Hyun Joong changed his clothes in the staff’s locker room into his waiter outfit. His shift will start in another 15 minutes. He has started working part-time at the Outback Steakhouse restaurant about half a year ago. Working part-time was nothing new for him. Since he was in his middle school he had started doing so in order to support his schooling and make his parents’ burden a bit lesser. Though he managed to get a scholarship for his degree from the university but it only covered the study fee. There are no living allowances including accommodation. He has to cover them on his own but he was not in the shoe to complain.

Looking at the image of himself on the mirror on his locker, he took his black tie and put them around his neck. As he was about to tie them, a hand came up from behind him and grabbed the tie. He rolled his eyes and frowned, “Hyung Jun ah, let go of my tie.”

From behind him, a head popped up with a big grin pasted on the face. “Hyung, annyeong…We are in the same shift today. Hyung…let me tie this for you,” Hyung Jun said, showing off the long black thin cloth in his hand as he came forward and stood in between the locker door and Hyun Joong.

Hyun Joong glared at Hyung Jun but the latter boy totally ignored him and continued to put the tie around his neck, preparing to tie it. Giving up, Hyun Joong rolled his eyes again and looked to the other side, letting the younger boy continue what he had started, tying his tie.

“Ok, hyung…all done. You look good as always.”

Hyun Joong looked straight at Hyung Jun, “I know you Junnie ah…there is something that you want when you are being all nice like this. Spit them out…what do you want?”

“Hyung…what are you saying? I’m just trying to be a good dongsaeng…” pouted Hyung Jun, trying to look hurt.

He chuckled. He had known Kim Hyung Jun since the first day he started working at the restaurant. Though Hyung Jun is a year younger than him, he was the first to greet him and pulled him in a conversation. From the conversations, he got to know that both of them are studying at Kyonggi University here at Seoul but in different courses. He’s in Electronic Digital Music while Hyung Jun in Film & Visual Studies.

Hyun Joong himself was not a friendly kind of person. He always found it hard to start a conversation with strangers and to make things worst, he has an elder phobia. That was also the reason why he was stationed as the cashier in the restaurant. But, with Hyung Jun, though at first he was a bit awkward by his cute way of talking and expression, he became at ease with him the fastest from his other encounter of friends. Within the end of that first day, Hyung Jun and him became close, a hyung – dongsaeng relationship came to be between them.

Ignoring the still pouting boy, Hyun Joong tapped the boy’s shoulder and gestured him to move aside so that he could close his locker. He walked off to the dining area of the restaurant towards his station, followed closely behind was Hyung Jun making all sets of funny faces. Knowing that Hyung Jun was doing something behind his back from the giggle and smiling faces that past by him, he stopped and turned swiftly behind me, capturing Hyung Jun red-handed doing one of his funny, aegyo act. Startled by his sudden action, Hyung Jun stopped abruptly and his face flushed. Hyun Joong gave him his evil eye as Hyung Jun hurriedly walked past him.

5 hours past by since he started his shift and ended his shift for the day. He looked around the restaurant for Hyung Jun. They have to go to another place together after their work ended but he can’t find him anywhere. Sighing, he passed his place at the cashier to the next shift’s cashier and walked towards the locker room. As he had expected, Hyung Jun had already changed his uniform and was about to leave the room. Seeing him at the door, Hyung Jun gave him his thinned smile with his famous sparkling smiling eyes. “You’re late. I’m going alone. I’ll wait for you there.”

Hyun Joong eyed at him as he walked past him. He knew that the kid has something up his sleeve but he can’t come up with what it was yet. ‘Guess I’ll know what this is all about once I’m there. I just hope the guys won’t do anything yet during my absence.’

Changing back to his normal clothes, he grabbed his back pack and closed the locker door. As he past his supervisor on the way out, he nodded politely and made his exit. From the restaurant he walked towards the bus station, 6 minutes walk actually and waited for the bus number 1215. Within the next 5 minutes, he was already on his way to Jegi Dong. The bus trip would probably take another 15-20 minutes so he leaned his head to the window and tried to catch some shut eye.

He had taken this bus trip a few times and by the time he was nearing to his stop, his eyes flew open by themselves. Glancing at his watch, he noticed that he was already 5 minutes late. He strode the street faster than his usual speed once he got down from the bus. Luckily the meeting place was only a 5 minutes walk from the bus stop.

Arriving in front of a shop office at the corner of the street on the last lane of buildings, he stopped and tried to catch his breath. The sign on the door has been changed to the word CLOSE. Slowly, he took a bunch of keys from his backpack; going through the keys and opened the door with the correct key before going inside. After locking back the door, he walked to the back of the store as he heard some laughing and chattering sounds. Walking inside the back room, he was greeted happily by familiar faces. He smiled, “Sorry guys. I’m a little late.”

Unanimously the others said it was okay. Putting down his backpack to the floor by the wall, he high-fived the others, starting with the one sitting on the floor drinking from a mineral water bottle, Heo Yong Saeng, to the one on the drum set, Kim Kyu Jong, with the one standing by the drum set holding unto his electric bass guitar, none other than Kim Hyung Jun and the last member who was busily typing in front of the computer, Park Jung Min.

“How come you came later than that guy over there? He said that the two of you had the same shift,” asked Park Jung Min in an accusing tone, not even looking up from his computer.

“Ya! I’m older here so please look at me when you talk to me,” he sternly scolded Jung Min for his rude attitude towards him.

“Sorry.”

“Fine. Anyway, that kid there cut off his work time, changed first and left me. So, what was it that he want from all of you?” he answered, looking straight at Hyung Jun.

“Hyung…” surprised Hyung Jun, looking away from him and looked warily at the rest of the members.

The others just laughed at him. “I told you he’d know you are about to do something,” mentioned Kyu Jong looking at Hyung Jun as he added, “he wanted us to join a live gig at Café Bbang, near Hongik University next two weeks and he wants us to play his song.”

Hyun Joong stared at Hyung Jun while the latter just looked down at his electric guitar. “How did you get us a gig there?”

Hyung Jun looked up instantly, “Well, it’s not a gig yet. A friend of my friend knew the owner. So I asked him to ask whether we could play there and yesterday, he told me that the owner said okay. But he wanted us to go there first and play for him. If he thinks that we are worthy to play at his café, he’ll let us play there next month. He’ll do the marketing himself. Hyung…please?”

Hyun Joong looked around the room, to every face. He could see that all of them are waiting for his answer on the matter and as the leader he should make the best decision for his group. Thinking about what Hyung Jun said, this could probably be the break they are waiting for. He has heard of Café Bbang before and it was one of the popular places for gigs especially among the indie bands. Finally, he nodded.

Hyung Jun was the loudest to scream happily to see his positive decision and followed by high-fives among the rest. He smiled but he remembered something else. Looking back at Hyung Jun, he said, “But, I have not yet confirmed that we would sing your song during the audition.” Hyung Jun grimaced but still he nodded, agreeing with his leader’s judgment.

“Okay, so let’s practiced. Starting of today, we are going to have our practice 5 times a week. Everyone ok with that? Jung Min?”

“It’s ok as long as we practiced after the store closes. I don’t want to lose any customer.”

“Ok, then…let’s hit our first song with Jechyllbaksa wa Hyde. SS501, go!” exclaimed Hyun Joong as he drummed his fingers on his electric guitar.