There is a very A/N at the end please read!

The four boys stood crowded around the kitchen table, the oldest, Heechul held the letter in his hand while Jaejoong, the second oldest, had the two cards in his. Henry, the youngest was hugging Eunhyuk, the second youngest.

                        They stared speechless at the letter until a tear slipped from Heechul’s eye and a sniffle left Jaejoong. Henry squeezed Eunhyuk closer before starting to sob. The other two crowded around Henry despite the tear tracks glistening on their cheeks and the unshed tears remaining in their eyes.

                        “Hyungs, we were abandoned again…why do we always get left behind? Are we going to lose each other too now?” Henry asked huddling closer to his three brothers as Eunhyuk tightened his grip on Henry and the other two moved closer.

Three. What a profound number. Neither too big nor too small.

Three was the age they all were when they were adopted (Heechul first, then Jaejoong, followed by Eunhyuk, lastly Henry)

Third Jan was the date Heechul was brought back home.

Three was the number of family members Jaejoong gained on his birthday.

Three was the number of smiling faces Eunhyuk saw when Woojin carried him into the house for the first time.

Three was the number of brothers Henry had ready to hug and cuddle him when he stepped into the house for the first time.

And now, three was the number of dates left before Christmas Break and that was the day they were abandoned once more.

                        The brothers moved towards their rooms; their steps slow and face sombre. They stepped into their shared bedrooms; Heechul and Henry in one and Jaejoong and Eunhyuk in the other. They changed from their jeans and t-shirts into comfortable clothes before stepping out into the hallway and drifting back into the kitchen.

                        They settled down on four chairs around the kitchen island and pulled out their wallets. They took out all the cash they had and counted. Combined, they barely had enough for dinner and lunch for the next three days.

                        Heechul sighed lightly. “We’ll have to order food for dinner. There’s no food to eat. We can’t order too much junk food though…and all of us have jobs so we will go through with them like normal. At least until this weekend, we will need to maintain -” As he was finishing up his sentence, the doorbell rang. His eyes opened wide and Heechul turned pale at the thought of a stranger trying to come in. Jaejoong sighed and stood up from his seat and let out a deep breath before patting Heechul lightly on the shoulder and walking towards the front door.

                        Jaejoong slowly opened the front door to find their two next door neighbours standing outside with a small-medium container of food each.

                        “Darling, we saw your parents move out this morning and you boys coming in after school…is everything alright? Oh and I figured that since it’s just the four of you, I’d better bring over some food.” Mrs Collins said looking concerned. Jaejoong slowly stepped into the house wondering why Ms. Sinclair was also there as the two ladies followed him into the house. Eunhyuk peeped out of the kitchen and offered a gummy smile when he saw who it was. He walked out of the room with Henry padding in behind him and Heechul shuffling in at the end. Heechul looked at the floor, refusing to meet the two ladies eyes. When their neighbours were standing in the centre of the living room, the boys accepted the two containers of food. Jaejoong took the Crockpot that Ms Sinclair was carrying and placed it on the coffee table before opening the lid and allowing the delicious scent to waft around the room.

                        “Oh wow! Ms Sinclair, it’s your famous soft chicken taco mix?” Henry exclaimed as he moved forward and tried sticking his finger into the pot, only to be held back by an annoyed Eunhyuk causing the whole group to laugh. The laughter continued when Ms Sinclair pulled out a packet of tortillas from her purse and held them out to Henry, only to pull back and hand it to Jaejoong instead.

                        Heechul smiled shyly as he took the tray that Mrs Collins was holding. She stopped cooing at Henry’s cuteness and smiled softly at the oldest and timidest boy of the lot.

                        “I brought some homemade lasagna. I figured that you could save some in the fridge for tomorrow as well…Actually, boys, before I go, I was wondering why your parents left…” Mrs Collins said as she sat down on the leather couch, patting a spot for Ms Sinclair to sit down. Ms Sinclair sat down as well with a small “Thank you” while the boys looked at each other in the eye; panicking. Jaejoong and Heechul knew they couldn’t say anything, they at lying. Henry in a deep breath before starting to speak.

                        “Y-you see Mrs Collins…and Ms Sinclair, we have some very sad news and very sudden news…” Henry started speaking before trailing off and looking at Eunhyuk for Help.

                        “Yes, it seems that our dad got a job transfer. So mum and dad decided to move first and let us stay here until winter break starts, then we have to follow them.” Eunhyuk said giving the two ladies his gummy smile. Ms Sinclair blushed lightly as she was just four years older than Heechul and Jaejoong. Mrs Collins returned his smile before asking another potent question.

                        “So, where will you boys be moving to?” She inquired gently, causing Ms Sinclair to frown slightly and nod along. The four boys tensed up, unsure how to answer. Heechul looked around the room and noticed that Jaejoong was almost tearing up. He balled his fists, and squeezed his fist, trying to gather the courage to speak.

                        “Chicago…” he burst out trailing off as everyone looked at him “I-I that is…not Chicago as in the city but a suburb slightly north of it.” Heechul finished, ducking his head as a blush covered his face at his outburst. He looked up a couple of seconds later to see Ms Sinclair involved in a deep conversation with Eunhyuk and Henry about Chicago while Mrs Collins kept putting her two cents in. Jaejoong could be heard in moving about the kitchen putting the food away. Heechul stood by the couch unsure where he fit in. He felt a hand on his shoulder and jumped, slightly startled before looking towards his left to find Eunhyuk standing there. He looked towards the couch and found that Jaejoong had joined the conversation going on in the front room. He looked back at Eunhyuk to find him giving him a small smile.

                        “Hyung, you did well…saving us with that one. Jaejoong Hyung might have burst and told the truth otherwise.” Eunhyuk said his smile kept sweet and his eyes showing concern. Heechul flushed a little and shook his head.

                        “No, I’m just glad that I remembered what Leeteuk Hyung was telling me about where he lived. I can call up Leeteuk Hyung and ask him if there are any small apartments located in his area that we can rent…because now, we can’t stay here after Winter Break starts.”  Heechul mummers looking around the empty house that he called his home since he was three, knowing he was going to be leaving it soon.

                        “You and Jae Hyung were completing your senior year and Henry and me, our junior. I guess you should be happy that Jae Hyung and you both sent your applications in. You will have to change your return address once we move, though…” Eunhyuk sighed as he leant forward, resting his forearms on the head of the loveseat. Heechul hummed in agreement before returning his attention to the conversation going on in front of them.

                        As the clock struck seven, Mrs Collins stood up.

                        “Come on Lizzie, we should probably return to our houses. We’ve been here for three hours already and I’m sure the boys want to eat.” She said as she moved towards the door. Eunhyuk and Heechul, who had moved to sit on the couch, giggled as Ms Sinclair continued talking to Henry and Jaejoong obvious to Mrs Collins’ leaving. Hearing the giggles, Mrs Collins turned around and noticed the lack of movement from Ms Sinclair.

                        “Ms Elizabeth Sinclair! I swear to god if you don’t move from the couch in the next five seconds, I will tell your mother all about your little summer fling this year, or my name isn’t Amoura Collins. Mrs Collins yelled as she stood with her hands akimbo and her greying hair escaping her neatly styled ponytail. Her lilac coloured knee-length dress flared slightly as she shifted her weight to her right leg.

                        MS. Sinclair stood up, tucking her honey blonde hair behind one ear and her grey-blue eyes shone with mirth while she tugged her baby-blue tank top slightly and brushed the invisible dirt off her skinny jeans. Then, with a sweet smile on her face, she waved to the four boys. She then joined Mrs Collins by the front door.

                        “Aww, come on Abuela, don’t be so mean me just ‘cause you are jealous of my youth!” Ms Sinclair said as she opened the door and stepped out. The boys laughed as they could hear the two ladies argue their way down the driveway and to the sidewalk. Henry went to the entrance and locked the door before returning.

                        The boys looked around the house and the other three came to the fully grasp the concept of the lie they had told earlier that day.

                        “So, we’ll really have to leave this place huh?” Jaejoong asked gently, running his fingers over the couch.

                        “We don’t have much of a choice…the state might separate the four of us. If we stay here any longer and they realise what is going on.” Eunhyuk said gripping onto a pillow. Sniffles were heard and both Henry and Eunhyuk turned to the loveseat to find the two oldest, Heechul and Jaejoong, clinging to each other as tears flowed down their cheeks. Henry felt tears starting to slide down his face as his shoulders shook with silent sobs.

                        “Why did it have to happen now? Jaejoong and I were just about to turn 18. We might be getting our soul tattoos. Why now? When Henry and Hyukkie were about to enter their final year in high school? Did we do something wrong to cause this?” Heechul asked as he hugged Jaejoong closer and reached an arm out for Henry and Eunhyuk. The two boys joined their brothers on the loveseat and snuggled into each other, looking for some comfort while offering some for the others.

                        The boys sat huddled there for five minutes before Eunhyuk moved, wiping his tears and standing up.

                        “It doesn’t matter how sad we are, we still need to eat, do our chores, finish our homework and go to school tomorrow with a smile. Otherwise, people will talk and that is the opposite of what we need…So I’ll start reheating the dinner, Henry and Jaejoong Hyung can go and take a shower and Heechul Hyung, can you please call up Leeteukkie Hyung and see if he can help us?” Eunhyuk said as he dusted the seat of his pants and moved towards the kitchen. The other three remained frozen in place until they heard the familiar clang of the plates being taken out. The remaining brothers stood up and walked towards their destination a tinge of normalcy returning to the unnaturally silent house.

Jaejoong slipped into his and Eunhyuk’s room, a towel draped around his neck to catch any stray droplets. He settled down at his study table and opened his laptop, running his hands across the smoothness of his white Mac book air. He smiled sadly and felt his eyes get watery as he remembered the fanfare with which his mum and dad Woojin and Jessica had presented it to him.

                        It dinged slightly as it and he typed in his password before going to his closet and pulling on a wife-beater and sweatpants over the boxers that h was already wearing before sitting back down on his chair. He lightly towelled his semi-dry dirty blonde hair (dyed just a couple days ago).

                        He was tapping his fingers on the table as he bends down to get his homework. The sounds of Eunhyuk moving around the kitchen and Henry shuffling down the hallway kept the house feeling normal despite the gut-wrenching fact that the room at the end of the hallway was empty.

                        He was brought out of his thoughts when his computer started making the ‘ping’ sound produced by Facebook messenger. He looked at the screen and felt a relieved smile come on his face when Jaejoong saw the name.

                        Yunho ‘U-know- Jung flashed on the bottom right corner of the screen and he clicked on it allowing the chat box to pop-up.

 

Hey

Hi!

So what’s new with you today?

Nothing much

Seriously? Ok! Anyway, today was my younger

brother’s birthday…lots of cake…you jealous?

Not really…I bake better anyway.

Hey, why the short replies and lack of smiles?

DO you hate me now?

NO! It’s just that something big happened today.

Then why respond with ‘nm’ earlier? Tell me

what’s wrong.

My parents left us alone with two credit cards and told us to survive on our own and that they would put some amount of money in it monthly.

Are you ting me, right? There're no way parents

can do that!

I didn’t tell you? My brothers and I are adopted. None of us are related (by blood) to each other or to our parents.

Oh wow! You know what; I think I want to see you

right now. Let’s Skype ok?

Alright then

                       

                        Jaejoong clicked on the Skype button from his toolbar and waited impatiently for it to open. Jaejoong had met Yunho last year when he was scrolling through me2day. He knew he was technically American, but it didn’t mean he could read or write Korean! So when he saw another Korean-American online, he decided to send a ‘hi’ and soon their conversations went from writing messages on each other’s walls to multiple private messages. Both of them admitted that me2dayc was their ‘thought’ site and Facebook was their ‘school and social’ site. So they found each other on Facebook and their conversations continued, now about pictures posted, status updates and randomly ‘liked’ interests. Soon enough, it felt like they had known each other their whole lives and moved from Facebook to Skype. Video calls became a weekly thing and sometimes (most times) more often than that.

                        His Skype started ringing and Jaejoong broke out of his daze (again) and clicked the little video button. Yunho popped up on the screen, flicking his light brown fringes that slightly covered his left eye. His ward dark brown eyes showed concern as he adjusted himself on the chair.

                        “Hey Jae, I didn’t know you were adopted…” Yunho said with a small, unsure smile. Jaejoong smiled softly and shook his head a little to ensure that his thoughts were coherent and sensible.

                        “Yeah, I don’t think any of us say it out loud. We’ve been a family, the four of us since Henry was three. So it’s only in the state’s books that we aren’t related. For us, other than these past 13 years, we don’t have a history. It’s like our life started when we were adopted. So, as far as we care, we are family.” Jaejoong said with a soft smile coming onto his face. Yunho listened with his eyes closed.

                        “Then why would parents who chose you, abandon you? What kinds of people do that?” Yunho asked, opening his eyes and looking enraged on Jaejoong behalf.

                        “Th-they said…or rather they w-wrote that they were expecting a baby. It seems they c-couldn’t handle all f-five of us.” Jaejoong’s voice broke a few times as he spoke and his eyes shimmered with unshed tears. Yunho looked on from the other side of the screen as someone whom he considered to be his best friend try to keep his calm and hold back the tears.

                        “You can cry, trust me enough to let go in front of me…please.” Yunho pleaded from the other side of the screen. Those words seemed to be Jaejoong’s undoing.

                        Sobs wracked his body and tears flowed down his face. His nose turned red and his shoulders shook. He covered his face with his hands and cried and whimpered as the shock wore off and reality set in. He moved his hands from his tear-stained face and wrapped them around his waist and began to rock slightly back and forth.

                        “W-we didn’t do any-thing bad d-did w-we? W-we kept o-our g-grades up a-and made s-sure to keep our e-extra curricu-lars g-going as well…s-so why d-did they h-have to l-leave us alon….” Jaejoong was unable to complete his barely comprehensible sentence as he broke down into sobs. Yunho balled his fists on the other side of the computer screen to prevent all attempts to reach out. His eyes glistened lightly and two teardrops made their way down his cheeks as he watched Jaejoong, a normally cheerful and calm person, break down completely. He said nothing…he knew that it wasn’t needed. All Jaejoong needed right now was his presence.

                        After five to ten minutes of crying, Jaejoong’s sobs started quieting down and his tears reduced. He started breathing deeply as he closed his eyes and placed his interlaced fingers over them. Yunho watched quietly from his side of the screen, leaning forward slightly as he reached for a tissue to wipe away any remnants of his tears before starting to talk.

                        “Do you feel better now?” Yunho asked as he refocused on Jaejoong’s still frame. The hands moved away from his face and a red-nosed, puffy-eyed Jaejoong was visible to Yunho.

                        “Yeah…yeah, I feel better now…not completely normal, but a lot better than before.” Jaejoong sniffled. Yunho smiled and Jaejoong felt the corners of his mouth lift up in an answering smile. Jaejoong grabbed the towel that was lying on his bed and patted his face to wipe away the stray tears.

                        “Sorry, you had to see that. I guess I was at the edge already.” Jaejoong said finally looking back at the computer screen and the concerned Yunho.

                        “It’s alright…I really don’t mind. But honestly speaking, have you thought of what you guys are going to do? Do you plan on staying there or…”Yunho trailed off at the end of the sentence seeing the change in expression on Jaejoong’s face.

                        “We’re moving, we’ll have to. Our neighbours saw our parents move away and Hyukkie-ah told them that we’ll be following them during winter break. So yeah we’ll have to…move.” Jaejoong said, his face darkening even more as he recounted that lie.

                        “Do you know you switch to Korean when you are upset? And where will you be moving to?” Yunho asked with a small smile on his face as he noticed Jaejoong lightening up a little.

                        “Hmm….not just upset, also when I’m really angry or sad…basically all extreme emotions. And for your information, we’re moving to a suburb slightly north of Chicago.” Jaejoong stated as he smiled in response.

                        “Ay Dios mios! I live in a suburb slightly north of Chicago! It would be amazing if you come here!” Yunho said, laughing and clapping his hands slightly.

                        “You sound so happy…I think I should be worried!” Jaejoong giggled. Yunho stopped clapping his hands and started talking again.

                        “Serious question, though- ok maybe not really-, but are you the one who said Chicago? Did you want to meet me that bad?” Yunho finished his question with a wink. Jaejoong burst out laughing despite the light blush that covered his cheeks.

                        “Thanks! I needed that laugh. In all honesty, though, it was Chul-Hyung who said it. One of our older friends- from the orphanage- lives there so we can ask for his help.” Jaejoong explained, the mirth still shining in his eyes and the remains of laughter still audible in his voice and visible at the corner of his mouth.

                        “That’s cool! I thought he doesn’t like speaking much though…especially with other people around.” Yunho said smiling at the visible happiness radiating from Jaejoong.

                        “He doesn’t… not usually anyway. I guess he noticed how all of us froze when that question was asked. I’m glad he answered, though. If he hadn’t I would have most likely caved and told the inquisitive neighbours the truth which would have landed us back in ‘The House’ which is the last thing any of us wanted...well, technically, Hyukkie and Henry would have ended up at the house for two more years.Heechul and I wouldn’t have been allowed to be with the, though.”  Jaejoong whispered as a soft smile lit his face.

                        “I’m glad he said that now you are coming closer to me and we might get to meet! Who is your friend that lives in Chicago though?” Yunho asked curious to find out whether or not he knew the person…and whether or not it was someone in his town.

                        “Who knows, we might even be in the same town...or even if we aren’t, we can meet in Chicago! As for the friend, he is more like an older brother. His name is Park Jung-” Jaejoong was interrupted by the door being thrown open by a (surprisingly) clean Eunhyuk.

                        “Hey Yunho, Joongie-Hyung has to go now, dinner is ready. So he can talk to you later alright…Bye Handsome hyung~” Eunhyuk had started talking as he walked into the room and by the end, was standing next to the computer with his hands on the touchpad, inching closer to the red ‘end call’ button. Yunho chuckled and waved to Eunhyuk and winked at Jaejoong before laughing and ending the call from his side. Eunhyuk and Jaejoong laughed while Eunhyuk moved backwards so that Jaejoong (closing the Skype window and the laptop) could get up. Jaejoong took his towel and hung it on the back of his chair.

                        “Hyung, do you feel better after crying it all out?”  Eunhyuk asked as he sat down at the edge of his bed. Jaejoong settled down on his own bed.

                        “Oh! You heard?” Jaejoong asked, answering the questions with a question, as he pulled his legs up and wrapped his hands around his knees. Once he asked the question, he buried his head into his knees to avoid Eunhyuk’s knowing look.

                        “Have you checked your body when you were taking a shower? Any tattoos appearing there?” Eunhyuk asked as a teasing smirk spread across his face. Jaejoong’s face flushed at the hinted meaning behind Eunhyuk’s words.

                        “Shut up…there aren’t any tattoos!” Jaejoong muttered throwing a throw cushion onto Eunhyuk. Eunhyuk giggled and caught it, throwing it back just as quickly before continuing the conversation.

                        “Which reminds me, I wanted to ask you how Project DBSJ is coming along. Are you still in contact with everybody?” Eunhyuk asked.

                        “I’m not really sure….HELL! I don’t know! All the information that I have comes from the news forum and it’s not being updated regularly. And since I was so busy with the application process for university, I haven’t contacted anyone personally either.” Jaejoong said with a pout as a pout pushed through his lips and he ran a hand through his wine red hair. Eunhyuk couldn’t help but giggle at Jaejoong’s visible agitation. Jaejoong liked secrets, always found them a mystery waiting to be solved, and was usually very patient, but certain things made him as patient as a child waiting at an ice-cream store.

                        “Don’t use hell so casually Jae.” came a hushed voice from the door. The two boys turned towards the door and found a slightly displeased Heechul looking into the room. They both giggled at Heechul’s words. None of the four were brought up religiously by their adoptive parents, but their orphanage had been. While the others had either distanced themselves or completely detached themselves from any religious institute, Heechul had grasped it in an attempt to explain what had happened to him in his childhood. Heechul tsked lightly at his two giggly brothers and left the sound of a door closing was heard within a couple seconds.

            Jaejoong and Eunhyuk slowly calmed down from their laughter-induced high and quietly moved around straightening their room before heading out the door and towards the kitchen, turning off their room lights and closing the door on their way. They passed Heechul and Henry’s open door and openly gaped as they saw the piles of clothes and accessories that littered the floor. Shaking their heads, they walked on to the dining room, sitting down and waiting for Heechul and Henry to join them.

            Heechul sighed as Henry finally left the room for his shower amidst a series of whines and puppy eyes. He slowly sank down onto his bed and hugged Simba, the lion plushie lying next to him as he remembered the conversation he just had with Leeteuk.

            Heechul left the living room and quietly slipped into the master bedroom, shedding a tear at the sight of a once cluttered bedside table now painfully empty. He sat down on the single mattress left on till he found the floor and pulled out his cell phone scrolling down the name ‘Fallen Angel’. Pressing the call button, he listened to the phone ring and took in some deep breaths as a method of preventing a breakdown on the phone.

            He heard a click and a soft and pleasant “Hello” and that’s all he could handle before he began sobbing uncontrollably falling short of breath every once in awhile. Had the person on the other side been anyone other than Leeteuk, the call would have been cut, but it was Leeteuk and he would never hang up on a crying person.

            “H-Hyung….hyung-!” Heechul called out as he fell back onto the bed somewhere in between his fit.

            “Heechul? Yah Heechul-ah...is that you? What’s wrong? Why are you crying? Is everything alright?”  Leeteuk asked a small amount of panic seeping into his voice.

            “Hyung, they left...why did they leave? I didn’t do anything wrong. I got good grades, took all my AP classes, never was a burden...I work for any spending money and I never even bothered them about any of the bullyings...so why did they leave? Is God punishing me for anything?”  Heechul asked as he grabbed a small throw pillow that had been left on the bed and hugged it to his chest.

            “Sh-sh Heechul-ah. Calm down, Hyung is right here so you can cry your heart out alright? None of your dongsaengs are around to hear your cries and see your tears or hear your fears. H-Hyung won’t leave or hang up so just let it out.” Leeteuk said quietly.

            Hearing his voice, Heechul let it all out- sobbing, heaving, crying and whimpering. About five minutes later, Heechul finally calmed down, taking a couple deep breaths to help him calm down a bit more.

            “Hyung? Are you still there?” Heechul asked his voice rough and his tone hesitant at hearing the silence on the other side. Finally, he heard a deep breath on the other side followed by a sigh before a croaky voice responded.

            “Don’t worry Heechul-ah, Hyung is still here. I was just upset too since it upsets me to hear you crying like that.”  Leeteuk whispered, his voice soothing the distressed boy as he continued taking deep breaths.

            “Hyung, we’re in trouble.” Heechul murmured into the phone.

            “You know you can tell me. I’ll help you as much as I can.” Leeteuk said quietly, soothingly.

             “Hyung, our parents…they abandoned all four of us and the neighbours saw them leaving leave so we have to leave too.”  Heechul said in a quick breath as his hands tugged his black shoulder length hair.

            “Wait…Heechul, I don’t understand. Can you explain everything to me…slowly?”  Leeteuk asked as confusion coloured his voice. Heechul sniffed slightly before telling the whole story. His story was filled with tears and sobs that made him pause every once in a while to regain control. When he finished, Leeteuk’s sigh on told him that he understood the situation- and didn’t like it one bit.

            “So you want me to start looking for a place now? But Heechul-ah, to do that, I would need to know some things such as; price range…how much can you afford to spend on rent and whether or not you need to be close to a school…stuff like that.”  Leeteuk gently started from the other side.

            “I know Hyung, I know. About the school, yes I would like something near a high school that way at least Eunhyuk and Henry can continue schooling even if Jae and I can’t.” Heechul whispered hoping not to upset Leeteuk further.

            “Hmm…you and Jae are definitely continuing school if I can help it! I mean it Heechul! I’ll look for an apartment for you guys in a good neighbourhood…that should cost about $1000-$2000 a month…” Leeteuk had started listing the things he felt compulsory and Heechul could feel his eyes widen.

            “Hyung! Stop! We can’t afford that sort of thing! A lower or poorer area would be just as fine. I mean provided we can just finish high school. Then Jae and I can find full-time jobs somewhere!” Heechul said hurriedly hoping to stop Leeteuk before he made wild plans that they couldn’t afford.

            “WHAT! What the hell is this about you and Jae not going to college? You both have even sent in your applications!” Leeteuk shouted over the phone.

            “Hyung, we’ll have to decline, we can’t leave Eunhyuk and Henry alone!” Heechul shouted, a slight panic causing his voice to rise above its normal pitch and sound. Leeteuk sighed on the other side of the phone.

            “Heechul-ah, you listen to me alright! You are moving near me and I will ensure that none- and I mean none- of you will be deprived of the education that you would receive otherwise.” Leeteuk huffed over the line. Heechul momentarily heard gruff laughter in the background before it was abruptly stopped.

            “And exactly how do you plan on doing that Hyung? We can pay for high school by ourselves, but college would be a stretch even with scholarships to help us out.” Heechul exclaimed, now having a full blown panic attack.

            “Just trust me alright Chul-ah, hmm? And if you four can send me a small resume each, I can try getting the four of you jobs as well.” Leeteuk said sounding cheerful on the other end. Heechul sighed quietly before acquitting to Leeteuk knowing that his Hyung would be there for him, no matter what. 

            “Oh and Heechul-ah, I have an announcement to make when you guys get here…”  Leeteuk said sounding really excited through the phone.

            “Hyung…I can’t wait to find out.” Heechul said quietly, a small smile stretching his lips, and for once during that afternoon, not fake.

            “He he he, I’m sure that you’re anxious…don’t even tell the others alright, I want it to be a complete surprise” Leeteuk said his voice bright with mirth. Heechul laughed quietly and said a small goodbye before hanging up.

            Once the call was cut, Heechul sat up, still hugging the small pillow and ran his hands through his hair. He closed his eyes and remembered how the room had looked just last night and slowly opened his eyes, watching the picture disappear and reality take its place. The room he was in now was barely a skeletal outline of the room in his mind and it served as a firm reminder that his parents were gone.

            He got up quietly and walked around the room once more, running his hands along the walls before opening the door. Standing at the doorway, he faced the room and took a steadying breath before speaking out loud to the empty room.

            “Well, you left us alone…So we now we’re closing this chapter of our lives and the way you left us, we are moving on as well…” Heechul whispered before closing the door and moving away.

            He buried his face in the plushie in his hand, letting a few stray tears escape from his eyes before quickly sitting up, rubbing his eyes to wipe any evidence of tears. He went to the closet and changed really fast since he had already showered before coming into the room and was wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist…and he was starting to feel cold.

            All four brothers settled down at the table once again and began looking at the plates prepared by Eunhyuk. Eunhyuk looked around at the sombre faces of the people that were eating at the table and closed his eyes, thinking of what a loud affair dinner usually was. He let out a sigh before speaking.

            “Heechul hyung, did you manage to connect with Leeteuk Hyung?” Eunhyuk asked quietly, poking his chicken with his fork. He watched as Heechul squirmed a little in his seat and started feeling like a parent interrogating his child.

            “Hyung said he will find a place for us to stay near his house and will ensure that we have enough money to pay for it and for school…also, Hyung told me to give him proper, up-to-date resumes. He knows places that might hire us.” Heechul whispered, playing around with his food. Once he finished talking, he put a piece of the chicken in his mouth and looked up to find that his brothers looked more relaxed and cheerful.

            The boys finished their dinner quickly and then moved to their rooms leaving Henry to clean up (and whine loudly about it) and started on their homework. The night passed relatively normally compared to the afternoon and soon, the boys were deep asleep in the comfort of their beds.

            The following two days passed in a blur, each boy informing their respective teachers and their friends all while packing their individual boxes (they bought it just for this purpose). They occasionally cried at night and were very careful with their spending money, knowing that their financial situation was very different now. They also ensured that Jaejoong and Heechul’s car was at full tank and ready for them to set out early Saturday morning.

            Eunhyuk walked down the hallway, looking downwards and ignoring the random fingers pointing at him for being alone and not happy and loud for once. The thought that he had just finished informing dance instructor about his transfer and had gotten the slip signed clouded his mind. As each day passed (completely ignoring the fact that it was yet to be 24 hours) Eunhyuk was starting to feel more and more depressed, the truth of the matter pressing against him as though there was a hand that was physically squeezing his heart.

            He made his way to the cafeteria, waving at Henry as he passed by before heading to the lunch line and grabbing a tray. He moved down the line, grabbing his food and greeted the lunch ladies with a tired smile. Handing over the required money with a new found resistance, he walked over to where his friends were sitting.

             “Hey you guys, what’s new with you?” Eunhyuk asked after ensuring that he had a smile plastered on his face. His friends looked at him and a couple of the girls had tears in their eyes causing him to panic and sit down quickly.

            “What’s wrong? Minzy, Hara, Fei why are you three crying and Nichkhun, Taeyang and Junho who died? How come you all look so down?” Eunhyuk asked looking around the table. Nichkhun looked at him, his gaze slightly accusatory.

            “We are upset because our best friend is moving away and instead of hearing it from him, I heard it from Victoria…” He said as his eyes changed from accusatory to hurt. Eunhyuk’s eyes widened and he sat there gaping at his friends, unsure how to continue this discussion. Fei looked at Eunhyuk, her eyes imploring him to give her answers He felt a tug on his left side and turned to find Jenny holding her hands out for a hug. He sighed and gave her a hug before looking around the table to all his friends.

            “Mum and Dad moved and we have to follow them...It’s to Chicago so we aren’t even going to be in the same state. I know I’ll try to visit...maybe next year, though, but it will be difficult since the drive is eight hours or so…” Eunhyuk said quietly looking down at the lunch table, playing with the fries on his tray. He felt two pairs of arms wrap around him while a delicate hand landed on the hand that was playing with the fries. He looked up to find Nichkhun and Mark hugging him while Minzy had a hand over his. All his friends were offering him comforting smiles and he managed to give a small smile back before Taeyang looked around the table and clapped his hands.

            “Alright, no more crying...whatever time we have left with our very own Eunjae….also known as diva Hyuk, we are going to rock out ok?” Taeyang stated and the entire table started laughing when Eunhyuk began protesting the weird girl names his friends kept throwing at him.

Henry sighed as he walked to the orchestra room during lunch. Since today was his last orchestra practice-practice was cancelled Friday on account of it being the last school day- he had to take his violin back with him. Besides which, he enjoyed all the time he had spent in the orchestra chamber. He had seen Heechul put his violin in his locker earlier while being surrounded by loud jocks. He knew his Hyung was being bullied but he didn’t know how to help...especially since they hadn’t been told.

            Amidst all his thoughts, he pushed open the door to the darkened orchestra room and walked across the room to the strings corner. He didn’t bother turning on the lights knowing that he could walk across the room with his eyes closed but regretted it when he heard footfalls behind him and the occasional thud. He was just about to scream when a hand covered his eyes and another covered his mouth. He started struggling and heard a grunt before more hands grabbed him and began dragging him. He continued struggling hoping it wasn’t any of the football players known to give his Hyung a hard time.

Soon enough, the dragging stopped and the hands around his eyes and mouth were gone. He blinked rapidly trying to adjust to the sudden change in light. When the black spots around his eyes cleared up, he realised he was in the choir room. He looked around and noticed that the room was crowded with his fellow orchestra students and friends.

“Our star violin player and head of the first string violins is leaving us and we find out by overhearing the teachers instead of from him! Why I thought we were Friends Henry!” Nancy’s voice startled him as a pair of hands wrapped around him from the right side.

“Seriously! Our star orchestra prodigy is leaving...but we didn’t even know! If Heechul hadn’t come in here in the morning to take his violin and told the teachers, we wouldn’t even have known!” Another member, Jay said from the other side of the room. Nancy laughed as she moved away slightly and Henry couldn’t help but grin at the antics his friends were putting up. Two girls, known to e entire orchestra as the Jung sisters hugged Henry from either side while whining.

“Oppa~ don’t go!” They pouted and batted their eyelashes in an over dramatic manner making the entire room, Henry included, burst out in laughter.

“Alright, how about having my final lunch inside this room? We’ll all meet here tomorrow so that we can spend that much time together...I figure we are doing that today anyway.” Henry said looking around the room and offering a giant smile. The rest of the orchestra cheered and Henry sighed knowing he was going to miss playing with this crazy bunch.

Jaejoong left the class hearing the bell ring and quickly pulled out his phone and texted his younger brothers to make sure they ate properly before walking towards his locker. He pulled out the books for his AP History lecture and was looking for his honours chemistry homework when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He sighed and dug the books out before pulling his phone out of his pocket and chuckled at his brothers’ childish response.

He smiled once more at his phone before looking back up to grab his elusive homework and upon finding it, started to close his locker, only to find a hand preventing him from doing so. He just sighed before turning around with a smile to see Victoria and Hellen standing on either side of Kangta. He smiled at seeing his best friends, but the frowned when he saw that all three looked expressionless.

“What? Why are you guys looking at me like that?” Jaejoong asked pushing Kangta’s arm away so he could close your locker.

“It might have to do with the fact that I found yours- as well as your brothers- transfer certificates IN THE OFFICE when I was doing the morning shift…and they were made just minutes before I came in any explanations Jaejoong?” Victoria asked cocking her hips to one side in a traditional diva pose causing Jaejoong to sigh.

“There is nothing I can do about it, Vic. My parents moved so obviously we have to go with them. You’re acting like I would want to leave for the last semester of my senior year…we leave tomorrow so till then…ugh! Let’s just survive till Pizza Friday!” Jaejoong said as a tired smile made its way across his face. The other three sighed wearily and nodded Jaejoong in walking down the hallway to their class. Kangta threw an arm around Jaejoong’s shoulder while Hellen hooked one arm to Jaejoong and another with Victoria and as Victoria said something that caused them all to burst into laughter, their world regained a temporary balance.

Heechul looked up as he heard his brother’s telltale laughter down the hallway and then quickly looked back down, hoping to avoid any of the bullies. He quietly took out a pen and placed it on his desk, right next to his open notebook while waiting for the teacher to come in. The chair next to his scraped as it was pulled out and he looked up out of the corner of his eyes and let out a smile when he realised it was just Sam (short for Samantha) and ahead of her was Ren. They both smiled at him and he smiled back before glancing at the door to make sure the teacher hadn’t come in yet. Once he was sure of that, he leant in towards them.

“Tomorrow is my last day at school…I’m transferring to a school near Chicago afterwards.” Heechul whispered, keeping his eyes down and his voice low. He heard a small gasp from Ren and a quick intake of breath from Sam causing him to look up. Sam had a hand over while Ren was just staring wide-eyed at his desk.

“We’ll miss you, you know and we will definitely keep in touch.” Ren said letting a small, wavering smile appear on his lips as Sam looked at the table with her hands fisted.

“Hmm…you can come over to my house tomorrow. It’s a pizza and potluck sort of thing.” Heechul said looking up at them hopefully. Both Ren and Sam smiled at Heechul and turned to the front just as the teacher arrived. Heechul opened his textbook and quietly smiled at the thought of having his friends come over tomorrow.

It was finally Friday night and soon enough and the brothers’ bustled around the house ensuring that everything was in its proper place before the guests arrived. Soon the doorbell rand and Jaejoong opened it to find Nichkhun, Taeyang, Minzy, Fei and Jenny standing outside holding bags of soda, ice cream and chips. He laughed and allowed them inside, taking the bags from their hands and going to the kitchen to put them away. After that, the door seemed constantly open as other friends streamed inside.

Soon all eighteen people were settled around the living room, the lights dimmed and the glow of the TV screen their only light source as the movie started. The room was silent except for the occasional whisper as someone asked to pass the popcorn. However, by the time “After Earth’ hit the halfway mark, the room was full of laughter shouts and flying pillows. The movie, much like the rest of the night passed too quickly and soon, it was time for everyone to head home. With many hugs, some tears and lots of promises, the four brothers closed the door to the sight of the last car leaving the driveway.

All four of them stood at the entrance and looked at the house which seemed even emptier now than it had two days ago. They plugged their phones in for charging and collapsed on the couch – a part of the furniture that they opted to leave in the house rather than take with them. They adjusted their positions slightly before falling asleep with tears in their eyes and arms wrapped around each other for the last time in their childhood house.

 

The drive from New Jersey to Chicago the next day was long but uneventful. The boys had managed to wake up on time and had left the house at three o’clock in the morning hoping to get the Leeteuk’s house before sundown. They had take turns driving as well as navigating, stopping every once in a while at the rest stops for food and fuel. They stopped at some places outside the rest-stops as well pulling over the car to take a picture if the place was especially picturesque.

The boys carried a small trash bag for the car so that they had someplace to throw wrappers, bags of chips and soda cans without ruining the car. They had managed, somehow, to fit all their clothes into boxes that were stacked in the trunk as well as the last two seats of Jaejoong’s Innova. Eunhyuk and Henry spent a good amount of time singing and laughing in the backseats, pausing whenever Jaejoong sang to let their ‘angelic voice’ brother take the spotlight.

Somewhere in between, Eunhyuk started singing ‘I’m Yours’ when the silence in the car had stretched quite a bit causing Henry and Jaejoong to laugh and Heechul to chuckle from his position behind the wheel. Soon enough, Henry joined him before freaking off to sing ‘The Lazy Song’.

The car ride was fun, though tiring and it was only when they entered the traffic that marked the beginning of Chicago that the boys sobered up and remembered the reason for the trip in the first place. They drove for an hour North of Chicago through the traffic before reaching Leeteuk’s apartment complex.

It was almost sundown when they reached so they all quickly clambered out of the car and stretched their limbs before walking up the steps to the front door. Heechul pulled out his phone to check Leeteuk’s apartment before buzzing the intercom.

“Hello?” A questioning voice called from the other side.

“Hyung? It’s Eunhyuk!” Eunhyuk responded his voice light as he smiled at his brothers. They themselves were chuckling and it turned into full blown laughter when Leeteuk’s unique laughter was heard through the intercom. The door buzzed signalling that it had been opened and Henry quickly yanked it open muttering something about the stupid wind as he ran up the stairs causing his brothers to continue laughing as they followed him in.

They climbed 

the two floors to Leeteuk’s apartment before opening the second door and entering the hallway of apartments. Turning to the left and walking to the end of the hallway, they knocked on apartment 201 and stood waiting, although they didn’t have to for long. The door was thrown open a couple seconds later by a grinning Leeteuk who had his sandy brown hair tied in a pony-tail at the nape of his neck. He rolled up the sleeves of his white sweatshirt and moved away from the door, waving the boys in.

All the boys could notice the difference in their friend and honorary brother. Gone were the glasses, his light brown eyes were now clear to all the looked at him and his baggy clothes were gone, even the sweatshirt he wore for slightly form fitting. Most importantly, despite being twenty-seven, he didn’t look a day over twenty and coupled with his dimpled smile, his confidence shown through.

Once they were inside, Leeteuk’s grin widened and he grabbed the closest two, Henry and Jaejoong into a hug before pulling Eunhyuk and Heechul as well forming a giant group hug. They laughed and hugged him back before stepping away and following him as he walked into the living room and told them where to keep their bags. Eunhyuk noticed extra shoes and coats in the closet but chose not to comment despite being curious as to what they meant.

The boys soon found themselves sitting on an off white couch with a glass of water in each of their hands and an excited Leeteuk standing in front of them.

“Now boys, before I tell you about your apartment, school and other such things, I have an announcement to make.” Leeteuk said clapping his hands and looking like a teenager once again. Eunhyuk and Jaejoong giggled at their childish Hyung while Henry was bouncing in his seat and Heechul was smiling.

“Hyung~ don’t make us wait…tell us!” Eunhyuk and Heechul exclaimed while Henry puffed his cheeks and Jaejoong struck a cute pose. Leeteuk laughed at how the four ‘mature’ boys became the little kids he knew at the orphanage when he had something to tell them.

“Well…I’ve found a partner!” Leeteuk announced while carefully looking at the boys reaction. Eunhyuk was smirking, Jaejoong looked affronted, and Henry was looking surprised while Heechul offered a genuine smile.

“Can we meet this partner of yours?” Eunhyuk asked, his smirk being replaced by a mischievous smile and Jaejoong huffed before turning slightly away from Leeteuk.

“What makes you think my partner is here right now?” Leeteuk asks, looking slightly amused.

“The extra coats in your closet as well as shoes…and before you ask how I know they aren’t your shoes Hyung…one they are way too big for you and two, they have nothing white on them, not even the shoelaces or the buttons.” Eunhyuk replied his eyes holding a teasing glint as the smirk returned. Leeteuk sighed and gave in to the playful brother before walking down the hallway, going to get his partner.

The boys waited impatiently, squirming in their seats the longer Leeteuk was gone. Soon the sounds two footsteps were heard coming down the hall and the four boys sat up a little straighter in anticipation for the big reveal.

Leeteuk emerged from the hallway with a nervous smile on his lips and from behind him came a man. The new guy was taller and broader than Leeteuk with a slightly rounder face. The fact that his black hair was in an army-cut simply added to the aura of intimidation that he sent out. Fortunately, that aura only lasted until he smiled though then he seemed playful and fun enough to relax the boys.

“Hi, I’m Kangin. It’s nice to meet you guys. I’ve heard of you before as well, but for the past two days, you’re all Teukie talked about.” He said with a wave, his voice loud and pretty cheerful. Three of the boys smiled back, becoming immediately comfortable and seeing how this guy complimented their gentle Leeteuk-Hyung. However, Heechul looked slightly uncomfortable.

“Hyungs*, can we see your soul tattoos then?” Henry asked looking excited. Leeteuk blushed lightly before nodding and rolling back the sleeve of his sweatshirt to reveal a small golden bear with racoon eyes on his forearm while Kangin pulled down the neck of his blue and red polo shirt to show two golden wings at the base of his neck.

Heechul, Henry and Eunhyuk cooed over the tattoos while Jaejoong sat at his place on the couch. After his initial greeting to Kangin, he had resumed his position of sulking with his arms crossed over his chest, body twisted towards the wall and a pout on his lips. Kangin noticed and tipped his head in Jaejoong’s direction slightly so that Leeteuk looked. Once Leeteuk saw, a smile formed on his lips.

“Jaejoong, you don’t want to see?” Leeteuk asked quietly. Jaejoong looked at him from the corner of his eyes before turning back to the wall with a glare as a huff of frustration escaped his lips. Leeteuk smiled wider and the other occupants of the room looked between the two of them in thinly veiled amusement.

“Joongie~” Leeteuk whined and pouted pulling cute faces causing the other to giggle at their childish hyung and Kangin to chuckle at his partner's behaviour.

“You were supposed to update your progress on the project website Hyung! If both of you are already this comfortable with each other AND living together- don’t you dare deny it Hyung! - Then the tattoos must have appeared a while back! I am in charge of Project DBSJ’s participants’ communication and it makes me look bad if I am not up-to-date!” Jaejoong whined the pout reappeared on his lips.

“I’m sorry Joongie~ I’ll post my updates tonight ok? I promise!” Leeteuk cooed leaving Heechul, who was standing next to him and making his way over to Jaejoong to pull him into a hug. Jaejoong sighed and hugged back before getting up and joining his brothers to examine the tattoos.

Leeteuk and Youngwoon (Henry and Eunhyuk had fun teasing him about his actual name- until they had to run to save themselves from his wrath) soon took the four brothers to their apartment which was in the same neighbourhood and barely three blocks away from Leeteuk’s apartment. The boys were surprised to find that it was furnished and despite their loud protests, Leeteuk and Youngwoon Kangin refused to take back all the furniture arguing that it was the basic necessities and the boys needed them before their first paychecks came. The two older ones also refused to leave the boys just like that and stayed to help the boys unpack.

It wasn’t long before everyone was hungry and with a surprising lack of protests, Kangin treated everyone to a pizza dinner. It wasn’t long before the first person began yawning. Incidentally, that person was Leeteuk which caused Henry to about growing old, much to the others amusement. It became even funnier when Henry let out a loud yawn in between his jokes as the day’s activities caught up to him…Leeteuk enjoyed having a laugh at his expense as well. Leeteuk and Kangin decided to leave then to allow the boys to settle into their home. Eunhyuk volunteered to walk them to the main door.

“Hyung!” Eunhyuk called out just as Leeteuk and Kangin reached the sidewalk. Leeteuk turned around with a small smile and placed a hand on Kangin’s shoulder before walking back to where Eunhyuk stood at the door of the door of the apartment building. Kangin waited for Leeteuk with his hands in his pocket and a small smile on his face as he watched his angel talk to someone he, himself had already started considering family.

Leeteuk had reached the shivering Eunhyuk who stood at the door wearing grey sweatpants and a plain white shirt that was constantly falling off his shoulders as the cold December winds blew. Leeteuk reached out and rubbed Eunhyuk’s shoulders with his gloved hands in an attempt to bring the shivering boy some warmth.

“Hyung, I’m glad you were volunteering at the orphanage when all four of us were there and that you took four…scared boys who were ten-twelve years younger than you under your wing. I’m thankful that you volunteered to participate in Project DBSJ just to ensure that the four of us were safe after we came to know that we were chosen. And I’m thankful, that you went and stood up to the orphanage head about volunteering us just to get the orphanage some money. A-and now…you’ve d-done all th-this; an apartment, o-our school, a j-job…Hyung…I-I…thank you...so, so much. You’ve p-probably spent m-more on us th-than we could ever r-repay and cared f-for us m-more than our pa-rents…I ju-just…” Eunhyuk, who had started his speech with a smile, but by the end, he was barely coherent as tears flowed freely from his eyes. Leeteuk smiled sweetly and hugged Eunhyuk tightly. He knew that despite the ‘devil-may-care’ attitude he showed the world, Eunhyuk was just as sensitive as Jaejoong and as vulnerable as Heechul.

“I do it because when I was twelve, and volunteering at the orphanage for the first time, I met two two-year-olds who were scared of the world and then two more boys a year later and I couldn’t help but consider them as mine.” Leeteuk whispered as a couple tears slipped past his closed eyelids as well and he tightened his arms around Eunhyuk’s waist. He let a small smile come on his face despite the occasional tear that fell from his eyes when he felt two arms fist the back of his jacket. For a couple seconds before letting go. He stepped back and offered a smile while brushing his gloved knuckles against a flustered Eunhyuk’s flushed cheeks before turning around and stepping back outside.

“Now go upstairs and sleep, we have to go around town tomorrow don’t we?” Leeteuk yelled as he headed back towards Kangin. Eunhyuk wiped his tears before smiling and waving at the disappearing couple one last time before closing the door and walking up a floor back to their apartment, sighing as the air became warmer in the hallway.

The next few days went by in a blur as Leeteuk and Kangin showed the four boys around town. It wasn’t hard for the boys to consider Kangin as his family since he was able to easily get along with them without pushing any of their –specific- personal boundaries. The only one still a little wary was Heechul. He found himself torn between religion and his Hyung's happiness. The worst was that he had no one to talk to about his thoughts on this. Seeing his Hyung happy with someone with someone his own gender made him wonder about other things he had read and thoroughly confused him. So the Sunday before school reopened, Heechul found himself walking around their new neighbourhood hugging his jacket tighter as the snow fell lightly, completely lost in his own thoughts.

Suddenly, he bumped into someone causing him to fall backwards and lose his train of thought. He blinked a couple times at the unexpected change in position and was surprised when a hand was held in front of his face. He followed it with his eyes, wondering whom it leads to.

The man standing in front of him was well built and had very sharp features. He smiled seeing the confusion in Heechul’s eyes revealing a dimple that changed his entire countenance into one more boyish.

“Are you alright? You must have been deep in your thoughts if you didn’t see me.” He said with a laugh. Heechul used the proffered hand to stand up before muttering thanks and starting to walk away. The stranger quickly stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulders. Heechul turned around to find the guy still giving him a small smile.

“Penny for your thoughts I promise not to tell or judge…” The guy offered.

“I’m not good at talking to strangers. And my thoughts can be considered controversial so…” Heechul almost whispered as he started walking away once again. The stranger pulled him back once more.

“Strangers usually make good listeners so try me. And as I said earlier, I promise not to judge. Besides which, we are talking right now and you seem to be doing fine. I’m sorry if I seem insistent, it’s just that you seemed troubled as you were walking that it makes me feel bad if I went on my way without at the very least offering my help.” The stranger said as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. Heechul searched his eyes and found genuine curiosity there and decided to take a leap of fate to trust this man. He nodded his head in assent and gave a small smile as the stranger lead him to a bench that was off to the side and facing a small garden. Heechul settled down and took a deep breath as the stranger waited and he began talking about his confusion.

It was two hours later that Heechul walked back into the apartment feeling much more at peace with himself and much better than he had all week. He walked into their apartment to find his brothers cuddled on the couch with Eunhyuk sitting in the middle with a bowl of popcorn on his lap. They all looked up at him and he grinned causing the three of them to laugh and cheer.

“Alright! Hyung is feeling normal again.” Henry cheered almost upsetting the bowl of popcorn which caused Eunhyuk- Mr. clean freak 2- to whack him on his shoulder. Heechul giggled and hung up his jacket and took off his boots after shaking off the excess snow before walking into his room. He quickly took off his pants and wore a pair of warm sweats before taking off his shirt and searching for his favourite Cinderella nightshirt when he heard the footsteps.

“Hyung, Joongie-Hyung sent me to ask…” Eunhyuk stopped dead in his tracks with his mouth open wide causing Heechul, who had turned upon hearing him, to stare at him in confusion. Eunhyuk then smiled widely, showing his gums before running off. Heechul could hear him scream in the hallway.

“Joongie Hyung…Henry…Heechul Hyung got it! He has the mark!” Heechul’s eyes widened when he heard that and he ran up to the full-length mirror attached to the closets door only to see a small lion- suspiciously shaped like Simba- printed across the left side of his chest, dangerously close to his heart. The tattoo was still shimmering lightly to show that it was only a few hours old.

The other three came running in and crowded around him as Jaejoong inspected the tattoo closely.

“Choi Siwon-Andrew. Do you know this name or…?” Jaejoong trailed off seeing the thoughtful expression on Heechul’s face.

“I have been out walking for almost three hours and walked by at least twenty people, this name could be anyone’s!” Heechul exclaimed while Jaejoong nodded in understanding. Eunhyuk, on the other hand, began chuckling.

“Hyung, it’s a good thing you’ve calmed down about Leeteuk and Kangin hyung.” He said in between his laughter causing the others to look at him in confusion.

“While Siwon is definitely a Korean name, it’s a guy’s name hyung.” Eunhyuk explained. Heechul’s eyes widened as did the other two’s. Jaejoong started chuckling while Henry patted a stunned Heechul.

“Come on hyung, let’s go and eat dinner before heading off to bed we have to get up early for school tomorrow,” Henry said pushing the frozen Heechul and laughing Eunhyuk and Jaejoong out of the room and into the dining nook.

The next day rose surprisingly colourful although the clouds that appeared on the horizon foretold that the day was going to be cold, even if it was sunny. The four brothers were awake with the sun and eating the breakfast that Jaejoong had prepared. They were all nervous and their faces showed it. At six forty-five, the buzzer rang and Eunhyuk answered it before opening the door to allow Leeteuk and Kangin, all dressed for the day, to come inside.

“Hey boys, are you ready…we have to leave now. So for daily transportation, there is a bus, but I’m guessing that you’ll be taking Jaejoong’s car. So I went and talked to the principal when I was transferring you and I have news. Heechul and Henry, both of you are in the orchestra! Jaejoong and Eunhyuk, you have to audition to join the choir and dance clubs, they separate them into different levels so the audition will help them decide where to put you. And that’s all I can remember…let’s go now since you have to collect your schedules and get at least a little tour of the school before it starts.” Leeteuk rambled before taking a deep breath and smacking a snickering Kangin’s shoulder. The four boys smiled as they collected their bags from their rooms and burst into laughter when they heard Kangin’s next line.

“Teukie, if you are this nervous sending them off to school, what will you be like if we adopted a child?” Heechul, the first to make it back to the living room covered his mouth with his hands before holding back his laughter long enough to speak.

“Teukie Hyung, I think you are more nervous than I am.” Heechul’s small joke made even Leeteuk cracked a smile as they all trooped out. Jaejoong stayed behind for a couple minutes as he turned off all the lights and ensured the front door was properly locked. He then quickly exited the hallway, down the stairs and out the door to where the others were waiting for him next to Leeteuk’s car. Once he reached them, they all entered and quickly buckled up and faced the front where Kangin was smirking in the driver’s seat while Leeteuk was sulking right next to him. Kangin turned around to talk to boys with the smirk still in place.

“You guys can decide how you get back home today. Either we can pick you guys up after school or you can take the bus.” Kangin stated, turning back to the front to start the car. The boys looked at each other for confirmation before saying ‘bus’ simultaneously. Leeteuk looked back at them and smiled before turning back to the front muttering something about them not being burdens either way.

Eunhyuk looked around the car and smiled at his excited brothers before looking out the window at the passing trees and brownstones in between wishing his parents were still there so they could be living in one of them as a proper, happy family.

Soon enough, Kangin was pulling into the school’s circular driveway. The car stopped at the entrance and Eunhyuk unbuckled his seatbelt and waited for Henry to step out before following him. Once out, all four boys waved goodbye to a worried Leeteuk and a calm Kangin. Kangin in gave them one last assuring smile before driving off to work. Eunhyuk flicked his wine red hair out of his eyes and adjusted his figure-hugging blue trench coat before slinging his backpack onto his shoulder and walking next to a nervous Heechul. He looked up at the bronzed board attached to the entrance archway proudly proclaiming De Geer High School. He turned and smiled at Heechul as he mid-back length black hair into a high ponytail allowing the fringes in the front to frame his face. Eunhyuk was well aware that his brother disliked being told this, but his brother really was pretty and good at making people question his gender. He felt Henry tug his hand on his other side and found his baby-faced, chestnut haired, taller younger brother shifting from foot to foot while Jaejoong stood on Henry’s other side nervously fixing the zipper on his black jacket before adjusting his dirty blonde hair so that the fringes fell across his face perfectly.

Eunhyuk took a deep breath to settle his own nerves and then walked into the school, smiling when he heard his brothers following behind him. He walked into the office and up to the secretary, but before he could start talking, he felt his nerves catch up to him. So he stood a couple steps in front of her desk, frozen and turned to Jaejoong and Henry, his eyes widening in panic. Jaejoong sent him a wavering smile before quietly clearing his throat and stepping up to the desk and introducing the four of them. She smiled at them, although she seemed confused at how they were brothers despite the different last names and handed them their schedules. When Eunhyuk, the last one, grabbed his schedule, she offered a warm smile and a map both which helped ease his nerves. He offered her a shy smile as he took the offered map and went to his brothers, who were standing near the door comparing schedules. They all smiled when they noticed that they had lunched together and with a thank you and goodbye, stepped outside to go to their lockers.

They were fortunate enough to get lockers near each other and walked to them. Jaejoong and Eunhyuk had lockers next to each other while Henry and Heechul had the two lockers directly opposite to theirs. They opened it up and quickly put up a couple pictures and –in Eunhyuk and Jaejoong’s case- locker organisers. The boys quickly hung their bags and coats straightening out their outfits before continuing their job. Putting away their stationery and notebook, they closed their lockers once again and regrouped near Henry’s locker to look over the map. Quickly, they located their hallway and mapped out the routes to their classes. Each of them traced their route with a pencil and clicked a picture on their phones before erasing the route and allowing the next to do the same. Once that was done, the boys put the map in Henry’s locker before he closed it. Hearing the sounds of footsteps and laughter, the boys looked up to see students walking in. They shared a look before taking a deep breath and smiling at one another. They all had to head in the same initial direction for the first class and so took off down the hallway, hoping to introduce themselves to the teacher and get the textbook before class started. That didn’t happen as planned, however.

As the four boys rounded a corner, Eunhyuk bumped into a well-muscled body and fell down cursing on the way to the floor, by the sounds coming from the other person; they had gotten jostled as well. Standing up Eunhyuk quickly brushed himself off before looking at the other person, planning on apologizing…but that didn’t happen either.

“Why the can’t you watch where you’re going…there is enough space so no need to run someone down! Crazy !” The guy sneered as he looked at Eunhyuk with a glare. Eunhyuk’s eyes widened for a split second before narrowing down again. How dare this guy accuse him like that, it hadn’t been his fault in any way!

“Do you have a problem? It’s not like I’m the one who decided to stand hugging the wall at a bloody corner! All I did was turn around the ing corner you chose to stand at a place where people was obviously run into you, ! Besides which, is this how you treat people you’ve never met before…god, I think you need an attitude adjustment!” Eunhyuk fired back; his lips turning down disdainfully as he put all his weight on one foot and cocked his hips to the side. The other guy looked shocked and seemed to be gearing for a response. Heechul, Jaejoong and Henry stood to the side, noticing the attention Eunhyuk was drawing and were attempting to find a way to pull Eunhyuk away without turning Eunhyuk’s anger towards them, but it seemed they needed have interfered since someone did anyway.

“What exactly is going on here?”

Author's Note:-

So this thing is 22 pages and 12083 words on Microsoft and my internet is conking on and off so I apologise for the delay. This chapter also took me almost a month and a half to write and a couple weeks to type and edit. So my big question is to my readers. There are two ways this story can go. It can be more than ten plus chapters and go into details of their life and pretty long the way it's written here or it can be around six chapters and maybe half or three-fourth the length of these chapters. The difference would be this:

The long one would be HaeHyuk's entire high school life, all the ups and downs+ a separate epilogue

The short one would be the story of how HaeHyuk get together.

 So which one would you guys prefer? My net isn't working long enough for me to create a poll so please just tell me in the comments~ Love you guys for reading this and I'll try to put up the next chapter soon...provided my internet cooperates.