"When the tides switch
When the road lights dim
When I get weary of the sky
Want to fall into the sea"

-Luhan 'Catch me when I fall.

Kyungsoo fidgeted in his seat as he eyed the clock.

2:28

A waiter stopped in front of him, asking if he wanted anything. Kyungsoo ordered a cappuccino out of habit, but quickly regretting it as the waiter walked away. Was it rude to get a drink before your interviewer arrived?

Kyungsoo sighed and pulled out his phone, pressing the home button once. He smiled immediately when he saw Jongin's smiling face on his lockscreen. He had taken the picture right as he told a joke...well tried to. Jongin laughed at his awkwardness more than the actual joke but Kyungsoo didn't mind. He was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard shuffling in front of him. Kyungsoo  looked up to see a very tall, ginger haired man and a shorter, black haired man. He recognized the taller one and stood up immediately.

"Do Kyungsoo? I'm Kris, the one that talked to you on the phone, this is my partner Yixing." 

Kyungsoo bowed to them both respectively and sat back down. 
Yixing shed his light jacket and Kris leaned back in his chair, throwing an arm behind Yixing.

Kyungsoo smiled as the dimpled male threw a quick grin at Kris before turning his attention back to Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo haphazardly threw his phone on the counter as he straightened in his seat. Yixing' eyes darted to his open lock screen and Kyungsoo quickly locked the screen before turning the phone over, screen down. He looked away from Yixing's questioning gaze and let out a small sigh of relief when he saw a waiter coming this way with his coffee. The atmosphere was unbearable awkward and Kyungsoo tried his best not to let his uncomfortableness show.

"So, Kyungsoo. Could you tell us a bit about yourself, how old you are, your interests?"

Kyungsoo sipped his coffee and cleared his throat, "I'm twenty three and I recently moved to Busan about 6 months ago. I was adopted and went by Oh Kyungsoo until I turned 18. I majored in culinary and minored in music until...."  Kyungsoo stopped abruptly.

Yixing raised an eyebrow, "Are you okay?"

Kyungsoo nodded slowly, "Yes, I'm fine, sorry." He looked down, avoiding Kris and Yixing's gaze, "I dropped out and moved to Busan with my....friend."

Yixing nodded and Kris adjusted his phone on the table, Kyungsoo guessed he was recording the interview.

"Okay, so why did you audition?"

"I don't know. Jongin saw a flyer at his college and I guess he wanted me to try out and I did because I wanted to make him happy."

Kris frowned slightly and jotted something in his notebook, Yixing just smiled and continued asking Kyungsoo questions, "If you got this offer, what would this web show mean to you?"

Kyungsoo sighed, "It would mean the world to me. I am not the person to peg over something with a burning passion but if it becomes part of my life, I put my all in making it successful. And I'm not someone who is interested in fame or recognition. If this web show does become successfully, first of all, it would mean that people enjoy what I'm doing and they appreciate my effort to teach them and that alone makes me content. It would also mean a new start."

Kyungsoo looked up, looking Yixing straight in the eye, "I'm sorry, I'm not really comfortable discussing what happened, it is still fresh in my mind and Jongin and I are still healing but this web show would mean that we were strong. That we were strong enough to get past this hurdle together and that we are going to be okay."

Kyungsoo chuckled humorlessly, "The money is a bonus too." He confessed truthfully.

Yixing smiled and shared a look with Kris. Kyungsoo held his breath as the two shared a meaningful look.

Finally the dimpled male stood up, "Thank you Kyungsoo, for your time. If we show up tomorrow with a camera and lighting, congrats. And if we don't, we appreciate your time."

Jongin tugged on Tao's sleeve as the older one leisurely strolled, his hands tucked lazily in his back pocket.

"Come on Tao! We're going to be late." Jongin said, trying to get the tattooed male to walk faster. Tao rolled his eyes but picked up the pace. Jongin pushed open the café door and pouted when he saw Kyungsoo waving goodbye to two strangers.

"I just missed it." Jongin complained to Tao who just patted his head reassuringly.

Jongin waited until the stranger left before running towards Kyungsoo. Tao bit back a smile when the younger male tackled Kyungsoo, hugging the living daylights out of him. Jongin pouted and told Kyungsoo something, most likely complaining how he missed the interview. He then pointed to Tao. Tao decided this was the appropriate time to introduce himself. He could feel Kyungsoo's eyes on his tattoos and his multiple ear piercings. Damn it, Tao knew he should have worn a long sleeved shirt today. But he walked towards the couple, holding his hand out. Kyungsoo took it with a strong grip. Tao smirked, "Relax Mr. Do, I'm not out to steal your princess from you." Jongin's eyes widened as he smacked Tao's arm. Kyungsoo released his hand from the handshake and laughed, "Do Kyungsoo, and you must be....Tao?"

Tao grinned cheekily at Jongin, "Awe you talk about me, pup?"

Jongin rolled his eyes, "Only that you look like a cat-panda hybrid."

Kyungsoo chuckled as he wrapped a loose arm around Jongin's waist, "Well, Mr. Cat-Panda hybrid, would you care to join us for dinner tonight?"

"Will there be alcohol?"

"Sure."

"Count me in."



 

Tao was very impressed with Jongin and Kyungsoo's apartment. He had half expected them to live in a one room apartment, seeing that Kyungsoo was a bartender.  Jongin seemed to catch Tao's confused expression because he laughed, "Hyung comes from a rich family and his brother helped us out." Tao raised an eyebrow, "Is this because of the notorious incident when you never talk about?"

Kyungsoo snapped his head up when he heard those words come out of Tao, "Jongin, you told him?"

Jongin shook his head, "H-he saw my scars when we were changing for dance practice."

Tao took the wineglass from Kyungsoo and held it gingerly between his slender fingers, "You know pup, you can trust me. I've been through too."

Jongin bit his bottom lip nervously as he stole a glance at Kyungsoo. The older was in the kitchen, cutting vegetables but his grip on the knife seemed tighter then usual. Finally Kyungsoo looked up, "I like you Tao. I like how you look out for Jongin. And honestly Nini, it's up to you."

Jongin nodded and sat on the dining table, whereas Tao relaxed in the seat in front of him, "Can I tell you?" He asked Tao softly, "I can trust you not to judge or tell anyone?" Tao took a sip of the wine and nodded, "Jongin, how many times have I saved your at school? Of course you can trust me."

Jongin grinned softly and nodded. He pulled the sleeves of the sweatshirt he was wearing over his hands and sighed, "My mom died when I was ten. My dad had anger issues before she died and after she died.....he became an alcoholic. Of course, he never drank at home. But I always knew he was at the bar, or at some club." Jongin lifted up the sweatshirt, revealing a faint white scar on the side of his rib cage, "The first time he hurt me, he pushed me down the staircase because I was being too 'annoying'."

Tao's eyebrows furrowed as he reached out with his left hand, grazing the scar gently, "Oh pup....."

Jongin let the sweatshirt fall back down again, "And it got worse. By the time I graduated high school, he would hit me everyday. You've seen the scars on my back. Those are from his belt buckles." Jongin looked up to see Kyungsoo leaning against the kitchen counter, staring at him. Kyungsoo nodded slightly and made his way towards the younger boy. He wrapped his arms around Jongin.

Jongin leaned into Kyungsoo's body as he continued, "After I graduated, he didn't let me go to college, instead he told me to research about Oh Enterprise." Tao mouthed the words Oh enterprise, his eyes widening when he recognized the company.

"I didn't understand at first but I did it. And then my dad made me help kidnap Kyungsoo Hyung."

Kyungsoo squeezed Jongin reassuringly and urged him to keep going, "Kyungsoo was adopted by the Oh's when he was little so my dad thought kidnapping him was a good way to get a lot of money. Except.....Kyungsoo's family never looked for him. Well, his brother did but other than that, they didn't care. For four months, he was chained up in our basement until one day, my dad starting beating him up. I couldn't take it anymore and I hit my dad in the back of the head with a cement pipe. It's all fuzzy from there but, Kyungsoo Hyung said that we tied him up and drove him to the police, and then went to the hospital."

Kyungsoo rubbed Jongin's back comfortingly and turned to Tao, "We healed up in the hospital for a couple days and my brother, Sehun, got us this apartment and his boyfriend got Jongin a full scholarship to your university."

"It's only been a couple months since we moved here and we are still healing." Kyungsoo added on after a minute of silence, "We both have scars from the past but the memories are going to stay in the past."

Tao put the wineglass on the table and got up. Kyungsoo backed away and let Tao take his place. Jongin stiffened when he felt the tattooed male's arms around him. Tao was not a touchy person, and this was the first time he initiated skinship. But Jongin felt warm. He was glad he had a friend like Tao. Despite his outward appearance, Tao really did care for Jongin and he looked out for him. Tao hugged the younger male tighter, "Listen pup, anytime....anytime you need me, I'll be here." 

Jongin grinned, "I know."