Joon Jae-The Terrified Kid

The child looked terrified. He was caught sneaking in after all. Taewon's face fumed with fury. I never saw him that angry.

He took the kid by the arm and dragged him out.

'Taewon,' I called out. He ignored me and kept on dragging the kid till they reached the living room. Jan and I followed.

'Taewon hyung, calm down,' Jan pleaded. Taewon held up a hand to silence him.

'What are you doing here?' Taewon asked quietly. Anger was seething out of his tone and I could tell it took him all his willpower to stay calm.

'I-I f-followed Mona to a tunnel,' the boy stuttered. 'It led me here.'

The tunnel...

'Didn't your mother teach you not to enter another person's house uninvited?' Taewon shouted at the child, shaking him violently. The child jumped in fear, his eyes starting to water.

'Taewon...' I gripped his hand.

'Joonjae don't try to stop me this time,' Taewon turned on me. 'This brat sneaked into our house! I told you that girl is using this kid to spy on us. She must have sent him here.'

'Taewon,' I said quietly. 'You do know that we are the ones who built that tunnel underneath? It was our fault for not blocking it up.'

'Tunnel or not, the fact remains that this kid intruded into our house,' Taewon shot back. 'You just don't barge into another person's house uninvited.'

Taewon rounded back on the kid. The child was trembling under his gaze.

'Your mother sent you here didn't she?' he asked harshly.

'No!' he said defiantly. 'I only followed Mona.'

'Hyung, you're scaring the kid!' Jan exclaimed.

'Oh and your mom just let you randomly follow a dog to another person's house?'

'Mee isn't home,' the kid cried. His tears were falling. He was bawling loudly. 'M-m-mee had to go out and left m-m-me with a b-b-babysitter. But the ahjumma left early to do some work and I was left a-a-all a-a-alone.'

He was crying louder. Taewon was taken aback.

'What-' he started but I cut across him.

'Let me handle this,' I said quietly. Taewon started to protest but Jan held him back.

'Hyung, please,' Jan said. 'The kid is scared. Don't make it worse.'

Taewon looked irritated.

'Fine,' he conceded. 'Joonjae go ahead.'

I knelt down and stroked the boy's head.

'Hi,' I said in English. 'Remember me?'