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[19 | 02 | 23 , 6:12pm]

It was an ordinary evening for Riki. He had gotten back from dance practice just an hour ago and was now lying his bed and scrolling through his phone trying to relax a bit.

He was watching a recent video uploaded to one of his friend's Instagram account, when his phone began buzzing and a call notification appeared at the top of his screen. Riki frowned, seeing that it was an unknown number and his fingers lingered around the red declined button, but after giving it a thought, he gradually moved his finger to the left and swiped right.

It doesn't hurt just checking right?

He was nervous for some reason, his hands ever so slightly trembling as he brought his phone to his ear, saying a loud 'hello' into the air.

It was silent at first, just some static from poor connection.

"Hello?" Riki greeted again, this time a little louder and clearer.

To be honest Riki was hoping this would be some silly prank call and that on the other side of the line was just a bored teenager with nothing better to do.

That's what he hoped, but having been born a child of bad luck he never seems to get what he wishes for.

"Hello."

Riki's heart dropped.

That deep, raspy at the throat voice-

It belonged to his brother. Surely this was his brother calling him. But after all these years? Why now?

"Hello.. Uhm.. Riki?" the voice asked again.

It was him. 100%.

"Hello?" again the same voice. This wasn't a hallucination or twisted game of the mind then. "Is anyone there?"

Riki cleared his throat, recovering from the shock. "K-Kaito?"

A chuckle of relief on the other side, "Yeah. It's me otouto (*meaning younger brother)"

Riki gulped, asking the question he thought as soon as he heard the voice. "Why are you calling me?"

"Not even a 'how are you?' first eh?" Kaito laughed.

"Ah no, that's not how it is-" Riki shook his head. "It's just... been so long, you know?"

"Hmm," a low hum. "It has, hasn't it. I've recently got my life together with a wife, child and good paying job and thought it's finally time to reconcile again. It took me quite a bit of research to get my hands on your number but I got in touch with an old friend. Aki, remember him?"

"Of course."

"He gave it to me. It wasn't that difficult to bribe him, you know what he's like."

Riki chuckled, "Yeah, I get it."

It was an awkward moment of silence after. Neither side knew what to say.

"I-" Riki began, hesitating to continue. "I missed you a lot."

"Oh-"

Kaito was shocked. Maybe it was because he thought Riki forgot about him? Or maybe he thought Riki would never forgive him for what he did? Or he just didn't know how to respond?

But he didn't reply to the confessions. Instead Riki quickly asked him, "When are you coming back?"

"Riki-ah, that's difficult to say. I might never even be back-"

"Why?"

"Because of you know who."

"Father?"

"Yeah. How is he now anyways?"

Riki scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Barely any different to what he was back then."

"Does he treat you well?"

"Nothing better than garbage to be honest."

"Oh-" Kaito quietly muttered.

"It's fine," his brother reassured him. "It's better than what it was a couple of years ago."

"He took out his anger on me on you, didn't he?"

"Kinda."

Immense guilt washed over Kaito's body. His beloved younger brother suffered because of him. "I'm sorry Riki, I wish I could've been there for you."

"Why are you apologising?" Riki sarcastically remarked. "You did what you had to do."

"Well, I still feel bad for it. Anyways I want to come and get you soon."

Riki's eyes widened, "What do you mean?"

"I want to take you with me, you can't live there forever. I know you don't even want to."

"You'll get both of us killed, you know?" Riki lowered his voice.

"I have a plan, it's just going to take some time," Kaito explained. "Don't you want to leave that place?"

Riki did. He truly and utterly did. So badly. But one thing kept playing back in his mind. His friends. He couldn't leave them. His Jake hyung. Heeseung hyung... Aera.

"I- I don't know Kaito," Riki sighed.

"Look, I'm not asking you to make a decision right now on the spot- you can take as much time as you need. But I'm only in Korea for 3 months. Maybe even less."

"I'll think about it."

"Good. I have to go now, but I'll call you back soon ok? Save my number," Kaito quickly said, after Riki heard the shuffling of another person.

"Alright."

"Ok, take care. Bye Riki."

"Bye, Kaito-"

The line was cut off.

"... hyung," Riki finished with a diminished sigh.

He moved his phone away from his ear, letting his arm drop to his side. He leaned his head back on the headboard. "Fuck," he mumbled. "What am I going to do now?"

[7:51pm]

Hari pressed the doorbell to her house, then taking a step back from the porch to wait. The door was almost immediately opened by her mother.

"Hari-ah," the perfectly fox shaped eyes of her mom glistened in the sun. "Where have you been?"

Hari rolled her eyes, swiftly brushing past her mom and into her house. She took off her leather jacket, draping it on her arm.

"And what are you wearing?!" Ms. Shin dramatically exclaimed as Hari took off her air forces. "It's so not-"

"Lady like?" Hari snapped. "Yeah I know, mom. It's not."

"You were hanging around with that biker girl again, weren't you?" her mom asked, as Hari moved to go up the stairs.

Her legs stopped, pausing. Anger bubbled inside her.

"Answer me."

Closing her eyes, and taking a deep breath in, Hari said, "And so what?"

"So what? So what?!" her mom was practically shouting at her now. "She's clearly a bad influence on you. I don't want my daughter to be-"

The sudden halt in her sentence was enough for Hari. She took a step down from the stairs, walking a couple of steps closer to her mom. "To be what mom? Hm?"

Ms. Shin crossed her arms, grimacing in discontent. "You know what."

"No I don't," Hari's voice grew louder with each syllable. "No I don't so tell me, you don't want me to be what?!"

"Do not raise your voice at me young lady!" her mom's hand raised up, ready to land straight on her cheek.

But it stopped just before any contact was made. Crazy rage in her eyes, as she refrained herself from slapping her daughter.

Hari chuckled, giving her mother a challenging look. "I hate you," she sneered, before walking off.

Ms. Shin's hand dropped down, and her jaws clenched as she watched her daughter stride up the stairs in a fit.

"Fuck you mom," Hari cursed under her breath, tears forming in her eyes.

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