Kyuhyun can remember the first they ever spoke. It had been almost a week - about five days since Kyuhyun had first seen the older boy. It was his first day of school, and he’d refused to talk with anyone, instead opting to sit in the corner and keep to himself, perfectly content with his Gameboy as his only company. The boy had walked in moments later, towing what appeared to be his younger brother - Kyuhyun’s classmate - to drop him off, and had refused to leave until after he’d talked to the teacher and made sure his brother was comfortable. Kyuhyun doubts he even noticed him, but Kyuhyun had definitely noticed the older boy. Soft raven locks with beautifully dark and hazel eyes and his smile! It was as if he had swallowed the sun and all other stars that existed in the sky. Kyuhyun had thought he would never see anything so beautiful.

                It was that same day, when the boy had come to pick up his younger brother – Jongjin, Kyuhyun had learned – that Kyuhyun discovered the elder brother’s name. He’d come with another boy – younger than the raven, but older than Kyuhyun himself. The boy had clung to the older boy like a leech, and Kyuhyun had seethed quietly. The oldest boy had grinned brightly when he caught sight of his younger brother. When he called out to him, Kyuhyun swears his jaw dropped. Though he couldn’t have been older than a few years older than Kyuhyun himself, his voice was undeniably extraordinary. A delighted cry of “Jongwoon Hyung!” and the older boy was almost knocked to the ground when his younger brother’s smaller body plowed into his own. Kyuhyun smiled as he watched the exchange between brothers. His smile quickly disappeared when the third boy pulled on the eldest’s arm, reminding him in an (obnoxious) pleading voice that “Yesung” had promised to treat him to ice cream. Jongwoon/Yesung laughed – loudly and dorkily (enchantingly) – and agreed. With Jongjin on one arm and “Donghae” on the other, he exited the room, same bright smile upon his pretty lips. The young gamer was left to ponder why his older infatuation (obsession) was known not by one name but two.

                For the rest of the week, Kyuhyun watched the older boy when he dropped off his brother and when he came to pick him up. Donghae was with him every day, and on more than one occasion, they were accompanied by another small boy resembling a monkey, whom Donghae referred to as “Hyukkie.”

                During this time, Kyuhyun never spoke a word to the oldest boy. He did, however, learn more about the raven. Such as he loved turtles. Kyuhyun had overheard Jongjin telling one of his friends that Jongwoon had one pet turtle named “Ddangkoma.” The friend had laughed. Kyuhyun had “accidentally” pushed him off the swing set at lunch.

Kyuhyun also learned that Jongwoon liked accessories. He was only eight, but his small arms and wrists were adorned by several bracelets that were almost too big for his small hands. Kyuhyun found it adorable, and stole his older sister’s jewelry kit to make a bracelet for Jongwoon. He didn’t give it to him, but slept with it placed safely under his pillow.

                 Jongwoon liked music.Even his eight-year-old voice was gorgeous in Kyuhyun’s opinion. He knew because on the rare days he was alone, the older boy was most always singing or humming to himself. Kyuhyun could easily understand where he got this other name – Yesung, “art-like voice.” Kyuhyun had never heard anything like it. He wanted the chance to call it his life’s soundtrack.

                The more Kyuhyun learned about the older boy, the more infatuated with the obsidian-haired boy he became. He found him fascinating, and his strange habits and behavior completely adorable. He loved that Jongwoon was always smiling, and had a warm, comforting aura despite his intimidating appearance.

                Kyuhyun’s life changed on a seemingly normal weekend – the first time he ever personally interacted with Jongwoon. His sister, Ahra, had brought him to the park. Gameboy in hand, he had walked to the nearest bench and plopped down, not bothering to even glance around him. Only a few moments had passed when he heard a familiar loud laugh. His head snapped up and to the right toward the playground ad he caught sight of a familiar head of dark hair among the slightly shorter heads. Kyuhyun’s small eyes widened in recognition.  Pausing his game, he stealthily snuck to a bush and perched behind it, peeking around it to watch the other children. But the raven-haired boy was no longer among the others.

                Puzzled, Kyuhyun had poked his head out further to look for him. The sound of a twig snapping caused him to spin around and, as his eyes met dark ones, fall onto his .

                Beautifully rich laughter filled his ears and sent warmth through his entire body.

                “Hi! My name is Jongwoon!” The older boy smiled energetically at the younger, showing his teeth happily. Kyuhyun swears his tongue went numb. “What’s your name?”

                Kyuhyun doesn’t know how he spoke with a numb tongue, but after a moment of composure he managed to answer Jongwoon with a mumble.

                “Do you want to come play with us?”

                Kyuhyun looked at the older raven-haired boy whose obsidian eyes shone happily and found himself unwilling to reject the offer. His Gameboy beeped and his attention was brought to it and he sighed in recognition. Jongwoon noticed the action. “Oh, if you don’t want to leave your game, I can have my mom watch it for you!”

                Kyuhyun’s hand was grasped by a warm and slightly larger hand and he allowed himself to be pulled toward a group of women.

                “Eomma!” Jongwoon yelled, attracting the attention of a short, slightly plump woman with short curly hair away and a smile like Jongwoon’s – happy, warm, and very beautiful.

                “Ye, Woonie? Who is this young man?” Jongwoon’s mother motioned to the small boy partially hiding behind her son.

                “This is Kyuhyun! Will you hold his game while he plays with us?”

                The woman smiled affectionately at the two boys and took the game from Jongwoon’s hand. “I will take good care of it, Kyuhyun. Don’t you worry, dear. Have fun, you two!”

                And Kyuhyun dound himself being pulled toward the large group of kids, hand still clasped by Jongwoon’s. “You can call me Yesung Hyung. And I’ll call you Kyu!”

                Kyuhyun frowned. “Aniyo.”

                Confused, Jongwoon stopped walking and turned to his new friend curiously. “You do not like being called Kyu?”

                Kyuhyun shook his head at the misunderstanding. “Jongwoon Hyung.” Kyuhyun subconsciously pouted, making it impossible for Jongwoon to deny him.

                And just like that, Jongwoon’s smile was back on his face where it belonged. “Alright! Call me Jongwoon, then!” And the raven proceeded to introduce Kyuhyun to his large group of friends. (Though Kyuhyun only remembered Donghae and Eunhyuk, and that was because he’d “known” them previously). Kyuhyun played with Jongwoon and his friends for the entire day. He had refused to release Jongwoon from his hold, even going as far as to bite a boy slightly older than him named Ryeowook (who, in Kyuhyun’s opinion, was far too clingy with his Jongwoon Hyung).

                Kyuhyun still smiles when he looks back on that day. It was only the first day of many, and that group of boys had soon grown to be his best friends, the entire group inseparable as they grew. Kyuhyun loved each of them dearly. None as much as Jongwoon, though.

                As he’d learned and grown closer to the raven, he also grew to understand that he’d never feel the same way he felt about Jongwoon again. The older he grew, the harder Kyuhyun strived to please the elder.

                The first time Kyuhyun had received a perfect score on a graded assignment, he had proudly shown his favorite hyung and had earned himself a smile that warmed him to his toes and turned his legs to mush. From that moment on, Kyuhyun vowed to always get 100% on every graded assignment, just to be rewarded with that smile and the pat on the head that soon became the warm hug from Jongwoon. The proud, ecstatic grin that Jongwoon had given him when he skipped a grade was forever imprinted into his memory.

                Kyuhyun taught himself to play piano – taught himself to play Jongwoon’s favorite songs. The teary smile he’d received was motivation enough. He’d learned to play harmonica due to the cute giggle Jongwoon had given when Kyuhyun had been forced to play one for a school performance (he’d been so annoyed, but now he more than willingly picked up his harmonica. Anything for his Jongwoon Hyung.

                When Kyuhyun was 11, Jongwoon had to give Ddangkoma to the zoo, his mother claiming the turtle was getting much too large to stay at the house. He’d cried for a week. Kyuhyun saved all of his money for a year, and on Jongwoon’s sixteenth birthday, Kyuhyun gave him another turtle. Jongwoon had cried again, but this time with a happy grin on his face as he hugged Kyuhyun tightly.

                It wasn’t until years later, when Kyuhyun was 15 and now taller than the eighteen-year-old college freshman that Kyuhyun finally admitted why he always craved Jongwoon. He realized why he was always possessive and overly protective of Jongwoon. He realized why he’d do anything – everything – to ensure Jongwoon’s smile never faded.

                Kyuhyun loved Jongwoon. He loved him more deeply than anything.

As I've said, I might write an epilogue to this whatever-you-can-call-this? Since it really sounds like a prologue more than anything. :)

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this thing. Whatever it is. ^^