Broken Slippers
EighteenthBroken Slippers
At the downtown of city, a child was holding a bag filled with materials for shoe shining. He looks around for people who has dirty shoes, he spots a pair of shoes as he asks the stranger for service. The stranger sits on the hand-made chair as the owl-eyed boy kneels on his knees to do his business.
At the age of 7, Do Kyungsoo, a receiver, was a shoe-shine boy. In the morning, he would always be wandering downtown to look for customers. Even though he earns a few amount of bills, he doesn't spend it for himself but spend it for his brother's needs.
It was almost 6pm and the boy decided to call it a day, Kyungsoo was wearing a worn out shirt, dirty shorts and broken slippers. The boy was so busy to provide for his brothers that he forgot to provide himself. He didn't care though, seeing his brothers' happy is his happiness. As Kyungsoo passed by a luxurious restaurant, he can't help but stop and gaze at the lucky people who were eating meals that were more expensive than his life. He sees a tan child, as the same with his age, eating happily while his parents are with him. He wears expensive branded clothing, nice shiny leather shoes, and there were lots of toys lying beside him.
'He's so lucky...'
He was the type of kid that Kyungsoo will never will be. And that was the truth.
His stomach lets out a sound, meaning he was hungry. He haven't eaten all day and just ate one half of bread, his bread was cut in half when he saw a child starving, besides being poor, Kyungsoo shared what he has.
Then there was man who came out of the restaurant, "Brat! Get away from my restuarant! You're scaring my customers, you poor peasant!" The manager of the restaurant says at Kyungsoo's direction.
Kyungsoo runs away as fast as he can, when he ran far enough. He looks behind, checking if the man followed him. Luckily, he did not.
Kyungsoo sighs in relief, he looks down from the ground, noticing that his other slipper had slip out of his foot. He must have left it from the restaurant.
He wants go get the slipper back, thinking that he doesn't have money to buy another pair of slippers. But he doesn't want to get back either, he was afraid that maybe the staff will throw both his shoes at him or worst call the securities. -His final decision was walking barefooted instead.
Kyungsoo takes the path home, ignoring the cold breezes that touches his delicate skin.
Kim Jongin, 6 years of age, an acceptor, was seated in between his parents.
The child was looking bored as always. Not even the toys that were bought from Canada pleases him. His parents, as always, was talking about business which Jongin doesn't understand at all. But his father keeps telling him that soon he'll be the owner of their company.
Jongin moves his head to side and notice a boy staring at his direction. The boy was poor and dirty compared to Jongin. Making the tanned boy think, 'doesn't he take a bath? Why is his clothes so dirty?'
He notices the boy had owl-like eyes, which Jongin thought was weird but cute.
'Why is he looking at my way?'
The child outside was just standing there. Looking at his way, to busy to even realize Jongin was looking back.
'He's looking at my boring toys.'
Then Jongin's mother notices that his son was looking at something, or someone. When the lady in he 20's follows Jongin's gaze. She notices a poor child through the window, her face turned to a expression into pure disgust. She will not allow her son to see such a hindrance. She calls the staff, luckily the manager passes by as she calls his attention. She tells the manager to shoo away the dirty child looking at his Jongin. Jongin's mother doesn't want his son's innocence to be stained by such a low-life being. The manager then glares at the poor child's way as he storms out his way to shoo the poor boy.
Jongin shortly looks at his mom's way-missing the manager storming out and throwing his shoe at the poor child, only finding his mother smiling.
"Jongin-ah, if you don't like your meal. We can always order another one."
Jongin only nods, looking down his meal, before bringing his gaze back at the window where the owl-eyed child was.
'Where did he go? I was planning to give him my boring toys... Oh well'
Jongin brings his hands to his utensils as he starts eating his favorite, fried chicken. When they finished eating, they took their time before standing up, leaving a large amount of tip on the table, then they left the restaurant.
While walking towards their luxurious car, Jongin notices a single broken slipper lying down in front of the restaurant from where the boy earlier was standing.
'He must have left it.'
Jongin secretly picks it up when his mother turns around for a second to see if his father was done paying the bills inside the restaurant. Jongin places the broken slipper inside of his bag along with his boring toys. As he acts like nothing happened when his mother turned back to look at Jongin.
"You're father might take a while, Jongin-ah."
Jongin nods his head, in a good two minutes, his father came out of the building. They entered their personal car as his father sat on the driver's seat, his mother on the passenger seat, and Jongin alone on the back. While they take the road home, he sees a familiar boy walking alone on the dark streets.
"Father, stop the car please."
"Why son?"
"I'll just give something back to someone."
"Hurry up."
As his father parks the car at the side, Jongin hops out the car and finds the owl-eyed boy still walking like a walking corpse.
"Yah! You!"
That made the poor boy freeze on his spot. Jongin runs to his side then takes his bag off his shoulder.
The boy's eyes were so wide while staring at Jongin. Jongin finds it cute and adorable.
"Here, take it."
Silence.
"I'm Jongin. How about you?"
"Are... Are you really talking to me?"
Kyungsoo cannot believe someone like Jongin was even considering his presence. Kyungsoo even blinked his huge eyes a couple of seconds before telling himself that maybe his eyes were joking on him.
"You're the only person in front of me. So yeah."
Kyungsoo reaches to get the bag shyly, he opens the bag, seeing what is inside the bag.
'Toys.... And my slipper!'
Kyungsoo's eyes brightens when he saw his slipper inside the, "My slipper... You found it... Thankyou so much..." As Kyungsoo performed a 90 degree bow.
The tanned boy smiles and brushes his brown soft hair with his fingers, "I just want to help you."
"But... Jongin-ah," Kyungsoo grabs his broken slipper inside the bag as he gives the whole bag filled with toys to Jongin, "I don't need this. This are too expensive to be used by someone like me."
"What are you talking about? You are more valuable than lifeless things. Have it."
"Jongin!" His mother calls out at the car window, "Hurry up Jongin-ah!"
"My mother's calling me, bye Kyungsoo-ah."
Kyungsoo nods, as Jongin starts walking away, Kyungsoo wears his slipper back at its rightful place as he smiles.
'Not everyone in the world are mean and selfish. There's a few who cared.'
He starts to walk his way again when he feel something soft placed on his shoulders.
"Kyungsoo-ah, its cold tonight! Take my jacket!"
Before Kyungsoo could even respond, Jongin runs off back to his car in a rush,"Also Kyungsoo-ah! Take a bath! You look so dirty! Byebye!"
After saying that, Jongin's car started to drive away. Kyungsoo was left speechless.
The jacket, by the looks of it, it was expensive and exported from a different country. It even has a brand name which Kyungsoo doesn't even know.
Kyungsoo wears it, as his shivering stops, only to be replaced by a warm feeling at his skin and his heart. Also smelling Jongin's baby cologn scent in the jacket. A blush appears on his cute cheeks as he smiles with his plump heart-shaped lips.
From that day, Kyungsoo will never forget Jongin's name and kindness. It will be forever stuck in his heart.
"Kyungsoo hyung!"
Kim Minseok, 5 years old, rushes to the door as he hugs Kyungsoo's leg. Kyungsoo smiles brightly, as he hugs Minseok in his arms.
"Where's your brothers, Minseokkie?"
"Bacon and Panda are sleeping~ shh..." Minseok places his small finger on his lips signaling Kyungsoo to be quiet. Kyungsoo nods at the cute-cheeked boy as the two boys goes inside their small shared room.
Byun Baekhyun, 4 years old, a receiver, was sleeping while embracing with the youngest Huang Zitao, 3 years old, also a receiver. Kyungsoo smiles at the sight as he quietly takes a seat beside the two hugging figures.
"Bacon and Panda are sleeping for one hour. They're so cute." Minseok says smiling at his brothers.
"Why won't you sleep with them Minseokkie?"
"Minseokkie thinks it's better to wait for Kyungsoo hyung."
"Wah! You're so adorable~" Kyungsoo gives the small boy a bone crushing hug as Minseok giggles returning the favor. Despite being blood related only to their mother, they love each other truly. The youngest of the family depends to their hyungs too much, but the hyungs weren't complaining, they even love it.
"Kyungsoo, Minseok,"
Kim Junmyeon, 6 years old, a receiver, was standing by the door frame. Smiling tiredly to his brothers, "I bought us dinner."
Minseok jumps out of Kyungsoo's embrace as it was Junmyeon's turn for a hug. Junmyeon welcomes the boy with open arms as he lifts Minseok from the ground.
"My Baozi is hungry, isn't he?" Minseok nods happily, "Minseokkie is huuunngggrryyy." As his stomach growls in the process. Kyungsoo and Junmyeon laughs making the two youngest stir in their sleep.
"Owl hyung?" Baekhyun wakes up from his sleep, shaking his small body out of Zitao's tight embrace, "Owl hyung!" Baekhyun jumps from the bed as he hugs Kyungsoo around the neck.
"Baekhyunnie, I have something for you."
Kyungsoo takes the bag filled with toys and gives it to Baekhyun. Baekhyun looks at the heavy brown bag as he observes the bag, touching it, he peeks inside, as his eyes widens.
"T-Toys! Panda! Panda! Toys!" Zitao mewls cutely in his sleep before sitting up, pouting at Baekhyun's way.
"Hyung, Panda is sleeping!" Baekhyun ignores what Zitao's says as he shows the expensive-looking toys to the half-awake panda.
"Rilakkuma bear! Toy car!" Zitao squeals with a high tone as he hugs Baekhyun then touches the toys starting to play with them.
"Owl hyung gave it to us!" Zitao looks at Kyungsoo's way, then smiles widely.
"Thankyou Owly hyung!" Zitao jumps from his spot, as he hugs Kyungsoo with a peck on his cheek.
"Our Panda is very happy today. Can hyung play with Bacon and Panda?" Junmyeon says as he joins the group, "Angel hyung can join whenever he wants!" Baekhyun says, his signature eye smile made Junmyeon hug the boy.
"Me too!" Minseok jumps on Junmyeon's lap as the five boys cuddle and giggle while playing.
"I miss dear hyung..." Zitao says out of the blue, making the four eldest stop in their place, the giggles and smiles died down.
"Dear... Hyung? Baekhyunnie misses dear hyung too... When will dear hyung come back owl hyung? Angel hyung?"
Minseok starts to get teary, "Minseokkie misses lulu hyung too..."
"H-He will come back, someday, dongsaengs..." Kyungsoo looks at the three youngest,"but Kyungsoo hyung will be here for you, Kyungsoo hyung won't leave baozi, bacon or panda."
"Promise?" Zitao says in between soft sobs.
Kyungsoo smiles as Suho breaks down beside him.
"I promise."
'Where are you, Luhan hyung?'
Finish with chapter one! While writing this i just envied Kyungsoo a lot! Wah~ don't worry Kyungsoo-ah, soon, pretty soon. I also brought Luhan to a place, which you'll know in the next chapter! I hope you enjoyed reading the story even if you saw wrong spellings, grammars, any disturbing mistakes- i apologize. I love all my readers! So its your choice if you want to subscribe, upvote, or simply comment will make me happy! I love you all chingus!
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