Yesung is an awkward, socially inept person. Ever since he started taking music seriously, he was mostly together with his master in the practice room every after class. Children his age would play around the playground and play sports or just bugs during summer but not him. While his master was more than enough to teach him everything, he would always invite his colleagues to watch and evaluate Yesung’s improvement. It was always him trying to impress the adults and getting acquaintances came after. So he doesn’t know how to make friends around his age…the main challenge he has to overcome in order to get the truth.

                While he was cycling away on the streets, he remembered he had to buy them dinner. He made his way to the market to buy his favorite food: shrimp and sashimi. Anyone likes good food right? “A way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” With that good as his starting point, he also bought pasta, cream, cheese, garlic, onion, butter, shrimp and bread. The only dish he knows by heart is Cream Pasta with Shrimp with Garlic Bread; all carbs but he really doesn’t care about the calories right now. He’s here for a vacation and eating out is high on his list of indulges.

                The last stop was a bakery that sells fresh rolls of bread. Fortunately, all the shops were near each other so no time was wasted from gathering his ingredients. The bakery was quaint with the sign outside labeled BaKyur’s Best. “BaKyur’s?” as he entered the shop, the expected smell of freshly baked bread greeted him. Shelves and rows of sweet buns, fresh baguettes, croissants, rolls and bagels were arranged in the shop. It seems only one man was manning the shop and by the slapping sound from the back, it seems that the baker was inside as well. A total of 2 people were managing the shop but it was very well-kept and clean…and pink. “Everything is pink.” Aside from the breads and cash register, EVERYTHING was in baby pink and powdered blue.

                “Welcome to BaKyur’s!” the cheery voice came from the man refilling and sorting the products. Yesung just nodded to the man he presumed was near his age. He thought of grabbing a small tray and tongs but he only needed a baguette and those were already packed and ready to be paid. The staff saw that he was ready and ushered him to the counter. Upon closer inspection, the staff was a bit adorable in his opinion. His light brown hair was hidden by a white bandana while his heart shaped face and doe eyes were cheery. Yesung glanced at the (pink) nametag embroidered on his (pink) apron. ‘Lee Sungmin’ and a bunny were stitched at the side too. “That’ll be $2 please. Thank you!” he left the exact amount on the counter and headed out to leave.

Yesung never expected he’d bump into the source of all his questions right now. “Hey hyung~ I saw your bike outside. Ah you brought bread? Kyu makes the best bread here in the island! Good choice!” even before the older could react, Siwon was already ushering him away from the shop.

“Ah Minnie-hyung, was that Teukie hyung with my cheese?” a young man wearing an all-white uniform meant for the chef came out from the back door. “No Kyu, it was someone not from here…and he knows Siwonnie.” When Kyu heard that name, his expression turned grim and whispered a soft ‘I see’ and then went back inside. “Just call me when Teukie hyung comes.”

“Arasso~” Sungmin looks at the back of his pitiful friend. ‘Kyu hasn’t let it go…’

“Can you please stop pushing me Siwon-ssi? And what were you doing here anyways?” since the bike Yesung was using doesn’t have a basket in front, all of the groceries were deposited in Siwon’s bike. The bread was safely held by the older while a book was held by the younger. “I came out to do some reading for university! I’m still doing my studies so after your vacation; I’ll go back to Seoul for my studies.”

‘Seoul?’ The chances of meeting Siwon again in another city as heavily populated as Seoul was around 100,000 to 1; very slim but nevertheless, still possible. “What course are you taking up?” Yesung made a realization that the younger wasn’t as dubious or secretive regarding himself. Finding about the mystery of the house would be a lot easier with the proper investigation on his part. “Business Management at a state university…hmm, how disappointing hyung. Here, I thought you’d ask me where instead of what.” Another flirty smile was upon the younger’s face; one more thing to take note of is that Siwon is shamelessly flirting with him at any possible time. “What do you mean?”

“I thought you’d be interested in seeing me again after your trip since you’d know where my campus would be but sadly, hyungie doesn’t like me that much~” he whined then pouted like a giant kid.

“…how did you know I lived in Seoul?” instead of getting swept by Siwon’s pace; the younger didn’t expect his patron to be quite sharp. Not wanting to give himself away, the younger just made a gesture hinting that it was his secret while walking a faster pace than their stroll. With all the hidden history around the Chois and Siwon himself; Yesung felt a sudden chill on his back, the reaction he got from the younger almost had him terrified. Now that he was a few steps behind, he began to notice the stare the younger was receiving. The ahjummas kept whispering, no one was greeting him or even approaching Siwon. The stares were as cold as ice and some were blatantly ignoring him. His caretaker was treated like a plague by the locals and he just noticed it now since Siwon distracted him well enough.

“Hyung is there something wrong? Did you forget something?” a booming voice called from the distance. How quickly did Yesung’s perspective change; the younger’s voice which sounded sickeningly sweet turned into something more akin to constricting. He felt that the younger can see right thru his pensiveness.

“Ah n-no; just thought of a few lines to add on my composition. Kajja! I’m starving.” Yesung mentally shook off his nervousness and walked towards his caretaker’s side.

Siwon side glanced at the man beside him. He knew something happened to his ward. The older was initially cautious of him in a normal way but now, the walls around him doubled. ‘So it begins.’ Their rest house was up ahead, he had to think of a way to make the older more relaxed around him. He has until dinner to think of a way to fix the tension. He can’t afford for a repeat from the past; now that he was so close to finishing his deal with Shindong hyung. ‘Yesung is sharper than I thought. I feel bad for underestimating him.’

Siwon decided that he’d let the older make his first move; if his hunch was right, it’d only take a couple of persuasive words to stir him away from the truth. ‘I can’t afford to this up. I’ve waited for 6 years to get things back on track.’ Siwon opened the fence and the door to the house. “Hyung, you can head in first. I’ll put back our bikes in the shack. Pots and pans are in the cupboards and the utensils are inside the drawer. Shout if you need other things.” As Yesung made his way inside the house, Siwon headed to the shack and chained their bikes in place. He sat on the small stool and thought of his game plan until the end of Yesung’s vacation. First, he needs to call Shindong hyung.

After three rings, he was put on voicemail; it only means that his hyung was really busy not to take his call. “I’ll call later after our dinner. I’m sorry Yesung hyung.”

Yesung