Episode 2

Min was tired.

Life had become increasingly demanding for Min since the turn of events. Truthfully, it wasn’t as difficult as Min made it out to be, it was just progressively draining – he felt like he was robbing himself of the sleep he usually indulged in by running double time with Alice.

A selfish part of him wanted nothing more than to curl up in his bed for a week straight without any sort of regret. He wanted to laze about and roll around in his sheets without any sort of consequence banging on his door. He probably would tire of sleeping and move all of his favourite books into bed with him to read contently. However, in the end, his guilt outweighed his selfishness, so he kept watch of Alice.

The days had come to pass easily as Min and Alice had slipped into the routine of both working the long hours and manning the store through the double shifts. Their boss was unhappy about the extra cash he had to pay out, despite the second shift only being a half shift.

Min felt relief wash at him as he noticed that Alice wasn’t struggling so much anymore – the extra cash in her pocket had made life a little less stressful for her – it was on one afternoon in the shop that she had told Min about she was able to make payments towards her outstanding bills and she was even able to pay people that she owed money to back in small amounts.

However she hadn’t tolerated the way Min had crashed into her apartment and declared to help around as if he was a roommate and not a guest. It left her ticked and smothered with the way he was micromanaging her apartment.

Having enough of Min’s overbearing ways and how he was wearing himself thin with guilt; she eventually managed to kick him out as they came to a compromise on conditions.

Alice had firmly stated that Min was no longer welcome to her apartment unless he was a day guest. She had also drilled into Min that he was only allowed to come to work with her in the morning until lunch and then head home to sleep before coming back to work for the full nightly shift with her.

Alice tried not to give in when she saw how Min sighed dejectedly, he was exhausted – the waxy look of his skin and dark circles were enough to show her than Min needed the sleep, and gave in.

Alice felt pleased with her triumph and reassured Min with a hug before shoving him out of her apartment, all in good nature and giggles.

- - -

Min adjusted to the new conditions slowly – his internal clocking taking the brunt of the change in patterns, however Min managed to slip into a flexible routine around the imposed timetable of Alice’s liking, and life fell back into rhythm.

The pattern began to lull Min’s life – he’d work half a shift in the morning, get yelled at Mr Yang, nap at home until he was woken up by his hunger, then head back to the store to spend the night with Alice before closing up and dropping her off at her apartment – yet Min was using the lulling sense to ignore the little distressing collection of texts on his phone.

The thread was lengthy, having accumulated in such a short period of a mere two weeks, but it was more or less the same message though no matter how differently it was worded, Min ignored it.

He assumed out of sight was out of mind and the fuck out of his life.

All of them weren’t really alarming but they all came from a private number that said the same thing.

Unknown: Come home, Min.

Min would see the notification of the text and ignored each and every single time. He didn’t want to go “Home”.

It wasn’t home.

It was a place of business.

And there was no family figure calling him back.

It was just someone with authority over him and demanding his presence.

- - -

That evening started like any other; when Min woke from his nap, he realised that he had woken up to a very dull day – his apartment was quite dark even with the grey light streamed in quite poorly through his thin curtains.

It’s going to get dark quickly this evening.

He heard the buzz of his cell phone as the device rattled against his wooden nightstand.

It was a text.

He flipped over, blonde mane splaying and sheets twisting in every direction as he did so, to reach the phone. The bright light left Min blinking a few times before he could focus on the screen in front of him.

Same message.

Same demand.

Unknown: Come Home.

He ignored the message and scoffed. He decided to text Alice.

MinMin: Good morning, boo.

He stifled a chuckle because it had become a habit because of the new routine. Min was the only person to greet Alice at four in the afternoon with a good morning text.

The text wasn’t anything significant. It was just to make sure she was fine and inform her that he would be on his way to work around six-ish.

Feeling sleep still clinging to him, Min let the lethargic sensation settle in his bones as he lay in bed for little longer.

Even as he was slipping back into sleep, at the back of Min’s mind, he was lost in thought over his current situation.

Should I do something about it?

Should I answer so the messages stop?

He brushed it off about half hour later when his stomach made a whale call.

Rolling out of bed, Min hauled himself to the kitchen for an instant ramen cup and yanked out a buddy bottle of coke from his fridge.

He sat the boiling cup down as the heat trailed hot wisps and a delicious aroma into the air while his coke fizzed nosily next to it.

Min puffed a breath across the ramen to cool it before delving his slim metal chopsticks into them. He settled to interfere with a blue rose in the vase as he ate, playfully prodding the smooth metal against the delicate membrane of the petal to the beat of the music he had been playing softly. It was enough to play with the rose without bruising the small flower.

It was a quick meal and he then rushed off to the shower before tugging on skinny jeans and a form fitting tank to go under the gross garment called a uniform. He refused for that material to make more contact to his skin than he allowed without dying of heat stroke.

He pulled on his baggy soft hoodie after glossing over his reflection in a mirror, mindful of his wild hair – patting down the mess of straight tufts into a decent and presentable look.

Jogging toward the door of his apartment, Min reached out to grab his set of keys and his wallet. Min had been stuffing his wallet into his jeans pocket when his fingertips grazed the bottom of the glass bowl.

His keys were missing.

That’s strange.

Furrowing his eyebrows, he knew he kept it in the little glass bowl.

There wasn’t much place on the little, wooden, ornament stand to lose the keys. He lifted the bowl and then flopped to the floor, pulling out his phone for the flashlight, and checked under and behind the stand to see if they had fallen over. He couldn’t have misplaced them knowing he had placed them in that particular spot merely a few hours ago.

Min took the opportunity to use his phone and shot a text to Alice saying he was going to be late because he misplaced his keys. He then turned back to bedroom to turn it upside down in search of keys.

MinMin: Uh… might be late. I can’t find my keys.

                                            Alice:  Again, Minnie? I can’t believe how careless you are.

MinMin: I’m not T_T I just misplaced them.

His search didn’t get far and he was beginning to worry as it was already dark – he needed to switch on some lights before he left home.

He was sifting through his desk of stuff in his bedroom when he heard a shattering sound from the living room.

Running toward the sound, he found his living room in darkness, save the disordered neon lights spilling its coloured rays in through the blinds of his window, and his vase of blue roses smashed on the floor. The glass shards glimmering as the water coated them and the roses were strewn messily.

Min’s eyes searched the darkness.

He needed to figure out how to side step all the glass and reach the light switch near the door.

Min swore he saw something move about on the other end of his living room, the shadow swopping past his windows.

“Wha –“ Min spluttered for a second, blinking into the darkness.

He figured it was his mind playing games with him – it couldn’t be a robbery, not on the sixth floor of the building. He was about shuffle over to the light switch.

“Hi, Minnie.”

A deep masculine voice rumbled in Min’s ear as hot breath licked his neck.

Min jerked away, alarm coating him with a cold sweat. He backed away when he heard chuckling. It wasn’t the happy kind. It was the type that mocked one when vulnerable.

Fuck.

“Your look may have changed but you haven’t changed a bit.” Min heard movement and guessed that the figure sat down. Min squinted as his eyes adjusted in the dark and noticed this person’s clothes had blended with the darkness.

“What are you doing here, Kai?” Min snapped at the man, padding over and side stepping glass shards as he flipped a switch to reveal the man before him.

“No need to be so hostile.”

The man drawled as he sat smugly, cushioned into the sofa. He was dressed as usual – dark smart dress shirt and dark stiff pants with shiny dress shoes. The pants hiked a little and exposed his ankles as he crossed his long legs at the knees while he had his arms lining the top of the sofa – sprawled lazily.

Kim Kai in one word is handsome, devilishly at that, since his gorgeous hue of skin seemed to be glowing with the soft lighting. His eyes had a dangerous gleam to his cutting gaze. He sat with his head canted to the side, showing off the ridiculous tilt of his jawline while his plush lips were sporting a smirk.

He appeared to be fairing for the better in comparison to Min – Min had just barely managed to recover from his dark circles and yet Kai always managed to look good without a single lock of hair out of place. It made Min internally groan when he remembered he was all wild hair and the remnants of dark circles.

Kai’s smirk grew into a heart-stopping smile. It was dazzling and no one as wicked as him should be blessed with that kind of smile. He had that stupidly charming ability to do that – he was so hot and so cold.

Kai always said his day job allowed him to do that.

Min scowled at that thought, since when did he care about what Kai said?

Kai had told Min many things.

Believable things and unbelievable things – pretty lies as Min liked to call them.

“You’ve broken into my apartment. I do believe it calls for hostile measures.”

His voice deceived with its velvet likeness, “Aww, Minnie. I missed you. And I know you’ve missed me dearly.”

“Shut up!” Min snapped.

“I’ve tried texting you, do you know that?”

“I’ve blocked you.” He deadpanned his lie to seem believable.

“Liar… I know you still get my messages. Don’t you feel bad when I say I miss you and want to see you?” Kai grinned.

“Don’t say that! You last saw me at th – “ Min spat.

“At the party? I remember exchanging formalities but beyond that you ignored me and you’re a terrible host, Minnie. You left your own party.” Kai arched a perfect eyebrow at the blonde, his eye contact made Min want to shy away – he knew Kai would see the guilt.

Min had deliberately ignored Kai.

But then Min caught himself.

He had all right to act cold towards whoever he wanted to because he didn’t care about the party or who was at it.

“It wasn’t my party. It was Father’s party.” Min rolled his eyes as he scoffed.

“Technicalities, Minnie. But you avoided me that night.” Kai tutted lightly, shaking his head with amusement at Min.

“Is that what I was doing?” Min spat, scowling at Kai. He had no right to accuse Min.

“Hmm. I just wanted to see you and talk to you.” Kai spoke gently; his tone almost didn’t match his cold presence.

“Like we are now?” Min asked with the impatience in his voice visible.

“Yes.”

“Mission accomplished. Now leave, Kim Kai. I don’t need you –”

“Yes, I know you don’t need me. But I think you’d want me here, isn’t that right, Minnie? You can drop your cold and aloof act. It’s just us alone, Minnie.” Kai interrupted Min and took over the conversation.

Min blanched at Kai’s words as Kai spoke softly and grinned at him.

“You didn’t need to see me alone, Kai. Besides you speak as if my actions towards you change based on whoever is present in the room.” Min picked his words carefully as his eyes fell to the blue rose that twirled between his slim fingers. Kai had slim silver bands on some of his fingers. Min had never felt as susceptible as the delicate flower until he was under Kai’s intense gaze.

“Hmm… Well, yes, it is something that is not needed but it’s something I want.” Kai shot back as he looked over Min from the rips in his jeans to the loose hoodie slipping of his shoulder. He didn’t like that look in Kai’s eyes.

“I don’t care about what you want. You’re not welcome here. Don’t you have someone else to try these games with?” The blonde huffed, clearly vexed.

Kai almost looked hurt as he pouted.

“You’re hurting me, Min. I’m not playing a game. That would be mean of me.”

Min’s jaw dropped.

Kai was mean and everything more. He was only nice to look at.

Face full of sharp angles on smooth planes with alluring eyes.

Soft kissable lips that seemed to pout with every word he spoke.

NO!

His lips aren’t kissable.

He even had that fucking prince charming styled hair – all pushed back and teased just right.

The dark locks even highlighted angelically when the light caught his hair right.

It infuriated Min to no end that the amount of beauty Kai had been blessed with was matched equally with the essence of being a bastard.

Composing himself, Min schooled his expression before speaking.

“You’re joking, right? You’re really going to say that after everything that’s happened? You’re such an asshole, Kai. Get out of my apartment.” Min ignored his pout and proceeded to be cold towards him with furrowing eyebrows.

Heaving a dramatic sigh, Kai got up and walked towards Min.

Min felt like shrinking back as Kai’s lean looming aura of black approached. But Min silently congratulated himself as he stood his ground, completely feigning unfazed as Kai invaded his personal space, being a hair’s breadth away from him.

Ugh. He was obnoxiously intoxicating.

His cologne was as if it was intertwined with the dark black fibres of the cotton in his dress shirt.

And his smirk was back on his face.

Min resisted punching him despite the fact that he was in temptingly close proximity.

Min knew the punch wouldn’t work out.

He has tried it before.

That had been a time when they were both much younger and Kai was barely taller than Min. Min also liked to block out the fact that Kai was in training at that point of their lives.

But in that moment while Min glared and silently cussing at Kai, he took in the latter’s appearance more carefully; the lanky male was so much taller than him as compared to that last time Min tried to punch him. He also cursed Kai for being much broader, and judging by the way Kai filled out his dress shirt he was a great deal stronger than Min.

He wasn’t stupid; he knew Kai had keen reflexes.

Rude fucker with amazing abilities.

Kai’s grin seemed to look more mischievous than sinister as he towered over Min. An arm snaked around Min’s waist and reeled the shorter blonde in.

“C’mhere, Minnie.” Kai mumbled out.

Min struggled but Kai squeezed firmly to signal for stillness as the taller reined Min flush against him. He frowned and fought the heat climbing his neck for almost tripping into Kai’s chest in the process.

Min felt his stomach swoop, he really shouldn’t be feeling the way he was.

But he felt the heat intensify as he was practically being moulded against Kai. It didn’t help him at all as he felt the arm around his waist tighten its grip.

“I love how you try to throw insults at me. Maybe you care enough not to hurt my feelings. What do you think, Minnie?” Kai was all too pleased and complacent about their position and situation.

“As if you have feelings, Kai.” Min scoffed and mumbled out the insult.

Kai let out a breathy laugh, swiftly ignoring Min’s quip, and brought his free hand up to Min’s head. His large warm hand ran through Min’s hair and Min fought the urge to shut his eyes and let the shiver rattle through his frame.

“It was black a long time ago.” Kai’s voice had something akin to wonderment to its usual velvet tone.

Kai watched Min with a frighteningly fascinated expression. Kai looked at Min, with light eyes, as if Min was an entirely new person and he needed to memorise every new detail with the dyed locks that flopped effortless between his fingertips.

How the hell does he have a puppy like mode?

Min couldn’t bear the overwhelming feeling any longer, he had shut his eyes and shuddered as the fingertips dragged lazily against his scalp and dragged back until his nape; the dull pressure was pleasant and soothing as it hit all the right nerves, even as Kai rested his hand on Min’s nape, he hadn’t halted the way his fingers were carding through his hair.

“Stop touching me, Kai.” Min had opened his eyes, blinking a little before he could catch his bearings and frowned. He had tilted his head to escape from Kai’s touch.

“You never seemed to have a problem with me touching you before.” Kai’s fingers climbed back into Min’s hair and bent closer, lowering his face to Min’s.

“Stop while I’m asking you nicely or I remove your hand myself.” Min’s hand was already on Kai’s wrist as he glared heatedly; deliberately ignoring how they were just inches shy from kissing.

Kai chuckled darkly and his eyes sparkled at the threat, “Play nice, Minnie. We aren’t even playing properly yet.” Kai had this nasty habit of smiling with half of his bottom lip being tucked under his teeth. Kai seemed to enjoy making Min squirm under his touch despite the determined attitude Min was dishing out.

Min finally had enough because he knew Kai wasn’t taking him seriously and shoved Kai off him. Kai gasped at the sudden change and looked like a kicked pup.

“Minnie…” He says quietly.

“No. Leave, Kai. I can’t have you around me… again. It would be a waste of our time.” Min’s voice sounded shaky as he watched the mix of emotions fly across Kai’s face before settling for a blank look.

“Fine.” Kai growled out as he walked to the door and draped his frame against it – his body language screaming irritation and indignation.

There was a beat of silence – thick and filled with tension.

Min hated Kai’s silence. It was always a scary thing to experience because it meant the man was thinking and that was never a good sign. Kim Kai can be as every bit infuriating as he is when he’s talking because he makes his silence pointed.

Min wished he didn’t know the man so well.

He had chanced a look at Kai and almost flinched – he knew that look. Kai was calculating his next move.

“Here, Min.”

A tinkle was heard and Min stepped back, colliding into the wall behind him, and grabbed at the glint thrown at him. Min looked down into his palms after he recognised the familiar weight in them.

Keys.

Kai had them all this time.

Min’s head snapped up and looked to Kai, whose expressions had changed again.

“I did come for another reason, anyway.” Kai sniffed.

Min didn’t think Kim Kai was still capable of a sulk but a sulk meant he was in a miffed mood.

“You’ve been wanted back home, you know?” Kai drawled the statement and Min couldn’t comprehend how he was back to being indifferent.

Kicking off from the door, Kai was on the move again. Min watched him guardedly, eyed steadily trailing his movements.

“So? My father wants a lot of things, why do you care?” Min icily replied.

Kai’s sinful lips quirked, “I don’t. But as his right hand, I do agree with him. I think having you back home would be nice. It gets a little lonely, you know? The hallways are always dark, the rooms are always deserted and my bed is always so so cold, Minnie.”

Min felt an unneeded sting. Kai really shouldn’t be looking at him like some object.

After everything they knew about each other, Kai couldn’t really mean that Min was just for pleasure in his eyes.

Not that he wanted anything more with Kai. He just assumed he had more respect from Kai.

Min was slightly distracted with his thoughts to notice that Kai had caged him in with strong arms, stupid leering look on his face.

“And I know that you’d be just so warm under my touch.” Kai whispered as he bent his head towards Min.

Min really wanted to hurt him and he still didn’t understand why his throat felt like it was closing up uncomfortably.

“I’m not coming home. There’s no scheduled meeting nor is there any function to attend so I’m not needed.” Min still stayed strong and tilted his head to seem arrogant. Kai grinned maliciously upon seeing the defiance in Min’s eyes.

“Oh, but you are needed back home. Something promising has come up. Think of it as a surprise invitation for a special visit!” Kai perked up even more, licking dried lips – really that isn’t good for my health, Min thought. Kai’s hot breath fanned across Min’s face as he breathed slowly.

Min swore he didn’t inhale the scent of mint and that he didn’t feel the coolness of it settle in his bones with a knowing and wanting ache.

“I’m not interested.” Min glowered.

“Minnie, you can’t be selfish when it comes to this business. We’re all counting on you.” Kai urged him enthusiastically.

“Why me?” Min raised an eyebrow at him.

“You’re the next generation of Lee Household, aren’t you?” Kai asked, amusement lacing his tone.

“No. You are, Kai. Not me.” Min deadpanned.

“Your father still plans to name you his successor and I will obviously be the one to be your personal right hand…ever ready to serve any of your needs.” Kai grinned, apparently quite proud with his innuendo.

“Tell him no. I don’t care for being the successor. I don’t care about a right hand. I really have no interest in the business, unlike you.” Min huffed hotly.

“What if it was my personal invitation? Come home, Minnie, I promise I’ll make it worth it.” Kai breathed.

“All the more reason to reject such an invite because you like to lie, Kai. You don’t keep promises.” Min spat.

“Minnie, you’re being unreasonably cruel to me. Don’t you care about me anymore? Don’t I mean anything to you?” Kai admonished him mockingly, dashing smile on his features, but Min wasn’t going to entertain it.

“No. Now. Get. Out. Kai.” Min enunciated every word with as much hate as he could muster. He was in no mood for his father or his father’s right hand lapdog to be interfering with him.

Kai’s face failed to stop the scowl before he steeled his expression indifferent and straightened up. Kai was rather intimidating when he put on a complete blank look; one could never tell what he was thinking when his eyes looked so dark.

He dusted his clothes off and left silently but not without slamming the door, the thin piece of wood rattling in its frame.

Min leaned against the wall as he steadied his uneven breathing. He hated how flushed and off kilter Kai left him, especially after all these years. He spent a good minute mentally ranting every capable cuss at Kai for showing his face.

Min yanked out his phone realising how late it was and he had left Alice for so long.

Suddenly, a deafening noise was emitted as the wooden stand exploded into a million splintering shards.

The little bowl on the once intact stand smashed into the wall and shattered. Min dived just in time to escape the shards of glass and wood that rained down on his shielding arm, silently thanking the soft hoodie that protected his arm.

He scrambled to sit up when his back hit the wall again, looking at the burning mess with wide eyes. His breathing was erratic and muddled up with coughs from the thickening smoke. His mind was all over the place from the thunderous boom of the explosion.

What. The. Fuck.

Min’s phone cried out in his hand and its ringtone seemed ear-splitting as it echoed in the now ruined section of the apartment.

With Min’s disorientation, he swiped against the screen and answered the call.

“You know, Minnie, the funny thing about our little conversation was that you spoke as if it was a request for you to come back home. You will come back home, even if it means me blowing up every single thing in that pretty little apartment of yours before dragging you back, Minnie. I trust you can make the wise choice. See you soon.”

Kai’s wicked voice crackled through the receiver, his words were slow and calculated but his tone was dripping with poorly veiled irritation.

Min knew he was still seething from the moment he left the apartment. The call gets cut before Min has any input and was left with his jaw hanging at his phone as if stunned.

Everything became blurry to Min at that moment as he lost all focus and his surroundings blended into a grey haze until the pop of blue caught his eye. But he ignored the pop since it’s the thing that brought him back into focus.

Min realised belatedly he can’t have his apartment burned down before him.

In a fumble and flurry, he has his duvet wet and thrown over the burning wood to douse the flames before wrenching windows open to let the smoke out.

Great.

Just great.

His father’s bloodhound was on his trail and it appeared like he developed an affinity towards pyro-techniques and explosives.

Min cleaned up the glass and tosses his blue roses in the bin. He was too distressed to care for the delicate beauties.

If it was any other time he would have dried out the petals or pressed the roses in between a few of his many, many novels because faded blue against ink was a type of image Min loved and what was better than rose mixing with the thick scent of books. It was even prettier when the pages stained with the colour of the flower or imprinted its form into the paper.

Min sat quietly in the apartment long after the fire has died down to contemplate what to do. He didn’t think that his slight rebelling would result in Kim Kai on his doorstep.

And of all the people to send.

Kim Kai!

Why?

Knowing the bastard, he probably volunteered to do so.

Min bit his lip as his mind raced with all the options he had. To sum it up, Min had barely any to begin with.

This spells messy if I don’t go back.

It’s not even home.

In the end, Min gave in and decided.

He picked up his phone and scrolled through his contact list. He breathed raggedly as the dial tone rang through his entire being. It was always one of the most difficult phone calls ever in his life. His eyes caught the pop of blue again and it came from the sofa opposite him.

It was one of the blue roses he missed.

Kai’s stupid rose.

Nay, the rose isn’t stupid. It was the poor rose that stupid Kai had snatched from the vase.

And he broke said vase.

I’m going to strangle him.

After he buys me a new vase, I’ll definitely strangle him.

The call connected and Min was pulled from his musing rant and felt like he forgot how to breathe for a moment.

Of course, there was no greeting or prompt from the other end of the line.

“I’ll come back.”

A pause.

Min knew the other end of the line felt victory. Especially when his voice came out strangled. He was choking on his own pride at that very moment.

“B-But… But… Just give me time.” Min practically pleaded.

“Two days. Or you will be fetched.”

Min shivered at that thought and tried not to imagine being forcibly taken and delivered home. The call ended abruptly and left the blonde feeling awfully defeated.

Min glared at the rose. He doesn’t, for the life of him, remember when Kai had abandoned the flower. Min felt a whole hearted urge to burn that rose. But he couldn’t take his anger out on the defenceless floret.

Well, nothing I can change now.

Maybe Min would have a blue rose to press into his novel after all.

---

Min made his way to the store that night.

His music was cranked a little louder than usual in his car and he drove a little faster than he intended to. His phone screamed atop the music for attention.

Min dropped the volume and slid his finger across the screen for the nth time for the night and sets to loudspeaker with a light tap.

“News just reached me. I heard someone is finally coming home” – a pause – “Boo, Minnie, I thought you were going to make this fun for me. For us. I mean, you didn’t even let it get exciting.”

“You and I have very different ideas of exciting.” Min scoffed.

“I actually was convinced I would have to chase you down and bring you back. Did I scare you too much this evening? I’m dreadfully sorry” – he doesn’t sound apologetic in the least sense – “It was an extreme measure.”

“Extreme?!” Min thundered.

“But since you’ve cut our playtime short, you’re going to have to make it up to me.” Kai continued without being fazed by Min’s outbursts.

“Fuck you, Kim Kai.” Min hissed under his breath.

“Now, now, Minnie. I do believe you have to be nice to me. After all I am the one in charge of making sure the Manor is nice and cozy for you.”

“Cosy?” The blonde felt a little dumbstruck after hearing those words.

“Hmm… I have a feeling you and I are going to spend lots of time together when you get home. I look forward to it.” Kai’s voice had dropped an octave.

Min was thankful that Kai couldn’t see the way he had shuddered – his mind doing the evil thing and imagining what Kai could be possibly talking about, would his voice sound like that too? – But all he could do was snarl as Kai’s husky laugh filled the car and cut the call.

Min pulled over and panicked after the call.

He really shouldn’t be getting so wound up over Kai. He needed to not let the other get under his skin so easily. If it was as easy as said then why was Min sitting in his car, which was parked on the side of the road, while he ran his hands through his hair in a freaked manner?

He needed to get over his mood. He couldn’t linger long in the dark in his car within the Undercity, even if it was early evening. Min knew he had to get to Alice.

His mood soured even further when a dark Chevy Impala cut him off but swerved into the opposite direction of the city as Min took the right turn towards the store.

He shuffled in through the front, instead of the back like he usually does so.

Despite his mucked up mood, the night rolled on like it was normal. He dodged the concerned questions from Alice – she knew something was definitely wrong when he came in smelling faintly of smoke and she had commented on how awfully quiet he was through their shift – and brushed it off as exhaustion.

It was a normal night.

So normal, the night missed the Chevy Impala that usually parked across the parking lot of the store.

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