.

When Tao got his paycheck the first thing he does is send money back home to his family in Qingdao. It's not that he has to, but he wants to. He still felt guilty for leaving his family behind to go come to Korea to pursue his dream. He was the eldest son after all, and running away to pursue foolish dreams is just irresponsible.

However, Tao was always his parents favorite, so you could say he was kind of spoiled as a child. Therefore, whatever he wanted they'd let him have it. Except this time what he wanted (his dream) sort of fell apart after a few months of being in Korea. Why else would he be a host boy at some gaudy host bar in the middle of Gangnam. (Oh, and that story will have to be told at another time.)

Recently, he's gotten word that his dad hasn't been feeling well, going in and out of hospitals a lot, which left his mom to take care of their family restaurant all by herself. Well, she does have some help, but still. Although, their restaurant hasn't been doing as well as it use to.

Plus his little brother is still in school, and not just any school, but an elite one. Tao's little brother has always been better in the academics than he was so it made sense to let him go to an elite school even though it costs more, a lot more.

However, with all that said Tao knows his family is just barely going by in their current financial situation. So Tao has started sending more money home even though his parents said many times he didn't need to send any home at all. This made Tao felt even more guilty. That's why he lied, saying he was doing well, which was the opposite of things.

He barely makes his monthly rent for his studio apartment. While the rest of the money goes to pay for necessities, like food. Specifically, convenient store food, because it's cheaper so he can save money.

Luckily, since he started working at Black Panther he's been earning more, than when he was working as a delivery boy. So he might start eating at better places soon. He's just wondering how long he really wants to stay working at Black Panther. Because, although it pays well and the friends he made there are really nice he just can't completely get over the idea that he's actually getting paid money to spend time with women (who are a lot of times twice his age, and gets too clingy). And then there is his new discovery of male patrons requesting male hosts...

Just when Tao was thinking about all of his issues he received a call from an "UNKNOWN". Usually he would ignore these calls (probably a telemarketer) , but he wasn't really paying attention and choose the "ANSWER" option.

Next thing Tao knew he was at a fancy bistro in the business district, where Kris tossed him a big brown envelope. He peeked inside and it was all cash, specifically 10,000,000 WON. After promptly closing the envelope, Tao held it close to his chest protectively, then looked left and right very quickly and back at Kris.

Then he frowned. "What is this?"

"For the deal we made," Kris explained. "Of course, you didn't stay the whole night, but I feel generous and decided to give you the whole amount. You can take it out and count it to make sure."

"I'm not taking it out to count it. I can't take this." Tao pushed the envelope full of cash back to Kris on the table.

"We made a deal. Just take it." Kris pushed the envelope back to the other.

And Tao just pushed it away again, shaking his head, now sort of annoyed. "Why? Why are you doing this? Why me?"

Kris snorted with a slight grin. "What do you mean?"

Tao stared at the other for a long minute before an invisible light bulb lit up above his head. "Wait." He raised his hand up. "I think I know why. You're doing this because you think I stole your girlfriend." Pointing an accusing finger at Kris. "Well, I didn't. I don't even know who your girlfriend is, or how she looks like. So I couldn't have even kissed her. I've never even kissed anyone before you..." Oops, how did that slip out? "Oh my g-" Tao covered his mouth (and face, whatever that was getting hot) with his hands.

Kris had a greasy smile, all teeth showing, on his face. "So I was your first kiss? Seriously, how old are you?"

Tao was not answering that. (BTW, FYI: He's 18 here.) "Shut up," he half shouted and whined, as he stood up with his backpack. "I'm leaving. And I'm not taking your stupid money. I don't know why I even came."

Kris got up too and grabbed him by the wrist. (Yup, all dramatic Asian-drama-like.) "There was never a girlfriend," said the taller male.

Tao looked up at Kris with his big feline eyes. "Then why..."

Kris softened his grip on the other. "I really just wanted to get to know you," he said, in the most sincerious tone.

That made Tao felt nervous. He slipped his wrist free and looked confusingly at the man in front of him. Kris was insanely handsome with his deep eyes, tall nose, angular face (that's unbelievably perfect), well built body structure, and ever sparkling and glowing like some god sent down from the heavens. (Plus he's rich too.) So why would a prefect man such as Kris (minus his arrogance and jerkiness) ever be interested in him? Introverted, awkward, emo looking, Huang Zi Tao (yes, that's how he would describe himself, if he had to).

Or maybe he's just crazy. Kris that is, Tao thought. "You're crazy," he said it aloud before scrurring away to work, and from further embarrassment (or whatever you called this feeling he had).

"This Kris guy sounds nuts," Sehun jumped in after Tao was telling Baekhyun about what happened with Kris and him the other night.

"He sounds romantic," Kai said, doing the last touches on his hair in front of the mirror in their breakroom/locker room.

"Are you kidding me?" Sehun interjected.

Kai smoothed his fingers through his hair, and finally turned towards the others in the room. "Rich guy uses money and lies to get what/who he wants. Followed by the misunderstandings, and chasing after the person he loves that leads to a real confession. That's like the outlines of a romantic TV drama."

Sehun corked an eyebrow. "You actually watch that stuff?"

Kai shrugs. "Only when I'm bored."

"Maybe you should stop. It's rotting your brain," Sehun joked with a straight face. "And Tao is not falling for that crazy guy."

"You don't know that. Maybe this Kris guy actually does like Tao," Kai speculated.

"Or maybe he's just a con man," Sehun retorted.

"But he's rich."

"Rich men can be con men too."

"That doesn't even make sense."

"You don't make sense," Sehun grumbled, and kicked Kai on the shins.

"Ow! Hey, why you kick me?"

"Because I want to." Sehun kicked him again.

"Ow! That hurts." Kai rubbed his sore shins.

Tao and Baekhyun were watching this scene between the maknaes the whole time, but eventually decided to ignore them.

"So anyway," Baekhyun said, "Tao, you really didn't take the money?"

"Course, no. Whole thing don felt right." (Warning: Bad grammar = Tao speaking in Korean)

"Well, good for you Tao-tao." Baekhyun lightly pats Tao on the head, which he tends to do a lot.

"Actually, I don knew why I go see him." Tao looks down. "Hang up him, I should of, and pretend he never call. And still don knew how he get my number."

"Are you going to see him again?" Baekhyun was curious.

"No way!" Tao said abruptly. "Unless he knew I live where too."

Baekhyun rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "If so, then we might have a serial killer in our hands." *On que the dramatic background music*

Tao shouldn't have said what he said, because after work he went home and found Kris standing in front of his apartment door.

OMG, maybe this guy really is crazy, and a serial killer too. Tao was getting a little scared now. "W-why are you... H-how did you get here? I...I'll call the cops."

Kris smirked as he walked towards Tao. "Interesting that you'd do that, since I own this whole building now."

Tao backed himself up to a wall, trying to stay away from Kris. "Huh?"

Kris handed him a folded letter. "Here's your eviction notice."

"What!?" Tao quickly opened it to read, but it was all in Hangul (Korean characters), which he did not understand.

"You have till tomorrow to move out," Kris told him.

Tao was dumbfounded, all over his face. "This is insane!" he nearly shouted but he still had neighbors and it was late. "How am I suppose to find a new place by tomorrow."

"I have room available at my place," Kris said casually.

Tao's answer was an immediate, "NO!"

The next day a huge moving truck appeared in front of Tao's building. A half-dozen guys came barging into his apartment, grabbing all his stuff and hauling everything into the moving truck. This was all happening while Tao was eating his mandarin chicken from a Panda Express take-out box on his sofa, in just his boxers (yup, host-boy likes his freedom at home). When all was left but the sofa two big guys came, picked up the furniture (with Tao still sitting on it, while holding on to his take-out box) and takes them away into the truck. From there it was off to "Mr. Wu's place" as the movers said.

Throughout the ride Tao could only hold on to the edge of his sofa for dear life and hope he won't leave any sauce stains on the cushions. "How did this happen to me?" he cried all the way to "Mr. Wu's place".

On the bright side he found a shirt to wear in the back of the truck (from his stuff) so he won't be cold.

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Author's Note
In this chapter a bit of Tao's back story is revealed. I wondering if I should write Kris' side of the story too now, hmm... There are some random moments I admit, like SeKai's scene. Probably wasn't necessary but I hear some of you like the pair, as do I, so there they were.

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