"What do you need?", I ask, sincerely curious.

Chris sighs next to me.

"Lucifer knows I still have my wings, after I rescued you and this kid the other day."

"I don't understand why you still have them either, to be honest."

"That's a long story. Maybe I will ecplain it to you another time. There are more important things to do right now. For example stopping my brother from building an-"

"Chris, I am sorry, really, but I can't help you. I can't mess with Lucifer another time. He will kill me! I need to do this job, kill who he wants me to kill."

"You know, I could protect you, Hyunjin."

"You know you can't. You can't protect everybody, Chris."

"It worked until now!"

"Oh yeah? Did it? Then where is Jisung?!"

My question sounds more aggressive then it should in first place. But I wouldn't take it back. Chan stays quiet. Too quiet. He stopped walking, looking down on the floor. I walked slower until I stopped too and turned to him, trying to get a view of his face. I wish I didn't. It was heartbreaking. He was crying. I know, Chan is emotional, but I think, personally, I never saw him crying.

Now I feel bad. Chan loves Jisung so much. Probably even more than I do. It was a tight brotherly love and I know Chan did everything to protect his own brother. But still there needs to be a reason why Jisung never told him, he still was alive. I took Chan in a awalward hug, still knowing from my childhood how much he loves physical touch. He presses his face into my chest, wetening my shirt. His body shakes, but no tone left his mouth. His grip around my waist was strong.

His voice sounded broken, as he started to speak again:

"I- I wou-ld neve-r-r-er let yo-u di-ie, Hyu-Hyun-Hyun-jin-ah-ah. You- hicks, you a-rrr the on-ly thin-ng left fr-om h-h-hi-him-", he stutters. My heart shatters. Jisung really needs to talk to him soon, or this boy will break apart in my hands. Yeah, Jisung was my boyfriend in the past, but Chan was a good friend too.

I somehow stumbled into a park, to a bench, with Chan cuddling me from the side, like a koala. We sit down and he lays down on my lap, with his eyes closed, them being red from all the crying. I stroke his hair and his breath gets calmer again.

"Hyunjin-ah?"

"Yes, Chan-ssi?"

"Can you just promise me to not kill the boy."

"The kid? The one in the forest?"

"No. Yes."

Huh? I look down at him confused. He now has his eyes open, and looks at me with pleading brown orbits.

"The cop in the forest working on the case."

I gulp down. I know the cop is close to finding everything out and then Lucifer will ask me to push him down a cliff or put a knife through his throat. And I don't like the idea of promising something, I know I can't keep. Still I nod, my lips pressed together in a thin line.

"Okay..."

Chan smiles, closes his eyes again and cuddles into my lap.

My brain overworks. I feel like it would actually smoke any second. How can I keep this difficult promise?