The cold air stung his face. Burning in his lungs with each breath he took.

He cursed himself internally. He should have grabbed his jacket before storming out. It had his wallet and phone.

…no matter.

He should have never let the Major bring him back to Korea.

He should have never let himself get close to the others. He should have stayed that stubborn, cold bastard that he was known for.

Just another reminder of why he needed to be alone.

Even if Jaehyung hadn't said that.

He was going to have to disappear anyway. He didn't want to, but he needed to if he wanted to keep Dayeon and Grandfather safe. Now that his face had been slapped on that article. It was going to be a matter of time before either the government that prosecuted Mad Dog went after him or the numbered who remained went after him.

He was probably going to have to meet up with 006 and 032. Just so they could ride out that wave together and figure out just what in the world they were going to do.

The apartment building was warm, much warmer compared to the almost freezing temperatures Ijin had been running in for the past 30 minutes. Still, he rubbed his arms as he walked up to their apartment, trying to warm up a little bit more before he walked into their home.

"-Jin wouldn't do that!"

He froze, his hand frozen above the doorhandle.

"Maybe it's a misunderstanding Grandfather!"

His stomach churned dangerously. Quickly becoming painful in a way that he hadn't felt before that day.

"How can it be a misunderstanding Dayeon!" his grandfather's voice was full of sorrow, almost sharp," there's no other way to take this!"

His eyes stung.

"It has to be Grandfather!" Dayeon sounded just as sad as Grandfather," There's no way Ijin would do that!"

"You've seen his scars Dayeon!"

He winced.

It had been an accident he had let them see the scars on his arms. But with their encouragement, he realized that he didn't have to hide his arms when he was with them. Sure they asked some questions about the occasional scar, but they had never looked down on him for it.

"Where else could he get them!?"

God that was such a mistake.

Returning to Korea was such a mistake.

He turned around, walking back to the stairway that he had just exited from.

He needed to disappear anyway.

By the time he realized his feet were taking him somewhere he wasn't entirely aware of.

He was already standing right outside the door, his finger pressing down on the doorbell.

Was this really a good idea?

There was the sound of foot thumping against the floor, the sound of something being hit before falling to the ground, before being accompanied by the sound of curses.

He sounded mad.

This was a bad idea.

The door flung open and he was being yanked inside.

"God get in here you fucking idiot! Do you have any idea how long I've been cal- you're freezing! We-were you walking around like that all this time?! Fuck just stay here! Don't you fucking dare and move Ijin I swear to god!"

He shivered from his position on the couch, barely realizing that he was trembling after being out in the cold for so long.

Kang ran back to him, dumping a bundle of blankets onto him," You're such a moron," Kang muttered under his breath, quickly, but tenderly wrapping Ijin in the blankets. He finally realized that Ijin was not looking at him.

Yes, Ijin was looking at him, but he wasn't looking.

" Hey, Ijin," He put his hand on Ijin's shaking shoulder, feeling a little bit relieved when the teenager focused on him," Breath for me man, its okay."

Ijin paused, and Kang couldn't tell if that was a nod or a shiver before the teenager took in a shaky breath, quickly finding a rhythm that was less concerning.

It was better, but it still wasn't good.

He kept on wrapping up the teenager with blankets until he had no more blankets to wrap. Then he went to his kitchen to make a hot cup of coffee to at least warm up the kid's fingers.

He had to snap his fingers in front of Ijin's eyes just so he could get the kid to grab onto the mug.

For a few minutes, the only thing they did was sit. Major Kang pulled the trembling Ijin into his side to help warm him up. Ijin holding onto the warm mug as he leaned into the Major's side.

"I'm not mad at you." Major Kang said suddenly, and he felt Ijin tense up next to him. To keep him still, he put a grounding hand onto Ijin's head, tussling the boy's hair in a way he knew that would relax the boy," I know what happens to kids in the area. I know you didn't have a lot of choices. But you should have told me."

Ijin swallowed hard enough for Kang to hear him, and he had yet to relax since the conversation started," I'm…sorry…"

Kang sighed heavily," Its fine." He pulled Ijin's head so their heads were bumping together," What happened? Why didn't you answer your phone?"

Ijin swallowed loudly again," My… my friends saw the article…They were upset. I walked back home and I over heard grandfather and Dayeon arguing about it…then I came here…"

God, just hearing what happened made his stomach twist and turn.

"Why does it hurt?"

"You're hurt?" Kang sat up straighter, and gave Ijin his full attention as he tried to find whatever was hurting him," What happened? Where does it hurt?"

Ijin slowly shook his head, his eyes staring down at the mug as his hand went up and grab his chest," I didn't get injured but…it hurts."

And that's when it clicked.

Ijin had been so emotionally hurt, that his body was turning it into physical pain. Physical pain that Major Kang was far too familiar with, that he had felt more than once throughout his life.

Whatever they had told him, whatever his friends and family had said, truly hurt Ijin.

"Oh," Placing the mug onto the table, he pulled Ijin into a tight and unforgiving hug," I'm sorry kid." At last, Ijin relaxed, and ever so hesitantly wrapped his arms around the Major. Faltering for a second before he held on just as tight.

"C-can I stay here?"

He frowned at the way Ijin stuttered, as well as the question," You need to go talk with your family Ijin."

Ijin frantically shook his head, and changed his position where he was burying his face into his shoulder," T-they're going to h-hunt me down," Ijin started shaking even harder," I-I-I'll-I can't." The teenager started to breathe faster

"Ijin?"

"I put-I put them-them."

Something was overwhelmingly wrong.

He forced Ijin to let go, and after years of working in the military as a leader, he identified the beginning signs of a panic attack within seconds. His eyes were unfocused as tears poured, and his breathing was starting to pick up pace concerningly fast.

Pushing Ijin's head down (It was even more concerning when Ijin didn't resist), he held onto Ijin as he gently ordered him" Breathe Ijin. Breathe," It was difficult keeping his voice calm and level," Its okay. I won't let anything happen to them." He cut off Ijin when he tried to speak again," Just breath Ijin. Please."

Just the fact that whatever they told the kid disrupted him to this degree, made all sorts of negative emotions dwell in him. That their words had managed to cause Ijin to lose the iron grip he had on his emotions.

With him guiding Ijin's breathing and grounding the kid back to reality, he was able to calm Ijin down before he got any worse.

But it left Ijin absolutely exhausted, leaning heavily onto the Major as he stared blankly at the floor.

He sniffled, and wiped away his tears with the heel of his palm," I just put them in danger."

Even he had to admit that Ijin was right.

He had seen the deserter status they had put onto his picture. And if Ijin was reacting like this, he knew that the organization must have had some type of policy where only through death could they leave the organization.

"I should have never come back."

Despite the fact that Ijin had whispered it to himself, in the quiet apartment, Kang could clearly hear the disgust and self-loathing that were practically dripping from his words.

"Don't say that," he admonished firmly, swatting Ijin's arm as he did so," I'll figure something out, but don't say that. Tell me what you need and I'll go get it. Write a letter to your grandfather and sister, explaining what happened since it'll have to be a quick trip. Do you want me to tell your friends anything?"

Ijin didn't respond.

"Ijin?" There was a tone of concern in his voice now.

Again, the teenager in his arms didn't respond.

Craning his head, he tried to get a look at Ijin's face, worried that his mental state had caused something again.

Utterly exhausted, Ijin was leaning his head against his shoulder, fresh tear tracks shining bright on his cheeks as he slept.

He huffed.

Most of the time, it would have been endearing. But at the moment, it was just heartbreaking.

Waiting long enough for the teenagers breathing to deepen further before he moved him. The teenager was far too old for him to pick up, so slowly, he maneuvered Ijin onto the couch where he was lying down with a mound of blankets on top of him.

It was moments like these where it was obvious that despite his experience.

Ijin was still a teenager, a teenager that had grown up in a place that neglected all of his emotional, mental and physical needs.

He ruffled Ijin's silver hair.

"Sleep well kid."