"So how old's the kid?" A deep voice questioned.

"16 years of age," a much more delicate voice replied. 

"I see, He's not a child,"

"He is a child! He's also very delicate, you mustn't upset the young master,"

"Got it…"

The boy sat in his seat, flipping through the pages of a gaming magazine, hoping to find a walkthrough of an outdated game he couldn't complete. 

He heard voices coming from downstairs, one was his stepmother, the Mistress, and the other was an unknown voice. They seemed to be talking about the boy, as his name came up in the conversation several times.

"Junhong!" Mistress called for the boy from the foyer, ending the silence that ran around the boy's mind. Groaning, Junhong forced himself out of his plush, leather seat, and strolled down the stairs. His eyes met with Mistress' and then with a much taller man. The man gave the boy a soft smile and turned back to Mistress to speak. 

Junhong continued to stand, leaning on the curved railing of the staircase. 

"So you need me to babysit him?" he asked.

"No, we need you to care for him and raise him, Mr. Bang," Mr. Bang, huh? That's an interesting name, the boy thought to himself. Junhong stuck his lean fingers into his hair, slicking a few strands back and continued down the wide steps to examine the strange man better.

"Hey there," the man gave the boy a big, gummy smile as he ruffled the boy's hair. The boy flustered at the physical contact, and retreated behind Mistress. 

"Ah, don't mind Junhong," Mistress said with a kind voice, much kinder than usual. "He's just a little shy when it comes to strangers," she chuckled softly. The man laughed and approached the boy once again. 

"Don't worry Junhongah,"

"H-huh?" Junhong blinked, his voice was small.

"I don't bite,"

"Bite?"

"It's just a saying. I meant to say that I'm not that scary," he grinned. "My name is Bang Yong Guk," he bowed his head slightly. The boy nodded his head subtly and met with the man's eyes again. 

"I'll be back in a few months, I have business overseas that I must attend to!" She emphasized the "must" in her sentence, making her task seem of greater importance. Junhong rolled his eyes at her tone and scoffed. It's probably just some stupid fashion show or something… 

"Alright Mrs. Choi," The man bowed and escorted her out of the house, leaving the boy alone in the foyer. 

----------------------------------------------------

Junhong had stayed in his room all day, playing with various knick knacks and video games. It was just about 5 o'clock when he crept out of his room into the family room, after getting bored of playing alone and stood in front of Mr. Bang. 

"Mr. Bang…" Junhong said, in a voice so quiet, the elder almost disregarded him. 

"Yes?" Yong Guk didn't look up from the newspaper he was skimming through. "You can call me Yong Guk… or Hyung," he chuckled softly to himself. 

"When will Mistress be back?" he blinked as he awaited the answer. Yong Guk looked up, slightly raising an eyebrow. 

"She said she'd be back in about a month,"

"I see…" Junhong turned around on his heels and headed for the staircase up to the second floor when a swift hand took hold of his wrist.

"You were in your room all day, let's go do something," the man said. 

"I like staying in my room…" he replied bluntly. 

"I… see…" Yong Guk was unsure of what to say, he semi-stood there holding the boy's wrist. 

"Mr. Bang… are you going to let go of me anytime soon?" Junhong rolled his eyes nonchalantly, 

"S-sorry…" The elder mumbled as he released his grip on the boy. 

"Thank you," Junhong bowed slightly as he continued to the staircase.

"Hey- I'm hungry…" Yong Guk sighed.

"Make yourself some food," Junhong said, not turning his head back to respond. 

"Let's go get something to eat!" 

"I don't like eating out…"

"Come on Junhongah! It'll be fun!" The elder grinned big as he trailed after the younger. 

"I'd much rather not Mr. Bang…" Junhong sighed as he fought the overwhelming urge to turn back to the strange man standing behind him. What… what is this feeling…?

"Come on Junhong," Yong Guk brought his lips to a slight pout as he narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. 

"Fine…" Junhong rolled his eyes as he turned to face the elder who's face had immediately lit up after receiving approval. "But we can only be out for an hour…"

"Alright, an hour's enough time for me," Yong Guk smiled big, taking the boy's hand, walking out the door. 

—♕—

"You should smile more," Yong Guk teased as he watched Junhong dip and eat his Chicken McNuggets in undeniable bliss.

"Mr. Bang should learn how to eat slower," the boy replied with snark intertwined his in words. Yong Guk had taken the boy out to McDonald's for dinner, while the elder expected the younger to eat like a pig, the younger ended up eating only chicken nuggets. 

"Aigoo! I told you to just call me Yong Guk or Hyung. There's no need for formalities." Yong Guk chuckled. "Just… think of me as a friend!" A… Friend…?

"I feel… more comf…ortable… calling you… Mr. Bang," the boy said in-between bites.

"I would feel better without the formalities… but whatever rocks your boat," the elder laughed. 

"Mr. Bang, you're so strange…" Junhong tilted his head slightly to the right, fluttering his eyelids ever-so-beautifully. Yong Guk caught himself staring back at the boy. 

"H-huh? What?" the elder snapped out of his trance and rubbed his face.

"It's nothing…" The boy looked down at the table and dipped his remaining chicken nugget into the Sweet and Sour dip. 

"Ah…alright…" Yong Guk got up from his seat, stretching and twisting his upper body. "You ready to go?" 

"Already…?" There was a slight disappointment hinted in the boy's voice. "I- I mean, yeah… Let's go home… I feel weird being outside like this… exposed…" Yong Guk chuckled to himself.

"Yeah, let's get going now," Why am I feeling like this?

----------------------------------------------------

"Mr. Bang! The boy called from his bedroom, his eyes shot open, beads of sweat trickling down his face and mixing with the salty tears that overwhelmed the boy's eyes. Yong Guk rushed to the boy's side in almost seconds. 

"What's wrong," he asked, panting, desperately trying to catch his breath. The boy sniffled, pulling his bedsheets up, covering his whole body. Yong Guk sat on the edge of the boy's bed, wiping the sweat and tears off his face. 

"I- I had a nightmare," the boy said, still shuddering from the shock of his nightmare. 

"What was it about?" the elder asked, in a soothing voice. I wonder what it was about...

"I.. I can't remember," he stammered, shivering, hugging his knees. Yong Guk swung his legs over to sit beside the boy properly, wrapping his arm around him. 

"It's alright Junhongah… It was only a nightmare," He shushed the frightened boy. Junhong swallowed hard, sniffling and scooting closer to the man. "I'm here alright… Do you want me to stay here in case you have another nightmare?" The boy nodded his head, feeling his hot cheeks with the cold backs of his hands. 

"T-thank you Mr.-" Junhong stopped, "Hyung…" he sniffled, resting his head on the man's shoulders. The elder smiles softly to himself as he felt the boy's breathing relax. A loud vibration came from the man's pants pocket, he pulled his phone out to see a new message. 

(2) 세 메시지

| 열기 | 닫기 |

He opened the messages:

Himchan:

Are you there? 

Hello?

Yong Guk chuckled, and replied to the messages in no time. 

Yong Guk:

I'm alive, don't worry. Just babysitting. 

Kim Himchan is my best friend. We met in high school and were inseparable since... Yong Guk turned his phone to silent and placed it on the side table. I'm tired… He yawned and found himself falling asleep, with the boy in his arms. 

—♕—

Junhong woke up to an empty bed. Did…didn't Hyung sleep with me last night? He thought to himself as he looked down to his lap. The boy threw his blankets off and sat on the edge of the bed. He turned to his bedside table to see a blue index card folded in half, he leaned over, grabbed the card and opened it.

Hey Junhong,

It's Yong Guk.

I stepped out for a second so I could get us some breakfast

- -;; there was nothing to eat here

so yeah…

I'll be back soon!

Maybe even before you wake up :] 

-Yong Guk-

----------------------------------------------------

"Junhong?" Yong Guk knocked on the boy's door before exposing the room. He peeked his head inside and looked to see if the boy was inside. "Hmm… not inside?" Yong Guk thought out loud. The room was empty so he strolled around the estate, poking his head into various studies and bathrooms. 

"M-Mr. Bang..?" the boy appeared behind him. Yong Guk turned around swiftly, taking a breath of air before gasping.

"Holy ," he murmured under his breath, "Hey Junhong! You scared me for a sec," the man chuckled uncomfortably. 

"Sorry Mr. Bang…" Junhong looked down, "I woke up and saw that.. that you weren't there but I found the note you left for me," 

"Ah, speaking of that note, I have food for us," Yong Guk held the bags of groceries, victoriously, in his hand. Junhong smiled slightly, with out the elder noticing. 

"Alright Mr. Bang…" The boy strolled down the staircase into the living room, plopping himself on the beige leather sofa. "Do you know how to cook Mr. Bang?" the boy asked with curiosity deep-rooted in his voice. The man walked downstairs and went straight into the kitchen, adjacent from the living room. 

"I do," the man chuckled. "I'm not that good at it though," he bit his lip slightly as he unloaded the groceries from the crumpled plastic bags. 

"I see…" Junhong pursed his lips, parting them slightly. "D-do you need any help Mr. Bang?" the man shook his head. 

"I do… and please Junhong, just call me 'Hyung' or 'Yong Guk'… 'Mr. Bang' is too formal," he breathed a chuckle. "But come here," He motioned for the boy to come closer. Junhong rolled up from the couch and strolled over to the kitchen counter, examining all of the new packages his elder left on the counter. 

"Do you have aprons?" Yong Guk shuffled around the kitchen, opening and closing drawers, looking for utensils. Junhong walked over to the cupboard and pulled two crisp, white aprons out, handing Yong Guk an apron.

"Thank you," the man smiled as he put the apron around his waist, looking over his shoulder he saw the boy struggling with his apron. Yong Guk walked around the counter to the boy and helped him with his apron. The man took the apron from the boy's hands, bringing it over his head and around his waist, tying the ends securely. 

"O-oh… thank you Mister- I mean… H-hyung…" the boy flustered. 

"It's no problem Junhongah," Yong Guk chuckled as he made his way back to behind the counter. "I was thinking, omelets with toast? Or would you like pancakes?" Junhong blinked, pursing his lips. 

"Um… can we have…." he started. "I- I don't know! Hyung can chose…" Yong Guk bit his lip slightly.

"We'll have both then!" the man smiled as he started opening the box of pancake powder mix. The boy crept up beside the man and watched over him 

"A-are you sure you need my help?" Junhong bit his lip slightly. 

"Yeah, I need you to toast these slices of bread," he laughed as he handed the boy four slices of fluffy, white bread. The boy took the slices and put them into the toaster, making sure to turn the knob to "golden" instead of "light". "Good job Junhong," Yong Guk shot the boy a grin accompanied by a thumbs up. "Uh, I'll make the omelets, can you add two cups of water into a bowl and add about 3 and a half cups of pancake powder to the bowl? And then mix it well." The boy complied, walking over to the dishwasher, pulled a big bowl out and fumbled around for the measuring cups. Yong Guk cracked six eggs into a bowl and then pulled out a big, crisp carrot, a few green scallions and a white onion. He continued to dice them on the aquamarine cutting board and pushed them into the bowl of eggs. Yong Guk quickly turned the stove on and poured oil into a pan, placing it on top of the blazing fire. 

"It's almost done hung," Junhong beat the bowl of pancake mix intensely, focusing all of his energy on breaking the clumps of powder. 

"Alright," Yong Guk poured some of the omelet mix into the pan, hearing the cacophony of sizzles burst as the egg hit the pan. 

"Wow.." The boy murmured under his breath as he watched his elder cook with precision. As the egg fried, the man took the pancake mix, turned another fire on and pulled a bigger pan out. He put a spoonful of pancake batter into the pan as he tended the eggs. 

"Junhong, set the table and wait for me, I'll be done soon," Yong Guk grinned. The boy did as he was told, placing two sets of utensils, plates, cups and napkins on the dining table. 

"I- I'm done…" Junhong sat in his seat. 

"Really? I'm all done here too!" the elder grinned. "I'll be right there!" He grabbed a few plates, placing pancakes on one, egg omelets on the other and the toast on the last plate. "Do you want butter? Or jam?" he asked the boy, who had gotten up to help his elder. 

"Butter is fine," Junhong smiled slightly, taking the plate of toast and placing it in between the plates already set. The boy then brought maple syrup from the counter and pulled Milk out of the fridge. 

"Okay. Butter it is," Yong Guk chuckled, grabbing a bar of butter from the refrigerator and sat down opposite of Junhong after closing the door. 

"Dig in!" Yong Guk placed pancakes on his plate, stuffed egg into his pieces of toast and stuffed his face. The boy imitated his elder, hesitantly eating, but grew accustomed to the food. 

"It's so good!" Junhong smiled big. 

"I'm glad you think so," Yong Guk gulped his milk down. "Do you want to go somewhere today?"

"Yeah! Can we go to the library, hyung?" The boy asked. 

"Of course we can," 

----------------------------------------------------

After the two finished scarfing down their breakfast, Yong Guk gave Junhong half an hour to get ready to go. 

"I wonder… if this is okay…" Junhong stood in front of the full length mirror with a light blue button down in front of his chest. The boy pursed his lips and went along with the shirt, he pulled his t-shirt off, over his head and tossed it into the laundry basket in the corner of his room. What kind of pants…? he pondered to himself. Junhong roamed to his closet and pulled out a pair of black skinny jeans. Would this be okay? He went back to the mirror, nodding in approval after seeing that they matched. His hair was ruffled and messy, I should brush it out later… the boy slipped out of his pants, standing, looking into the mirror with only his boxers hugging his hips. 

Suddenly, Yong Guk barged in, opening the door all the way, he didn't seem to notice Junhong at first.

"Junhong!" He grinned, stopping when he saw the bare boy.

"H-hyung…?" The boy was flustered, W-why would he just barge in like that?

"Uh- oh… sorry Junhong!" Yong Guk's eyes widened.

"I-it's okay!" Junhong wrapped the ends of his shirt around, covering most of his bare chest. T-this is so embarrassing! 

"I'll just come back in a few minutes," The man excused himself, closing the door behind him, leaving the boy alone. Junhong bit his lip slightly, loosening the grip on his shirt. W-what is this? He groaned, rolling his shoulders back. He continued to button his shirt up and than, sitting on the edge of his bed, slipped the black skinny jeans over his pale, long, lean legs, making sure to zip the fly and button the button.