Chapter II: The Wheels Had Turned

 

 

Seoul, SM Entertainment, Fall 2005

Seohyun was running breathlessly to her modeling class when someone jumped out of a turn on the hallway and they bumped into each other, both stumbling forward. Seohyun thought that her face would be kissing the floor this time, but a sturdy hand held out and stabled her.

“Changmin oppa!”

Seohyun was pleasantly surprised when seeing one of her good friends. She knew DBSK was crazily busy and did not expect to see him for like… well, she was not sure if he told her when they would see each other again the last time they met, because he was pretty uncertain himself.

“Hey Joohyunie” Changmin smiled and his eyes turned into her favorite crescent shape. “I thought I would have to look around to find you.”

“Oh, do you need help with something?” Seohyun gave him her sweet smile that he couldn't help but chuckle joyfully at her cuteness. “Can I help you after class though? I really need to run now. I'm almost late.”

“Hey! Could I just say hi?” Changmin tried his best to look offended. “Not every time I looked for you was because I need help!”

Before she had the chance to respond, and as if to confirm the fact that she should be hurry, the bell rang loudly in the hall. Seohyun's face turned pale in a second and Changmin felt guilty for enjoying her new expression and had to look away to hide the twinkle in his eyes.

“Now I'm late!” 

Seohyun exclaimed, looking so worried that made what he wanted to say harder to roll out, but Shim Changmin knew that it wouldn't stop him from saying them anyway

“Since you are late, why don't you just skip it and we can go somewhere then?”

Seohyun did not respond right away, because she was torn between spending time with Changmin, whom she liked very much and got scolded later for skipping class, or going straight to her not-very-likable teacher and get scolded right away for being late. However, Changmin took her silence as a sign of her unwillingness, so he offered an understanding smile.

“Hey, do you want me to walk you to class and tell your teacher that I made you late then?”

She did not know the ultimate reason behind her action that day, but she had reached a decision that she never thought she would have made. To his utter surprise, Seohyun shook her head and looked up at him with her innocent eyes, full of curiosity and, he was not sure if he saw it correctly, naughtiness

“Could you show me what to do when you skip class?”

And Changmin could no longer contain his laugh

“Of course, Joohyunie!”

 

“Tada!”

Changmin pushed open the cranky, old, wooden door as Seohyun watched his movement with a clear amazement on his face, which made Changmin unknowingly feeling proud. 

“How did you know about this place?”

She looked around at the rooftop with grass growing vigorously in the cracks among the cement, seeming happy enough that Changmin assured himself it was a good idea to share with her his little secret.

“I know everything.” Changmin winked at her and added. “There is usually no one here...”

Before he had the chance to finish his sentence, a male voice cut him off.

“But I am here now.”

Changmin and Seohyun turned to look at the one who just spoke. It was a tall, skinny boy, with hair going in different directions, his shirt was half tucked, half loosely left outside… and most importantly, Seohyun remembered his face. At the same moment, it seemed that the boy also recognized who she was, as his lips curved into a smirk and his eyes twinkled.

“Hey, we met again!” 

Seohyun was not sure how to reply as his reaction took her by surprise, but after a few seconds she spoke up and bowed

“Nice to see you again, Kyuhyun-ssi.”

Changmin chuckled as Kyuhyun sighed, because Changmin understood perfectly that sometimes Seohyun's politeness was honestly annoying, especially if you were trying to close the gap between you and her. Since he could clearly tell that Kyuhyun wanted to be friend with his little sister, and Seohyun was… being Seohyun, he felt some empathy for this guy.

“Is she always like this?” Kyuhyun turned to Changmin, complaining as if they three were already friends and not just met few minutes ago.

“Oh, you have no idea.” Changmin bursted out to laugh, he could tell that he liked the guy already, because that was his exact thought when he first got to know Seohyun. “When I first met her, she also bowed to me. It took me forever for her not to bow to me every time we met.” 

“But you are my sunbae.” Seohyun pulled his sleeves lightly, as if to complain about why he was taking side with the new boy.

“That reminds me, are you two my sunbae? And how old are you?” Kyuhyun asked curiously. “I joined the agency few weeks ago. Should I bow to you then?”

“Then we definitely are.” Changmin chuckled and offered the new guy a fist bump. “But no bowing please. I’m Changmin, 18.”

“Kyuhyun, also 18.” The guy bumped his fist with Changmin’s and playfully added. “You are not speaking for her, are you?” 

Changmin could definitely see that he would end up being friends with this Kyuhyun guy… if he was not already. “Of course. I am in no position to be her spoke person.”

Seohyun looked at Changmin accusingly, which just made the guys laugh even louder.

“I am...15.” She spoke and bowed again to Kyuhyun. “You are older than me, Kyuhyun-ssi.”

Kyuhyun rolled his eyes and Changmin just continued laughing, his eyes became teary from the extreme movement. Despite how hard he tried, Changmin couldn't stop because it reminded him so much of himself when they first became friends. Kyuhyun sighed defeatedly

“Fine, I guess it will take forever for us not to bow to each other then.”

“I bet.” Changmin added, feeling happy and guilty, because he saw another one suffer by his little sister's stubbornness.

Kyuhyun decided to try a new method, which was bribing with food. He offered his new friends whatever that he had at that moment, which happened to be...chicken nuggets. Before anyone could say or do anything, Changmin broke out to laugh one more time, but this time he could no longer stand straight and had to lean on the stool in an effort to sustain himself.

“Something's wrong?” Kyuhyun scratched his head, not knowing why just a few pieces of chicken nuggets could cause such abrupt and big reaction.

Seohyun felt her face heated up and decided to turn away, clearly sending the message that she was not going to tell Kyuhyun the reason behind Changmin’s odd behavior.

“Nothing…” Changmin coughed extensively, in trying to hold his own laughter. “Nothing… The nugget looks delicious.”

“They are delicious.” Kyuhyun emphasized while waving the box. “I had to wait in line for an hour to get them. They are specially made, especially the cheese sauce.”

“Yum, can I have one?” Changmin's eyes lit up and he immediately took a piece. His reaction turned to amazement just after the first bite. “This is so so good. You have to tell me where to get them.”

“Sure, I'll give you the address. Wanna try?” Kyuhyun turned to Seohyun and offered her the food to her one more time.

Seohyun just shook her head and moved just a bit further away from the food that if Kyuhyun did not give her his full attention, he would have missed it. Her forehead was folded as she thought of a polite rejection. “I am on a diet. Thank you.”

“The food doesn't bite, you know that right?” Kyuhyun tried to keep a straight face but upon her little nose scrunching, her eyes squinting, he chuckled. “Seriously?”

This time, Seohyun nodded solemnly. She did not want to say it out loud, because she could guess how they would react, but they were her friends, so she felt the obligation to inform them about their bad decisions.

“It doesn't bite, but the bad things inside will accumulate and eventually you'll die.”

Changmin simply rolled his eyes while taking another piece.

“More for me!” 

“Changmin oppa! I told you so many times not to eat things like this, or fries, or burgers.” Seohyun pouted. “You never listen.”

“She is kidding, right?” Kyuhyun turned to Changmin in disbelief. “What's life without chicken nuggets, fries, and burgers?”

Changmin shrugged, obviously he never imagined that life either. Who would...well, except this little girl that he happened to have as a sister?

“There are plenty of healthy snack.” Seohyun protested, clearly unfazed by their exaggerated reaction. “Goguma is the best.”

“Goguma…right!”

“Right goguma…”

The two guys spoke at the same time with the same expression as if it was the greatest discovery that they had ever heard of. Seohyun couldn't help but pouted. Why no one ever recognized how great goguma tasted.

Her little expression was too cute that Changmin and Kyuhyun naturally reached out and ruffled her hair at the same time. As their hands touched, their gaze met, both of them broke out to laugh, as if something had clicked. And Seohyun, seeing their happiness, could do nothing but join them with her giggle.

 

At that moment, they knew that they would be friends for a very long time. At that moment, Changmin and Kyuhyun could foresee that they seemed to be very much alike. At that moment, Seohyun thought that she had found another big brother who would be to her just like how Changmin oppa had been to her.

 

However, at that moment, none of them knew that one day, they would look back at this day and wished that they could turn back the time to this exact moment, when they all first met.

When everything was there.

When nothing had gone.