“So what’s happening now?” I asked as we sat in the living room.

“We wait for hyung.”

“Wait, who's hyung?”

“Oh a chingu from high school and fellow trainee,” Kikwang told me, “you’ll like him he’s really funny.”

“I’m sure,” I didn’t know what I would do it Kikwangs’ friend was the kind that was hard to get along with.

We went down the street to a small ramen shop located on the edge. A guy was sitting at a table listening to his IPod.

“Hyung,” the guy rose as Kikwang called out to him. He shook hands with Kikwang and they did a manly hug. I stood there on the side watching them talk. Man he had big ears.

“Yong Junhyung, this is my friend Yang Yoseob.”

“Nice to meet you,” Yoseob said. I shook his hand, accidentally smirking.

“What’s so funny?” Kikwang asked me confused.

“Nothing, it’s just that he looks like a monkey.”

“What? You called me a monkey?!” Kikwang had to step in between us to stop his friend from attacking me.

“Yah you shouldn’t have said that!” Kikwang exclaimed at me while Yoseob struggled. “He tends to get offended easily!”

“Yeah well you know what you look like?!” Yoseob suddenly exclaimed at me. I was in a good mood so I folded my arms, “what?” I asked with a smirk.

“You look like a hobo!”

“H-hobo…?” I was dumbfounded.

“Yeah that’s right!”

“Stop it,” Kikwang commanded us, “before Doojoon hyung comes and hits us both over the head!”

“Wait whose Doojoon?” I asked, not familiar with the name.

“He’s our oldest hyung,” Kikwang explained, “he was meant to be in 2AM but got kicked out.” My mind went back to an article I had read.

“Oh, that guy.”

“I heard my name,” we both turned to see two guys standing there. One of them was holding a bottle of soju; the other standing there normally.

“Hyung,” Yoseob hurried over to the safe appearing one, “this is Yong Junhyung. He’s our new trainee.”

“Oh hi I’m Yoo Doojoon,” the same guy extended his hand. He had rather handsome features for a guy. Hey no homo here!

“So where you from?” The other guy asked with a rather nasty looking smirk.

“Xing,” I said biting my lip.

“Oh I think I’ve heard of them…” He paused for a moment to think, “isn’t it that crap- company who tends to make ridiculously f****** long contracts?” The other three all turned to me to wait for my response.

“That’s right.”

“Oh s*** how did you manage to get out?”

“I ran away.”

“What,” The other three chorused at the same time. It was true, while I had said goodbye to the others the night before I hadn’t exactly left the company officially.

“Gee,” Yoseob patted me on the back which was a brave move, “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s fine,” I said. “Past is the past.”

“I know how that feels,” Doojoon said, “I was meant to be in 2AM. But then, right in front of a camera they said no.”

“Aw man,” we all had sympathy for him.

“Hey I’ve got something to do,” the other guy interrupted us, “see you later Doojoon-ah.”

“Yeah bye hyung,” Doojoon replied as the guy left.

“How can you even stand to be friends with him?” Kikwang protested.

“He’s bad news hyung,” Yoseob agreed.

“Who is he?” I’d seen worse guys.

“Our other dorm mate,” Kikwang said with reluctance, “Son DaeHyung.” 

“Anyway,” Doojoon pulled out a seat at the table Yoseob had been sitting out, “I’m starving let’s eat.” We all joined him shortly after.

***

“So you were in the company from the beginning?” I asked Kikwang as we all sat eating our four thousand something won noodles. Hey we were trainees, we couldn’t afford much.

“Yeah, I was the first one to join,” Kikwang seemed to puff his chest out as he said this, “I was the reason Yoseob-ah joined.”

“Ah bragging again?” Yoseob feigned irritation while Kikwang sat there smiling. Doojoon just grinned at them both like an older hyung.

“So who else is in the company?” I asked trying to get some dirt.

“There is a hyung I’m friends with called Hyunseung,” Yoseob said with a mouth slightly full, “he was meant to be in Big bang.”

“Yeah isn’t he close with the leader?”

“Isn’t his stage name DragonG?” We all looked at him in bafflement before we cracked up.

“Dragon-G,” Doojoon corrected, emphasizing the placing of the single letter.

“Yeah we know that they inspired you,” Yoseob pushed him like a small kid. They all laughed. A thought came to my mind.

“Aren’t you three…? All trouble makers?” They all stared at me.

“Huh, what have you been smoking?” Kikwang demanded.

“Well it’s just something that a colleague may have said…” That was funny. How come I hadn’t seen him since I arrived?

“Who is it,” Doojoon was serious. “Do we know him?”

“Kim Byungmin.”

“Him?!” They all raised their eyebrows as they chorused this.

“He left today didn’t he?” Kikwang asked.

“Yeah, isn’t it because he couldn’t cope with being a trainee anymore?”

“More like the training didn’t cope with his alcoholism,” the other two gave a knowing nod to Doojoon’s statement.

“Well,” I leaned back in my chair, “I can see why. You three look like the types that can’t be trusted.”

“Now look here,” Doojoon started to move from his chair. I was doomed if I didn’t do something.

“Guys,” I began to back away while emptying my pocket to pay for my meal, “no hard feelings?”

“Get lost,” Yoseob snapped, “come back when you have manners.” That was my cue to high tail it out.

***

Leaving when I did gave me the chance to call home and see how everything was. I didn’t have a lot of change on me though but it would have to do. I slotted the coins into the hole and dialed the number. It rang, each beep causing my pulse to become in synch with the phone’s rings.

“Hello?” My heart did a somersault. It was Junsung, my real dongsaeng.

“Junsung-ah,” I said, “is appa or eomma around?”

“Hyung?” He sounded surprised, “you left a month ago but you don’t have a new phone yet?”

“Yeah,” I hadn’t bought one in a while, “I will when I can finally afford it.”

“So what’s it like…?” His question nearly caught me off guard, “…Being there and not here.”

“Junsung-ah what’s with that attitude?”

“I just figured. Since you were drinking most of the time when you back anyway—“

“—ARE THEY BULLYING YOU STILL?!” There was a pause on the end of the line. For a split second I almost feared that he had hung up.

“…Hyung, they don’t bully me…”

“You’re lying!” I had raised my voice at him, “I know you when you lie.”

“What does it matter to you anyway?!” He bitterly retorted. “You never cared before. So why choose to now? Is it because you’re so damn famous?!”

“No Junsung-ah…”

“Does your reputation matter so much to you?!” His voice was starting to break, “So much so that… Your own dongsaeng would be beaten at his school gym because he was trying to stick up for you..?” If I could hear the sound of my heart it would make the same noise as a wine glass hitting the floor. When was the last time I had been there for him? How long had it been going on.

“Junsung-ah,” I was almost afraid to speak now.

“What?”

“…I will get that phone,” he would never know that I changed what I was originally going to say.

“…Fine.”

“And Junsung-ah,” I swallowed. “There’s just one more thing before I go.”

“What is it..?”

“…Thank you.” The words came out heavy but with sincerity.

“You’re welcome hyung…” With that he hung up. I placed the receiver down too, wanting to redial the number and talk to him again. Tell him that I would talk to the boys that hurt him. Stand up for him like I should have done.

OH crud. This chapter is actually long O_O. Hope you guys are pleased with this. Just a side note: if you are a new reader then this won’t apply to you but I did an edit to chapter 6 so I suggest you re-read it to avoid confusion (yes I’m one of the few people who actually edits their story before it’s finished :X). This update is for subscriber number 21. The next update won’t be up for a day or two.

Also, congratulations to DragonG who correctly guessed 21 cms for Hara’s waist. Take a look and see where her name featured ^_^. I may do another competition in the near future so stay tuned.

And now for your reward: post 1-10 (yes I do actually have a real life) questions in a comment below and I will answer them at the end of the next update. Please understand that while I will answer questions about myself I do have actual limits as to what I can say online so keep them PG please XD.