Heechul has always loved photography, capturing beauty. Growing up Wonju, Heechul spent his all of his summer breaks and weekends during high school working at a little flower shop so that he could save up for a good camera. Of course his parents could have easily paid for it but he was determined to work for what he wanted and not just have everything handed to him.

          The starting of junior year he had enough money to buy the camera, and he did. He kept the job at the flower shop, he had grow close to the elderly woman who owned the shop and didn’t want to leave her to do the job all on her own. She saw him as her grandchild and gave him gifts for his birthday and holidays, cooked him food, and even offered to pay for his collage tuition – he was her only family.

           His senior year Heechul got his acceptance letter to his hometown university Sangji University, and after graduation he got with the help of his parents a small studio apartment in Gaeun-dong just a bus trip way the university. He continued his job at the flower shop, working on the days that he had no classes mostly bring his laptop to study when there were no customers to serve or orders to for filed.

          As much as he loved photography he choose to be major in social science, seeing that he needed something that he could fall back on if his dream of being a photographer didn’t work out. Therefore, he spent his collage time studying social science when not studying he was either at work or taking pictures of important events around the city.

One day of his early senior year he was out in the park near his home walking around taking pictures of things he found interesting , thing that might not be of interest the average person but he saw beauty in it. Getting in to the middle of the park he seated himself on one of the park benches to rest before continuing. Right as he got comfortable his cell phone rang.

“Hello?” he slowly answered

“Heechul dear, it’s me, your halmoni” his boss, Ahn ahjuma or as she liked to be called Ahn Halmoni , said to him in a sweat tone.

“ Hello halmoni, is something at the shop, should I came and help?” he ask worrying that she needed help.

“No dear everything is fine at the shop but I would like you to return to the shop so that I could discuss something with you, ok?”she laughed lightly.

“Sure thing I’ll be right there! Bye” he said exchanging goodbyes before hanging up.

Heechul quickly made his way to out of the park and to the bus stop. While waiting for the bus and even during the bus ride he worried that his boss had bad news for him and it drove him crazy not knowing what she need to discuss with him. Once arriving at the bus stop near the shop, he quickly got off and made his way to the shop. Upon arrival in the shop he was greeted high pitch meows and the store cat , who hadn’t been there for over a month because of pregnancy, wrap around his feet.

“Cheonsa your back, how are the babies?” Hecchul ask the cat as he crouched down to pet her.

“Actually that’s what I wanted to talk to you about, I want you to have one of her kittens” He heard a voice say, and looked up to see Ms. Ahn. He dusted himself of and stud up

“Really?! I would be honored, Thank you” he quickly bowled before walking over to her and hugging her tightly.

“No need to thank me, you have worked with me for many years now and have help take good care of Cheonsa. I’m sure she will be happy to have one of her baby in good hands” she said as Heechul broke the hug “now go on and make a choice.” She said leading him to a basket on the table with three kittens resting together in it.

 Heechul looked down at the kittens and slowly reached his hand into the basket to pet the sleeping kittens. One of them woke up and imminently pounced on his hand biting it – this was defiantly his kitten.

Heechul lifted the kitten out of the basket and cradled it in his arms but the little kitten had other plans, the kitten climbed up Heechul’s shirt clawing in to Heechul’s pale skin in the processes. Heechul quickly removed the kitten from his shirt and held him up so that they were eye level.

“Look here little Mr……” he hadn’t thought of a name for the kitten yet, but one quickly came to him “ Look here Little Mr. Heebum, no using me as a climbing post” he said in a stern voice but in the end he couldn’t stop himself from laughing.

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That day a great friendship started.  Heechul and Heebum are the best of friends, Heebum get everything he could wish for even thought he is only a cat Heechul treats him much like his child. Now with his graduation near Heechul has been sending his pictures to many big nature and animal magazine companies. Honestly he would not be accepted, there were surly a lot of people applying for the same position he hadn’t taken classes in photography.

          Having those thoughts in his mind he was even more surprised to receive a call from E.L.F photography company a day before his graduation ceremony. The secretary of the boss of E.L.F informed him that they wanted him for the job and that they wanted him at their company by Friday the following week  as they already had an assignment for him.

         The day after graduation he started packing up his apartment with the help of his family, which took two days. During the nights he would look for a new apartment in Hongdae for him and Heebum to life in, the price was not really a worry since he was going to be part of a well paying company. The company also had offered to pay the first half a year of his rent because apparently he wasn’t even going to be in Seoul for the first half of the year because his assignment required him to go to the east of the Gangwon providence.

         Thursday was when he stud in front of the E.L.F Company in Hongdae. Heechul’s sister, who also lived in Seoul, was back in his apartment getting Heechul’s apartment set up with the help of her husband. Heechul had told Heebum to wish him luck but the move had gotten Heechul grumpy so Heechul was sure Heebum was not going to care.

          Taking one last deep breath Heechul entered the building and walked up to the front desk. The receptionist looked up at him, before Heechul could even open his mouth to say something the receptionist handed him a sticky note and pointed toured the elevators. Heechul simply nodded and went to the elevators and pressed the button, once in the elevator he looked down at the sticky note.

I’m sorry I lost my voice a voice so I’ll just give you the directions on this card. You’re probably Kim Heechul and if you aren’t please bring this back to the front desk and state you business. The boss’s office is on the third floor, once you’re out of the elevator take a left and continue down the hall the last door is the bosses office. Don’t worry he’s very nice.  Good Luck J ~ Sungmin

As he finished reading the massage written, he’s nervousness just increased he was so close to his dream job. Heechul pressed the button for the third floor and gripped his portfolio tighter, even thought the job was already his he couldn’t help but be nervous. Honestly, Heechul was not a person to be nervous and timid quite the contrary, he was usually cocky and he honestly had no idea what got in to him.

Once on the third floor he unknowingly held his breath, as he walked down the hall. He was about to knock when the door flew open and there in front of him stud a man with honey blonde dyed hair, a bright smile showing his deep dimples. He pulled Heechul inside the office and urged him to sit on one of the comfortable looking chair.

“Hello Heechul, Can I call you that? Well I’m Park Jungsoo but you can call me Leeteuk, Sungmin sent me a text telling me that you had arrived” Heechul’s new boss greeted him, while seating himself  behind his desk on his chair.

“So let’s get down to business shall we! You’ll be in be in the eastern Gangwon province, documenting the life of Olympic Equestrian Han Geng who has been who has been riding for our country for a couple years now” he said proudly. “No worries, Sungmin and myself will be going with you to see how well you do.” Leeteuk said as if that would make Heechul less nervous.

“So when do we leave?” Heechul asked shyly, something he usually wasn’t.

“Well tomorrow if that’s okay? that should give you time to pack clothes and your camera supplies” Heechul just simply nodded.

After a couple more things were discussed, Heechul left the office and the building. Once in his apartment after a short taxi ride, he took off his shoes and then continued to his couch where he just simply plopped down. His sister and brother-in-law had moved all the furniture in to the apartment but the boxes with his things were still closed, honestly why open them he wasn’t going to be here the first half of the year anyway so why bother.

Heechul did decided to unpack something’s though like clothes ,bed cushions and blankets, and stuff he really wanted to take with him. After packing some clothing and other thing in a suitcase for the next day, he called a delivery place to get his dinner for that day. Heechul then called only friend in the city, Kim Jaejoong, to ask him to take care of Heebum while he was gone.

Soon after the call with Jaejoong ended Heechul’s food arrived, he filled Heebum’s bowl with cat food and then sat down on the sofa and ate his food. After eating, he took a shower and changed in to his sleep clothing. Heechul lied down in his bed and Heebum was happy to join, cuddling up in to his owners’ chest purring softly.

“From tomorrow on I’ll be gone six months. I’ll miss you but I know Jae will take good care of you while I’m gone,” Heechul said petting his cat.

As much as he was excited and hat the felling that he wouldn’t be able to sleep at all that night his body had other plans and at about 1am sleep finally took over and Heechul was in the land of dreams.