“This is the worst day of my life.”

Kyuhyun scoffed and reached forward to pull down the car’s passenger side visor, popping open the mirror. He carded his fingers through his bangs and tried to perfect the style he’d settled on an hour earlier. He turned his head to one side, then the other, admiring his appearance, and asked the boy in the driver’s seat, “How long have you known me?”

Changmin, with the foulest, dirtiest look he could possibly conjure up, continued, “This is worse than my twelfth birthday party, the one where only you showed up.”

Kyuhyun, satisfied with his hair, responded, “Fifteen years now, right? So when have you ever known me to back down from a dare?” He reached for the peach colored bag at his side.

Changmin closed his eyes, sinking a little in his seat. “Worse than getting the chickenpox at fifteen. In June. And missing the whole summer.”

“Do you think this color matches my lips?” Kyuhyun held up a tube of pink lip gloss.

With a deep sigh, Changmin added, “Even worse than studying for our college entrance exams for six months, only to oversleep my alarm on the first day and have to beg for admittance. On my knees. With everyone watching.”

Kyuhyun shook the tube, then extracted the applicator smoothly. “I really don’t know why something like this still surprises you.” Kyuhyun pursed his lips as the gloss went on, coloring his lips perfectly. “Fifteen years and you still don’t understand that I refuse to back down from dares. Any dares.”

Changmin hid his face in his hands. “I hate you.”

Kyuhyun blew him a kiss, then held out the tube and asked, “You want some?”

Just as Changmin began making sounds of despair from the front of the car, Minho leaned forward from the back and stated, “This is why my mom doesn’t want me to hang out with you guys anymore. This is why.”

Tilting the visor mirror down a bit more, Kyuhyun gave his appearance a firm nod. He looked good. Better than good. The color of his wig was a little too pale for his tastes, more of a honey blond than anything else, but it worked with his natural skin tone, and the eyeliner he’d applied earlier really made his eyes pop. His lips were the perfect shade of pink, and matched equally as perfectly to the flirty, frilly pink top he wore. He couldn’t get the mirror down any further, which meant taking in the full picture with the white, pleated skirt he wore was out, but his self confidence was already soaring.

“We’re going to be late,” Kyuhyun said, pausing a moment, then adding to Minho, “I don’t take bets I can’t win, and I never back down from a dare.”

It could, Kyuhyun reasoned, sliding from the car expertly, wary now that he wore a rather short skirt and exposing himself was a real danger, be considered a character flaw of his that he never backed down. He almost felt compelled with dares, hedging it all on the fact that he was massively lucky most days, and skilled enough to take any challenge head on.

Changmin climbed from the car with a sniffle and said lowly, “I had to shave my legs.”

Kyuhyun looked down at his own. His skin was all smooth now where his legs were exposed to the warm August weather, and though it had taken a very long time, he’d managed to avoid any nicks or cuts when he’d shaven. The same couldn’t be said for Changmin when he rounded the car to Kyuhyun’s side to stand awkwardly in a fitted yellow sundress.

“Why are we doing this again?” Minho asked, climbing from the car last. He’d swiped a girl’s high school uniform from his cousin and pulled at the length of the navy blue skirt nervously.

“Because you love me,” Kyuhyun said, carefully arranging his wig’s long blond hair over his shoulders expertly. He suddenly wished he paid more attention to girls. Were they wearing it down these days? Or was he supposed to put it up? Braid it? Girl hair was so confusing.

Changmin gave a short snort. “Try again.”

“Because we’re best friends,” he kicked at Changmin with his heeled shoes, no longer wobbling in them after hours of practice the night before.

“Not that one either,” Minho said.

Finally, with a deep sigh, Kyuhyun said, “Because if I lose this bet I have to give Jonghyun my laptop for a week. Said laptop has an incredible amount of compromising videos of the two of you that Jonghyun will not only see, but show to the world, if but given the chance. So that’s why you’re here with me right now, looking very pretty if I may say so myself.”

Voice lethal, Changmin repeated, “I hate you.”

Minho gave a firm nod. “I should have just hung out with Taemin today. At least he doesn’t make me dress up like a girl.”

Kyuhyun gave a careful look around, watching the groups of girls streaming around them head towards the nearby shopping center’s courtyard. Most of them were chatting quickly and loudly, with posters and CDs in hand.

“Look,” he told Changmin and Minho, pleasantly surprised that they both looked as good as they did. Neither could pass for being very pretty, but at first glance they’d be considered girls. It was good enough. “All we have to do is get in line, wait for our turn, and get something signed. We bring the signed items back to Jonghyun as proof that we did this, and for the next two weeks, his video game system is ours.”

Changmin’s face pinched. “I just don’t see why were had to dress up as girls. This is stupid.”

Kyuhyun flipped some hair over his shoulders expertly, just like he’d seen a girl across the street do a minute earlier. “No, this is the perfect solution to us surviving this with our dignity in tact.”

Minho plucked at the blouse he was wearing, “Are you sure those are the words you want to use for this situation?”

Huffy, Kyuhyun said, “If we go in there dressed as boys we’ll stick out like a sore thumb. I guarantee you there are at least a hundred girls we go to school with who will be there, and if we get recognized, it’ll get around school and we’ll never live it down. No, this is smart, not stupid. We go in there dressed like this, our oppas will think we’re pretty and charming and they’ll sign all the stuff we need them to sign, and we can get out in a matter of hours. Does this make sense to you two?”

“Please,” Changmin said, looking a little queasy, “don’t ever refer to boys again as your oppas. Please.”

Kyuhyun batted his eyelashes at Changmin, feeling the mascara coated to them, and whined out, “But I really want oppa to notice me and like me. Maybe he’ll even want to make me his girlfriend!”

Minho gagged a little.

Kyuhyun thought it was an exaggerated motion. “So hurry up, okay? We need to get in there. I bet the line is a mile long already.” He made to take a step forward then paused, catching Changmin’s arm seriously. “Wait.”

“What?” The short but pretty wig Changmin wore swayed a little. “What’s wrong?”

Kyuhyun brought his hands up to his chest, pushed at the stuffed area, and asked, “Are my s even?”

The wail that came from Changmin striking Kyuhyun over the back of the head was loud enough to echo for several city blocks.

Five minutes later they were in line, Kyuhyun was checking his makeup in the tiny compact mirror he’d stolen from his sister’s bedroom, and Minho was saying quietly to Changmin, “I had no idea they were this popular.”

A roar of female chatter surrounded Kyuhyun as he worried over his eyeliner smearing and his lipstick fading before he got to the head of the line. Or the sun’s heat ruining his foundation. How did girls keep their makeup perfect in extreme conditions? Was there some super secret girl memo he needed to obtain with all the answers?

A microphone crackled to life and Kyuhyun looked up towards the courtyard’s main stage. There were several long, white cloth covered tables set up, and though the three of them were pretty far back, Kyuhyun could just make out the figures slowly making their way to the tables.

Honestly, not that Kyuhyun thought admitting something like this was what guys, even friends, did on any regular basis, he was a huge Super Junior fan. Most boys his age were into Girl’s Generation, and typically for the short skirts they often wore, or cutoff shorts. But Kyuhyun had always preferred Super Junior. Their music was always smooth and harmonious. Their vocals were spectacular, their stage presence unforgettable, and their personalities had always been a highlight to Kyuhyun. He watched just about every music show they performed on, and all the variety shows that the members appeared on. He bought all their CDs, knew each of them by name, and was pretty much a fan boy.

In the name of honestly, this was why Kyuhyun had suggested completing the dare at the Super Junior signing event.

When else would he get the chance to be so close to the men he idolized for their vocals? Without fear of anyone judging him? If he was dressed as a girl he could tell them how much they meant to him, maybe even how much he loved what they had come to represent in his life, and it wouldn’t be weird. Girls said those things all the time about male groups. Today, not only would Kyuhyun win the bet with Jonghyun, he’d also get the experience of a lifetime.

“I should have worn stockings,’ Minho complained, pulling again at his skirt.

“Stop it,” Changmin hissed at him. “You’re not the only one suffering here.”

Kyuhyun ignored them both, smoothing down the material on his shirt. He could do this. He’d done far worse in the name of dares in the past.

It took at least another hour and half before they were close to being at the front of the line, and by that time, much to Kyuhyun’s duress, Changmin and Minho had clearly decided to pass the time by taking photos of him in his clothes.

“It’s insurance,” Changmin said, angling his phone’s camera up to get a better picture, “in case this falls through and we’re the laughing stock of Seoul for the next fifteen years. I want to be able to pass out copies of these pictures any time someone wants to make fun of me, to remind them that you’re the biggest fool here.”

“Or,” Kyuhyun cut back, “you just want to be able to tell your other friends that you actually managed to get a girlfriend over the summer, and then you’ll show them my picture.”

Minho snapped his own pictures of Kyuhyun. “I just want to be able to use these pictures as blackmail.”

The line gave a sudden, almost scary push, despite the marked pathway, and Kyuhyun almost lost his footing. He stumbled a little, heart beating harder, but righted himself with Changmin’s help.

“What was that?” he demanded, looking back over the crowd that was only growing in size, regardless of how long it had been since the start of the event.

Minho gave Kyuhyun a trying look, “Super Junior are like the most popular group in Korea right now. You don’t think there are some crazy girls in this line?”

“I think,” Changmin cut in, “Minho and I are looking at one right now.”

Kyuhyun scoffed, then turned his attention back to the front of the line. It had moved just a bit more, enough that Kyuhyun could clearly see the members of Super Junior greeting their fans and signing autographs.

“Psst,” Kyuhyun whispered to Changmin when they were feet away from the signing table and his excitement was through the roof. “Do you have a napkin? Can you dab my forehead?”

Changmin made to smack him again, reminding quietly, “Just because you’re dressed like a girl, doesn’t mean you really are one.”

The hired security nearby waved Kyuhyun up to the table and he put his chin in the air, telling Changmin, “We’ll just see who oppa likes best after all this is said and done.”

Minho blanched and Changmin said, “I don’t want oppa to like me.”

In twenty years, Kyuhyun thought, they’d all look back on this and laugh. Twenty years.

It took some effort on Kyuhyun’s part, more than he really wanted to admit to, to keep completely calm as he approached the first member of Super Junion, Donghae.

With shaking hands he held out a CD for the man to sign, met his gaze and said truthfully, “I really love your voice.” He couldn’t be bothered to look behind him for Minho or Changmin. In fact they could have run off for all he cared. And as he moved from Donghae to Heechul, his knees started to shake a little.

Was this what girls legitimately felt when they got to meet their idols? Maybe it wasn’t so different from when boys did, after all.

Of course Kyuhyun was also very aware that unlike the other boys his age who might respect Super Junior for their musical contributions, Kyuhyun also particularly enjoyed the music videos when their shirts came off.

Neither from Changmin, nor Minho, nor his parents, had Kyuhyun ever hidden the fact that his preferences pulled distinctly towards men. He certainly didn’t advertise his inclination towards men, but he’d never been one to hide who he was, or be ashamed of himself. He wasn’t about to start with something important to who he was.

“Thanks for coming out,” Kangin said as Kyuhyun moved down the line, getting autograph after autograph.

Until he reached …

True story: Kyuhyun had originally only started listening to Super Junion because his sister had a poster of them up in her room, and when Kyuhyun had seen the poster at seventeen, at the height of discovering his uality, he’d stumbled across the face of a god. The most attractive man he’d ever seen in his life.

Choi Siwon.

And here he was.

Kyuhyun wasn’t sure he was breathing anymore, but he did know he was frozen in front of the tall, insanely attractive man.

“Hi,” Kyuhyun said softly, locking eyes with Siwon.

“I …” Siwon was staring back at him, a little slack jawed, almost in awe of something. “I’m Siwon.”

Kyuhyun slowly slid his CD over to Siwon for him to sign. “I know.” He hastily added, “Oppa.”

Oh, Christ, why was that such a turn on to him? Why was calling Siwon oppa doing it for him?

“Do you … have a name?”

Kyuhyun wasn’t sure what to do. His confidence was completely missing, no where to be found. None of the other members had asked for his name. And he hadn’t bothered to think one up, either ….

“I’m …” Kyuhyun panicked. “I’m Kyu … Kyung! Cho Kyungji . Call me Kyu.” A lie close to the truth would be his saving grace. And it wasn’t as if he’d ever see Siwon in person ever again anyway. At least not in a skirt.

He was in a skirt.

Heat flushed through Kyuhyun’s face as he looked down sharply. His skirt in all his recent excitement had ridden up a bit, above his knees and midway up his thigh. It was more skin that he’d ever shown in his life, regardless of the gender he was trying to portray. He wanted to pull it down, much like Minho had constantly been doing, especially when he traced Siwon’s eyes back to his skin.

“Kyu,” Siwon said, a smile opening up on his face. “You’re a fan?”

Changmin bumped into Kyuhyun and mumbled to him, “Keep the line moving. We’re almost done.”

They probably weren’t even supposed to stop for conversations. The event coordinator had told them all at the beginning that it was two to three seconds for each member they were allowed to have, but he and Siwon were coming up on half a minute now.

“Go around!” Kyuhyun hissed back at his best friend roughly. Then he turned back to Siwon, feeling a rush of bravery, “I’m more of Leetuek oppa’s fan, but I thought I’d stay for the rest of you, too.”

Siwon let out a laugh, revealing perfect teeth and Kyuhyun thought it was only appropriate that he swoon, given that everyone thought he was a girl.

“Oh, really?” Siwon asked. Then he called down the line, to Leetuek who was free from fans at the moment, “Hyung, I’ve got your biggest fan down here! Be sure to treat her right!”

“I didn’t say I was his biggest fan,” Kyuhyun cut back, taking back the signed CD from Siwon. “And there’s always room for adjustment on the list.” He smiled back at Siwon, and tried to do all the things he’d seen girls do with boys they liked. This was his only chance to be able to flirt with Siwon in public without making a spectacle for either of them. So he twisted his hair between his fingers, stubbed his toe lightly on the ground, elongated his neck, and …

Here came one of Super Junior’s managers. He was making a beeline for them, Kyuhyun could see him coming with a thundercloud above him, and that meant their time was over. It only took Kyuhyun a second more to realize why. He’d clearly held up the line for everyone else, and angry murmurings were starting behind him.

“Well, it’s very nice to meet you,” Siwon said, holding out his hand for Kyuhyun.

They weren’t supposed to touch, right? Kyuhyun reached for him anyway, putting his hand in Siwon’s, eyes widening as the back of his hand was kissed chastely by soft lips.

Then the crowd surged suddenly behind Kyuhyun. Shouting broke out, the PA system crackled to life calling for peace and calm, and Kyuhyun found himself thrown forward into the table as Minho crashed into him.

“Are you alright?” Siwon demanded, getting to his feet and reaching across the table for Kyuhyun’s arm to help him up.

“I’m--” He meant to say fine. A little roughhousing wasn’t untypical between boys, and Kyuhyun had had enough of it as a kid to handle whatever a couple of crazy girls threw his way. Only maybe he couldn’t because pandemonium broke out in another second and he screamed loudly as something much harder than Minho slammed him again into the table, making his hips ache.

The table overturned a second later and Kyuhyun was flying over with it, screaming again, along with Minho who’d been next to him. The members of Super Junior in front of them jumped back, and all the crazy girls behind them turned everything to utter chaos.

“I’ve got you!” a warm, deep voice rumbled in his ear, and suddenly Kyuhyun wasn’t falling anymore. He wasn’t even on the ground anymore. Instead he was swept up into strong arms, the kind that he’d never been in before, and they were making a mad dash for the nearest store.

“My friends!” Kyuhyun called out sharply, trying to look back for them. Minho was tall for his age, but he was still Kyuhyun’s kid brother of sorts, and Kyuhyun couldn’t imagine not being there to protect him. And Changmin. He was no fighter. If the crowd was swarming back at the courtyard, Changmin would never hurt a girl to save himself from an injury.

“I only care about you right now,” Siwon huffed out.

He was carrying Kyuhyun, one arm locked under his knees, the other around his waist, like he weighed nothing. This was not the case, Kyuhyun knew. In fact, with his height and body structure, he’d looked a little odd dressed as a girl. He was no light weight, and it was kind of amazing how effortlessly Siwon was carrying him.

“In here!” Leetuek called out, all but pushing Siwon and several other members of Super Junior into a department store before several workers slammed the security gate down.

“Holy hell,” Heechul barked out, hands on his knees, breathing deeply. “What just happened out there? I thought there was supposed to be security!”

Leeteuk looked around, taking into account the members who were present, and then settling on Kyuhyun’s form. He asked Siwon, “You brought her with you?”

“She would have gotten hurt,” Siwon said more than a little defensively, finally settling Kyuhyun on his feet, turning to ask him, “Are you okay?”

With a sigh, Kyuhyun asked, “Is it always like this where you guys go? We almost got killed back there.”

Leeteuk’s eyebrows rose. “I’m … sorry?”

Kyuhyun cracked a smile. “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that.” He was still shaken from almost getting mobbed by Super Junior fans. And he was worried about Changmin and Minho.

“You’re not okay,” Siwon said suddenly, catching Kyuhyun’s wrist and pulling it up so the ripped skin across his palm was visible. “You didn’t say you fell.”

“When would I have time to mention that?” Kyuhyun asked shortly. He closed his eyes calmed himself, then said, “It happened when I got pushed to the table by the crowd. I caught myself on the ground. It’s nothing.”

Leeteuk put a hand on Siwon’s shoulder and said, “I’m going to go see if I can get in touch of any of our managers, or at the very least the others. See if this place has a first aid kit. For right now, she’s our responsibility. Take care of her.”

Kyuhyun bristled at that. He was no one’s responsibility but his own. Did girls honestly like it when boys said things like this? It sounded condescending to Kyuhyun.

They were in a sporting store, the walls lined with all kinds of sporting and safety equipment, and thankfully the store did have a fully stocked first aid kit.

His hand still on Kyuhyun’s wrist like a lifeline, Siwon led him back to the employee break room before setting the first aid kit down and opening it.

“I take it this was your first signing event?” Siwon asked, turning Kyhyun’s hand over to expose the torn and bleeding skin.

Kyuhyun winced a little at the sight, but admitted, “It was. How’d you guess.” His hands absolutely weren’t dainty like a little girl’s. They were a little calloused, too, from sports and handiwork and simply being a boy. But if Siwon noticed, he didn’t say anything.

Kyuhyun was still having trouble wrapping his head around the fact that he was sitting less than a foot away from Siwon, the most handsome man Kyuhyun had ever seen in his life. The man Kyuhyun had had a crush on for years.

“Your eyes,” Siwon said kindly, probing an alcohol pad against the wound.

Kyuhyun cringed at the pain. “My eyes?”

“Your eyes.” Siwon bent and blew gently on the skin. “Better?”

This was … a drama? Was Kyuhyun currently living within a drama? Because there was no other explanation for his cross dressing, coupled with Siwon saving him, and now the very intimate act of having his wound cleaned by likely the most attractive person on the planet. This had to be a drama, the kind that his sister got all weepy over every day after school. What else could it be? Certainly not real life.

“Better,” Kyuhyun choked out, because it really did feel good when the cool air met his skin. It dulled the pain just enough for Kyuhyun to focus. Focus, at least, on the way Siwon hadn’t let go of his wrist, and how careful he was being, and how genuinely perfect this moment was in Kyuhyun’s life.

Siwon explained, “The girls who come over and over to meet us, the group that is, know all the tricks. They know how to eek out a few more seconds of time with each of us, how to get us to sign two, maybe three things, and they simply look seasoned. The ones that are experiencing it for the first time, like you, have wide, innocent eyes. There aren’t any expectations, just hopes. I like those fans the best. The ones like you.”

Kyuhyun tried to draw his hand back, but Siwon held it strongly. “I don’t …”

“I hope this doesn’t ruin your support of Super Junior.”

Kyuhyun frowned. “Why would I judge Super Junior based on the actions of their so called fans? That’s ridiculous.”

Siwon grinned again, reaching for a clean pad to wipe the alcohol away. “Good to know.”

“And,” Kyuhyun added, watching Siwon’s deft fingers work, “you may have possibly saved my life from crazy fan girls. If anything, that makes me even more of a fan, because I am too young to die.”

Regarding him carefully, Siwon asked, “How old are you? Are you a student?”

He’d stick close to the truth, he decided, and do his best not to lie to the man he’d been crushing on for years.

“I just finished my first year at university,” Kyuhyun said.

“Studying what?”

“Music,” Kyuhyun admitted a bit bashfully. It was still a hotly contested topic in his household. His parents had wanted him to study something more dependable, like business, but Kyuhyun’s heart had always been with music, and not even his parent’s disapproval could change that.

“Music,” Siwon asked, delight on his face. “You play an instrument? Or sing?”

Talking to Siwon was … far easier than Kyuhyun would have ever expected. Kyuhyun wasn’t actually sure why he’d built up Siwon in his mind as something of an untouchable force, but in reality he was carefully spoken, patient and generous, kind and so utterly normal. Normal was the least expected thing.

“I feel stupid saying this to you, of all people,” Kyuhyun said, feeling his face heat again. “But I’m taking vocal studies. I’ve always loved to sing. I love everything about singing. I’m not sure what I’ll be able to do with that in my future, but I couldn’t see myself dedicating my life to anything else.”

Siwon’s hands stilled, his fingers curled over Kyuhyun’s, a surprised tone to his voice as he asked, “You’d like to sing professionally, one day?’

“Ideally,” Kyuhyun said, feeling his fingers twitch.

“That’s wonderful.”

Kyuhyun chuckled, “Believe it or not, I actually auditioned for SM. In another world, we could have ended up on the same label together.”

Siwon balked with laughter, releasing Kyuhyun’s hand finally to reach for a bandage. “So then why aren’t we?”

“SM told me I had talent, and potential, but they didn’t think I was the right fit for them.” Kyuhyun shrugged. “So instead of giving up, I auditioned again, the next year, and then the year after that.” Kyuhyun hated the pain he still felt in his heart when thinking about the wasted time he’d spent hoping. “But after the fourth time, I started to realize that it just wasn’t going to happen. And that’s life, I guess.” Kyuhyun frowned at the expression on Siwon’s face. “What?”

“Nothing,” Siwon said, making no attempt to hide how his smile had grown. He placed a bandage carefully over the wound on Kyuhyun’s hand. “You’re just …”

“What?”

Siwon shook his head, but eventually admitted, “There’s something about you, Kyu.”

The moment was shattered by the ring of Kyuhyun’s phone. Kyuhyun fumbled for it for a second, feeling a swoop of relief at Changmin’s name on the caller ID, and answered, “Are you okay? Is Minho okay? Where are you?”

Changmin answered back right way, “Where are we? Where are you? One second you were next to me, and then suddenly you were gone! Kyuhyun, your mom will kill me if I let anything happen to you. She depends on me to keep you in line.”

Kyuhyun rolled his eyes. “I’m fine.” He looked over to Siwon who was quickly and quietly cleaning up the first aid kit, and putting everything back in order. “I had someone looking out for me.”

“Who?” Changmin demanded roughly.

Kyuhyun stood, feeling his skirt ruffle around his thighs, and paced to the other side of the room. “That’s not important. Changmin, is Minho okay?”

“We’re fine,” Changmin replied. “We got shoved out of the way, ironically enough, by the girls that were probably coming to sink their nails into you.”

Kyuhyun startled, coming to a stop. “Me?”

“Of course, you idiot.” Changmin made a frustrated sound. “Because while you were off having your moment with that guy from the group, the girls surrounding us were taking notice. You should know, this is totally your fault. That any of this happened. That all of it happened.”

Kyuhyun’s voice dropped to a whisper. “You think I caused this?”

Changmin let out a loud exhale. “That’s no important, okay? Christ, none of this is worth almost getting killed over. I’m with Minho at the car, security already cleared most of the people out and I think it’s safe to say the signing is over. You want to meet us back here? Or we can come to wherever you are.”

From across the room Siwon asked, “Is everything okay?”

Kyuhyun gave him a nod, then said to Changmin, “I’m currently holed up in a nearby store with a couple members of Super Junior. But if everything is all clear out there, we should be getting out pretty quickly.” He glanced down at the clock on his phone and made a face. “It’s almost three, Changmin. I have my shift at the café in forty-five minutes. You and Minho go ahead and leave. I’ll take the sixty-seven bus and call you later.”

Changmin gave a loud laugh. “And you’re just going to stroll into work looking like a girl, and not expect your boss to say anything?”

“For your information,” Kyuhyun said, keeping his voice low, “I plan to use the back entrance, and I have a spare uniform in my locker. I’ll be fine.”

Softly, Changmin said, “I could just drive you.”

“I’ll be fine,” Kyuhyun said one more time.

Leeteuk poked his head in the room and motioned for Siwon to join him outside, leaving Kyuhyun alone in the room.

“You don’t sound fine.”

“Well, I am.” Kyuhyun looked down at the blue, carefully placed bandage on his palm, and he remembered the way Siwon had been calm and gentle with him. Siwon had treated him like a girl.

Kyuhyun wanted to burn his clothes and wig. He wanted to cry a little, too.

“You’ll call me later?” Changmin asked. “You swear?”

“I swear,” Kyuhyun said, heading out of the employee room. After a few more steps he could see the store’s heavy front doors were open and there were quite a few more people in the store now. More members of Super Junior and their managers.

“Okay,” Changmin said. Then he hastily added, “And you’d better take care of this thing with Jonghyun. I mean it.”

“I know, I know. Bye.” Kyuhyun slid his thumb across the screen, ending the call, then tucked his phone away. It took only a second to spot Siwon, and Kyuhyun made his way to the man on wobbly legs. He’d been wearing the heeled shoes for so long he was starting to lose feeling in his toes. How did women wear them for entire days at a time?

Siwon turned away from Leetuek and Heechul the second he spotted him, and Kyuhyun greatly disliked how special that made him feel, considering Siwon likely only felt that way towards him because he thought Kyuhyun was a girl.

“Was is everything okay?” Siwon asked, his eyes raking over her form. “With your phone call?”

Kyuhyun waved his concern off. “Yes. My friend were just worried where I was. Hey, can I leave here yet?”

“Leave?” Siwon asked with wide, surprised eyes.

Kyuhyun gave a slow nod, blond hair falling forward that he pushed away with an annoyed feeling. “Leave. Go. I mean, I’m not going to get tackled by a desperate fan girl on my way out, right?”

It was Leetuek who cut in for a stunned Siwon, giving him a firm nod. “It’s safe for you to leave now. Please except our most sincere apologies that this happened to you while attending one of Super Junior’s fan meets. This is not--”

“Oh, please,” Kyuhyun said, not at all ladylike. “This was not your fault. Don’t take responsibility for someone else’s crazy.”

“Okay?” Leeteuk said, clearly surprised. “Thanks?”

Siwon turned to him and said, “See what I mean?”

Heechul, who’d been silent up until that point, gave Siwon a firm nod. “I really do.”

Part of Kyuhyun wanted to dissect whatever that meant, but he was tried now. His feet hurt, he was tired of how itchy the wig made his scalp, and he was ready to get back into pants. He’d gotten to meet Siwon, his crush, and the rest of Super Junior, who he respected and idolized. It was enough.

Kyuhyun gave them each a deep bow and said respectfully, “Thank you for taking care of me.” Then he heel and fled from the store as quickly as possible.

“Wait!” Siwon called from behind him, jogging at a quick pace. “Kyu! Wait!”

Kyuhyun was out into the nearly deserted courtyard by the time Siwon caught up with him. Kyuhyun could see all of the debris and destruction from the swarm of fans that had gotten the signing shut down. It was an impressive show of force, from the overturned tables to the paraphernalia left over. Kyuhyun realized belatedly that his own signed CD was out there somewhere, probably trampled to bits.

“Yes?” Kyuhyun asked, turning back. Kyuhyun was naturally tall, and with his heels, it put him up at Siwon’s height, and directly at eye level. “Did I forget something?” He frowned and said, “You don’t have to worry about my trying to sell my story to anyone, and I didn’t take any pictures of you guys. I’m not that kind of person, and I wouldn’t repay you helping me out with betrayal.”

“I know,” Siwon said, breathing a little heavier than normal. “I get that feeling with you.”

“Then what is it?”

Kyuhyun was caught off guard when Siwon reached out, his fingers pressing closed around Kyuhyun’s wrist. “Can I buy you a coffee?”

This was … unimaginable.

Kyuhyun’s head was spinning. “A coffee?”

“Or any other drink you’d prefer,” Siwon said quickly.

Kyuhyun took a step back, his arm going tight as Siwon held on. “I don’t think--”

“Are you single?” Siwon asked boldly. “I wouldn’t be surprised if a girl like you had a boyfriend, but I’m hoping you don’t.”

A girl. Siwon was asking girl Kyu out, not boy Kyu. He wanted Kyungji, not Kyuhyun.

“I can’t,” Kyuhyun said firmly, pulling his wrist free. “I’m sorry. I’m really thankful you saved me, but I don’t want that kind of attention.” The kind that would explode around the both of them when Siwon found out Kyuhyun was only pretending and was hurt by it.

Siwon moved after him, desperation on his face. “I understand you’re not interested in the kind of media attention that might come from it, but we don’t need to publicize it. Agree to go on a date with me, a simple coffee date, and no one has to know except for us and one of my managers.”

The worst part, the absolute worst, was that this was something Kyuhyun had dreamed about before. He’d spent countless lazy afternoons picturing Siwon sweeping him off his feet, asking him on a coffee date or just acknowledging his existence. He’d kept secret how much he wanted any attention from the singer, but now he was getting it for the wrong reasons.

“I’m sorry! I can’t!” Kyuhyun heel, at least as fast as he could. “We would both regret it!”

He already regretted dressing up for a stupid bet. He regretted meeting Siwon because of his undeniable crush.

He regretted letting his heart get hurt.

But mostly he regretted not looking back as he ran away, and not getting one last glimpse at Siwon before Kyuhyun vowed to cut him from his life completely. But he was truly to afraid that if he did, if he looked back, he’d see something to make him stop. And he couldn’t. He just couldn’t.