“Bye mum, I’m going to work.” Kyuhyun whispered, not wanting to wake the sleeping figure on the couch. He lightly placed a blanket over her sallow frame and shut the door as quietly as he could. This was the third time this week he’d had to care for his mother as she came home drunk, stumbling her way to his bedroom door, saying she needed money. Every time we would steer her to the couch where she would pass out and remain unconscious for most of the day. Most days he came home from work to find her gone again, drinking her way through her last doll payment and most likely half of his pay check.  He tried as hard as he could to get her sober, but working the long hours he did to try and pay the rent, he had stop trying to reach his mother.

His commute to work was long and boring, but that had to be expected when he lived in the cheapest area of Seoul, and worked in the city where pay was the highest. Luckily for him he was attractive and well mannered, making getting a job relatively easily, even though he had no education. His father had abandoned them when he was 8, and by the time he was 15 his mother was relying on doll payments to pay the rent, but even the majority of that was spent on alcohol, forcing Kyuhyun to drop out of school and get a job to support them. He made his way off the train and into a modern style café where he was greeted by his friend who was already in his work uniform.

“Hey Kyu! How’s your morning been?” Sungmin was always cheery, which was refreshing for Kyuhyun. It made forgetting his life at home so much easier. Although his work friends knew about his situation, they never brought it up.

“Hey Min, I’ve had better.” Kyuhyun smiled at Sungmins apologetic look, the one that made him look like he was a 12 year old who had stolen the last cookie.

“Aw, you want a coffee?” Kyuhyun nodded eagerly just as he did every morning when Sungmin offered him caffeine. Sungmin busied himself with making Kyuhyuns coffee when a smaller man emerged from the kitchen, dusting flour off his apron.

“Oh Kyuhyun you’re here! Yesung hyung wants to see you in his office.” Kyuhyun was surprised but not worried, their boss was a nice enough person. He did wonder however what warranted a visit to his office so early in the morning. Kyuhyun took his coffee from Sungmin and knocked on the wooden door.

“Come in!” Kyuhyun pushed the door open to reveal a dark haired man seated at a desk, head buried in a stack of paper.

“You wanted to see me hyung?” The man looked up at Kyuhyuns entrance and placed his glasses on his desk, gesturing for Kyuhyun to sit down.

“Ah yes Kyuhyun, have a seat.” Kyuhyun tentatively sat down across from his boss.

“Is something wrong boss?”

“Nothing drastic Kyuhyun, just a matter I need your assistance with.”

“Of course hyung, how can I help?”

“I assume you know about tonight’s open mic?” Kyuhyun nodded remembering plastering the flyers all around the city. Yesung had hoped that by introducing entertainment to the place they would boost trade. “Well an act that we had booked in just cancelled; I wanted to have at least a few guaranteed singers, just in case business was a little slow to start with.” 

“That’s unfortunate. Would you like me to find someone to fill the spot?” Yesung shook his head at Kyuhyuns offer.

“That’s ok I think I have someone already, if you wouldn’t mind that is.” Kyuhyuns mind processed for a moment before he looked at his boss, dumbfounded.

“Wait…you want me to sing? But hyung I can’t –“

“Don’t tell me you can’t because I know you can. You don’t think I hear you boys singing away to yourselves out there? Luckily you can all sing.”

“Well if we can all sing then would someone else be able to? Ryeowook maybe? He has a great voice?”

“Sorry, Ryeowook has the night off. The only others on are Siwon and Heechul  who assured me, literally, that they don’t enjoy going solo, and Sungmin but he’s my best barista and I can’t spare him. I’m sorry Kyuhyun but you really are my only option.” Yesung sensed Kyuhyuns hesitation. “It would be worth overtime of course.”

“Are you trying to bribe me hyung?”

“Damn straight I am. Is it working?” Kyuhyun hung his head and admitted defeat. He really did need the money, plus it was only five minutes on a stage, singing for people he would probably never see again. What was the harm?

“Yes. Yes it is working. What time do you need me?” Yesung wrote down the details for Kyuhyun and sent him back to work. When Kyuhyun ventured out of the office he was meet with 4 pairs of expectant eyes.

“So did you say yes?” Heechul didn’t bother with subtleness, he never had.

“How did you all know?” Kyuhyun shot demanding looks at his workmates.

“He’s been asking all morning how to get you to agree.” Ryeowook appeared from the kitchen once again, this time his face was covered in flour.

“You making scones or powdering your face in there?” Ryeowook looked at his reflection in the stainless steel pass he was leaning on and brushed his nose, missing most of the flour anyway.

“Stop avoiding the question brat!” Kyuhyun was the second youngest staff member, after Henry, so he naturally got a lot of teasing from Heechul, the oldest member of staff.

“Yes I’ll sing tonight.” Cheers rang out around the coffee shop, before a customer walked in and they all got back to work.

Kyuhyun panicked all day thinking about what to sing. His friends had said they would pick a song for him, but knowing Heechul, Kyuhyun could end up singing Hips Don’t Lie by Shakira or something. No he needed something individual. He was shy for sure but if he was going to do this he was going to do it properly. His iPod playlist ran through his head as he made coffees, served customers and cleared plates. It wasn’t until the end of the day that it finally clicked what song he needed to sing. Sungmin bugged him all the way to the older man’s apartment where he was staying for the afternoon.

“Come on Kyuhyun! What are you going to sing?”

“I can’t tell you hyung it’s going to be a surprise.” No matter how much anyone begged him he wouldn’t say anything.

They say that time flies when you’re having fun, but no one had ever told Kyuhyun that it goes even quicker when you’re fretting over something. He went over the song softly again in Sungmins shower, the notes seeming to hang and mix with the shower mist, making his voice sound even more angelic than it already was.

“Hurry up Kyuhyun I need a shower too!” Sungmins voice from outside the door snapped Kyuhyun out of his daze and silencing his voice. He turned off the shower and ventured outside into the cold air with a towel around his waist.

Sungmin had never thought of himself as being attracted to Kyuhyun at all, but walking out of that bathroom, auburn hair dripping wet around his face, skin glistening with a sheen of water and one of Sungmins trademark pink towels wrapped around his thin hips, well Sungmin was a little stunned to say the least.

“What are you staring at Min?” Kyuhyun looked down at his fairly well built body, trying to pinpoint what was the cause of the delicate man’s astonishment.

When he looked down all he could see were his scars, which were nothing Sungmin hadn’t seen before. His father hadn’t been the kindest of parents, physically disciplining him as a child to the point it bordered on abuse. As Kyuhyun got older it reached the abusive stage and the police were involved. Nothing came of it because Kyuhyuns mother wouldn’t testify that her husband was abusive, most likely out of fear for herself. And although his father left the scars, literally, would always remain with Kyuhyun. So if it wasn’t his scars that Sungmin was captivated by what was it?

“Nothing Kyu, sorry I was just letting some of the steam get out. Were you running a sauna in there?” Kyuhyun laughed and stepped aside to let his friend inside. He made a quick dash for Sungmins room, the cold air of the apartment against his hot skin making his head spin. He changed into his old work clothes as nothing of Sungmins would fit him. Thankfully Siwon had promised to bring a change of clothes in for him. As probably his most normal friend, Kyuhyun was glad that he fit Siwons clothes. The man also had very good taste and the bank account to match it.

When he and Sungmin were both changed they headed back to the cafe. The normally dull sign above the door had been covered in fairy lights, illuminating it on the otherwise dark street like a theatre on Broadway. THE GREEN SHELL. Sometimes his boss’s infatuation with turtles was a little startling to Kyuhyun. Inside the café was bustling with work crews setting up lights and microphones and baristas and cooks frantically cleaning their work stations. Sungmin hurried to his own, preparing for what would no doubt be an onslaught of customers tonight. A bag was in Kyuhyuns hands and he was pushed towards the bathroom by Siwon. This was good because he needed a moment to clear his head, the stage and microphone had set something off in Kyuhyun, bringing the reality of what he was doing crashing down on him. Kyuhyun didn’t usually get stage fright (if you can count singing with his work friends a stage) but tonight felt different. There was something that was putting Kyuhyun on edge and he didn’t like it. None the less he couldn’t back out now and pulled his outfit from the large shopping bag Siwon had given him. He found a pair of faded blue skinny jeans, a deep red sweater and a simple black cardigan, all looking strangely new. He dug deeper into the bag and found a tag from one of the items with a receipt. If Kyuhyun hadn’t been stunned enough by the new clothes the price was enough to knock him over. However what had he expected from his rich friend.  When he walked outside said staff member was waiting for him, or more to inspect the clothing Siwon had chosen.

“I knew it would look good on you. You know what? Keep it I never wore it much anyway.”  Siwon went to turn back to his work when a hand on his shoulder, with a piece of paper under it. The receipt.

“Hyung you know I can’t accept this.” Siwon frowned and took the receipt from Kyuhyun, ripping it in half and throwing it in the bin.

“Of course you can because I can’t return them and there is no way that sweater is my colour.” The older man starting fixing the sweater around Kyuhyuns shoulders. He was about to protest but was cut off by Siwons childish side coming out to play. “Oh come on please! If I can’t treat my friends to a new outfit now and then what can I do?” Although he hated being treated like a charity, Kyuhyun knew his friends intentions were good, so he smiled looked up at Siwons hopeful eyes.

“Thankyou Siwon, I love it.” Siwons smile grew, showing his dimples. Kyuhyun resisted the urge to poke them and instead patted his friend on the arm. “Come one let’s get to work before Yesung hyung catches us.”

Speaking of the turtle-obsessed boss, he entered the kitchenette holding a clipboard with the timetable for his planned acts.

“Nice sweater Kyuhyun, it looks good on you.” Yesungs comment caused the rest of the staff to look over Kyuhyuns attire with scrutinizing eyes, or just Heechul actually, the others just nodded in approval. “So do you know what song you would like to sing tonight?”

Pretending to be working, everyone listened intently, dying to know the mystery song Kyuhyun would sing. However they were sorely disappointed when Kyuhyun handed Yesung his iPod and told him the track number, Yesung had more important things to do than snoop on his staff members song choice. So for now the track would remain a mystery.

That evening as customers started to pile in, Kyuhyuns level of nerves began to rise as well. He deliberately didn’t look at the customers unless they came to the counter to order something. The less eye contact the less Kyuhyun had to think about the fact that he would be singing for these people in less than an hour. Kyuhyun had been scheduled to go on at eight, just after Henry. He didn’t realise what a big call that was until Henry stepped on stage, boy that kid could sing. Kyuhyun palms began to sweat and his breathing heavied. He would have gone into full blown hyperventilation had it not been for a hand tugging him away from the bench and into the locker room.

“Breathe Kyuhyun, deep breaths or you’ll up your song.” Kyuhyun didn’t need to look to know who his kidnapper was, Heechul was the only one who could be supportive and curse at the same time. He followed Heechuls instructions and took a deep breath, his shaking coming under control, barely. “Pull yourself together kid, you’ll be fine. You can sing like a ing god and I have no doubts that you’ve been practising all night in Sungmins bathroom. ” Kyuhyun glanced at his colleague, he was right but it was still freaky how well Heechul knew him.

But he didn’t have time to think about that because right then Siwon appeared, beckoning Kyuhyun on stage. When Kyuhyun emerged from the locker room he saw Sungmin hurrying back to his coffee machine with a satisfied smile on his face. What was this guy up to? He got thumbs up from Henry as he passed over the microphone and stepped down from the stage. When Kyuhyun reached the microphone stand he looked for an empty spot on the back wall. But what he found wasn’t an empty square of red brick it was a man, a very attractive man at that. He sat on one of the lounges alone, sipping a latte and flipping through a magazine. Kyuhyun knew he was meant to be searching for a focal point to calm him, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away. This was the most entrancing man he’d ever seen in his life, and when he worked with Heechul that was definitely saying something. When Kyuhyun’s music came to life over the speaker system, the mystery man glanced up from his magazine and locked eyes with Kyuhyun. His eyes were even more enchanting than the rest of him. With a final deep breath and a last look at the man on the couch, Kyuhyun started to sing.

“Shi jie Shi zou gu du de sheng bao. Bi ci xun zhao. Dang tian shi chui xiang ai di hao jiao. Kan dao ni de wei xiao.” Heechul was right. Kyuhyun lost himself in the song and the crowd didn’t matter anymore. He was in another world, one where he went whenever he sang. It was here that he forgot about everything, his mother, his father, his job, everything. It was just him and he felt free. Except this time someone else was there, when he opened his eyes and looked at the room, the only person he saw that the man sitting against the wall, whose eyes were now locked firmly on Kyuhyun as he sang. Kyuhyun kept eye contact with the man until he felt a warm air at his feet, he didn’t look down but saw fog swirling around the ground in front of him. A fan was next to the fog machine, softly blowing the fog and enveloping Kyuhyun in a smoky haze. Sungmins star struck moment outside the bathroom had given him an idea so he’d bribed the fog machine operators to create a shower mist look around Kyuhyun on stage, and that was exactly what they did. The spotlight cut through the fog, lighting up Kyuhyuns face as he hit the of the song, drawing cheers from the crowd. Kyuhyun looked like a god in that moment and he felt like one too. The closing notes of his song faded into the uproar of cheers and claps from the crowd in front of him. He bowed lightly and stepped off the stage, his applause still reverberating off the walls. He beamed at Sungmin who was clapping along, his grin stretching the corners of his mouth.

“That was a nice little trick there with the fog Minnie.”

“I couldn’t help it. You looked like a god when you walked out of my bathroom tonight.” That was beginning to be a common analogy tonight, not that Kyuhyun minded. His conversation though was cut off by a customer approaching the counter.

“Hui yi de mei duan sui pain Zou cheng ai de shu qian.” Kyuhyun spun around and had to stop himself from gasping. It was the man from the back wall, and he had just quoted Kyuhyuns song.

“You know Chinese?”

“Yes. I spent a few years over in China while I was at school.” An exchange student. He must be worth some money then, but Kyuhyun could have picked that from the way he was dressed. His black jeans screamed designer, as did the sweater and leather jacket he was wearing. The crest ring he was wearing was a dead giveaway too, though Kyuhyun didn’t recognise it. “Your song was amazing, you have a lovely voice.”

“Thank you. I’m Kyuhyun by the way.” The man extended his hand, complete with perfectly manicured fingernails and skin that looked softer than the leather he was wearing.

“Nice to meet you. My name’s Lee Donghae.”

The song Kyuhyun sang is Destiny by Super Junior M.  The translation of what Kyuhyun sang is :The world is a lonely castle, I'm searching for another. When angels sound love's trumpet, I saw your smile.
The lyric that Donghae quoted was: Every piece of memory becomes love's bookmark.
 

Finally it's up! I'm so sorry it took so long I didn't know so many people would be interested. So this is just an introductory part I'll try and update as fast as possible!