i. 

It's adoption day again, the third one Dongwoon's attended and he's not holding out any hope. Nobody wanted the weird, foreign-looking kid, for the same reason they didn't want Kibum, Jinwoon, Cheolyong and Jaejin.

They've been there longer at an institution that has kids successfully adopted within the first year. If they had been around longer than that, there must be something wrong. So they were left alone. There for show, but generally left alone.

"This is boring." Cheolyong groaned. "Let's look for bugs." Dongwoon gave him a dirty look and he sighed. "Or go on the swings."

Jinwoon walked towards them, fiddling with the clip-on bowtie the house mother made him wear. "There's a circus in town today." Jaejin tugged at Kibum's arm. "I wanna go." The mother hen of the group shrugged. "Why not?"

ii.

Jinwoon is amazed by the circus, and claps louder than anyone. He likes the clowns running around, likes the Strongman, gasps in amazement at the acrobats, everything.

But nothing prepared him for the next act. (Well, they ARE in front.)

The introduced her as Gina the Golden Voice. The boys don't know what singing has to do with the circus, but they quickly forget when she starts to sing. Her voice was clear and strong, drifting over the notes with ease, and Jinwoon finds himself a little bit in love.

"Yah, why is your face like that?" Cheolyong asked. The others glanced at him.

"Oh no," Dongwoon groaned. "Jinwoon!"

"What did I do?"

"One day there will be a song by some idol group." Kibum announced. "It will be called Noona, You're So Pretty and Jinwoon will end up singing it to older women like Gina the Golden Voice!" Okay, that came out of nowhere...

By the time the final act is done, the ringmaster announces that they had another day to perform, and the boys cheer, grateful for something else to do rather than do public service. (The house mother loved making them do work like that.)

"You'll get to see her again." Jaejin piped up and Jinwoon found himself blushing. He had another day.

"But girls are gross!" Cheolyong complained.

"Too late now." Dongwoon commented. "He's got it bad." They glance around. "Bet you we can get backstage tomorrow." Dongwoon nudged Kibum.

"Then what?" The mini-diva raised an eyebrow. "Have Jinwoonie give her flowers?"

Hmm.. that didn't sound like a bad idea, Jinwoon thought as they walked back home.

iii.

Bad seeds. That's why they were left there in the first place. Why no one came back for them. At least, that's what the house mother said.

Dongwoon sort of believes her.

They were doing public service in the grocery. Again. This time it was for playing basketball in the dining room. He sort of thinks the House Mother loves sending them out for tasks like this. That way she wouldn't have to deal with them as much.

The others were stationed in other posts while he got stuck stocking the shelves. It since he still couldn't reach the top and had to use stairs.

"Excuse me, do you know where they stock the soju?" The voice sounded way too young to be ordering that and Dongwoon was about to tell him so, when he turned around and saw a welcome face smiling at him.

"What do you need soju for?" He grinned and punched Kikwang lightly on the shoulder.

"It got your attention didn't it?" Kikwang grabbed Dongwoon's hand. "Where are we going?" The younger asked.

"Meeting my friends." At this, Dongwoon remembered the others. "wait hyung! I can't leave in the middle of..."

"Just take him!..." Kibum's voice echoes from the next aisle. "He keeps working his little Kwangie-hyung in every conversation and acting all girly!!" Cheolyong decides to say something to that and the other two wince when they hear Kibum whacking Cheolyong on the head. 

"Oh, and tell Jinwoon's noona love he says hi!" Jinwoon's voice was also heard and the two laughed before running out of the store.

"Are you nervous?" Kikwang asked as they walked.

"Sort of." Dongwoon replied. "I mean,... what if they don't like me?"

"Don't worry. They like you already." The older boy reached for his hand as they were about to cross the street. "They need your secret to making me laugh. Or smile, like Seobie said..."

"I don't have any secrets." Dongwoon said in confusion.

"That's what I said. They don't believe me though."

"So why do you smile a lot then?" When you're with me,... Dongwoon wants to add.

"'Cause I like you." Kikwang said happily.

"Uh..." His face felt very hot for some reason. "Whatever you say hyung." And there was that smile again, which made Kiwkang's eyes disappear, and made Dongwoon smile himself, tightening his hold on the other boy's hand. His hyung got what he meant.

I like you too hyung.

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