Cho Kyuhyun had always wanted to be a singer. He loved to sing. He lived to sing. His father was against it, but Kyuhyun dedicated all of his free time to singing; he made it his hobby, his dreams, everything he had.
And when a car accident one day shattered that dream Kyuhyun initially didn't think that he would be able to go on with his life.

But somehow he was.

He partially blamed his mom, who was so relieved that her son was alive, that he couldn't bear to let her lose him again. And his dad who he found crying by his bed in the middle of night thanking God and doctors and whoever for bringing his son back to life.

His friends were more hesitant. When the nurse told them that Kyuhyun would never be able to sing again one of them walked out the room and never contacted him again. Kyuhyun figured it was guilt, for that friend had been the driver. He never really forgave him either, so he was perfectly okay with that friendship being over (his counselor strongly advised him to make amends, but Kyuhyun didn't even pretend to care what the guy with pointy glasses and strange beard said.)

Kyuhyun was good at other things than singing though. He was good at math and science. He wasn't exactly a good student since he skipped school a lot and often fell asleep in class, but he was intelligent, a fast learner with a faster mouth.

But no career in whatever geek-stuff he was good at was tempting him. His days were made of boring classes at day and Starcraft at night. And when school ended and he was handed his diploma he hadn't even cared to apply for a university, but started working right away at a bar.

It was in this bar he first saw him. Short and slender, with a sharp v-shaped chin and a smile which lit up the entire room.

It was a night with live music and a lot of customers were coming in, both regular and new.

But this boy wasn't one of them. 
He was the artist and at the moment he was standing behind the stage, looking as ready to jump for it and run away as a deer would have when seeing the headlights of a car.
Kyuhyun scowled at him and the boy looked, startled, from where the noise had come. His eyes locked with Kyuhyuns for only a moment, before the little one apologetic bowed his head and looked away. Then he went up on stage.

And his voice was like an angel descending from heaven.

People applauded and smiled and got drunk and cried to the sound of his voice and behind the counter Kyuhyun thought with bitterness how it should have been him on that stage and not this frightened boy. And then, with a smaller voice, he thought how nice a duet their voices would have been able to make.

But Kyuhyun couldn't sing.

He couldn't sing or he would lose his voice completely.
And now he cried as well, though it had nothing to do with the lyrics of the song now being sung.


The following month the singer was invited back. He looked less terrified this time and Kyuhyun overheard a conversation about how popular the kid was becoming.

He snorted at them and went back to cleaning the cups, when he distantly saw the boy enter from the backdoor. He filled a cup of beer and handed it to the young singer.

"You have a nice voice." the words sounded forced out of Kyuhyuns throat, but the singer didn't seem to notice.
"thank you.."

So fragile, so insecure and humble. How could he be able to sing so well and stay so calm on a stage? Jealousy once again filled Kyuhyun. Had he had a voice to sing with he wouldn't waste it on being insecure, he would use it to conquer the world.

"You must be travelling a lot, being so popular on bars and clubs." his voice was still icy, with the slightest hint of actual curiosity.
"I am." the boy seemed to be considering something and then continued; "do you want to come along? We need a roadie or two, some just quit."
"Why did they quit?" not that Kyuhyun cared. But it was all he could do not to show just how much he wanted even just a taste of the live he had once dreamt of.
"I don't know." the smaller one answered, an obvious lie. But Kyuhyun didn't care. He had already decided.
"I'll do it."
"I'm Kim Ryeowook." the boy bowed his head slightly before stretching out his hand toward Kyuhyun.
"Cho Kyuhyun."

The boy, the singer, Kim Ryeowook, gave Kyuhyun his brightest smile. "I'll see you tomorrow on the tour bus then? 7 o'clock in front of Apgujeong station."

Just then another guy walked up to him, thin, with dimples in his bright smile and stars in his forever worried eyes.
Kyuhyun immediately felt that this was a person you could trust and confide in. Once again he felt jealousy come crawling up his spine. How could this boy have everything he didn't?

The place was starting to crowd and this man was apparently Ryeowooks manager, because he had come up to make sure that his client was ready to perform in a few minutes.

Ryeowook smiled; "ah, yes, Hyung, I'm all set up and ready. This is Kyuhyun-ah, he wants to join us as a roadie."
The man introduced himself as Park Jungsu and seemed relieved to know that Kyuhyun was coming along.

"Great, we need the people. Hyukjae says he wants to come along too, so we should be ready for our tour once again."

Both of them went behind the stage to make sure everything was ready for the performance and Kyuhyuns eyes lingered at their backs as he already daydreamt himself back to when his dreams were as untainted as this boy he had just become a roadie for.

The very same night Kyuhyun went to his boss and quit his job. He weren't really sure that he was really accepted as a member of Ryeowook's crew, but he had to take the risk. And early in the morning he found himself in front of a small tour bus, near the Han river, making small talk with the other newly hired roadie, whose name was Hyukjae, but for some reason preferred to be called Eunhyuk.

With Hyukjae's help he learned that Ryeowook was his hyung, even if only by a few months, and that Hyukjae was his hyung as well, and that both of them should be treated with the appropriate amount of respect.

Kyuhyun snorted at him, saying "Eunhyuk-ah. I'll treat all of you with respect when you show up on time. It's 8.30 already, where is everyone?"

Hyukjae didn't know but not long after they showed up all the same, obviously with bad hangovers. Everyone staggered in the bus, no one uttering a word except for Ryeowook, who smiled at Kyuhyun with surprise written in his face; "Kyuhyun-ah! You came!"

The younger boy’s excitement melted Kyuhyuns heart - he almost couldn't be angry with this innocent boy. It must have been someone else who was to blame for the delay, he thought by himself.

From the talk he heard in the bus though, Ryeowook was exactly the one to blame.
Apparently some big place had contacted Jungsu, to request that Ryeowook performed on their stage two nights in a row, and the young boy had forced everyone to drink and celebrate with him all night. Though Kyuhyun didn't understand what was meant by the word 'force'.
Such a little thing like Ryeowook couldn't possibly force anyone.

And yet.. he thought, eyeing the boy with suspicion, maybe Ryeowook really had an ability to make everyone do whatever he wanted, since everything went so well for him.

"Kyu~~ do you know anything about setting up instruments?"

His thoughts were interrupted by a high-pitched voice and his eyes turned toward Ryeowook who was sitting in the seat next to him.

"Microphones only.. I know how to play the piano and clarinet though, and I'm a fast learner." he added defensively.

Ryeowook just laughed at him. "I know that you're smart! Otherwise I wouldn't have invited you."

Kyuhyun stared at him with a blank expression, not knowing what to answer.

But Ryeowook wasn’t going to end their conversation right away; “What kind of music do you like, Kyuhyunie~?”

“I don’t… I don’t particularly like any music..” Kyuhyun had actually considered to apply for Kyunghee University to major in Post Modern Music, but had thrown his application in the trashcan in the last moment before posting it.
If he couldn’t sing, he had thought, then he wouldn’t punish himself by being surrounded with music.
Yet here he was.
Punishing himself by being with this fucking perfect little being, whose voice rang so clearly.

Ryeowook didn’t seem to notice Kyuhyun’s eyes darken at all, but just handed him one end of his earphones. “I really like Beige.”

Music came from the blue iPod in Ryeowooks hand and sounded clearly in the earphone Kyuhyun had more or less unconsciously put in his left ear. Ryeowook sat next to him, with the other earpiece in his right ear, humming along with the song with closed eyes.

It didn’t last long until Ryeowook’s head softly fell to Kyuhyun’s shoulder, and Kyuhyun had to grab the iPod before it slipped from Ryeowook’s hands as well.

He sat very still for a long time, doing nothing but listening to Ryeowook’s calm breath, until he finally fell asleep as well.