Winter Hearts

The Shadow

Leo smirked a little as N left the room to speak to Joon. He followed N inside, leaving the door open to chill the room, and walked through to the vestibule. He could see the boys shedding their outer clothing and draping themselves languidly over the living room furniture, already getting comfy.

Joon walked in with Mr Mikhalis, with N by their side. It was obvious that they were already worried about how small the penthouse was for the eight of them. Min Seok came in behind them, rolling in a couple of bags. Leo saw that one was his, so he stepped forward to take it out of Min Seok's hands.

Seokkie smiled gratefully, then realised that he wasn't getting any extra help as Leo disappeared into the room and shut the door behind him. 

They all heard him turn the old-fashioned key in the lock, which screeched with resistance, the metal cold and sticking.

N turned to look at Joon with an expression that said, "I told you so."

Joon turned to Mikhalis and after a moment of hesitation, nodded. Then he asked which two or three people would move to another apartment on a lower floor. Ravi and Hongbin looked at each other and Hyuk. They all turned to Joon as Ravi said, "Ken will join you."

Ken stuck his head in from the balcony, "Did someone say my name?"

Joon waved him over, slinging a short arm around Ken's neck as he pulled him towards the front door. He couldn't quite reach, so what was supposed to be a friendly arm around the shoulder turned into a weird neck-grip.

"We're gonna have a great time," Joon said, smiling at Ken. Ken smiled at the boys as he was dragged out.

Ravi shook his head as Hyuk said, "Like a little lost lamb."

Mikhalis nodded goodbye to N and followed Joon out. They took the stairs down one floor to the apartment next to Siana's.

Mikhalis let them in to a two-bedroom apartment which had a kitchenette next to a cosy living room. The whole apartment was long and skinny and every room faced the sea and street below, although their views were partially obscured by the buildings opposite. Joon let Ken and Min Seok choose their rooms and confirmed some other details with Mikhalis, who then said good night and left them to their own devices.

Mikhalis walked slowly down to his room, wondering about the new guests. Joon had explained to him that they needed privacy and had travelled early as a routine precaution during their private travel sessions. This meant to him that they were under the regular public eye, and by their looks and ease with each other, he was certain they were an idol group.

He wondered if Siana would know who they were. He knew she could be discreet, so he wasn't worried that their privacy would be jeopardised, but it occurred to him that they might possibly see her as a teen fan and consider her a security risk. He would wait to see how things unfolded before doing anything. 

Mikhalis didn't believe in unnecessary actions. He liked to see how things played out. He also felt that the urge to protect people with warnings was sometimes really the urge to interfere, and he didn't see himself as someone who did that.

His reluctance to get involved in every day matters irked his ex-wife, he knew, who took it as apathy or uncaring moral laziness. He sighed. He really couldn't explain himself. Often times his non-action ended up causing problems too. But this was who he was and what he felt was right. And they both didn't want to try to change each other anymore, so their eventual split was pretty amicable, even though old pains still hurt sometimes.

He showered, changed and ate and was about to watch the tv when Siana knocked. They went outside to sit while she ate.

While she ate, he watched her pretty eyes twinkling as she chatted, and silently wished she would always have someone to care for her. He looked up when they heard the balcony doors open above and rested his eyes a moment on the one they had called N. He seemed so self-assured and self-possessed, so in control and yet so pleasant and mindful of everyone else. When Mikhalis was that age, he remembered having none of that confidence, he was practically flailing through life until he met Jenny.

He heard Siana get up suddenly and was surprised she wasn't lingering over their first chat like she usually did. He kissed her goodnight and sat awhile as he listened to the slowly quieting sounds of the night.

He heard her come out onto her balcony and smiled. She loved her little corner, and he often heard her strumming her guitar at night before she went to bed. He heard the sudden scuffle with the chair and asked if she was okay. 

Then she was gone, probably fast asleep from a long day. He eventually stood, stretched and looked up to the clear sky and the stars above. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a dark shadow on the penthouse balcony, but he didn't let on that he saw that person as he finished stretching and went back inside, locking up.

Although he guessed that there was someone there all along, he couldn't be sertain the person was hiding himself, or if, like Siana, he just wanted to be alone on the balcony in the cold night air.

Another quiet soul in this noisy world, he thought, lying down and turning on the tv.