Lee Sungmin never believed he would be so lucky to have Kim Heechul as his friend. He got a job, a fine paid job as a waiter at Heechul’s shop, got a bonus whenever he took two shifts a day because Heechul said it was because of him the shop got a lot of costumers and so he used the money to buy Minseok and Jinki foods. Although Sungmin said he didn’t like Heechul at first, because Heechul was a demanding person and liked to command people heartlessly, but Heechul had a good side too.

Take two shifts a day made Sungmin’s body tired, but thinking of meeting Jinki and Minseok home was slowly giving him strength to smile. Although he would probably be sleeping the minutes his body touched the bed, at least he could give the foods for his brothers. He smiled all the way back to his house thinking about Minseok’s bright smile when the door of their little place opened up later, but he stopped at his track. There, on the bench, was the boy in Heechul’s shop earlier whose named was Kyu-something, all alone with head low on his palms. Was there something wrong?

Without second thoughts Sungmin made his way to the looked down teenager. While Sungmin was wondering what had happened to that boy, the latter was clutching his stomach. The older of the two then poked the taller’s head. “Are you okay?”

Kyuhyun was a little surprised to hear Sungmin’s voice—he hoped Donghae or Heechul would walk over here and ask him what happened because he had called the both of them but nobody showed up. And seeing this little, cute creature before him just making him hungry more but he had no clue what to do when this little angel was doing in this hour out here. “Aren’t you Sungmin?” Kyuhyun managed to do a little greeting though it couldn’t be called one, but at least this little angel would be satisfied because Kyuhyun remembered his name well. “What are you doing here?” as a man Kyuhyun had to control his expression because damn, his stomach was so hurt and his head was spinning though he still could manage to focus his eyes on the angel. What a heaven.

“That’s what I should say.” Sungmin shrugged. “What are you doing here like an abandoned kid? Why aren’t you home?” stepped closer, Sungmin took a place next to now cringing Kyuhyun. “What happen? Hurt somewhere?”

“I-it’s okay…” the younger one managed to smile though he wasn’t sure his smile was worth looking.

Sungmin frowned. “You look awful.” He brushed Kyuhyun’s bangs to look at him better but the cold sweat was the only thing he could feel. “Are you hurt somewhere? Why are you staying here if you’re hurt?” Sungmin couched down before Kyuhyun. Kyuhyun could only stare at him. Sungmin stared back. That was lingering for another minute, enough time for Yesung to be there with them.

Their gazes interrupted when Yesung decided to clear his throat. The two boys before Yesung were blinking innocently though their hearts were doing something inside their chests, somehow gave them urges to puke. “Did I miss something?” Yesung hid his smiles for nothing because although he had a slight idea for leaving them here together and telling the others to let Kyuhyun be. But well, Kyuhyun would probably kill him if he dared to do that.

“So your friend’s here.” Sungmin shrugged. “I’ll go, then. Be sure to get rest.” With that he made his way towards his little but comfortable house. He knew that Kyu-something needed his friend more than him.

----

“Kyuhyun, I know I have taste for glass for my shop, but don’t try to make a hole on it by your gaze.” Heechul said sarcastically with an unpleasant look he shown to the youngest boy on their table. The other were bursting out laughs, though they were also curious as to why this little brat acted this way.

It was almost half an hour for them sitting together after Yesung brought Kyuhyun in to get meal, and so the latter quickly inhaled his food only for daydreaming like a crazy person. He fixed his gaze on his cappuccino without drinking it, and a foolish smile plastered on his handsome but crazy face. Everybody elbowed the person next to their position only to tell them to ask Kyuhyun what was wrong with that brat. It was rare for him to be crazy person, even when his parents were fighting.

“Are some ghost take control of you?” Kangin asked out of blue, received glares from the others. He then raised his hands and made sure his mouth let out the best reply only.

“Tell us, Cho.” Donghae poked Kyuhyun on his arm, got only a chuckled as a reply. Of course the other got this goosebumps for the chuckles. “The hell Cho Kyuhyun!” he didn’t take it anymore, so Donghae kicked Kyuhyun for him to be himself as usual, and as soon Kyuhyun’s kissed the floor, his deathly glares came back. “Thanks God.”

“What the hell, Fishy!” Kyuhyun stood up only to face three questioned faces. “What?”

“What the hell happened to you actually?” Heechul shoot him a deathly and questioning gaze with arms folded tightly on his chest, as if he was ready for something. “We talk to a statue back then, not to the evil Cho. Do you get hit or something?”

Kyuhyun raised his eyebrows at this. “You talk to me?” he dumbly asked back as he pointed his own face. This was actually the first time they boys saw this side of Kyuhyun. Oh, come one, the Cho Kyuhyun they knew never making fool of himself like just he did. Where the hell actually Cho Kyuhyun?

But between the boys, Yesung was the only one who smirked at what Kyuhyun did. He chuckled lowly. “You guys shouldn’t be too harsh to our maknae,” Yesung started, feeling like he was the oldest here. “Don’t you understand? He just met his love one.”

“SERIOUSLY?!” the three (Kangin, Donghae, and Heechul, of course) shouted together with wide eyes directed to the maknae who was taking sip of his drink. Kyuhyun, albeit being the issue here, was stretching his body without even giving his hyungs a look. He was probably not taking this seriously.

“It’s one of your person though, Heechul hyung.” Yesung gave a hint that made Kyuhyun glared at him—probably being shy. “The cute one, who I usually see whenever we get here because I think he takes many shifts? The one that surrounds so many girls and boys when it’s busy time.”

“Hyung, you’re being too obvious here.” Kyuhyun rolled his eyes. “That’s too much information.” Kangin and Donghae, being great hyungs they were, teasing Kyuhyun endlessly although Kyuhyun was not that affected. They knew the brat wouldn’t bother to be a shy cat for whatever reason. But Kangin felt Yesung shouldn’t have told about this little waiter though, because he could see Heechul was so out of place with his own thought.

----

“Sungmin-ah, help me bring the cartons please?”

“Of course, Hyuk-ah.”

It was another good day for students to be outside to feel the warmth of the sunlight, but as much as the students wanted it, they couldn’t ignore all the chores and the assignments from school. The weather was beginning to feel cold since it was autumn and if it was autumn, then the school got busier by the autumn festival next week. The students were busy here and there, preparing the main stage or their own booth for festival later, and nobody seemed to be as relaxed as they usually did.

The good example was Lee Sungmin, the leader of his class which was the third class of eleven grade. He was busy from the start—how he thought of what booth their class should hold, what things to sell and what kind of costume they had to wear, who should be their class visual for luring the costumers in, and etc. He was confused at first, but his friends helped him a lot that they decided to make a sweet booth instead. Kim Ryeowook (his seatmate) said that since their class was full of cute and pretty faces, they should hold a sweet booth and sell things like cookies, candies, cakes, and anything sweets. Girls would be the chef while the boys, liked it or not, be the booth keeper and wear maid costume. A real maid costume.

Bunch times Sungmin swore to Ryeowook because of this, really.

“So Sungmin, do you have your outfit already? I mean, I can help you to get one, though.” Sungmin was so much bored with this question already, actually. All of his friends knew that he was poor and wouldn’t get the outfit within the time the festival starts, but then again, didn’t he work at a place where he used maid—butler outfit? But then again, his workplace only hired boys, then that means no maid costume there. So where could he get one?

“Do you mean you’ll buy or lend me one?” Sungmin asked back as he put down colorful cartons to the teacher desk on his class. “You know I don’t have money for that, won’t it better to let me work in the kitchen?”

“And let the noonas walk away because you’re not here?” Lee Hyukjae or as people called him Eunhyuk, rolled his eyes at his best friend. “I know very well you’ll be the cutest and no men won’t fall for you if you’re in your maid outfit.” Eunhyuk did the same as Sungmin with the cartons and brought the pink one to Kim Taeyeon, their other classmate who was in charge of decorating. Her drawings were all awesome.

“You think you can escape this, Sungmin?” Taeyeon butted in, smirk plastered right away on his beautiful face. “You know exactly no boy in the kitchen because girls want it very bad to suffer you all by making you wear the maid outfit. Let alone the outfit was maid, which means no pants at all.” This girl was really good at threatening, really. Sungmin sighed at this.

“But you know very well too I have no outfit and no money for this.” Sungmin decided to help her by watching her hardworking hands. “I prefer buy meats for Jinki and Minseok… or new clothes for them. Jinki is growing and he needs new clothes.” What a problem—he wasn’t in the age to worry about his brothers too much was he? To him, his brothers were his life.

“We can get it somehow, smartass.” Eunhyuk wiggled his eyes. “Just borrow one from our girl classmates, they’ve got one which is your size. You’re tiny, anyway.” This made Eunhyuk received a hit on his head. Sungmin hated it because his height wasn’t that satisfying, and then this best friend of his was mentioning it like it was normal. It was normal though, but Sungmin still didn’t like it. Ever.

“Ugh, just let me pass, please?” Sungmin was really frustrated he kneeled before Taeyeon (who was the one who had the thought of maid outfit) to seek permission but was to no avail.

“Hey, Hyuk, aren’t you a ert?” Eunhyuk was taken aback by this, Sungmin in no different. “Why don’t you ask your friend who’s as ert as you are to borrow the maid outfit? I know boys love maid outfit.” Sungmin took a look at Eunhyuk who was really red, not sure from the anger or the shyness. Taeyeon surely knew a lot. “Try it, or you’ll be our slave for months.”

That was the final.