We present the restricted solid-on-solid (RSOS) model with the inter-ledge interaction of the point contact type (p-RSOS model). We have made detailed calculation of the Andreev free energy (f) over tilde(eta(x), eta(y)),which is similar to the equilibrium crystal shape (ECS) z = z(x, y), and the surface gradient (p) over right arrow (p(x), p(y)) = (partial derivative z/partial derivative x, partial derivative z/partial derivative y) as the function of the Andreev field (eta) over right arrow. From the calculated (f) over tilde(eta(x), eta(y)) and (p) over right arrow((eta) over right arrow) have obtained the vicinal surface free energy f((p) over right arrow). The inter-ledge attraction between adjacent steps affects the surface free energies in the equilibrium, and causes the first-order transition on the profile of ECS at low temperature. The inter-ledge attraction also destabilizes the regular train of steps. We also have obtained the thermal step bunching. (C) 2009 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.