The Words of Someone: [CH5] September 10
Kevin was growing accustomed to his life. He was beginning to remember small things from his past concerning his relationship with Eli. He had remembered how he’d met Eli due to their ride on the train. It was then that he also remembered how much of a jerk he’d been when they met as well and slugged him playfully for it.
Alas, they were comfortably sitting at home for the time being, playing video games lazily while awaiting Alexander’s instruction. They were going to shoot for producing some new tracks for a mini-album, though they were in no hurry whatsoever. They were rather busy enjoying the sensational response that had been given in turn for the announcement of their current activities. The moment their loyal fans heard of their possible comeback, they received nothing but positive feedback for it. Kevin responded to Eli with, “One thing I hadn’t remembered was how popular we were. How’d you survive without me?”
Eli just smirked and cuddled closer to him, leaning over to give him a kiss on the cheek. “Patiently, of course,” he replied.
Alexander finally called and arrived to drag them into the studio where they privately proceeded to record for their mini-album. During the time that Kevin was comatose, Eli had taken the chance to write several pages of lyrics. After some revision, they all were going to be part of their comeback mini-album.
Once their day of recording was finished, they returned home. “Eli,” Kevin said softly, “what happened anyway?”
“What happened, what?” Eli asked.
“How’d I end up in the coma?”
Eli hesitated. “I… don’t know if we should talk about this, Kevin.”
“No, I want to know, Eli.”
“Kevin, please. It was my fault, and I’d rather just not discuss this right now.”
“Your fault how?”
“Kevin, please.”
“Tell me, Eli.”
“No, damnit.”
Kevin became a little disgruntled at Eli’s stubbornness. “Fine,” he huffed. “I’m going for a walk then. I’ll be back later.”
It was clear Kevin was irate that Eli refused to talk to him about the reason for his comatose state anyway. Eli really hated that he’d upset Kevin, but he didn’t want to discuss it. Though, his protests for Kevin to go on his walk fell on deaf ears. Instead, Kevin more or less ignored him as he tied his shoes and walked out the door.
Kibum stood in the kitchen, staring at Eli. “What’d you do now?”
“Nothing, don’t worry about it.”
Kibum just raised an eyebrow. “You did something to have him leave like that.”
“I wouldn’t tell him why.”
“Why… what?”
“Why he was unconscious. I wouldn’t tell him why.”
Kibum fell silent. “Oh.”
Eli just nodded a little and sighed. “I don’t want him… hurt. It was my fault and-“
“You know damn well that wasn’t your fault, Eli. You couldn’t help what happened.”
“I fucking could have. And I didn’t, Kibum. I should’ve listened but I didn’t.”
“You can’t help how people are.”
“But I could have protected Kevin.”
Kibum just shook his head. “It’s out of your hands, Eli. You need to wash your hands of that ordeal because it wasn’t your fault.”
Eli simply turned and entered his room, slamming the door shut. Soohyun joined Kibum in the kitchen. “Eli’s still beating himself up about what happened, isn’t he?” Soohyun murmured.
Kibum just nodded.
=
Kevin sighed as he strolled along the sidewalk. The road seemed vaguely familiar, as if it held some sort of importance, but he certainly couldn’t remember at the time. He paused, though. Something about the air held a sort of malevolence about it. It was nearly suffocating. He felt a small pain in his head, as though his brain were struggling within its confines to remember what made this area feel so… bad.
Then, from across the street, he spotted a telephone booth. A single, empty telephone booth. He broke out in a cold sweat despite the weather being thoroughly warm and he began to tremble. He remembered being beaten, shoved from a vehicle. He remembered the scent of rain and a phone call. But to who?
As though he were controlled by some other force, he crossed the street, feeling like gravity itself were going to crush him beneath its fingers. His breath felt labored. He remembered the pain of bruises, the marks where he’d been tied. He remembered… rape.
It struck him then and he fell into the telephone booth, shuddering and sobbing. He could remember the way the rain pounded against his skin, though typically he remembered rain being soft. He could remember every ache that he’d felt that night. “You tell your fucking boyfriend if he wants to play we’ll be waiting for him. He’d better remember who he’s fucking with,” Kevin heard in the back of his mind, remembering the way his cheek was grinded into the pavement, that horrible man’s breath in his ear.
He grabbed the phone in the telephone booth, listening to the dial tone for a moment. He couldn’t remember whose number it was, but his fingers dialed a familiar phone number. The phone rang, and rang. Then someone answered.
“Uh, hello? Kim Kibum speaking,” the other person spoke.
“K-Kibum…” Kevin whispered.
“Kevin?” Kibum’s voice echoed. “Where are you, Kevin? Is everything okay?”
“I need you to come pick me up… Phone booth…”
“Oh, god. Kevin, I’ll be there in five.”
It was how he remembered it-for the most part. It was one thing he really hadn’t wanted to remember.
=
“Eli,” Kibum said, knocking on the door. “Come with me to get Kevin.”
Eli burst through the door, staring at Kibum. “Wait. Is something wrong?”
“He’s… at the phone booth. He… I think he remembered what happened to him.”
“Shit. Let me get my shoes,” Eli mumbled, shutting the door again. In a matter of moments, he returned ready to go. “Let’s get there. Quick.”
=
They found Kevin, curled up in the bottom of the phone booth. Kibum could remember this scene all too well. The only difference was he had the most important person to Kevin with him this time. Kibum opened the phone booth with Eli behind him. “Kevin,” Eli murmured. “Come here, Kevin.”
Kevin latched himself onto Eli, sobbing into his shoulder. “I-I r-remember what t-they did to me, E-Eli…” he wept, sniffling.
Eli could care less what ended up on his clothes. He lifted Kevin into his arms and nodded at Kibum. They took him to the car and sat him in the backseat, on Eli’s lap still. “Kevin… I fixed them a long time ago. I fixed everything. I’m sorry… I wanted to keep that from you… but… I knew it wouldn’t stay gone. God, I’m sorry… I should have protected you better then, too.”
“T-Too?”
“When we get back home, we’re going to lay down for a bit. And once you calm down a bit… I’ll tell you what happened. I’ll tell you why you were comatose.”
Kevin shook his head. “Please, just… let’s just wait for that.”
Eli couldn’t feel more relieved at Kevin’s reluctance now. “I love you, Kevin. I swear to god, I will try my damndest to protect you better,” he murmured as he clutched the younger man against his frame, a tear slipping down his cheek and soaking itself into Kevin’s shirt.
Alas, they were comfortably sitting at home for the time being, playing video games lazily while awaiting Alexander’s instruction. They were going to shoot for producing some new tracks for a mini-album, though they were in no hurry whatsoever. They were rather busy enjoying the sensational response that had been given in turn for the announcement of their current activities. The moment their loyal fans heard of their possible comeback, they received nothing but positive feedback for it. Kevin responded to Eli with, “One thing I hadn’t remembered was how popular we were. How’d you survive without me?”
Eli just smirked and cuddled closer to him, leaning over to give him a kiss on the cheek. “Patiently, of course,” he replied.
Alexander finally called and arrived to drag them into the studio where they privately proceeded to record for their mini-album. During the time that Kevin was comatose, Eli had taken the chance to write several pages of lyrics. After some revision, they all were going to be part of their comeback mini-album.
Once their day of recording was finished, they returned home. “Eli,” Kevin said softly, “what happened anyway?”
“What happened, what?” Eli asked.
“How’d I end up in the coma?”
Eli hesitated. “I… don’t know if we should talk about this, Kevin.”
“No, I want to know, Eli.”
“Kevin, please. It was my fault, and I’d rather just not discuss this right now.”
“Your fault how?”
“Kevin, please.”
“Tell me, Eli.”
“No, damnit.”
Kevin became a little disgruntled at Eli’s stubbornness. “Fine,” he huffed. “I’m going for a walk then. I’ll be back later.”
It was clear Kevin was irate that Eli refused to talk to him about the reason for his comatose state anyway. Eli really hated that he’d upset Kevin, but he didn’t want to discuss it. Though, his protests for Kevin to go on his walk fell on deaf ears. Instead, Kevin more or less ignored him as he tied his shoes and walked out the door.
Kibum stood in the kitchen, staring at Eli. “What’d you do now?”
“Nothing, don’t worry about it.”
Kibum just raised an eyebrow. “You did something to have him leave like that.”
“I wouldn’t tell him why.”
“Why… what?”
“Why he was unconscious. I wouldn’t tell him why.”
Kibum fell silent. “Oh.”
Eli just nodded a little and sighed. “I don’t want him… hurt. It was my fault and-“
“You know damn well that wasn’t your fault, Eli. You couldn’t help what happened.”
“I fucking could have. And I didn’t, Kibum. I should’ve listened but I didn’t.”
“You can’t help how people are.”
“But I could have protected Kevin.”
Kibum just shook his head. “It’s out of your hands, Eli. You need to wash your hands of that ordeal because it wasn’t your fault.”
Eli simply turned and entered his room, slamming the door shut. Soohyun joined Kibum in the kitchen. “Eli’s still beating himself up about what happened, isn’t he?” Soohyun murmured.
Kibum just nodded.
=
Kevin sighed as he strolled along the sidewalk. The road seemed vaguely familiar, as if it held some sort of importance, but he certainly couldn’t remember at the time. He paused, though. Something about the air held a sort of malevolence about it. It was nearly suffocating. He felt a small pain in his head, as though his brain were struggling within its confines to remember what made this area feel so… bad.
Then, from across the street, he spotted a telephone booth. A single, empty telephone booth. He broke out in a cold sweat despite the weather being thoroughly warm and he began to tremble. He remembered being beaten, shoved from a vehicle. He remembered the scent of rain and a phone call. But to who?
As though he were controlled by some other force, he crossed the street, feeling like gravity itself were going to crush him beneath its fingers. His breath felt labored. He remembered the pain of bruises, the marks where he’d been tied. He remembered… rape.
It struck him then and he fell into the telephone booth, shuddering and sobbing. He could remember the way the rain pounded against his skin, though typically he remembered rain being soft. He could remember every ache that he’d felt that night. “You tell your fucking boyfriend if he wants to play we’ll be waiting for him. He’d better remember who he’s fucking with,” Kevin heard in the back of his mind, remembering the way his cheek was grinded into the pavement, that horrible man’s breath in his ear.
He grabbed the phone in the telephone booth, listening to the dial tone for a moment. He couldn’t remember whose number it was, but his fingers dialed a familiar phone number. The phone rang, and rang. Then someone answered.
“Uh, hello? Kim Kibum speaking,” the other person spoke.
“K-Kibum…” Kevin whispered.
“Kevin?” Kibum’s voice echoed. “Where are you, Kevin? Is everything okay?”
“I need you to come pick me up… Phone booth…”
“Oh, god. Kevin, I’ll be there in five.”
It was how he remembered it-for the most part. It was one thing he really hadn’t wanted to remember.
=
“Eli,” Kibum said, knocking on the door. “Come with me to get Kevin.”
Eli burst through the door, staring at Kibum. “Wait. Is something wrong?”
“He’s… at the phone booth. He… I think he remembered what happened to him.”
“Shit. Let me get my shoes,” Eli mumbled, shutting the door again. In a matter of moments, he returned ready to go. “Let’s get there. Quick.”
=
They found Kevin, curled up in the bottom of the phone booth. Kibum could remember this scene all too well. The only difference was he had the most important person to Kevin with him this time. Kibum opened the phone booth with Eli behind him. “Kevin,” Eli murmured. “Come here, Kevin.”
Kevin latched himself onto Eli, sobbing into his shoulder. “I-I r-remember what t-they did to me, E-Eli…” he wept, sniffling.
Eli could care less what ended up on his clothes. He lifted Kevin into his arms and nodded at Kibum. They took him to the car and sat him in the backseat, on Eli’s lap still. “Kevin… I fixed them a long time ago. I fixed everything. I’m sorry… I wanted to keep that from you… but… I knew it wouldn’t stay gone. God, I’m sorry… I should have protected you better then, too.”
“T-Too?”
“When we get back home, we’re going to lay down for a bit. And once you calm down a bit… I’ll tell you what happened. I’ll tell you why you were comatose.”
Kevin shook his head. “Please, just… let’s just wait for that.”
Eli couldn’t feel more relieved at Kevin’s reluctance now. “I love you, Kevin. I swear to god, I will try my damndest to protect you better,” he murmured as he clutched the younger man against his frame, a tear slipping down his cheek and soaking itself into Kevin’s shirt.