YOSEOB POV

 

I yawned as I let myself out of Yesung and G.O's apartment the next morning. I had never woken up this early. I was pretty much sleeping as I walked to Blithe, the sun not even of yet. But Blithe was probably just as energetic as yesterday. Maybe Dongwoon's screaming could wake me up, I mused. That thought brought a smile to my face. Like the thought of going back to Blithe had made me smile last night, after I had gotten home. Yesung had seemed happy to see me smile. Maybe those dark circles were because of me. What was weird is that after what had happened with him, I had seen his face everywhere, and had never gone longer than 10 minutes without hearing his voice, even in my dreams, but in Blithe, a whole hour had past without one thought of him. It seemed like a blessing. I wanted to forget about him. Not only for me, now, but for Yesung to. I didn't like to see Yesung so unhappy. G.O, I had learned, was almost never at the apartment. Yesung said he's in a band. He said their called MBLAQ. Yesung said he's gonna take me to one of their little concerts one time. 

 

I used my new keys to let myself in the door of Blithe. The lights were on low, but the place was empty. They were probably upstairs. I let myself into the kitchen, feeling like I was gonna get jumped on any minute by a ninja hiding in the shadows. That thought just creeped me out more, and I started to speed walk across the kitchen. 

 

"HEY HYUNG!" 

 

"AHHHHHHH!!!" I screamed, then clamped a hand over my mouth in embarrassment when I realized it was just Dongwoon, who was now cracking up next to me, literally holding his stomach. 

 

"Yah!" I gave him a little slap on the head. "Do you want me to have a heart attack?" 

 

Still laughing, he could only shake his head as he lead me to the others. 

 

Up the flight of stairs, through a door, was a whole other world than the dark, quiet downstairs of Blithe. The room that I had seen with Henry yesterday, the baking room, was full of people, all of whom I recognized. There was T.K, again threatening his hyungs, but now with a mixer thing. Baekhyun and Chanyeol were having a contest, from the looks of it, to see who could frost cupcakes faster, and one of the long tables were covered in the little cakes as the two best friends, I guessed, frosted perfectly each and every cupcake. People were decorating, mixing the batter, putting cakes in and out of the ovens, and were talking. Loud. I knew Blithe was a loud place, but in a confined area, combined with music blasting, made the noise almost unbearable. But no one really seemed bothered by it. Minho, who after seeing me and Dongwoon at the door, had made his way over to stand by me. He noticed my expression and leaned in to scream in my ear. 

 

"DO YOU NEED EARPLUGS? I HAVE SOME DOWNSTAIRS!" 

 

I shook my head. I wanted to fit in, and if it meant going deaf, who cares. "IM GOOD!"

 

Minho shrugged. "IT'S YOUR FUNERAL! TAEMIN!" He screamed across the room to the skinny boy, who turned away from the mixer that he was operating with Henry. "HELP YESEOB HERE! HE'S GONNA LEARN HOW TO MAKE THE BASIC RECIPES TODAY!" 

 

Taemin nodded and he beckoned for me to come stand by him at the mixer. "HYUNG CAN YOU FINISH THIS?"

 

The quiet older boy nodded and replaced Taemin's place at the mixer. I followed Taemin of the edge of the kitchen, where it was a little quieter. "So this," he spread his arms, "is the social time of Blithe."

 

I wrinkled my nose. "Does social mean loud?" 

 

Taemin chuckled. "In the Blithe world, sadly, yes. You'll start screaming. Trust me."

 

"Um... yay?" 

 

Taemin laughed again. "So what do you want to know? After Henry hyungs done with red velvet I'll start teaching you, and I bet your wondering who all of are. Wait. Did Henry tell you that all of us were hurt, so way or another?" He asked me, his expression like he already knew the answer. 

 

"Yeah." 

 

He puffed out his cheeks. "He's right. We do. Minho can read people well- that's why he hired you. He saw something in your eyes."

 

"Why would he only hire people who have been hurt?" Wouldn't that just make people burdens?"

 

"Because, years ago, we found out that this place, that EunHae created, has something about it. Something that heals people of sadness."

 

"Like magic?"

 

He laughed. "Sorta, yeah. So I'll tell you everyone's names, I'll tell you what they're like, but its up to them to tell you their stories."

 

I nodded in understanding. It was like a rite of passage in this place. When you were truly accepted, you get the stories. 

 

"So, I'll start with Henry. He's the oldest here. You're 23, right? So your the second oldest. Henry hyung always stands up for people, and he believes very strongly in standing up for people. He's the giving type, and usually quiet, but he can be funny.

 

"T.K, I think you know, if an owner even though he's the youngest. He's lethal with a spatula, and amazing cooking pretty much anything. He's one of the loud ones, but he knows when to shut up and get serious... He was chosen to be an owner when he was 14, after all. 

 

"Dongwoon, on the over hand, can't shut up. He's... Um, not the smartest, but he's a wizard with cake batters. He can be dense, and when he shrieks in your ear, it hurts. A lot. 

 

"Baekhyun and Chanyeol are both the jokers. They're best friends- ever since they started working here." I looked toward the duo as they argued who had finished frosting first. Something was between them- I could tell, by the look in Baekhyun's eyes when he looked at Chanyeol, or Chanyeol's smile when Baekhyun looked his way. 

 

"I don't want to, er, intrude or anything, but do they like each other? Like, like like?"

 

Taemin glanced at me, something like respect in his eyes. "That was quicker than most. Yeah, they do. Everyone knows it but them."

 

"Really? They don't know at all?" 

 

"Nope. They'll figure it out eventually." Taemin laughed. "So, the cafe jokers. Channie's smile, you might have noticed, is a little creepy, but you get used to his derpy expressions, and Baekhyun is very protective of Channie. 

 

"Minho hyung is the other owner, I know you know. He's best friends with T.K, and the one you go to if you need help- any kind. He's caring, smart, the sort of father of the restaurant. And everyone likes to make fun of his eyes, but I think they're only jealous. His eyes are gorgeous..." I decided to keep my mouth shut. Taemin shook himself out of his daydreaming. 

 

"And then there's Kikwang." He pointed toward the boy, who was quietly in a corner, making little roses for decorations- not talking to anyone, in a crowd of people, but somehow alone. "Although all of us were broken when we came here, Kikwang was, and still is, the most hurt of all of us. He didn't tell us what happened to him- we just know its bad. Ever since he came here a year and a half ago, he's done his work, no more, no less, and barely speaks. He doesn't let anyone close to him- its his way of not getting hurt again. But I guess he'll open up to the right person." Taemin looked so sad, as we both looked at the boy whose heart had been shattered in a way that was a mystery to us. 

 

"And what about you?" I asked Taemin, trying to keep off the subject of Kikwang, which seemed to be sensitive. 

 

He struck a pose. "Well, I'm the awesomest at person you'll meet in the whole world. Never doubt that," He said, winking, before pushing his way to the mixer.

 

"So, right now I'm gonna teach you the basics. This," he pulled out a professional looking folder divided into sections, with worn papers poking out, "is all of our recipes that we've improved and everything over time. You'll learn how to make everything someday, but right now I'm going to teach you just how to make the vanilla."

 

Taemin taught me how to find the ingredients, measure, and overall make the cupcakes. The cafe opens at 11, and from what I gathered, we did this until about 10, which is when we would have an hour break, and then get to work. We had about two hours break scattered in between the day, but not all at once, so we could keep the cafe running full time. We're all supposed to be here in the late morning and afternoon, working, but only a couple people work nights. I began to like making the cupcakes.

 

Blithe was warm and relaxing, and I even began to talk with the others, trading comments about child labor and just having a good time. I felt like I was being into the big, dysfunctional, strange family of Blithe, and I liked it. I started to really like T.K. He was fun and loud and was able to keep his hyungs in order. A lot of the time, he was next to me, making some complicated chocolate cake thing, helping me when I needed it, because Minho had called Taemin over to help with something. T.K looked so comfortable in the kitchen, so relaxed, because, I thought, he was home. He told me how in a few months, when the ownership of Blithe was passed down to a new pair, he wanted to apply for a university, but one near by, so he could still work her. He really was a sweet kid, which is why it felt sorta weird when he helped me- he seemed so experienced, and it was all he'd ever done. Although I barely knew him, I started to worry about him. This had been his life for the last ten years. Would he be able to adjust to that kind if change? 

 

The time past way to quickly, and soon we scattered to different places- Baekhyun and Chanyeol to watch a movie in the break room, Dongwoon, Henry and Taemin to a market for supplies, T.K and Minho disappeared into the office to do some paperwork of whatever, and Kikwang just walked of the door. 

 

Taemin gave me a nudge as he walked out. "Meet you back here at 10:40." I had 40 minutes. So I decided to go visit Yesung at his work, the SM building.

 

Following the map, I took a train across Seoul, and was about to cross the street when I saw him- Kikwang, alone, head down as he slipped into an ally. It really wasn't my business, but I had to know where he was going. Maybe it was connected to why he was so broken. I crept after him, him not noticing me at all as we walked toward the edge of the city. I hid behind a fallen tree as I watched him walk, slowly, into a graveyard. A graveyard. He must have lost someone. A friend? A relative, maybe? Again, my curiosity got the best of me and I slipped through the gates and into the silent graveyard. Kikwang strode through the graves marking each person in the earth, from hundreds of years ago to now. I followed him to one of the corners, and their, at a simple marble grave, he placed a single rose, the color of those legendary sunsets, with orange and yellow and pink and purple. He stood there, and I dared not move. But I must have made a sound. He spun around, and saw me, his big, puppy like eyes first widening in surprise, then narrowing in anger.

 

"You never saw this." He hissed, walking towards me, and his face was a strange mixture of anger and sadness. "You'll never say anything about this. To anyone. Do. You. Understand?" Froze in fear, I could only nod. "Good." With that, he brushed by me, "accidentally" hitting my shoulder with his, before he disappeared again. Wow, he really hates me. Yeah, I wonder why, I told myself sarcastically, before walking closer to the grave, and started in surprise. I had thought that maybe the person had died years ago, but what I saw stunned me.

 

The date was a little more than a year and a half ago.

 

"Why are you sad, babe?" I gasped and spun around. It was him. I heard his voice. "Dont worry, I'll always be here," he whispered. 

 

"No." 

 

"You know I am, babe. I'll always be here." 

 

"No," I sobbed. The snow soaked through my jeans as I rapped my arms around my head, just trying to disappear. But he was in my head.

 

"Yes." And then, barely remembering through the haze, the one place that he hadn't been with me. And I stood up, and ran. 

 

*     *     *

 

KIKWANG POV

 

I watched him. From behind a tree, the only one who knew my secret. I saw how he winced, how he reacted to nothing. How he kneeled down in the snow, clutching his head, before bolting up and running off throug the graveyard like a ghost was chasing him. He was clearly more broken than he looked. He hid it well. I had never put my trust in someone like this, but I had no choice. I could only hope his big mouth would stay shut. I didn't want to seem weak. I didn't want their pity. 

 

*     *     *

 

YOSEOB POV

 

I learned quickly that the most of the customers at Blithe were regulars. They had a suprising amount of people that stopped by, if only for a minute, every day. I had waiting experience, and this was the same as my last job, back home. There, I had plastered a smile to my face, even on the rough days, but here, the smile came naturally, even after what had happeend in the graveyard. I also interacted with Baekhyun a bit more. He was nice- friendly, welcoming, like everyone at Blithe. Well, except for one. That specific one had been avoiding me all day, or at least more than usual. For some reason, I felt my heart plummet whenever he made an excuse not to be in the same room as me, or how he never met my eyes, not like he had before. I barely knew him, but in a way I knew him better than anyone in Blithe. But I had said I wouldn't tell anyone, and I'll keep my word. 

 

I let myself into the apartment, dropping onto the couch. It was ten. I had worked a night shift with Baekhyun and Henry, but since most people after dinner came just for a dessert and a book, we had a lot of free time, which we had spent cleaning up, stacking boxes, and running across town to get a little of this, a little of that. I was completely dead. All I could do was drag myself into bed. After hours, though, finally, I had cried myself to sleep, his voice echoing in my head.  

 

I'll always be here. 

 

 

 

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