Joon sipped his water nervously as he waited for Mun Hyunsik.

The contentment brought on by his mattress shopping trip with Seungho had vanished, replaced by wary anticipation and anxiety.  Mun Hyunsik had graciously agreed to meet with him that same afternoon.  Seungho had insisted on coming along but Joon had refused and sent him home.  After all, he wasn’t sure what to expect from Mun Hyunsik and KTA… if they made him an offer that was less than ideal, Joon wanted some time to think about it before Seungho jumped in and refused on his behalf.

So he sat in the coffee shop, glancing out the window every few minutes.  Joon could barely remember what Mun Hyunsik looked like, only that he was a handsome fella.  He had the air of a celebrity and his professional appearance was captivating. 

Joon’s heart raced as he recognized a man approaching the shop.  It had to be him, Joon was sure of it.

Joon stood as Mun Hyunsik entered the coffee shop, glancing around until his eyes landed on Joon’s bowed figure.  With long strides, he was at the table in an instant and motioned for the two of them to sit down.

“Lee… Joon,” Hyunsik said, confirming the name, “Glad you called.”

“Th-Thank you for meeting me,” Joon said quickly, “I apprecia-”

Hyunsik dismissed his sentence and interrupted, “Don’t thank me.  I came to see you to make sure I wasn’t out of my mind when I gave you my card.”  He carefully scrutinized Joon’s face again, his eyes roaming from Joon’s hair down to his lips.  This gaze landed on the beauty mark at Joon’s neck and Hyunsik nodded to himself.  “I do have good taste,” he smirked as a waitress came by.  “Coffee, black,” he said, dismissing her with a wave.  He turned to Joon and tapped his fingers on the table.  “So,” he said, “You in?”

Taken aback by the man’s fast pace, Joon opened his mouth but was unsure of what to say. 

“I can’t read lips, kid,” Hyunsik said, impatiently tapping his fingers on the table, “What do you want to ask?”

“Ah,” Joon said, finding his voice, “Can… you tell me more about what I would do?”

“Nothing,” Hyunsik said simply, accepting the coffee from the waitress, “At least not for a while.  We need to get you… presentable first.”  He said the last word with a grimace as he looked at Joon.  “The way you are now, we’d have to pay magazines to take you,” he said, sipping the coffee, “Not how it works.”

“Magazines?” Joon said, letting the brutal honesty roll off of him, “I would be doing magazine shoots?”

“It depends, really,” Hyunsik said with a shrug, “Once we get you cleaned up, we’ll take some promotional shots and send it out to our usual clients.  If you’re lucky, you might get a catalogue gig within the month.”

“I don’t get paid until I get a gig right?” Joon asked. 

“That’s how it works,” Hyunsik nodded, taking another sip of his coffee.

Joon’s heart sank.  He needed money right away.  He couldn’t afford to wait a month… and that was if he even managed to get a job so soon.  Dara’s most recent payment issue was resolved due to Seungho transferring a portion of his savings to her account.  However, he had a tuition payment coming up…

“Can’t… can’t I do something sooner?” Joon asked, glancing hopefully at Hyunsik.

Hyunsik raised an eyebrow.  “What, you strapped for cash?” he asked, amused.

Joon frowned.  He didn’t see how any of this was amusing.  “Yes,” he said softly, his gaze falling to the glass of water in front of him, “I… I need money as soon as possible.”

“We’re not a charity, kid,” Hyunsik said, shrugging.

“I know that,” Joon murmured, sighing.  He had placed so much hope in this opportunity.  And now…

Hyunsik ran his fingers around the rim of his cup and stayed silent for a while.  After a few moments of contemplating, he stated as-a-matter-of-factly, “You’re not taking the job are you?”

Joon looked up, surprised.  As he’d thought, the man was sharp.  But was Joon really going to give this up?  Seungho’s tuition would be due sooner than a month… which meant there wasn’t a lot of time for Joon to get a gig.  And according to Hyunsik, getting a catalogue gig within a month was considered lucky.  Not to mention, Joon had no idea how much he would actually be paid as a newcomer.  It was likely to be insignificant and wouldn’t help Seungho at all.

“How much do you need?” Hyunsik asked bluntly, all amusement gone.  He stopped tapping his fingers and fixed his gaze on Joon.

“Eh?” Joon said, taken aback once again by the man’s pace.

“How much?” Hyunsik said, picking up his coffee.

Unsure of the amount, Joon could only reply, “Ah-One term’s tuition?”

“Tuition?” Hyunsik said, surprised, “I thought you said you weren’t in school?”

“It… It’s not for me,” Joon said tentatively, wanting to avoid bringing up Seungho’s name.  He wanted to keep him out of anything that might be of trouble to him later on.

“Hmm…” Hyunsik hummed, his eyes fixed on Joon, “Girlfriend?”

Joon’s eyes widened as he waved his hands.  “No,” he said quickly, “It’s not like that.  He’s… a good friend.”

“Well, whatever,” Hyunsik dismissed him, “I don’t really care.  Tuition you said right?”

Joon nodded, suddenly hopeful again.  Maybe this Hyunsik guy could pull some strings…?

Nodding, Hyunsik pulled out a chequebook from his inner jacket pocket and threw it on the table.  “Tell your friend to write down the amount,” he said cooly, “Bring it back to me and I’ll decide if I want to sign the cheque, deal?”

Joon’s jaw dropped.  Was he serious?  He was giving him a blank chequebook?  “Are…” Joon asked cautiously, “Are you serious?”

“I’m rich,” Hyunsik said, “But even I wouldn’t joke with my chequebook.”

“Why are you doing this?” Joon asked hesitantly.  Seungho had warned him about trusting others too easily.  If it seemed too good to be true, it probably was, Seungho had warned.

Hyunsik sighed and leaned into the table.  “You’re going to earn me a lot of money,” he said flatly, clasping his hands together, “I’m willing to invest in that.”

Joon watched as Hyunsik leaned back again in his chair and picked up his cup of coffee.  Sipping it, Hyunsik stared at him, waiting for him to accept the cheque.

Should he do it?  Joon stared at the chequebook.  What choice did he have?  He would never be able to earn enough money for the tuition fee with just his café job.  And now that Seungho had transferred his savings to Dara, it was a given that he would be quitting school if he couldn’t get enough money for the next tuition payment.

Determined, Joon reached out and accepted the chequebook.

“I… Thank you,” Joon murmured.

Again, Hyunsik dismissed it with a hand.  “Don’t thank me, kid,” he said, “I haven’t signed the cheque yet.  Bring back a number and we’ll see.”

Frowning, Seungho set down the eggs and pulled out his cellphone.  He scrolled through the contacts before realizing that Joon still didn’t have a cellphone.  Frustrated, he threw down the phone and picked up the eggs again, whisking them hazardously. 

What was taking him so long?  Joon had already been gone for two hours… how long did a meeting take?  Seungho poured the eggs into the hot pan and stirred viciously.  He froze mid-stir as he realized his irrational state of mind.  The kid had only been gone for two hours.  The bus ride to the coffee shop would probably take at least half an hour one-way. 

Sighing, Seungho set down the spatula and pinched the bridge of his nose.  What was wrong with him?  Why did he act this way?  It wasn’t as if Joon was his underaged daughter!  Still, the anxiety that irritated his mind was too much to ignore.  He could barely focus on making dinner and nearly burnt the chicken twice.  Joon needed a phone, Seungho decided.  He needed a phone so he could be reached at all times.  Who didn’t have a phone nowadays? 

He was snapped out of his thoughts as he heard the front door click open followed by the soft shuffling of Joon’s footsteps.  It was funny how Seungho could tell it was Joon from just his footsteps… although it probably helped that nobody else had the key to his house.

“You’re back?” Seungho called, turning down the heat on the stove.

“Yeah,” Joon replied as he walked into the kitchen.  Walking up to Seungho, Joon peeked over his shoulders.  “Chicken and eggs?” he asked, amused.

“Mmn,” Seungho said, glancing at him briefly, “It’s a family dinner.”

Grimacing at his joke, Joon went to the sink and washed his hands.

“So?” Seungho asked without turning around, “How’d it go?”  He grabbed a plate and scooped out the chicken stir-fry.  Turning around, he leaned against the counter as he waited for Joon to finish with the sink.

“It was good,” Joon said slowly, wiping his hands. 

Seungho raised an eyebrow as Joon avoided his eyes.  “Good…” he repeated, taking over the sink, “And?”

“And what?” Joon asked, still not looking at him.

“Lee Joon,” Seungho said firmly, setting the pan down in the sink and turning around to face him.  “Talk,” he ordered, crossing his arms.  Something didn’t smell right, and it wasn’t the food.

Sighing, Joon pulled out the blank chequebook and handed over to him.

Taking it, Seungho looked at it and frowned.  “What’s this?” he asked.

“It… I won’t be able to get a job right away so there won’t be any money soon.  Hyunsik-ssi is going to lend us some money first-” Joon said but was promptly cut off.

“No,” Seungho said, tossing the book onto the counter, “This sounds fishy.”

“Hyung,” Joon said, pulling on his sleeve, “Hear me out.”

“He’s up to no good,” Seungho muttered as he splashed water into the dirty pan.  He knew it; he should’ve gone with him.  He didn’t like the sounds of this Mun Hyunsik, especially the way he tried so hard to recruit Joon.

“Hyung…!” Joon said, pulling on his arm this time. 

Sighing, Seungho turned off the tap and faced him with crossed arms. 

“He’s just going to lend us some money in the short-term,” Joon reasoned, “He seemed really earnest-”

“You are terrible at reading people,” Seungho muttered.  Instantly, he regretted it as Joon bit his lip and dropped his gaze.  What a mean thing to say… “I’m sorry, Joon-ah,” Seungho said, sighing, “I just… I really don’t like getting personal loans from strangers.”

“I know,” Joon said, “But I really don’t like the idea of you quitting school.  It just doesn’t make sense!”  He grabbed the chequebook off the counter and pushed it towards Seungho.  “I think we can trust him.  Besides… he’s from KTA; they’re very reputable!”

Seungho looked at the chequebook again.  It… seemed too good to be true.  And his experience told him things like this were usually too good to be true for a reason.  He glanced at Joon’s pleading eyes.  “I still don’t think-” he started but was quickly cut off by Joon.

“Please,” Joon murmured, look his hands as laid resting on Seungho’s crossed arms, “Please let me do something for you.”  He looked up and gazed into Seungho’s eyes.

Seungho felt his heart speed up at the eye contact.  The sincerity in Joon’s eyes was so pure that it made him feel like he was looking at the eyes of an innocent child.  He felt himself being drawn in… and it unnerved him. 

Taking a step back and breaking contact with Joon, Seungho cleared his throat and took the chequebook.  “I… Okay,” he finally agreed, “But the next time you meet him, I’m going with you.”

Joon opened his mouth to protest but Seungho quickly cut him off.

“I’m going,” he said firmly, waving the chequebook.  He was satisfied when Joon bit his lip and nodded obediently.

Tonight was going to be the first night he shared his bed with Joon… and he was nervous.  He couldn’t really understand why either, since he was just sharing space on his bed with another guy.  It wasn’t like there was any intimacy involved… so why did he feel like a little school girl about to give up her ity?

Frustrated with himself, Seungho brushed his teeth.  If he didn’t get a hold of himself, Joon would start to think he was erted.  Which, Seungho thought as he rinsed his mouth, was just totally absurd.  He wasn’t erted… right?  He was just experiencing weird feelings because of all this financial stress.  Besides… he was Dara’s ex-boyfriend.

Dara… Seungho hadn’t thought about her like that in a while.  It’s true he had once loved her but… he was so young at the time that he questioned if he really knew what love was.  Sure, he felt attractions to Dara but they had kept things non-physical due to Seungho’s young age.  Did Seungho ever feel the need to touch her?  He couldn’t remember.  He remembered the need to take care of her, to be in her presence, and to see her smile… but did he ever feel any physical attractions towards her?  Dara was beautiful; there was no doubt in his mind.  But… did he ever brush his fingers through her hair?  Or touch her neck?  The same way he had touched Joon?

Seungho shook his head as he tried to clear his mind.  His thoughts certainly weren’t helping with his predicament.  He was thinking too much and blowing things way out of proportion.  Taking a deep breath, he opened the bathroom door and walked out to the living room.  Tonight was simple, he reasoned with himself.  It would be no different from sharing his apartment.

Seungho couldn’t help but sigh in exasperation when he saw Joon lay out his pillow and comforters on the couch.

“Yah,” Seungho said, both amused and irritated.  He had been worrying about sleeping in the same bed this whole time while Joon had no thoughts of the sort.  This kid… “What are you doing?” he asked, walking over and pointing to the covers.

“Hyung, I’m-” Joon started but was cut off.

“Joon-ah,” Seungho said, “You really don’t want to sleep with me?”

“It’s not that,” Joon said, exasperated himself, “I just don’t want to intrude any more than I already have.”

“Intrude?” Seungho repeated incredulously, “I’m the one that invited you.”  As much as he was worried about this, his stubbornness was still stronger that he insisted on Joon joining him in his bed.  Reaching down, he grabbed Joon’s pillow.  “Come on,” he said as if he was herding cows back into the barn.  He inwardly chuckled as Joon nodded shyly and followed him into his room.

Setting Joon’s pillow down beside his, Seungho waited for him to get in.  However, Joon stood rooted beside the bed as if he was waiting for Seungho to get in first.  Sighing at the ridiculous atmosphere, Seungho crawled into bed first, his heart beating fast.  He was being silly.  Why so nervous?

Hesitantly, Joon crawled in after him.  Turning off the lamp, Seungho laid on his back as the darkness filled the room.  A small stream of moonlight seeped through the curtains, lighting up the room just enough to see dark shadows.

Seungho stared at the ceiling as his heart thudded in his chest.  He could feel Joon do the same beside him as the two laid there, stiff as a log.

Clearing his throat, Seungho tried to cut the tension.  “Relax,” he said, both to Joon and himself, “Don’t be so nervous.”

“Hmn,” Joon responded, shifting slightly. 

Seungho felt his heart speed up as he heard the sheets slide with Joon’s movement.  What was wrong with him?  Closing his eyes, Seungho willed himself to sleep.  He was being absolutely ridiculous and his own responses irritated him.  Seungho tried counting sheep in his head.  He got to nearly six hundred before he gave up in frustration.  Again, he tried to think of his favourite song.  When that didn’t work, he tried to distract himself by thinking of school and his lectures.  He heard and felt Joon shift again beside him but Seungho kept his eyes closed, pretending he was asleep.

After what seemed like an eternity, Seungho opened his eyes and frowned at the ceiling.  He was wide awake and unlikely to fall asleep any time soon.

He paused, however, as he suddenly noticed the deep breathing coming from Joon.  Turning his head slowly, Seungho glanced at the boy.  He let out a silent laugh in amusement as he stared. 

Joon was fast asleep.  He had to his side and now faced Seungho as he cradled his arms across his chest, his head leaning in to it.  His face was half buried in the pillows and his hair was tousled across the pillow.  Slowly, his breaths came out deep and slow with his mouth slightly open.

Unable to look away, Seungho unconsciously shifted his own weight to the side so that he also faced Joon.  Placing an arm underneath his head, he stared at Joon’s peaceful face.  Was this how he looked when he fell asleep? 

Seungho’s gaze took in as much as he could in the darkness.  Joon’s long lashes rested on his cheeks, occasionally fluttering as he dreamed.  His lips were parted as he breathed deeply.  Slowly, Seungho reached out and brushed Joon’s bangs out of his eyes.  Unable to resist, his finger trailed down Joon’s cheek to his jawline… all the way down to his chin. 

Joon’s soft breathing acted as a soother for Seungho.  As he gazed at Joon’s sleeping face, he felt himself relax.  Just before he fell asleep, he found himself wondering if his infatuation was really only just an infatuation.

Author's Notes:

Couldn't resist putting up another chapter so quickly!  I really wanted to write the bed scene with SeungJoon ♥  

As a side note, I've recently learned that upvotes allows my story to be spread faster!  On that note, please upvote for my story so that it can spread to more readers!!  Thanks again!!