Open Book Ch. 10
Author: shy_mizuno
Genre: Family/Drama
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, Yoogeunnie is back with his Umma now :( This isn't real.
Summary: Five strangers live under one roof. A young child binds them together.
The door opened to the barren apartment. Yoogeun fidgetted in Mino's arms, cooing up at his new father. "Well Yoogeunnie...what do you think?" He placed the two-year-old on the ground and watched him tatter and stumble around the voidness.
"Appa?" Yoogeun stood tall and looked up at Minho. The teenager smiled bright and picked him back up. They walked down the hall in silent.
"Well...it's not much now, but people will come. And they'll help out and it won't seem so lonely." Minho looked down at Yoogeun who was slowly falling asleep. He laughed. "I guess the first thing I should do is find you a bed to sleep in."
Down at the furniture store, Minho came face to face with a teenage cashier. A very young teenage cashier. "Shouldn't you be in cram school?"
"Shouldn't you be in college without a kid?" The boy snapped back, swiping the tags of his purchases.
Minho raised an eyebrow. "Is it too rude of me to ask why you're working? I mean, what do you need money for? Aren't your parents taking good care of you."
"It is rude of you to ask. But I'll never see you again so I don't care. I'm getting money so that I can support myself so my parents stop fighting." The boy got even quieter.
Minho looked at him and at Yoogeun. "Can..can I ask you your name?"
The boy raised an eyebrow. "Lee Taemin."
"I...I put out an ad for roommates not too long ago. Why don't you come live with me and my son?"
Taemin raised an eyebrow. "I'm only a kid. I don't think I can pay you every month."
"You won't need to. Just go to school and help me raise Yoogeun." He bounced the child. "That's his name - Yoogeun."
Taemin sighed, looking from child to parent. Minho subtly bit his lip. "Do you think you could come back tomorrow, after hours? I need a few things from my house." Minho smiled and nodded.
Driving home, Minho felt on top of the world. And he noticed somebody else wasn't. "Hey...are you okay?"
Looking up, a sunken face looked back up at him from underneath the bridge. The man laughed. "Kid, you're in over your head. I don't do anything with minors. Plus I only work at night."
Minho pulled a face. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about, but I do know I want to help you." He kneeled down beside him. "Are you staying anywhere?" The man bowed his head and shook it. "Well...I'm holdng out for some roommates and...I don't really mind what you do but...would you like to live with me and my son?"
He looked up at Minho and Minho smiled. "Do you really want a prostitute hanging around your son?"
MInho frowned and looked back at Yoogeun. "I...I don't know why but...I think you're a good person. I really do." He held out a hand. "How about it? A fresh new start?"
The man stared at him for a moment. He smiled back and took it. "My name is Lee Jinki...or Onew."
Minho smiled and walked with the man to his car. "My name is Minho and this little guy is Yoogeun. And tomorrow, I'm picking someone up and their name is Lee Taemin."
The days passed by quietly. They didn't talk to each other all too much and the few people who answered Minho's ad came and went as soon as they saw Yoogeun. Taemin honestly thought the little boy was adorable and the people were fools to think otherwise. But he couldn't say anything - the possible tenants came while he attended school.
They sat down for a dinner of ramen and milk when the door was knocked on. "Hello. My name is Kim Jonghyun and I want to live here."
Minho pushed back his chair. "My name is Choi Minho. I'm the owner of this apartment."
"Yea and who's the freak with the weird hair?" The blond marched through and pointed at Onew. "You need a haircut and now." He looked at Minho. "You got scissors?" Taemin stood up and opened the drawer.
Jonghyun stood beside Onew, sniping here and there. Minho watched in awe. "Are you a stylist?"
"I work for a salon downtown. I want to open my own one day." He pulled his fingers through Onew's hair. "Ugh, what did you put in here? Dirt?" Onew looked away and stayed silent. "Hey, I was only joking." Jonghyun pointed the scissors at Taemin. "Hey, student, you wanna a trim?"
"No thanks, sir."
"Yah! I'm not a 'sir'; I'm a hyung. I'm 18 years old." Jonghyun smirked, putting the scissors down. "Well, there you go." He walked back around and admired his work. "What do you guys think?"
Instead of the short hair Onew had before, with the long fringe that covered half his face, his bangs now fell down into his eyes, spiking up on the top of his hair. Taemin smiled. "It's a good look for you, hyung."
Onew stood up and walked to the bathroom. Hesitantly, he touched the new look. He smiled. "Jonghyun-ah, you really have a gift." He yelled.
And a shrill cry went off.
"You have a kid?" Jonghyun called. He moved down the hall and looked at Yoogeun squirming around on his makeshift bed on top of a dresser and blankets and jackets.
Minho followed after him. "Yes. This is my son, Yoogeun." He bit his lip. "Will...will that be a problem?"
Jonghyun pulled a face, slowly entering the room. "How old is he?"
"2."
"So...he hasn't had his first haircut yet, has he?"
Minho bit his lip. "Uhm...I actually don't know. I only recently adopted him."
"Adoption. Wow. I thought something was weird when I saw no girls." Jonghyun laughed. "How about this? I'll give him a haircut and if you like it, you give me the room. Agreed?"
If it was anything like Onew, Minho was sure he'd like it. "Agreed. Now let me wake him up." Minho manuevered in, pulling Yoogeun into his arms. "Yoogeunnie...Yoogeunnie, time to get up." The little boy moaned, rubbing his eye sleepily.
They moved into the kitchen, Minho holding Yoogeun in his lap. Jonghyun was very careful with the fat shears. He avoided the child's ears - if he learned one thing from Beauty School, it was if kids couldn't hear the scissors, everything went a lot better. By the time he was done, Yoogeun's wisp of hair was pushed over to the right side. Minho tucked a bit of it behind his ear, smiling bright. "Looks like you've got yourself a new home." Jonghyun smiled back and shook hands with him.
"So who are you two?" Jonghyun pointed the metal at the other tenants.
"We live here, too. I'm Lee Onew."
"I'm Lee Taemin."
"Brothers?"
"No. Just roommates." Minho smiled and Yoogeun clapped his hands.
"Guys! Guys! I got a job!" Onew hurried into the apartment, days later.
"Really, Onew-hyung?" Minho smiled. "Where? What? How?"
"I...I..." Onew's smile drained from his face as he patted down his pockets. "I had the flyer right here."
"Excuse me, sir." Onew and Minho looked down the hall. A slim, thin body stomped into the doorway. "I'm sorry sir, but you forgot this at my stand." The man held out his hand, where a flyer that shouted in big, colorful letters 'Dance Teacher Wanted' stared right back at them.
"Oh, thank you." Onew smiled at him.
He didn't leave, but slowly entered the apartment. "This is a wonderful home."
Minho smiled, standing from the couch to greet the guest. "Thank you." The usual pitch slipped out of his mouth before he could think of it. "Are you looking for somewhere to live?"
"Well...I am, but you wouldn't take me."
Minho made a face. "Why wouldn't I?"
The pretty face smiled. From his pocket, he pulled out a flimsy cardboard card. Minho read it aloud. "Almight Key - Reading Psychic. You're a psychic?"
"And that's why I can't get a lease." Key joked.
Minho bit his lip. "How do you feel about kids?"
His smile broadened. "They're wonderful." He rose an eyebrow. "Wait...are you offering me a place here? Even after everything I just told you?"
"My main concern is if you treat my son well." Minho waved his arm. "Come here and meet him."
They walked down the hall. Yoogeun now slept in a school bus double-bunk bed bought by Onew. Key made a high-pitched coo, quickly holding the babe in his arms. "Aww, he's so cute. How old is he? Two? Aww, he's adorable." He made faces at the sleeping boy.
A new air surrounded the room that gave Minho shivers. Key's rocking slowed down as he stared at the babe intently. "You're going to be a wonderful man someday, Yoogeun." Key blinked and looked up at Minho. "You've got yourself another tenant."
Minho walked around the apartment. It had all seemed so coincidental, their coming together. Key was honest - they were all strangers. But they were strangers that lived together.
The air in the apartment was cold and barren; it gave the DJ goosebumps and shivers. He sat on the couch, curling into the leather. He coiled and shook, biting his lip.
What made him take these men in? Why did he give his full-being in this home and never expect anything back. Why did this all have to happen?
He rolled off and hit the floor, tears moistening his carpet. He didn't feel like living here anymore. He didn't feel like moving ether.
Genre: Family/Drama
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, Yoogeunnie is back with his Umma now :( This isn't real.
Summary: Five strangers live under one roof. A young child binds them together.
The door opened to the barren apartment. Yoogeun fidgetted in Mino's arms, cooing up at his new father. "Well Yoogeunnie...what do you think?" He placed the two-year-old on the ground and watched him tatter and stumble around the voidness.
"Appa?" Yoogeun stood tall and looked up at Minho. The teenager smiled bright and picked him back up. They walked down the hall in silent.
"Well...it's not much now, but people will come. And they'll help out and it won't seem so lonely." Minho looked down at Yoogeun who was slowly falling asleep. He laughed. "I guess the first thing I should do is find you a bed to sleep in."
Down at the furniture store, Minho came face to face with a teenage cashier. A very young teenage cashier. "Shouldn't you be in cram school?"
"Shouldn't you be in college without a kid?" The boy snapped back, swiping the tags of his purchases.
Minho raised an eyebrow. "Is it too rude of me to ask why you're working? I mean, what do you need money for? Aren't your parents taking good care of you."
"It is rude of you to ask. But I'll never see you again so I don't care. I'm getting money so that I can support myself so my parents stop fighting." The boy got even quieter.
Minho looked at him and at Yoogeun. "Can..can I ask you your name?"
The boy raised an eyebrow. "Lee Taemin."
"I...I put out an ad for roommates not too long ago. Why don't you come live with me and my son?"
Taemin raised an eyebrow. "I'm only a kid. I don't think I can pay you every month."
"You won't need to. Just go to school and help me raise Yoogeun." He bounced the child. "That's his name - Yoogeun."
Taemin sighed, looking from child to parent. Minho subtly bit his lip. "Do you think you could come back tomorrow, after hours? I need a few things from my house." Minho smiled and nodded.
Driving home, Minho felt on top of the world. And he noticed somebody else wasn't. "Hey...are you okay?"
Looking up, a sunken face looked back up at him from underneath the bridge. The man laughed. "Kid, you're in over your head. I don't do anything with minors. Plus I only work at night."
Minho pulled a face. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about, but I do know I want to help you." He kneeled down beside him. "Are you staying anywhere?" The man bowed his head and shook it. "Well...I'm holdng out for some roommates and...I don't really mind what you do but...would you like to live with me and my son?"
He looked up at Minho and Minho smiled. "Do you really want a prostitute hanging around your son?"
MInho frowned and looked back at Yoogeun. "I...I don't know why but...I think you're a good person. I really do." He held out a hand. "How about it? A fresh new start?"
The man stared at him for a moment. He smiled back and took it. "My name is Lee Jinki...or Onew."
Minho smiled and walked with the man to his car. "My name is Minho and this little guy is Yoogeun. And tomorrow, I'm picking someone up and their name is Lee Taemin."
The days passed by quietly. They didn't talk to each other all too much and the few people who answered Minho's ad came and went as soon as they saw Yoogeun. Taemin honestly thought the little boy was adorable and the people were fools to think otherwise. But he couldn't say anything - the possible tenants came while he attended school.
They sat down for a dinner of ramen and milk when the door was knocked on. "Hello. My name is Kim Jonghyun and I want to live here."
Minho pushed back his chair. "My name is Choi Minho. I'm the owner of this apartment."
"Yea and who's the freak with the weird hair?" The blond marched through and pointed at Onew. "You need a haircut and now." He looked at Minho. "You got scissors?" Taemin stood up and opened the drawer.
Jonghyun stood beside Onew, sniping here and there. Minho watched in awe. "Are you a stylist?"
"I work for a salon downtown. I want to open my own one day." He pulled his fingers through Onew's hair. "Ugh, what did you put in here? Dirt?" Onew looked away and stayed silent. "Hey, I was only joking." Jonghyun pointed the scissors at Taemin. "Hey, student, you wanna a trim?"
"No thanks, sir."
"Yah! I'm not a 'sir'; I'm a hyung. I'm 18 years old." Jonghyun smirked, putting the scissors down. "Well, there you go." He walked back around and admired his work. "What do you guys think?"
Instead of the short hair Onew had before, with the long fringe that covered half his face, his bangs now fell down into his eyes, spiking up on the top of his hair. Taemin smiled. "It's a good look for you, hyung."
Onew stood up and walked to the bathroom. Hesitantly, he touched the new look. He smiled. "Jonghyun-ah, you really have a gift." He yelled.
And a shrill cry went off.
"You have a kid?" Jonghyun called. He moved down the hall and looked at Yoogeun squirming around on his makeshift bed on top of a dresser and blankets and jackets.
Minho followed after him. "Yes. This is my son, Yoogeun." He bit his lip. "Will...will that be a problem?"
Jonghyun pulled a face, slowly entering the room. "How old is he?"
"2."
"So...he hasn't had his first haircut yet, has he?"
Minho bit his lip. "Uhm...I actually don't know. I only recently adopted him."
"Adoption. Wow. I thought something was weird when I saw no girls." Jonghyun laughed. "How about this? I'll give him a haircut and if you like it, you give me the room. Agreed?"
If it was anything like Onew, Minho was sure he'd like it. "Agreed. Now let me wake him up." Minho manuevered in, pulling Yoogeun into his arms. "Yoogeunnie...Yoogeunnie, time to get up." The little boy moaned, rubbing his eye sleepily.
They moved into the kitchen, Minho holding Yoogeun in his lap. Jonghyun was very careful with the fat shears. He avoided the child's ears - if he learned one thing from Beauty School, it was if kids couldn't hear the scissors, everything went a lot better. By the time he was done, Yoogeun's wisp of hair was pushed over to the right side. Minho tucked a bit of it behind his ear, smiling bright. "Looks like you've got yourself a new home." Jonghyun smiled back and shook hands with him.
"So who are you two?" Jonghyun pointed the metal at the other tenants.
"We live here, too. I'm Lee Onew."
"I'm Lee Taemin."
"Brothers?"
"No. Just roommates." Minho smiled and Yoogeun clapped his hands.
"Guys! Guys! I got a job!" Onew hurried into the apartment, days later.
"Really, Onew-hyung?" Minho smiled. "Where? What? How?"
"I...I..." Onew's smile drained from his face as he patted down his pockets. "I had the flyer right here."
"Excuse me, sir." Onew and Minho looked down the hall. A slim, thin body stomped into the doorway. "I'm sorry sir, but you forgot this at my stand." The man held out his hand, where a flyer that shouted in big, colorful letters 'Dance Teacher Wanted' stared right back at them.
"Oh, thank you." Onew smiled at him.
He didn't leave, but slowly entered the apartment. "This is a wonderful home."
Minho smiled, standing from the couch to greet the guest. "Thank you." The usual pitch slipped out of his mouth before he could think of it. "Are you looking for somewhere to live?"
"Well...I am, but you wouldn't take me."
Minho made a face. "Why wouldn't I?"
The pretty face smiled. From his pocket, he pulled out a flimsy cardboard card. Minho read it aloud. "Almight Key - Reading Psychic. You're a psychic?"
"And that's why I can't get a lease." Key joked.
Minho bit his lip. "How do you feel about kids?"
His smile broadened. "They're wonderful." He rose an eyebrow. "Wait...are you offering me a place here? Even after everything I just told you?"
"My main concern is if you treat my son well." Minho waved his arm. "Come here and meet him."
They walked down the hall. Yoogeun now slept in a school bus double-bunk bed bought by Onew. Key made a high-pitched coo, quickly holding the babe in his arms. "Aww, he's so cute. How old is he? Two? Aww, he's adorable." He made faces at the sleeping boy.
A new air surrounded the room that gave Minho shivers. Key's rocking slowed down as he stared at the babe intently. "You're going to be a wonderful man someday, Yoogeun." Key blinked and looked up at Minho. "You've got yourself another tenant."
Minho walked around the apartment. It had all seemed so coincidental, their coming together. Key was honest - they were all strangers. But they were strangers that lived together.
The air in the apartment was cold and barren; it gave the DJ goosebumps and shivers. He sat on the couch, curling into the leather. He coiled and shook, biting his lip.
What made him take these men in? Why did he give his full-being in this home and never expect anything back. Why did this all have to happen?
He rolled off and hit the floor, tears moistening his carpet. He didn't feel like living here anymore. He didn't feel like moving ether.