“Changmin! Yah! I need a favor right now. Stop stuffing your face, I can hear you chew for the love of God.” Kyuhyun yelled into his cellphone irritatedly, pacing back and forth once again across the orchestra room.

“Maknae are you even listening to me? Changmin!!!” the cellist whined unattractively like a pouting teenage girl, unconsciously freaking out Henry and Kibum who had snuck into the orchestra room when he didn’t notice.

After all, it was easy to escape his attention, the dark haired man too busy drooling after Sungmin to pay attention to anyone else.

The blonde boy, after much hesitation and staring at the floor, had muttered a quiet yes to Kyuhyun’s invitation, much to the evident glee of the other. The boy had immediately flushed an adorable shade of pink, making Kyuhyun want to squeal and just gather the blonde up in his arms as if he was a new born bunny. Of course, to maintain his self-described “cool and collected” image, the taller man managed to stop himself from grabbing the shorter and hugging him to death, instead opting to flash him a suave smile and a promise to pick him up at 6.

Sungmin couldn’t meet his eyes even once after agreeing to the date, the shy boy biting his lips and pouting slightly as he stuttered a quick good bye as he had to go to class. Both of them standing up awkwardly, Kyuhyun scratched his head and waved his arms around, stammering that he needed to pack up his cello and such and for the other to go on ahead. The blonde quickly nodded, hiding his cherry red face behind his hands as he quickly hurried out the room.

Once Sungmin was out the door, Kyuhyun immediately collapsed on his chair and flailed his long arms around, looking oddly like the love child of a windmill and an insane octopus.

“Oh yes Kyuhyun, you are the best. I am the best.” He grinned as he flopped his arms to semi-resemble the famous 2NE1 dance.

It was at this point that Henry and Kibum almost fell out of their chair trying to hold in their laughs. Oh they always had such a good show when Dorky Kyu made his appearance. All they needed now was some popcorn and a soda.

Pausing mid arm-flail, Kyuhyun pursed his lips in thought.

“I don’t know what we’re doing for the date yet.” He mused aloud, tapping his chin lightly with his index finger. “Yea I haven’t thought about i-“

“The date is today hyung! In 6 hours too, aren’t you excited?” Henry piped up helpfully from the back of the orchestra room where the tubas usually sat.

“It’s today. It’s TODAY. IT’S TODAY. OH MY GOD! What am I going to do? I have nothing planned out.” Kyuhyun ranted frantically, ignoring the presence of his dongsaeng.

“You could take him to a Symphony concert.” Kibum suggested, tossing out the idea to the now-rambling cellist.

“A concert, that’s what I could do. That’s brilliant! Oh Kyuhyun, you’re such a genius.” The man patted himself on the back as he congratulated himself on the save.

Kibum and Henry rolled their eyes simultaneously. Sometimes the two of them just wanted to give the man a good punch to the stomach.

“Concert. Where can I get concert tickets. Aish, everything is on such short notice.” Kyuhyun groaned as he resumed his pacing. Their city was very big on music, and concert venues were always packed to the brim whenever their Symphony played. There was basically no chance for one to get tickets unless it was reserved weeks ahead of time. Especially during February. All sorts of music events used their city as a convention center and musicians could be seen everywhere in the arts section of the city, running from one tutoring clinic to a wind ensemble concert in rushed steps. It was a big festival of a sort and everyone was swept up in the frenzy.

Everyone, except a now dejected Kyuhyun. Not being the social sort, he never bothered picking up concert tickets and was now regretting that decision whole heartedly.

However, just as before, Henry once again saved Kyuhyun from a lifetime of sadness and depression.

“Hyung, what about your friend Changmin? Isn’t he the son of the Symphony conductor? His family is bound to have reserved seats for the performance and I heard they’re performing today at 6, exactly when your date is supposed to be right?”

“Changmin. Yes yes yes! That’s perfect! I’ll call him right now!” Kyuhyun shouted obliviously to the wall, still ignoring his pouting dongsaeng’s presence behind his back.  

Quickly scrolling down his short list of contacts, the cellist grinned as he pressed the call button.

“Oh I am such a genius for not keeping the phone numbers those girls keep slipping into my number. They would’ve kept me a few more seconds away from securing my date with Minnie!”

Henry and Kibum facepalmed. Sometimes, Kyuhyun was just a bit much.

Watching as his long-time friend went through progressing levels of irritation as the call connected, Henry couldn’t help but giggle. Irritated Kyuhyun was like a rabid squirrel that just got its tail pulled, cranky and amusing to no end.

Leaning back into his chair and propping his foot up on the stand before him, Henry sighed contentedly.

This was even better than watching Lee Minho’s perm get curlier and curlier with every episode of Boys Over Flowers.

Kyuhyun sighed. Oh for just once could his lackadaisical friend just be alert and attentive? It was urgent matter here! Kyuhyun didn’t pick up his cellphone and call people just randomly after all.

“Bro, chill.” A suave voice smoothly replied in his ear, chuckling lightly at the other man’s frustrations.

“What got your all in a twist? You usually don’t call me unless you’re in dire need of some bro time. Do you need some loving from your ‘Kyu-line’?”

Kyuhyun mentally facepalmed. Clearly Changmin had been spending too much time watching American TV shows and now used American slang like it was the best thing ever.

But no, he didn’t have time to deal with his friends antics now. He had serious business to take care of.

“Yah Min. I need concert tickets to your dad’s performance tonight. Give me now.”

He could almost hear the smirk on the other’s lips as the line paused for a second.

“What’s the sudden interest in the Symphony now? My dad offered you a position there but last time I checked, you turned it down so you could stay at that stupid school of yours.”

Kyuhyun rolled his eyes. “Yes and my statement still stands. Now I just need concert tickets. Don’t waste time with your stupid talk Min.”

On the other line, Changmin almost burst out laughing.

“Now I just can’t help but be more curious. I know it’s not for the music. You’ve heard and even played Salut d’Amour multiple of times yourself. What’s the sudden interest Kyu?”

“Fine, if you have to know, I have a date and that’s why I need the tickets. Happy now?” Kyuhyun told the chuckling man begrudgingly. Now he’d never hear the end of it.

He had met Changmin at a music camp they both attended in 7^th grade, the latter being there for conducting practice with Kyuhyun as the principal solo cellist of the orchestra as per usual.

The two immediately bonded over their mutual fondness of playing practical jokes on others behind their backs and were known as the troublesome duo even long after camp had ended. Not a day went by without at least one of the student assistants or adult supervisors having spit valves or rosin dust dumped on them but what could they do about it?

The 2 of them were too devious to be caught in the act, the directors being forced to be content with silent glares directed towards the mischievous brats.

Just like Kyuhyun, Changmin had been trained from the start to follow in his parents’ footsteps, his dad being a world famous conductor and his mother a highly acclaimed soprano.

While many had praised him for having a beautiful voice since he was a toddler, Changmin’s parents had always politely smiled and said that the boy was meant to be a conductor. His bony long fingers were perfect for wrapping around a tapered baton and after all, a conductor could have the fame a tenor never could even dream of having.

Zoning out on the other man’s rambling on the phone, Kyuhyun dimly remembered the two of them bitterly sharing similar stories about their parents after camp rehearsals were over, the 2 of them huddled under a giant tuba case so that no one could find them. They were the same after all, children forced to live for their parents’ glory, when all they wanted was just their parents’ approval.

Kyuhyun smiled wanly.

Even now the two of them were still the same, both still confined in the molds their parents had set for them since birth, following a path in life that they had no hand in writing themselves.  

He hadn’t talked to Changmin in quite a while since high school started, their conversation today once again reminding Kyuhyun of his station in life.

Puppets. That’s all they were. Puppets without a life of their own.

“Yah, Kyu, are you still there?” An irritated voice snapped Kyuhyun out of his depressing revelry.

“Yea. Yea I am.” Kyuhyun replied, the previous spark in his voice gone as he stared at his hands.

The voice softened. “Hey, I got you your tickets. The best in the house reserved for family members of the musicians only. You’re lucky my mom is sick of watching Dad perform today.”

A small smile twitched on Kyuhyun’s face. Today was not the day to dwell on his family situation.

Sungmin had nothing to do with that. Sungmin was everything his family was not.

The boy was warm. He was caring.

He gave Kyuhyun a chance after all.

Fondly holding his cellphone, Kyuhyun went back to his usual snappy self, the slump in his shoulders gone and replaced with a bouncing enthusiasm towards his evening plans.

“Thanks Min. I owe you one alright?”

Changmin smiled.

“You bet you do. Now go get your date. I’m expecting an introduction tonight because I’m going to be guest conducting the later pieces. Find me in the balconies later okay?”

Kyuhyun groaned.

Just great.

A meeting with Changmin.

On his first date with his bunny. 

Well this isn’t going to end well.  

AN: First of all apologies for not updating in FOREVER :'( But once again, school and orchestra are my excuses. Those 2 things I love with a passion but they've been screwing with my sleep schedule for the past few weeks (actually I should be doing World History notes instead of writing this right now lol all nighter lets go =.=") but YAY for dorky!Kyu this chapter :) and introduction of Changmin. I actually haven't seen much of TVXQ so I'm afraid my character probably has no resemblance what so ever to the real person. 
FINALLY thanks to everyone who subscribed, commented, and upvoted <3 I feel so loved and will try to write and update a bit more often now that SPRING BREAK IS 2 WEEKS AWAY <3