2006, Osaka

 

16 year old Lee Minhyuk couldn't stop a smile forming on his handsome face when Ukwon swung perfectly from the bar, landing far too lightly and graciously for a boy his weight. Ukwon shot him a cheeky wink as he twisted his body in mid-air, coming to rest on the ground by his toes. Breathing slightly heavily, Ukwon pulled the towel Minhyuk just conjured out of nowhere towards him.

 

"You work too hard," Minhyuk said softly, tousling Kwon's sweaty tresses. 

"And you don't work at all," the younger one retorted and he wiped the sweat of his arms.

 

Minhyuk smirked and turned to walk out of the tent, knowing Ukwon would follow him out. Ukwon follows him everywhere. 

 

For fourteen years, Minhyuk had been a more than a brother to Ukwon. He had been there when Ukwon's blood had been dripped into the flame and he had been there for Ukwon everyday after. He comforted Ukwon during bad breaks and strains and when he was old enough, he healed him straight after a dislocation or a fracture.

 

But Minhyuk wasn't merely a brother to Ukwon, he was someone the latter looked up to. Minhyuk did things no other person could do. He could make the room spin with minimal effort, he could turn flame to ice and ice to flame. He could do all sorts of things Ukwon only dreamed he could do. To Ukwon, Minhyuk was the only person he could rely on.

 

Of course, they had other friends as well. There was Jaehyo, the son of the beautiful contortionist. Taeil, the one with the magical voice. Zico and Kyung. Different but the same. And then there was Jihoon, the babyish one who could read people. But what Minhyuk and Ukwon had was something none of them could put into words.

 

"Shall we go out?" Ukwon grinned impishly as he stripped his unitard off to put on some proper clothes. Minhyuk averted his eyes, choosing to make the walls of Ukwon's tent morph to a brilliant gold. "I can't," he said simply. "I have to practice."

 

"Oh so you do practice," Ukwon teased. Minhyuk tilted his head but said nothing.

 

"Oh come on, I've never been to Osaka. And besides, no one will recognize us without the masks. I want to see the cherry blossoms!" The younger whined. 

 

"Kwonnie, you know I've never been here either. Do they even have cherry blossoms here?" Minhyuk sighed. "And I really can't go. Dad'll kill me. He said its dangerous and can taint what I do."

 

"You mean your powers," Ukwon said sourly. Immediately the walls of his room turned a bloody red. They were on the subject again.

 

"For the last time. They're not powers. Anyone can do this with a bit of study," Minhyuk growled, annoyed. It was Ukwon's turn to remain silent. 

 

Minhyuk moaned and clutched at his hair. When Ukwon didn't have a retort for him, it usually meant he was too angry to speak. "Kwonnie.." He started pacifyingly.

 

"Don't," Ukwon said curtly. "I'll be with Zico. Don't look for me."

 

Turning on his black glossy biker boots, Ukwon strode out of the room. Swearing under his breath, he turned the tent back to its original shade of black. Minhyuk's abilities had always been the subject of Ukwon's envy. He claimed that if only he had Minhyuk's powers, he would never have to exert himself as an acrobat again. 

 

When Minhyuk said he wasn't born with them but was taught secrets of the trade, Ukwon had wanted to learn them. He declined at first, but after many tantrums, tears, shouting matches and "I don't want to talk to you ever again"s, he relented. Ukwon could barely make his fingernails grow when Minhyuk's father caught him and gave him a punishment he would never forget. He still had the scars that he could never heal all over his back. 

 

Scowling slightly, Minhyuk walked out of the tent, tying the straps back together. The members of the circus had tents to themselves when they were not performing and they were always tied, so patrons would know not to enter. 

 

Minhyuk watched with sickening regret as Zico slung his arm around Ukwon and walked away, not before shooting a wink in his direction. His stomach started to clench. He didn't know why but Ukwon always made him feel this way when he left. 

 

He'll be alright, Minhyuk tried to calm himself. He'll be with Zico and Kyung.

 

-

 

Three hours later, Minhyuk was raging outside Ukwon's tent. A few minutes ago, Zico and Kyung had arrived at the gates, screaming bloody murder about how they needed help. Nobody thought anything of it at first for Zico and Kyung were always screaming. It wasn't until one of the animal tamers saw Ukwon slumped in their arms that they knew there was trouble. 

 

People being sick was news to the circus. Within minutes, a crowd was already gathered outside Ukwon's tent as Minhyuk's father and a healer worked on Ukwon. The circus members were hardly ever sick. The binding magic of the circus prevented them from being so.

 

"What the hell happened?" He snarled at Kyung who cowered behind Zico. Zico shot Minhyuk a nasty look. 

 

"He was angry and upset so we thought we'd take him further. We took the bus for about an hour, when we reached this little village and we went to see the blossoms. A few minutes later he wasn't feeling so hot so we sat down to rest. Then he started having a nosebleed and he collapsed," Zico explained. 

 

"I-I-it was pretty weird," Kyung stammered.

 

Taeil put a restraining arm around Minhyuk's shoulders which took a lot of effort considering his short stature. "Why? You've been out before," Taeil questioned.

 

"Yeah, but this time it was different. When Ukwon fainted, we both didn't feel so good either. That's why it took us longer to get home. Zico's asthma kept acting up and I couldn't support both of them on my own," Kyung mumbled pitifully. 

 

Minhyuk's expression softened. "But you're okay now?" He asked the duo. It was only know he noticed both their sickly faces. 

 

"Yeah," Zico said as he took a deep breath. He took a few steps towards Taeil and Minhyuk. "It was really weird though. When we stepped in the gates, it was like this weight being lifted off our chest. It got easier to breathe."

 

Minhyuk stared at Zico calculatingly for a few moments. He nodded and said, "Don't go out anymore when we're here. Go in and rest with Kyung. I'll send someone if Kwon wakes up. Don't tell anyone else about this. And I really mean anyone."

 

When both Zico and Kyung left, Taeil mumbled worriedly, "That sounds bad. You think it's going to get worse?"

 

Minhyuk sighed as he turned back towards Ukwon's closed tent. "It's bound to be."

 

-

 

Hey guys so I'm still having my exams. One more week till its over! Should be able to properly update after then:)

 

Thanks to all my subscribers as well:)