chapter i.

          "Kibum-sshi, we've been to 10 different shops already. Are you sure you haven't found any pet you like yet?"

          "No. They're all too common. I don't like dogs nor cats. I want something unique." The young Kim Kibum grunted, as he stared outside the car's wind shield with a dissatisfied expression on his face.

        "Maybe, we could continue this tomorrow. It's getting late and your grandmother might get worried. Or maybe--"

          "NO!!! I want a pet and I want it now!" Kibum was impatient and demanding.

          "But, Kibum-sshi, it's--" His personal driver tried to protest.

        "Do you want to get fired!? Just drive and find another pet shop!" Kibum glared at him and with that, he decided to back off and not argue anymore with his spoiled young master.

          "Y-yes, I understand, young master."

          Kim Kibum was a 7-year old heir to the prominent Kim family's company in Daegu. Being an only child and grandchild from their lineage, he was spoiled and had superior control over his family's men, even though he was just a kid. He was arrogant and demanding, not showing even the slightest signs of kindness to those he decided that he didn't like. So, everyone around Kibum did all it took for him to not-hate them; everything he wanted was always given to him. But even though, he gets everything he wants, there's one thing he couldn't ever have--his 'real' happiness. Kibum grew up to a family, where both his parents have no time for him. They're always out in their own separate worlds, working hard for the family's company and Kibum's needs. What they didn't know was that all their son ever wanted was the presence of a "mom" and a "dad", but they were too busy to even have noticed. Then, it came to the point when Kibum have stopped hoping, and loving. Time has frozen his heart. No one could melt the ice prince's heart; but one, his halmoni. To fill in with the absence of his parents, Kibum grew up with his halmoni. She loved Kibum, and the boy loved her back as much. She gave him all the love he needed, even more than his parents could give. And since then, he never longed for anyone else, but his halmoni. He thought he didn't need anyone else, so he closed his heart to those who tried to enter his life.

          He didn't know something was bound to happen, which would change the way he thought.

          "Argh! This will take ages before we get to another pet shop! Hurry up!" The traffic was making Kibum's blood boil in annoyance.

          "I'm sorry, Kibum-sshi. But we can't do anything about the traffic. There's been an accident not quite far from here and--"

          "Blah! I don't wanna hear it! Just drive."

          Kibum gritted his teeth. It was clearly not a good day for him. He was getting tired of going in and out of different stores, and he wanted to just go home instead. But he couldn't, because he promised his halmoni, he'd get himself a new pet and forget about his favorite iguana which just died. Actually, he's still sad about the death of his pet, but he didn't want his halmoni getting worried about him, so he wanted to show that he's over it by buying a new one.

          The traffic was a serious disaster. They'd been in the same position for about 30 minutes already, and it didn't help for the already upset Kibum to cool his head off. But what can be done? He let out a long hard sigh, and averted his eyes to what was outside the wind shield on his right. There, he saw a boy, maybe around his age, sleeping in the streets, covered by only the thin layer of his ragged clothes. His emaciated body was curled up, trying to heat himself up or maybe, trying to muffle his stomach's growls. For a moment back there, Kibum felt the ice around his heart thaw out a little. He pitied the poor boy.

          "Hey, driver ahjussi."

          "Yes, young master?"

          "What's that boy doing over there? Why is he sleeping in the streets? Doesn't he have a bed at home?" Kibum asked his personal driver, pointing to the skinny boy outside their car.

          "Ah, it seems that he's an orphan. Maybe his parents left him there or he ran away from home."

          "Oh." Kibum nodded.

          "So, he's alone now? He doesn't have anyone with him?" Kibum asked his personal driver again, looking at him with a pair of curious eyes.

          "Yeah. Something like that." His personal driver agreed, eyes still fixed on the interchanging colors of the stoplight.

          "I want him."

          The driver's eyes gaped in surprise, "Hmm? What did you say, Kibum-sshi?"

          "I said I want him. Go over there and tell him I want him to be my pet."

          "But, Kibum-sshi. He's not an animal. He's a boy."

          "I don't care if he's a boy. I want him as my pet." Kibum demanded, but he wasn't angry.

          "If he's alone now, then I want to take care of him." Kibum added, still looking at the boy. His words made his driver agape his mouth in disbelief; but was quickly replaced by a smile.

          "Yes, I understand, Kibum-sshi." His driver knew Kibum only wanted to help the boy from his pitiful situation; so he made his way out of the car, followed by his young master, and went to wake the sleeping boy up.

          "Umm, excuse me. Please wake up." Kibum's personal driver softly said trying to wake the boy up, but careful not to startle him.

           "Umm, please wake up. Excuse me, kid." But the boy didn't get up, clearly didn't hear the man.

          "Tch. You shouldn't do it like that. Even I won't wake up from the softness of your voice." Kibum pushed his driver aside and made his way towards the boy.

          "Ya! Poor kid! Wake up!" Kibum called out. And with that, the boy twitched a little and shifted in his sleep, so now he was facing Kibum directly.

          "Tch. This kid needs to be trained. YAAAAH!" Kibum shouted, which made the poor boy stand up in surprise.

          This time, the boy was looking at Kibum, but still blinking, trying to adjust his eyes with the light. When he could see perfectly already, he widened his eyes in shock to see another boy and a man in a dark suit in front of him. He didn't speak and just continued staring at them, confused.

          "Umm, would you like to come with us?" Kibum's driver spoke.

          The boy's eyes just widened; he was becoming more confused about the situation.

        "Where are your parents, little boy? Do they know you're here?" The driver softly spoke, trying hard not to startle the already puzzled boy.

          The boy was still baffled, but he knew what he meant, so he shook his head in disagreement.

          "So, where are they?"

          The boy shrugged his shoulders.

          "Are you alone right now?"

          The boy had a sad expression in his eyes, but he managed to give a nod.

          "So--"

          "So, would you like to come with us?" Before Kibum's driver could finish his sentence, Kibum cut him off.

          "So? Would you like to be my pet?"

          The boy tilted his head and scrunched his eyebrows.

          "Pet?" He finally spoke.

          "Yes. Cause, you seem to be alone. And you sleep in the streets. So, instead of living here. Would you like to live with me?" Kibum asked the kid, more like he was telling him as if he had no other choice.

          Then the boy straightened back his head and smiled a really toothy grin,

          "Okay."

          Kibum backed off a little, surprised by the boy's agreement. Though, actually what made him back off was the boy's 100 Watt smile. Kibum could swear at that time, his heart skipped a beat. That simple smile made the ice prince flush bright red.

          "I-I... I will take care of you, I promise." Kibum stuttered, trying to hide the embarrassment he had written all over his face.

          "Come on." With that, Kibum headed to the passenger seat and left his driver to lead the boy to the back seat of the car.

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Author's note: Nope this is not Kimi Wa Peto, I tell yaaaa. :D Ho, ho. Please give me FEEDBACKS. It really makes me sad having silent readers. :( Oh, and feel free to sub! :)