Changmin first meets Yunho in an alleyway. The boy clearly isn’t from around here judging by the easy confidence he approaches the group of muggers with.

That, or he’s just an idiot.

Changmin is willing to bet on both.

The teenager says something that appears sassy and then gets beaten to a pulp and his belongings are taken from him.

Changmin sighs and damns his soft heart.

 

Yunho is lying with his back to the ground, staring at the sky and feeling terribly ashamed. He had thought that maybe he could intimidate the robbers by telling them he was from Gwangju. Apparently, they didn’t care at all, and punched him for talking back.

 

Now he’s broke, alone, and in an unfamiliar city. This was not at all how he expected his day to go.

 

“Are you stupid?” he hears a child’s voice pipe up from behind.

 

Yunho’s sore and his pride is damaged. He’s not in the mood to deal with some bratty kid who’s trying to rile him up. He lifts himself into a sitting position and scowls at the owner of the voice.

 

The boy is skinny and on the short side, looking like he hasn’t had enough to eat, but his face is round and soft. He’s carrying a greyed out duffle bag over his shoulder that’s for too big for his size. His eyes are what make him bite back a harsh retort along the lines of ‘get lost’, because even if they boy’s rude, he does appear genuinely concerned.

 

“No,” Yunho huffs. “I’m not.”

 

The skinny prick has the audacity to roll his eyes and say in the most sarcastic voice he can muster, “sure, you’re not. Anyway, where are you from? I don’t recognise the dialect.”

 

“I’m from Gwangju.”

 

“Oh. That explains it,” he snorts.

 

Yunho puffs up. “Explains what?”

 

He just smirks and shakes his head. “Never mind. Forget I said anything.”

 

Yunho doesn’t think he’s ever quite wanted to hit someone so badly. But he will nothit a child, he will not.

 

Even if he does deserve it…

 

“How old are you, anyway?” Yunho asks. “Where are your parents?”

 

Changmin scoffs and looks away, face stormy. “Twelve, and that’s none of your business.”

 

“Yeah well I’m fourteen and—“

 

“And you just got your kicked.”

 

Yunho burns bright red. “It was two against one.”

 

“And you went with them. Willingly. I was watching.”

 

“They don’t rob you like that in Gwangju! How was I supposed to know they wanted to mug me!?”

 

“God, you need to learn some street smarts. If two older guys you’ve never met before call you into an alleyway, why in the world would you think it was a good idea to actually go and see what they wanted?”

 

Yunho’s about to launch into an argument about cultural differences and that he was probably smarter anyway when Changmin puts up his hand to silence him. Yunho wants to earth to open and swallow this kid down into the depths.

 

“Anyway, I didn’t come here to insult you. I kind of wanted to see if you needed help, or something.” The boy looks embarrassed, and he rubs his nose.

 

“Help?”

 

“Well you did just get mugged. And you’re not around from here so I just thought… maybe you might need somewhere to stay for the night since it’s getting dark and…” he trails off, cheeks flooding pink.

 

Yunho deflates. “I kind of do. I guess.”

 

He beckons Yunho over and they start walking. Yunho’s got a limp, and the boy deliberates for a moment before slinging his arm around his waist and hoisting him up. He’s surprisingly strong for such a skinny boy.

 

“It’s okay, you don’t have to—“

 

“Shut up. It’s faster this way.” He his lips then glances at the older. “I’m Changmin, by the way.”

 

“My name’s Yunho.”

 

 

 

They walk in silence until they reach a train station and Changmin announces they’re here. “Uh,” Yunho says. “Weren’t you going to take me to your house or something?” Yunho doesn’t have money for the train, and Changmin knows this, unless he intends to pay for him.

 

“Yes, and we’re here.”

 

It takes Yunho a moment to process this. “You live… at… a train station?”

 

Changmin gives him a careful, measured look. “Well, I sleep here. Don’t worry though, it’s pretty safe around the station. I’m friends with the others here ‘cause I run errands for them and stuff.”

 

“But,” Yunho says, struggling to find the right words. “You’re twelve.”

 

Changmin snorts and starts walking again, arm still around Yunho’s waist. “I am. It’s not like there’s an age limit for homelessness, you know.”

 

“But - but where are your parents?” Yunho’s trying to wrap his head around this.

 

Changmin stiffens beside him. “I’m not talking about my parents. Just shut up or I’ll dump you on the street and you can limp home instead.”

 

“Okay, fine, no talk about parents,” Yunho acquiesces.

 

Even if he doesn’t like the kid all that much, he does feel sort of bad. This is Yunho’s first brush with ‘homelessness’, and even though he’s holding it together on the outside, as soon as he got robbed he had been terrified out of his mind. Just thinking he had nowhere to return to for the night made his body ache with fear.

 

But this kid who was two years younger didn’t seem like he had a home to return to, ever.

 

The thought terrified him.

 

 

The stations cold and dark, and gusts of wind flow through the tunnel. Changmin leads Yunho into a small alcove where it’s marginally warmer and the wind doesn’t blow through. The concrete is hard and cold, something Yunho can feel even though his shoes.

 

Changmin sets his duffle bag down and zips it open, pulling out a blanket and shifting things around until he’s satisfied, then zips it back up and lies his head on it. The blankets more yellow than white now, and it barely covers Changmin.

 

Yunho stares enviously and shudders. It’s Spring, and the days are warm enough but the nights still send people into shivers.

 

“Aren’t you going to share your blanket?” Yunho asks, a little grumpy.

 

Changmin rolls over, deliberately turning away from the older boy. He thinks he’s been generous enough so far to this complete stranger who has done nothing but grumble since they’ve met. Besides, this guy has a home and a warm bed to go to, while he does not, so Changmin’s sure he can survive one night in the cold. Maybe it’ll teach him a lesson or two and he’ll stop being so grumpy and appreciate what he has some more. Changmin thinks the older boy looks like a spoilt city kid who’s trying to defy his parents by running away to Seoul for the weekend.

 

That plan certainly backfired on him, Changmin thinks, smirking a little to himself.

 

“Fine,” Yunho snarks, rolling to face away from Changmin as well. “Didn’t care anyway.”

 

Changmin listens to Yunho sniffle himself to sleep.

 

 

Changmin wakes up, and is surprised to see Yunho awake and still here.

 

“…You didn’t leave?” Changmin whispers through his blocked throat.

 

Yunho looks at him oddly. “No. Why would I have?”

 

Changmin doesn’t answer.

 

“I don’t know my way around here, anyway. And I sort-of-kind-of-maybe-need-your-help,” he blurts, rubbing his neck and letting out a small cough.

 

Changmin sits up and wipes at his sleepy eyes.

 

“Help?”

 

Yunho nods once emphatically and rubs his nose. “I need money to get home, right.”

 

Chang just stares with narrowed eyes. He’s not awake enough for this. “I’m homeless, I don’t have anything to give you, .”

 

Yunho rolls his eyes. “Duh. I mean, I know of a way for us to get money.”

 

Changmin’s brow perks up in interest. “Uh… huh. You do, do you?” Even though he kind of wants to kick Yunho’s , and he thinks he’s been more than generous enough already, the mention of money has him thinking twice.

 

“In Gwangju right, at the karaoke bars if you pull the seats forward there’s always tons of cash being left behind that’s slipped though and stuff. But this is Seoul. You know what that means?”

 

Changmin shakes his head.

 

“People are rich in Seoul.”

 

Changmin kind of feels like pointing to himself, but refrains. “I’ll help you.”

 

“You will?!” Yunho leans forward on his knees, eager eyes glinting.

 

He holds up his hand. “But, I want half.”

 

Changmin thinks it’s a perfectly reasonable request, and if Yunho rejects his offer, then he can fend for him damned self.

 

Yunho sticks out his hand. “Deal.”

 

Yunho’s hand is kind of dirty and brown, and Changmin eyes it with disgust. “Wash it first, but yeah, we’ve got a deal.”

 

 

Yunho’s washing his hands and watching Changmin scrub at his teeth, sans toothpaste, from the corner of his eye. He’s not sure if Changmin will get offended, but he says anyway, “you’re really prissy for a homeless boy.”

 

Changmin crunches the bristles of the brush between his teeth and stalks over to Yunho, swatting him on the back of the head. “Just because I’m homeless it doesn’t mean I don’t understand the concept of hygiene, you . What, you think I should just let my teeth rot ‘cause I don’t have a house? Stupid.”

 

Well, apparently he is offended, and Yunho doesn’t even snark him back because he does feel a little bit bad about his comment.

 

Changmin glances at him again and then spits the toothpaste out. “Why are you here, anyway?”

 

“In Seoul?”

 

Changmin looks to the ceiling and lets out a long suffering sigh. “No, the bathroom. Of course I meant why are you in Seoul. Seriously, are you sure you’re older than me?”

 

Yunho splutters. “I was just clarifying—you don’t have to be so rude!”

 

Changmin raises his brow. “Neither do you.”

 

Okay, Yunho thinks he may have a point there. “Anyway, I’m here for an audition. Well, I’ve already taken it.” He puffs out his chest. “If they accept, I’m going to be a trainee at S.M. Entertainment!”

 

Changmin zips his toothbrush back into the bag that always seems to be hanging from his shoulder. “S.M—what?” He’s walking through the door now and looking over his shoulder, eyebrows scrunched like he’s trying to drag up some memory of the name.

 

Yunho follows and waves his arms in the air even though Changmin’s not watching anymore. “You know, S.M.? The biggest entertainment country in South Korea? H.O.T? Shinhwa? Ring any bells?”

 

Changmin makes a vague sort of noise in the back of his throat and makes some non-committal hand gestures. “I… guess? I kind of know H.O.T? So what, you’re trainer to be a singer or something?”

 

Yunho puts his nose higher in the air. “I’m training to be an idol.”

 

Changmin snorts. “God, no wonder you’re—think you’re gonna charm the masses with your Gwangju accent huh? And pretty face?” He really laughs out loud this time. “No, no wait, show me your best wink. You know the whole—“ he squints both his eyes shut, failing horribly at his imitation, “fan service thing, or whatever it’s called. Oh man, that’s too funny.”

 

Yunho grumbles, defensive. “Why is it funny?”

 

“It’s just—“ Changmin giggles again and shakes his head, “You said I was the prissy one. But you’re the one who’s gonna have to dress up in costumes and wear makeup.”

 

“That’s not—it’s manly.”

 

Changmin laughs to the sky.

 

 

Yunho sends a silent prayer to the heavens that he’ll be forgiven for his misdeeds. But he’s desperate, and willing to bend the rules for this rare occasion. He amends in his head that he will pay the owner back some time in the future when he’s a rich idol with nice teeth and a Ferrari. Changmin and he pull the karaoke chairs forward and find a gold mine. Seriously. There are stacks and stacks of five hundred and one hundred Won coins littering the floor. Yunho swears he sees Changmin drool.

 

Changmin drops to his knees and shuffles closer, scooping the coins into a pile. “How big are your pockets?”

 

Yunho shoves his hand in and gives them a feel. “Big enough, probably.

 

That’s good enough for Changmin. He takes the liberty to slip the coins into Yunho’s pockets, and when they’re full and clinging and clanging around, he stands back and puts his hands on his hips.

 

“Now, we run.”

 

Yunho feels bad—no, he feels terrible. He’s wasting this owners money just so they can steal the coins under his couch and do a runner. He tells Changmin to wait a minute and he finds a pen laying on the middle of the table and rips off a small bit of paper from the karaoke book on one of the blank pages, and he also feels bad about that. He scribbles a small note of sorry and shows it to Changmin who rolls his eyes and just gestures for Yunho to follow to the entrance.

 

Changmin peers around the corner and squints his eyes. The phone rings and the attendant goes to pick it up, and Changmin makes a signal with his hand. They both duck and scurry, and Yunho plants the note on the front counter, and they run for their lives. The owner shouts something fierce behind them, but they don’t stop, pumping their legs as fast as they will go down the street. Changmin looks over at his shoulder at the attendant shaking his fist and yelling and laughs out loud. Changmin keeps looking over his shoulder to make sure Yunho’s following, and they duck into an alley before stopping to breathe.

 

“You’re—fast,” Yunho pants, grabbing his knees and heaving air into his lungs like he’s just about to collapse.

 

Changmin wipes his brow and leans his back against a wall. “Perks of being homeless. You learn to run.”

 

Yunho’s kind of annoyed that Changmin doesn’t seem as tired as him, and it sparks some stupid competitive streak in him and he vows the next time he and Changmin run, he will be ahead.

 

Changmin takes a few long breaths before stepping towards Yunho, forcing the older boy to sit. He digs his hand in Yunho’s pocket, and Yunho grumbles that he can do it his damn self, still a bit bitter from the loss. He pulls the coins out and they start to rifle through them, piling the coins with their matches. Yunho starts counting and pointing at the stacks and Changmin knocks his hand away, frustrated.

 

“Just let me do it, I’m good at maths,” he snipes, inching a bit closer and counting the coins doubly as fast as Yunho.

 

Yunho grumbles under his breath but sits back and lets Changmin do his thing. As much as he hates to be bested, he hates maths more.

 

Changmin finishes counting and looks back up to Yunho. “How much is it gonna cost you to get home?”

 

“About twenty-thousand?”

 

Changmin whistles. “Well we’ve only got about fifteen-thousand in total here, and since we’re splitting it half way… looks like you’re not going home just yet.”

 

Yunho groans and Changmin gives him an approximation of a sympathetic smile that doesn’t quite reach its intended target.

 

“Oh well, there are plenty of karaoke bars in the sea.”

 

Changmin wrinkles his nose at Yunho’s analogy. “You know they usually use that for girls, right?”

 

“You do know that I don’t care, right?”

 

Changmin puts up his hands in surrender. “All right, fine, whatever. I’m hungry though, can we get something to eat?”

 

Yunho wants to say something about having to save and not wasting money, but his stomach gives a big growl at the mention of food and he realises he hasn’t eaten since his audition. “I guess. What do you want? It better be cheap.”

 

“Like we’ve got a ton of money to spend, anyway. Just something like cup ramen—it doesn’t really matter as long as it’s cheap and filling.”

 

Yunho nods at this, satisfied by Changmin’s forward thinking.

 

The make their way over to a supermarket and Changmin demands his half of the coins, which Yunho hands over. He pushes his own coins further into his left pocket. By the time Yunho’s picked out some beef noodles that cost nothing more than 1500 Won, Changmin’s lolled back to his side with a tube of toothpaste and two packs of the cheapest ramen in the store that’s under a thousand Won but tastes like cardboard.

 

Yunho wrinkles his nose at Changmin’s choice but decides to keep quiet this time. He’s trying to drill it into his head that not everyone has money for the nice things, though it’s a difficult concept to wrap his head around since he’s always had enough to live with and more.

 

They pay for their items separately and use the store’s boiler to fill their cups before sitting outside. It’s a bit nippy, but it’s bearable, and the cup of hot soup in their hands warms them adequately. Changmin eats one cup of his noodles, and he slurps it down so fast Yunho is afraid he’s going to choke. Yunho’s hardly half way through his first when Changmin gulps down the second, eating like a man starved. Yunho bites his lip, because Yunho realises that Changmin probably is starved. He stares into the brown sludge of his noodles and hesitates for a moment before handing it over to the boy. There’s only a third of it left, but Changmin’s eyes shine when he holds it out.

 

“I don’t want it,” Yunho says, the saliva pooling in his mouth telling a very different story. “I’m full.”

 

Changmin snatches it up without an ‘are you sure’ or ‘thank you’ and eats, this time, slightly slower, seeming to actually enjoy the flavour. Yunho is a little miffed at his lack of manners, but he’s glad that the kid looks happy. Because, the reality is, Yunho’s going to go home after this. He’s going to sit in his bed at night and turn on the heaters if it gets cold, and go down for a slow cooked meal at dinner time. Sure, his family struggled for money and Yunho used to dance to put some extra money in the bank account, but it was never to the point where they went hungry.

They missed out on extras, and school trips were hard to pay for, but at the end of the day they all had a home to come back to. They struggled, but as Yunho looks as Changmin, he realises that what they went through was nothing at all in comparison. No, it wasn’t easy being so stressed for money, but Yunho at the time had been bitter about the situation. He’d whined and complained that they didn’t have money to send him on trips like all his other friends. Now he’s just grateful he had food to eat.

 

Changmin… Changmin is going to shiver in the cold, all alone, and starve.

 

Yunho wonders where his parents are, and why he won’t speak about them, but he guesses that maybe they died. But if that was the case, how come a relative didn’t take him in? How come he didn’t get put in an orphanage? Or did he, and did he run away? Yunho has so many questions he knows that Changmin won’t answer, and that he’ll probably never get to know the answer to.

 

Yunho guesses that he can give it one more try, and he asks Changmin what happened to his parents, but he doesn’t answer, just gives a mighty frown and stares into to floating noodles.

 

“By the way,” Changmin says through a mouthful of noodles. “Aren’t your parents going to be worried that you’ve spent so much time down here?”

 

Yunho shrugs. “I told them I came here to visit a friend and that I’d be back soon. I never told them a date, so, its fine.”

 

Changmin his head. “Why didn’t you tell them?”

 

“They don’t want me being an idol. They want me to go into Law or something respectable because they don’t think I can succeed. I just… I came here without telling them because it’d just be another argument.”

 

Changmin sips at the noodle juice. “It sounds like they’re just concerned about you.”

 

Yunho shuffles in his seat and lets out a great heave of air. “I wish they wouldn’t be.”

 

“You’re ungrateful,” Changmin says, and there’s no particular heat or venom behind the words, it’s simply a statement. “You should be happy they care.”

 

Yunho shrugs. “I’m not ungrateful. I’m happy they love me, I just wish they would trust me to know what I’m doing.”

 

“I see.” Changmin gives him a blank look then hops off the bench, wandering towards the trash can. “Wanna hit the next karaoke bar?”