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Chapter 8

Park Hyojin was a very mysterious individual. He didn't talk to anyone, and he was always slipping in and out without anyone noticing. He never seemed to socialize unless someone else approached him first, but, even then, holding a conversation with him was not a common occurrence.

But perhaps there was a story behind his cold eyes and lonely gaze. Perhaps he was more than just an isolated boy. Maybe, just maybe, he had his own story to tell.

But Hyojin preferred keeping his past a secret. He was good at keeping secrets, especially because he didn't trust other people.

Not anymore.

Perhaps, someday, everything will be revealed, but for now, Park Hyojin will remain a secret.

~*~*~*~

It turns out Fuji got the job (no surprise there), and he'd be working on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. He'd have all of his classes either earlier in the week or first thing in the morning, which meant that Euntaek would have to do either the same thing or deal with being at school alone, which wasn't a very good experience for someone like him.

Obviously, he chose to have his classes earlier in the week, so he didn't have to fend off his classmates on his own.

Fuji's training started on Thursday, and by Friday, he was already pretty much a professional. That was nothing new, though, since Fuji was indeed a fast learner. He caught on quickly, and often times, it didn't take much effort.

Friday evening, like most evenings, Euntaek sat at a table by himself while his only friend worked his shift. He had considered talking to Hyojin multiple times, but he was much too intimidating for a small and fragile boy like Euntaek to approach.

The little bell on the door jingled as a little kid skipped in. He looked very much like Minsoo, and when he said, "Hyung!!" Euntaek realized why. From the window, he could see Eunbi getting out of her car, and he instinctively threw himself into the seat in front of Hyojin.

The black haired boy gave him a weird, dirty look and was about to ask what he was doing when Euntaek pulled his earbuds out of his ears and whispered, "Please pretend to be my friend, just for tonight."

Hyojin followed his worried gaze out the window and saw his sister walking towards the café. He smirked, his voice surprisingly low, "And what's in it for me?"

He flushed, "W-What?"

"What do I get out of this?"

Euntaek glanced nervously at the door, "What do you want?"

His smirk grew wider, "Call me Daddy."

Euntaek turned very, very red, "What?!"

He shrugged, "If not, you can kiss your pretty little lie goodbye."

Eunbi was getting closer, and he honestly had no time to waste. As much as he hated it and as embarrassing as it was, he knew he was getting manipulated again, but he really didn't have a choice this time. "God, help me," he muttered before sucking in a deep breath. He let it out slowly and ducked his head so his blue bangs fell over his eyes, "Please... Daddy..." He said it so softly and so hesitantly that Hyojin actually started laughing.

His face was so hot.

"Shit, man," he said, laughing harder, "I didn't think you'd actually do it. I guess you're just that desperate, huh?"

Euntaek's ears were on fire, "Oh my god, did you have to say it like that?!"

Hyojin hadn't laughed like this in a long, long time, and being able to tease Euntaek was the perfect method. He had a charming laugh and a pretty smile, but they weren't exposed very often. "Cute," he said, watching as the younger boy covered his face from embarrassment.

Just then, Eunbi came through the door. She was wearing her green contacts again (like always) and smiled brightly when she saw her twin brother, "What are you doing here, Taek?"

His ears were still burning, and he couldn't bare remove his hands from his face. "F-Fuji..." he stuttered.

Hyojin stopped laughing and looked up at Euntaek's sister, who was just as pretty as Euntaek himself. To anyone else, they would've been equally as pretty, since they were practically identical, but not to him. Even with twins, there were certain characteristics that could make one different from the other. It was just a matter of whether you could see those things or not.

"You're Park Hyojin, right?" Eunbi asked, her face lighting up, "Euntaek told me you guys are friends."

Euntaek peeked through his fingers, watching to make sure Hyojin kept his side of the deal.

He smiled. It was charming like when he'd been laughing, but it was... different somehow. "Yeah, we're friends." For some reason, the words sounded so natural coming from his mouth, but they had never been friends, which made him seem even more mysterious.

Before they could continue, though, the small child from earlier tapped on Eunbi's arm. His eyes glistened with curiosity and wonder, "Do you guys know Hojin-Hyung too?"

Hyojin choked on nothing, and Euntaek let out a small laugh, finally pulling his hands away from his face.

"'Hojin?'" Eunbi repeated, "You mean Hyojin?"

The small child beamed, "Yep! He's my friend, too!!"

The black haired boy stopped mid-cough to stare at him, his cheeks turning a pale pink.

It was cute.

"Minwoo," Minsoo said sternly as he picked up his little brother, "didn't I tell you not to interrupt them?"

"But Hyung," he whined, "I want to be friends with Hojin-Hyung's friends, too!"

Eunbi and Euntaek erupted in fits of giggles again, and Hyojin's cheeks flushed darker.

"Hyojin," Minsoo corrected, "It's Hyojin, Minwoo. If he's your friend, you should at least get his name right."

He pouted, "Ho... Ho... Hyo... Hyojin?" He buried his face against his brother's chest, whining, "But that's too hard to say!!"

Now, everyone was laughing.

You could always count on a child to make people smile.