"Boys, please remember to follow my lead and watch your step as we exit the school bus."

The bus rolls to a stop at the top of a hill.  Amidst the dust forming clouds around the vehicle from the disturbed dirt road, Kyungsoo tries to make out the shape of the building from his window seat. He squints.

"Kyungsoo?"

Kyungsoo turns from the window to the boy that stood from the front row of the bus; tiny hands tightening its grip to the books that rested on his lap.

"Were you listening to my instructions? " The boy smiled kindly towards him.

"Yes, of course Junmyeon." He looked down at his books again to hide from the stares of the other four boys on the bus. Perhaps it was a bad idea to bring these.

Junmyeon smiles again and continues his speech.

"Don't worry, the boys we will be meeting are not so bad, they are only a bit misguided."

Kyungsoo felt Junmyeons gaze upon him once more.

"They may have been delinquents when they first entered the facility, but we are here to help guide them down the right path. The path of the lord. There is really no reason to be afraid."

Kyungsoo looked up to see Junmyeon smiling in his direction.

One by one, with their uniforms all pressed neatly and hand tailored, shoes polished and socks perfectly pulled up three inches from the ankles, the boys of St. Prestige Boys Preparatory filed out the bus after Junmyeon’s lead as they were told. Kyungsoo followed behind the rest, making sure to watch his step while exiting like Junmyeon had instructed. His hands in white gloves clutched the books that he had brought along.  

The group of them march quietly behind Junmyeon in an orderly manner as they approach the front entrance of the facility. The dust had mostly settled and Kyungsoo could make out a large Victorian styled brick house surrounded by a thick forest. The stone sign in front read SM Correctional Facility for Boys in elaborate scripture. A man who merrily introduced himself as an instructor waited at the entrance to greet them as they were welcomed inside.

"We've been expecting you boys! Please do come in, our boys have prepared a special performance for you all."

Kyungsoo adjusted his uniform cap and brushed the dust from his tailored shorts nervously before following Junmyeon and the others into a large but poorly kept parlour. Everything was the shade of brown and the curtains tattered. Chairs were set up in a row near the centre facing six boys clad in identical brown jumpsuits. They stood waiting side by side in a uniform manner. The instructor motions them to sit and the boys look on hesitantly towards Junmyeon and only seated when he did so.

As if on cue, the boys in brown jumpsuits start singing.

The lord is our saviour they sang.

Some more verses about god.

At the end of the performance Junmyeon seems pleased and is all smiles as the rest of the boys follow his cue; white gloved hands clapping to acknowledge the performance.

 

-

 

The boy with sleepy eyes and tanned skin was the only one that remained as the others had paired up to chat. He stared at Kyungsoo expectantly yet still produced an air in which he looked without a care, hands in the pockets of his jumpsuit.

Kyungsoo grips the books cradled in his arms. From the side he could feel Junmyeon and the instructor beaming in encouragement his way.

"My name is Kyungsoo, how do you do? I can be your big brother if you want."

"Kai. Yeah, thanks for asking."

"It's ...a pleasure to meet you too."

While Kyungsoo was the reflection of wealth and good upbringing, Kai's wild disheveled hair and brown jumpsuit was anything but.

 

Kyungsoo took his gloves off to shake Kai's hand.

 

-

 

"Do you like to read?"

"Pardon me?"

Kyungsoo followed Kai's line of sight to the books he had placed on the round table where they were seated.

"Oh yes, very much so."

Kyungsoo was flustered.

"I bought them for you, I thought maybe you could read them.  While you're in here I mean- they are my favourites.'

Kai just smiled in response, it wasn't the normal kind of smile that Kyungsoo usually saw, the kind with refined formality that formed on the faces of Junmyeon and the others at school. It was a kind smile, filled with childish curiosity and mischief, created of raw emotion.

"Oh but let's talk about you though, Kai. What are you going to do when you leave this place?" Kyungsoo lightly notes the last few buttons on Kai's jumpsuit were not done up. He adjusted his own crisp buttoned up collar; it felt tight.

"I've been thinking quite a lot about it," He was still smiling as he spoke, looking at Kyungsoo straight on without breaking eye contact. Kyungsoo’s face flushed and he felt exposed; he felt that sick to the stomach feeling that he would get when doing something he knew he shouldn't be.

"But to be honest, I have no clue."

 

Your eyes say other wise,  thought Kyungsoo. They looked like they were gleaming in determination.

 

-

 

They met many times after that day, always at the facility. Jongin talked about his dogs, his family, his friends. Although he couldn't make out if the stories were true or not, Kyungsoo listened on with fascination.

Maybe what attracted him to Kai was the curiosity of someone completely opposite of what he was. Sun kissed skin, straight jaw line and toned arms contrasting with his own soft, pale and frailness.

 

-

 

Kai lit a cigarette behind the house, puffs of grey floated unnoticed into the air and blended into the forest surrounding them.

“You really shouldn’t be doing that,” Kyungsoo fidgeted on the spot while grasping white gloves in his hands, “What if someone comes here and sees. We could get into a whole lot of trouble.”  

He had convinced Junmyeon it was alright to let them go out for a walk and Junmyeon had only agreed because of Kyungsoo’s sudden enthusiasm for their cause.

“Are you going to let everyone around you decide what you can or can’t do for the rest of your life?” Kai takes a drag of the cigarette before directing the same kind smile back at Kyungsoo. An addicting smile; Kyungsoo wondered what things he could do so he could see it over and over again.

 

So he stayed quiet and together they watched the summer breeze brush lightly against the branches of the bay willow trees.

 

-

 

Maybe the danger of the attraction itself was what got him to do it. He had never interacted with anyone quite like Kai.

"I was wondering if... once you are released, we could have some tea together in my home. We can discuss the books -or about anything you'd like for that matter!"

"If you insist." and Kyungsoo swore Kai's eyes gleamed the same way they had when they had met on the first day. Or maybe even brighter.

 

-

 

Only a week later, Kyungsoo received a phone call.

"Do residence how may I..."

"Oh Kai, hello, I didn't expect..."

"No, my father and mother are away on business at the moment. In fact, they won't be back till Sunday for Church."

"Right now? "

"Of course, I mean..."

"No, it's no trouble at all."

"I look forward to seeing you too."

 

-

 

Kai shows up at the doorstep of Do Mansion with a loose tie and ed blazer, white dress shirt tucked into fitted grey dress pants; his hair still windswept and wild. Kyungsoo decided to show him around his home first. Through rooms decorated with ornate chandeliers to the bathrooms with crystal door knobs, Kai took note of it all and went through every door that was unlocked.

“Kai, that room, you shouldn’t-” Kyungsoo looked on nervously as Kai headed for the double doored room across the hall from Kyungsoo’s room on the second floor, “-it’s my parents’ room, they would be angry if they knew.”

“You mean to say that you’ve lived here all your life and you’ve never gone inside this room once?”

“....”

Kai only sighs and pushes the door open, earning a gasp from Kyungsoo. He blames curiosity when he allows himself to slip into the room after Kai.

The room is spacious with a large king sized poster bed made of mahogany. The maroon and golden patterned wallpaper on the walls unfamiliar to both pairs of eyes. They took the time to try on his fathers expensive hat collection and sprawling over the gold silken sheets on the bed.

In those moments, Kyungsoo caught himself laughing and then his eyes widened in realization.

He was fine.

Maybe a part of him always wished for rebellion; elbows on the table and not wanting to go to service on Sundays. That sort of thing. He was always holding back on the things he truly wanted to do. The thoughts he wanted to express.

He turns to see Kai staring at him from across the bed, eyes glistening again as if he knew Kyungsoo had finally realized something.

“Do you finally get it now?” Kai smiles and leans in.

Their lips meet and Kyungsoo could only describe the moment as numbing and sweet.

 Then something clicked inside Kyungsoo’s head and he realized something else—

 

This was what I wanted all along.

 

-

 

    “Kyungsoo?”

    Kyungsoo looked up to see Junmyeon peering at him with concern as they walked through the school gardens.

    “Where are your gloves? You’ll be scolded during the uniform check you know.”

    “I must have forgotten them at home,” Kyungsoo smiled to himself, “I’m sure I will be fine without them.”

 

-

 

Only a week later, Kyungsoo received a phone call.

"Do residence how may I..."

"Yes this is. I thought you'd never call..."

"Oh no, not at all. I put everything back in order, no one noticed a thing..."

"...."

 

"Yes, I would love to meet you again, Jongin."