Eunkwang: I need your help.

Me: What is it?

Eunkwang: Can you come over to my place?

Me: OK.

When Eunkwang sent Junmyeon that message, Junmyeon was getting ready to study for his maths midterm paper. Junmyeon put his notes aside, left his own house and went next door to see what Eunkwang was up to.

"Junmyeon! Come on!" Eunkwang said as he opened the door for Junmyeon.

"What's up?" Junmyeon asked.

"Well, I'm taking photography for electives this term. I need to submit my work tomorrow but I've forgotten all about it. That's why I need your help." Eunkwang said, leading Junmyeon to his room.

"Err...okay...but are you using a professional camera? I have not really used such cameras though." Junmyeon said.

"Who said you're the photographer? I'm photographing you!" Eunkwang chuckled.

"What? No way!" Junmyeon was shocked. 

"Yes way. Now go sit on my bed and I'll direct you." Eunkwang said while he took out his camera. When Junmyeon did not respond, Eunkwang looked at Junmyeon and he saw Junmyeon hanging his head down. Eunkwang went up to Junmyeon and patted his shoulder, making Junmyeon look up at him. "Relax. You'll be fine. Trust me, okay?"

Junmyeon bit his lip as though in deep thought but not even a second later, he did as he was told, sitting on Eunkwang's bed.

"Okay, Junmyeon. Are you ready?" Eunkwang asked when he finished setting up his camera.

"Yes." Junmyeon replied.

"Alright. What we're going to do today is to capture different emotions. We'll start with happiness." Eunkwang said.

Junmyeon thought for a while and flashed a giant smile for the camera. But Eunkwang was not satisfied with it.

"No, Junmyeon. That's not happiness." Eunkwang said.

"But when you're happy, you smile, right?" Junmyeon reasoned.

"Yes, indeed. But it looks very forced to me. Try again." Eunkwang said.

Junmyeon tried again but this time he up the ante by giving Eunkwang an exaggerated grin. 

"No, no! Not working!" Eunkwang said.

"Still not working? Okay, try this one." Junmyeon said and gave Eunkwang a plain smile pose.

"No, you missed the point. You're forcing it." Eunkwang said.

At this point, Junmyeon was frustrated. He had given Eunkwang three different types of 'happiness' but none of them worked for Eunkwang because it was too forced. If smiling and grinning are not considered 'happiness', then what is?

"Yah! Why don't you show me what is happiness?" Junmyeon said.

"What? Are you serious?" Eunkwang furrowed his eyebrows.

"I tried three different poses that I considered to be the definition of happiness and you tell me they are all too forced. So why don't you just show me how it's done?" Junmyeon said.

"Hmm...I got it! Think of the person you like! That will surely make you happy!" Eunkwang exclaimed.

"The person I like?" Junmyeon repeated. And the person he likes is just right in front of him!

"Yes. Go on, let's try and see." Eunkwang said, putting the camera on standby.

Junmyeon hesitated for a while. He looked at Eunkwang who was looking at the camera instead. Junmyeon was replaying all the memories he shared with Eunkwang this past few weeks. From the day he first tutored Eunkwang, to the day he tended to Eunkwang's wounds after he got into a fight, Eunkwang giving him a surprise hug right down till the time when Eunkwang took care of his oil burn. Junmyeon's heart was filled with a certain kind of warmth that he can't quite put a finger on. It was special to him, something that only he understood and yet it was something he can't explain. Slowly but surely, a smile, a genuine one, started to form.

"THAT'S IT!" Eunkwang exclaimed and he clicked on the shutter. Junmyeon was taken aback by his sudden raise in tone and he lost his genuine happy pose.

"That's what I'm talking about! Who were you thinking about, Junmyeon?" Eunkwang asked in a teasing manner.

"W-What? N-None of your concern!" Junmyeon blushed.

"Omo! Someone's blushing!" Eunkwang continued to tease.

"Yah~! Stop it!" Junmyeon blushed even harder.

Suddenly, the whole room turned pitch black, causing the two boys to gasp in shock.

"Oh ! The power's out!" Eunkwang said.

**********

"I think one candle for each of us is enough for this blackout. This is a little far fetched." Junmyeon commented.

Once the blackout happened, Eunkwang told Junmyeon to help him with the candles but instead of lighting one candle, Eunkwang had the entire house surrounded with lit candles. The boys then chilled outside the car porch while waiting for the power to come back on.

"Well, not entirely. With the light from these candles, I can see your face more clearly." Eunkwang said and winked. Junmyeon's eyes widened and he looked away in embarrassment. They were both silent for a while before Eunkwang broke the silence.

"You are my next door neighbor, but how come we don't know each other before this?" Eunkwang asked.

Junmyeon looked at Eunkwang and pondered on the question. He slowly nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah, why haven't we?"

"Well, that's okay. I'll tell you my story so that you'll know more about me." Eunkwang said.

"Okay!" Junmyeon smiled.

"I'm Seo Eunkwang, born on November 22. When I was a kid, I like to pick my nose and eat my mucus."

"What the ? Eww!!! No!" Junmyeon swatted Eunkwang's hand when he touched him, as though Eunkwang really just picked his nose and he had mucus on his hand.

"That was when I was a kid. I'm all grown up now. No more eating mucus." Eunkwang winked.

"Can we just move on from the mucus already? Gross!" Junmyeon shuddered.

"Okay." Eunkwang chuckled. "I used to have two best friends. One of them is Dong Geun. He comes from a very wealthy family but I've never seen him after we left primary school. And that's because he moved to America with his family. My second best friend is Il Hoon. He was my closest friend and it feels like I've known him forever. I remember there was one time he asked me to go with him to choose the motorbike his dad was going to buy for him. I waited for him for a long time but he did not turn up. Later that day, I found out he had died from an accident."

Junmyeon gasped.

"My reaction was just like yours when I first got the news. I was really shocked. But then again, Il Hoon never really left. He is still here with me."

The look on Junmyeon's face showed that he became frightened from what Eunkwang just told him. He looked around him cautiously and drew closer to Eunkwang. When Eunkwang realized what Junmyeon was doing, he giggled. 

"What's so funny?" Junmyeon asked timidly.

"You're funny." Eunkwang remarked.

"Funny? Me?" Junmyeon was confused.

"You get scared so easily! That's cute!" Eunkwang said and ruffled Junmyeon's hair.

"Yah~! Don't!" Junmyeon said. And did Eunkwang just called him cute? A tinge of red painted Junmyeon's cheeks.

"But I'm not kidding, you know? Il Hoon really is still with me." Eunkwang continued.

"Are we quite done with Il Hoon now?" Junmyeon immediately turned pale again.

"I'll show you. Come on!" Eunkwang said and literally dragged Junmyeon along with him. Junmyeon protested but to no avail. Moments later, they found themselves in front of Eunkwang's motorcycle.

"This is Il Hoon." Eunkwang proudly said.

"Huh?" Junmyeon scratched the back of his head.

"This model...this was the model that Il Hoon wanted to get." Eunkwang said, running his fingers across the bike. "This is why I say Il Hoon is still with me."

"Oh! I get it now!" Junmyeon breathed a sigh of relief and laughed. 

"Hey, since we have nothing to do, should we wash this baby?" Eunkwang suggested.

"Wash your bike? Now?" Junmyeon looked at Eunkwang as though he was crazy.

"Why not?" 

Junmyeon watched as Eunkwang took his shirt off and then heading somewhere to get a basin and water pipe. Junmyeon could only stand and watch Eunkwang go about his activities when Eunkwang threw the water pipe at Junmyeon.

"Help me out." Eunkwang said.

Junmyeon fiddled with the water pipe in his hands, twisting the round nozzle tip of the pipe. He jumped and yelped when water shot out from the nozzle and hit Eunkwang squarely on his chest.

"Yah! Not on me!" Eunkwang shouted.

"Sorry! What do I do now?" Junmyeon asked.

"Wash the bike. Spray water on it." Eunkwang said.

For the next one and a half hour, the two boys lathered Eunkwang's motorcycle with shampoo, scrubbing it with sponge, rinsing it clean with water before finally wiping it dry with a piece of dry cloth. It was Junmyeon's first time doing this but he enjoyed doing it a lot. Usually if Eunkwang washed the motorcycle by himself, it would take him no more than 30 minutes. But the time they spent cleaning it today exceeded Eunkwang's usual time partly because it was Junmyeon's first time so Eunkwang had to guide him. The main reason however was because the boys were teasing and fooling around with each other with the water nozzle and shampoo foam. Even though the boys spent an awful amount of time playing around, little did they know that they have actually grown closer to each other.

When the boys had finished washing the motorcycle, the power had come back on and it was already quite late at night. Junmyeon just received a message from his mother informing him that she will be back soon. Junmyeon then excused himself to go back home.

"Junmyeon!" Eunkwang called out before he closed the front door.

Junmyeon waited for Eunkwang as he went into his house and took a red pen out. He took Junmyeon's hand in his and drew something on it. When Junmyeon saw what Eunkwang had drawn, he found himself blushing again.

"Thank you. Please keep this with you." Eunkwang said.

Junmyeon looked at Eunkwang, a little unsure at first but slowly smiled at him and nodded.

Junmyeon unlocked the front door of his house and stepped inside. However, he remained stationary at the front door, studying the drawing Eunkwang made on his palm. Not long after, his mother came into the house but Junmyeon did not notice her presence. So, she the lights to get his attention.

"Eomma!" Junmyeon exclaimed when he saw his mother. "When did you come home?"

"I just came back." Junmyeon's mother said.

"Oh..."

"Did you just came from Eunkwang's house?"

"Yeah, yes." Junmyeon nodded.

"I see." Junmyeon's mother sat on the couch in the living room and Junmyeon did the same. "How's his studies coming along?"

"He's getting better."

"Good to hear that." 

"I'm a little tired, eomma. I would like to go to bed now." 

"Okay. Good night."

"Good night, eomma."

As Junmyeon was about to go to his room, his mother called out to him.

"Junmyeonie."

"Yes. eomma?"

Junmyeon's mother walked up to him and held his hands in hers. "If you are happy, then I will be happy, too."

"Huh?" Junmyeon was a little confused as to why his mother would say such things but then it quickly dawned on him that his mother might have seen the drawing on his palms. So in a way, his mother was actually expressing her support for him!

"Oh...eomma..." Junmyeon hugged his mother happily. At least his mother was happy for him and his mother would never lie to him. Junmyeon looked at the drawing on his palm again.

A red heart shape.

---

The next day, Junmyeon had to sit for his maths midterm paper. Although he did not study much last night due to helping Eunkwang out with his elective project and also because of the blackout, he had studied beforehand so he was not too worried for the paper. While he was preparing to leave his house, he heard his doorbell ringing several times. He went out and saw a distressed Eunkwang in front of his house.

"Eunkwang. What are you doing here?" Junmyeon asked.

"Have you seen my Furry Ball?" Eunkwang inquired.

"What? Furry Ball?" Junmyeon's eyes widened in shock.

"My cat, Furry Ball. Have you seen it?"

"Oh! Your cat! I saw it eating some cat food when I came to your house yesterday but I have not seen it since the blackout."

"! Mom and dad will be back in another two days and my dad's gonna kill me if he don't see it."

"I have an important exam today...but I can help you look for it when I get home. Don't worry, okay?" Junmyeon smiled and was about to leave when Eunkwang stopped him.

"Wait. I will give you a lift to school but after that, you have to help me find the cat, alright?" Eunkwang said.

"Okay!" Junmyeon replied happily.

---

"Sorry I'm late!"

Junmyeon rushed to The Coffeeholic where he had promised to meet up with his three best friends - Jongdae, Baekhyun and Chanyeol - once he was done with the exam. He had only promised to meet up with them because he felt guilty he hasn't had time for them since he took up the offer of tutoring Eunkwang. Since he had literally ran all the way from school to the cafe, he was thirsty as hell. The first drink he saw was Baekhyun's iced latte. He took it and downed it all in one gulp.

"KIM JUNMYEON! STOP! THAT'S MINE!" Baekhyun exclaimed.

"I was too thirsty." Junmyeon said.

"You're buying me another drink! I don't care!" Baekhyun huffed, crossing his arms in discontent.

"Don't worry, I was going to buy this round anyway." Junmyeon took out his wallet and pulled out two 50000 won notes and handed it to Baekhyun. "I'm really sorry but I have to leave now."

"Are you serious? You just came!" Jongdae said and grabbed hold of Junmyeon's arm.

"I know but Eunkwang needs me right now." Junmyeon explained.

"Eunkwang again?" Chanyeol asked.

"Yeah..." Junmyeon replied. 

"Junmyeon!"

Junmyeon turned to face the person who just called his name. As expected, Eunkwang looked smoking hot riding his motorcycle. What made him even more irresistible was that the first two buttons of his shirt was undone. Junmyeon hastily got up from his seat, said his goodbye when Chanyeol told him they were going swimming tomorrow.

"Count me out, guys. I'm tutoring Eunkwang. Bye!" 

When Junmyeon uttered those words, it was half-truth and half-lie; he did plan on tutoring Eunkwang tomorrow but he had to cancel if they could not find the cat by today. Since Junmyeon had been using the 'tutoring Eunkwang' excuse for quite some time, he might as well use it again. 

"Where are we going to look for Furry Ball first?" Junmyeon asked once they sped off in Eunkwang's bike.

"The playground." Eunkwang replied.

Once they reached the playground, they looked all over for the cat but they could not find it. They then went to the next neighborhood, thinking it might have went over. Much like the first time they searched for the cat in the playground, there was no sign of the cat. They went to the third neighborhood and did the same but still no cat.

The whole time Junmyeon was with Eunkwang, riding his motorcycle and looking for the cat with him, the special feeling Junmyeon got when he was helping Eunkwang with the photography project came back to him. It was tiring having to look for a cat when it might have just been lost forever but what kept Junmyeon going and putting a smile on his face when he was sitting behind Eunkwang on his bike was that one thing, that one special feeling.

The search for the cat continued into the night but there was no cat for them in the end. Eunkwang and Junmyeon decided to go home and look for it the next day instead. The boys went back to Eunkwang's house and the first thing Eunkwang did when he reached home was lay himself down on the couch, exhausted and frustrated over his lost cat. Junmyeon took a seat next to him.

"Where the hell could the cat be?" Eunkwang sighed.

Junmyeon saw the frustration in Eunkwang's eyes and he wanted to ensure him that everything was going to be okay.

"Don't worry. I think your cat wouldn't have gone too far from here. Maybe...maybe it is in heat and ? It could have - "

Junmyeon was silenced by Eunkwang's hand covering his mouth. 

"Did you hear that?" Eunkwang asked. Junmyeon merely shook his head.

Eunkwang got up from the couch and followed the sound that he claimed he heard. Junmyeon followed suit. They went upstairs and Eunkwang stood in front of his parents' room. He twisted the doorknob slowly and opened it. Just then, a cat sprang out from the room, surprising both Eunkwang and Junmyeon.

"You naughty little kitty!" Eunkwang said and picked up the cat. "Do you know how worried I was?"

"It was in your house all along!" Junmyeon said.

"I know right? Who would have thought? Hey Junmyeon, I'll feed the cat first then we'll have something to eat, okay?"

"Okay."

**********

While they were eating, Junmyeon swallowed his food a little too fast, causing him to have hiccups. Even after they had finished eating and were relaxing in the living room, Junmyeon still had hiccups.

"You still have hiccups?" Eunkwang asked.

"Yeah...sometimes it feels like it's gone but -" Junmyeon said and was interrupted by his own hiccup. "Not for long."

Eunkwang thought for a little while and snapped his fingers when he had an idea. 

"I can help you."

Eunkwang went to the kitchen and returned to the living room with two glasses of water.

"Drink these two glasses of water without stopping. You should be okay after that." Eunkwang said.

Junmyeon did as he was instructed. However, not even five seconds after he had finished the two glasses of water, he found himself hiccupping again.

"You still have hiccups?!" Eunkwang said in disbelief. Junmyeon nodded.

Eunkwang returned to thinking and he went to the kitchen again while Junmyeon waited in the living room. This time, he returned with a tablespoon of sugar.

"Try this." Eunkwang said.

Junmyeon took the tablespoon of sugar and shoved everything in his mouth. He waited for five full minutes before he spoke.

"Eunkwang! I th - " Junmyeon hiccupped again.

"Omo! You still have hiccups?" 

Eunkwang then asked Junmyeon to turn around with his back facing him. Junmyeon did as he was told although he had no idea what Eunkwang was up to. When Eunkwang tapped Junmyeon on his shoulder, Junmyeon turned around and Eunkwang attempted to scare Junmyeon by screaming in his face suddenly. But Junmyeon remained unfazed.

"What? Aren't you easily scared?" Eunkwang said.

"Not really, not like this." Junmyeon said.

The boys sat on the couch, with Eunkwang looking at Junmyeon full of concern. Junmyeon caught sight of Eunkwang looking at him and smiled while hiccuping.

"Don't worry. My hiccups will be gone soon." Junmyeon said.

As Junmyeon was sitting on the couch hiccupping away, Eunkwang was biting his lip and rubbing his hands together, as though he was struggling over something. When Junmyeon hiccupped for the sixth time while he was on the couch, Eunkwang did what neither he nor Junmyeon expected of him - he grabbed hold of Junmyeon's head, turned his head to his own and quickly but gently placed his lips on Junmyeon's.

Junmyeon's world seemed to have come to a standstill when the lip contact happened. And somehow as if by magic, his hiccups were gone. Instead of hiccups, his heart was beating at an insanely rapid rate and he was left speechless at Eunkwang's sudden 'attack'. 

He just had his first kiss and it was claimed by Eunkwang, the boy he liked!