There were no words to describe Jongin’s surprise when Kyungsoo parked his Mustang in the gas station.

“I accidentally used up too much gas,” Kyungsoo clarified.

But Jongin really didn’t care what happened. The car was his again. He grinned.

“Yeah, no problem bro,” he said. “I mean, we’re friends, so it’s okay.”

Kyungsoo froze. He looked up at the auto repair guy with starry eyes. “…Friends?”

“Yeah, Kyungsoo. Friends.”

He nodded, slowly. “Call me D.O.”

Jongin immediately got shy. “O-Okay…”

Kyungsoo nodded, looking both enlightened and slightly constipated as he turned to walk away, when:

“A-Actually…”

“Yeah, friend?” Kyungsoo’s heart did a loopdie-loop at the word ‘friend’.

“I’ve always wanted to be called Kai,” Jongin said nervously. “It’s just this little dream of mine…”

Kyungsoo’s nostrils flared up passionately. “Okay, Kai.” He held out his hand and Jongin shook it. “See you later, friend.”

“D.O…”

“Kai…”

That day, Do Kyungsoo went to work happily, giggling to himself at the idea of his very first friend.

Anchovies, nail polish, and a pencil sharpener.

At this point, Zitao was no longer impressed by Advil Lay’s shopping list. Emotionlessly, he beeped the items and put them in a little plastic bag when a blushing Kyungsoo entered the shop.

“What’s with you?”

Kyungsoo shivered. He was too overwhelmed to speak. He awkwardly vibrated away to the backroom, looking satisfied and oddly at peace.

Tao gagged. “Gross.” And gave Lay his shopping bag. “How you doing, Yixing?”

Lay shrugged. “Fine.”

“So what does your name mean, anyway?”

Lay pondered that. “It means ‘prospering in arts.’”

“Uh-huh, sure.” Tao laughed half-assedly, trying his best to entertain himself and failing in the most miserable way. Meanwhile Sehun sat on the floor in the bread isle, playing on his phone and avoiding everyone for the sole purpose that Luhan wasn’t here yet.

Of course, Luhan picked that moment to stride in, girlier and prettier than ever. “Hey, Tao, can I sell stuff here?”

“Yeah, sure,” Tao nodded. “Just avoid the bread isle.”

But it was too late. At the sound of Girl-han’s voice, Sehun crawled out of his little corner viciously and struggled to regain his cool. “Hey, Luhan,” he said, smoothly. “So, when’re you gonna tell me more about this boyfriend of yours?”

“What?”

“You know, I give excellent love advice.”

“Well…” Luhan’s inner thoughts rummaged around for facts. “He’s really rich,” he said. “And powerful.”

“Oh really?” Sehun tried not to look like he’d been shot. “Tell me more.”

“He’s very strong…” Huh? “…smart…” What kind of superman even has these qualities?

“And devilishly handsome, if I do say so myself,” A familiar voice pitched in. Minseok smirked and walked over to Luhan, putting an arm around her/his shoulders. “We’re talking about Xiumin, right?”

Sehun looked confused. “Minseok knows your boyfriend?”

“Well, of course I do!” Minseok bragged, “I know everything.”

Luhan looked stuck. “Hahah…yeah.”

“Come on, Lulu, tell Sehun more about how amazing Xiumin is.”

Really, you, Minseok.

“He’s great! Very perfect.”

“Exactly.” Sehun looked both confused and slightly terrified. Minseok smirked because, well, he’d won again. “Well, anyway…” Minseok squinted at Sehun’s name tag, “…Senuh. We really should be going.” And with that, Minseok took Luhan by the hand and dragged him out of the convenience store.

Outside, once they were out of sight, Luhan ripped off his wig and slammed it against the pavement. “I’m sick of this! That freaky pink-haired noodle wants me.”

Minseok patted his seniors back. “It’s okay, it’s okay,” he said. “Just twenty days to go, and you’re free.”

Luhan glared.

“Why does this strip mall have so many love triangles?” Yifan huffed, plopping down beside Junmyeon on the sidewalk. “Tao won’t fall for me at this rate!”

“I thought Tao was already in love with you.”

“I thought so too! But then that pink-haired pimp strolled in with his perfect little and screwed over my summer romance.”

Junmyeon nodded. “Just believe, my friend.”

“You always say that,” Yifan pouted. “So, what about you? Are you interested in anyone here?”

Junmyeon tried to mask his horror with a wise expression. “Hell no. .”

“Do you, like, have a type?”

“A type?”

“Like…my type is Tao.” Yifan pointed towards the drug store. “What’s yours?”

Junmyeon seemed to ponder that.

“My type…”

“Yeah?”

“…is…”

“…”

“…someone rich.”

“…”

“…”

“Oh.”

It was by sheer coincidence that Jongdae overheard the final fragments of that conversation. After that, it was just his millionaire’s imagination that led him to come to the conclusion – a rather farfetched conclusion – that Kim Junmyeon was in love with him.

His first instinct was to appear by chance and sweep the tragic homeless man off his feet.

But then he remembered he actually didn’t like Junmyeon. And pouted because that was probably the only person who’d ever fall for him.

“Oi, peasants.” He hollered, walking past the cop and the hobo like they didn’t exist and bursting into Happy Virus Hats. “I’d like to buy a hat.”

“No .” Byun Baekhyun, who was sitting somewhere on the floor of the shop, called out. “This is a hat store.”

“Well, I’d like to buy a special hat.” Jongdae explained. “As a gift.”

“Who for?” Erky perky PCY chirped.

“Someone…unfortunate.” Jongdae thought hard. “Someone with bad taste.”

“You’re in the right place.” Baekhyun called out again.

“Well, ah, what kind of style do they have?” Chanyeol guided Jongdae around the shop while the millionaire studied the hats closely.

“Something savage. Something that screams ‘I’m a homeless wiseass with the humor of an elderly nun.’”

“Are you buying a present for Gramps?” Baekhyun yelled from his little corner.

Jongdae looked baffled. “Absolutely not!”

“Ah, Chanyeol,” Baekhyun sat up, frowning. “I’m out of snacks, go get me more.”

“Already?” Chanyeol was browsing through a clutter of hats, when he pulled out a black fedora, with a studded X on the side. “How’s this?”

Jongdae studied it. “It’ll suffice,” he said, and Chanyeol walked over to the counter to check it out.

“Chaaaanyyeeooollll….” Baekhyun groaned. “I want fooooooood.”

“Hold on,” He handed the fedora to Jongdae, who took it, waved at the peasants around him, and jazzed out of the shop. “There’s no way I’m leaving you in this shop alone.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I won’t get lonely.”

“No, you brat, you’re coming with me,” Chanyeol plucked Baek up by the hood. “So you don’t steal anything.”

“Huh? No-” But they were already out the door.

Baekhyun looked like he was ready to kill a when Chanyeol jogged up to him with a mini shopping cart. “Okay, so, what’s on the list?” He asked.

Baekhyun scowled. “First, someone change the song. Who’s playing Katy Perry?”

Tao snickered behind the counter and Sehun raised a brow. Chanyeol waddled up to the employees. “Can we change the song?”

Sehun didn’t even give Chanyeol a chance to finish his sentence before: “No.”

Kyungsoo (once again) came tripping into the store. “PLEASE CHANGE THE SONG. I’M BEGGING YOU.”

“No.”

“I’VE MEMORIZED ‘LAST FRIDAY NIGHT’ AND I DON’T THINK I HAVE THE STRENGTH TO GO ON.”

“No.”

“TAO I’LL FIRE YOU, CHANGE THE SONG.”

“Huh? Why me?” Tao shuffled to change the song, and Baekhyun turned to Sehun.

“So how’s work?”

Sehun ughed. “I would much rather be working at the hat store.”

Chanyeol laughed. “Sorry, but I don’t hire vegetables.” He dug through his back pocket and pulled out a CD case. “Can we play this?”

Tao took the CD and studied it. “You want me to play the Frozen soundtrack?”

“Ew, gross, no.” Baekhyun rummaged around his own pockets. “Play this.”

Tao read the disk. “Girls' Generation?”

“How come everyone just happens to have CDs in their pockets?” Sehun pointed out.

“I don’t even care as long as we turn off the Katy Perry.” Kyungsoo piped.

“Like how do the CDs even fit in your pockets?”

“Sehun, that’s not the point. The real question is, SNSD or Frozen?”

“Um, Katy Perry.”

“SNSD!” Baek chirped.

Chanyeol gasped. “Frozen!”

Tao held up a hand, silencing them. “Eenie Meenie Miney Mo.”

“Shut up, Zitao, I’ll fire you.”

“Yes, boss.”

In the end, Kyungsoo’s general store played a loop of the Frozen soundtrack before playing a loop of “I Got a Boy.” And Chanyeol and Baekhyun bought their snacks, and would’ve returned to the hat shop with the food immediately, but Baek refused to leave the store until all the songs in his the album were finished. 

-

And that concludes Chapter 6! The next chapter should be out by Monday, and if it isn't, spray me with cold water. 

Finally, finally, I put in some Kaisoo. I had originally planned for it to start in Chapter 5, but then I had to give that scene to Jongin's evil plan. 

Suho definitely needs more screentime (or pagetime) but don't worry! You'll be seeing more of him ^.^

Comment, Subscribe, and give this crack an Upvote :)) And thank you so much for reading!