The next Saturday, Chanyeol’s neck was strained from having fallen asleep in front of his computer only around four hours ago. He was startled awake by his mother, who had already showered and dressed to do volunteering.

It was about 9 a.m. when he groggily entered the back door and the activity in the busy soup kitchen went into a stand still.

Chanyeol himself froze as all eyes went on him, that he immediately bowed low and greeted everyone, especially his elders.

“Joseong-hamnida,” Chanyeol apologized in embarrassment, hurriedly slipping on his apron so he could start sweeping the floor—as that was probably the only task he could be useful in. “I didn’t mean to come in late.”

The kitchen crew looked at each other with mixed expressions of shock and bewilderment. Wasn’t it only last week that the chairman’s son brooded the whole day in the soup kitchen, as that was the last place on Earth he wanted to be in?

Chanyeol’s eyes subtly roamed over the kitchen, taking care not to bump into his elders, as he distractedly swept a perpetually clean floor, not finding the one he was looking for. He inched closer to one of the senior cooks, who was stirring a pot of reddish stew on the stove. “Uh... Yoongjin ahjussi?”

The senior cook looked up, surprised that the chairman’s son was even talking to him... and very formally too. “De, Park Chanyeol-ssi?”

Chanyeol hesitated, his eyes wandering again to the entire kitchen. “Would you know where Kyungsoo-ssi is? Did he... come in today?”

“De, he’s been here before 7 a.m., and we ran out of fish to put into the stew, so he volunteered to accompany the ahjummas to the market, in the hope that we could still get more fresh catch.” Yoongjin ahjussi glanced at the wall clock. “They should be back in an hour’s time.”

Chanyeol nodded. “Kamsa-hamnida.” He bowed respectfully and turned back to the task at hand, seeing that there were peels of vegetables, tin cans from ingredients and plastic packaging that needed to be discarded properly. Chanyeol quickly washed his hands to segregate the wastes, from biodegradable to non-biodegradable. He made sure to secure the trash bags, working quietly and trying not to get in the way of the other crew members.

He disposed of them in the garbage dump at the back of the building, feeling the need to smoke. It was a cold morning, so he lit up a stick and inhaled a long drag, letting the smoke warm up his throat before expelling, relaxing just a bit.

Just then, his cellphone rang and he excitedly answered, “Jongdae-yah!”

Jongdae sighed. “Chanyeol-rah, I have about half of the money you want to borrow. I just don’t know when I can give you another 500,000 KRW for your flight ticket back to L.A.”

Chanyeol inhaled from his stick again, a little guilty. He knew of other people—those whom he went to school with—who probably had several million to spare, but he didn’t want to divulge the reason that his father had cut him off financially.  While he was still living under his parents’ roof rent-free and being sufficiently fed, he knew he would be the laughing stock of his former classmates upon learning of his current situation.

His mother and sister could finance his flight ticket, easily, but they dared not cross his father, who was still furious about him failing his second semester in business school because he had decided on his own to drop half of his classes he had absolutely no interest in, thereby pulling down his grades and was on the verge of suspension.

Jongdae understood him, as he was Chanyeol’s most trusted friend ever growing up. Jongdae and his family had lived in a small house inside the Parks’ residence, since Jongdae’s father was the former chauffeur of Chanyeol’s father. When Kim ahjussi’s diabetes had become chronic, Jongdae’s father had to retire early and they moved out for the family of the new driver to live in.

For the family’s loyalty and service, however, the Parks had made sure that the Kims were still very well taken care of, giving Jongdae sponsorship for college and providing Kim ahjussi’s pension monthly with a little more extra for living expenses.

Still, Jongdae worked part-time to help out his parents while still in school. He had shifts in convenience stores and sometimes worked as a server in an uptown bar.

“Or...” Jongdae continued, interrupting Chanyeol’s reverie. “The bar where I’m working at is looking for a bass guitarist for their in-house band so that’s why I thought of you. Sometimes, I sing for them.” His friend chuckled. “The pay’s kind of decent, but if you’re looking to accumulate 1 million KRW, it will take a while.”

Chanyeol could consider that, taking one last drag of his cigarette before tapping the cinders out on the garbage dump door and then throwing it inside. At least he could have a creative outlet for his music... and then he remembered. “I’m working on a project right now.”

“Ah, jinjja?” Jongdae sounded amused. “Are those the songs you’re writing? You’re not experiencing songwriter’s block anymore?”

It was Chanyeol’s turn to chuckle. “I ing finished writing a song last night, Jongdae-yah! By myself! And I know I could ask you to sing the chorus part for me, but you’re always so busy...”

“Well, excuse me for using my spare time to sleep!” Jongdae joked.

“I know, I know,” Chanyeol appeased, giving a small laugh. “But I found this amazing, undiscovered diamond in the rough, who agreed to do the singing... well, hopefully he does agree... and I don’t know... I feel so good about this.  Like... it’s really going to take off. I can’t wait for Kris hyung, Tao and Sehun to hear it... and you too, of course, but I want it to be a surprise. I feel like this song is going to be so special.”

Jongdae was quiet for a while. Chanyeol must be the most passionate person he’d ever come across, and he hadn’t heard his friend this excited since...

Over a year ago, Chanyeol had lost the most important person in his life... and along with that, that bright spark in his eyes had dimmed down too.

“This song was a long time coming...” Chanyeol exhaled heavily. “I finally wrote a song for Jiwonnie.”

“That’s... that’s great, Chanyeol-rah,” Jongdae told him softly. “I am glad for you. And I know Jiwonnie would be happy that you’re doing what you love, which is music.”

Chanyeol stared up to the sky, could feel tears burning his eyes. He knew what Jongdae said was true. Jiwon was the most selfless, pure-hearted person to have ever been born... but all angels had to return to heaven, some earlier than their supposed time...

Jiwon had been the one who encouraged him to pursue studies in L.A., knowing that it would open so many doors and opportunities for Chanyeol, even when he wasn’t so sure about himself, and he had been especially anxious over being separated from her.

Only he didn’t know that she had already been sick... because she didn’t want to tell him.

And he hadn’t been by her side when she took her last breath...

He swallowed a painful lump in his throat and sniffed, although Jongdae could probably tell that he was about to cry. “Anyway, uh... thanks for the offer... I’ll come up with another way to... get some money, I guess.”

“You don’t want the 500,000 KRW?”

Chanyeol blushed. Gone were the days he would spend more than 10x the amount of that in a day, for food, games, entertainment, shopping, travel, gadgets, music instruments... “Keep it for now, Jongdae-yah.” What he really meant was for Jongdae to use it for his personal needs instead, which were far more important. “I’ll... talk to you soon, okay?”

“Araseo. Let me hear that song once you’ve completed the recording,” Jongdae encouraged. “Hwaiting, chingu!”

Chanyeol had to laugh. “Gomawo. Bye.”

He sighed, reentering the back door of the kitchen when his eyes lit up at the sight of Kyungsoo in front of a few pieces of fresh red snappers laid out at the counter, as the smaller guy was carefully deboning one of them.

Chanyeol rushed to wash his hands thoroughly, as he had come from the garbage dump after all, and went over to Kyungsoo’s side.

Kyungsoo blinked in surprise and looked up to him, a soft grin forming on his lips. “Annyeong-haseayo, Chanyeol-ssi.”

And the taller one couldn’t help staring at him for a few seconds.

Yup... he was definitely seeing a heart... everytime