you,” Kyuhyun answered, drawing Sungmin back into his arms. Sungmin felt his heart race. He smiled slightly as Kyuhyun let out a faint sigh. He was home.
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