Even though Kibum knew, his heart still got a small shock the next morning when he came down the stairs and found Minho behind the coffee machine, finishing an order. Well, maybe he hadn’t known. He seriously thought it all had been a dream when he woke up and had slightly dreaded going down to find only Sunny or Mir. Minho looked up at him as he took the last step and smiled.

“Good morning.”

Kibum opened and closed his mouth a few times, feeling brain-dead. He didn’t know how to react at all to this Minho. He felt a little stab in his heart when he realized that he didn’t really know who he was now, even though he seemed the same.

“G-good morning.” Kibum greeted him awkwardly, cheeks getting pink, before rushing inside the kitchen to get his breakfast, his mind spinning.

Sunny looked up at him from her position at one of the two workbenches where she was making sandwiches and smiled.

“Good morning, your breakfast is over there.” She pointed to the small table in the corner where they would sit during their breaks.

“Thank you.” Kibum said gratefully and hurried to eat his breakfast, helping Sunny finish making the food when he was done to get more time to ready himself for an entire day with Minho in the small space behind the counter.

Sunny gave him a few glances while they worked, but didn’t comment. She always seemed to know how Kibum was feeling and he was grateful that she always also seemed to know how to make him feel better or more comfortable. Because instead of asking him questions he couldn’t answer she was talking eagerly about her nephew and his first steps that he had taken just the day before, which enabled Kibum to listen in peace, commenting every now and then, and calm his mind.

However, that didn’t last for as long as he had wanted since Sunny had done almost everything already. After having dragged out the time as much as he could, Kibum braced himself, put on a smile and went to join Minho behind the counter. They were almost at rush hour, which meant lots of office workers needing their morning coffee and that Kibum couldn’t leave the other alone to tend to all those customers.

Minho gave him another smile as he joined him behind the cash register and Kibum felt his stomach twist a little. He was the one and the same but yet so different.

Was this the way he would have been if he hadn’t been cursed?

The bell over the door rung, announcing the arrival of a new customer before Kibum could say anything. He took his position behind the coffee machine while Minho took the order, giving it to Kibum when it had been paid. Then the taller quietly watched as he made the coffee, well he had asked to watch since he wanted to learn how to do more figures on the foam, and it made Kibum squirm slightly. There was so much he wanted to say. So much to ask. And yet all he could do was rebuilding what he had received back then and pretend he didn’t know Minho, for his sake as well as Kibum’s. Suddenly Kibum was glad that the coffee machine was making enough noise for him to be quiet instead of trying to be heard over it, thus making him swallow all that threatened to spill out of him.

“By the way, where’s Mir?” Minho asked when Kibum had finished pouring the foamed milk into a mug and was now applying chocolate sauce on it in small dots.

Kibum glanced up at him, his tongue between his teeth and his brow furrowed in concentration.

“He has classes today.” He mumbled and added: “At university. Why?”

Minho shrugged.

“He was friendly.” He seemed to realize something as he looked at the dots Kibum had just finished. “Not that you’re not friendly, I didn’t mean that. I think you’re fun too…”

Kibum rolled his eyes but a faint smile was playing on his lips.

Talkative and friendly Minho? That was better than sad and reserved Minho.

“You certainly have become more sociable.” He muttered under his breath to himself while twisting a toothpick in some chocolate sauce to make a flower.

“What?” Minho asked absentmindedly, staring at Kibum's work.

“What?” Kibum echoed, looking up at him startled. He hadn’t thought that Minho would hear that.

“You think I’m more sociable?” He said, looking up from the cup in Kibum's hands and examining his face with an interested glint in his eyes. “How do you know?”

Kibum cleared his throat awkwardly.

“Well…” He cleared his throat again. “It’s just that I got the impression that… you usually keep yourself in the background?”

His explanation came out as a question and he swallowed nervously. Minho stared at him incredulously.

How in the world was he going to explain this?

“You’re right…” He said slowly after a few moments. “I’m usually more reserved. But I try really hard not to be now.”

Kibum looked at him curiously. “Why?”

“Ah, well… my father owns a company and I’m supposed to take over when he retires, so… I applied to work here to improve my people skills.”

“Oh?”

Minho nodded. “I want to be a good boss, so…”

Kibum smiled at him and pushed the cup over. He took it, also smiling, and hurried to the table the customer had taken.

Was he really the same Minho? He might just be a look-alike…

Kibum's smile faltered slightly and he bit his lip to stop the tears. It didn’t matter. He couldn’t live in the past. That time was never coming back.

“Then when do you have classes?” Minho asked as he returned.

Kibum was torn out of his thoughts that only seemed to go in the circle of ‘is he the same?’ and looked down at his hands embarrassedly.

“I can’t… afford going to university.” He almost whispered, face heating slightly. He only had enough to live through the day. And as much as Sunny wanted to help him he refused anything that exceeded the salary and was happy to keep an eye on the café during nighttime.

He saw Minho shift uncomfortably out of the corner of his eye.

“I’m sorry.” He said lowly and Kibum looked up at him in surprise. “You must think I’m some rich prick, now.”

Kibum shook his head. ‘I know you’re not’ he almost said but stopped himself.

“Would a rich prick want to be a good boss?” He asked instead, smiling again.

“I guess not.” Minho laughed and tilted his head getting a curious gaze. “But what would you have wanted to study if you could?”

Kibum wrinkled his nose. He had never talked about it. Before he had met everyone a year ago he hadn’t really thought about it, but afterwards there was something he wanted to do, to create in some sort of memory and last goodbye.

“Architecture.” He answered with a slight smile.

Minho nodded interestedly. “That’s cool. How come?”

Kibum contemplated on telling him. It still felt slightly personal. But still, it was Minho. He was a part of the reason even though he probably never would know.

“Because I want to create houses that are light, warm and welcoming.” His smile grew as he continued. “Houses that don’t make you feel lonely when you’re alone and houses that still make you feel free although you’re surrounded by walls and roofs.”

Minho's eyes lit up. “I would buy one of those!”

Kibum's face stretched out in a big smile.

One of those would be for you.

“Tank you. But that’ll probably not happen for a long time.” Kibum laughed. “So, how about you? What’re you studying?”

Minho grimaced slightly. “International business and economics.”

“That sounds… Interesting.” Kibum didn’t know enough about that subject to comment on it, so he settled for ‘interesting’.

Minho chuckled. “If by interesting you mean boring, I agree. I already know most of the things they keep going on about.”

Kibum laughed again.

“No, really.” Minho said amusedly. “My father has already taught me half the stuff I read now and the rest I’ve seen with my own eyes. But he still wants me to get a proper education.”

“Should I feel sorry or happy for you?” Kibum asked, still chuckling.

Minho wrinkled his nose with a smile. “Both.”

They smiled at each other. Then the rush hour started and suddenly the small café was filled with people, needing their morning coffee, which meant that Kibum and Minho became too busy to talk to each other about other things than the orders.

When the worst of the morning rush finally was over and the clock ticked towards lunch Kibum decided to refill their cheesecake-brownie squares. That’s why he didn’t see the new customer entering, what with half of his body inside the displaying case to reach the place he needed to put the plate.

“Hyung!” He heard Minho say in surprise and turned slightly, heartbeat increasing.

Hyung?

“Hi, Minho!” A smooth voice answered and Kibum immediately shot up, hitting his head so hard against the glass that it should have shattered into a million pieces. He grabbed it with a whimper and squirmed out of the glass case carefully.

He knew that voice!

“Kibum?” Minho said worriedly and put a hand on his arm.

“I’m alright!” He reassured hastily and turned, now fully seeing their new customer.

Jinki looked at him worriedly and Kibum almost expected him to reach over the counter to examine his head, as he would have done a year ago. He had to suppress the words that flew up his throat and pressed his lips together to not say anything unnecessary while Minho took the liberty to examine the back of his head.

“What are you doing here Hyung?” Minho asked when he was sure Kibum was okay and Jinki turned his attention back to the taller, having watched Kibum with a serious expression.

“I’m done for the day.” He answered and turned back to Kibum. “Are you sure you’re okay? You don’t feel dizzy or need stitches?”

He did feel dizzy. But it was not because of the impact with the glass. Minho rolled his eyes at Jinki.

“I already checked and he’s fine.” He turned to Kibum as well. “Jinki-Hyung is a med-school student and because of that he worries about every little thing.”

“U… huh…” Kibum swallowed hard, not all that surprised about his choice of studies. “I-I’m fine. Really.”

Jinki's brows furrowed slightly, but he nodded. Kibum's knees suddenly felt all weak and he had to sink to the floor, pretending to look for something he had dropped while the other two continued their conversation.

“How did you know I was here?” He heard Minho ask.

Jinki laughed. “You know, I don’t have neighbors for nothing. Besides, I thought I could get a discount since I’m a friend.”

Minho scoffed playfully. “Yeah right. Like I’m going to do that.”

Kibum crawled a little further under the counter, trying to hide the tears welling up in his eyes at the familiarity of hearing both of their voices together.

“Are you alone?” Minho continued.

“Yeah.” Jinki sighed. “The other’s were too busy at the moment.”

Kibum flinched and then froze.

The others… Could it…?

The tears in his eyes spilled over and he fought to sniffle as soundlessly as he could. He didn’t want to get his hopes up but it kept on being ignited as that sentence run through his mind again and again.

“What?” Minho said disbelievingly. “I know that two of them aren’t for a fact, one of which I forbid to come here.”

“Oh, yeah.” Jinki laughed. “I was there! He looked so deflated when you hung up on him yesterday.”

“Well, he loves to make my life harder.” Minho muttered. “And he doesn’t want to come when others are here, because you know…”

Jinki chuckled. “Anyway, I think Taemin is coming soon at least. He just texted me.”

Minho's response was lost to Kibum as his heart stopped and his mind stuck on repeat.

Taemin? TAEMIN?!

Kibum’s brain was sent into overload and he fainted.

A/N: Mmmh... this is chpter two... mmmmmhhhhh.... @_@

They took my blood today!!! O_O Haha, just kidding xP But yes, I lost blood as I gave blood today and hmm... It feels weird...

Anyway... Wait, I just realised that Kibum fainted in the second chapter of Beutiful People as well! Dang it! :/ Oh well...

And do any of you know now who the one on the phone was? *wink wink*

Also, to all of you actually reading the author's note (I know I'm too lazy to sometimes) I was wondering about a backround image :s Would it be... what to call it... funnier if I had one? Because I thought about it, but I don't know... If any of you have an idea feel free to share! ^_^

O-keh! Now I want to say my thanks to all of you subscribers, commenters and readers! I love you! Hugs and kisses! <3

Bye~! :D

(Excuse me for being weird, but I seriously feel strange...)