The sun outside of the building was high in the sky, looming over the city. The buildings were getting beaten down by the hot rays and the concrete baked in the relentless sun. When the five boys excited the SM building, the light hit their porcelain skin almost making them glow. They shielded their eyes because they weren’t accustomed to the brightness. They had been stuck in the confines of the building for so long that they weren’t used to seeing the sun. With the only light source being the yellow tinged fluorescent bulbs in the lighting fixtures at the studio, their complexions had become lighter. The sun burnt at their sensitive skin causing them to become slightly red under the rays.

After Onew had entered the dance studio and notified them that they had the day off, Jonghyun and Key had stared at him in disbelief. The idea of not having to work for their debut for a day, even for a few hours, shocked them. But, they didn’t let the opportunity escape them, so they had eagerly gathered their things and left the dreary building. Taemin and Minho had met the other three at the front waiting room of the building, and now they were roaming the streets.

The roads were crowded with traffic at this time because it was lunch time. The office workers were hurriedly walking to where they had parked their cars so they could hurry and get food. The food courts and restaurants were filled with people busily rushing to and fro. The group avoided such places for now and just walked down the streets. They were content with just having different scenery around them then the confining walls of the dance studio. They had been walking silence for some time until Onew the leader cleared his throat.

“We need to find somewhere to go. We can’t just wander the streets.” Onew said to the group, giving them ample time to decide where they wanted to go. Taemin focused on the slight rumbling noises his aching stomach made and looked at the leader when he spoke.

“I’m hungry, hyung. It’s lunch time anyway, so we should go eat!” he said logically. Everyone murmured in agreement and nodded. It had been a long time since they had eaten something enjoyable in a long time. None of the members could cook very well, so their meals consisted of whatever management got them and ramyun. After the first couple of days, overly flavored noodles lost what little charm it had.

“Let’s eat mandu! I’m tired of eating baechu kimchi! Manger hyung is so cheap that’s all he gets us.” Jonghyun complained to the group. Everyone had to agree with him. At every practice, near lunch time, their manager would come and bring them baechu kimchi and rice. The kimchi was made with too much chili powder for Taemin’s liking and the taste of garlic always lingered in their mouths after they ate the cheap meal.

They decided to walk to the side of the city where the shops and malls were. There would be cheaper food stands there and Key wanted to go window shopping. Everyone liked the idea and didn’t complain. As they walked, they unconsciously paired off. Minho walked next to Taemin, their shoulders grazing each other’s as they walked down the sidewalk. Key and Jonghyun trailed behind the two younger boys. They laughed and chatted away as they walked making the atmosphere light and airy. Onew walked in front of them all, leading them to their destination.

It took over thirty minutes to arrive at the cluster of shops in the depths of the city. Unlike the tourist’s area of the city where SM was located, these stores were less crowded and few people were roaming by the shops. The group of boys smiled to themselves and began to wander through the buildings. Key stopped at every other shop, studying merchandise and analyzing prices. Jonghyun kept pulling him along trying to reach his long awaited food. Taemin and Minho didn’t pay much attention to the older boys and walked by themselves. There wasn’t much conversation between them. Minho was happy to be having a break and he liked knowing that Taemin was beside him.

As the two boys continued walked, Minho noticed a group of girls walking towards them. At first he didn’t care about their presence and just continued walking. But, when he noticed how their eyes traveled to Taemin he felt a small spark of emotion hit him. At first he was unsure of the feeling that hit him. He had never felt it before, but he didn’t like their looks or how they giggled and made gestures to his dongsaeng. He furrowed his brows and began to lead Taemin away from the group that stood near them.

“Hyung, where are we going? I think the food stands are this way.” Taemin voiced quietly, lifting his slender white finger and pointing towards the direction where the girls were. Minho felt a wave of panic wash over him, he didn’t know why but he didn’t want to go back to where those girls had been. He didn’t want their greedy eyes to take in the sight of Taemin. He felt protectiveness for the younger, almost like an ownership.

“I thought I saw a banana milk stand over here though….I thought maybe you wanted some…” Minho trailed off. He hope the younger would catch the bait and sure enough he did. Without further protest, Taemin followed Minho where ever he wanted in hope of finding his beloved drink.  As they became farther and farther away from the girls, Minho felt more at peace. However, a small bit of nagging emotion still lingered in his mind. He wasn’t sure what it was, but deep down, he felt as if he was possibly…jealous of how those girls could so openly stare at his dongsaeng.

As he walked with Taemin, he would often turn and analyze the younger’s creamy skin and flawless face. He had a youthful glow to his skin and a pearly sheen to his hair. His eyes were almond shaped and were a velvety caramel colour. His lips were curvy and plump. Minho felt the need to get closer to them the more he looked. But he pried his eyes away from Taemin’s face and stared at the floor instead ashamed of his own feelings.

He had been feeling like that a lot recently. He got confused of how he felt often. He didn’t understand why he felt this need to always near the younger boy. He wanted to protect him, but that was just his duty as a hyung he would remind himself. He always wanted to hold his hand, but he just brushed it off as a brotherly feeling. But as time passed and he became closer to Taemin, Minho noticed how he would often stare at the younger and wonder if his lips were as soft as they looked. Minho shook his head trying to make the thoughts go away. However, no matter how hard he tried to look elsewhere, his eyes always came back to Taemin’s sweet face.

Their once large group had dispersed and separated, each one looking for something different. Minho and Taemin were on a quest for an imaginary banana milk vendor, while the older boys were trying to find food that wasn’t too expensive.

After walking for quite a while, Taemin and Minho found a small, hole-in-the-wall shop that sold drinks. To Taemin’s delight there was banana milk. Minho bought the bubbly boy a small carton. When he handed Taemin the small yellow package, the younger’s eyes lit up. He drank the milk tentatively with soft slurps as they walked. Minho felt giddiness that he brought the small boy joy.

“Thank you, Hyung~! I love you~~!” Taemin said in his glee. He skipped along beside Minho with a large smile plastered on his face.

Minho’s heart skipped a few beats from Taemin’s playful, nonserious words. Even though he knew Taemin didn’t mean the phrase in a deep way, he couldn’t help but turn a bit red and feel nervous. A small smile spread over the stoic boy’s lips.

On the other side of the shopping center, Jonghyun and Key continued talking and rambling on and on. Jonghyun was continuously searching for food. Onew trailed behind them lazily, looking at few stores as he walked. Even though they were having a free day, all he thought about was upcoming events and how to improve their concept. But, Jonghyun and Key were too immersed in the world around them to pay much attention. Jonghyun, the king of skinship, walked with his arm linked with Key’s. Key wasn’t paying attention much to Jonghyun because he was too busy window-shopping, but Jonghyun focused on the calming warmth of Key’s arm next to his own. He was secretly pleased at their closeness.

Key analyzed the windows to the shops before them. Each was filled with the trendiest clothing with designer labels and expensive price tags. Key sighed as he looked at all the clothes he wanted but couldn’t buy. Jonghyun noticed Key’s saddened sighed and frowned slightly.

“Don’t worry yeobo. In a few weeks you can buy all the nice things you want.” Jonghyun said confidently. Key couldn’t help but smile at the thought. Everyone in the group was hopeful that their debut would go well because if they didn’t then they wouldn’t have much of a future. The company would drop them and their hard work would be in vain.

“By this time next month, we won’t even be able to walk down the street without four body guards!” Onew said to the youngers. They all smiled at the thought of it. The fantasies of hundreds of fans fawning over their every move were filling their minds. They couldn’t help but smile at the thought of their hard work paying off so well for them.

As they fantasized and spoke of their futures, they became surrounded by little food stands and the smell of seasoned meats wafted about them. Jonghyun’s eyes grew large in anticipation and hunger. He looked about the small shops and stared with his wide, puppy eyes at the steaming noodles and mandu.

“Hyung, get us food!” Jjong whined to the leader. Onew smiled at the two boys and took at his wallet. To be truthful, there wasn’t money inside his wallet, but there was enough to get them a decent meal.

“What do you want?” he asked while counting the crisp bills. Jonghyun looked around at the different foods and tapped his chin in consideration. He pointed to a random shop with narrowed eyes, making his descion.

“I want…mandu, crab , noodles, kimchi, and rice.” He said while nodding. Onew looked at the money is his wallet and then the prices at the shop. His eyes grew wide when he saw the expensive dishes and he unconsciously backed away.

“How about…Mandu, crab, and rice?” Onew said looking at the cheapest foods. Jonghyun pouted  and nodded in sadness. Onew sighed in relief and went to purchase Jonghyun’s hordes of food. Key had been relatively silent while they went to buy food.

“Oh, wait Key, what do you want to eat?” Jonghyun asked him. Key swallowed deeply and shook his head.

“I’m not hungry.” He said quietly. Jonghyun furrowed his brows at the younger boy. Key’s stomach hurt at the thought of food. He couldn’t help but think of food as a negative thing at this point. Food meant fat and fat meant weight gain. He couldn’t afford weight gain before debut.

“Are you not feeling well?” Jonghyun asked with concern laced into his face. Key looked away from Jonghyun’s worried eyes, feeling uncomfortable from the attention he was receiving.

“My stomach hurts.” He said quietly. It wasn’t really a lie…It just wasn’t really the full truth either. He would eat soon, he told himself, just after they debuted and everyone liked them. He nodded his head softly, making himself a promise.

Onew came back then with large food bags in his hands. He saw the worry that was striking Jonghyun’s face and looked at them in confusion. Everything had been fine just moments ago.

“We should go back to the dorm right now, hyung. Key doesn’t feel well.” Jonghyun said while nudging Key to follow him. He began to walk back to where they had come from, and Onew trailed behind them with the heavy food boxes in tow. Key felt bad about making them have to go back home, but it was better than eating he told himself. They walked back in silence. Jonghyun silent from worry, Key silent from guilt, and Onew silent from the weight of heavy cartons of food.

(A/N):Aloha!

Sorry about the bad/late update. Do not hate me. TT^TT Paddling takes too much time!

I am so sorryy~~!!

I'm so tired, no joke, I'm about to pass out. TT^TT I hope you guys have a super great night, okay? Remember to smile~~~

Saranghaeyo~~!

Everything you can imagine is real.
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-Pura Vida! NightOwl

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