Victoria lifted her eyebrow and frowned at the two boys.

“What did you just call me?” she demanded, looking pointedly at Donghae who was still standing there in shock.

“Umma…” Donghae whispered, his eyes starting to water slightly.

Her eyes hardened.

Before she could say anything, however, Eunhyuk descended the stairs, interrupting the tense atmosphere.

“What’s going on?”

Victoria turned around to face the director, her face grim and hard. “Who is this boy and what is he doing here?”

Eunhyuk cast the two shocked boys a glance before looking back at her. “Ryeowook and Donghae, they’re both undergoing training. What’s the matter with them?” he asked tiredly.

“So these are the two vermin you picked off the street, are they? Why did you have to bring them in anyway, one looking so scrawny he’d get blown off in the wind while the other simply calling out names to anyone he thinks looks familiar to him?” she asked him, hands on her hips still looking at Donghae. Donghae winced when he got called a vermin but Ryeowook wouldn’t have any of that.

“Excuse me lady, but that’s not very nice,” the younger called out in a shaky but determined voice. He cowered however, when Victoria took one step closer.

“Do you know who I am, boy?”

“Y-yes I do, you’re the lady b-boss everyone’s talking about.”

“And you still dare to speak up against me?”

“Let the boy go, Vic,” Eunhyuk interceded, stepping up. “You’re dealing with me, and I believe I was just about showing you to the door. It’s over there. If you please.”

Victoria scoffed. “I’ll see myself to the door when my business here is done. You, boy,” she pointed at Donghae, who hadn’t said anything yet. “How long have you been working here?”

Seeing that Donghae still hadn’t really collected his wits yet, Ryeowook answered for him. “About four months.”

“Four months, already?” Victoria asked.

Donghae nodded dumbly.

“And what have you been doing for these four months, hmm? Sweeping and mopping floors, have you even washed anybody’s hair before?”

Another nod.

“Do you know how to use a pair of scissors?”

Another nod again.

“Answer me, boy!!” Victoria snapped. “Have you even styled for anybody before?”

Donghae was dumbfounded. Sure Kyuhyun had been giving him private lessons before but all those were at least a month ago; plus, he didn’t trust himself with a pair of styling scissors at all, what more the customers who had high expectations as soon as they stepped into this high class salon. Biting his lips, he shook his head forlornly. “No.”

“I see,” she nodded her head and stared at Donghae with her cold, piercing eyes. “So you have only been playing the fool while you were here.”

“No!! No I haven’t… I—”

“Save it, boy. I don’t know what Eunhyuk sees in you but I see someone who is utterly useless and fools around instead of working like you’re paid to do. I don’t believe that you lack a mentor to guide you when you started working here but if even he or she hasn’t even let you touch a single customer’s head then that has got to mean something. You’re fired.”

“Wait a minute; you can’t just fire my staff without my consent!!” Eunhyuk exclaimed. “I am the director here!!”

“Well I am the boss. I have the authority to override your decisions. The boy is fired.” Victoria and Eunhyuk engaged in a glaring battle where none of the other was willing to give in.

“I won’t let you fire my staff without a legitimate reason.”

“Fooling around when he is supposed to be working counts as a perfectly sound reason.”

“Based on what, your observations? You never even observed anybody at work. How could you be so sure that he isn’t serious about what he’s doing?”

Victoria was the first to break the eye-contact. “Fine, since you insisted on it. I’m going to give him three days,” she said with a smirk, looking at Donghae with her cold eyes again. “Three days, you hear me? If not even a single customer is satisfied with your service when I come back in three days, then I am kicking you out of here. Do you understand me, boy??”

Donghae gave her a frightened, curt nod before she spun on her heels and walked out of the salon with her assistant trailing after her. Once she was out of sight, Eunhyuk hurriedly walked over to Donghae who looked on the verge of collapsing to comfort him.

“Hey,” he gently prodded, making distressed eyes look at him. “Don’t worry about her; we’ll figure something out. Okay?”

“E-Eunhyuk-sshi…” Donghae whispered. “I’m sorry, I think I’ll stay back today, if it’s possible. I… I want to practise…”

Ryeowook protested immediately. “But Hae hyung!! Aren’t you afraid of the dark? What if those things come for you and nobody’s around to chase them away?”

Donghae looked alarmed but he quickly recomposed himself. “I—I can handle it,” he muttered quietly.

Eunhyuk looked confused. “What things? I didn’t know this place was haunted.”

“No, it’s just that when Hae hyung is locked in small, dark areas, he keeps seeing tiny black things everywhere and—”

“Shut up, Wookie,” Donghae mumbled angrily, a little embarrassed. “I’m not a kid anymore. I can handle it… I think. Besides, it’s not like I’m switching off all the lights in here when I’m around.”

“Do you want me to stay with you?” Eunhyuk asked out of the blue. “I can stay if you want me to.”

Donghae blushed and shook his head. “I said I’m not a kid anymore. I’m not—not afraid of them…”

Eunhyuk rolled his eyes. “I never said you were afraid of them. I just thought maybe you could use some help while practising. You improve faster if someone is there to guide you, you know.”

“I…” Donghae pouted and dropped his head. “I know that… it’s just… I don’t want to bother you. I can handle things fine by myself.”

“I think I’ll stay. My reputation is at stake after all,” Eunhyuk joked, not noticing the small hurt that reflected in the younger’s eyes.

Ryeowook sighed and let go of Donghae’s arm. “I guess you’re staying then, Hae hyung. I’ll tell uncle Geng for you. See you tomorrow, hyung.”

“Okay. Thanks, Wookie-ah.”

* * *

The door to Hangeng’s old barbershop was pushed open and the tiny