Kyuhyun yawned, mussing his already-messy chestnut hair. He was sitting inside the cafeteria with Sungmin, only half-listening to Zhoumi chattering on and on about the outfits for his second semester fashion show. After getting back from work, he'd had to finish the piano composition that was due today and, as a result of limited time and much procrastination, had ended up sleeping for only an hour and a half. Again, he cursed his parents as the reason for his taking nine courses this year.

By his first year of middle school*, Kyuhyun had been fed up with his parents' constant nagging at both him and each other. He'd ended up living more out of his house than in, crashing at his best friend Changmin's place after school, where they'd studied together and played videogames and talked mischief, and from where, when the next morning came, they'd walked to school side by side. An assortment of Kyuhyun's clothes, books, and, of course, videogames had even accumulated and taken their place among Changmin's things.

Changmin's parents hadn't minded; they'd understood Kyuhyun's situation and reserved for him a welcoming spot in their family. At first, they'd resisted allowing Kyuhyun to stay at their house (and away from his) so often, but had relented upon discovering that Kyuhyun just stayed over anyway, smuggled by Changmin through the basement window.

Man, he missed his best friend.

The crazy guy was currently studying at Konkuk University, which was a good hour's worth of transit that could not be salvaged in either students' busy schedule. But that was why Kyuhyun had decided to hurry up and graduate college (and officially move out of his parents' house), so that he and Changmin could live together. Not that they were... like that or anything. No, of course not. They were best friends, period. And when they were finally out of college, they'd look for positions as music teachers in Seoul.

Kyuhyun's wistful thoughts were interrupted as Zhoumi said impatiently, "Are you listening, Kui Xian?" (Zhoumi was a transfer student from China, and, though he could speak fluent Korean, broke into his native tongue from time to time.)

"Yeah, yeah. Something about pink leotards and brown eyes?" Kyuhyun feigned interest.

Zhoumi eyed Kyuhyun, continuing slowly, "Yes. I'm looking for a model who has brown eyes and perfect skin to fit my leotard, but I haven't found anyone suitable yet."

Sungmin interjected, "Well, seeing that this is Korea, and that the majority of the population has brown eyes, it shouldn't be too difficult, should it?"

Kyuhyun snickered and added, "Not to mention, you're in the fashion department. There should be plenty of girls with nice skin there, right?"

Zhoumi continued, frustrated, "Well, that's the problem! I've been searching and searching, but I just can't-"

"Hi, Zhoumi!"

Kyuhyun looked up and was momentarily stunned. Then, he grinned. "Zhoumi, I think I've found your model."

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Jinri blushed. Model? What was Kyuhyun talking about?

She'd recognized the attractive store clerk from across the cafeteria and had promptly dragged her friends over to say hi. Zhoumi, of course, had only been a convenient excuse.

"Jinri! I can't believe I didn't think of you sooner! You HAVE to be a model for my fashion show! Please please please!!!"

The pretty girl yelped as the stressed fashionista pounced on her, nearly knocking her into Amber, who scowled and moved away. Amber, a junior like Kyuhyun, was in finance and headed the school's karate club.

"Is this for your fashion show?" asked Victoria. The college senior was a double major in teaching and fashion, and shared classes with both Zhoumi and Kyuhyun.

"Yeah, I've been looking everywhere for a model with perfect skin and brown eyes, and you have both! PLEASE, Jinri!!!"

Jinri glanced at Kyuhyun, unsure. He shrugged and smiled, saying, "He's only going to pester you endlessly if you don't."

The girl sighed, defeated. "Fine. But on one condition...."

"Yes, yes! Anything! I'll do it!" Zhoumi practically screamed.

"Not just you. Your friends too."

Sungmin raised an eyebrow and Kyuhyun asked, "Us?"

"Yeah. All three of you have to appear in my fashion show in return."

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Kyuhyun said goodbye to his friends and swung his backpack over one shoulder, heading toward the bookstore. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, trying to stay calm.

After Jinri had stated her ultimatum, the full brunt of Zhoumi's smothering attention had been showered upon the other two boys. Sungmin had agreed fairly quickly, only demanding that Zhoumi treat them to kimchi and pink cake. Kyuhyun, on the other hand, had hesitated.

He wasn't entirely sure why. He'd never been overly self-conscious, and he knew he wasn't bad-looking (judging by the fact that he'd always received more Valentine's Day chocolates than the other guys), but there was something about strutting back and forth onstage in front of dozens of giggling girls that didn't exactly strike his fancy, if you knew what he meant. He'd just always thought of fashion as Zhoumi's department.

In the end, he'd consented. But only after Zhoumi had offered him the newest edition of Starcraft.

Kyuhyun looked up and saw that he had reached the bookstore. Another two hours, and he could go home to a hot shower and a warm bed.

The exhausted college boy opened the door and was promptly knocked out by something hard and very, very heavy.

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Kyuhyun groggily opened his eyes, wondering why everything was so blurry and why his head hurt so much.

"Kyuhyun are you okay? I'm really sorry!" someone was shouting in his ear. He flinched.

"Ah! Sorry," the person apologized again, in a softer voice, "How's your head?"

Kyuhyun sat up and blinked, finally focusing on the face in front of him. Choi Siwon. Of course. He attempted a smile, joking, "It's fine, but if you keep this up, I might have to go to the hospital very soon."

With his head still pounding, Kyuhyun shifted into a crouching position and saw the two-thousand-page dictionary that had nearly blasted his head off just moments before. "How did such a big book, uh... fly?"

Siwon cleared his throat, abashed. "Well, Halmoni was organizing the donated books, and she needed me to move this to the 'Sale' section. And then on the way here, I um... well, I tripped." He scratched the back of his head.

Kyuhyun laughed. Who knew such a suave guy could be so clumsy? He grinned, saying, "Don't worry about it. I'm fine- whoa!"

He'd started to stand up, but had immediately felt a wave of nausea roll over him, his vision blacking out for a few seconds. When he could think again, Kyuhyun was aware of Siwon holding his shoulders, heat radiating from the taller man's hands to his body.

"I'm okay, I just need a few-"

"Choi Siwon, what is taking you so long?!"

Halmoni burst from the back room to see the two men close together, the forgotten dictionary on the floor. Startled, Kyuhyun quickly stepped away from Siwon, and before he could think about why, he was overcome by yet another bombardment of pain. He clasped his hands to his head.

"Oh! Kyuhyun are you okay?" Halmoni said, while rushing to the injured boy's side. She whipped around to face the other male, who was looking at Kyuhyun with worry. "What did you do to him, Siwon?!"

Recovering, Kyuhyun gently pushed the old lady away and said, "Don't worry, Halmoni, I'm okay. It was just an accident."

Halmoni Siwon. "Yah! You; never careful, always clumsy! Even when you were a child, you always bumbled about! If you tried to wash the dishes, you'd break the dishwasher; if you tried to make pancakes, you'd burn a hole in the pan! I don't know how you've managed to keep your father's company going for this long and-"

Kyuhyun cleared his throat, uncomfortable. Yesterday, when he'd met Siwon, Halmoni had introduced the tall man as her grandson, whom she had raised as a child. There'd been no mention of parents, and Kyuhyun had just assumed that it wasn't a comfortable topic. As if he didn't know what that was like. However, being in the middle of what seemed like a heated family argument was not something he wanted to do, especially not in addition to the bump he was sure was swelling on his head.

"Ah, are you sure you're okay?" Halmoni returned to fretting over Kyuhyun. "Maybe you should go home and rest for today. Siwon will drive you to your apartment." She glared at the guilty man once more. "Make sure you don't get in an accident on the way there, alright?"

Kyuhyun tried to protest, but was instead ushered out the door by the still-worrying old lady, a watchful Siwon close behind.

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Outside the store, Siwon looked at Kyuhyun and smiled. "My car's over this way."

"No, really, I can walk home by myself."

"Halmoni insists, so therefore, I insist."

What a gentleman, Kyuhyun thought sarcastically, but out loud, he said, "That old lady is stubborn."

"So are you."

Kyuhyun eyed Siwon.

"If you're not going to come with me, I'll have to pick you up and drive you home by force."

"Do you even know where I live?"

"Doesn't matter. I'll just take you to my place then."

For some reason, Siwon's last comment made Kyuhyun blush.

"Fine. You can drive me home. But one word of advice?"

Siwon raised an eyebrow.

"Don't. Crash."