*Author's note: I'm planning to write Yesung's point of view in this chapter, but it's going to be short, so I'll write Yesung's point of view in a later chapter. :) We're now back to Kyuhyun's point of view. Enjoy! 

April 9, 2016 (Saturday) 

I have been holding this feeling for quite a while now. I want to show it to Ryeowook. Not that I'm scared of saying it, I don't want to frighten him. Now that we've reunited, something has been stirring in my heart. It's a new kind of feeling that I've never experienced before when I was nine. Maybe it's because Ryeowook has gone so much prettier, or it's because of me having adult hormones. What I can say is...I've fallen in love with him. 

     I wonder if the spirits have planned all this the whole time. First, there's the whirlwind, which I remember quite clearly. Then, there's Mr. Lau telling us about his encounter with the strange artist and the hidden charm. Do they lock the charm just for the sake of my and Ryeowook or for other people too? Because how can they be so cruel for letting it go berserk if we can't even find it or release it? Anyway, I notice Ryeowook avoiding my gaze as we walk to the Takoyaki stall. I wonder why is he acting like that. He seems okay after our two or three hours visit with Mr. Lau, but now he looks like he doesn't want to hang out with me or something. Hmm...maybe that's not it. I sometimes tend to jump to conclusions. 

     "Henry!" I wave at the high school boy who is busy cooking Takoyaki. 

     "Kyuhyun Oniisan!" his face light up. His forehead is beaded with sweat, but his smile is just as enthusiastic as his dad's. 

     "You want the usual?" Henry asks. 

     "You know me too well, Henry-chan!" I chuckle. "By the way, Ryeowook's paying." 

    "Oh really?" Henry exclaims. 

    "Well...just for today," Ryeowook speaks.

    "Otoosan told me that Kyuhyun is the one who usually pays for his friends." 

    "Well, we had a bet. I ran to the other side of the river in two minutes, well close to two minutes, and now he's buying Takoyaki for me." 

    "Ah, that explains why you were running so fast just now. At first, I thought you were racing with someone." 

   "Anyway, your order is ready," Henry announces as he hands a tray of food over. 

   "Here you go," Ryeowook says, exchanging it for a 500 Yen coin. 

   "Do you want to share it with me?" I ask, "Just like we did back when we were kids?" Ryeowook passes the small paper boat of Takoyaki to me. As I take it, I feel my fingers touch his. I can feel my heart thumping. Ryeowook's fingers are delicate and beautiful. I wish I can hold his hand right at this instant. To my disappointment, Ryeowook quickly shoves his hands into his pockets and turns away to look at the river. 

   "I...I'm good. You can have it all." 

   "Are you sure?" I frown, "You haven't had your dinner yet." 

   "I...I can eat dinner when I get home tonight. Leeteuk... p...probably will have leftovers for me." he stutters. 

   I feel my heart sinking to my stomach, but I force myself to eat my food without saying anything. 

   "Hey! There you are!" Yesung's voice echoes in the air. He stops in front of us and catches his breath. 

   "Where the hell are you? We've been waiting for about half an hour." I say. 

   "I'm sorry! My dad took the wrong route, so we were stuck in traffic for about ten minutes." Yesung replies, "but I'm glad you guys are still here. I thought you guys would go back home by now." 

   Ryeowook suddenly turns to face us. He fixes the strap of his bag. "I...uh...I better get going." 

  "That soon?" Yesung gasps. 

   "I have work to get done, plus I haven't eaten." 

   "But I just got here!" Yesung whines, "Can't you stay for a little longer?" 

   "I would love to," Ryeowook smiles, "but I don't think I can slack off today." 

   "Did I do something wrong?" I panic. 

   "No, you did nothing wrong, Kyuhyun." he shakes his head, "I need to be alone tonight. I'm sorry. I'll see you on Monday." 

   "Oh...okay." 

    And he walks away. Yesung gives me the what-the-freakin-heck-in-the-world-did-you-do-to-him glare. 

   "Don't look at me like that! Geez!" I groan. 

   "Did you two fought?" 

    "No, we did not fight." I roll my eyes. 

    "Then why he looked like he got hurt by you?" 

    "Dude, we just listened to Mr. Lau's storytelling. Nothing horrible happened." 

    "Mr. Lau, huh?" Yesung coos, "Did you because Mr. Lau remembers him a lot more than Ryeowook?" 

     "A little bit," I reply, "but I was joking. You know that I like getting on other people's nerves just for fun." 

    "Well, you know that he can be sensitive." Yesung points out, "You better talk to him." 

    "I know that." I sigh. 

    "Good. The atmosphere between you two sure was weird." he fidgets. 

    "Whatever, drama king." 

April 15, 2016 (Friday) 

    It's been five days since we last talked. I still don't get it why he has been avoiding me. The only time he answers is when I greet him and ask him questions regarding homework for Sungmin Sensei's class, which is unusual for me because I usually know the deadlines and requirements of every homework. All I want is his attention, but every time I ask a question about that Saturday, he freezes and darts away. Is it because he's freaked out by a big pimple on my chin? I swear I've tried popping it and putting on green tea face masks for the past five freaking nights! 

    I've had enough. Today, before Ryeowook heads home, I'm going to get Ryeowook to talk about what's bothering him. 

    The spirits must have answered my prayer because I spot him walking towards me. 

     "Ryeowook!" I call. 

     He looks up from his phone and gives me a small smile. He then takes a deep breath and stops in front of me. 

    "Are you free tomorrow?" he asks. 

    I stare at him in surprise. Whoa...that's an unexpected way of saying hi. 

   "Uh...yeah...I think so." 

   "Great!" he says, "would you like to join my host family and me for dinner? Leeteuk-san and his kids want to get to know you." 

   "Ah," I nod, "I see. Sure!" 

   "Besides," he shifts his gaze down to his shoes, "I know you've been wondering why I've been avoiding you for the past few days. And I know I can't keep on being like this so...I want to talk it out." 

   Those words are like the tonic to my worried heart. I hold the urge to open my arms wide and give this little man a big bear hug because I don't want to freak him out again. Instead, I smile back at him and reply, "You took the words right out of my mouth because I want to talk with you as well." 

   "I need time alone to think things through...you know." 

   "I understand." 

   "So...I'll, see you tomorrow at maybe... 5 pm?" 

   "Sounds good to me." 

   "Awesome! See you!" he waves and walks past me. The way he bids goodbye is too adorable that I can feel my heart pounding. That is the smile that recharges me. 

    I quickly turn back and shout, "Ryeowookie!" He swivels his head sharply. 

   "Arigatoo!" I shout again. 

   He blushes and smiles. I am aware that the other students in the corridor are staring at me like I have a mental illness, but I don't give a damn. I feel like calling his name out loud until the whole world can hear.

April 16, 2016 (Saturday) 

   My thumping heart is as excited as my growling stomach. I don't even mind stuck in traffic for twenty minutes, which is surprising for me because I'm usually grouchy in such a situation. When I arrive at Ryeowook's house, I spot him peeking through the window on the top floor. After I park my car at available space in the car porch area, Ryeowook is already at the front door. He pokes his head out like a toddler who is thrilled to see his mom returned from work. 

   "Kyuhyunie! こんばんは (Konbanwa-good evening)!" he chirps. 

   "Konbanwa, Ryeowookie! Sorry for being a little late!" I reply. 

   "No worries. I'm happy that you've made it." he smiles. 

   Once he leads me into the house, I am surprised by how small but homely the guest room looks. The couches are milky white with not even a single stain. A round, glass table was in the center. There was a couple of room which I assume were Ryeowook's room and a bathroom. 

   "Leeteuk and the kids are upstairs." he says, "The kids like to play in the living room, and Leeteuk is always in charge of the chores. Sometimes, I help him with the cooking." 

    "That's nice," I exclaim. 

    "Ryeowook-chan? Is he here?" a voice startles me. 

    "Yup! Kyuhyun's here!" he calls back. Footsteps echo from the stairs; I feel like I'm meeting my father-in-law, which is so weird. How can I ever be so nervous about meeting his guardian? A man who looks like he's in his early 30s greet me with a friendly "nice to meet you" and a handshake. He's holding a towel with his semi-dry hands. 

    "You're even more handsome than I imagine." Leeteuk remarks. 

    "Oh! Uh...arigatou gozaimasu." I say as I bow. 

    "I'm Leeteuk, by the way. Dinner will be ready in an hour. Please! Make yourself at home!" 

    "I will." 

    "Let's go to my room." Ryeowook offers, "We can chat till dinner is ready." 

     I look at him with wide eyes. "Y...you sure?" 

     "Why do you look so surprised?" 

     "I thought we're just gonna wait here," I say while circling my finger at the couches. 

     "Well, the little twins can be very noisy." he points out. 

     "On second thought," I give in, "let's just go to your room." Ryeowook laughs. He skips in front of me and opens the door. I am immediately welcomed by a well-balanced contrast between light and dark colours. Ryeowook's bed is dark blue; it matches well with the big white pillow. Thin ribbons of sunlight filter through the grey blinds from the window on the right. A purple cardigan, which he usually wears to campus, can be seen from the half-closed closet.  A familiar song catches my attention. It's coming from a laptop that is on the study table. 

    "You know Han Kyung-il?" I exclaim. 

    "Yeah." he nods, "He's one of my favourite ballad artists. This is my favourite song." 

    "No way! I love this song too!" 

    "Really? I've never met someone else who likes "Loved Someone." I don't get it why this song is so underrated." 

    "I know! The lyrics of this song are just beautiful and emotional at the same time. I've even done a rendition of it." 

    Ryeowook stares at me with wonder. His eyes are shining. "You've sung it?" 

    "Yeah. It was an audition for a talent show when I was a senior in high school. My dad didn't know about that, but my mom knows. I thought I sang the song quite well even though I didn't win. Whatever it is, this song makes me realize that I want to be a singer." 

    "Can you sing a little bit?" 

    "You want me to sing? Now?" 

    "Why not?"

    "I...I don't know." 

     "Please! It's been a while since I hear you sing!" 

     I can't resist the way he looks at me with puppy-dog eyes, so I clear my throat and sing the first verse of "Loved Someone." To my surprise, Ryeowook's smile gives me a new sort of energy that causes me to finish singing the whole song. I close my eyes as I master the high notes with emotion. 

Kyuhyun's version of "Loved Someone" 

    When I've reached the last note, I am surprised to see tears streaming from his eyes. 

    "Did....did I do something wrong?" I gasp. 

    He shakes his head and grabs a tissue paper to wipe his eyes. "I'm just...really touched by your singing. You remind me so much of the times when I loved watching you sing. I even missed singing with you in those mini-concerts Yesung's mom used to plan for KRY." 

    "Oh! I see!" I sigh with relief. 

    "I'm sorry!" he says as he blows his nose, "I haven't heard you sing in a long time, so hearing you sing once again makes me emotional....in a good way." 

    Without thinking, I walk over to him and hug him. My heart skips a beat when I feel him burying his face on my chest. He seems to like it when I rub his back because I can feel his heartbeat slowing down to a steady pace. I wish I can hug him forever because it feels so right to wrap him in my arms. Suddenly, we hear the stomping of footsteps from upstairs. Sensing that someone might come down, I quickly release him. 

    "Sorry. I...uh...I got carried away." I say. 

    "It's ok." he smiles softly, "and don't worry. That's probably the kids playing tag. They always run around like monkeys." 

    "Ah...good to know." I giggle. My peripheral vision catches a glimpse of a set of origami paper sticking out from a stack of books next to the laptop. The plastic package is a little torn, but the papers are still intact. I still remember that I have to return the paper giraffe to him, but I want to give him at the right time. I'm not sure when but I'll figure it out. 

    "I see that you still do origami," I say. 

    "Oh yeah! I found that package when I was unpacking. It was in my time capsule all along. I didn't even realize that I kept it before I moved with my parents." 

     I look at him, stunned at the fact that he hasn't touched the origami set for years. "You didn't do origami ever since you left?" 

    "Yeah," he replies, "Weird, huh? But I've been catching up recently. I've made a giraffe one, but I've lost it. That reminds me...I wonder where did it go?" 

     I stiffen a chuckle. He looks at the ceiling, and his eyes move here and there, thinking back the time when he last saw it. 

     "I'm sure you'll find it someday. I don't think anyone's going to throw it." I say. 

     "How can you be so sure?" he frowns, "It's been a week or so, and I still can't find it. I was going to make another one, but for some strange reason, I don't feel like doing so. By chance, did you saw it?" 

      I blink. "Huh?" 

     "Did you saw a yellow giraffe origami somewhere? I think the last time I saw was our first day in Sungmin Sensei's class." 

      "Nope. I don't think I've seen it." I shrug while trying to play cool. 

      "Oh," he sighs and looks down his toes, "never mind then." Dammit! He's sad again! I need to figure something out! Think, Kyuhyun! Think! 

     "But hey! You know, remember when we used to compete for each other to see who can make origami animals the fastest?" 

      His face immediately lights up. "Of course, I remember! You and Yesung were always headed on with each other, but you two messed up with the complicated foldings many times. I always got mine right." 

     "Hey! I had clumsy fingers, okay?" I pout, "besides, I couldn't even do the inside-reverse fold thing for the penguin feet. Yesung's turtle was even worse. He had to make those crease patterns and all those triangular folds which were hella hard!" 

     "Those weren't that hard to me." Ryeowook giggles. 

     "That's because you had magic hands. You're the artistic one after all." 

     "Aww...I take that as a compliment." he sticks out his tongue. 

     "Hey! What if we bring it back again?" I suggest. 

     "What? The origami competition?" 

     "Yeah! What do you think? Maybe we can do it here someday." 

     "That sounds like a good idea." he grins, "Leeteuk-san probably won't mind having Yesung over too." I am about to ask him some more questions when the door suddenly swings open. A couple of little boys, who are literally the cutest kids I've ever seen in my life, barge in. One of them has blonde hair while the other one has brownish-black hair. 

      "Oniisan! Ryeowook Oniisan!" they both scream. 

      "Whoa whoa whoa! Calm down!" he exclaims. 

      "Can you help Otoosan?" the one with blonde hair points upwards. 

      "What's wrong?" 

      "He's having trouble with the food...uh...food p....pro....prooossessor." the other one stumbles. 

      "Oh! You mean the food processor?" he corrects. The two children nod vigorously. 

      "I'll go and check. Kyuhyun, do you mind looking after the kids for a sec?" 

      "Me?" I gasp. 

      "I promise I won't take long."

      "Ryeowook Oniisan," the blonde kid asks, "Can Kyuhyun Oniisan comes and play with us upstairs?" 

      "Yeah! Can we? Can we?" the other one waves his arms in the air gleefully. 

      I stare in awe. Did they call me by my name? 

      "Sure," he chuckles, "but only if you promise me not to make a mess with your toys." 

      "Yayyyyyyy!" they cheer. 

      I think my heart melts into a puddle, because not only I've seen adorable Ryeowook today, but also two adorable children who double my happiness. 

                                                               *                                    *                                 *

      "Kyuhyun Oniisan! Daijoobu?" Donghae, the boy with black hair, giggles. 

      I bit my lip to prevent myself from screaming. These two kids make me play Twister, and I should have told them that I have back problems due to my age. I plead Donghae a couple of times that I want to be the referee, but his smile fades, and I can tell right away that he's going to cry. I quickly say to him that I change my mind, and this is how I end up. I feel like a pretzel because my arms are literally twisted and my legs are wide apart that Donghae is happy enough to slap my . I swear my hands are becoming really numb from all the pressure on the circles. Eunhyuk, on the other hand, is like a gymnast. His flexible bones allow him to make a spilled without having his legs and touching the mat. Somehow, I wish I can be a 5-year-old again. 

     "Kyuhyun Oniisan?" Donghae asks again. 

     "Y...yeah! I...I'm okay!" I blurt out. I feel like I'm about to wheeze in front of that boy. 

     "It's okay if you fall, Oniisan," Eunhyuk says as he shows his gummy smile. 

     "Nice try," I snap, "but I'm not giving up just yet!" 

      "If you say so." Donghae laughs. 

      "Hey, boys! What are you up to?" Ryeowook suddenly calls from the kitchen. My fingers lose their grip, and my hands wobble, causing my whole body to collapse. Luckily, Eunhyuk is on the other side of the mat. Otherwise, I would crush the life out of him. 

      "Yay! I won!" Eunhyuk shouts with joy. 

      "Woohoo!" Donghae joins in. 

      I roll onto my back and lie down to catch my breath. Ryeowook's head shields my vision from the light above me. Worry is written all over his face. 

     "Oh my gosh! Kyuhyun! Are you okay?" he gasps. 

     "Y...yeah...I think so." I pant. 

     "Come on!" He grabs my hands and pulls me up into a sitting position. He then reaches his right hand out and smoothens my hair back to its place. I hold the urge not to blush. 

     "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Donghae asks his brother. Eunhyuk nods. They point at us and chant, "Ryeowook Oniisan and Kyuhyun Oniisan! Sitting in a tree..."

      "Stop it!" Ryeowook barks. 

      "K-I-S-S..."

       "I say, stop!" he booms. Donghae and Eunhyuk spring up from the floor and dash to their bedroom. 

      "K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" they roar with laughter and slam the door shut. 

      "Kids! Knock it off! You better behave yourselves!" Leeteuk yells from the kitchen. 

      I can't believe they tease us. My mind goes completely blank; I can even hear my heartbeat. I sit there for what seemed like a minute because I am too embarrassed. I turn to see Ryeowook hiding his face in his knees. Goddammit! If only those two troublemakers are not here looking at us, Ryeowook and I won't be as awkward as right now. 

     "You know," I speak, "They're just kids. They do have a wild imagination." He looks back at me with his flushed cheeks. Both of our faces are blushing red. It's going to take a while for our faces to cool down. I mentally slap myself. Why in the world does this happen? It's like I can't breathe! 

     "You're right." he replies, "maybe they're just making fun of us. I mean, it's not like...we're dating, right?" 

     "Yeah," I nod, "you're right! Tsk! Kids!" 

     Ryeowook leans back against the wall as he laughs. He looks a little relaxed now. 

     "Oh! I almost forgot!" I fish into my pocket for the Choi Entertainment business card. Ryeowook looks at it curiously. 

     "What's that?" 

     "It's a Choi Entertainment business card."

      His eyes widen. "Shut up! Choi Entertainment? One of Korea's top Kpop companies? Who gave it to you?" 

     "Choi Siwon himself!" I boast. 

     "B...but how?" 

     "I was performing with Yesung and Kibum a few weeks ago. He saw us, and he said that we could be famous one day, so he gave us his card. I've called him to set an appointment for an audition." 

     "That's amazing!" he exclaims, "When is the audition?" 

     "Tomorrow."

      His jaw drops. "Oh, wow! Are you excited?" 

     "More like nervous." I answer honestly, "I hope we'll pass the audition." 

     "I'm sure you will! You're the best singer I've ever known!" 

     "But...what if I can't make it?" 

     "Kyuhyun," Ryeowook says as he rubs my left shoulder gently, "you have a gift. Don't let it go to waste! You may have faced many rejections, but you have this chance to prove that you will succeed." 

     "You sure?" 

     "I'm positive." 

     "Thanks, Ryeowookie." 

    "Dinner's ready!" Leeteuk calls. Donghae and Eunhyuk burst out of the room and grab a seat at the dining table. I tuck the business card back in my pocket and follow Ryeowook to the dining room where a hearty-looking meal of pasta, homemade potato croquettes, beef curry, and salad are waiting to be served. 

Kyuhyun (キュヒョン)