The bell hanging from the very top of the door rings signaling a customer has entered the cafe. "Welcome to the Boy Who Cried Wolf Cafe! How may I help you?" Xiumin says with a smile that is taking almost all of his energy to maintain. The customer walks up to the bar and orders an Iced Americano to go. While Xiumin is working on the Iced Americano the doorbell rings again and Xiumin with his back turned away yells the welcoming slogan again  "Welcome to the Boy Who Cried Wolf Cafe! If you come up to the bar I'll take your order in just a second." As Xiumin finished up the Iced Americano and places it in 'Pick Up' area he heads to cashier part of the bar to take next customers order. 

 

“Welcome to the Boy Who Cried Wolf Cafe, How may I help you?” Xiumin smiles and a short haired girl with a snapback covering her eyes looks up. Xiumin’s eyes go wide “Amber?”

 

Amber simply replies. “Hmmm. I would like an Iced Latte.” 

 

“R-right let me get to it.” Xiumin starts making the espresso for the latte and he states “You should've told me that you were coming, I would’ve tried to look more presentable.” 

 

“You do look really tired Xiu. Are you sure you're okay?” Amber worries

 

“Yeah, I’m fine why do you ask?”

 

 

“Hm. Well, You don’t usually look this tired since I remembered back in High School you used to go to sleep at 10pm because you wanted to be well rested for the next day. And right now just by looking at the bags under your eyes, you look like you can pass out any moment.”

 

“Maybe it’s just old age. That’s back in High school, Amber. Times have changed.” Xiu chuckles when he replies and he hands the Iced Latte to Amber  “Here’s Your order.”

 

“If you say so,” Amber says as she takes the Iced Latte from him and another customer comes in from the door. “Welcome to the Boy Who Cried Wolf Cafe! How may I take your order?” Xiumin says as he smiles and rushes to the new customer, ignoring Amber’s comment.

 

Amber decides to sit at one of the tables further into the cafe. 

 

 

As Amber stays to observe Xiumin for a bit she notices that he’s falling asleep standing when he’s not taking orders.

 

 

Amber walks up to the counter again and Xiumin wakes up to the sound of footsteps coming closer to him. “You're not overworking yourself these days are you?” Xiu tries his hardest to smile naturally even though Amber ‘hit the bullseye’. “Amber, I don’t know why you’re so worried about me. We’re not in High School anymore. I would think better of you that you’d understand me by now. Don’t you trust me?” He replies will a bit of a cold tone towards the end as he turns his head away.

 

Shocked at his reply Amber replies with “A-ah Yeah, Sorry….I have to go, I got some things I still need to finish.”

 

Xiumin turns his head back when he hears the bell of the door go off again signaling someone has left/entered the cafe.

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

The sound of the keys from a piano can be heard playing slowly. Like someone is testing the waters before deciding to dive into a pool. A few notes are being played by a man walking by a piano that sits in the center of a room that’s bordered with bookshelves full of piano scores.

 

“It’s been a long time since I touched this piano?” Baekhyun says pressing down on a few keys, one by one. 

 

“I’m a songwriter, yet I’ve lost the desire to play the piano. What am I doing?” 

 

Baek stops and grips the piano hard with his head down. Angry knitted brows are evident on his face. He huffs out a deep breath.

 

“Don’t get angry Baek. Don’t. It’s not going to help.” He whispers to himself. He brings his head up and stretches back with his hands on his hips and eyes closed. He thinks back to when Amber was consoling him back at the music store and he starts to calm down considerably. 

 

Baek reminds himself of what Amber said and he slowly reopens his eyes.

 

“That’s right,” Baekhyun says in realization. He smiles and goes out of the piano room to retrieve blank music sheets. He re-enters the room and sits down at the piano, stretching his arms and neck.

 

“Time to get back at it.” He says with a stern look, slapping both his cheeks to indicate that he’s bringing himself back to focus. He starts playing a melody and even hums along. 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

It's 5pm and Xiumin's shift at the coffee shop has ended and now he's on his way to his night job as a delivery man for a fried chicken restaurant that stays open til late.

 

 

Xiumin self-motivates himself by reminding himself what his goal is as he arrives at the chicken restaurant called "Kim Kaa Chicken". 

 

 

Xiumin heads into the restaurant to start his shift and hours quickly go by as he rides his scooter back and forth from the restaurant, making deliveries. The sun from the early evening sets and the day quickly gets consumed by the night's darkness. 

 

Amber is slowly walking her way down the road across from the chicken restaurant as her curious mind decided to check out the place that she saw Xiumin got off work last time. 

 

"2:30am, where is he?" Amber says as she checks the clock on her phone while hiding behind a street light/telephone pole. 

 

Xiumin rides in and stops right in front of the shop. He goes in to tell the restaurant owner his shift is over and quickly comes out, unbuckling his helmet and resting it on the scooter. Xiumin walks away from the restaurant and down the road adjacent to the road Amber came from. Amber quickly and quietly stalks Xiumin from behind, making sure to keep quite of a distance between them so he doesn't sense her presence. After maybe a 15 minute walk, Xiumin casually enters a 24hr sauna place.

 

"What? Why he's here again? And at this hour?" Amber questions as her brows furrow and she looks at the time on her phone again, which reads 2:53am. She decides to wait and see if Xiumin's would come out but after 25 minutes she decides to walk into the sauna herself and check it out. As Amber enters the sauna she asks the receptionist if she saw a guy with medium brown hair, around her height, kinda built and has cat-like eyes. The response the receptionist gives surprises her.

 

"Yes, there's a man that fits that description that's been coming into here every day for the past couple of weeks now." 

 

"Everyday for the pass couple of weeks?" Amber asks shocked.

 

"Yes, he's a regular here." The receptionist states.

 

"Ah..okay. Thank you." 

 

Amber pays for her entrance fee, which happened to be very cheap, and enters the sauna in look of Xiumin. As Amber roams around checking the temperature rooms she finally spots who she's been looking for laying in the rest area where most customers take breaks and/or sleep. 

 

Amber quietly drags one of the wooden pillows and lays down next to Xiumin and says, "What are you doing here?"

 

Xiumin's eyes fly open and he looks to his left to see Amber looking straight at him. He stares straight into her eyes, a loss for words. 

 

"You told me everything was fine. And I knew it was weird when you looked so drained that you could pass out just from standing." Amber says in a scolding tone, more to herself than the one staring at her that still hasn't said a word.

 

"You ask me if I trusted you. And I do. But what are you doing to yourself?" 

 

Xiumin lowers his head and closes his eyes. "I've been having a hard time." 

 

He gave up trying to hide anything from Amber and tells her everything that's been going on, starting from everything in beginning of college to now. That he's practically homeless and living in this 24hr sauna is the only way for him to survive and that he took extra part-time jobs so he can save up a rent a better place to live. 

 

"I'm sorry I've been lying to you, Ber." 

 

"No, it's okay I understand, but you should've told me sooner!" 

 

"What was I supposed to do?! I couldn't just dump this all on you right after we finally met again." Xiumin says exasperated.

 

"Why not? We've been friends for a long time hasn't we?" Amber says back in a slightly irritated and angered tone.

 

 

"Look. I'm not mad at you. I don't want you to be afraid to ask me for help. Okay?" Amber says in a comforting tone.

 

"Okay."

 

There is a silence and Amber suddenly pops a question.

 

"How about....How about...How about you move in with me?" 

 

"What??????" Xiumin says shockingly.

 

"I have an extra room for guests and friends whenever they want to stay over, it's won't be for free." 

 

Although I'm perfectly fine with letting Xiu stay for free but knowing that he'll definitely disagree if I said that because he'll feel like he'll be imposing. This is the best option. 

 

"I'll still have you pay rent but I'll give you a discount because you're my friend and I want to help you, plus it's not that far from the subway station and bus and there's also the park in the neighborhood. Also close to your workplace. Perfectly convenient, right?" 

 

"I can't do that, Amber. I'll be burdening you." 

 

"You're not burdening me, I'm offering. It's not like your not paying me rent, you will be. You just don't need to worry about me running off leaving you to pay all the rent. I can afford it, I've been paying full rent ever since I started living at my place. C'mon we'll be perfect roomies. We're both neat and I know you're not a crazy party person. Please, Oppa I want to help. Pleaseeeeee"

Amber says convincingly while whipping out the 'Oppa' card and some ageyo in the end.

 

Xiumin bites his lip not sure if this is the right choice to make. But his face softens when he see's Amber trying hard to look cute while pouting, which in fact is working, and says "How did we lose connection those few years. You're like my lucky charm Amber, bringing me good luck and good fortune when we're together." 

 

"Is that a yes?" 

 

"That's a Yes."

 

"Woohoo!" Amber pops up onto her feet and fists the air.

 

Xiumin just laughs at her silly antics. But is also totally touched about what Amber is doing for him and smiles widely.

 

 

"Let's go home, you're probably sick and tired of this place already," Amber says as she gives a hand to Xiumin to get up.

 

"You have no idea. I'm pretty sure I've woken up a few times to some ahjussis or ajummas trying to me, never again." 

 

"OMG WTF, Let's hurry ups and get out of here already!"  Amber freaks.

 

"Ewwww, Ew, Ewhuehuehue." Amber shudders as she speed walk towards the dressing room.

 

When the two arrive at Amber's apartment, Amber shows Xiumin his room and tells him that she'll set out a new toothbrush and facial towel/body towels in the bathroom for him and also where other necessities are located if he needed them. 

 

"Amber thanks again. I really don't know what I did to deserve this." 

 

"Don't worry about it."

 

Xiumin hugs Amber tightly and Amber hugs him back chuckling. The hug doesn't last long but it leaves Xiu wanting more of the warmth that Amber provides him. The two bid their goodnights and Xiumin shuts the door to his room, face planting on the bed. 

 

"Finally a bed. I'm too tired to take a shower, I'll take it tomorrow morning." Xiumin says moving his body under the covers and head onto the pillow.

 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Birds are chirping and the sun is shining and music sheets are scattered around the piano room. A body is slumped over the piano's key bed sleeping soundly butcher his hand falls hard onto a few keys the sudden noise startles the sleeping person awake.

 

Baekhyun gasps as he suddenly sits up from being startled awake. "I can't believe I stayed up all night working on these songs," Baek says as he grabs all the scattered music sheets on top of his piano and gets up to gather the ones from the floor.

 

"Beautiful, My answer, Tender love, What If.... Look at all these songs I wrote because of Amber." Baekhyun smiles to himself looking at all the new pieces he created because of Amber.

 

"I have to show her!" Baekhyun rushes out of his home with the music sheets stuffed in a single folder running to Amber's place.

 

"Ehehehee" Baekhyun giggles/squeals happily, jumping up in the air and then continues running.

 

Meanwhile, at Amber's apartment, Xiumin had just woken up and decided to go take a shower. Amber who was also awake went to go take out the leftover trash, leaving the door unlocked knowing that Xiumin was inside the apartment. When Baekhyun arrived at Amber's apartment complex, he sprinted up the stairs and eagerly rang the doorbell to Amber's apartment. When no one answered, he turned the door handle and surprisingly it was unlocked. 

 

"Did Amber leave her door unlocked?? This girl, this unsafe for a girl who lives by herself. I have to make sure to warn her."

 

As Baekhyun enters the apartment to give Amber a piece of his mind about safety, Xiumin just finished showering and realizes that he has no fresh clothes to change into, so he leaves the bathroom in just a towel.

 

"Amber!" Baek calls out

 

"Amber is there any clothes I can borrow?!" Xiumin asks when walking out of the bathroom while the towel is just covering his lower half.

 

"Amber--!"

 

"Amber--!"

Xiumin and Baekhyun yell out in unison but both stop when they almost bump into each other and two's eyes widen in surprise.

 

 

 

---

This is the longest chapter I've written in a long time and I'm sorry there is so much xiuber in the past two chapters. I just thought it was important to add Xiumin's background story to you guys before I continue using him as a side character. I hope you liked this chapter! Please comment below, I love feedback! I don't really have any specific gifs this time for my inspiration for this chapter. But if you want to know why I picked Xiumin for the side character then you should look up Xiuber gifs.