“Hongbin-oppa, please…”

 

“I’m sorry… but I can’t accept your feelings.”

 

Hongbin watched the crying girl before him, feeling very awkward and uncomfortable. He barely even recognized her, had never even spoken to the girl before, only passing the other second year occasionally between class changes, but she was crying as if he had just broken her heart.

 

“Why won’t you accept me? Please, just one date...” she begged, moving to clutch at his blazer.

 

Hongbin took a step back, eyes wide with surprise. “No. I can’t. You see… there’s someone else.”

 

The girl before him sniffled, wiping her eyes and frowning at him. “Someone else… It’s that Jeon Chaeyeong girl, right. Oppa, that girl isn’t –”

 

“Hongbin,” a deep voice called, cutting the girl off.

 

Ravi watched them with storm filled eyes, scowling at the sight of the confession. “We have to go. Come on.”

 

Hongbin pressed his lips together into a thin line, not liking the look on the elder’s face. He glanced at the girl again, no longer feeling so bad for her since she had almost insulted Chae unfairly. “Sorry. I have to go.”

 

Before she could protest, Hongbin stalked off after Ravi, who did not seem inclined to wait for him and was walking ahead at a much faster pace than Hongbin.

 

They were meant to be joining the rest of the boys at the entrance to the school when Hongbin had been pulled aside by the second year girl who wanted to date him. Now, he and Ravi would have to hurry to meet the others as they wished N good luck on his first day of work. The eldest boy had landed a spot at an ice cream parlor in the classier part of the city, away from the shady area that they lived in. It would take N a bus trip to get there, so he would have to hurry to avoid being late.

 

Hongbin moved faster, breaking into a jog to catch up with Ravi.

 

The older boy ignored him.

 

Ravi’s jealousy was annoying to deal with, the elder easily taken by the emotion and never quick to let it go. Even after months, Ravi was still antagonistic towards Jeon Chae, who never even flirted with Hongbin – how long Ravi would be upset that someone actually asked Hongbin out would be impossible to tell.

 

Objectively, Hongbin could understand some of his lover’s ire. Hongbin could get jealous too – all of the boys were good-looking. None of them were ‘out’ per say, apart from N and Leo to Chae, so they all appeared attractively available. All their lives, they never had to be jealous of one another, trusting in each other and being open about their love.

 

None of them had cared for Saetbyeol in the slightest, making her a threat only to their health and not their romance.

 

Now, surrounded by so many new and interesting people, it would be easy for their heads to turn with interest.

 

Even their Hyuk had become caught up in the novelty of it all, developing a little crush on Jeon Chaeyeong.

 

It had earned the poor girl Ravi’s anger through no fault of her own except for being kind and sincere to Hyuk.

 

Hongbin could not blame the poor kid – Jeon Chae was as cute as a baby bunny and sweeter than sugar. Hyuk never stood a chance against those wide eyes and chubby cheeks, let alone the kindness that came with it. Chae was the first girl Hyuk had encountered that was truly kind and attentive to him, and the boy did find girls attractive, despite only having boyfriends. He was curious about the opposite and developed a slight crush on the older girl.

 

But a crush was just that – a crush.

 

Hyuk was not jumping into Chaeyeong’s arms and confessing his love – and Hongbin was confident enough in their maknae to trust him not to cheat.

 

To think that Ravi did not trust them the same way – it hurt.

 

Hongbin watched his angry lover’s back with careful eyes, taking in his drawn shoulders and tense posture.

 

Ravi was sincerely angry with Hongbin and the younger felt it safer to just let him have some time and space to blow steam off instead of approaching him now and starting a fight between the two of them.

 

He followed after Ravi silently until they arrived at the gate, schooling his features into an appropriately happy expression to greet N with.

 

The eldest boy worried about all of them enough as it was. He did not need to go off to his first day of work with his mind stuck on them and their fighting.

 

“Hyung~” Hongbin sang brightly, prancing over to the other boys and engulfing N in a bear hug. “Do good today! And don’t pull that cutesy act of yours – you don’t want to get fired on your first day.”

 

N karate chopped at his neck, scowling. “You brat! Go get a job yourself!”

 

Hongbin squirmed closer, burying his face in N’s neck. “Hyung, have a good day, yeah? Love you.”

 

N softened in his arms, hugging the younger man back. “Aww, Hongbinnie~” he cooed, petting Hongbin’s hair. “So cute and sweet. I love you, too.”

 

Hongbin passed N off to Ravi, dumping their eldest lover into the younger’s arms to startle him out of his angry mood for a moment. As usual, Ravi crumpled beneath the force of love and allowed himself to have a sweet moment with N while Hongbin ran away to hide behind Hyuk.

 

Ravi was still sore with the maknae, so Hongbin had at least one person to sympathize with him.

 

Hyuk quirked an eyebrow at Hongbin, turning to glance at Ravi a moment, and then exchanging a look with Hongbin. The elder made a face.

 

Hyuk nodded in understanding.

 

He totally understood.

 

Hyuk watched the hyungs with his mouth twisted into a frown.

 

They all claimed that they were fine, but Hongbin and Ravi had definitely taken sides within their motel room. Instead of laying all over each other like they usually liked to do, they were each lounging around on separate beds, facing away from one another with the eldest two hyungs held ‘hostage’ to their sides.

 

From his place at Ravi’s side, Leo shared an exasperated look with N, who was bent over Hongbin’s books with the second year, helping him ‘study’. Not that Hongbin seemed to be taking in very much information, as he was constantly distracted by the long slope of N’s neck, turning away from his books to nip at the smooth skin there when temptation became too much.

 

Normally, Hongbin liked to tease N with words, riling the elder up into taking charge as he sought retaliation. Hongbin was a bit of a masochist that way.

 

Today, however, Hongbin kept trying to take charge and egg N into having a little fun with him.

 

He usually went after Ravi, who was more susceptible to Hongbin’s advances, but ever since N had gone to work, Leo had been commandeered by Ravi and was hardly able to escape the younger’s presence long enough for Hongbin to catch the tattooed boy alone to talk and have make-up .

 

Their talks always led to it in the end.

 

Except in this instance.

 

Their group dynamics were being thrown off by the way the second years were avoiding each other and hogging Leo and N to themselves.

 

There was tension in the room that was becoming unbearable.

 

Ken was sitting over on Ravi’s side of the room, alternating between watching Spongebob on the motel’s ancient television and doodling on a scrap of paper. When he felt Hyuk staring at him, he looked up and smiled thinly at the maknae. Ken flipped his paper over and scribbled something on the back, glancing at the others to make sure they were distracted before he lifted the paper to show Hyuk.

 

It’s stuffy in here. Wanna go somewhere?

 

Hyuk nodded enthusiastically and jumped to his feet, his own studies abandoned.

 

“Ken-hyung and I are going out for a while.” the maknae announced, snatching up his jacket and hurrying for the door. “Bye!”

 

Before any of the others had a chance to speak, Ken and Hyuk escaped out the door.

 

“I wanna go to the manhwa store.” Ken hummed, falling into step with Hyuk. “Come with me?”

 

“I’m not in the mood for it today. I’m gonna go on the river-walk.” Hyuk looked at the elder to see if he was alright with being turned down for a date, and was relieved to find that Ken seemed unbothered.

 

“Kay. Have fun Hyuk-ah~” He smiled at the maknae, kissing him chastely before heading off to the bus stop.

 

Hyuk continued on past the motel, wandering along the sidewalk in the direction of the river.

 

After living in Tan for a while, he had become fond of the river-walk, finding the air around and above the river refreshing, and he would often spend long hours just walking along the pathways and the pedestrian bridges that crossed over it at different intervals. It was like a little adventure, crossing the bridges and seeing where they let out at and the world seemed just a little different over the water. Sometimes he even ventured further away from the area around their motel, following along the river’s path and watching the way the lights reflected so prettily off the water at night or the way it sparkled on sunny days.

 

It was kind of romantic and something Hyuk did not lose appreciation for.

 

Today he imagined himself to be like the river, barely disturbed on the surface but tumultuous within.

 

He was feeling a bit disconnected from the rest of the boys, his lovers having grown distracted by their own issues.

 

N was their leader, burdened by the weight of caring for all of the others and was distracted and tired by his new job, as well as Hongbin’s sudden clinginess. Leo was like a ghost recently, only ever around after school and soccer practice had finished. Even then, the second eldest boy’s time at home was dominated by his studies, which he had to get in at some point. Hyuk did not share any classes with him and could only be a spectator during practice, so his time frame to spend with Leo was terribly small.

 

As for Hongbin and Ravi’s issues, well, they were fairly obvious.

 

It left Hyuk and Ken with only each other to turn to in the end and, while Hyuk loved Ken and liked to spend time with him, they needed a break from each other at some point.

 

It was a balance the six of them shared, always in love and never really tired of being together, but sometimes, one-on-one time and having a moment of being alone was necessary. And while Hyuk still felt a loneliness from being isolated from his classmates at school and was more clingy at home, the tense presence of four-fifths or the hyungs had become stifling and even he and Ken were at the point of needing a break from even other, if only for a little while.

 

Still, being alone made Hyuk a little antsy, but with no one else at home to hang out with, he was at a crossroads as to what to do.

 

Well, maybe not entirely.

 

Hyuk eyed a payphone and bit his lip, feeling conflicted.

 

He knew Jeon Chae’s cellphone number. He could call her and ask her to hang out.

 

Spending time alone with her, without the knowledge of his hyungs, of the easily jealous Ravi, could end badly.

 

Yet… Hyuk knew that she was lonely, had heard it from Jeon Chae’s mouth directly as she talked about her own experiences with isolation. As her friend, was it not an unspoken rule that they were supposed to be there for each other, to support one another?

 

Hyuk had a crush, yes, but he was faithful to his lovers and knew what boundaries were in place. He would not cross them, or even toe the line of friendship with Jeon Chae.

 

He was totally capable of keeping his heart in check and his flirtations reserved for the boys only.

 

Resolve firmly in place, Hyuk pulled some change out of his pocket and approached the payphone.

 

Chae picked up after a few rings and Hyuk grinned into the receiver at the sound of her voice through the line.

 

“Noona? It’s Sanghyuk! I was wondering if you wanted to have lunch with me today…”

 

 

Chae watched Sanghyuk with a decidedly unimpressed expression in place. She took a sip of her soda, slurping it through the straw in a strangely aggressive sort of way.

 

Sanghyuk beamed at her smugly, Snoopy doll held lovingly in his arms.

 

“Awww, don’t look so grumpy, Noona.” he teased, cooing at her condescendingly. Chae glared up at him and his smug expression grew. “You got a prize too, right?”

 

Sanghyuk nodded at the Rikkulama key-chain where it now dangled against her bag, hanging beside the little yarn doll Wonshik had tried to present her with as a peace offering.

 

They had been hanging around the shopping center near her neighborhood for a few hours now, wandering from store to store and snacking on food from the street stands, arguing about who got to treat who.

 

(Sanghyuk argued that he was the guy and as tradition dictated, he pay for the food. Chae called him a baby and demanded that she, a kind and mature sunbae, do the treating.)

 

After a while, they had ended up at a crane game machine where Sanghyuk proceeded to own her by winning the bigger and more cuddly prize.

 

Chae’s little Rikkulama was undeniably cute, but paled in comparison to the size of Sanghyuk’s Snoopy.

 

So she was a little grumpy.

 

“I want tteokbokki,” Chae sniffed haughtily, pushing past the younger boy and heading for another street stall.

 

Sanghyuk laughed at her.

 

She bought two plates, one for each of them, and led the first year over to a bench so that they could rest while they ate.

 

She had been in the shopping center many times, more often now than not now that she was working there, but was truly appreciating the atmosphere of it for once. It was more fun to hang out there with a friend than alone.

 

Chae stuffed full of the sweet and spicy treat and looked over Sanghyuk, who was happily devouring his own plate at a rapid pace. Perhaps she should have gotten two plates for him alone. Teenage boys seemed to be bottomless pits and Sanghyuk was a pretty big kid for his age. He probably needed all the food he could get.

 

“Do I have sauce on my face?” Sanghyuk asked when he noticed the older girl staring at him. He touched his face self-consciously.

 

“Yep. Ahh, Sanghyuk-ah, you really are a baby.” Chae teased, using a napkin to wipe off his face for him. There was a faint red smear on his skin, the sauce needing more than just a little tissue to remove its stain.

 

Sanghyuk spluttered a bit. “I’m not that much younger than Hongbin! Do you call him a baby too?”

 

“Of course. Anyone younger than me is a baby! No arguments.”

 

“I’m taller than you…”

 

“A big baby then – you and Hongbin both.”

 

Sanghyuk snorted, unable to win. “Whatever you say, Noona.” He a touch of sauce off his thumb and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “By the way… thanks for agreeing to hang out with me today. It was getting kind of weird at home.”

 

“Wonshik and Hongbin not getting along again?” Chae asked, quirking an eyebrow at the maknae. It was not too far flung of an assumption – she knew what both of the boys were like.

 

Sanghyuk smiled wearily. “Well, you know that old married couple type – though, I think Hakyeon-hyung is more of an old lay than Wonshik-hyung. Taekwoonie’s a total grandpa though.”

 

Chae let out a burst of laughter, nearly spilling her tteokbokki into her lap. “You mean that kind of old man who just kind of stares silently at you for just walking into the supermarket?”

 

“Ahh, so they do that in this classy neighborhood of yours too? At least they’re consistent.”

 

Chae sat her plate on the bench between them before she actually did spill it from giggling too much. She did not want to even imagine the state her jeans would be in if that happened. “Y’know, we ought to do this more often. I had fun today. But it’s gonna get dark soon. Do you need to get going before Hongbin and Hakyeon come to hunt you down?”

 

Sanghyuk hummed thoughtfully, skewering one of Chae’s rice cakes and eating it before she could protest the theft. “Mmmhhh, probably. It’s about dinner time. If I don’t hurry, Taekwoon-hyung might eat everything.”

 

“You want to get some snacks to take back to the others?” Chae nodded towards the street stands to emphasize her words.

 

“Sure. Some fried squid maybe… Oh! Or hotteok!”

 

“Ooooh, hotteok sounds good! I wanna get some too.”

 

“Sweet tooth,” Sanghyuk accused good-naturedly, grinning at the girl’s enthusiasm for the more sugar-filled foods. “Noona, make sure you eat some real food for dinner.”

 

Chae gave him a weird look. “I can’t believe a baby is telling me not to eat so much junk food. You were the one to suggest hotteok anyway! I’ll blame you for any rotten teeth I get.”

 

Sanghyuk could not help but laugh at her and Chae looked satisfied by the boy’s amusement.

 

“Alright. I’ll pay your dental bills… once I have a job and some money. Until then, eat real food for dinner.”

 

“Kay.” Chae agreed, stuffing the last of the tteokbokki into and wiping her fingers off on her napkin. She grimaced at the stain on her fingertips. “Alright then. Let’s get you some more snacks to take home and I’ll send you off to the bus stop, Sanghyuk-ah.”

 

“Let me pay for it this time? At least what I’m taking home.” Sanghyuk pleaded, throwing away both of their empty plates as they headed for the woman selling the fried squid.

 

“Whatever you want.” Chae hummed lightly, not sounding convincing in the least.

 

Sanghyuk eyed her warily.

 

In the end, Chae did let Sanghyuk pay for his own food. The first year came away with bags of fried squid and hotteok as they headed for the bus stop. Chae had enough self-control to let her sweet tooth rest for the night and left the stalls empty handed save for the maknae’s doll, which she was carrying for him so he did not have to struggle with it and his bags at the same time.

 

Sanghyuk seemed happier than he had since Chae had met him, the boy talking a mile a minute now that he had a friend to listen to him without complaint. She liked seeing him relaxed like that – happy.

 

“Chaeyeong-ah,” a gravelly voice croaked from behind them and they turned to find an old woman watching them, her face set with deep wrinkles and skin tanned from years of sun exposure. Chae knew that because the old woman liked to talk about all the time she spent on the beach during her youth, long before she moved to Tan as an adult.

 

“Boss!” Chae exclaimed brightly, using the nickname that Kyuhyun had roped her into calling the old woman. The teen bowed in greeting before moving to a more appropriate distance for a conversation. “Sanghyuk-ah, this is my boss, Lee Mari. Boss, this is a junior of mine from high school, Han Sanghyuk.”

 

Sanghyuk remained silent.

 

Confused, Chae turned to him and found the maknae watching the old woman with an expression close to horror, his face drained of its color and his jaw clenched. After a long moment, Sanghyuk bowed stiffly, eyes fixated on Mari like a mouse before a snake.

 

“Ma’am.” he greeted shortly, not moving any closer to the women before him. His eyes flickered to Chae for a moment. “I’d better get going now, Noona. I’ll see you at school.”

 

“Sanghyuk-ah,” Chae began, startled by the boy’s sudden change in demeanor.

 

“Bye.” Sanghyuk bid, practically running away before Chae could protest.

 

“But you forgot your doll.” Chae said weakly, clutching Snoopy to her chest. She watched him disappear into the crowd without a single parting glance and Chae felt a strange squeeze around her heart. She took a deep breath and turned to Mari with a sheepish smile. “Sorry about that Boss. Sanghyuk is a bit… shy.”

 

“So I see.” Mari murmured, a curious expression on her face as she looked at the crowd where Sanghyuk disappeared. “I was just going to see if you wanted to pick up your check tonight instead of tomorrow – seeing as you’re here now. No need to come in on your day off.”

 

“Sure!” Chae agreed easily, following after the older woman to the Emporium. “I can go ahead and do some present shopping anyway while I’m here.”

 

“A present? For your shy friend perhaps?”

 

“For my father, actually. And my uncle. They’re both on business trips right now so I can surprise them when they get back.” Chae said. “I thought it would be nice to get them something since this is my first paycheck and all.”

 

They arrived at the Emporium and Mari led the way in, fingers finding the keys quickly to unlock the door.

 

“Well, seeing as you’re getting presents for your family, how about I give you one for yourself too.” Mari pulled a book from the shelf, the cover giving away no hint as to its contents. “Here – give it a look sometime. It might be useful someday.”

 

Chae quirked a brow as she accepted the tome, flipping it open to the title page.

 

A Collection of Supernatural Creatures

 

“Worried I may run into a vampire at the supermarket?” the girl quipped, grinning mischievously.

 

Mari snorted good-naturedly. “Better hope you’re on the isle with the garlic then. You never know, Chaeyeong-ah. It’s a big world out there, full of some odd people.”

 

“Like you, Boss?” Kyuhyun called from behind, watching them from the staircase that led to his apartment upstairs, his pajamas adorned with spaceships and stars.

 

Mari scowled at him. “Careful boy. I sign your paychecks and I own your home.”

 

“And scary, too.” Kyuhyun continued, unafraid.

 

Mari threw a handful of dried flowers at him.