He frowns, lips twitching at the uncomfortable feeling of something wet on his cheek.  Is it raining inside his house? One eye opens, taking in his surroundings, searching for the source of the rain. It was the stray pup he ran into yesterday. Kyungsoo rolled onto his stomach, giggling as the puppy continued to his cheek. "Morning, puppy! You must be hungry, huh?" 

The puppy barks, tail wagging back and forth with excitement. Kyungsoo pats his head and stands up, stretching his sore limbs. "Good! Let's start off the day with some hamburgers, shall we?" He rummaged around for the bag Baekhyun and Chanyeol gave him, ignoring the knot in his stomach at the thought of the two nicest strangers he's ever encountered. "I got free food from these two boys around my age. I'll share with you; I don't eat much anyways. Sound good?" 

The puppy couldn't understand him, but Kyungsoo asked anyways. He didn't need for it to reply back, just for it to be there. The food is freezing, and he doesn't want the puppy to get sick so he decides to go warm it up. Checking the sky, Kyungsoo deems the time warm enough to heat up the food. About a year ago, he discovered that foil helps with heating food, and it definitely helped his sensitive teeth. 

"Stay here, okay? I'll be right back." 

Kyungsoo popped his head out of the alleyway to check if there were many pedestrians, and to his luck, there weren't much. It was probably a slow business day. Reaching back to grab the bag of food, Kyungsoo didn't notice the group of boys coming towards him. He stepped out, only to be stopped by the boys forming a half circle around him.

He was trapped. 

"U-Um..." 

"Well, hello there," a male stepped forward, extending his forearm. Kyungsoo didn't shake his hand. The male tsk-ed, mumbling something about bad manners, and then turned around and signaled something with the fingers. The other boys dive forward, clawing at his bag of food. Kyungsoo realizes that it's much earlier than he thought. No wonder it was so empty... He should've known! This was probably their dinner in his hands right now.

But what about the puppy? Kyungsoo thought, horrified. It was okay if he didn't eat breakfast, but the puppy was already so skinny. It needed food! With that in mind, Kyungsoo set forth determined to fight for his food. "Stop!" he cried, pressing the food against his chest. He was pushed around, punched in several areas, and at one point, he saw the glint of silver: a knife. 

Terror turned his blood cold, seized his struggling movements. The male holding the knife smirked, slowly coming closer with the knife. No sound escaped Kyungsoo's lips. Just at the knife met the skin of his neck, a bark resonated through the street. The gang whipped their heads in the direction of the sound.

"What was that?" someone asked. The man who Kyungsoo deemed their leader, the one who greeted him earlier, growled at two of the boys to 'check out what it was'. Kyungsoo panicked, every part of him tensing. What did that mean? What will happen when they see the puppy? Will they kill it? Kyungsoo couldn't let that happen... it would be all his fault. 

He tried shaking the hands off of his arms, but they gripped him tighter. "Stop moving, pretty boy! Or we'll have to cut you!" He let out a huff of desperation and threw the bag of food at one of them. "Just have it!" he cried. Come on.. hurry up and leave already! 

He could hear the scuffle of puppy paws climbing through the junk in his alley. The gang was already leaving though, and he let out a relieved sigh he never knew he was holding. The puppy finally emerged from the alley, barking every now and then. It trotted to him and tried to climb up his leg. Kyungsoo picked it up, pursing his lips. 

"Puppy! You almost got yourself killed! I told you to stay, didn't I?" his scolding tone died out, transitioning into laughter as the puppy his cheek. "Ah, you're trying to act cute, aren't you? Well it's working." He rubbed their noses together, a smile crinkling his eyes. "The bullies stole our breakfast. But don't worry," he pulled out a box from inside of his shirt, "I managed to save a burger!" 

Together, they set up the foil and waited while the food basked in sunlight. The puppy pawed at his arm, pressing against a bruise. Kyungsoo winced, covering the purple skin and tapping the dog's nose. "Hey, that hurt. It'll go away soon though. As long as I'm not bleeding, I'm fine! You just worry about yourself and try to stay out of trouble, okay?" It barked, settling in his lap, chin nestled on top of his thigh.

"I'm going to warn you beforehand," Kyungsoo began, petting its head. "From nine at night to nine in the morning, you are not allowed outside of the alleyway, okay? People like... before are out around those times. And it's not just one of two groups, it's tens or twenty of them, and they're everywhere. They're not really gangs, more like a bunch of riled up bullies... but at the same time they are kind of gangs. They do bad things to innocent people. It took me awhile to figure that out, but better late than never, right?" 

The puppy kept staring at him, eyes wide and tongue lolling out the side of its mouth. Kyungsoo scratched one of its ears, breaking out in a grin as it closed its eyes and leaned into his hand. "You are so cute!" he squealed through clenched teeth. "Let's eat breakfast. The day has begun and we have lots to do today. I'm thinking of going to the ol' junkyard and getting more stuff, since you're staying here and all." At least, I hope you're staying.

He let the puppy have the meat and nibbled on the bread, making a mental list of what he wanted to get. Clothes would be a definite yes, he outgrew he old winter clothes. And the ones he were currently wearing were tearing apart at the hems. He wiggled his toes against the gravel, swallowing the urge to wipe off the black dirt. He tried many times before; the dirt just never went away. Shoes wedged their way onto the list, although he doubt he would find a good pair, let alone one his size. 

"Alright! Are we finished? Let's get going then!" 

Kyungsoo managed to find a jacket with a hood, hoping it would help him beat the chilly morning. "Aigoo, is it almost winter already? I've lost count of the days." He couldn't find any socks and added that to the shopping list. Finished changing, Kyungsoo picked up the puppy and tucked it inside his jacket. "You don't mind being in here, do you? It's pretty warm. I rather you not freeze on the ground." The puppy curled against his shirt, it's breathe and wet nose tickling Kyungsoo's ribs. 

With a smile, the human began walking in the direction of the junkyard. He ignored the shop owners' judgmental stares and comments, walking on without looking back. He was used to it. A good fifteen minutes later, he spotted the familiar gates. "We're almost there," Kyungsoo whispered to the puppy, softly scratching its back. 

Slipping through an opening, Kyungsoo allowed the puppy to be freed from his jacket. A breeze happened to gust by and they both shivered. "Right, let me find you something to warm you up..." Kyungsoo grabbed a baby blanket and wrapped it around the dog's torso, securing it with a lose knot. "That'll have to do for now. I'll find something better. Why don't you look around for something you'd like? There are lots of toys laying around."

The puppy had its nose planted on the floor, walking forward a few steps, then turning to its left. Kyungsoo chuckled to himself. "Stay close," he called. "I don't want to lose you!" 

They parted, and Kyungsoo set off to find some bowls. He didn't want the puppy eating off the floor and bowls were small. It wouldn't be a hassle carrying it back. On his way, he found a sturdy bag and a backpack and picked them up. "This can help us carry some stuff back..." 

Kyungsoo gathered a few small bowls and plates, placing them carefully in the backpack. He made sure to wrap them with newspaper. He picked up a jug as well, to keep water at home. There were two people in the house now, which meant more people eating and drinking. Kyungsoo smiled at the thought. Sure, it was going to be hard feeding two, but the thought of having to care for someone else, of even having someone else was so exciting! 

He began looking for baby clothes for the puppy, stopping only to question whether the puppy was male or female. A burst of laughter filled the air as Kyungsoo scolded himself. That should've been one of the first things he did! Never minding, Kyungsoo decided to pick his favorite color, blue. He'd check the puppy's gender later. 

While looking for some socks, Kyungsoo called for the puppy. He didn't receive an answer. "Puppy?" he called out, cupping his ears to hear clearer. Still no reply. Panicking for the second time that day, Kyungsoo climbed down the pile of rubbish and cloths, whistling and clapping. "Puppy! Where are you? Yoohoo! Come here, puppy!" 

The human sat down on a broken TV, all energy depleted. He couldn't believe it, he lost the puppy! Or maybe the puppy ran away from him... He pouted, reprimanding himself for being so weird and clingy. Of course the puppy ran away, there was no other possible reason. Everyone ran away from Kyungsoo. 

Just then, as Kyungsoo decided to go back home, a bark came from behind him. Swirling around, it was indeed his puppy. Kyungsoo lunged for it, squeezing it tightly to his chest. "Oh my God! I thought you ran away from me! I was so scared... Unless," he pulled the puppy away from him, "you really do want to run away?" 

The puppy whimpered and barked, tail wagging. Kyungsoo grinned, eyes watering. "I'll take that as a yes! Oh, you really did scare me... Why didn't you reply when I called you?" He stuck his lower lip outwards, and the pup swarmed. Kyungsoo laughed, hugging it again. "Can't take my aegyo, huh?"

The puppy wriggled out of his hands and ran behind the broken TV. Kyungsoo followed it, and gasped as it pulled something closer to him. A pair of shoes. "How in the world..." He picked up the shoes, admiring the beautiful, blindingly white color it was and how it looked in absolute, perfect shape. Quickly checking to see if it fit him, he shoved his foot in one of them.

A soft cry escaped him. "It fits!" he whispered. He looked at the puppy, sitting there with it's adorable eyes looking up at him. "You... You're... Come here!" The puppy ran into his arms and Kyungsoo began tearing up again. "Shoes! This is amazing! I have shoes!" The pup barked, as if to say "put it on!", and he shook on some socks before doing so, bouncing with happiness.

"Now, I don't want you going to far, so let's find you a makeshift leash." Kyungsoo ignored the piles of wires, for certain never using those. He scoped a few pieces of string and tied them together. The circle he made was loose and he was satisfied that it didn't choke it. Which brought him back to the question before...

"Puppy, are you a boy or girl?" The pup barked, pausing. Kyungsoo rolled his eyes, hitting himself lightly on the forehead. "Of course, you can't talk." He asked it to roll over and it was reluctant at first, but with a firm push, Kyungsoo had it on it's back. "Ah! You're a boy!" The pup scrambled onto its paws, barking once again.

Kyungsoo wagged his finger, sticking his tongue out. "No need to be embarrassed! We're both men here!" Giggling, Kyungsoo held the leash and led them towards a promising pile of clothes. "Let's find a few blankets for our home, hm?" 

Once the sun was at its highest, Kyungsoo began a search for food. "There's not much food here, but garbage gets dumped every day so we'll find something not too old." From their right, he heard the whizzing of a machine. Leading the puppy towards the sound, they arrived as the garbage truck drove away. "Shall we start there?" 

They headed towards the new pile, and Kyungsoo's mouth watered at the pizza boxes. Shaking the thoughts of food away, Kyungsoo tried finding some milk for the puppy first. He came across a few cartons, but just as he figured, they were all rotten. He met a few moldy pieces of bread, shoulders sagging at the inedible bits of food. He did find some water bottles and let the puppy have a drink as he searched for more food. 

The pizza box held two perfect slices of cold pepperoni pizza, and he found scraps of chicken bones. To his luck he also found half-eating peanut butter sandwiches and plastic boxes of overdue kimbap. The kimbap were only overdue two days and Kyungsoo decided to save them for dinner. The peanut butter sandwiches can be tomorrow's breakfast. They can head down to the pizza parlor for pizza scraps or even the burger joint again. 

To his surprise, the puppy wouldn't go near the chicken bones. "Puppy? They're bones! Dogs love bones, don't they?" The puppy just laid his chin on his front paws, staring back and forth between the human and the pizza box. It was quite adorable and Kyungsoo gave in, sliding one of the pieces to him. "You just have the cutest eyebrows ever," he teased, lightly poking one of them. 

"Hm, I can't just keep calling you 'puppy', can I?" Kyungsoo pondered out loud, chewing absentmindedly as he thought of a name. "I bet you don't like being called puppy all the time either. Did you have a name before?" The dog barked, tail wagging, but Kyungsoo couldn't understand. He barked again, a little louder, but still, the human remained confused. 

"I'm sorry, I don't speak dog," he replied, forlorn. "How about I pick out a nickname? For now?" They seemed to agree on that idea (more like the puppy didn't bark anymore) and so now it was up to the homeless boy to pick one out. 

"What should I call you?" There were so many names he could call him, and yet there were none that really described him. Kyungsoo didn't even know what  that meant, but he had this feeling that you couldn't just call the puppy any common name. It had to be unique, different, but at the same time familiar and homey. 

"Ack!" Kyungsoo fell onto his back, giggling as the puppy attacked him with his tongue. "Ew, puppy slobber!" he wiped his cheek, giggling some more. Then, spotting a ball in the corner of his eye, he jogged over to it. Holding it up so the puppy could see it clearly, Kyungsoo called him. "Puppy! Look, a ball!" The dog barked, tail wagging rapidly, and started to make his way over to him. Kyungsoo threw the ball a few meters away and ordered the puppy to get it bring it back to him.

"Come on! Bring it back to me, boy!" 

The dog apparently was smarter, because he tottered away, ball in his mouth. Kyungsoo laughed, chasing after him with cheeks pink from the cold. "You little brat! Come on, give it to me!" The pup ran this way, and that way, playing with Kyungsoo and never letting go of the ball. Kyungsoo narrowed his eyes as he rubbed his chin. "Hm, since you won't give it to me... I'll just have to take it back from you!" 

And so a homeless boy was playing ball with a stray pup. And when they were laying on the ground trying to catch their breaths, Kyungsoo puzzled over how he had come to grow so attached to this pup in just a day. Maybe it was because they had nowhere to go. Maybe it was because they had nothing. Maybe it was because they were both alone, with no one but each other. For so long, they were lonely, and finally they were able to find someone to connect with. Kyungsoo still had nowhere to go, he still had nothing, but he wasn't alone anymore.

And maybe that was why he was so attached to the puppy. He was lonely for so long, and now that he has a companion, he won't have to feel that way anymore. Of course now he's more worried and concerned for another life, but it's kind of a good worry, a good concern. A 'hey-you're-a-part-of-my-life-now' concern, a 'you-mean-a-lot-to-me' worry. 

He didn't need to know whether the pup felt the same because it was already obvious it did from the fact that it stayed.

It was getting dark when they started walking back, and Kyungsoo worried that he miscalculated the time yet again. He didn't want to run into any bullies again. What if it scared off the pup? And he still needed to find a nickname too... His backpack clattered and the bag he was carrying clanged with each step. The puppy, still connected by the makeshift leash, wanted to walk and so he did. They rounded the corner, and Kyungsoo cursed inside his head.

He couldn't pull the puppy back in time enough.

"Well, well, look at who we have here." 

Kyungsoo balled his fists, trying to contain his fear. He took a deep breath and averted his eyes from the stranger's. 

"A stray. How cute. Where are you going with all those bags, handsome?" 

His breathing halted, legs becoming numb and almost faltering with fear. What do I do now? Where's the puppy? It didn't run away, did it? But maybe it's better if it did... Oh no, the man is coming closer. What do I do?

"Hey, Siwon, lay off. It's just a kid." Siwon swiveled to face the person whom the voice belonged to. Kyungsoo peeked as well, curious. Why let him go? Were his prayers being answered? Did he have a guardian angel watching over him? If so, tha--

"Why should I? It's time, Ju--Suho. You said we could have anyone. I want this ki--" 

"I said to let him go."

"Wh--Ow! What the fu--!" Kyungsoo's jaw dropped as he witnessed his puppy bite Siwon's ankle. "Get this thing off me! Ow! Get it! Fu--Just beat it up! Kill it!" A few of the members scrambled forward to pry the dog off of him, and when they did, the puppy snapped at them. "What are you doing?" Siwon cursed, holding his ankle. "Kill the damn thing!" 

"Wait," Kyungsoo tried to say. They couldn't kill him! The man from before, Suho, walked forward and picked the puppy up by its neck. He growled at the man, teeth barred and eyes wild. Suho held the dog up higher. "Who's mutt is this?" 

A few neighboring people shuffled, turned away. Kyungsoo couldn't say anything. After all, the puppy wasn't his. Or... maybe since he said he'd take him in, he was his? "If no one claims it, I'll kill it." Kyungsoo shot forward, squeaking an almost incomprehensible "H-he's mine!" 

Suho turned around to face him. Kyungsoo froze. He felt his throat constrict and his fingernails dig into his palm. Suho... he's seen him before. He knows him. Suho's eyes darted across his face, and the homeless boy wondered for a moment if he recognized him. "This is yours?" 

Kyungsoo gulped, his dry lips. "Y-yes. He's mine." The former let the puppy go, walking away to return to his friends. The puppy immediately ran into Kyungsoo's arms and he hugged him close, kissing his forehead and rubbing his back. "It's okay, I'm here. I'm sorry, I almost let them hurt you..." 

He made a quick escape, but before he crossed the street, he took one last look at Suho. The man was looking back at him, gaze poignant, almost bitter. When their eyes met, it hardened. Such sharpness cutting through his skin and ebbing into his bones. 

He remembered. 

Kyungsoo had finally concluded the finishing touches to their their home. The redecorating took only ten minutes, and it consisted of adding new materials to their roof and sheets to keep away the cool drafts and soften the ground. The baby clothes Kyungsoo found for the puppy fit perfectly and he admitted it looked comical on the dog. 

Once they were tucked in bed with blankets and clothes and socks(Kyungsoo wrapped his shoes in newspaper and hid it in the corner farthest from the door), the human closed his eyes, ready for a good night's worth of sleep. His mind kept wandering back to the male before, Suho, and he shivered, unable to erase the image of those sad, angered eyes. 

But the fur ball in his armpit was able to distract him. "Am I that warm? You're practically meshing us into one thing!" Kyungsoo teased. He rubbed their noses together, something he couldn't help doing whenever the puppy acted cute (which was all the time), and let him nibble on his finger. "I still don't have a nickname for you yet."

His fingers tangled in the pup's fur and the latter leaned into his touch, his hand. Then he cantered over to the corner and bit a piece of the newspaper wrapping the human's shoes. He returned and placed the paper on Kyungsoo's lap.

The human cocked his head, taking the piece of paper and reading it. "I don't get it. Is your name on here somewhere?" The puppy barked. He placed his paw over a few areas, Kyungsoo believed he was trying to show him separate characters, and sat on his behind, waiting patiently. Kyungsoo looked over the characters, deep in thought. 

"Okay, the first syllable is Kim. Second: Jong. Third: In. If you're trying to show me just the characters," the puppy barked here,"Hm? Are you? Well if you are, then I have k, j, and i. That doesn't make sense... Kuhji? That's not cute. And it don't think it suits you." The dog continued to bark and Kyungsoo shushed him. "I'm sorry! I'm trying to figure this out." 

As if he could understand that Kyungsoo was really trying and doing his utmost to create a heartfelt nickname, the puppy silenced. Kyungsoo looked at the paper once again, reading over the limited words. And there! Under the syllable 'jong' there was 'al'. Aha! So he was looking at the wrong character! Kyungsoo sat up straight, a victory smile engraved on his lips. "I found it! You were pointing at 'al', right?" When the puppy barked, Kyungsoo shouted an 'I knew it!'. 

"Kai!" Kyungsoo cried, pointing at the puppy. "Your nickname is Kai. I know it's probably nowhere near your real name, but that's it. It's perfect! I have no idea what it means, or even if it's a real word, but it's you. It's perfect for you." Kyungsoo settled Kai in his arms and placed a big, sloppy kiss on his forehead. "Muah! Goodnight, Kai. Sweet dreams, and we'll see each other tomorrow." 

A on his cheek told him all he needed to know.