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After the disaster that was the not-BBQ, Yuta was under strict instructions to drop Renjun back off where he found him and to not steal another child again, because Jesus Christ, Yuta, you’re going to get arrested. A little sulkily, Yuta climbed into his truck - his beautiful truck, no matter what Taeyong said - and waited for Renjun to join him.
Renjun, despite having been very quiet and overall silent all day, slammed the door shut with a grin and waved goodbye out of the window as Yuta pulled away. They drove in relative silence for a few minutes until Yuta’s eyes flickered to Renjun.
“Taeyong said I should apologise for bringing you here,” he said.
“That doesn’t sound like an apology,” Renjun replied.
’Smartass,’. Yuta thought. “I’m sorry for bringing you to a stranger’s barbeque,” he said.
Renjun nodded. “It’s okay. I liked it.”
“Oh,” Yuta said. “Well, I can take the apology back if you like.” He didn’t wait for a response and instead turned his radio on to a low enough volume that he wouldn’t permanently damage a child’s hearing. He had some morals, after all.
Renjun didn’t seem to mind and allowed Yuta to continue playing the music until he pulled up in his driveway and turned off the ignition.
“Thanks,” Renjun said.
“Uh - you’re welcome,” Yuta replied. He watched as Renjun took off his seatbelt and went to climb out of the truck, accidentally pulling his shirt collar aside to reveal a deep purple bruise. “Oh shit, kid,” Yuta said. “How’d you get that?”
Renjun froze.
Yuta clicked his tongue. “C’mon, I won’t tell your parents. Pinky promise.” He held his pinky out, only half joking.
Renjun looked very serious when he wrapped his pinky around Yuta’s. “Promise?”
Taken aback, Yuta just nodded.
“My parents did it,” Renjun said.
Yuta suddenly felt like he’d been sober for weeks. “Oh. Shit.”
Renjun just nodded and Yuta suddenly noticed all the signs of an abused child that were practically screaming to be noticed.
“I have to go,” Renjun said. “Or they’ll be mad.”
“Will you get in trouble because I took you out?” Yuta asked, eyeing Renjun’s house nervously.
“Not if I get home in the next 5 minutes.” Renjun was starting to look a little nervous.
Yuta nodded. “Okay, kid. But, hey, listen. If my truck is in the driveway it means I’m home. And if it isn’t, the garage side door doesn’t lock. Just in case you need somewhere to go, or you’re hurt. Or whatever. Alright?”
Renjun bit his lip and nodded, then opened the door and jumped out. Yuta watched him walk home until he was safe indoors and then slumped down in his seat, exhaling heavily. What the fuck was he supposed to do now?
-
Yuta’s head was pounding from a raging hangover when he heard a knock on his door. Groaning, he stumbled to get it, ruffling his bed hair.
“Oh,” he said as he opened it to reveal Renjun. “Hello Renjun.”
“Hello, Yuta,” Renjun said, serious as ever.
It took Yuta’s brain a few moments to work out why exactly Renjun was at his door until the pieces clicked and his eyes widened. “You wanna come in?” he asked, stepping aside.
He closed the door behind the kid and ushered him into the living room, gesturing to him to sit. “They hurt you again?” he asked. He thanked God that Renjun seemed polite enough to ignore the absolute state of his home.
Renjun perched on the good sofa nervously and nodded. (Yuta had two sofas. They were leather, mismatched, and one was actually so far gone it wasn’t really leather anymore. Yuta had patched it up with various fabrics until Ten had demanded he buy a new one, in which case Yuta had, but he’d also kept the old one for sentimental value.)
Yuta lowered his voice. “Is it bad? Can you show me?”
Renjun lowered his head. “It’s my back,” he whispered.
Yuta felt his heart pang in a way it just usually didn’t when children were involved. “I’ll go get the first aid kit. Wait here.”
He rushed to the kitchen, flicking the kettle on the boil as he dug out the first aid kit from somewhere under his sink. “Where the fuck are you,” he mumbled, letting out a string of swears when he hit his head on the cupboard top. It was the hit that made him notice the little green box and he pulled it out triumphantly. He swung the door shut and quickly made Renjun a hot chocolate in the only non-chipped mug he had, bringing the two items back to where Renjun was still stock still on the sofa.
“Here,” Yuta said, placing the hot chocolate down on the coffee table on top of what appeared to be a porn magazine. “My friend would always make me a hot chocolate when he was cleaning my injuries. Thought you might like one.”
Renjun murmured a thanks and took a small sip. Yuta felt something in him relax when he broke a small smile.
“I’m going to lift your shirt and look at your back, now. Tell me to stop and I’ll stop,” Yuta said.
Renjun nodded.
Yuta didn’t know what to expect, but three harsh lash marks was not high on the list. He clenched a fist in the fabric of Renjun’s shirt and willed himself to calm down as he ripped open an antibacterial wipe with his teeth and started cleaning.
“Sorry, sorry,” he said as Renjun winced against the sting. “It’ll be over soon.”
He examined the lashes slightly. They didn’t seem too deep, rather superficial. He said as much to Renjun. “I don’t think bandaging will help. And I can’t imagine your parents would take it well. Try not to get anything in them.” He pulled the fabric back down gently.
“Thank you,” Renjun said.
Yuta smiled sadly and patted his shoulder. “No need to thank me. If you’re hurt again, come to me. I’ll sort it out.” He showed Renjun out, tension rising in his shoulders as he watched his little neighbour enter his own house again.
The slam of his front door made Yuta’s head spin. “Fuck!” He stumbled to the alcohol cupboard but stopped short just as he was about to grab a beer. What if Renjun needed him again?
He deliberated for a while, eventually slamming the door shut and burying his face in his hands. “Fuck!” he screamed again. Then he took a deep breath and went to take a clarifying shower.
-
It was after week 2 of Renjun stopping by that Yuta wondered if he should be doing more. He’d become unreasonably fond of the kid ever since he’d found him shivering in the cold, concrete garage when he came home from work, little arms wrapped around himself. Yuta had ushered him inside and wrapped him in a blanket, afternoon plans of day drinking to some shitty movies cancelled.
It wasn’t until his grocery shopping trip on week 3 that he realised exactly how much he’d changed his life for Renjun. He bypassed the alcohol almost completely, only picking up a single bottle of wine. He raided the first aid supplies and made sure to stock up on the hot chocolate that Renjun had decided he liked. He even picked up a soft blanket that was being sold with the intention of putting it in the garage. Just in case.
None of this sunk in until Yuta unloaded his shopping onto the conveyor belt and saw that that cashier was his friend Wooyoung. Wooyoung was the sort of friend who seemed reasonably well-adjusted at his day job until you ran into him seven pints deep at a club in the evening with his shirt missing.
“Yuta! My man, I haven’t seen you for ages, how’re you doing?” Wooyoung exclaimed as he scanned groceries. “I gotta say” - he pointed at Yuta with a raised eyebrow - “you’re looking good. Quit the day drinking?”
Yuta floundered for a moment. “I - sort of?”
“Hey, no worries man,” Wooyoung said seriously. “You do you. I have to say, though, this shopping looks like it’s for a totally different person. Since when have you bought first-aid shit?”
Yuta shifted uncomfortably and shoved the items in his ancient reusable shopping bags. “Ah...long story.”
Wooyoung raised an eyebrow. “You won’t even tell your bestest best friend?” He pouted dramatically.
“You’re not my best friend,” Yuta replied without hesitation. He sighed heavily. “I have this neighbour. A kid. His parents hurt him, I look out for him.”
Wooyoung’s expression smoothed out. “Shit, man. That’s heavy. Didn't peg you for the type. No offence.”
Yuta just shrugged. “Neither did I.” He pulled out his card to pay. “I couldn’t just leave him, y’know?”
“Hey, Yuta,” Wooyoung said as he was about to leave. “I know a place that gives away free kids clothes. I’ll text you the details, just in case.”
Yuta nodded and 3 hours later when the text came through he bookmarked the address.
-
Eventually, Yuta noticed that Renjun would come over even when he wasn’t hurt. Always one to roll with it, Yuta embraced this and one day opened the door to Renjun with a paintbrush in hand. “Fancy painting my truck with me?” he said. He waved the paintbrush enticingly in Renjun’s face.
Renjun looked down at his white shirt and back up at the paintbrush, seemingly conflicted.
“I can lend you a shirt,” Yuta offered. “C’mon, you know you want to.”
Renjun nodded and Yuta cheered. “Alright, little man!” he said. He pushed him into the doorway. “Wait here.”
He dashed to the spare room where he’d stashed the clothes he’d picked up from Wooyoung’s recommendation, pulling out a shirt and pants that looked vaguely Renjun’s size. He was pleased to see that Renjun had, in fact, moved when he arrived back in the living room and was examining his, admittedly meager, bookshelf of exactly 3 books and a metric fuck-ton of CDs and magazines.
He draped the fabric over the kid’s head, blocking his sight. Renjun laughed and swatted his arm away.
“Get dressed and meet me outside,” Yuta said.
-
Having had the time to actually look at Yuta’s truck, Renjun seemed quite confused by why exactly it looked...how it did.
“Why is it three different colours?” he asked.
“Well,” Yuta said as he hauled a tub of paint between them. “I accidentally reversed into a wall with the tailgate open once and had to replace it. My friend Jackson is a mechanic but only had a black tailgate to replace it with.” he patted said black tailgate fondly. “Some asshole hit the door while it was open and smashed it to pieces. Jackson helped me out again.”
Renjun didn’t seem impressed. “It’s sort of ugly.”
“Isn’t it?” Yuta said, grinning. “That’s why I love it. Also, it humiliates Ten whenever he’s in the vicinity, so that’s nice too.” He threw Renjun a paintbrush. “I like to paint it myself, because why not? Just do what’s already red, the door and tailgate can wait another day.”
“I’m not sure any of this is red,” Renjun said doubtfully, dipping his brush and beginning to paint anyway.
They painted calmly until Renjun dipped his paintbrush a little too violently and sent a rain of red all down Yuta’s shirt and on his face. He froze.
Yuta grinned. “Paint fight!” He darted towards Renjun and painted a big stripe right down his shirt. Giggling, Renjun retaliated, having realised that Yuta wasn’t mad.
Yuta laughed, exhilarated, as paint flew everywhere, landing on pretty much every surface but the truck. His heart felt warm seeing Renjun having fun. He looked much younger without the constant stress on his shoulders and Yuta impulsively pulled him in for a side hug that smeared paint all over Renjun’s face. “Gotcha!” he said.
Renjun giggled and playfully squirmed away, breathless from laughing. Yuta stretched his arms and looked around. “It looks like a horror film,” he said. He patted Renjun playfully on the head. “You ever seen a horror movie?”
Renjun shook his head. Red droplets flung from his paint-soaked fringe.
“Wanna watch one? Let’s order a pizza, eh?”
Renjun nodded joyfully and Yuta couldn’t resist pulling him in for another hug. He dropped their paintbrushes next to the tin of paint and dragged Renjun inside. “I’ll clean up later,'' he said dismissively when Renjun pointed towards the mess. “Don’t worry! Now, I think you need a shower and to change back into your clothes. If we start soon we can get you home for 9!” He directed Renjun to the bathroom and went to wash his own face in the kitchen sink. He was still breathless from laughing and almost didn’t recognise himself when he caught his flushed, grinning expression in the window reflection.
He dried his face with a kitchen towel and swapped his shirt out for a random hoodie that was abandoned on the kitchen dining table he didn’t use. He called for a cheese pizza to be delivered and sat down on the sofa to wait.
Renjun appeared not long after with his hair still damp and his clean clothes on. Yuta threw him the Renjun blanket. “So I’ve decided we’ll watch the first saw movie. It’s not too scary, you should be fine.”
Renjun curled up into the blanket and relaxed on the patchwork sofa. “I like your sofa,” he mumbled.
Yuta smiled brightly. “Thanks, Renjunnie. I patched it myself!”
Yuta kept an eye on Renjun as the movie began, careful to see if he was getting too scared. Yeah, he didn’t think it was a big deal to show horror to kids but he had the wherewithal to not scar an already slightly-traumatised child with gratuitous gore and the cutting off of feet. Even if Yuta did personally think that feet were the worst body part.
Renjun, ever the surprising one, was so enthralled he barely noticed when Yuta got up to retrieve the pizza. “I got cheese,” Yuta whispered “because I wasn’t sure what you liked.” Renjun nodded slowly and reached for a slice without taking his eyes off the screen.
-
“That was so good!” Renjun enthused once the credits were rolling. “Wow!” His kid-like enthusiasm shone through.
Yuta laughed and moved his feet from where he’d rested them on the coffee table. “I knew you’d have good taste.” He ruffled Renjun’s hair. “Hometime, kid. C’mon, up.”
Renjun followed Yuta to the doorway and slipped on his shoes. He stood still for a moment before pulling Yuta into a hug. “Thank you,” he murmured. “For everything.”
Yuta had never been parental. When all his friends were adopting he was busy getting blackout drunk as often as possible with so many friends and friends of friends that he couldn’t possibly remember sober. He’d always been more of the cool uncle type - show up when they’re fun and disappear before the tantrums start. And then Renjun happened.
Yuta hugged him back. “C’mon kid, better get going. Oh, I heard Taeyong and Johnny are having another barbeque tomorrow. Fancy coming along? 4pm, I’ll be home by 3:30.”
Renjun nodded. “Bye, Yuta!” he called.
“Bye, Renjunnie! See you tomorrow!”
-
The minute Yuta stepped into the backyard he was accosted by a scary looking Taeyong holding a spatula.
“I got permission this time!” Yuta lied. “Renjunnie wanted to see the kids again.”
Taeyong continued to point the spatula threateningly for a few more moments. “If you get drunk, pass out or strip you’re out of here.”
Yuta saluted. “Yes, sir. C’mon, Renjunnie, let’s find your friends.” He sauntered to the middle of the yard where the adults were congregated and let Renjun slip away.
“Yuta,” Ten said, surprised. “Gatecrashing again?”
“Of course,” Yuta said.
“Kidnapping again?”
Yuta rolled his eyes. “That was one time and he wanted to come. And he wanted to come again. Chill.”
He turned to Johnny. “We getting actual food this time?” he asked.
“Depends if any kids go missing this time,” Johnny replied. “You’re looking a little more alive than usual.”
Yuta mock scowled. “Are you saying I’m usually ugly?”
Johnny rolled his eyes. “I’m saying you usually look like you’ve been on a week long bender and only just came out the other side.”
“So a dude can’t have a minor lifestyle change without drama, what has the world come to?” Yuta huffed dramatically. “I haven’t gone out drinking for like...four weeks.”
Johnny narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Why?”
Yuta pursed his lips.
“Oh, leave him alone, Johnny,” Taeyong said, successfully appearing to save the day. “Your burgers are burning.”
“Fuck!”
-
Yuta had forgotten what it was like to relax with his friends since they had kids and started decking every invite of his. He took a sip of his pepsi.
“Yuta! Yuta!” A voice called from behind him.
Yuta leaned forward in his seat and turned to see Renjun bounding towards them, hands behind his back.
“Hey, Renjunnie,” he said. “What’s up?”
Renjun thrust a piece of paper at him with a shy smile. “I drew something!”
Yuta took the paper. It was a scribbled drawing of two figures standing next to a truck, both covered in scribbles of red that Yuta assumed was paint, not blood. He found himself unconsciously smiling. “It’s great, Renjun!” He held his hand up for a high five.
“Will you keep it?” Renjun asked, suddenly seeming a little insecure.
Yuta realised that his parents probably didn’t keep his work and smiled sadly. “Of course, Renjun. I’ll put it in the fridge, place of honour.” He nodded mock-seriously. “My little artist deserves nothing less, after all.” He ruffled Renjun’s hair.
Renjun giggled and turned to leave again.
Yuta was about to rejoin his previous conversation when a shrill scream made him sit upright. When he turned around, Renjun was on the floor with a dog at his heels.
“Renjun!” He called, momentarily panicked. He ran to kneel beside him. Renjun’s face was the picture of fear as he tried to crawl away from the dog.
“Hey, it’s alright, he doesn’t bite,” Yuta said softly. “Look.” He put his hand to the dog’s mouth. Renjun reached out as if to stop him but paused when the dog only licked Yuta’s hand.
Renjun was visibly trembling.
“Do you want to touch him?” Yuta asked. “I’ll watch you, I promise.”
Renjun raised a shaking hand towards the dog who was still nosing at his feet.
“That’s it,” Yuta said as he stroked the dog’s head. “Well done, Renjunnie.” He helped him stand and stood between him and the dog, who then wandered away to bother someone else.
Renjun heaved a breath and wiped some tears.
“I’m so proud, Renjunnie!” Yuta said. He knelt down to his height. “High five, little dude.”
Renjun tapped their hands together.
“C‘mon, let’s sit down and then you can go back to your friends, yeah?” Yuta said.
Renjun nodded and followed Yuta back to where he was sitting, squishing himself on the bench and tucking himself into his side.
“Renjunnie is scared of dogs,” Yuta said to the others who seemed bewildered, acting as though this was common knowledge and not something he’d just learnt along with everyone else.
Taeyong opened his mouth only to click it shut again soon after. “Yuta, a word?” he said, gesturing to the house.
Yuta sighed and patted Renjun on the head. “Wait here, I won’t be long. Or go back to your friends, just tell an adult if you leave.” He followed Taeyong to the empty kitchen.
“Yuta, what was that?” Taeyong asked.
Yuta blinked. “What was what?”
Taeyong snorted. “You are the least parental person I’ve met in my life. You couldn’t raise an earthworm without giving it Daddy issues. Now your neighbour’s kid is giving you drawings and you’re helping him get over his fear of dogs? Spill the beans.”
Yuta shifted uncomfortably. “You can’t tell anyone,” he said.
Taeyong nodded.
“No, I’m serious, Yongie,” Yuta said. He stepped closer and placed a hand on his friend’s arm. “This is serious.”
Taeyong nodded again but more seriously.
Yuta lowered his voice. “The day I came here with Renjun he told me his parents hurt him. I told him to come to me if he’s hurt and that I’ll sort it out. Taeyong…” humiliatingly, Yuta felt tears begin to well up. “You didn’t see him. I couldn’t just leave him. He’s got no-one.”
Taeyong seemed at a loss for words. “Yuta, you need to tell someone. The police, social services…”
“No!” Yuta cut in. He wiped his eyes and sat down heavily at the nearby kitchen table. Taeyong followed. “I wanted to.” He sighed. “Taeyong, someone tried before. The investigation went nowhere and they beat Renjun senseless for it. I remember he was missing for two weeks, and I thought it was strange because he’s always wandering about, but I didn’t think anything of it. The injuries...they’re too small, easily explained away, most of the time.”
Taeyong put his head in his hands. “God, that’s horrible. No wonder he just followed you.”
Yuta nodded. “Yeah,” he said tearfully. “And if I’m not there for him he might follow somebody else. Someone with worse intentions than me.”
“I have a friend, Mark,” Taeyong said suddenly. “He’s a social worker. I’ll give him a call later. He’s a mandated reporter so I can’t give too many details but I’ll try to get you some advice. Yuta, you have to get him out.”
Yuta nodded. “I will.” He glanced out the window to where Renjun was talking happily with Johnny and Ten. “I will, but I’ll need help. How soon can you get on to Mark?”
-
Taeyong shut the bedroom door and took a deep breath before pressing ‘call’ on Mark’s contact.
It rang.
”Hello?
“Mark,” Taeyong said. “Hi. I need to ask you something and you can’t ask too many questions.”
“Okay. Is everything alright?”
“I have a friend,” Taeyong said carefully. “Who knows a child is being abused. The child told them and they’ve seen the injuries. But they say the injuries aren’t severe enough that a call to social services will help. They’re scared it’ll end badly like it has once before.”
Mark hummed in acknowledgement. ”You want to get the kid out?”
“Yeah,” Taeyong whispered. “What can we do?”
”You need to build a case. Photograph the injuries, anything else that suggests abuse or neglect. Poor clothes, low weight. Record odd behaviors like sneaking food or flinching, that sort of thing. You need to gather evidence. You say the injuries are small?”
Taeyong nodded, despite Mark being unable to see him. “Yeah, yeah. Burns, cuts, bruises. The sort of thing that you wouldn’t notice usually. Uh - there were some lash marks once, too.”
”Any sort of big burn, multiple lash marks or cuts, intense bruising or a broken bone will be enough to start an investigation even without the other evidence. Hopefully it doesn’t come to that, but just in case.” Mark sighed into the phone. ”I really hope you know what you’re doing here, Taeyong.
“One last question,” Taeyong said. “My friend - will they get in trouble for not reporting sooner?”
”Depends,” Mark replied. ”Are they a mandated reporter?”
Taeyong sighed a little in relief. “No, no. Magazine editor, I think. So they’ll be okay?”
”Yeah,” Mark replied. ”Good luck, Taeyong.”
-
Yuta’s evidence collection grew alarmingly fast and so did his fondness for Renjun. Renjun, the little boy who’d slowly grown out of his shell with each visit to Yuta’s. Renjun who, Yuta, discovered, was not as old as he thought.
“You’re only 10?” Yuta said, mildly shocked. He paused where he’d been unloading a shopping bag from his truck and Renjun had swooped in unannounced to share that his birthday was in a week.
Renjun nodded.
“Damn kid, you seem older.” Yuta paused. “In a good way.” He handed him a stack of folders. “Hey, take these inside, will you?”
Yuta slammed the truck door shut and watched Renjun enter the house. He whipped out his phone.
Yuta quickly slid his phone back into his pocket when he heard the door open again and feet hit the driveway. “What are you doing for your birthday, then?” Yuta asked.
Renjun shrugged. “Probably not much.”
Yuta frowned a little. “Well, you’re coming here. I’ll see if Taeyong can get the kids together, too.” He rested a hand on Renjun’s shoulder. “This will be the best 11th birthday ever.”
-
It was supposed to be the best 11th birthday ever. Yuta had bought a cake and an obnoxious “11” wax candle to go on top and a copy of the book Renjun had sneakily eyed every time he was near the bookshelf all wrapped in pretty wrapping paper. Taeyong was to bring the kids around at 2 and then Yuta would introduce Renjun to Saw 2.
It was supposed to be the best, and then Yuta opened the door to Renjun with a face contorted in pain. He fell into Yuta’s arms, tears running down his face, breathing harshly.
Yuta panicked. “Hey, Renjun, what’s wrong? Where are you hurt?” He scanned him and his eyes fell on the oddly-angled arm Renjun was clutching to his chest.
“My arm,” Renjun whispered.
Yuta picked him up and placed him gently on the sofa. He pulled the Renjun blanket down and wrapped it around the shaking boy. Yuta touched his arm briefly but retracted when Renjun sobbed loudly.
“I’m sorry!” he said. “I won’t touch again.” He looked Renjun in the eyes. “Renjunnie, I’m going to have to call an ambulance.”
Renjun shook his head pitifully. “They’ll hurt me worse! You can’t Yuta! Please…”
Yuta’s heart shattered in his chest, mind waging a war. “Renjun…” he said helplessly. “I can’t set your arm at home. I’m pretty sure it’s broken.” He felt a wave of nausea rise up. “I’m sorry, I have to. I can’t - I can’t leave you like this!” He stood up and wildly ran a hand through his hair.
“Okay.” Renjun sniffled on the sofa. “...I’m scared.”
Yuta dropped to his knees. “I know. I know, it’s alright. We’ll figure this out, okay.”
Renjun nodded pitifully.
Yuta moved to sit beside him and pulled him into a hug on his good side as he dialled the emergency services.
”This is the emergency services, how can I help?”
“I need an ambulance,” Yuta said. “There’s a kid with a broken arm, it looks pretty bad, and he’s in a lot of pain.”
”What is the address please?
Yuta rattled off the address.
”Okay sir, we’re on our way. Is the child yours?”
Yuta sighed into the receiver and pulled Renjun a little closer. “No, my neighbours'.”
“Can you get the child’s parents to the address?”
Yuta gritted his teeth. “No, I- he says they did it.”
”His parents broke his arm?
“Yeah.”
“Okay sir. The ambulance should arrive any minute, okay? I’m going to hang up the call, you wait tight.”
“Okay,” Yuta said. He could already hear the sirens. “Okay, thank you. Thank you.”
The call dropped just as Yuta heard a knock on the door. He hurried to open it to find two paramedics at the door.
“Hey, he’s inside,” Yuta said. He led them to where Renjun was still sitting wrapped in a blanket.
“Hey there,” one paramedic said, kneeling to Renjun’s level. “We’re going to take you to hospital, okay?”
Renjun nodded and stood to follow, blanket still wrapped around him. Yuta followed anxiously.
The second paramedic put a hand to his chest as they reached the back of the ambulance. “I’m sorry, sir, you’ll have to wait here. Family only.”
“No! Please,” Yuta begged. “Please, he’ll be scared.”
“Yuta!” Renjun sobbed from inside the ambulance, having realised he wasn’t coming. “Yuta!”
Yuta watched on helplessly. “I’ll find you, Renjunnie!” he called. “I promise I won’t leave you alone!”
Renjun tried to fight his way out of the paramedic’s arms to no avail, sobs choking from his throat. The paramedic kept his grip.
“It’s okay, Renjun. Keep your blanket, okay. I’ll drive up and meet you there as soon as I can.” Yuta sniffled and tried to smile encouragingly.
Renjun stopped struggling tearfully.
He watched as the doors were shut and the ambulance drove away. He immediately raced to fetch his car keys and jumped in the truck to follow.
-
Yuta did not wait four hours just to see Renjun for 10 minutes.
“Why can’t I see him for longer?” Yuta asked the nurse standing at the door.
She pursed her lips. “I’m sorry, Sir. Those are the rules.”
Yuta bit his tongue and turned away from her instead heading inside. Renjun was sitting upright in a hospital bed, blue cast on his arm. He sat down in the bedside chair.
“Hey, Renjun,” he said. “How are you feeling?”
Renjun shrugged. Yuta thought he looked even smaller than usual in the big hospital bed. “I want to go home,” he mumbled.
Yuta reached out to pat his arm but was interrupted by someone else speaking.
“I’m sorry, Renjun,” a woman said. She was holding a very official-looking binder. “You can’t go home until social services complete their investigation.”
Yuta looked at her. “Who are you?”
“Yenni Kim, Social Services.” She reached out a hand for Yuta to shake. “Who are you?”
Yuta took the hand. “Yuta Nakamoto. Renjun’s neighbour.”
Yenni sat down in the second bedside chair. “Hello, Renjun.”
Renjun shirked away.
“Mr Nakomoto, I’m afraid your time is up,” the nurse called.
Yuta sighed. “What will happen to him?” he asked Yenni.
“Renjun will be transferred to a group home upon his discharge as the investigation takes place.”
Yuta felt his heart break.
“Yuta…” Renjun said quietly. “I don’t want to go.”
Yuta gripped his hand and felt a tear run down his face. “I know,” he replied, voice cracking. He stood up. “I have to go.”
Renjun hugged him tightly and Yuta heard a sob. He couldn’t tell if it was his or Renjun’s. He pressed a shaky kiss to the top of Renjun’s head.
“May I speak to you outside?” Yenni requested as they separated and Yuta moved to leave. He nodded.
They entered the quiet corridor and Yenni turned to him. “How do you know Renjun, Mr Nakamoto?”
“Call me Yuta,” Yuta requested. He rubbed his eyes. “Um - he lives on my street. I saw he was injured once and asked what happened. He told me, I told him to come to me next time, so on, y’know?”
Yenni nodded. She jotted something down in a small notepad. “You were aware of the abuse.”
Yuta scowled. “I wasn’t just letting it happen!”
“That isn’t what I asked, Mr Na- Yuta.”
He tried to calm himself down. “Yeah, I knew. I have a friend who knows a social worker, I got advice about it. I’d been collecting evidence. I was going to turn it into Social Services when I got enough. I didn’t want to end up hurting him more by being rash.”
Yenni wrote something else. “We may still need that evidence,” she said.
Yuta nodded. He ruffled his hair for lack of anything else to do.
“What did you say your job was?” Yenni asked.
Yuta blinked. “Uh - I didn’t say. I’m a magazine editor.
“Phone number?”
Yuta recited his phone number.
Yenni turned to leave and he caught her arm. “Hey,” he said. “Will I see him again?”
Yenni sighed and Yuta saw genuine regret for the first time that afternoon. “I’m sorry, I can’t say. But we’ll be in touch.”
Yuta helplessly watched her walk away.
-
The house was too empty. Renjun’s cake and present were still sitting on the table, untouched. The ghost of a good time. Yuta sat on the sofa in front of the cake and felt himself break. A waterfall of sobs poured from him, grief and loss and hurt all mingled together. He cried his throat raw until there was no fluid left and the tears dried up. His neck ached from the awkward hunched-over angle. His eyes were sore and irritated.
His phone buzzed and he picked it up to see a conversation with Taeyong that he didn’t recall initiating.
To: Taeyong
Cancel hang out
Renjun hurt
Can’t talk
From: Taeyong
Call asap
Yuta pressed the call and put the phone on speaker so he could throw it on the coffee table.
“Hey,” he said when Taeyong picked up.
”You sound awful,” Taeyong said. ”What happened?”
Yuta sniffled. “They broke his arm, Taeyong.”
Silence. ”Oh my God. Where is he?”
“Hospital,” Yuta choked out. “Social services are involved. He’s going to a group home.”
”Poor kid,” Taeyong said.
“I don’t want him to go,” Yuta said, voice broken. “But what can I do?”
Taeyong hummed on the other end. ”Can you not apply to foster him?”
Yuta laughed without humour. “I’m not sure I’ll meet the requirements.”
Taeyong sighed. ”Promise you’ll try.
Yuta hung his head. “Alright,” he said, giving in. “The social worker wants to call at some point, I’ll bring it up then.”
-
It took a week for Yenni to get back to him. When the call came through he dropped and smashed a mug in his haste.
“Hello?” he said, slightly breathless.
”Mr Nakamoto,” Yenni said. “It’s Yenni Kim from Social Services. I’m calling about Renjun.”
Yuta sat down. “Yes, yes. Is he alright?”
”Yes. We are going to need the evidence you said you had.”
Yuta nodded despite it being a phone call. “Yeah, sure. I, uh, had something else to ask, though.”
”Yes?” she asked.
“Is there any way I can go about fostering Renjun?” Yuta bounced his knee nervously.
“We had a feeling you’d ask. If you can drop by the office today with that evidence we can talk about it there,” Yenni said.
Yuta felt a small flash of hope. “Yeah. Yeah, okay. Tell me the address?”
-
He was approved. Yuta had no idea how he’d managed it but he’d been approved to foster Renjun.
When Renjun came running towards him he caught him in a hug and swung him around. “I told you I’d find you,” he said.
Renjun giggled into his shoulder as he put him back on the floor.
“You ready to go home?” Yuta asked.
Renjun grinned. “Yes!”