Following the velvety sound, stringing notes in a harmonious way that screamed perfect (to Hongbin, at least), Hongbin and Taekwoon made it back to the gate of their school.

There they saw the source; a boy—perhaps around their age or younger, considering his height—eyes closed, and immersed in the moment. What shocked them was his appearance: dirty and worn-out clothes, shoes already in stitches, and an overall I’ve-been-living-in-the-streets-all-my-life kind of messy image. He had a tin can beside him, probably where tips would be dropped for his singing.

For some reason, it seemed to Hongbin that even though this guy was poor, his voice was rich. It was amazingly beautiful.

However, the students around didn’t think the same way as they threw stones at the poor lad. Some even mean enough to throw their left over food, drinks, and even spit at his direction.

“Eww, you freak! Get out of our school!”

“You’re disgusting! Shut up and stop disturbing the peace around here!”

“Get lost, you dirty street rat!”

“My ears are bleeding because of your ugly voice!”

Hongbin and Taekwoon couldn’t believe their eyes, as the students laughed at the boy, one even going as far as to kick the boy’s tin can. All the while, the poor boy didn’t even look at them with anger. He was soaked in all the food and drinks flung at him, and had small scratches from the stones that grazed his skin—but he didn’t yell back in rage, or showed any form of retaliation. He just bit his lip and finished his song anyway, despite all the complaints and protests from the crowd. Hongbin didn’t know why, but he grew a sort of admiration for this boy.

As the song ended, the poor lad moved to pick up his tin can. Some of the students used this opportunity and kicked him to the ground; soon one of them dealt a blow to his cheek. The students cheered and whistled—praising the bully who threw the punch. On the other hand, Hongbin and Taekwoon stood rooted on the spot—completely dumbfounded at how stupid their schoolmates were. Bullying was never cool, no matter how you put it, and this was all a dumb way to win a reputation.

“Hongbin, take the camera.”

“H-hyung, what are you going to do?”

“Nothing too serious, just make sure you get the footage.”

Taekwoon approached the crowd that had formed a circle around the bully and his whimpering prey. Before anyone knew it, he kicked the bully square in the balls, muttered a ‘How about them apples, bastard?’ then grabbed the poor boy and made a run for it.

Hongbin was laughing hysterically as he followed from behind. 

“Look Kai, what are you? Seven years old? You can’t just curse customers because of a small little comment,” Jinki sternly told the basketball star. The diner was closing soon, and so Jinki took this opportunity to give Kai a short talk.

“Sheesh, all I said was f-”

“I don’t need to hear it! What matters is that you stop using such language, are we clear? And not just for the customers, but for your own well-being, okay? Imagine what your parents would say if they ever heard such things coming from their beloved son.” Jinki’s stern voice soon became fatherly, as he sighed and ruffled Kai’s hair. If Taemin ever acted out like that, he certainly wouldn’t like it. He’d be worried.

“Really, young man. You know you can be better than that.”

Kai bit the inside of his cheek as he turned quiet.

Imagine what my parents would say?

How can I when I don’t even know what they look like?

And beloved son?

Did they ever really love me?

Jinki noticed how downcast Kai became, and sighed. This would be enough of the serious talk for now, because even though Kai did have the ability to annoy him, Jinki was still a father and was caring towards kids and teenagers. They needed guidance in life, and well, sometimes making mistakes is when you actually learn a lot. But it totally to get reprimanded.

“Alright, I think you’ve learned your lesson. Now, why don’t we eat some dinner? Taemin will be home soon from soccer practice, and guess what? We’re having chicken!”

Kai was taken away from his thoughts, and he snorted, because what else would you expect from working in a chicken diner with a boss who absolutely adores chicken?

“Alright, Jinki-ssi.”

“It’s Onew hyung to you, sonny.”

Kai smirked. “But I thought you said not to be so familiar with you.”

Jinki just shrugged and pinched the boy’s arm, causing him to yelp. “That was when we were on the phone. But now, since you’re working here and we’re hiding your , you’re practically family. Just stay away from Jonghyun’s Chicken Eatery, or I swear, I will castrate you in your sleep. I’m serious.”

“Yes, we will have two large pizzas and buffalo wings. Thank you.”

After ordering the food, Taekwoon went out to the convenience store and bought some cola. Meanwhile, Hongbin was draped over the couch wondering what in the world he was doing, actually agreeing to let a stranger become his muse for his documentary.

Earlier conversation…

“I-is it really alright?” the poor boy asked, very hesitant as a towel and set of clothes were being handed to him.

“Yes, yes, go on. There’s no need to be shy.” Taekwoon gently pushed the boy inside the bathroom, and closed the door.

Hongbin was confused.

As soon as they heard water running, Hongbin began his questioning.

“Hyung, why’d you bring him to my place?”

“First, didn’t you say he had a beautiful voice?”

“Yeah, so?”

“So he’ll be the muse for your documentary.”

“But! He’s not even a girl!”

“So what? Fact is, you liked his voice and called it beautiful—which is what the documentary is all about. I was actually observing his singing at that time, and if you listened closely, he isn’t just the type to sing in karaoke bars—he seemed like he had technique and really knew what he was doing. It got me curious as to what a talented guy would be doing out on the streets. Wouldn’t you like to know? A poor man in an urban area must have a story to share.”

“W-well, even if he would be my muse, if he agrees to it, why did you bring him here?”

“You, my friend, will be taking care of him. I will too, but he’ll be staying with you.”

“What!? Whhhhhyyyyy?”

“Just trust me on this. You’ll learn a lot more from him this way. Also, I don’t think it’s okay to just send him back to the street life. Maybe we can help this poor guy find a job, and hopefully enable him to provide for himself.”

Taekwoon sighed, and as much as he didn’t always show it being the emotionless and overly-irritated guy he was, he actually cared about other people.

“Hongbin, no one really deserves to be alone in this world, especially at our age. He’s still young like us, life has so much more to offer. Imagine being out on the cold streets, just trying to taste life by singing. He’s missing out on so much.

I don’t know about you, but if we somehow manage to get this guy to stand on his own two feet, to start actually living, then that would be beautiful.

And I think that along the journey, you’ll be able to realize what beauty means to you too.”

Back to the present…

Hongbin didn’t really know if this was the right decision; he certainly wanted to win Kyuhyun’s competition. He wanted to pass the best documentary ever, and well, since Taekwoon was the smart one and not him, he would have to trust his hyung on this one. Hongbin’s mind briefly came back to the sound of the poor boy’s voice. It really was beautiful. It just made Hongbin feel all the emotion and sincerity the song wanted to portray. He could probably listen to that voice all day, without getting bored.

Well… maybe it really is worth a try… so long as this stranger doesn’t steal my stuff overnight and run away.

“U-umm, e-excuse me?”

Author's note: 

Guess who's back? Hahaha >_< I'll try to update this at least once each week if possible, while also updating The Kyungsoo Vault. See you guys around :p Comments are always welcome :D