In this world, some things cannot be described by science but they exist. It’s something like magic. If Kyuhyun has to put it words, it’s a simple pain in the arse but bearable. Kyuhyun has a special ability to stop time. He can’t begin to explain how it began. He was young, had a very vivid dream of obtaining powers and when he woke the next morning, he was already looking at an unmoving bird suspended in the air. Its wings were wide open as they had stopped midflight.

It was as if, someone had hit a pause button on a remote.

As he grew up, he learned to master his power of stopping time. He called himself the ‘time controller’. He couldn’t go back in time or in the future. He could only stop it and do whatever he wanted in that duration. Of course, no one knew about his special ability. If he told anyone, he would have become a rat animal in no time. Even though he was curious about the origin of this power and all the secrets behind it, sacrificing himself for cruel experiments wasn’t worth it.

“Students, I hope you have completed your assignments. This time-,” The teacher started speaking and Kyuhyun found the right moment to demonstrate his powers. He was not a bad student or a bad person, just someone who got bored easily. Seldom did he use his power for fun. Often, he used it to save himself from sticky situations like this one.

The teacher stopped mid-sentence, his chapped lips forming a perfect ‘o’. The class was silent and a perfect picture except for some shocked faces - must be those who had forgotten to complete the assignment or, like in his case, forgotten it at home.

His house was forty minutes walk away from school. That’s why he needed to hurry because he was never fast. It would be disastrous if everyone started moving and he was still running somewhere in the street. The extent of his powers wasn’t long. He could only still time for two hours. Trying for more than that could make him dizzy and eventually unconscious as the world around him would resume again.

Choosing to walk fast rather than running, Kyuhyun passed the human-statues on his way. Cars stood still, splashed water in the air, kids in the air with their excited and mostly funny expressions, an almost falling man who he could have helped but did not), a teenage boy waving his hands, a paper bag flying in the air-

Wait, what?

A teenage boy waving his hands, and if his fresh memory served him right, waving his hands in front of a man’s face?

Kyuhyun stopped as he just passed a street. His eyes widened at what he saw there. While everyone around him was unmoving, how come there was a person who could move? He took a few steps back and looked at the boy the same time that boy did.

Large eyes, cute face – handsome. That’s what Kyuhyun observed first as wide eyes stared into his. One of the stranger’s hand was raised and the other was behind. He must be walking but suddenly, he had paused too. Was it a sudden pause when the two boys met eyes or was the stranger already paused? Kyuhyun’s eyes could be tricking him. He might have imagined the handsome boy waving his hands while the whole freaking world was supposed to be still.

But he was sure. He was completely sure that the strange brunette was moving. In an unmoving world, anything moving would stick out like a sore thumb. That’s why Kyuhyun was sure. It wasn’t any figment of his imagination.

What were the chances that the brunette was staring at something with eyes that big and in complete shock when he had stopped the time? If Kyuhyun looked around, there was nothing to be surprised about, except, his own presence.

‘I’ll pretend that I didn’t see anything and leave.’ Kyuhyun thought. ‘Right now, I don’t have much time. I’ll search his face up some other day. Just like he is pretending, I will also pretend and leave.’

Just as Kyuhyun turned around to leave, he heard a sneeze behind him which, undoubtedly, came from that boy.

Kyuhyun couldn’t even pretend to ignore that.

He once again faced that boy, who this time, had his hands on his face as a reflex to the sneeze. When he pulled his hands away, he found Kyuhyun staring at him. Kyuhyun received a beautiful smile before the boy spun on his heels and bolted out of there.

If he didn’t have to return to the school, he would have run after that boy. Moreover, that cute stranger was too fast for him to ever catch. Rather than going after him, Kyuhyun decided to go to his home first. Even if his secret was out, it was not someone anyone would easily believe. So if the boy tattled to anyone, it wouldn’t cause trouble.

** **

It was an obvious fact that Choi Siwon and Lee Hyukjae liked each other. They were the perfect couple. Choi Siwon was a rich eye candy while Hyukjae was humble and sweet.

Kyuhyun hated them. No, he hated Lee Hyukjae. For Choi Siwon, his feelings were completely different. He had known Siwon since they were little. Siwon was a year older than him. They used to play together as kids. Siwon took care of him as they grew up. And during all those years, Kyuhyun fell in love with the older boy. He was planning to confess but when he came to high school, Siwon already had a boyfriend who Kyuhyun didn’t like.

“Kyuhyun,” Siwon called his name as he was talking to his best friend, Changmin. “I’ll be busy so I won’t be able to bring you home today. Can you ask someone else for a ride?”

“Sure,” Kyuhyun answered. He didn’t need to say more words, more like; he didn’t want to say anything more. While Siwon chatted with Changmin, they both knew each other very well and often exercised together without Kyuhyun (even hearing the word ‘exercise’ could make Kyuhyun faint), so they were close.

He was upset that Siwon couldn’t drop him home, again. He will need to walk, again. He was sure that Siwon was going somewhere with that Hyukjae, again.

As Siwon and Changmin were busy talking, he noticed someone walking their way. Kyuhyun’s mood worsened at the sight of the boy who approached them.

That stupid monkey.

Hyukjae’s eyes were on Kyuhyun as he arrived. There was an annoying smirk on his face that Kyuhyun wanted to slap off.

If there was one person who knew about Kyuhyun’s hidden feelings, except for his sister, then it was Lee Hyukjae. Kyuhyun wanted to cry at the unfairness of life. Why did it have to be him?

As much as Kyuhyun hated to admit it, Hyukjae was smart and loved Siwon very mu