The first time Kibum can remember actively exercising his power was when he was 8. His mother absolutely refused to buy him this pair of headphones that he wanted, so he concentrated really hard on the receipt his mom had in her hand. All of a sudden, the next thing he or his mother knew, there was a 10,000 won note in her hand.

Kibum could clearly read in her eyes that if she hadn't just seen it, she wouldn't have believed what just happened. She shook her head and wondered.

After that, Kibum was forced to use his power for his parents. Sure, they had money now. But at what expense? Kibum became bitter and cynical, untrusting of people. And really, why should he? The only example he had were his parents. And, clearly, they weren't trying to restore Kibum's trust.

Even his own best friend never knew if he was really okay. Jonghyun was constantly concerned, and tried to prove that people weren't as bad as Kibum thought they were. It never worked, though Kibum appreciated the effort. He even felt a little sorry for Jonghyun, for being so naive. People would take advantage of you. They would lie to you, steal from you, cheat you out of what you deserve.  Kibum knew all that from experience.

There was one person, though, who Kibum hated with everything in him. His name was Choi Minho, and he was Kibum's personal butler. His parents had personally chosen him, probably hoping that he could make more friends than just Jonghyun.

But that wasn't the reason Kibum hated Minho (though it was a factor). The reason was because Minho was different. He never spoke to Kibum unless to answer a question. He never tried to do anything out of line. The thing that Kibum hated most about Minho, though, was that he'd never tried to take advantage of Kibum's power. He'd never asked Kibum to change paper into real money, and that was a contradiction. Everything about Minho was a contradiction to what he believed was the truth. And if there was one thing that Kibum absolutely hated more than people, it was being wrong about something.

Jonghyun thought he was crazy for hating Minho.

    "He's a good guy," Jonghyun protested. "Just try to get to know him. You might be surprised." As much as Kibum didn't want to, he thought more and more about Minho. He may or may not have been curious about his butler. He was so quiet all the time.

Minho was holding up outfits out of Kibum's closet for dinner when he calmed his nerves and asked a question.

    "Why don' t you ever try to take advantage of me? Take advantage of my powers?" Kibum asked Minho forcefully. He never had been the kind of person to beat around the bush. Minho blinked stupidly. He looked like he was in deep thought for several seconds before answering.

    "Why should I? Your parents pay me with the money you're forced to make. I don't need more than my paycheck, because it's already more than I need," Minho said simply, and Kibum was stunned. Then he scowled, because he was still wrong. Minho actually was, apparently, a good guy.

    "Why shouldn't you? It's more money for you later," Kibum sneered. "So go on." Over the years, Kibum had gotten faster at changing paper into money. He grabbed a tag from his trashcan and changed it into a 100,000 won note. He tried to give it to Minho, but Minho refused to take it.

    "I told you, Kibum-ssi. I don't need it," Kibum shoved it at him.

    "Take it!" he was screaming, but he didn't care. "Take it, and prove me right!" he threw the note on the ground and slid down the wall beside his bed. He was close to crying, but he had promised himself he would never cry again. "People are selfish and self-serving. Prove me right and take the money." Minho shook his head.

    "No. I won't, because you're wrong. Not everyone is like your parents, Kibum-ssi. There are good people in this world," Minho spoke with such conviction that it was hard for Kibum to ignore his words. He shook his head.

    "No there aren't. People will always have their vices that make them forget about everything else. People will always have something that they will you over for. It's a way of life, Minho," Minho looked saddened by Kibum's spoken words.

    "I'm so sorry you've had experiences that really feel that way," he replied and walked out. Kibum was left sitting against his wall, feeling incredibly drained after the encounter.

-

Minho went back to being silent, and Kibum went back to being a cold-hearted, thoughtless son of a . If his parents noticed anything different, they didn't comment. But, Kibum supposed, they wouldn't. They were too busy with their money to care.

Jonghyun was away on some trip with his family, so Kibum couldn't visit him to relieve stress. Instead, he took to leaving the house for hours at a time. He went around Seoul by himself, admiring the scenery. Admittedly, he was soothed by all the people that ignored him. Even at a restaurant, he ordered his food and was left to his own devices. It never failed to make him feel better.

He'd come back later that evening, only to have Minho's eyes on him the rest of the evening. It was building into a fight, Kibum could feel it. And Kibum didn't have much of a tolerance level for anything. At all. So it wouldn't take long.

It didn't. It lasted about a week before Kibum made Minho follow him into his bedroom. He rounded on Minho the minute the door was closed.

    "Why do you stare at me so much?" he was increasingly annoyed with Minho's silence. "Answer me!" Minho sighed.

    "I don't have to," Minho answered steadily. Kibum frowned.

    "Then I guess I'll be hiring someone else," Kibum felt oddly empty after saying the words. Minho looked surprised, then he looked saddened.

    "I'm not going to hurt you, Kibum-ssi. I just wanted to look after you," Kibum was unexplicably angry after hearing Minho's words.

    "Don't be so ing condescending," he snapped. "I'm not 8 years old anymore. I don't need someone looking out for me." He recoiled when Minho tried to reach for him. "Just.. don't bother. I'll get some of the other butlers to help you pack."

    "You really meant it when you fired me, didn't you?" Minho looked so sad.. Kibum was starting to doubt he'd done the right thing. "All I wanted was to be your friend. But I came a little too late, didn't I? I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner." With each word that Minho said, Kibum felt guiltier and guiltier. A big part of Kibum was still saying that this was for the best. Everybody leaves eventually. But even at that, Kibum was quickly realizing that maybe Minho leaving isn't what he'd wanted after all.

    "Minho..," Kibum was desperate to make Minho stay. But nothing he wanted to say made sense in his head, and his mouth stayed shut. Minho's smile was heartbreaking.

    "Don't worry, Kibum-ssi. Someone will come along and make you believe in humanity. That person just.. isn't me, I guess," Kibum was crying frustratedly, and he was a mess of emotion.

    "Don't leave," he finally said weakly. "Please. I'm sorry. I don't know what I want any more." Minho cautiously approached, and when he saw Kibum actually coming forward, he hugged Kibum tightly.

    "Figure it out, Kibum-ssi," he whispered. "Figure it out. That's a start." He let go and walked away, not looking back to see the expression on Kibum's face.

-

The next few weeks were a dark period for Kibum. Minho had left anyway, and Kibum had never felt so much hate for always being right about people. Minho had left, and he wasn't coming back. His mother had come to deliver the news, and she was obviously surprised at Kibum's reaction. His eyes had widened and he'd screamed. He threw every piece of clothing he owned in the trash and said he was going out to buy more. He didn't give any explanation to her, just slipped on his shoes and left.

He wandered in Seoul for hours. He couldn't even muster the will to shop for new clothes. None of the things that usually made him feel better were making him feel better. He wondered if disappearing to the beach would help, and decided on a whim to take a trip to the beach. He'd made about 100 million won last week, so his parents should leave him alone for a while. It was safe to leave.

He took the receipt from his trip to the restaurant, tore it in half, and made a couple of 10,000 won bills with it. He'd make more when he actually got to the beach. He was waiting for a bus when someone sat down next to him. He didn't pay attention to whoever it was until he heard them speak.

    "Where are you headed?" Kibum turned to look at who'd spoken, and relaxed a little when he saw a kid maybe a couple of years younger than himself.

    "The beach," he answered simply. The kid nodded.

    "The beach is a good place to go," he replied, and Kibum agreed silently. "Why are you going to the beach?"

    "Is that really any of your business?" The kid shrugged.

    "I was just asking. People who go to the beach in the middle of winter usually have a problem that they need to work out. I was just going to help you if I could," Kibum felt his temper start to flare up.

    "I don't need any help. I just need to be alone for a while," Kibum said sharply, and shifted further away from the boy unconsciously. The boy had the same look in his eyes as Minho did before he left. It was bringing back unpleasant memories.

    "I don't need your pity, and I don't need your help," Kibum ended the conversation by turning around and waiting for the bus.

    "Even though you really do need it," the boy muttered, and Kibum turned back around.

    "What did you say?" his anger was changing into sadness. This boy reminded him so much of Minho... And the pain that he felt after Minho left.

    "I said.. Even though you really do need it. Because you do. I can tell just by looking at you that you're lonely and sad. My theory was only proven correct when you told me you were going to the beach," Kibum didn't say a word. If he was as obvious about his emotions as the boy said he was... Was that the reason that people avoided him? Kibum didn't like the idea. At all.

    "Then what do I need?" Kibum spat out bitterly. The boy smiled brightly.

    "A friend," such a simple answer and it was an unbelievably complicated situation. Kibum chuckled a little.

    "I had a friend, once," Kibum's expression was dark. "But he left me, even when I begged him to stay." The boy's expression was full of sympathy.

    "He's an idiot, then. No human being in their right mind would leave you alone in the state you're in," the boy declared, and Kibum laughed outright.

    "Yeah. They would," the boy blinked, and looked over in surprise. "People are selfish. And rude, and mean-spirited." Out of the corner of his eye, Kibum saw the boy nod and a look of understanding dawned on his face.

    "I think I understand now," the boy stood up, as if to leave. "There are good people in this world. I don't know what happened to you that made you think otherwise, but whatever it is, I'm sorry. You won't be happy unless you open up and at least try to connect with someone." The boy started walking away, but Kibum still had something to ask.

    "What's your name?" he shouted, and the boy turned back to him with a small smile.

    "Lee Taemin," Kibum wasn't satisfied, but he could see the bus rounding the corner, and he was stuck waiting for it to come closer.

-

Kibum decided that, despite the cold weather, it had been a good idea to come to the beach. He had plenty of time to sort out his feelings and come to a few different conclusions.

The first of which was that Minho had actually been someone special to him. He didn't quite know how Minho had managed it, since he never talked back or even really talked. All Kibum was sure of was that he wanted Minho back in his life. Tracking him down was one of the first things on Kibum's list of things to do when he got back home.

The second conclusion was that he needed to move out. His parents were influencing his actions and thoughts and words, and in the most negative way possible. Kibum didn't know why he hadn't thought of it before. It was such an easy solution to the problem. Kibum supposed it came from the very human tendency to make problems seem so hard to solve, even if they're really not.

He also needed to tell Jonghyun how valuable as a friend he really was. Jonghyun was the one person Kibum had always believed. And he needed to let Jonghyun know that, because he had a feeling that Jonghyun was getting frustrated with him. Just little things that added up.

He had only been at the beach for a couple of days by the time he had everything sorted out in his head. And once everything was sorted out, he was immensely relieved. It felt like the weight of the world had been lifted on his shoulders, and he hadn't even known it was there.  There was something a little off-putting in that realization.

He didn't have his phone with him, so he was pretty sure everyone who was close to him was freaking out. Especially his parents. He just knew they were totally freaking out over his disappearance. He couldn't decide whether he felt angry about it or not.

He boarded the bus back home feeling lighter than he had in years. But the closer he got, the more anxious and nervous he became. He wasn't looking forward to confronting his parents, even though he knew he would come out of the situation feeling better.

Walking up the steps to his house, he felt his heart starting to pound. A butler opened the door and seemed surprised to see Kibum there. He was ushered inside, and just as he expected, was taken immediately to his parents.

His parents were furious with his disappearance. In fact, Kibum had never seen them so angry. For a few minutes, Kibum even wondered if they were going to start hitting him. But they didn't, and Kibum was grateful. Because what he was about to tell them was even worse.

    "I'm moving out," there was total silence after he said those words. He couldn't read his parent's faces, but it didn't matter. Legally, they couldn't stop him from leaving. He was almost 19 now, and that meant he was an adult.  He stood up and was about to pack when his father gripped his arm tightly.

    "Where do you think you're going?" his voice was deadly calm. Kibum was starting to get a little scared. He tried to get his arm out of his father's grasp and failed. He struggled to get out of his father's grasp.

    "To pack my stuff. You can't stop me from leaving," he finally wrenched his arm free and ran for his bedroom. He didn't like running, but at least he was faster than his father. He reached his bedroom just in time to slam the door in his father's face. He was breathing hard, but he packed lightly. He didn't have all that much to begin with. Just a few sentimental things, and he'd thrown his clothes away days ago. He'd have to get some paper and make more money.

He finished packing only a new minutes later, hurrying so his father wouldn't catch him. He was thankful his room wasn't too high off the ground. He jumped out the window, pretty much hitting the ground running. He heard the door bust open not too much later, and ran even faster. While he was running, he pulled out his phone and called Jonghyun.


    "Hey," he gasped out as soon as Jonghyun answered. "Can you.. come pick me up? I just.. moved out." He told Jonghyun where to pick him up and hung up, keeping the speed up. He certainly didn't want his parents to know where he was heading.

-

The months passed kind of slowly. Kibum wasn't used to the freedom of using his power whenever he felt like it. In fact, he preferred not to use it at all. He found a job working at a small restaurant, and the pay wasn't too great. But it was still better than nothing. And he felt like it would teach him humility (which it did very well).

He only used his power for saving up money to find Minho. So far, he'd visited 15 of the Choi Minhos listed in the phone book. With each time someone opened the door, and it wasn't him, Kibum grew more discouraged. But he didn't give up, because he felt like Minho was supposed to be a part of his life.

And as it turned out, he didn't even have to use his power. Minho had found him, albeit unintentionally. He came into the restaurant, and Kibum stopped dead in his tracks. Minho hadn't yet noticed Kibum, and he was getting yelled at anyway, so he turned away to face the customer. He put the food down and apologized for his impoliteness before taking off to the back.

He told all of the other waiters to back off, that he was serving table 5 whether they liked it or not. A bunch of his coworkers made howls and whistles while Kibum blushed. Heading to Minho's table, he got even more nervous than he'd been when he told his parents he was moving out.

He cleared his throat and asked "May I help you, sir?" in the sincerest voice he could muster. Minho looked up as soon as he heard Kibum's voice, and his eyes widened in shock. His jaw dropped, and for a second, Kibum almost thought Minho considered their meeting a bad thing.

    "May I take your order?" Kibum repeated and it shook Minho out of his trance. He ordered numbly and Kibum turned to go back into the kitchen when Minho grabbed his wrist.

    "When do you get off?" he asked urgently and Kibum smiled gently.

    "I get off at about 3. So a couple of hours from now," Minho nodded and mumbled to himself for a bit before turning up an intense gaze to Kibum's face.

    "Would you meet me for coffee at the cafe on the corner? The one that you can see in the window," Minho pointed and Kibum flushed with pleasure. It was one of his favorite cafes in the area.

    "Ahh yeah. Sure. I go there after work all the time," Kibum replied and Minho looked shocked again. But Kibum didn't have time to talk more, so he headed back to the kitchen. The rest of his shift had never felt so long.

When Kibum finally got off, he rushed over to the shop in excitement. He was happy that Minho had come back into his life. He was the first one to arrive, so he chose a table where he'd be visible. He was lost in his own thoughts when Minho slid into the seat across from him.

    "Sorry I'm a little late. My boss was going over some floor plans with me," Minho huffed. "I'm working at an architect firm now." Kibum nodded his head, impressed. "Anyway, Kibum-ssi, I didn't know your parents allowed you to work," Kibum shrugged indifferently.

    "They don't. I moved out, and I haven't seen them since. I took the job as a waiter because I figured I needed a healthy dose of humility. I kind of needed to experience what it's like to be poor," Minho obviously approved, if his subtle nodding was anything to go by.

    "That's good, Kibum-ssi," the politeness was getting on his nerves. It was past that point for him.

    "There's no need for honorifics, Minho. I.. I thought a lot about things when I took a trip to the beach not too long ago. I still don't fully trust people, but being out in the real world has helped a lot. And I have you to thank for that. You walking out on me forced me change," Kibum took a deep breath. "But I also feel like you're supposed to be a part of my life, Minho. I need you." Minho's shy smile widened a little.

    "I'd be glad to help... Kibum," Kibum couldn't help laughing at the hesitation in Minho's voice. He got up and hugged Minho.

    "Thanks, Minho. You really were someone special to me. I was just too used to taking you for granted," Kibum looked him in the eyes, all traces of childishness gone. He was completely serious and earnest. "Thank you for being you."
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I feel like this is so stupid. Lol. I hope it's not.

I've been working on this for over a week a couple of days. c:

Maybe you guys will like it? Even though it's a little less angsty than I usually make my oneshots.

~~

Til next time, loves. ^o~