Once upon a time, there was a little penguin who had a big dream. He wanted to fly high in the blue sky and see the world. However, his little flippers weren't made for flying and he shed a single grain of sand every time he had a dream. So, whenever he tried to fly, he got sand in his eyes and bumped into everything, hurting himself in the process. To protect the little penguin, God created an hourglass and trapped him in it. Every day, the little penguin would look at the world outside of the hourglass in longing. However, he couldn't see much farther from the radius of the hourglass without the light.

One day, a beautiful bird made of sparkling light particles magically appeared inside the hourglass. The bird of light told the little penguin that it was fine to dream, as she would shine the world for him. With that said, the beautiful bird emitted a bright but gentle light and showed the world to the little penguin. He could see the outside world now even though he was trapped in the hourglass. Amazed by the view of the vast world, the little penguin began to dream again.

Little did the little penguin know, every time he dreamed and shed a single grain of sand, it fell to the lower compartment where the bird was providing light and dimmed it little by little. By the time the little penguin realized that he could see the outside world no more, that the light was gone, a million grains of sand had already submerged the lower compartment and the bird of light. The little penguin tried to call the bird but he got no response no matter how loud he shouted.

Ever since then, the little penguin never dreamed again.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Kyuhyun ignored shouts and chatter in the classroom as he focused on math exercises. The other students might say that they had three years left before graduating from high school, enough time to slack off. However, he didn't share that sentiment and studied ever since the first day of school. He had to inherit his family's business so he had to prepare himself in advance. He had no time for useless things like dreams or love, the two things that wasted most of the human's limited time.

"You there! What kind of hair color is that!!? Come back here this instance!!"

"No! You can't make me change who I am! My beautiful pink hair is a symbol of my love and dreams!"

A very loud shout distracted him from the exercise. Annoyed, Kyuhyun looked out of the window to see the idiot who had no manner. He saw a teenage boy running away from someone while laughing joyfully. A unique laughter accompanied the cool spring breeze and hit his already-grated nerves. The ill-mannered student had pink hair that stood out from the sea of black and brown heads. It was the same shade of cherry blossom that was currently in full bloom all over the school. While he was observing the weird boy, the pink-haired student met his eyes and grinned like a fool. Then, the tall student dashed toward him and jumped over the window into the classroom. The weirdo sat down in front of his seat and ducked his pink head to hide from the teacher. Not long after that, an old teacher came to stand by the window and questioned him.

"Pant.. pant... You there, have you seen a student with pink hair? I saw him running this way but he was gone now."

Kyuhyun subtly glanced at the said pink-haired student and the weirdo winked at him with a finger on his lips, asking him to keep quiet. He looked at the old teacher and promptly pointed at the idiot hiding under the window. The problematic boy gasped at him in disbelief as he got pulled up at the collar by the teacher. He unnecessarily realized when the troublemaker crossed over the window to see the teacher that he was taller than him, though his slender build made him appear smaller at a glance.

"You betrayed my trust! I lost faith in humanity!"

The pink-haired weirdo shouted sadly as if the world had ended while he was dragged away by the teacher. Kyuhyun ignored the nuisance and continued to do the math exercises. Peace at last. Or so he thought until the girls in the classroom began to gossip.

"Who is that cute guy with pink hair?"

"You don't know him? He's Kim Jongwoon! He's very famous for his pink hair and outgoing personality. I was in the same class as him in middle school. A cheerful and friendly guy, unfortunately..."

"Unfortunately what? Does he already have a girlfriend?"

"Nope. He's single but he doesn't swing our way. He said during the first year introduction that he likes men and he isn't ashamed of his uality."

"Wow, he's very brave!"

"I know right? Because of him, other LGBT students also came out and banded together to fight against the bullies!"

Kyuhyun zoned out at that point. He just wasted time listening to nonsense gossip that he didn't want to know. He focused on the numbers and equations on the paper while cursing the weirdo with pink hair in his head. That guy showed up for less than five minutes but already stole ten minutes of his invaluable time. He sincerely hoped that they would never meet again.

.

.

.

The universe seemed to hate him.

"Morning, everyone! Kim Jongwoon, at your service!"

Kyuhyun accidentally broke the pencil lead after hearing an annoying voice that he didn't want to hear. He looked up and saw the bane of his existence greeting other classmates one by one with a foolish smile. Why? Why did he have to be in the same class as this weirdo? He glared at the slender guy who was looking for a seat to sit down. As if knowing that he was being glared at, the pink-haired student turned in his direction. The annoying guy smirked and skipped toward his desk despite his scowl.

"Hello, traitor! Can I sit here?"

"No. This seat is already occupied."

Kyuhyun put his bag on the chair. The smaller boy looked at it and beamed.

"Thank you! I hope we become good friends in these three years of high school~"

The annoying weirdo took his bag out and confidently sat down on the seat beside him. Great. The nuisance classmate had upgraded to the nuisance desk-mate. Kyuhyun tried to calm down and ignored the pink-haired boy. He continued to do the exercises while the pink boy hummed annoyingly. When will the teacher come?

"You know what? Even if you betrayed me, I would never forget who I am nor would I let anyone change my identity."

"..."

"Ha! I bet you didn't know that our school has no rules against dyeing your hair, just that you had to dress appropriately."

"..."

"Pfft, I still can't stop laughing, thinking of that teacher's face when the headmistress told him that dyeing your hair doesn't equal being a troublemaker. You're how you behave yourself, not the color of your hair!"

"I never said that I want to know it. Can you shut up?"

"I will if you tell me your name~"

"I have no obligation to tell you."

"Hm! What a grumpy guy! Fine, I'll just find out myself!"

The annoying boy then invaded his personal space and closed the exercise book to see its cover without asking for his permission. Kyuhyun glared at the student who smelled like milk that kept pestering him, but the other boy stayed unfazed.

"Cho Kyuhyun... Oh, you're a the heir of that famous Cho Group? Nice to meet you!"

"Leave me alone."

Kyuhyun swatted a small hand away and ignored the pink-haired student's pout. Luckily, the teacher finally arrived and started the first class just in time when the weirdo was about to bother him again. He couldn't thank heavens enough that he was finally left alone. Moreover, the first class was mathematics which was his favorite subject so it should improve his mood a bit. He paid great attention to the class and diligently noted down everything the teacher taught. His life was about to be peaceful again but the chatty desk-mate had to ruin it.

"Yawn... So boring... Hey, Kyuhyun, what do you want to do after graduating?"

"Shut up. And who told you that you can use my name?"

"Aww, are you too shy to share? It's okay. I'll tell mine first~ My dream is to be a cool judge!"

"Just give up," Kyuhyun interjected against his better judgment, "you can't be a judge with that pink hair of yours."

"Who said that? Are there any laws that prevent people with dyed hair from being a judge? No?"

"I don't know and I don't care. Just shut up."

"Thanks for your encouragement! Your kindness warms my heart up like the global warming~ What about you? Kyuhyun, what is your dream?"

"Aish! I told you to shut—"

"Cho Kyuhyun!!! Kim Jongwoon!!!"

Both of them jumped at the angry voice of their teacher.

"You two, stand outside of the classroom, now!"

.

.

.

"The weather is quite lovely today, don't you think?"

"Shut up!! You're the reason why my flawless academic record is now stained!"

Kyuhyun cursed the pink-haired troublemaker who had the nerve to play innocent even though he was the reason why they were punished. The smaller boy shrugged and looked out of the hallway window while humming in a carefree manner. The other student was so nonchalant about it unlike him who was very angry and ashamed. He had always been a perfect student and never made any mistakes. However, not even a day had passed since Kim Jongwoon invited himself into his life but his patience was already tested countless times. How long does he have to deal with this pink nuisance? He glared at the taller student who left the window to sit down beside him instead.

"What are you doing? Our punishment is to stand here until the bell rings."

"Duh, no one's watching, and my legs already feel like crap."

"I feel so reassured knowing that our future judge religiously complies with the laws."

"You can't be a good judge if you only abide by the rules. Our world is more complex and complicated than just black and white."

The pink-haired boy said and stretched his arms. Kyuhyun rolled his eyes and ignored the yawning student. The world is complex and complicated? Totally wrong. The world is very simple— the strong survive while the weak and outcast die. And those who believed in love and dreams were the most likely to be left behind by society. He would never be like this guy whose very existence contradicted every rule out there.

He suddenly felt a weight leaning on his leg.

The chatty guy had dozed off while leaning on him. His pale pink lips opened slightly as he breathed in and out evenly. The way the weirdo took a nap so calmly despite their punishment irked him and Kyuhyun decided to get back at the smaller boy. At first, he planned to pull his leg away so the pink-haired boy would fall to the floor. However, he changed his mind after realizing that the boy could seriously get injured if his head hit the floor. He didn't worry about this annoying guy. He just didn't want blood on his hands. So, he decided to stay still instead and waited until the class ended for the teacher to catch the weirdo red-handed. He smirked at his genius plan and stood still even though his legs started to protest. If his plan made the annoying student have a good nap, he would take it as a price to pay for sweet revenge. After waiting patiently, the bell finally rang and the teacher came out to see them, and he immediately tattled the sleeping boy.

"Teacher Shin, Kim Jongwoon didn't do as you told and took a nap instead of standing properly."

"What are you talking about, Mister Cho? Mister Kim was standing orderly behind you."

"What? But—"

"I stood all the time until the bell rang just as you told, Teacher Shin!"

"Good. Don't chat during the class again. You two are dismissed."

"Understood. Thank you!"

Kyuhyun stared in disbelief at the pink-haired boy who saluted their teacher. Since when did the weirdo wake up? He grumbled at the failed plan and glared at the smaller student who turned to smirk knowingly.

"Sorry, Kyuhyun, but your reliable future judge won't fall for a kindergarten-level scheme that easily. Better try harder next time~"

The taller boy winked and patted his shoulder in a mocking manner, before skipping into the classroom. Left alone in the hallway, Kyuhyun took a deep breath to calm down as he prayed from the bottom of his heart.

If God is real, please take Kim Jongwoon out of his life.

****************************************

God doesn't exist.

"You're my roommate? Wow, what a coincidence!"

"A bad luck is more like it."

Kyuhyun retorted dryly to a pink-haired student who stood at the door with luggage by his feet. Although his house was located not far from the school, he still chose to live in the school dorm since middle school simply because he didn't want to see his father. His last roommate was a third-year senior who just graduated so he was assigned a new one. He just didn't expect it to be Kim Jongwoon of all people. Wonderful. Now the pink nuisance had upgraded to another level, annoying him from the sunrise to sunset. The smaller boy ignored his jab and happily stepped into the room to look around. Those curious black eyes then fell to the bunk bed where he was sitting.

"You sleep in the lower bunk bed?"

"Are you blind?"

"Kyuhyun, can we switch the beds? I'm afraid of heights..."

"Are you kidding me? You're afraid of a bunk bed?"

"It's not that high but looking down from it still makes me feel queasy. Plus, I can't sleep knowing that my bed doesn't touch the ground..."

"None of my business."

Kyuhyun scoffed and moved to sit at the desk by a window and took out the homework. He heard the annoying roommate grumble at his black heart but he ignored it. The pink-haired boy's discomfort had nothing to do with him.

.

.

.

"Kyuhyun... I can't sleep..."

"Shut up. I'm studying."

"Studying on the first night of the school? You're too uptight!"

Kyuhyun pretended to not hear the other boy's complaint and focused on the history textbook. The husky voice was gone for a while, followed by a shuffling noise, then the other boy spoke up again.

"Hey, you haven't told me yet about your dream."

"I dream of a life without you."

"My, my, are you that fixed on my presence? I'm flattered!"

"Shut up already."

"I won't unless you switch beds with me."

"..."

"Kyuhyun? Are you listening to me?"

"..."

"Tsk, I hate silence. Don't worry! I know how to lighten up the mood!"

"..."

"Baby shark~ Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo~ Baby shark, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo~ Baby shark, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo~ Baby shark!"

"! Alright! We'll switch your ing bed so shut up already!"

"Thank you! I know it~ You're a good guy deep down, Kyuhyun, and I mean the Mariana Trench deep."

"Are you going to switch the beds or not?"

The pink-haired boy beamed and nodded eagerly. Then, he carefully dropped his stuff to the floor without looking down from the top bunk bed. After dropping his last belonging which was a huge turtle plushie, the smaller boy then anxiously got down from the bed by climbing the stairs. However, his foot missed a step and the boy fell back with a panicked yelp. Kyuhyun dashed out of the chair and caught the taller boy by instinct. They fell on the floor with the smaller boy lying on top of him. A scent of milk body wash tickled his nostrils and his heart suddenly felt itchy. He quickly pushed the pink guy away and sat up with a frown.

"I don't like men."

"What are you— Oh."

The pink-haired boy snorted while staring at him as if he had a concussion from hitting his head just now.

"Don't worry, Kyuhyun. I like men, yes, but I have standards."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm saying that you're not my type, Cho Kyuhyun."

The taller boy said and swept his gaze up and down his body, before snorting loudly and looking away. For some reason, that angered him even more than the weirdo admitted that he was attracted to him. He was so annoyed that he didn't feel like studying anymore. He climbed up to the top bunk bed and slumped down while the pink-haired roommate was putting his stuff away. Kyuhyun turned to lie on his side and came to face the ugliest drawing he had ever seen— a grumpy brown-haired penguin with a big frown and a pink-haired turtle with a big smile.

"What the hell is this abomination on the wall, Kim Jongwoon?"

"Oh my God! You finally said my name! I must make today my personal national holiday!"

"Shut up and answer me."

"It's called a doodle, obviously. I couldn't sleep so I drew our portraits to kill time. Think of it as a friendship gift from me!"

"I don't care how, clean it tomorrow."

"Nope~ That bed is yours now so it's none of my business~"

Kyuhyun cursed himself for giving his bed to the annoying roommate. No matter what he did, it seemed like he always lost to Kim Jongwoon. He genuinely felt dread after realizing that this might be his life for a very long time, being helpless in the pink-haired student's palm. He tried to calm the impending headache while glaring at the ugly doodle.

He looked a hundred times more handsome than this ugly penguin.

************************************

After a few weeks, Kyuhyun slowly came to terms with the fact that he was living with a pink nuisance 24/7 and grumpily accepted the truth. Kim Jongwoon seemed to make it a personal challenge to annoy him as much as possible. The pink-haired student always bothered him during the classes and wouldn't leave him studying in peace at the dorm. He tried so hard to ignore the chatty guy but it was near impossible to do so, especially at night when the annoying roommate literally glued himself beside the desk.

"Kyuhyun, Kyuhyun, studying again? Aren't you tired?"

"Go away."

"Really, I never saw you take a break! This isn't good for your brain. There are more aspects when it comes to intelligence than just logic, you know?"

"None of your business."

"For example, your interpersonal level of intelligence is as low as the North Pole's temperature. You need to broaden your horizon more!"

"Shut the hell up."

"I know! Let's watch movies together! Watching something and discussing it with someone is a great way to make friends~"

"Who asks for that?"

"Here, I'll even lend you my Dangkkoma plushie! There's a study that shows squeezing something in your hands while studying helps you better remember—"

"I told you to leave me alone!!"

Kyuhyun snapped and shouted at the smaller boy. He snatched the stupid smiling turtle plushie and threw it out of the window. It flew into the darkness and fell into a pond beside the building judging by a splashing noise. The other boy cried out in shock and it sounded genuinely heart-wrenching that it made him feel slightly guilty. The taller boy glared at him and there were tears in his eyes. Guilt weighed him heavier but he still refused to apologize because it wasn't his fault.

"... It's your fault for bothering—"

"I hate you."

The pink-haired boy cut him and ran out of the room. After a while, he heard a loud commotion from the outside. Kyuhyun looked out of the window and saw the boy being caught by many teachers while he tried to jump into the pond. The boy was forcefully taken away and never returned to the room for the entire night. He went to bed while convincing himself that it wasn't his fault but found himself waking up earlier than usual. He went to the class alone for the first time ever since the semester started. He then heard from the gossiped classmates that Kim Jongwoon was sent back home for four days for breaking rules— leaving the dorm after the curfew hours and almost assaulting a teacher, probably when he tried to jump into the pond to retrieve the doll. Kyuhyun came back to an empty room with a huge smile after hearing the news. He finally got to study in peace! He happily took out the textbooks that he wasn't able to read before and settled for a long studying session.

For some reason, he couldn't focus on the books at all.

.

.

.

In the end, Kyuhyun didn't study a thing in the past four days. He kept glancing at the lower bunk bed instead of reading the books and kept smelling a milky scent even though he was alone. The silence also bothered him all of the sudden. He realized that he had gotten used to having the pink-haired boy hovering around him. Nevertheless, he still refused to apologize when Kim Jongwoon came back to school. However, the other boy promptly ignored him and pretended that he didn't exist. The pink boy never bothered him again and Kyuhyun realized just now that he had no friends except for Kim Jongwoon. Good. He wanted to be left alone anyway. He stubbornly ignored the guilt in his heart and continued to spend his time studying alone. Two more weeks passed and the distance between them only grew larger. The awkwardness in the room was so thick to the eyes but neither of them addressed it. Kyuhyun seized this chance to study as much as he could even if it cost his health, barely getting a proper rest.

One night, he dreamed of a long-forgotten memory...

.

.

"Kyuhyun-ah, what do you want to be when you grow up?"

"I wanna be a pilot so I can take eomma to see the world!"

"That's very sweet of you! Come here, baby, eomma will sing you a lullaby."

He nodded eagerly and climbed on his mother's lap, a place that he loved the most in the whole world. He hugged his mother who smiled at him warmly. However, his mother's body suddenly disintegrated into ashes. Screaming, he tried to hold onto his mother but the dark-grey particles slipped through his fingers to the ground until he was sitting before a large pool of ashes. A shadow cast down on him and he glanced up to see his father crying while grasping a handful of ashes. His father then looked up and glared at him with hatred burning in his cold eyes.

"You killed her!!!"

.

.

"Kyuhyun, Kyuhyun, wake up!"

Kyuhyun sprang up and panted heavily. His body was drenched in a layer of sweat and his heart was hammering fast in panic. He breathed in and out hungrily but no air seemed to reach his lungs and he started to feel lightheaded and he couldn't breathe and—

"Kyuhyun, look at me."

A small pale hand suddenly grasped his and squeezed it. He looked up and saw the roommate staring at him in worry. He was probably standing on the stairs so only the messy pink hair and his sleepy face showed up. Kim Jongwoon squeezed his hand again to get his attention and spoke up calmly.

"Kyuhyun, look at me, and let's take a breath together. Inhale... Exhale... Inhale... Exhale... Inhale... Exhale... Inhale... Good. Now, slowly exhale..."

As if he was hypnotized, Kyuhyun followed the smaller boy's guidance and he gradually felt better. Even after he could breathe properly on his own, the pink-haired roommate still held his hand and stared at him in worry.

"A nightmare?"

"..."

He didn't answer and the other boy didn't probe. Kim Jongwoon gently took his hand off and Kyuhyun almost reached out to the smaller hand. The pink head disappeared for a short while before popping up again. The boy placed an hourglass beside his legs and patted his knee lightly as one would to a frightened animal.

"I'll let you borrow this. I'm very hyper and can't sit still, so eomma bought that hourglass for me. When you're stressed or anxious, try looking at the falling sand to calm down."

Kyuhyun picked up the hourglass and observed it closely. Its body was made of black wood and the globe was made of fine clear glass. A million grains of pale-pink sand were falling from the upper compartment to the lower one. He flipped it and watched the pink sand falling in silence. Its fluid motion strangely made him feel peaceful and relaxed. He kept watching it for a few more minutes and realized too late that he hadn't thanked the roommate yet. However, Kim Jongwoon had already gone back to sleep. Kyuhyun grasped the hourglass guiltily. They were having a cold war yet Jongwoon still checked on him in worry, even helping him out and lending something invaluable. He lay down and placed the hourglass beside the pillow next to the drawing on the wall that he didn't have a chance to clean yet. He watched the falling sand and the turtle's smile and his heart suddenly felt at ease.

He closed his eyes and dreamed of Jongwoon's sunshine smile and flowing cherry blossom hair.

.

.

.

The next morning, he woke up later than usual but he felt fully rested. The pink-haired boy had already left so the room was empty. He got down from the top bunk bed and noticed a post-it note on the desk.

You can have it cuz you seem to need it more than me. You're lucky that my heart is as large as the Pacific Ocean.

PS. If you dare to break it, I'll throw you out of the window to accompany my poor Dangkkoma at the bottom of the pond.

—Awesome future judge 

Kyuhyun snorted at the threat at the end of the note. He folded the note and kept it in his wallet. That day after the last class, he went to a nearby department store and bought a turtle plushie and a penguin plushie. He endured other students' laughter and curious stares as he carried them and headed to the dorm. He came back and saw Jongwoon watching something on his laptop on the bed. The pink-haired boy noticed him and was about to pretend to ignore him, but he saw the two plushies first.

"What are those? Turtle and... penguin...?"

"I'm sorry for being a jerk."

He said shyly and the animal plushies into the smaller boy's arms. Jongwoon blinked in surprise for a few seconds but soon laughed heartily. The pink boy hugged the two plushies and beamed, causing his eyes to form a crescent moon shape and his heart to skip a beat. The grinning boy looked between them and returned the turtle plushie to him. Kyuhyun took it anxiously as he carefully probed.

"Don't you like turtles anymore...?"

"Nope. I still like them but..."

Jongwoon squeezed the penguin and smiled sweetly at him, so mellow that his heartbeat quickened.

"But I think I might like penguins more now."

Ba-dump

"T-Then, what should I do with the turtle?"

"You can have it~ Thank you, Kyuhyun."

"No problem..."

Kyuhyun mumbled and ignored the way his heart just misbehaved. He put the turtle plushie on his bed near the hourglass and the drawing, realizing that his empty bed started to be full of Jongwoon's stuff. He brushed it off and climbed down to stand awkwardly in the middle of the room. The smaller boy had resumed whatever he was watching while hugging the penguin. Noticing him, the pink-haired boy giggled and tapped a space beside him on the bed.

"Wanna watch Attack On The Pin-up Boys with me? This movie is a literal crap but it'll make you laugh your jaws off at its nonsensical plot!"

"S-Sure!"

Kyuhyun carefully sat down beside the taller boy and pulled his knees up. Jongwoon hummed and resumed the movie, before laughing his head off at the silly characters on the screen. However, he didn't pay attention to the movie at all. He only stared at his roommate who laughed until he cried. He stared at Jongwoon's pink hair, risen dark brows, squinted eyes from laughing too hard, scrunched small nose, rosy chubby cheeks, and plump lips that looked really soft and sweet...

No! I didn't like Kim Jongwoon!!! Impossible!!! 

Kyuhyun shot down a ridiculous thought that suddenly manifested in his mind after looking at the full lips for too long. He averted his eyes from his roommate and looked at the penguin plushie in Jongwoon's embrace instead. For some reason, he felt like the penguin was mocking him with its superior aura and it annoyed him greatly. So, he grabbed its throat and threw it across the room. The penguin hit the wall and fell down to the floor while Jongwoon gasped at him.

"Kyuhyun!! What are you doing!!?"

"I don't like its smug aura."

He said grumpily while avoiding the taller boy's eyes. The pink-haired boy shook his head and said that he was being silly, before retrieving the penguin to hug again. Kyuhyun watched the penguin nestle comfortably in his roommate's arms with its face right next to Jongwoon's slender neck and something boiled in his chest. The mysterious sensation then exploded like an erupted volcano when the pink-haired boy squeezed the plushie and smooched it.

I shouldn't have bought this ugly fat smug flightless bird! 

Kyuhyun cursed in his head and threw the penguin plushie away again.

*****************************************

Author's note:

Welcome to Kyuhyun's journey from a snappy puppy to a erted leopard  xD

Another long story again even though I'm supposed to finish other WIPs and the Xmas project T_T  But I can't help myself. I'm the type of author that write based on my mood. And I'm in a mood to write for Objects of Love series right now. I hope you're okay with that (esp those whose requested prompts haven't been written yet I'm sorry...)

Super Junior comeback is soon!! I'm so excited for it and possible Super Show 9! Let's pray for lot of kyusung moments~

Take care and love you!  <3