Chapter Five: Discussions

"Are you sure?" Lee whispered in the darkness outside his friend's bedroom.

"Yeah, yeah, Lee. Gods, you're such a worrywart, da ze," whispered back Yong Soo. "I just wanna get in there before Yao-hyung realizes I'm gone, okay?"

Lee nods. "Okay. Goodnight, Yong Soo."

"Goodnight, Lee!"

Lee nodded again and climbed on his bike, turning once to wave his friend.

Yong Soo grinned and energetically waved goodbye as he friend slowly disappeared into the darkness. The moment Lee was gone, however, the smile slipped off the Korean's face like it had never been there to begin with. Sighing to himself, he carefully opened the window, wincing when it creaked slightly, and climbed through.

"What were you doing out so late?"

"Eh?" Yong Soo spun around quickly, almost tripping over his own feet in the process, to see his brother Kiku sitting on the bed, his hands folded neatly in his lap.

"Well?" Kiku prompted quietly, not wanting to wake their older brother sleeping in the other room.

"Tch, that's really none of your business, Kiku-hyung," Yong Soo huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. He turned back around and looked out the window. "Guess you're gonna tell Yao-hyung I snuck out, huh?"

"No."

"What?" Yong Soo gasped and faced his brother again. "But- I thought- why?"

Kiku frowned slightly and looked down at his hands. "I feel that Yao-niisan was being unfair to you. We both know he has a tendency to... overreact. Besides," He looked up again and gave Yong Soo a small smile. "What's a big brother for?"

Yong Soo stood there by his still-open window, unable to think of a way to respond. Since when was Kiku so… cool? He and Kiku had never really gotten along. It had been that way ever since Yong Soo could remember, though when he looked back on it, he didn't really know why. Kiku was just... everything Yong Soo wasn't, or so Yao liked to remind him.

"Uh, wow… thanks, Kiku-hyung." He flopped down on the bed next to Kiku and stared up at the ceiling. "I don't, I don't know what to say."

"Is something bothering you? You seem awfully subdued," Kiku leaned over his younger brother, concern painting his features.

"Nah, it's nothing, Kiku-hyung." Yong Soo shook his head. "Just tired. In fact," Yong Soo crawled to the head of his bed and shimmied under the covers. "I think I'm just gonna go to bed, kay?" He smiled and pulled the covers up to his nose. "Goodnight, Kiku-hyung."

The Japanese boy nodded and smiled softly at his brother, feeling nostalgic. This was how Yong Soo acted when he was little, back before they started fighting. He never really understood Yong Soo. Sometimes he acted like he hated him, and sometimes it seemed he was trying to emulate him. Either way, it was much easier back when he was just a particularly hyper toddler. "Very well. Goodnight, Yong Soo."

"Hey, Kiku-hyung?"

"Yes, Yong Soo?"

"Have you… have you ever been mistaken for Yao-hyung?" The voice that asked this was quiet, meek, and not like Yong Soo at all.

"Why do you ask?" Kiku searched his brother's face for clues, but Yong Soo refused to meet his eyes.

"N-never mind. Goodnight Kiku-hyung!" He dove under the covers and reached his hand out to wave at his brother.

Kiku paused for a moment, not sure if he should drop the subject, but in the end he only nodded. "Okay. But if you need to talk, Yong Soo-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Yong Soo waved the outstretched hand dismissingly. "I'll have my people call your people, okay?"

Kiku sighed. "Okay, Yong Soo."

It was only after he heard the door open and click shut again that Yong Soo emerged from under the blankets. He didn't know why he asked Kiku that. No matter what his answer had been, it wouldn't have really mattered to Yong Soo. He wasn't even really sure why it was bothering him. He had never been mistaken for Yao before, but if he had, he thought he would have been flattered. He would've taken it as a compliment. "Yao-hyung's pretty amazing after all," He muttered to himself.

So then why was he so upset?

"I wish I had never gone out in the first place."

-o-o-o-

Ivan watched the two boys on the bicycle until they rounded a corner and he couldn't see them anymore. He didn't understand what just happened. Yong Soo got so quiet. And then when his friend arrived... Everything was just all wrong. The way Yong Soo talked, the way he laughed; Ivan could tell it was all faked. Yong Soo obviously didn't have much experience pretending to be happy.

Ivan sighed and looked at the place where Yong Soo had been standing moments before and then back at the door. He could hear the party still going on strong inside, but he didn't feel like joining them. After all, he didn't really want to go in the first place, Yong Soo did.

A couple a guests walked out, laughing, and Ivan plastered on a fake smile. There was nothing wrong. Nothing. Still smiling, he made his way back to his dorm.

He ignored everyone on his walk home, not that anyone tried to talk to him. Unfortunately, the door to the dorm was locked when he got there and he didn't have a key. Resisting the urge to just break the damn door down, Ivan knocked loudly. "Toris, open door!" He called.

He continued to knock until he heard the lock click. A brunette in baggy flannel pajamas opened the door and rubbed his eyes sleepily. "Ivan? What's going on?"

"Forgot key."

"Oh, okay." Toris stepped aside to let the other boy in. "Uh, Ivan?"

"Vhat?"

"I-is something the matter? You seem upset."

"Vhat? I am not upset. Everything is fine, Toris."

Toris frowned and fidgeted, looking down at his feet. "You can talk to me, you know. I'm your roommate after all."

"Is nothing. A friend got upset vith me. Vas misunderstanding."

"H-huh? Who? Was it Yao again?"

"Nyet. Vas not Yao. It vas Yong Soo."

Toris opened his mouth and then closed it again. Yong Soo? He racked his brain, but didn't come up with anything. He'd never heard that name before. Seriously though, what was Ivan fascination with Asians? First Yao and now a kid named Yong Soo? Plus he was always fighting with Kiku. "Um, well... why don't you tell me what happened?" Toris sat on the couch and did his best not to sound like a psychologist, despite his major. "I-if you want to, that is."

"Ve vere at party. Annoying blonde vas dancing vith Yong Soo. I tried to get Yong Soo to leave vith me, but blonde told me to go avay." Ivan's smile had long left his face as he remembered what happened. "I told him to leave Yao alone."

"Yao?"

"Da."

"But... oh."

"Da. Yong Soo left. Called friend to pick him up. He vouldn't talk to me."

"I'm sure he'll calm down, Ivan. Just talk to him tomorrow, apologize."

"Apologize?"

"Y-yeah. It was just a misunderstanding, right? I'm sure he'll understand that."

Ivan hummed happily. "Da. Vill be fine. Spasiba, Toris."

Toris laughed uncomfortably. "Y-yeah. No problem, Ivan. It's what I'm here for."

-o-o-o-

A/N: And another chapter! I felt I owed it to you after neglecting you guys for so long. Anyway! Sorry it's kind of a talky chapter. Plot development and all, you know.

Oh! And upon reading my other chapters, I realized that the breaks I had put in between POV shifts and whatnot weren't there. ^^; I tried something different this time so hopefully they'll show up.