Title: Clarinet
Rating: PG-15
Genre: AU, Angst, Fluff, Friendship, Romance
Pairing: Kyuhyuk, Minteuk, slight!Minkyu
Warning: Violence
Summary: Every Friday night, there is someone sitting with his little black case while he was sipping his White Hot Chocolate. Hyukjae couldn’t take his eyes of him. Why did the man never come with a pure happy smile?
Disclaimer: Kyuhyun took all his hyungs as his pairing.
A/N 1: beta-ed
allethia ***
“So, here is your double Chai Tea Latte! Enjoy!” Hyuk served a couple's order with his big gummy smile.
“Hyukkieee~ Come here! Help me at the register!” Sungmin called him.
“Okay, I’ll be there in a minute!” Hyuk put the tray and rushed to Sungmin, “Where’s Teukie hyung? He barely help us in café. Tsk!”
He slapped Hyukjae, earning ‘Ouch’ from him, “Don’t say something like that, Hyuk! He’s working right now, look over there!” When Sungmin was pointing at Teuk, he was on his way putting a white crème on a glass of hot chocolate but ended up with crème messed up all over the glass. “Geez,” Hyuk said and Sungmin in a light speed left him to help Teuk with those crème, “Gosh, Sungmin hyung! If you desperately wanna lick Teukie hyung just go inside please.” Hyukjae facepalmed but Sungmin’s licking crème on Teuk’s finger earned squeals from women and girls customers there. His hyung is the best at fan service ever, he sighed.
“Oh, sorry for those guys, what did you want to order before?”
***
Pink Duckling Café.
Okay, it may sound weird or stupid but this café was built by Sungmin & Leeteuk. They were childhood friends who have always dreamed about opening their own café. Sungmin was Hyukjae's friend from elementary school. When Hyukjae said he need money to help his mom so she didn’t have to be overworked, Sungmin asked him if he wanted to work at his café or not, as a waiter and cashier since it’s newly opened and he didn’t have much money to pay many employees. He said yes for sure so Sungmin took him there and he was welcomed by a kissing scene between Sungmin and a guy, he didn’t know Teukie before. That day, he just knew that they had been dating for almost a year and decided to live together at the café's second floor. If he had his night shifts, sometimes he overslept here.
Regular customers, most were women and girls or couples, loved the café’s menus and the most important thing, the café interior. Because of Hyukjae's doubled job as a waiter and cashier, he saw lots of people with different characters.
One night, he saw a new customer come in.
‘I’ve never seen him.’
“Can I have a White Hot Chocolate, please?”He said in a deep voice, a little smile on his face.
“Okay, one White Hot Chocolate!”
After he paid his drink, he took a seat near the window. Watching his little black case that he brought along.
“Your order,” Hyukjae delivered the beverage, “Oh, by the way, take this.” Hyukjae gave him little towel. “Your hair is wet and your things are also wer because the heavy rain outside. Don’t get sick, okay? Enjoy your drink!”
He bowed a little, “Ah yes, thank you-“ He tried to find a name written in Hyukjae’s apron, “Hyukjae-ssi.”
Hyukjae slightly blushed because it’s really rare for a customer to say thank you and even called his name, “Y-yes, you’re welcome, hmm-“
“Cho Kyuhyun,” he said.
“You’re welcome, Kyuhyun-ssi,” he deep bowed and walked back to counter.
“Oh, Hyukkie, do you want to switch your shift with me now?” Teuk suddenly running down from upstairs, “Eh, are you okay? Your face looks a bit red,” he reached out for Hyukjae’s forehead.
“I-I’m okay, hyung. Don’t worry about me, I can take your shift, if it’s okay with you?”
“Ermm… Okay, just call me or Sungmin if you need help.”
“Yap. Sure.”
As Leeteuk went back to upstairs, Hyukjae stood there focusing his eyes on his new customer, Cho Kyuhyun.
***
Every Friday night, Kyuhyun always came to the café. He ordered the same drink. He even took a seat at the same place if no one sat there. He put his little black case on the table, sometimes he wrote something on a piece of paper.
Hyukjae could only see him from afar. He never saw Kyuhyun’s smile or happy expression on his face. He really wanted to know why but they have just talked twice, first when Hyukjae gave a towel, and, when Kyuhyun gave it back.
Kyuhyun started to fix his things and put it all to his bag in a rush.
‘Oh yeah he usually goes home around 9 pm. It’s already 10 pm.’
He took his last sipped and went to door. But, he stopped there and he sighed.
‘Hmm…’
“Bye, hyung! I’ll give you a call later,” Hyukjae waved to Sungmin and Leeteuk and approaching Kyuhyun to the door, “Kyuhyun-ssi!”
“Hyukjae-ssi…”
“You don’t bring an umbrella, eh?”
He just nodded.
“Come on, I can walk you home,” Hyukjae took his umbrella out and ready to walk, “Come on, Kyuhyun, it’s getting late.”
Although their home in different direction, Hyukjae still insisted to walk him home. They walked almost in silence. Actually there’s a little conversation that lead to the fact that Kyuhyun was 2 years younger than him, but that’s all. After they arrived in front of Kyuhyun’s house, Hyukjae bid good bye, “See you next Friday!” Kyuhyun nodded and walked to door when it revealed his father, Hyukjae thought, whom suddenly took Kyuhyun’s arm roughly and talked in his flat but anger tone, “Why do you just got home by now? It’s passed your night time, Kyu.” After that, the door closed and Hyukjae could only pray that Kyu’s father didn’t get mad at him just because he arrived home a bit late than usual.
***
Next Friday, Hyukjae waited for Kyu but he didn’t come up. He even waited everyday if Kyuhyun decided to come at another day instead of Friday. His worried washed away when two weeks later on the same Friday evening, Kyuhyun finally came up.
‘He looks pale.’
“Hey, you come today! Wants your White Hot Chocolate, Kyu?”
“Sure, thanks, hyung.”
Hyukjae asked him to sit at his usual place and he’ll go there after finishing his order.
“Yours!” He handed Kyu the glass and took his seat in front of Kyu. Kyuhyun took it with both hands, cupping his glass. His long sleeve sweater pulled a bit, revealing bruises on his wrists.
“Hey, Kyu, what’s with those bruises on your wrists?” Hyukjae tried to catch his wrists but Kyu just pulled away, “Nothing to worry about, hyung. I must be hit something I didn’t realize.”
“Hmm… Okay if you said so.”
There’s an awkward silence before Hyukjae tried again to bring up a conversation.
“Aa… actually I wanna know what’s inside that black case?” He pointed it, “You always brought it everytime you come here and you seems to treasure it a lot.”
“Oh! It’s my clarinet, hyung.”
“You play clarinet?”
He nodded, “My mom taught me since I was little. I want to learn it more, so I take a clarinet class. Day time, I’m at college but when night comes that’s my clarinet time.”
Kyuhyun smiled happily and Hyukjae believed that it was the first time he saw Kyu's real smile.
They talked easily now compared to the old times. Even, Kyu showed his skill by playing his clarinet to Hyukjae. When he finished, people who came to the café were clapping their hand to his great performance. Kyu just bowed shyly.
“Your bonus!” Sungmin gave Kyuhyun another full glass of White Hot Chocolate, “Beautifully played. The Moon Represents My Heart, isn’t it?” Sungmin smiled. Kyuhyun’s face turned even brighter than before knowing someone knew the song he just played.
“Sungmin hyung. Why did you give the drink to Kyuhyun? What about me?” Hyukjae whined to his pink hyung.
“Make it by yourself, Hyukkie. I made my Pumpkin Spice Latte by myself.”
Kyuhyun just giggled seeing his hyungs little fight right before Sungmin said, “Play your clarinet with my guitar, same song, that’s for paying your drinks.”
Hyukjae countered, “You said bonus, why did you ask for payment now?”
“It’s okay, hyung. I’ll do it. I don’t have any class tonight, so it’s fine.” He smiled again and Hyukjae wouldn’t ruin his happiness today.
Since that day, every night at the café, Sungmin and Kyuhyun played a song for everybody who came to the restaurant. Everytime the song came to an end, Kyuhyun always took his gaze to Hyukjae, smiling, even sometimes he gave Hyukjae a wink. It made Hyukjae blushing everytime Kyu did that.
After they had done, Hyukjae wanted to walk him home but Kyuhyun always rejected. He always said okay and he would text Hyukjae, Sungmin, and Leeteuk after he arrived home. But last Friday, there’s no message to them. On Saturday, the messages just came in saying sorry he just had time to text them that day.
Then, the next day, Kyuhyun seemed to be disappeared.
No one could contact him.
They waited for him to come at the café but he didn’t show up.
One stormy night, they decided to close café earlier. “I shall go home now, hyung. Even though my mom said I can stay here, I couldn’t leave her with noona alone.”
“Okay, be careful on your way home, Hyukkie.”
He walked after two blocks just to find someone fell on his knees in the rain, holding something his arms. Hyukjae’s eyes went wide seeing a little black case dropped off.
“Kyuhyun-ah!”
He threw away his umbrella.
He took Kyuhyun in his embrace.
He kept on calling him, he didn’t know what else to do to wake him up.
He checked his body. There’s no single drop of blood.
Instead of blood, he could see bruises painted all over Kyuhyun’s body.
He carried Kyuhyun back to café.
“Hyung!! Hyung!! Open the door now!!”
He bang on the door until the lights on and he could see Sungmin and Leeteuk.
“Hyukkie, what’s wrong- Kyuhyun!“
Hyukjae burst inside followed by others. Going to the second floor, he took Kyuhyun to his room leaning him on the bed. Leeteuk took towel, blanket, and turning on the heater. Sungmin helped Hyukjae took off Kyuhyun’s wet clothes.
They all frowned.
“What the fuck- What happened to him, Hyuk?”
“I don’t know either, hyung. I just found him two blocks from here in the middle of the rain with his clarinet case.”
They remained silence.
Things didn’t get better when Kyuhyun got fever.
All of them stayed all night waiting for Kyuhyun, keeping his temperature or wishing he would wake up soon.
***
“Hyukjae hyung…”
He woke up because of the slightest touch.
“Kyu, you woke up.”
“Where…”
“Café. Second floor.”
“No one would hurt you again, okay?”
He shivered.
Hyukjae squeezed Kyu’s hand. “It’s okay, Kyu.”
“It’s your father?”
“Hey look at me, tell me, it’s him, he did all of these to you?”
Hyukjae looked deep into his eyes.
Tears started to form in his eyes. He nodded.
“Why? Did he do it on purpose or-“
“He turned into a beast. My parentsgot divorced over a year ago. Noona went with my mother and my father took me. He was like the same father as before but after two months he started to get angry at everything. He almost lost his job. He swore randomly. He threw everything away. Then, every time he saw me he would slap me without any reasons. I kept on asking him why but he never answered me. But that night, he said to me, ‘You… You looked just like your mother… I hate you, Kyuhyun!’ He threw away my things. He wanted to break the clarinet. He took the black case away. I need to get it back. It’s the only one thing left from my mother before she died. I couldn’t lose it.”
His voice cracked. Tears streamed down his face.
Hyukjae hugged him. He wanted to hug him tightly but how could he do that with all those pain in his body. He tried to soothe Kyuhyun.
“Where’s your noona right now?”
“She is with my aunt and uncle. They already left from Seoul. I’m afraid if I contact them my father will find noona and disturbing their life.”
“Live here.”
They heard Leeteuk said.
“Live here. Don’t go back to your house.”
“But-“
“It’s your choice though. I don’t ask you to hate him. I know you still care for him if you don’t you already have left him since he started going crazy. But what can you get from him with his condition now? You have the rights for your life.”
***
“Vanilla crème frappuccino!”
“Okay! Let me take that order, Kyu!” Hyuk run to the counter. “Yah! Kyuhyun-ah! You drink your own White Hot Chocolate! You should make Ice Chocolate for me!”
He sipped his drink.
“Make it by yourself, Hyukkie hyung.”
There's whipped cream left on Kyu’s lips.
“You are just the same like Sungmin hyung. Tsk!” Hyukjae pouted.
“Hm… At least I can get my whipped cream first-“
Hyukjae leaned in forward to lick those crème left and kissed Kyu’s lips.
Sungmin and Leeteuk shouted at the same time, “Hyukkie! Do it inside!”
Squeals earned from women and girl customers.
Kyuhyun just turned red when Hyukjae dragged him to the second floor.
***
A/N 2: YAY for kyuhyuk or hyukkyu? And dear Lee Sungmin, I think I made quite minteuk, do you like that? I know he won’t read this but Lol. Btw drinks menu is taken from Starbucks^^ Enjoy this & all coments are loveddd :))