"Hyung!" yelled Eunhyuk with widened eyes. Smiles appeared on the members' faces as Heechul held up a hand from his wheelchair nonchalantly. Somehow, everyone else on the team had enough energy to rush towards the door to greet Heechul, but I took the time to bend down and catch a breath instead; it wasn't like he could see me anyway. Everyone else had already surrounded him.

I wasn't sure how I was supposed to feel. At the same time that it was nice to see Heechul out of the hospital and smiling again, a nervousness tugged at my chest as soon as I saw him. As I contemplated whether or not I should get any closer to him, the door opened again and the manager hyung stepped inside after Heechul and Hankyung, and I saw him watch us with a pleased smile on his face. I hastily moved closer to Heechul, but I also took care to be out of Heechul's sight as I hid behind the other members.

"You really are jerks," Heechul was saying. "How could none of you visit for the two months I was at the hospital after that time when you delivered the trophy?" he said. When everyone responded with awkward laughter, Heechul smiled haughtily again.

"But it's okay. You must have been really busy. I know I'm not an existence that's easily forgotten. I'm sure I didn't leave your thoughts for a single minute."

There was an awkward silence as the members hesitated, unsure of how to respond. Heechul sat back in the wheelchair and grinned, clearly satisfied at the uncomfortable atmosphere that he had created, then Kangin broke the silence.

"You're still the same," he said. Everyone else broke out in laughter while I bit my lip and forced a smile.

As we stood around, the manager hyung got our attention.

"So we'll cut practice short today and go back to the dorm," he said with a wide smile. "And Heechul's just going to be at the bigger dorm for a while, just so there's more people that can take care of him all the time. We managers are going to do an all-nighter here to deal with the press regarding Heechul, so take good care of him, okay?"

Everyone nodded in understanding while I sighed. As much as he was in a wheelchair, how could I so easily forget Heechul screaming at me while I apologized incessantly in tears, or kicking me while I laid fallen over on the floor?

As the other members argued over who would get to push Heechul's wheelchair to the bus, I stayed a few feet behind, making sure to stay out of Heechul's field of vision.

It was only after we got back to the dorm that we realized that the press had learned about Heechul's discharge before we had.

"I can't believe you didn't tell us," said Leeteuk reproachfully.

"You didn't ask," retorted Heechul. "I bet you don't even know how many surgeries I've had, do you?"

There was another silence while Sungmin timidly asked, "How many?"

Heechul smirked. "Well, the press knows, so you could ask them. In fact, I've made friends with some of the reporters, so maybe I could call them for you."

I saw Sungmin's mouth drop open, then Eunhyuk said, "Don't worry. We'll just look it up on the Internet."

Heechul snorted. "Good going, guys. Nice to see that we're still a team."

I smiled a little as everyone else burst out laughing, but being so tired, I turned around and went into the hallway. I had given up on studying that day, but just as I was about to open the door into my room, Heechul yelled, "Cho Kyuhyun!"

I turned my head towards Heechul without saying anything. What now?

"How come your sunbaenim's here and you don't even say hi?" he demanded. But his tone was no longer the joking one that he had been using until now, but a serious one. We hadn't even been in the same room for a few minutes, and he was scolding me for real already.

I considered lying, telling him that he just must not have seen me greet him in all the confusion, but decided against it.

"Sorry. Hi, sunbaenim. How are you?" I said, forcing a smile.

Heechul looked at me like I was mad, then he shook his head. "If you still don't know how important greetings are - "

"I'm really sorry," I repeated, then after a bow, I pretended that Heechul had dismissed me and went into my room and laid down. God, it was a good thing Heechul was wheelchair-bound right now. Who knew what he would have done to me if he weren't in a wheelchair?

I was so tired that I barely even took care to straighten the blankets before lying on them. I closed my eyes, but I was faintly aware of a loud noise that wouldn't let me fall asleep. However, the noise didn't seem to be coming from the living room like it usually did, but from outside. Confused, I got my sore body up from the floor, opened the window, and poked my head outside to look outside from my bedroom.

They were fans. Maybe about twenty of them, and each of them were holding a large flourescent placard. Most of them just said "Heechul" or "Heenim". I guessed they had come here to wish Heechul well, or congratulate him for his discharge. I smiled a little at their dedication, but they really were being loud. They were screaming Heechul's name from where they were. Then I heard Heechul say cockily, "Ah, my wretched popularity," from the living room. I rolled my eyes at Heechul's attitude, and got back on the floor, surrounding my ears as well as I possibly could with my pillow, and fell asleep.

I was awakened by an annoying doorbell ringing repeatedly in the middle of the night, after everything was dark. I glanced at the clock: 2:43am.

Who would come to our door at this hour?

I pulled my blanket up to the top of my head; there were plenty of other people who could get the door right now. As the doorbell rang a few more times, Sungmin spoke groggily from the bed.

"Kyuhyun, get the door."

I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head no, although I knew Sungmin wouldn't be able to see it. I stayed on the floor while the doorbell rang another time, and I felt a pillow being thrown at me.

"Cho Kyuhyun, listen to your hyung."

I sighed. "Fine," I grunted, then I got myself up, holding my back, which was so sore from being sleeping on the floor after such a long practice session.

I threw the pillow back on Sungmin's bed on my way out of the dorm, who reached for it with a quiet "Thanks".

I dragged myself out of my room, barely awake and made my way to the door, not bothering to turn the lights on in the darkened hallway. I was a few feet away from the door when the doorbell rang impatiently again.

"Okay, okay," I muttered, then quickened the few steps to the door. I opened it, and I saw a few of our neighbours at the door. I looked at them through my sleepy, half-opened eyes.

"Hello," I said with a small bow, rubbing my eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Take control of your fans," said one of them with an angry frown.

I stared at him, trying to understand what he was saying, then I faintly heard the noise again. The fans were still making a lot of noise. They weren't yelling Heechul's name anymore, as far as I could tell, but they seemed to just be having a good time, talking and playing games and what not. At the same time that they were being loud, they were their own people, and there was little we could do to send them home.

"But we really can't do anything about - " I started, but the neighbour interrupted me.

"So are you saying that the entire neighbourhood has to try to sleep through all that noise just because you boys live in this building?" he said with a scowl.

I hesitated for a bit, but then sighed. Be polite, Kyuhyun. "No, sir," I said, then I bowed a little. "I'm really sorry. I'll somehow get them quiet."

"I hope so," he growled. "I'm sure you wouldn't want me calling security on your fans."

"No, sir," I said hastily, then bowed again. "I'm sorry. We'll take care of it."

I bowed a third time, and the neighbours left the doorway.

I closed the door and returned to my room to grab my jacket.

"Who is it?" asked Donghae, clearly still half-asleep.

"They want us to quiet down the fans," I said. I put my jacket on hesitantly.

"You're doing it?" asked Sungmin, sitting up in his bed.

I sighed. "Well, none of the manager hyungs are here," I said. "I'm the least popular on the team anyway, so I'm probably safest."

"Do you want me to come?" asked Donghae. I shook my head, then I realized that we were in the dark and he probably wouldn't be able to see.

"No, it's okay, there aren't that many of them," I said. "I'm taking my phone, so if anything happens, I'll call. Hyung, please keep your phone handy?" I asked.

"Okay," said Donghae, but he and Sungmin both laid back down on their beds.

I hesitated a little at the vestibule of the apartment. I wondered if the manager hyung would be angry if he saw me doing this, but there was no other choice. I nervously ran my fingers through my hair, hoping that I didn't look too terrible. I took a deep breath, and stepped outside.

The crowed of about twenty had thinned to about ten girls, but they didn't really even notice me. They weren't expecting to see us, I was sure; they just wanted themselves heard. I approached them carefully.

"Hi," I said, waving to get their attention. They finally turned their heads to look at me, then when they saw me, they started screaming.

"Hey, hey, stop, please," I said, flustered, holding up my finger to my lips to shush them. To my surprised relief, they listened to me and quieted down right away. As I stood around, unsure of what to do, the noise level came back up as each of them looked at me.

"Kyuhyun oppa!"

I was their oppa, so I guessed I was older. I nodded, then pressed my index finger to my lips again.

"Okay, okay," I said, but since I was older, the next time I spoke, it was in informal speech. "Okay. Please be quiet. How old are you girls?"

I heard several excited mutters of "sixteen" and "seventeen."

I nodded again. "I see. Why are you - uh - here?" I asked uncertainly.

"To see Heechul oppa," said one of them.

"Heechul oppa - I mean - Heechul hyung still needs rest from his injury," I said, shaking my head. I guessed I still wasn't awake. "He can't come out, guys. You have to go home. Your parents are probably worried sick."

"We can't go home," said one of the girls. I frowned.

"Why not?"

"We don't have money," said another.

I raised my eyebrows. "How did you get yourselves here?"

"Bus," said one of them.

I sighed. "The buses aren't running anymore, right?"

There was general assent, and as I hesitated, one of them said loudly, "Kyuhyun oppa, can I have a hug?" There was instantly another outburst of screams, and I quieted them down, holding up both of my hands.

"Wait, wait," I said quickly. "I'll be in trouble. And you'll be too, if you go home too late."

"We really can't, though," said another girl.

I closed my eyes and covered them with my hand. God, why were they here if they couldn't get themselves home?

"Okay," I concluded with a sigh. "I'll be right back. You have to promise to be quiet though, or I'm not going to be back, okay?"

The girls agreed, and after a "Shh" as a reminder, I made my way upstairs into the dorm again.

When I let myself into the dorm and walked into my room again, Donghae raised his head a tiny bit. "Did you send them home?"

I bit my lip as I dug through the pockets of the pants that I'd worn earlier that day. "No, go back to sleep," I said, then I retrieved my wallet.

I made my way downstairs again, and the girls were still standing where they were, being completely quiet.

"Okay," I said. "Do you guys live close to each other?"

There were several explanations at once, but after a while, I gathered that there were two groups of friends here.

"Guys, I don't have much money either, so you can't do this anymore, okay?" I said, then I opened up my cell phone to call for two cabs.

The cabs soon arrived, and I poked my head through the passenger seat to speak with the driver.

"How much are you expecting?" I asked, nervous.

Ther driver shrugged. "Maybe 90 000 won?"

Ugh, that was so much. I closed my eyes in exasperation, but then opened my eyes again. "For both of the cabs, right? And to take all of them to their doorsteps."

"Yes," he said with a nod, then I sighed and opened my wallet. I fiddled a little with the money to buy time, then I realized that extra time wouldn't get me to spend any less money.

"Okay," I said, then I pulled the money out of my wallet and handed it to the driver, who thanked me with a smile. I then faced the fans. "Please, please don't do this again," I pleaded. "We might have to move out if you keep coming here and making noise."

There were several nods and "we understand"s, and I opened the door of the taxi to let them in, but the girls held up a few boxes in wrapping paper.

"Can you give these to Heechul oppa?"

I sighed in frustration. God, I just spent so much money on Heechul's fans, and apparently, now I was Heechul's messenger boy. However, I nodded.

"Okay," I said, then I took the presents from the girls. "Have a safe trip home," I said, then as the taxis drove away, I made my way upstairs to the dorm again.

I stepped inside, and pulled open the door of the managers' room, where Heechul was sleeping for the night. Heechul raised his head from his pillow an inch.

"What is this?" he asked in annoyance, but I didn't even feel sorry that I interrupted his sleep.

"You and your wretched popularity owe me so much money," I muttered, then I dropped his presents by his bed and returned to my room, hoping that the next few hours would be of productive sleep.

*Author's note: #Happy25thKibum!!!!!!!!!!

:D