Chapter Text
Minhyuk drove down the busy streets of Seoul, reflecting on the events of the day. It had been a long and tiring time at work. Despite the exhaustion weighing him down, he was grateful for his team. The city was safe as a result of his quick thinking and his team’s diligent work. He was happy that the long days and nights had led to a victory. Finally, he could say that Kihyun was in prison.
Minhyuk made a turn at a red light, one hand on the steering wheel and his left arm on the windowsill. A large smile stretched across his face. He couldn’t wait to get home and remove the constricting tie from around his neck. After ten more minutes of driving, he parked his car in a deck. He grabbed his black messenger bag and then exited his car.
He stuffed his hand in his right pocket and glanced at his screen as he walked toward the elevator. Hyungwon hadn’t responded to his text message from an hour ago. A heavy sigh escaped his lips. Perhaps, his friend was still at the studio. Hyungwon worked in a famous dance studio and often spent several hours a day either teaching classes or coming up with choreography. He removed his eyes from his screen and pressed the button for the elevator.
Once in the apartment lobby, Minhyuk waved to a few familiar faces he noticed around the mailroom from time to time. He spotted a tray of fresh cookies located on a small table near the leasing manager’s desk. Minhyuk waltzed in the office and swiped a cookie from the tray. He gave Boda Kim, the leasing manager, a wink as he took a bite from the warm, gooey chocolate chip cookie.
“Lee Minhyuk,” Boda said. “Those cookies are for future renters.”
Minhyuk waved the half-eaten cookie in the air. “Yes Mrs. Kim, and I’m always grateful for the treats. Thank you.”
She chuckled.
“Have a good evening, Mr. Lee.”
“You too, Mrs. Kim.”
Boda shook her head, a tiny smile on her lips. She turned her attention back to her computer screen, giving him another wave goodbye. He exited the office and walked toward the elevators, finishing the rest of the cookie. He made it a part of his daily routine to grab a cookie before heading to his apartment. Boda Kim made the best cookies. It would be a shame not to try them.
In the elevator, Minhyuk rested his back against the wall. He ran his fingers through his blonde hair, a heavy sigh leaving his lips. An image of familiar brown eyes appeared within his mind. He brushed the thought aside. The ding of the elevator caught his attention. He stood up and waited for the elevator doors to open. Once he arrived at the front door of his shared apartment, he pushed his key inside the lock and opened the door.
A large smile spread across his lips as he spotted Hyungwon seated on the couch. Hyungwon looked up at him, forgetting the bag of chips on the coffee table. Minhyuk loosened his tie and then took a seat near his friend. He turned his attention toward the television screen.
“Hey, Wonnie.”
“Hey.”
Minhyuk grinned.
“So, what are you watching?” Minhyuk asked, eyes focused on the television program on screen.
“How was work?” Hyungwon asked, voice strained.
Minhyuk reclined against the couch, eyes pointed at the ceiling. Although the question seemed abrupt, he didn’t mind. He understood. Hyungwon worried about him often. Minhyuk’s occupation was far from peaceful. The life of a detective wasn’t an easy one.
“Actually, the answer isn’t as simple as you think. It’s a complex one,” Minhyuk said.
“Really? Shouldn’t it be simple? Just tell me what you did today.”
Minhyuk glanced at Hyungwon.
“You know, I’m actually very interested in how your day went, Hyungwon. So, you tell me first and then I’ll fill you in about my day. I’ve been really curious. You’ve been working so hard on this one piece of choreography, and I want to know if—”
“Lee Minhyuk, I asked you about work. Don’t change the subject.”
Minhyuk frowned, wondering why Hyungwon seemed to be on edge. He brushed the response aside. Hyungwon must have been stressed about work. He hoped his friend would have some time to rest soon. A tiny smile formed on his lips as he thought about how lucky he was to still be friends with Hyungwon. Most people drifted away from each other, but he was thankful that didn’t happen with him. He had been friends with Hyungwon for too long to even think about losing contact.
“Okay. That’s fine. I’ll tell you about my day. Well —we found him. Today my team and I finally found him. It was hard and there had been so many leads and dead ends, but we finally found him. We have him in custody. They have a specially modified cell for him and—”
“You can say his name, you know? I know who you are talking about,” Hyungwon said.
A lump formed in Minhyuk’ throat. He tried to swallow around it but failed. His frown deepened at the sight of moisture collecting in Hyungwon’s eyes. It hurt to see the sadness in his best friend’s eyes, but Minhyuk didn’t regret their decision. They decided to move on from what happened in their past. It had been a good decision. They were young, living out their dreams, and sharing the journey together as best friends, practically brothers. Minhyuk considered things to be perfect.
“I know,” Minhyuk said. “I know I can.”
“Then use his name,” Hyungwon said, voice soft.
Minhyuk frowned.
“Hyungwon, we talked about this. He—I mean Kihyun isn’t who we think he is anymore. We lost him long ago. Remember?”
Hyungwon groaned.
“Yes. Yes, I know. He is a criminal now. He is up to no good,” Hyungwon said. “But Min, I just—it is hard. I mean it is Kiki. Our best friend who was always there for us. I just have so many memories. Remember in high school? After class, we walked down to that ice cream place we liked so much. And Kihyun treated us. It was after that tough math exam we had and—”
“And he also somehow caused a woman to run from the ice cream parlor screaming and in tears. And I knew he was the reason. He just refused to admit it. I mean people don’t just get up and run out of an ice cream place screaming.”
Hyungwon nodded.
“Oh, right that—that happened too.”
Minhyuk looked at him. “That happened too. Hyungwon?”
“Alright,” Hyungwon said. “I remember that too.”
Minhyuk leaned forward. “Do you know how I knew it was Kihyun who did that?”
Hyungwon shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”
“No, we are going to talk about this, because you always bring up these sweet memories but refuse to look at the cold hard facts. Our memories with Kihyun are tainted, Wonnie. They are all tainted,” Minhyuk said. “I’ll tell you why. That day at the ice cream parlor I heard the woman say our friend’s name. A total stranger said his name. And Kihyun looked at her once and that was all it took. He did something to her mind and it’s— it’s terrible.”
Hyungwon played with a loose thread on his navy- blue sweatshirt sleeve. “You know he had problems controlling his power, right?”
“Not this excuse,” Minhyuk said, anger dripping from his voice.
Minhyuk gritted his teeth. He had heard the same thing from Hyungwon several times over the years. He wished his friend could just let go of the excuse. Nothing could ever excuse the kind of things Kihyun had done.
“It isn’t an excuse, Min. Try living your life with such an intense ability. Why would you expect a fourteen-year-old to have control?”
Minhyuk shook his head. “He has also done things on purpose, Wonnie.”
Hyungwon frowned.
“I know.”
“I get it. Kihyun was our friend. He was a great friend I can admit, but it is obvious his power consumed him. I mean look at him now. Ten years later he ended up in a specially modified cell,” Minhyuk said. “He chose a path that was so wrong. It’s funny he always said I was sly, cunning, almost like a con at times. But look who ended up behind bars? Him not me. I became a detective, and he became a criminal.”
“We could have helped him.”
Minhyuk sighed.
“No, I really think we could have helped him,” Hyungwon said.
“Alright, Hyungwon,” Minhyuk said, amused. “Fine, how about we head down to that maximum security cell tomorrow morning and you sit right in front of him. There will be no guards. Let’s see if you can help him then.”
Hyungwon’s eyes widened. Minhyuk smirked, arms crossed. Hyungwon seemed to forget Minhyuk knew him too well. His friend could never hide the truth from him.
“There,” Minhyuk said, pointing a finger at him. “Right, there is the truth. You get it now, don’t you? If you don’t think you can hold a conversation with him alone then why are we still talking about memories? You know how dangerous he is. You know what he has done. Who knows what could have happened to us down the road if we hadn’t ended our friendship early? Maybe we would be behind bars too. Sometimes I wonder if we ever really wanted to be his friend in the first place.”
“Stop it,” Hyungwon said, voice wavering. “Don’t you dare.”
Minhyuk looked at him amused. “What? You hate the idea that our whole friendship could have been a lie? I mean Kihyun never told us when he got his power. He just showed us out of nowhere. What if his power is the reason we were his friends? Maybe he forced us or something. I mean his powers have to do with his mind.”
Hyungwon shook his head, moisture collecting in his eyes. “So that’s it? You look back and that’s all you see. Manipulation. You think our friendship was built on lies? What is wrong with you?”
Minhyuk frowned.
“Wonnie I—”
“No, I know Kihyun is bad now. But to me it seems like he lost his way and there was no one to support him. But I won’t sit here and let you tell me Kihyun tricked us or forced us to be his friends. That's a disgusting thing to say. Sometimes I wonder who you are, you know? How did you become so cold, so bitter? This isn’t you.”
“Hyungwon, look I—"
Hyungwon got up from the couch. “I watched the news today. I saw you and your team take him into custody. I don’t know if you cared, but the look on his face wasn’t what you would normally see on a criminal. That’s all I’ll say. I’m going to bed.”
Minhyuk rested his back against the couch, lips pressed in a thin line. He didn’t know why he said all that to Hyungwon. He didn’t believe most of it. Of course, he believed Kihyun was no longer the friend they knew from childhood. It was obvious the older man was up to no good. However, Minhyuk knew their initial friendship was genuine. A frustrated growl left his lips. He didn’t want to end the conversation so soon, but he decided to leave it alone.
After several seconds he entered the bathroom, ready to take a hot shower to rid himself of the stress from the day. The memory of Hyungwon’s anger came to mind. He pushed the thought away. He knew he was right about Kihyun. Their former friend was no longer the sweet, gentle person they grew up with long ago. Instead, Kihyun claimed a new identity. He was a criminal and that was it.
After a hot shower, he changed into some soft sleepwear and slipped beneath the sheets. He rested his head against his pillow, eyes drifting closed. A vision of brown eyes infiltrated his mind. He tried to change his thoughts, hoping to keep the image from taking over his mind. After a few minutes, he drifted into a restless sleep.