“Gyeongju its in past was the capital of the Kingdom of Silla, its history is still present, but now it’s been shaped by modern trends of South Korea. The city of Gyeongju is a beauti-” The reporter exhaled, gesturing for the cameraman to stop recording.

“What’s wrong now?”

“Sorry, I’m just a little pressed about trying to make this seem like a great place to visit when there’s criminals just to the right of me. Staring at me.” Jungmo added quietly, even while speaking another tongue, he was wary in case anyone among the unruly bunch who worked the neighboring gardens understood. He learned from this business never to assume anything, the least he wanted to anger were them.

“Then I guess we’re done,” the cameraman agreed, putting away his equipment.

Jungmo grasped his microphone on hand, looking about. “Where’s Donghae?”

“In the hotel’s bar, where he’s always running off to lately.” Henry comments, checking his lens.

Jungmo exhaled, he had some reservations when his boss assigned him to Gyeongju, a city full of temples and remnants of its past paired with modern additions. He thought he’d at least be given Seoul, Jeju Island, any other famous city he could introduce Japan to, although it was a famous tourist attraction, Jungmo felt pressured by it and voiced his concerns.

His boss, for whatever reason, continued pushing him to film this area.

"Let's head inside then. We'll ask Donghae to speak with the temple tonight so hopefully we'll be able to detail it by tomorrow."

Henry chuckled, the reporter really didn't want to be here that long. "Please give me a minute then," he said as he turns off his camera and reaches for his large bag. Jungmo waits patiently, purposely averting his eyes away from the nearby men until the cameraman finally finishes. As the two walk on, Henry can't help but glance back at the group and grimaces for them, "Good luck to them in this heat."

-

It’s much too hot. It's too hard the work. It's worse even with that lazy man who was suppose to keep track of their doings, and while Changmin wouldn't mind slacking, the man wrongly reports their hours and it's even longer than he wants it to be.

He gets to know the older juveniles and the older men who managed to scrape by on their sentence. Some for robbing, simple theft here and there, some car part ring and inappropriate displays to the public. Changmin never admits what he's in for, for both shame and embarrassment.

Here he was, trapped beneath the burning sun in soiled clothes and scratched hands for downloading a single song, worth 99 cents. Of all the luck!

"Hey, she's back again." A man behind him announces, the guard doesn't care that the group pauses for a bit and stares from a distance at the tourist group that steps from the doors. None of them were worth looking at, either young children or older pairs, worst off, married ones. But Changmin, like the rest of them, knows she's at least not that, or much less engaged. Never had he been more relieved to see an empty hand.

She looks their way-not on purpose- but Changmin instantly stands tall, not a too difficult task and acts chivalrous, even with the huge bag of fertilizer he was keeping by his side.

"I don't know who you're putting on that show for," Yunho comments, returning to his work as he stabbed the shovel to soften the ground. Changmin lowered his eyes, looking at his appearance and the tilled soil about him, nothing about him looked the least bit attractive.

"Let him be, he's trying to attract her. Ladies do love the bad boys." Kyuhyun comments, taking a short break as he sits back against the mound of dirt.

"Right," Yunho replies. Changmin feels oddly put down.

"Hey, look, she's actually looking." Yunho realizes.

The tour guide's eyes were on them, the two rationally assume she just happened upon them, but Changmin's pulse quickly paces.

"We should greet her," Changmin says. Yunho and Kyuhyun exchange looks.

"Maybe you shouldn–"

Changmin waves his arm in huge motions, he has no idea why he's hopping a bit when she can clearly see his motion and even bellows out a "hello!"

The tour group turn around and gaped aghast, immediately turning away as if he's said something offensive, some even covering their eyes as the pretty tour guide hurries to distract them and rushes them away from their view.

“Not one of your better ideas,” Kyuhyun comments, wiping his perspired forehead with the back of his glove covered hand and continues plowing small holes in even spaces. "What sort of act were you trying to put on there?"

“It was an act of sheer foolishness, obviously.” Yunho counters, Kyuhyun pauses and slowly nods in agreement.

"I want her to like me." Changmin says out loud, sighing as he lifted the heavy bag, why couldn't he have met her under better circumstances? He really wasn't as he appeared, he wanted to assure the beauty. He might have a had a chance.

As if fate was saying otherwise, the bag of fertilizer suddenly ripped and poured all over his shoes.

That's it, he declared, cursing at the Korean judicial system, the internet and his inability to want to pay 1.29 for a song. "Life just hates me."

“Don’t worry, we’ve all got our setbacks.” Kyuhyun adds. “Just remind yourself of that hotel’s slogan and it’ll get you through your day.”

“They have one?”

Kyuhyun rolls his eyes, clearly Changmin’s attention wasn’t on anything else but the girl. He roughly points to the huge memorial standing in the center garden and Changmin scrunches his eyes to read it.

“Walking backwards to go forward.”

Changmin scratched his head, whatever did that mean?

-

"You're the least professional person I've met!" Jungmo declares, Henry calmly drinks his coffee right by him.

Donghae sat across from the two, sitting in a comfortable chair within the hotel lobby. He rolled his eyes, exhaled loudly and impatiently tapped his knee. The translator obviously didn't care and felt he should be elsewhere, it was very clear to the frustrated reporter.

“You’re Korean, aren’t you?” Donghae asks exasperatedly.

“I don’t speak it that well!” Jungmo insisted.

"You were born here!"

"I was, then I left when I was two."

"There," Donghae said proudly at Jungmo's widened eyes, the translator stood up. "I'm sure you can do it, you're just being modest, I'm sure you haven't forgotten all your Korean."

"Sit. Down." Jungmo warned.

Donghae narrows his eyes, his stance challenging the other. Henry didn't care too much for the heated exchange, all the other Japanese translators were booked and they had to make do. He orders a second coffee when he hears a huff, Donghae finally sat down.

"Now, we'll be different, won't we?"

Donghae narrowed his eyes, but straighted himself up and sighed loudly. “Yes Jungmo-sama, where would you like to go?” He asked in mocking Japanese.

“We’re having an interview with the owner’s son.”

"How'd you manage that?" Henry asks.

"I asked this barkeep, I accidentally listened in on a conversation between them and figured they were close. I took my chance and asked for an interview and he got him to agree. Hopefully he can give me more than we have, I'm afraid to face the boss." Jungmo returned his gaze to the translator whose eyes roamed elsewhere. "Are we clear that you'll be there tonight? In room 502, right on 8. Not a minute more."

"Not a minute less?" Donghae pesters.

"I'd actually hope for that, then that means I won't be looking for you."

Donghae rolled his eyes as Jungmo stands up, the reporter turns around. "Remember-"

"Yes, yes, I hope to impede my humble service at your beckoning."

"Good, you're getting it." Jungmo says to Donghae's contempt, he excused himself from the table and left. Henry remained with the translator when Donghae blinked. Henry looked up, "What's wrong?"

“The owner’s son, he says?” Donghae stared a bit longer before shrugging his shoulders, “If that’s what he wants.”

Henry knew the translator was holding something back, but curiosity as to what it could be, he just kept it to himself and continued drinking his coffee. "Are you really that heavy of a drinker?" Henry asks.

Donghae smiled, "Not at all. Give me a few whisks and I'm knocked out. I'm just there for friendly conversation."

Henry lifts his eyebrows, he couldn't understand the love for drinking, well, he did, if it weren't for those side effects... Henry cleared his throat, "Right, those poor bartenders."

Donghae parts his lips to correct him when he stops, "The bartender. The bartender!" He realizes loudly, Henry blinked when the other bolts out of the lobby. He thinks nothing of it and just shrugs.

Yesung nearly has a heart attack when he's face abruptly with those eager eyes.

"You're Sungmin's good friend." Donghae starts.

Yesung manages to correct him, "Best friend."

"Don't push it," Donghae warns. "Look, we need good drinks for your boss. You'll be in charge of that tonight, will you not?"

Yesung isn't sure where this topic's heading, "As always."

"Then Sungmin will be there to cook the appetizers won't he? Alcohol isn't any good without appetizers. And surely the owner's son deserves the best of his fine establishment, and Sungmin is clearly your best."

Yesung blinked, "You like hearing yourself talk, don't you? Besides, he has the night off. Hyesung let him after the busy week we've had."

That doesn't completely turn off Donghae, Yesung exchanges looks with his little brother who looks on in amusement. The translator slams his hand, "That one cook of yours, I saw him sniffling his nose earlier, he must be sick."

"He is not."

"You can't risk your boss having an infection!"

"I'll be out back," Yesung murmurs to Xiumin who takes up the front counter.

"When he's confined to bedrest, I hope you're there spoon feeding his medicine!"

Yesung just stands by the back, waiting until he sees Donghae leave the reflection that gives him a clear view of the bar lounge. "He acts so sweet with Sungmin, why is it with everyone else, he acts like a raving lunatic?"

"Love... does that?" Xiumin offers, Yesung sighs as he begins to wipe the glasses. Xiumin smiles widely, Yesung looked up at his brother's chuckle here and there.

"What is it?"

"I like him," Xiumin says, earning a playful smack with the edge of the towel.

-

A few men are standing by in the large room as another kept himself by the large windows, his eyes studying the passing folk who stayed at his hotel. His gaze lazily lifts upwards to a farther distance.

He hears a few knocks but doesn't turn around, the help welcoming the trio inside.

"Konbanwa," Jungmo and Henry greet collectively, Donghae follows with it in Korean.

"It's that late already?" Hyesung says to himself. He hears some murmured Japanese and Donghae asks the redirected question,

"Admiring the gardens?"

"Mmm. Just admiring those men across from us, they've been here every day for the past summer. I'm sure they wouldn't reject a glass of cold water."

Donghae grew slightly uncomfortable, Jungmo gets pieces of it and gestures for the translator to tell him what he said. Donghae shushes him.

“Too bad none of them are really my type, I prefer those without a service record.”

Jungmo narrows his eyes in confusion as Henry looked around the room without a care, holding his camera. Jungmo's a little certain he understood, he still doubtfully leans in and whispers to Donghae, "Is he drunk or gay?"

"Both," Donghae whispers back.

Jungmo cast worried glances at the servants in the room, knowing what society thought he cleared his throat, “Shall we head somewhere more private?” Donghae repeats.

“Why? Are you having your way with me?”

Jungmo's eyes bulged and he frantically bowed in apology.

“N-no.”

“Don’t worry, they won’t tell anyone," Hyesung says, referring to his servants. "Its either be disgusted at me or risk their jobs, there's no point to prejudice here." Hyesung sits by the table, Jungmo just realized the drinks were already brought but sees the Sherry is already half empty. Henry turns on his camera and begins to film at Hyesung's permission.

"So," Hyesung begins, pouring the drink into Jungmo's glass which he rightfully accepts. "What are you doing here?”

The trio sit around the table.

“I’m working on a telecast for Japan.”

There’s suddenly a very abrupt chill in the room, and Jungmo’s sure its the atmosphere. Hyesung was undoubtedly really pissed. Jungmo grew suspicious in case the grudge-holding translator twisted his words. Donghae immediately held up a hand, “I translated it exactly as you wanted.”

“Then did I say something to offend him?” Jungmo asked.

“I hate Japan,” Hyesung grounded.

That floored the pair.

“You may want to cut this part out,” Donghae advised.

Jungmo gaped at the man's blatantness. "S-sir?"

"You did not hear wrong," Hyesung defended, and even turns to look straightforward to the camera. "I hate it!"

Donghae's smirking as Jungmo uneasily looked down. Hyesung holds out his glass and Jungmo quickly pours for him. "May I ask why?" Jungmo asks.

(For here on out, Jungmo's questions are immediately translated.)

"You may, you may want to know why Japan has to exist, why it must be a land of promising opportunities and good fortune. Isn't South Korea the same? Wouldn't you want to come here? Wouldn't you?!"

Jungmo stutters, "There is, a-are...plenty of opportunities." He agrees, Hyesung rightfully nods and fills his glass.

"Can you ask him to stop filling my glass?" Jungmo asks, feeling a little sluggish and not quite there after a few rounds.

"Can't. Korean custom, it'd be rude not to." Donghae says upfront, Jungmo glares at the translator who's clearly enjoying himself.

Glass after glass, and Jungmo forgets why he's there in the first place.

"I mean, doesn't South Korea have great wonders one can boast about? Can’t someone settle with their loved one and expect a wonderful life?"

"Of course!" Jungmo agrees loudly, slumping over the table. Donghae looks over him at Henry.

"Henry, you're still recording?"

"I can only cut it if Jungmo says cut." Henry's lens zoom in closely on the drunken two.

"Do you really think he can even speak right now?" Donghae asks doubtfully.

"Hey! Stop being rude, we're having a conversation." Jungmo warns Henry, who nods. He then turns to Donghae and blinks, "Who are you?"

"Alright, I think we can finish here." Donghae says kindly, seeing as how Hyesung had just knocked out and fell to the floor where the help immediately catered to. “Can you take him?” Donghae asks.

“I have a bad back,” Henry excused.

"I think my eyes are swirling," Jungmo says.

“Jungmo, say cut.” Donghae orders.

“Grugmks.”

Donghae nods at Henry, “that should do it.” Donghae sighs, lifting the drunken man and looks around and heaves him upright, looking around when he sees his answer in the large room.

"Are you sure it's wise to leave him in Hyesung's room?"

"Of course, he has a bed at least. Most end up drunk on the roof or the ocean. I really am too kind despite his behavior towards me."

Henry thinks it makes sense. Donghae nods proudly, “besides, he can’t be upset with me. Even with Hyesung drunk, he won’t pull anything on him.”

Ah, he really was too kind.