"Home?" Hongbin scoffed. "You want me to go home? Sorry, not happening."

He yawned as he stretched his arms up above his head, cocking his head side to side to crack his neck. "This place itself is my home," he finally said, stopping his stretching as he now sat on his chair with his legs crossed. 

The chattering of friendly customers was heard all around the spicy rice cake restaurant, but since nobody was in need of service at the moment, the workers took this time to take a break. The second floor of the restaurant was where Hongbin lived for the past two years, by his choice, of course. He had a perfectly fine house-- more than fine, actually. His parents were probably the richest people in town but he didn't find what he needed from them, nor did he ever take a liking to the way his old life was like.

Simple and sweet; that's how he liked to describe his ideal lifestyle. That's why he was long gone from his parents' house, and living this life with a pay that barely reached minimum wage.

Hongbin's mentor and boss, Mr. Song, who was like a father to him, looked at him silently with his sad, droopy eyes. His "old man puppy eyes," as Hongbin called them.

"No no no," Hongbin said with his hand held out and his pointer finger waving back and forth in front of him. "Don't give me that look."

The man sighed and took a seat next to Hongbin at the table.

"When I said home, I didn't mean a place to stay," he explained to the younger, "I meant a place where you could be yourself. Be comfortable. Be happy."

"I can find all of that here--"

"How much more do I have to dumb it down for you?" Mr. Song asked. "I want you to find a person. Someone you trust; someone that you can be happy with."

"But I have you--"

"Preferably a girl." Mr. Song interrupted. "Geez Hongbin, don't you like anybody? I used to be all over girls when I was your age!" Then, the man let out a short gasp. "Unless you're..."

"No, I'm not gay," Hongbin assured the elder. He looked down at the floor and rubbed the back of his neck slowly. "But, I do have someone I like..."

All of a sudden, the boy's cheeks started to get red as he coughed, finally able to get his mind back on track.

"Either way, that means I'm staying here, right?" Hongbin asked as he jolted up from his seat with a rag in his hand. He jogged over to a table that needed to be cleaned and goofily grinned back at his boss. "Right?" he called out once again, over the loud noise that filled the restaurant.

Mr. Song waved his hand in the air sloppily, mumbling a "whatever" as he made his way into the kitchen while Hongbin was happily wiping off the empty table.

Even though his arm was getting tired already from cleaning, the young man smiled to himself as the thoughts of the girl he liked came back into his head.

Just you wait, Kim Taeyeon, he thought foolishly, Oppa will make you mine!

"Excuse me, can we get a pitcher of water over here?" a customer called out to interrupt his thoughts. The daydreaming waiter tossed the rag on the table and wiped his palms on the front of his black apron.

"Coming!"

Hongbin was fixing his long,