“Luhan, talk to me.” I wasn’t sure if I was demanding or begging the pale boy sitting next to me in his bed. He’s been staring at the bed sheets for the past ten minutes, not saying a word.
“You need to tell me what is going on man! You can’t just expect me to ignore what I just heard. Are you alright?” He still didn’t say a word, but he bobbed his head up and down a bit, though I couldn’t make out if it was to say yes he is alright or if he was trying to look up or if he was crying. He had a steady job now, we paid him enough to get by, so I couldn’t for the life of me understand why he hadn’t paid rent – unless he was in some sort of trouble. I moved across the bed in no time and places myself over his legs so he couldn’t move away and crossed my arms while staring at him until he looked up at me.
“I…” he began but his gaze fell down again.
“You?” I refused to leave the matter until he gave me some information.
“I can’t. I can’t tell you. I’m sorry.” The look in his eyes told me he really was genuinely sorry as he sat there under me, staring up at my stern face.
“Well I’m sorry too, but that won’t do. You need to tell me something. Are you in debt or something?”
“No!” The response was immediate and a little desperate.
“No, I’m not in debt. It’s just…” His voice was lower this time, so I stayed put and waited for him to continue.
“…My mother is sick.” My whole body went numb at his shaky confession. He looked up at me, initially with worry over my reaction, but it quickly turned to concern when he saw my face.
“Minseok, are you-…”
“Oh. Okay. I won’t ask any more questions.” I understood.
“But we need to fix this living situation for you. Would you like to come live at my place?” I couldn’t believe I’d just offered that, but his response surprised me more.
“What, NO! NO! I can’t do that! That won’t work! That wouldn’t be any good at all! No!” Despite being a little relieved I got to keep my safe little, personal haven, I still felt more hurt and confused by his blatant rejection, and it must have shown on my face.
“I mean,” he struggled to find the right words.
“I would feel to indebted to you and I would be imposing on your space and I think it would be weird and if we both live together and work together that would be very bad – we’d get really tired of each other.” His explanation made sense, to an extent, but I could tell this wasn’t the real reason he didn’t want to stay with me. But I just nodded as if I understood, and decided to take a look at my surroundings instead. The room was tiny and dark and very dirty, but everything was neatly arranged into their places – the clothes were folded precisely and stacked in the closet in front of me, I could tell because it didn’t have any doors, then moving to my left there was a small, broken bookshelf with some more folded clothes on top of it and a neat pile of books, then came the door to what I assumed would be the bathroom, and in the corned there was a small table with two chairs. Beside the table was the entrance door and next to it was a small kitchen. And then there was the bed we were sitting on, at the opposite end of the room, with just enough space to walk up on either side. All of the furniture was in the same, dark, rotten wood as the floor and walls and even the ceiling – only the entrance door had been painted in a different colour.
“Excuse me,” Luhan interrupted my inspection.
“I think I need to shower before we do anything else today.”
“Ah, yes – sure. That’s a good idea. Showering sounds nice though, and we’ll figure something out later so don’t worry about that.” He smiled gratefully in return, and it wasn’t until now that I realised he must be very hung over – his hair was a mess, his eyes were only small slits and his complexion paler than usual. I probably looked about as bad as him, even if I didn’t feel the aftermath of the previous day as well as he obviously did.
“Hey, I could need a shower too and if you’re now on cash then how about we shower together and help each other…” his figure had completely frozen with his back towards me.
“…wash each other’s backs, or not if you don’t like the idea. What’s wrong?” He sat frozen still for quite some time.
“I’m sorry, I’m just not good with people seeing me .”
“Ah, okay. I understand – I didn’t think about things like that.”
“Yeah, no, I know. Your suggestion would have been helpful otherwise.” He turned and smiled at me before he got up and went in through the door I had assumed led to the bathroom. As the door closed behind him I found myself sitting there still staring after him, still staring at his back as it entered the room. I vaguely register the water being as I resume to the troublesome thought of Luhan’s money problems and how to help him solve them. I get up to walk around while I’m thinking when I spot some papers placed on top of the books I’d noticed earlier – upon closer inspection I realise they’re bank statements, but before curiosity gets the better of me I hear the water stop running and I sit back down. However, as I sit down, the name of the bank pulls at my memories. For some reason, Luhan has an account in the bank close to my home town. But before I get to question it further, my friend is already standing in the doorway, dressed in a towel and I burst out laughing.
“Wow, you really weren’t joking about not wanting to be seen !” I can barely contain myself as I turn around.
“Alright, alright, I won’t look – I promise. I’ll use the bathroom now if you don’t mind.” I can’t see his reaction, and I’m glad I can’t because seeing Luhan cowardly hiding his body with the towel wrapped around him like a woman – even covering his s – and shielding my view of his shoulders with his hands would probably have broken my self-control. The bathroom is as small and ugly and dirty as the rest of his apartment, even though everything is in order. I glance over at the filthy bathtub and shiver at the thought of touching it – it is covered in old stains, rust and mould. “This place has got to be cheap – how can he not afford it?” I keep contemplating on the situation while I pee and wash my hands, before I walk over and open the door but I freeze before I can make a sound. Luhan doesn’t notice me, but I cannot stop staring at him. He is standing with between the closet and the bed, only wearing pants and leaning over the shirts has pulled out and put on the bed. He picks one out and put it to the side, stacks the shirts again and before he gets to turn back and notice me I close the door quickly and quietly. I remember wishing I knew Chinese yesterday when he sang to me, but I’ve never wanted to learn a language as badly as right then and there. “I guess I found the reason he didn’t want me to see him ,” I whisper to myself as the image of the large, clearly visible scar depicting three Chinese characters across his left hip burns itself into my mind.

---

After spending a short time at the apartment we walk over to the café to meet the others. It’s Sunday, so it’s officially our day off, but Joonmyun wants to have a brief staff meeting once every month so this Sunday was marked for that purpose. And that was alright by me, as he always served us food during the staff meetings – probably because he felt guilty for making us come in on a Sunday – and today we was the perfect day to be served a free meal. The two others were just as hung over as Luhan, and despite feeling better than them I was still wearing the same clothes I’d been wearing to work yesterday, so I felt none the fresher. Joonmyun boss smiled at the sight of the pathetic group of boys slumped over one of the tables, devouring the food he’d bought before he started the small speech he had prepared.
“We don’t have a lot on the agenda, so this shouldn’t take up much of your time.” He leaned on to the table with his hands and looked at us all slowly but kindly. I really liked our boss, he was always kind and helpful, he cared a lot for us and helped out, he was always very understanding of any situation and he gave us a lot of freedom. Plus, he handled the business well, so we all got to keep the jobs he’d given us.
“The temperature is dropping, but it is still very warm, so right now we don’t have too many customers. However, as soon as it really gets cold people will come back to get their warm beverages, and I think we’re still a little short on hands. It was still warm when we hired Luhan, so training him in addition to our regular flow made me take down the sign, but I think we should put it back up again now that it is a lot calmer. Are there any objections to that?” He scanned the table only to find smiling, shaking heads. Getting more help would be wonderful, and now that things were a little more quiet around here we’d have time to train this person properly.
“But boss,” Jongdae pleaded.
“Can we hire a girl this time?” Everyone at the table laughed at the boy’s request.
“I don’t know,” Joonmyun joked along.
“It has kind of become the charm of the Black Pearl to be staffed with flower boys.”
“Then get someone even more handsome than us,” Jongdae shot back.
“So that we can get some more lady customers!”
“There is no way he’ll find anyone more handsome than me!” Chanyeol hit the table with an angry fist and then brightened up the room with his charismatic smile. After some more joking and laughing we settled down and continued the meeting without interruption, and finished about an hour later.
“So, you guys went out last night?” I was suddenly struck by the appreciation of not being a girl among all these guys, as Joonmyun flashed a warm smile in our direction. I’d never really considered what he stated earlier, that we were a bunch of flower boys, but looking around me now I must admit that I see where he was coming from; the boss himself with his sharp haircut and black hair, his very attractive eye smile which radiates kindness and skin so pale over sleek features, making it look like he was cut out of ing marble; Jongdae with his devilish charms, his childish, handsome smile, his strong facial features making him look like the oldest among us despite being among the youngest and his nick for deep eye contact and knowing what people like; Chanyeol with his tall stand and baby face – which he somehow transforms into something a lot more manly from time to time – his already mentioned beaming, charismatic smile and joyous attitude, and the Luhan with his fairly tall frame, his surprisingly broad shoulders and the snow white hair, the small face with those round eyes, that inviting, genuine smile and laugh… Yeah, they are all pretty handsome.
“Yeah,” I begin and I see his expression change to one of pleasant surprise, but before we get to continue Jongdae jumps in and tells the boss all about the drinking and singing and talking, about which numbers he and Chanyeol performed, about Chanyeol’s crying and then finishes off with the amazing tale of Luhan’s singing – and then their lessons afterwards.
“Yes, ‘Chen’ did really well too,” Luhan smiles at the already bragging Jongdae.
“What about Minseok though? Didn’t he sing?” they all sort of stop in their tracks and turn to look at me.
“Ah! Eh, well, no – I’m not much of a singer,” I admitted.
“That’s what the boss said too,” Chanyeol argues.
“Until we got him drunk enough and he sang for us. Wow boss, you’ve really got to come next time, you need to let Minseok-hyung hear you sing!”
“Alright, alright, I’ll come, I promise I’ll come!” Joonmyun boss was laughing and defending his stomach from Jongdae’s tickling and poking fingers set on torturing him until he promised to join us next time. We all go to collect our jackets, but as Jongdae and Chanyeol heads for the door I hold back Joonmyun boss indicating that I want to talk to him. Luhan watch us with careful eyes and I signal for him to stay too – we say good bye to the two others as though we’re going to leave any minute too, but as soon as they are out of sight we take seats around one of the tables again.
“You know that arrangement we made when I first moved here,” I ask quickly but in a low voice. The boss eyes me worriedly and with suspicion, but nods in confirmation.
“It seems Luhan is in a similar situation. Could we make the same arrangements for him?” the dark haired marble figure raises his eyebrows in surprise before falling into thought.
“Luhan is still new, I don’t know if I-…”
“I’ll be his guarantor.” Everything is silent for a while.
“I take it you know more than I do, then.” He makes it a statement, but leaves time for me to respond to it as a question.
“A little, yes.” His eyebrows narrow a bit and his eyes shift between the two of us before he gets up and walks over to his office.
“So it’s none of our business. I get it. From when..?”
“The end of this week.” He enters his office, and for a few good minutes all we here are noises from drawers being opened and shut, stuff being moved and the cash register box being moved before he re-enters the room with a bag over his shoulder.
“Very well, here are the keys.” And that is all he says before he puts on his jacket and leaves.
Luhan sit there staring at the keys on the table and I sit there staring at him, and we sit like this for quite a while, until I get up and put on my jacket, pick up the keys and motion for my friend to do the same.
“Where are we going? What are those keys for?” Luhan struggled to follow me out the door, and was surprised to see me lock the café with the keys we’d received from the boss.
“We’re going to pack up your place. You’re living here from now on.”

---

“Chanyeol, come here please!” Joonmyun’s voice called from inside his office and Chanyeol’s head shot up before he rushed over. The boss met him in the doorway holding a large, white sign sporting the words “HELP WANTED” in big, black letters.
“Could you hang this up in the window like we discussed?” Chanyeol grabbed the sign with enthusiasm and headed for the window, but his pace slowed down as he realised he would have to pass Sehun to get there. Distressed he looked around to find something else to stare at and in the end our eyes connected. Not knowing what to do I just gave him a smile and a two thumbs up in encouragement, and he rolled his eyes at my weak attempt to help him.
He grabbed a small stool and placed it in front of the window, stepped up and got the sign in place, stepped down, kicked the stool in place and turned just in time to almost crash into Sehun who was on his way out. If you’ve ever seen an almost crash before, you know that they are awkward, but I don’t think any can compare to the weird swirl-skip-slide-step dance Chanyeol did, followed by a very loud “OH, WOW THERE, WE ALMOST CRASHED HE-HE, COULD’VE BEEN BAD, WHOOOOOH, GOOD THING WE DIDN’T” including a double cracking of his voice and the most forced smile I have ever seen.
“Smooth,” I commented over my shoulder while drying a cup.
“Shut up.” Chanyeol knew fully well how much of an idiot he’d made himself look like, and it was showing through his whole body. The door opened and Sehun entered the café again and came up to the counter. Chanyeol sent me a horrified look, and as I could imagine him making another spectacle of himself, beginning with the words “OH YOU AGAIN HA-HA THE GUY I AMOST CRASHED INTO” I decided to help him out this one time. And I’m glad I did.
“Hi, what can I do you for?” I ask as I put away the cup and tea towel I’ve been working with.
“Yeah, uhm, about the sign…” the boy points his thumb towards the window.
“The “Help wanted” sign?”
“Yeah…”
“…Are you interested?”
“Uhm… Yeah. I’m in school though! Would you still hire me?” He bites his lip and looks at me nervously. I’ve never seen him so animated and I think I can detect a slight hint of colouration in his cheeks.
“Well, I was still in school when I was employed, but let me check with the boss. If you’d like, you could just follow me, and we’ll talk to him together…” A loud crash can be heard from the kitchen, and Chanyeol’s panicked muttering of “, , , ing ” as he was probably picking up the pieces of food and the broken platter he’d dropped.
“Your name was Sehun, right?” I smile at him as we walk over toward Joonmyun’s office, and he glances over at Chanyeol who can be spotted through the open solution into the kitchen, before giving me a slight smile in return and nodding, though I think the smile was more to himself. I knock on the door and wait for the boss’ reply before I open the door.
“Sehun here seems to be interested in helping out, boss. He’s still in school, but he is here so often he might as well work here, don’t you think?” Joonmyun almost drops his cup down on his desk.
“Already? I mean – someone is interested so quickly? Seriously, how do you do it Minseok – I barely get to put the sign up before you bring me someone.” I just laugh in return and push the boy in through the door.
“Have a nice chat,” I say before I close the door and turn around to face the flustered, panicking Chanyeol being held back by Luhan and Jongdae, both doubled over in laughter.
“I guess you can take that sign down again,” I simply state, before I return to my duties.
“I told you I would help!”