Being one of the leading entertainment companies in South Korea, SM Entertainment had it all. Top-notch European music producers? Check. Elite Korean millionaires on board? Check. Oversea marketing geniuses? Check. The best designers in the country? Check. Talented sly lawyers? Check. Under-appreciated staff working twenty-four/seven? Check. No-name unpolished trainees stomping the floor all the time? Check.

Lee Hongbin (an under-appreciated marketing intern working twenty-four/seven) listened to the passionate young people as he strode past the practice rooms. They worked. They screamed. They sweat. They cried. All of the raw sounds made chaotic symphony that hurt his head. Hongbin could confidently categorized the four types of trainees.

The trainee on his left-hand side had been scouted off the street. He barely had any talent, but that was not a problem in this amazing company. Once he entered SM, he would transform into an entirely new person in a blink of the eye. He would change faster than those anime magical girls who were accompanied by upbeat rock music. In fact, his BGM would be worth thousands of dollars more. Hongbin shook his head. Many people who did not know better would have a wrong impression of these established companies. Unlike anime, the trainee would likely lose his fetus look in five or seven years. He would then barely pass as a “sub vocal” or a “rapper”, but probably a visual.

Walking down the hall, Hongbin heard a girl practising her vocal. She was the niece of the marketing director. She was not terrible, Hongbin supposed. There were many more nieces, nephews, sons, and daughters from the riches who dreamt big anyway. They were all sitting on an untouchable loft, like princes and princesses. They were most likely having their afternoon tea right now while discussing the stock exchange in the music industry. Hongbin heard the girl crack her voice. She tried again. Hongbin sighed. Harder time awaited her after she made her debut.

On Hongbin’s right side, the hidden gems were perfecting their pre-existing talents. He paused to hear them practising. As expected, their high notes and falsettos were supreme comparing to other trainees. Hongbin would not be surprised if they had been learning music and dance since young. Or they were just naturally gifted. They were the ones who would receive many praises and loves from the public. He perceived each note hitting higher and higher until it was distorted. They could fight with all their might with each other. All they had to worry about was the debut date, right? They would forget about the taste of fair competition after they were debuted. All they needed was SM behind their backs.

The last type was called “Cha Hakyeon”. The category consisted of one aspired dancer. Hongbin felt like Hakyeon had already became one with the SM building. He would eat and sleep in the practice room besides practising more than twenty four hours a day. Did he even have a home? Hakyeon was currently practising at the end of the hallway. They say that good thing was saved for the last. What a bull.

Hongbin peeked through the little window in the door. His broad handsome face twitched upon the sight he was seeing. The black-clad trainee twirled gracefully on the point of his toes. His swift spin sliced through the air; soundless. He dipped his slender back low to the ground, creating an artistic human arch. He then sprung back up with an easy poise. He was detached from anything besides his own bronze body. He tapped the floor, making the Earth hushed. Only when he completed the sequence, he was aware of real life. Hongbin’s presence on the other side of the door was not missed after the music was over.

The intruder made no sign that he was impressed by Hakyeon’s elegance. Hakyeon scrunched up his peaceful expression. His sharp almond eyes were burning. Hongbin, in return, threw his small fists at the air. Hakyeon, his inner dancer gone, kicked the ground like an elementary school kid. Hongbin banged on the door and left. He could not stand another look at him.

“Look at him die trying,” a guy spoke behind Hongbin.

He swivelled around to see who was talking behind his back. They were a pair of experienced trainees passing by.

They were observing through the window that Hongbin had stopped by a second ago.

“Yeah. My dad said he won’t debut,” the blonde contributed.

“Damn right he won’t. What is he even doing here?”

They laughed.

“Yah!” Hongbin yelled at them before he could hear himself.

The trainees exchanged questioning looks. No one knew who Hongbin was.

Their confused stares calmed his boiling blood a bit. “You kids are right. What is he doing here?” he chuckled with them and walked away.

The supervisor dropped a stack of papers on Hongbin’s little desk. His tiny cubicle was situated in the centre of the cubicles’ universe. Anyone could walk past him and dump all sort of garbage works on his tabletop on their ways to their coffee breaks. In the hectic environment of marketing, the masterminds stole all the time for coffee from a lowly intern. His supervisor sipped on his americano, “Post them on the notice boards.”

As always, the first printed notice lying on top caught Hongbin’s attention. “EXO Members” graced the title. Hongbin scanned the list of people who had made the cut:...Kim Jongin, Oh Sehun, Kim Jongdae, Huang Zi Tao… Hongbin’s eyes wandered over the list starting from the bottom for the second time. The names and faces were blurry in his mind. “What happened to the people who didn’t make it?!” he wrinkled the corner of the paper in his hand.

The supervisor had been studying Hongbin’s intense interest for the list. To him, Hongbin was a typical intern who acted like he has a better place to be. It was rare to see him being intrigued in his work. “It depends. Some stay. The newbies and the ones who’ll never improve are dropped, like your friend.”

Hongbin did not keep track if the supervisor had left him alone. He continued to stare at the list of members. It was a common knowledge that the company had been preparing the next big thing for the longest time. Next year would be a crucial year for its success or failure. The company’s major investment and reputation were up in the air. Would SM secure a spot as the lead player for the next ten years? Or would it become more vulnerable to sabotage because of a new boy band? Hongbin did not give a .

He peeled the page off the stack and took an elevator to the basement. His feet carried him to the room at the end of the hall. This time, he did not watch from the outside, he barged into the room filled with startled trainees. His round eyes were only on Hakyeon. He threw the announcement at his direction. “You failed,” delivered Hongbin matter-of-fact.

“I know,” replied Hakyeon. He did not need to see the paper to know his fate. “You won. Are you satisfied now?”

The whole scene was incomprehensible to Hongbin. Contrary to his glorious prediction, Hakyeon did not cry. Hongbin could not decide who he should be angry with. SM? Cha Hakyeon? Or himself? He decided to have his last laugh,

“You should have realized how reality works before it -slapped you.” He turned to leave Hakyeon to celebrate his best moment in life.

Shock concealed the sadness Hakyeon might have felt from having his dream crushed once again. Hongbin felt the impossible weight on his back before hearing the collective gasp around the room. Hakyeon straddled his legs around Hongbin’s waist from behind. One of his arms was cutting off Hongbin’s breathing tube and his other hand was pounding on his head. Even when the gravity pulled the two to the ground, Hakyeon would not release Hongbin. He pulled on his hair. He became a vicious animal and landed a hard bite on his exposed shoulder. Hongbin finally yelped in pain and gasped, “I was wrong! You won, Cha Hakyeon. You won!”

The bystanders were surrounding them, watching quietly. Some roared with laughter. Hongbin, teary-eyed, prayed to the K-Pop god that someone would save him from the ex-trainee’s killer grasp.

***

Another speed bump was claiming Hongbin's life. He rubbed on his bitten shoulder. He cursed at the bumpy bus and the clumsy driver. The bus rolled over something pointy, making his head hit the glass window. He could hear the bus driver snicker at the front.

Leaning against the window, he spotted something weird in the reflection. It was a man wearing sunglasses. His whole mouth was wrapped around with a wool scarf. Hongbin glanced out the window. It was a warm foggy night. His throat became dry. The shady figure must be the loan shark.

Hongbin's hand shook as he reached into his jacket. He probed around for his weapon. He inhaled a shaky breath. He dealt with scumbag before. He pulled his weapon loose. He heard a satisfactory click.

Hongbin got off the bus at his usual bus stop. The night drew tighter around him. His apartment was five minutes away. He reached into his jacket. His pace was leisure.

The pursuer was taking the bait. He quickened his pace to catch up with Hongbin. Hongbin timed his spin and attacked whatever behind him perfectly. His extended umbrella landed squarely on the bad guys' cheek before he could have crept close. Hongbin climbed over the fallen man and punched the other side of his face. "I told you last time! I don't have any money!" Hongbin yelled to the wind.

"Are you crazy?! I don't want your money!"

Though his voice was muffled by layers of scarf, Hongbin recognized the voice. He yanked the scarf off his face. He could hardly tell Hakyeon apart from the stinging cheeks.

Hongbin was taken aback from the turn of event. He sat on Hakyeon's stomach, contemplating his next move. He

slapped Hakyeon in the face. The guy on the dirty ground almost passed out from a new wave of pain. “The slap was for what you did to me earlier.”

"Do you like me that much?” Hakyeon grunted. “Can you get off of me?"

"You wish," Hongbin scrambled off nonetheless. "Why were you following me?"

Hakyeon got up painfully. The cold air rushed into his lungs. "Thanks to you. I got kicked out of SM. I'm going after my compensation." he pointed at Hongbin.

"You were getting kicked out anyway. Your failure has nothing to do with me."

Hakyeon fell into silence. No light shone on his expression, "You don't know that for sure. I could still have my chance living my dream," his voice broke.

Hongbin watched the ex-trainee sitting on the sidewalk late at night. The one who was so desperate that he had to follow an acquaintance home. He was as pathetic as Hongbin imagined him to be. "I’m broke so find someone else to cling onto."

"But you have a place to sleep."

"My place is a Cha-Hakyeon-prohibited zone."

The night took on a worse chill. Hongbin pretended not to see Hakyeon shuddering. He continued his way home instead. He heard feet shuffling behind him. He broke into a run.

***

Things had escalated too quickly for Hongbin’s imagination. He was face-down, sighing, on his bed. He thrashed around and grabbed his pillow over his head to block out Hakyeon’s huffing.

The uninvited guest stretched his long legs to the length of the door frame. His blocked the entry to Hongbin’s apartment. Hongbin was amused how his pants did not rip due to the gymnastic move. SM did produce as many strange people as the talented starlets.

“I can sleep out here,” offered Hakyeon. “I really don’t take much of your space.”

The easels of paintings, dry clay boxes, marble sculptures, brushes and pencils, sketchbooks, and a work table already took half of Hongbin’s living space. The door mat seemed to be the best location for Hakyeon to sleep upon.

Hongbin marched over to the door. He lifted Hakyeon up by the shirt collar. He dragged him here and there. No. Not the bed, he assessed. He finally threw him down against the foot of his bed, “I don’t care if you’re sleeping in the closet or wherever, but you can’t sleep at the door or on the bed.”

Hakyeon’s face was flooded with gratitude. His teeth shone so brightly that Hongbin’s eyes hurt. Hongbin controlled the urge to punch that smile off his face. A corner of his lips lifted all of the sudden. He wondered if he should tell his “guest” about the house, “By the way, if you hear something in the middle of the night-” Hongbin drew his face to Hakyeon’s height. His tone dropped low, “-something like ‘clank, clank, clank’ - don’t be scared.”

Hakyeon gulped.

Hongbin moved away, “It’s probably just rats,” he resumed his normal pitch.

Hakyeon sighed in relief.

Hongbin flew close to his face again like a phantom, “Or it could be something else.”

Hakyeon shivered.

Hongbin threw some comforters and a cushion at Hakyeon. “Don’t scream when you hear something. I have work at seven in the morning.” He turned off the light and went to bed before Hakyeon could spread out his makeshift bed.

During the process of laying out the thinner blanket, Hakyeon bumped into objects in every turn. The streetlight filtered through the window shed some lights. The paintings were crooked and eery in the dim lighting. There was something about the artworks which tested Hakyeon’s nerve. The uncoloured pupils, the missing limbs, the patches of colours here and there, made the house a graveyard. The creations were abandoned, unfinished, aborted. They were half-baked and incomplete. They cried in unison to be released from the hellish artistic oven. Hakyeon collapsed onto the cold hard floor. He came face-to-face with a sculpted human head without eyes. His heart choked him. Hakyeon screwed his eyes tight. The last thing he needed was the strange noise Hongbin had warned him about.

“You look like ,” Hongbin casually commented on Hakyeon’s morning look. His thick black hair was swept to one side.

Hongbin picked up another strip of kimchi into his bowl. Unlike Hakyeon, Hongbin was freshly shaven. His dark brown

hair was brushed back and the white dress shirt radiated the smell of lavender detergent.

Hakyeon cradled his throbbing headache in his left hand, while his right hand rubbed his aching back. A slit of his toned stomach was showing while he stretched. Hongbin pretended not to notice it. His focus was solely on chewing the rice.

“Who are you trying to impress?” Hakyeon squinted through his sleepy eyes. “You never looked good for work.”

Hongbin clenched his jaw, “Not you, obviously.”

“I know,” he smirked.

Hongbin grabbed the nearest thing to throw at him.

“Ouch!” Hakyeon rubbed the spot between his eyes. “Your fork could have poked my eyeballs out!”

“Great.” Hongbin moved to the sink when he was done eating, “Aren’t you getting out of my house now?”

“Yeah.”

Hongbin abruptly stopped rubbing his bowl. What is he saying now? his mind was not on the dirty dishes anymore.

“I’ll be back!” Hakyeon assured. “I just need to find some part-time jobs and a place to practice,” his radiant pearl smile met Hongbin’s confused frown. He acted as if the humiliation at SM from yesterday had not occurred, as if one of the most prestigious places in South Korea had never kicked him out under dozens pairs of eyes.

Hongbin turned back to dry his dishes, “You’re a dumb .” It didn’t matter if Hakyeon heard him. Hongbin was not sure himself who he was referring to. He grabbed his jacket on the way out, “Make sure all the food and dishes disappear. I don’t want to see rats when I come back.” The door clicked shut.

Hakyeon picked up the thrown fork off the floor. “‘You’re a dumb ’” He stabbed the fork at the air like a lecturer gazing upon hundreds of his pupils. He dropped his head between his legs and listened to the neglected art pieces cried for a long, long time.

***

Despite of a few awkward bathroom's run-ins, Hongbin and Hakyeon got by the days like dog and cat. The days happened in a blur to them. At nights, Hakyeon was the only one wide awake. He lied facing Hongbin's bed, away from the ghosts of the paintings. Their still shadows were effective enough for his heart to pick up speed. The rustling on the mattress was also not helping his hyperactive nervous system.

“Go to sleep,” Hongbin’s alert voice sliced through the eerie air. “No one wants a fat panda for an idol.” “I’m not fat.”

“Your eye bags are enough to scare the ghosts away, so go to sleep.”

Some more rustlings.

“Why aren’t you sleeping?” Hakyeon asked. “Something’s bothering you too?”

“You are bothering me.”

“What did I ever do to you?” Hakyeon had not intended to sound more hurt than he actually was. “I just bit you that one time! Couldn’t you take a tiny bite?” Great. Being a whiny baby could be another reason why Hakyeon should be a hobo.

The night was falling asleep. Hakyeon thought that Hongbin was sleeping too.

“Why don’t you get a real job already?” Hongbin’s voice caused Hakyeon to jump out of his skin. “You’re still young. You can start over and live a good life and be with your family. Don’t you miss them? Things don’t have to be hard for you anymore. No more morning calls. No more injuries. No more exhaustion. No more restrictions. No more uncertainties. No more rejections.”

“No more adventure. No more dream. No more hope. No more life.”

More rustling. Hakyeon felt Hongbin’s breath in his neck. It seemed like any hint of sleep had left them. “This isn’t ‘life’ to you? Life is so much easier after SM,” he hissed into his ears. “You can finally rest. You can go on a vacation. You can do whatever you want. No one can tell you otherwise.”

Hakyeon did not flinch in front of Hongbin’s passionate speech. He was not to give into his tyranny. He stared squarely back. Their faces were an inch apart in the veiled darkness. “What about you? Are you free? Are you happy?"

"You're being selfish. Why would you want your family to see you suffer in exchange for some cheap freedom?"

"My family isn't suffering because of my dream, either am I."

Hakyeon heard a sharp intake of breath. "You don't know that," Hongbin finally said.
 

"Are you happy?" Hakyeon insisted. “I doubt that you’re happy in your tiny cubicle and watch the clock strikes six everyday.”

“This is how life suppose to be! Dancing is not a career. It’s just a hobby - a small part of the bigger picture. Why can’t you see that?”

“Your life is so boring. I’m dying here.”

“I’m dying too from watching you.”

Hongbin could imagine how shocked Hakyeon was upon hearing his words. He withdrew into his bed. Watching Hakyeon was the hardest task of his tedious day. Watching him try everyday made Hongbin’s life a prison.

Hakyeon’s thoughts were swimming under the surface too. He recalled his normal day living here. Every morning he would wake up to Hongbin's voice. His voice was husky whenever he yelled at him.  Hakyeon would come back home after a long day of work to the steam of rice and the scent of lemon. Hakyeon felt like crying and laughing as he munched on the warm food Hongbin had prepared for him. The meals could usually feed a family of four. Hongbin would then pester him some more for coming home late. Hakyeon would fight back and laugh at his insults. He would try to do the dishes afterwards. Hongbin would tell him to scram off or else he would break his arms before he could kill his plates. Hakyeon appreciated the comfort that Hongbin provided him in his small apartment. Hakyeon asked himself if he would ever miss Hongbin’s glare or his concern for him when he left.

Hakyeon rose from the floor. His left arm hung over Hongbin’s bed. Hongbin’s wavy feathery hair was there for him to . He gulped at the sight of his broad warm back. He grabbed a handful of his lush hair and pulled hard.

Hongbin flipped and yelped in pain. He slapped at any parts of Hakyeon he could grab hold of. “Are you crazy?!”

Hakyeon curled up into a ball to protect his biggest asset from Hongbin angry fists (he had an ambitious of being the visual of a boy group after all.) Hakyeon flung his arms around blindly to evade the fierce attack, which only made Hongbin madder. Before they were aware of what’s happening, they were engaged in a fist fight in the middle of the night. Hongbin abandoned the soft bed for a better punch. Hakyeon buried his head in Hongbin stomach to avoid his fury kung fu. He grabbed onto his back and whined, “Please. Let’s fight tomorrow! I’m beat.”

Hongbin’s last slap on his back stung, “Yah! Aren’t you letting go of me?!”

Hakyeon’s breathing was slow and steady. His tired breathing soon became snores. His skinny arms still rested around

Hongbin. Hongbin draped his right arm over Hakyeon. He tapped Hakyeon’s relaxed back following the rhythm of his ribcage.

There were no howling nor hissing disturbing Hakyeon’s sleep that night.

***

Hongbin double-checked the ordered frappuccinos. He counted to confirm the exact numbers of cups. Since the weather was warmer today. The boss had decided to treat his new favourites. Hongbin especially made sure that the boss's coffee was a skim soy vanilla mocha decaf with extra whipped cream. The kids better not complain when they received the wrong kinds of coffee.

Afterwards, there was a more rewarding part of the task. Hongbin conducted a "poison testing" on the coffees. He took a sip of the strawberry frappe that one of the trainees had ordered. He nodded with satisfaction. After all, none of the EXO members could afford a food poisoning. Hongbin spat into one of the cups.

Hongbin now rounded the commercial block with two boxes of frappes, a box of fruit cake, and a large pizza box between his armpit. The wintry wind picked up. Hongbin did a little awkward dance to warm himself up. The small playground near the coffee shop welcomed a few residents resting their feet, but they never stayed long. Hongbin usually would not pay much attention to a common place. Today, however, a small crowd attracted his attention. They were taking pictures and video taping something in the centre of a circle. Hongbin looked beyond the spectators. The effortless lines of movements mingling with the air were no doubt belong to Hakyeon. His soul had gone and became entirely something else. He was not himself, and yet, he was in control of his outward self. He rolled his shoulders back like he was moved by a celestial being above. His outstretched hand was not grabbing his lover, it caught everyone's hands. His crooked neck seemed accidental, though it was conducted precisely. Needless to say, the way Hakyeon captured the audience’s heart was unintentional. His graceful charm was his second nature.

The pizza box under Hongbin’s arm was sliding toward the ground. A haze of red veiled his vision. It must have been his blood boiling. He two fists around the handles of someone else's coffees were firmer. He wanted to fling all the food at Hakyeon. The sight of him was too infuriating.

Hakyeon was oblivious of the danger that he was in. He awkwardly took a bow to all sides. He had been so entrenched in his own world that the crowd’s love seemed to attack him as swift as the ninjas.

Hongbin had seen enough of his show. He braved the wind and never looked back at the alien. Hakyeon’s charm was his biggest asset, and he knew it well himself. He was so sure of himself that giving up was not an option. Hakyeon was indeed more fortunate than anyone else who used to dream.

***

The dreadful darkness settled in the room rapidly. Tonight, Hakyeon was left all alone on the floor. Hongbin was entering dreamland, abandoning him. An owl’s call croaked from the far distance was preventing him from sleep. He listened for the sign of rats. Tut. Tut. Tut. The curtains swayed in the wind, making creepy shadows danced. Hakyeon squeezed his eyes close.

He drifted in and out of the black hole in his mind. He heard and unheard the hollow voices calling. At one point into the night, his sleep was shallow. A sound. Crack, crack, crack. A sound where metal was beating down stones. Clank, clank, clank. A solid shadow lingered by the moonlit window. Hakyeon trembled under his blanket, scared for the safety of his own life.

The dusty white powder marked the death scene in the middle of Hongbin’s apartment. He was glaring at Hakyeon like any other mornings. However, today Hakyeon was wavering under his accusation. He smelled blood in the air. Hakyeon would be the next victim.

“Is this your revenge?” Hongbin hissed. “Didn’t you ruin enough of my life already?!”

Hakyeon’s gaze fell upon on the remnants of the head. The marble nose, lips, eyes were detached and shattered. He was scared of Hongbin’s tears so his eyes never left the corpse.

“Why do you care anyway?” Hakyeon mumbled. “You’re the one who broke it.”

“What did you just say?!” Hongbin yelled.

Hakyeon took a calming breath, “You threw it at the ground last night! You broke it!”

Hongbin grabbed his collar, “I didn’t! Stop lying!” Hakyeon could see Hongbin's veins popped at a close proximity.

Hakyeon fumbled for his phone in his pant pocket. He tapped on the video he had filmed last night, “See? This is you. This is the sculpture. This is your hands. Bang! You broke it.”

Hongbin slowly released his captive. He clutched on the side of his head. He did not remember waking up last night. He did not remember working on the sculpture. He did not remember smashing his hard work into pieces. What had he been doing? Hongbin's head was splitting into two, I was sleepwalking?

“I’m not scared of your ‘haunted’ house anymore! The weird sound was just you making sculpture. Why did you break it?”

Hongbin slid to the ground. His energy was drained from trying to recall something that seemed to be non-existing. He did not know that he was using his old rusting tools again. Who was he if he did not know what's reality?

Seeing Hongbin slumped onto the ground stir something inside of Hakyeon. The defeated figure resembled someone he once knew. Hongbin acted as if he had unknowingly murdered his own child. He had forgotten or neglected his child, but in the end, his love for it was not a lie. Hakyeon risked his life picking up one of the stone pieces. He wrapped Hongbin’s hand around it, “You love being an artist as much as I love the stage. Don’t let a piece of you go.”

Hongbin felt the jagged lines and the weight of the piece. It pierced through his skin. Art intruded his normal life. Unlike other people, Hongbin’s hands were always stained with colourful oil paint or caked with hard mud. His hands were dry by various of chemicals. His hands were different from Hakyeon’s hands.

Hongbin let go of that broken piece. The sound of it crashing to the floor was emphasized in the still room.

“My debt chases after me everyday. What’s broken can never be put back together.”

Hakyeon straightened his back, making Hongbin appeared very small hunching on the ground. Hakyeon faced one of his unfinished paintings. He was suddenly overcome with an unfair rage. Before he knew it, Hakyeon had already crashed his foot through the nearest canvas. He grabbed a cup of hot tea off the table and dumped it on another painting. He snatched a handful of Hongbin’s sketches and ripped them into tears. The room was without Hongbin’s fury. It was filled with his hushed tears.

Hakyeon dragged his packed suitcase under Hongbin’s bed. He would quit being stuck in this endless loop with Hongbin. Hakyeon did not want to be broken like he and lived for nothing. Leaving would be the last generous favour he could do for himself and the ex-artist.

***

Seoul’s morning dewy air was exceptionally refreshing in Hongbin's eyes. He was even welcoming to the brittle wind. The cutting wind was no longer an obstacle. His feet were lighter than ever. The heavy cardboard box was weightless in his arms. Unlike the boxes he had carried before, this box contained solely of Hongbin’s belongings. The mugs were his. The notebook was his. The pens were his. The stapler was (now) his. He sipped on his iced latte in bliss. From now on, Hongbin would only buy himself coffee. He had never once turned back to see SM closing the door on him for the last time.

Only a small group of elders was sitting on the benches in the small park. Hongbin unconsciously craned his neck further. There Hakyeon was, dancing in solitude, unaware of anything else. Hongbin entered his world.

In a moment, he stopped seeing Hakyeon lighting up the humble ground. He was watching a clip of himself from last year’s Christmas Eve. Hongbin had been rubbing his frozen mitten-less hands together. The weather had been more heartless than the present. Despite of the frost, Hongbin had been smiling wide. His right hand was stiff when he was drawing portraits after portraits of blessed couples and children. The money he earned from drawing could barely pay for his lodging, but Hongbin did not mind. He had taken utmost notice of their details for the blank paper. His smile had stretched even more from receiving their earnest praises.

The music finished. Both Hongbin and Hakyeon exited the private place they had shared. Hakyeon met his admirer from far away, saw his packed burden, and smiled. He swiftly picked up his dancing once more. Hongbin lost Hakyeon forever.

Hongbin continued his journey home. He was not thinking of his decision anymore. He thought of the trainees at SM. He had genuinely wished them luck in their careers. He thought of Cha Hakyeon. He thought of all the harsh words he had thrown at him. He thought of all the disapproval from other people, including the discouraging words from his father and when he sent him to SM to his own device. Hongbin then wished that Hakyeon would never meet another person like him again, though he believed that Hakyeon would be successful anywhere he went. Even if life itself would be unmerciful to Hakyeon from time to time, Hongbin was strongly convinced that he would make it through somehow on his own.

“You won, Cha Hakyeon. You won!” Hongbin chortled, only the brutal wind was listening to his bittersweet loss.

Author's Notes:  I ship Chabin mainly because of the childish fights they always have. <3

Hex sign is great and all but still.

This is the moment when I actually ship them though. <3

I mean who does that??? MIC SHARING?? They got so used to being in a kissing position I CAN'T!

Upvotes, subcribes, and comments are greatly appreciated! They will help me greatly for my next VIXX one-shots!

Until next time! Keep dreaming, Dreamers.

P.S.: Coincidentally, this story has the same theme as SJ's Mamacita. What a way to commemorate this awesome comeback. <333

"Words that provoke each other, it’s like a war without purpose

They just see the benefits right in front of them at the moment

They try to hide their sharpened teeth

Forgetting the really important things but asking again, so dumb"

- Mamacita,

Super Junior.