for all people who bear with me and make my little corner more beautiful. My dearest gals; rila, puu, flo,lina, mary, melchangyoon, yanran, alemoon, dien, alice, jasmine, xijunna, cuppie noodles, jessicaiceprincess, xia sama and everyone else. my great oppas; steph, joey, and dave. you are all jjang!! hh..i should stick to work but yeah.. i wrote this chap for my precious friends here and there. thank you for the good time. thank you for letting me spamming your wall. haha.

ninjas! ^^

Changmin hits back with his edgy fist on Taecyon’s jaw. He repeats his touch three times before receiving sharp blows on his stomach that twist his inside upside down into threatening blood vomit. He swallows back the bitter saliva down his throat as he bounces and blocks the attack Taecyon does fast. He takes a peep over Jonghyun who is swaying his thin hand in to Changsung’s tall figure. One second and his defense snaps at the twisting knee and circled fist targeting him.

The girls cry in fear as the fight goes on. They ask the fighting boys to stop fighting in their school yard. Some run to get to the teachers. Some make calls to their friends or parents or anyone they can tattle about what’s happening in their school. The other male students just stand watching, unmoved and unsure what to do. They have learned not to step foot in a good fight especially where Shim Changmin is involved. The beast and hot blooded senior student is too much a risk they can bear after the fight is over. As a result, they will watch and follow every fast fist exchange the tall senior student and his gang show.

      “STOP!”

      “CHANGMIN! JONGHYUN!”

**

After long marathon lecture and another serious warning he gets from the principle, sport teacher and his homeroom teacher, Changmin walks home with untended cuts and bruises. His jaw hurts, his bones scream from cracking sues, his left eye and his lips are swollen, his knuckles have more dark color and scratches and his chest is painful. He walks alone, shouldering his school bag and carrying his shoes with his other hand. Jonghyun has been picked up by his mother. Taecyon and Chansung are sent away after their guardians came to get them. He is left alone in the principal’s chamber since none came to pick him. Who will come anyway? His aunt? His aunt’s tentative lover? His nowhere to be found parent? His deceased grands? That Yunho social worker?

He spits and feels the familiar burning greet on his partly swollen lips. He walks casually uncaring about the stares people cast on to him. What? I’m a male highschooler and fist bumping is normal. So what if I don’t wear my shoes? So what if I have bruised face? What do you care, huh? Go back to your little peaceful home and ignore me! Ignore me like everyone else and the world! I’m just a scumbag! I’m a dirt! Happy?

He makes a right turn and drags his bruised flesh into one compact of tall building. His aunt’s flat. He lives there in the third floor in a small cramped two bedrooms flat with one bathroom, one tiny kitchen and one more room served for all purposes function.  It’s like a hawk nest. Everything is messy and smelly. Scattered litters everywhere. Leaking water tap, dirty gloomy windows, clothes on the floor, unwashed eating utensils, cheap sickening perfume scents mixed with blown smokes, no heater, no air conditioner, no clean bed to sleep. Nothing but a flat rooming two people. His struggling for better life aunt and him, a rebellious angry senior high schooler.

      “Hey dog! You fought again, huh?”

      “Hello chick, need help with that swollen lips?”

      “Tell Chae Rim to pay for your two months late electric and water bill or I’ll cut them too!”

Changmin snorts and keeps walking to the third floor. No elevator in this old rusty building. Stairs are the only path you can access to get to your flat. He’s thankful that his aunt managed to rent a space in the third floor otherwise he has to climb up all the way to the sixth one. Thank you very much.

He passes flat number 719 and halts for a while. It’s the quietest flat in the third floor and he closes his eyes to breathe. His body starts to ache badly and he doesn’t want to get another series of yelling and long lecture from his aunt. That is, if Chae rim is home. He hears loud voices of women’s laughter, kids’ crying and bickering, men’s imperative high notes and cling clanging of various home’s equipment from the aligning doors of flats in the floor. There are approximately fourteen cramped occupied rented flats in every floor and each of which has nearly generate noises. It’s cheap. Not the cheapest urchin-like neighborhood or something but it’s affordable for any lucky financial-shorted living soul who struggles for survival in the busy modern metropolis city like GreyFair. Jobs are as scarce as warm sunshine in North pole during winter, education costs your neck and head, food is as easy as clean natural water spring in the desert and looks are the ultimate demand of a -you must have- package if you want to go on for another good day.

Changmin breathes again and opens his eyes. His dark sharp daring rich brown orbs bump into a pair of calm tear-like soul windows. The occupant of flat number 719.

      “…..”

Changmin lets the awkwardness takes place around them. Both of them just stand on their own feet and say nothing. Silence seems the better choice afterall.

One hand of the occupant makes it way to palm Changmin’s scratched cheek.

      “Pirate’s scar needs more apparent lines.” The calm voice fills their silence. “Nails are not enough. Try cutter or knife next time.”

      “Sorry.” Changmin mumbles. He means it and his head gives away his real feeling as it goes low showing his regret.

The occupant gives changmin a sheer smile. Changmin almost misses it by second yet he catches the very smile in disguise.

      “Here.” The occupant pulls his door more offering the rebellious student to come in. “I need to get ice for those dark colors.”

Changmin bites his partly swollen lips.

      “Aren’t you..

The occupant tilts his head and Changmin can’t help admiring the calm peacefully beautiful view he sees. Junsu always has this effect on him. His kicked hard stomach sings a song he always encounters when Junsu pays him small easy gestures.

      “As long as you are quiet.” The occupant has held Changmin’s holding his shoes hand and softly pulls Changmin inside.

      “But.. my feet are dirty.” Changmin mumbles again. He doesn’t want to leave footmark on Junsu’s clean floor.

      “Wash them.”

He is pulled inside and the door of 719 flat is closed without a sound. The quietest flat in the third floor indeed.

      “You could leave after you feel better.” Junsu fills the glass with water. “Your aunt will be worried if you don’t come home sooner than nine pm.”

Changmin scoffs. He feels much better already but he’s reluctant to leave Junsu and his peaceful flat.

      “You have homework too.”

      “Screw homework!” Changmin half snarls. “To hell with them. I don’t need school!”

Junsu offers the filled glass to Changmin. The student takes it and drinks it out of politeness. He’s not that thirsty but everything from Junsu is precious.

      “Why are you going to one then?” Junsu sits on the opposite edge from Changmin.

      “They tell me to go.”

      “You could say you don’t need school.”

      “Yeah, sir. Like they will listen to my words. I’m just a kid to them. Adults don’t listen to kids. We listen to them willing or not yet they don’t even give us a dime about what we want.” He pukes the word angrily.

Junsu smiles. He nods and drinks his water.

      “So what do you want, Min?”

Changmin faces the older man with a blank expression.

      “What do you want for yourself? Dropping school out? Leaving your aunt?”

      “I don’t want to go to place where people shove ridiculous rules on my face and order me stuff.” Changmin states half shouting in irritation.

      “Hmm.. Make sense. None wants to go to that place either.”

Changmin looks more to the face he likes to secretly and stealthily stare.

      “You see. No one wants to put themselves in hardship. School for you, work for employees, hospital for sick people, jail for convicted criminals, nursing homes for the elders, orphanage for children and stuff.” Junsu stares back. “I’m sorry for preaching. I try to say that all of us want a better condition.”

Changmin rarely gets apology from people lecturing him and Junsu never does lecture. He listens to Junsu more than his appointed social advisor.

      “So?” Changmin huffs.

      “There is usually this simple option.” Junsu rests his arm on the couch’s head. “Either you drop it or you go through it.”

Yeah, everyone knows, Changmin rolls his eyes.

      “And there’s the extra choice too.” Junsu goes on in playful tone. “Dropping it like you just leave it without a trace or dropping it in respectable walking out. The same applies to the latter option. You just go through it and pass. Just a pass. Or you ace it and show to the world you are the better one after you pass.”

Changmin drinks his water more. He’s heard this typical talk showered to him like millions times before. his social security advisor, Jung Yunho, his teachers, his school counselors, his principles, any noisy old ladies who play caring adult, the police officers, the social law people, even his ungraduated from high school aunt too.

      “Do I bore you again with long adult talk?” Junsu averts Changmin’s floating mind to him.

      “hhh.. nevermind.”

      “Have you ever tried to be serious about yourself, min?”

That definitely robs Changmin’s unguarded defense.

      “Of course!” He yells. “I told them like hundred times I don’t wanna go to school. School . Instead of listening to me, they lectured long and high about the importance of education and .”

      “Hmm..

      “They didn’t even ask me whether I wanted to live in foster house or with Chae Rim. They just pushed me here and made me attending to that lame school.”

      “How old are you now, Min? Eighteen?”

      “Yeah. I guess so. My old mom didn’t really keep track of birthdays.”

      “And you want people to take you seriously?”

      “Why can’t them?”

      “Because you act like eighteen year old Changmin.” Junsu shows another thin smile that melts Changmin’s annoyance. “Perhaps if you act like twenty year old Changmin or twenty five you, they will see and take you seriously.”

      “What do you mean? I’m not old enough to be considered serious?” Changmin frowns.

      “Your fists are serious but you are.. I’m not sure.”

Changmin’s irritation is back right there on his tight grip over the glass.

      “I mean.. Can you name a twenty five someone talking to another twenty five someone and get ignored? Or.. More likely people ignore that one?”

      “……” Changmin realizes it after two minutes.

      “Your teachers spent years in school and college to be able to stand in front of your friends and to be listened to.” Junsu catches Changmin’s free hand, squeezing it. “Your principle spends years after years dedicating her life and time for the school and education before she’s appointed as one. Everyone listens to her, doesn’t it?”

      “But..

      “Does she use fists, Min? Does she employ forces everyday or every time she has school problem at her door?”

      “It’s not fair. She’s fifty five and I’m just ….

      “Eighteen.” Junsu smiles again, for real this time that the smile lits the calm eyes into a blast of beautiful fireworks.

      “They take you as an Eighteen Changmin because you act like you are right now.”

      “That’s not true.” Changmin defends. “They ignore me because I’m unwanted child and poor. Because I’m a burden to the society. They never take me seriously when I speak without fist.”

      “Do they listen to you after your fists help?” The glints in Junsu’s eyes spark.

Not at all. Changmin gets the opposite of ear after he fights. He gets burning ears himself from the long warnings and lectures.

      “You are not a burden, Min.” Junsu pats Changmin’s hand. “None is till one decides to be.”

      “None wants…

      “If I don’t want you here, what are you doing in my couch right now?”

I don’t know, Junsu. Why do you open your door to me when everyone else slams it to my nose, Changmin blinks.

      “Because you are not a burden to me. I’m just a neighbor to you and I think you are just angry to yourself about something.”

Just a neighbor? His heart sinks unconsciously.

      “You are good to me.” Changmin mutters low.

      “Hmm? Am I? should I be bad?”

Changmin shakes his head furiously. He looks cute though he’s still bitter and angry. Angrily cute eighteen year old senior high schooler.

      “Good people meet good people, Min. You say I’m good cause you are good inside you. You just cover it with anger and bitterness toward people who do care about you.”

It pours ices in Changmin’s furious red heart. Junsu says Changmin is not bad. Junsu thinks he is a good boy. It sets rain of drizzling snow off his inside.

      “Do you?” Changmin bites his now reduced from swollen lips.

      “Do I what?” Junsu raises his brow.

      “Care about me?”

      “Do you want me to? I’m barely new here and you know nothing about me. What I am and what I did in the past before I moved in as your neighbor.” Junsu warns him.

      “I want you to care.” Changmin says heavily with loud thumping heartbeats. “I want you to.. be someone I can come to.”

Junsu laughs. Light and carefree.

      “Eighteen and brave.” Junsu laughs more. “I think I will, Min.” the calm tadpole eyes painted with something like sprouting mischief. “as long as we are even.”

Changmin doesn’t comprehend what Junsu means by even but he can’t be more relieved and happier hearing Junsu’s answer.

      “Your aunt will be mad if you don’t go home like right now. It’s almost nine.”

**

Junsu hears shouts and earsplitting screeching seven minutes later in reduced resounding tone. Chae Rim must be very upset at her nephew. Junsu sighs. Chae Rim lives in flat number 724, four rooms away from Junsu’s and it faces the opposite line from Junsu’s row. The flats are positioned by their even and odd number. The screeching lasts for quite a while and for this moment; he doesn’t hear Changmin’s voice snapping back at his aunt. Junsu lets out breaths and prepares himself for his evening shift. He has work to do tonight and papers to submit tomorrow. He knows he shouldn’t have taken Changmin in and tended the tempered boy but he couldn’t help reaching out to the tall high schooler. Eighteen and his height nearly rallies with Junsu. He’s twenty one himself and doesn’t usually be that open to people. He likes the company of his own most of the time and very few other people who make their way into his secluded corner self. He moved into the rusty noisy cramped old flat after the previous occupant was expelled due to an embarrassing scandal of pregnancy and abortion. Hyukjae, one of the very few friends he has, informed him about the available spot and told him the brief surroundings about the flat. It’s old building and some of the flats are in poor condition. Junsu didn’t mind the poor environment as long as he could move out from the store’s basement. He didn’t mind the noise either since it’s inevitable. What could you expect from cheap flat and low economy class residents? Hyukjae took him to the flat manager and he moved in not long after. His best friend helped the payment a bit, insisting he would help Junsu because Hyukjae knew Junsu had just paid his university tuition and a finger away from being total broke if he didn’t help out.

Junsu learned about his neighbors. He didn’t mean to be pricky but he couldn’t help hearing most of the shouts and the shattering something from his left and right. Changmin had him after three weeks staying and adjusting with his simple flat. His aunt was grounding and flooding him with train of long long bad swearing words. She told Changmin boldly that she needn’t another stone in her rocky days. She had a lot in her plate and Changmin just added her trash. It was heart wrenching to hear something as self crushing as that and Junsu can’t help but peeking at the said receiving end. Well, of course changmin shouted back in higher fits. He didn’t want to live there. He was forced by his social advisor to stay with his aunt. you, . Junsu wondered why none stepped in to stop the shouting match but then he realized that every door in this building has its own monster to slay. They had their own difficulties and they didn’t need useless concern because shouting and anger stood side by side on the wall of every door.

Junsu came to breathing hard Changmin sitting on the dirty steps. His fists banged the innocent awfully painted wall beside the stairs. He came and shoved a can of cold soda to the steaming with angry smoke boy.

      “Drink? It helps soothing anything related with fire.” Junsu tried to smile.

      “F*** off!” the boy barked with furious eyes.

Junsu was captivated with the fresh rage shown in those dark rich brown orbs.

      “Okay. I’ll leave this here. Sorry for bothering you.” Junsu put the can down on the step just right beside the boy’s folded legs. He walked forward climbing down the stairs going to his evening shift. He didn’t look back at the boy though he’s itchy to do so.

When Junsu was back from work seven hours later, drowned and tired from the busy bookstore he worked as a shop assistant, he met the a rather elips ball curled on the same spot on the steps. Changmin was there, his upper body bent hugging his knees, unmoved in poorly body pose. Junsu nudged the boy slowly and saw the sleeping boy. No more anger. No more cursing and barking fire. No more bitter fists to the world. What he saw was the pure and warm cuteness of a high schooler. He saw dark color on Changmin’s knuckles. He saw exhaustion and self resistance in the sleeping face. He saw the bare Changmin that suddenly ran to his heart and built a hut there. Junsu was awed, mesmerized by the beauty and the raw rage Changmin was. He didn’t wake the boy up. He used his remaining energy to scoop the high schooler, carrying the boy through stairs and took him to his aunt’s door. He knocked with effort for several long minutes. Changmin was heavy in his hold and his legs started to protest. So did his arms. He knocked again and the door was opened by a shirtless male, frowning at Junsu.

      “Um.. this boy lives here.” Junsu couldn’t find better words.

      “Who is it?” Chae rim’s voice heard from inside.

The shirtless male eyed Junsu suggestively and smiled.

      “Someone said a boy lives in your flat, baby.” The man winked at Junsu.

Chae Rim appeared five minutes later in a thin transparent night robe. Her hair was messy and Junsu ignored red marks on her bare skin and neck.

      “Oh. Changmin. Bring him in.” Chae Rim nodded. “Are you his friend?”

Junsu carried the sleeping boy to his pointed bedroom and cringed at the state of the bed and the room. He laid the boy in bed and stretched a bit from the tickling numbness.

      “No, ma’am. I’m the new renter. 719.” Junsu nodded his head a bit at the aunt. “I met him outside.”

      “Thank you. Changmin only knows to spell trouble.” Chae rim rolled her eyes. “Thank you for taking him home.”

      “Anytime, ma’am. Now, excuse me. It’s very late and I’ve interrupted your rest.”

      “No problem.” Chae rim waved her hand. “Welcome to the neighborhood. Hope you’ll bear the disturbance and stuff.”

Junsu left the messy flat and returned to his space. He took a quick shower and landed his tired flesh in bed. Changmin. Why did he do that? Why did he interfere with his neighbor’s life? He yawned and drifted into sleep.

The following morning, Junsu was awoken from his sleep by the sound of knocking door. He rubbed his thick with sleep eyes and walked half asleep to the door and unlocked it.

      “Yes?” his sleepy voice barely escaped his mouth and his half closed eyed were trying to register who’s standing in his door, hand stretched to him holding a can of soda. Junsu blinked once, twice, thrice, four times and awareness flipped him back to the morning.

      “Drink?” the voice greeted Junsu’s ear. “Not cold. Do you want the cold one?”

It was Changmin in his school uniform. His eyes were unsure and his lips were partly curled, perhaps as the effect of nervousness. Or being forced. Or doubt. Or whatever.

      “Thank you.” Junsu smiled his rare genuine smile he didn’t aware his lips made it.

And Changmin was lost. He was sure he had himself all in places and checked but then, all of him just migrated willingly and unstoppably submitted to the new neighbor.

as always, unbetaed. just finished writing and posted this ryt away. anyone willing to beta? uh? no? i know. thanks anyway.hey Mary! no cliffie. see? =3=

hope you'll like it cus i 'm not even sure what i wrote. hehe. /thickskinned chili/