Jiyong dragged Seunghyun until they were across the street from the school.

“Do you need to tell your parents where you’ll be?” Jiyong asked Seunghyun with surprising maturity.

“I probably should.” Seunghyun admitted.

“Well lead the way. I can’t be late since I just started this job not long ago. We’ll have to hurry,” Jiyong said anxiously while glancing at his watch.

Seunghyun forced his legs to walk faster than they would have wanted. Jiyong followed closely. He couldn’t lose this chance to be with Jiyong so he pressed on through the pain several blocks.

When they arrived in front of Seunghyun’s building he was struggling to breathe and had a cramp starting to grow in his side. He wasn’t used to walking so fast. He looked up at the windows to his house.  He swore he saw his noona peeking out the window at them but when he looked back she wasn't there.

“Run in and tell them really quick. I’ll wait here for you.” Jiyong said pushing him towards the gate.

Seunghyun took one huge breath and ran as fast as he could up the stairs into his house. Hye Yoon was waiting there for him with her arms crossed and a smirk on her face.

“So, who is your friend, Seunghyun?” She asked teasingly.

“No time…to talk…noona. Tell omma...that I’ll be back later. I’m going to help…a friend with his…part time job because I kind…of owe him a favor.” Seunghyun said between breaths, one hand on his knee and the other holding his stomach cramp. He felt like he was going to throw up.

“You sure you can make it?” She asked, leaning down to look at Seunghyun’s strained face.

“I’ll make it,” Seunghyun said with determination. He forced his body up and walked towards the door.

Jiyong was really jittery by the time Seunghyun made it out front.

“Yah! I was just about to leave you, Seunghyun.” Jiyong said as soon as Seunghyun appeared. He took Seunghyun’s hand before an excuse could be uttered and pulled him down the street towards the bus stop. Thank goodness. Seunghyun thought he was going to die of exhaustion.

Jiyong sat down and got right back up, pacing. Seunghyun collapsed on the bench and rubbed his legs. He looked at the anxious boy in front of him, wondering why he was this wired over a part time job. It wasn’t like it was the end of the world if he lost it. Money was nice but did he need it that badly?

“We need to take this bus to Gangnam Station, then transfer to subway line 2.” Jiyong frustratedly uttered while looking like he may just ruffle all the hair off of his head.

“Why is this job so important? Can’t you just get another if you lose this one? My noona says employers are more sympathetic with younger people’s job history.” Seunghyun inquired while trying to comfort the distressed Jiyong.

Jiyong nervously snickered to himself. “This isn’t just some part time job for me,” he said.

“Well, obviously but it isn’t like your whole life rests upon this job. It’s only part time and you’re only 14,” Seunghyun told the younger.

Jiyong smiled like he knew something the older didn’t. “Just wait until you see where I work. You’ll see why I am so nerve wracked now,” he said with that smile still on his face, looking at the ground.

Seunghyun was really curious now but not curious enough to do more than nod towards the younger in agreement. A few minutes later the bus pulled up and both boys got on, showing their passes they shuffled into their seats and Jiyong pulled out his headphones again.

“Want to listen with me? It really makes the ride go by faster,” Jiyong offered while putting one of the buds in his ear.

Seunghyun took the bud, pushing it into his ear with a smile of thanks. Jiyong pushed a few buttons and Seotaiji and Boys started playing. Jiyong closed his eyes and leaned against the side of the bus, curling his knees to his chest. Seunghyun watched as Jiyong mouthed the words he heard pouring into his ear. Those delicate looking lips meeting each beat perfectly and with what seemed like passion.

Seunghyun started to relax watching Jiyong song after song lip sync the words to so many songs he himself listened to. He felt his lips start to curl into a soft smile. He wanted to touch his knee, let Jiyong know that he understood him. His heart raced at the thought and his palms sweaty. He reached over, his hand shaking slightly. He was an inch away when Jiyong twisted in his seat the slightest bit and scared Seunghyun off. He looked away from Jiyong. He just couldn’t come to look at him now.

This couldn’t be right. He and his friends never had this feeling between them. They just liked to goof around, listen to music, and play video games. They talked about girls but Seunghyun never had anything to share. He didn’t know the girls they did and he went to an all boys middle school like most boys his age.

Suddenly he felt Jiyong move at the end of the song, quickly pressing stop and reaching up for the stop wire without even looking out the window. Seunghyun felt the bud get pulled out of his ear to dangle down by Jiyong’s hip. He gulped looking at his thin appearance before hurriedly looking away and getting up.

Several people got off at the stop with them but passed by them hurriedly. Jiyong looked at Seunghyun’s stunned face.

“I know how long the songs last so when each one is over I add up the times and can tell when the bus ride is over.” Jiyong explained pulling the other towards the stairs down to the subway line.

“He really is good at math.” Seunghyun muttered to himself.

Getting off at their subway stop, Jiyong grabbed Seunghyun’s hand and dragged him again in the same familiar fashion but it was almost 4:00. This caused Jiyong to pull him at a near run. Seunghyun tried to mentally convince himself he wasn’t tired. He had no idea how much further Jiyong would drag him or if he would pick up the pace.

Suddenly Jiyong stopped in front of an inconspicuous building, looking at his watch and smiling with pride.

“Welcome to my work,” he announced.

Seunghyun looked in through the glass doors of the short and plain office building to see the name YG Entertainment behind the desk.