Seungcheol's POV

"Seungcheol-ah, can you get the kimchi please?" Mom's voice echoes from the kitchen.

"Ne eommoni!" I hurriedly get up from my seat to get the kimchi from the fridge.

Mom is busy preparing a small feast for today's lunch since today is a special day. Hyung is coming home from his job at a small town in Jeju (which to my surprise is high-paying) while I have the most important news to announce to my family. This is the news of the century.

Why is it such a big deal? Hmm, let's just say that this news will be life-changing for me. Also, it's important for us to greet hyung with abundant food on the table since he helps with all the fees for the house and has been sending money every month ever since he started working.

You see, we are not a rich family. There were times when we only had 1 meal a day when others had 3. We live in a small house, but I can assure you - I'd never want to be anywhere else. Our house is the happiest house on earth. It is my HOME.

"Omma, appa, Seungcheol-ah! I'm home!"

"Seungho-yah!"

"Hyung!"

"I missed all of you!"

We welcomed Seungho hyung back into the house and it's been a year since he was home. We embrace each other tightly, savoring the feeling of being whole once again. Dad towers over us while mom is situated in between us three, I can see tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

"Yah, omma! I haven't seen you for so long and you will only let me witness you cry? This is unfair!" Seungho hyung jokes, sending the room in a hearty laughter. Hyung never fails to make our mother laugh and so she forgets about crying in the first place.

"Hyung, you're still as corny as ever!"

"Yaaah.... Seungcheol-ah look at you! The last time I saw you, you were only this tall!" Hyung jokes, placing his hand on his chest to indicate how short I was before.

"I'm a grown-up now!" I smile proudly.

"Before we all starve to death, why don't we continue this at the table?" Dad puts an end to our playful conversation, urging hyung to get in and join us for lunch.

Moments like this are the most precious to our family, for we hold nothing else but love. We are not bountiful in money, but hyung and I grew up with the full support and guidance every parent should give to their children. Maybe even more, if I look into it closely.

We take our usual positions at our coffee/dining table right in front of our humble television with a large serving of kimchi, 4 bowls of bibimbap, a container of japchae, a plate of samgyeopsal, some lettuce wraps and some pickled radish on the side, along with different sauces mom prepared for hyung and I who have different tastes. We prayed together before feeding on our dinner.

"Hyung, what's your job in Jeju?" I asked hyung while picking up my dose of kimchi with my chopsticks.

"Yah, how can you forget that dongsaeng?!" Hyung exclaims, food still in his mouth.

"Ah, mianhae hyung. You know I'm a busy guy. I wash dishes, wait tables and I-" I stopped midway, realizing what I was saying. Omma, appa and hyung looked at me intently and I had no other choice but to finish what I was saying. "I... work as a DJ in a ... c-club." I finished, looking down.

"Saeng-ah, didn't you quit your jobs already? I thought I was sending-"

"Aniyo! I don't mean it that way hyung!" I replied instantly. "I quit all my jobs since you graduated... except for that DJ job of mine. It's only during weekends now though! I swear! I don't go there during weekdays anymore! And I only go there to work! No girls, I swear! Yah!"

I pouted as everyone laughed at my ranting, stopping them from stuffing more food into their mouth. I looked at them like a lost cat in a dog pound.

"Mworago?!"

"S-s...saeng-ah..." Murmured hyung, holding his stomach. "It's just.... y-your reaction and ... ah ... let me finish... ahaha" He continued laughing for a few more seconds before finally coming to a halt.

"You're so defensive Cheolieee!" Mom squirmed, pinching my cheeks in the process.

"Yah, omma! Hajima!"

"Saeng-ah, I understand you. DJ-ing, and rapping most especially, has been your passion. As long as it doesn't affect your studies, it's fine. We trust you."

"Aish, I was worried for nothing." I pouted again, sighing.

"So... are you still going to continue that?" Appa asked.

"I want to continue that job appa. Besides, what I'm going to earn from the club can be my allowance so that you won't have to worry about it."

"Ah, my son is the sweetest."

"Yah, omma! What about me?" Hyung whined on his seat, sending the room in another fit of laughter.

That's true. I've went through all kinds of jobs during the last 2 years, hyung's last 2 years in college. I decided to postpone my going to senior highschool so that hyung can continue his studies. As he promised, he funded everything for my education since he graduated. I remember his job, I was just teasing him earlier.

Hyung works as an architect in Jeju but I don't know exactly what for, neither am I interested in whatever it is he does. His kind of art was never my style. All I know is that his job pays very well since only a couple more architects from their firm accepted the contract in Jeju. For being away from their families in Seoul, they get large salaries in return. It was hard for him, but he said that he wanted to show me that my sacrifices will not go to waste. Even though I was 2 years late in going to senior high, I eventually finished and got my diploma for middle school.

Those 2 years weren't easy. It was by far the hardest chapter of my life. There was even a time wherein I attended 4 different jobs in a day and I only slept for 2 hours a day. It lasted for around 2 weeks I think. Our money wasn't enough. Appa was a construction worker while omma did laundry service in the day and worked as a chef in a nearby hotel's cafe.

I waited tables in a restaurant. Sometimes I washed the dishes. That job would cost 4-6 hours of my time and it did pay well...no, let's rephrase that. The tips I got from the customers for my great service were good enough. After that, I would work at a nearby carwash for another 2 hours in the afternoon. If I don't have shifts at the carwash, I'd do laundry service or whatever... just as long as I would be occupied with a job. I couldn't waste any time.

When the sun starts to set at 5PM, I rush to Club Cheonsa (Angel Club) and I stay there until eleven in the evening or when requested, twelve or one o'clock in the morning. I never turned down requests, that meant extra income. I always had requests since many people liked my rapping and my skills but I had to turn them down once hyung finished college and found a job. That's when I continued high school. I'd only come to the club during weekends then.

It went on like that for 2 entire years. Of course, there were times when it wasn't enough. Whenever hyung had special projects of some sort or appa didn't work at a construction site, I worked harder. To be honest, I felt uncomfortable at first. I felt shameful for stopping my studies and working at an early age but as it went on, I came to understand how life is. I learned not to listen to all my batch mates who always teased me or made fake rumours about my family. After all, I was the one who chose to stop for hyung. He promised he'd let me continue his studies once he graduated.

I would be lying if I said I didn't have thoughts about being in another family but it would be a lie to say that I'd trade this family for anyone else. I'll never regret being with them. They are my only treasure in the world. I'd never trade them for anything else in the world.

Why you say? Well, even though I worked 18 hours a day, even though I stopped school, even though we only ate 1 meal a day, even though I had to work myself to the bone, even though we're just poor materialistically, we are rich in love. Yes, love. There are some things that cannot be bought by money, like love. My parents are not perfect but they've been the best. No matter how much hardships we went through, we were together. We were our HOME.

"Seungcheol-ah..."

"N-ne?" I turn to my mom who broke my chain of thoughts.

"Your cheek... there's a stray tear." She replied, pointing towards my face.

"Oh.." I blushed in embarrassment, wiping the tear that unconsciously fell from my right eye as I reminisced through the past.

"What were you thinking son?"

"Wait, didn't you say you had something to announce saeng-ah?"

"Ne." I took a deep breath as everyone's eyes were on me. "I'm going to medical school."

"J-jinjja? Omo! We are going to have a doctor in our family!" Mom said happily as she smiled for me her sweetest smile yet.

"I got a scholarship at Korea University College of Medicine." I announced.

"Yah, saeng-ah! That school is really well-known! I will tell everyone in Jeju that my little brother is gonna be a doctor!"

"Yah hyung, you're pressuring me!"

"Of course you can do it! Seungcheol dongsaeng, I've never met anyone as kind and hardworking as you are. I'm serious!"

"That's my boy!" My father shouts in joy, sending our whole family in bliss.

This is my home. I'm finally going to chase for my dreams.

Æ

"Annyeonghaseyo." I bowed 45 degrees to the woman at the desk.

"Annyeonghaseyo." She bowed back. "How may I help you?"

"I'm Choi Seungcheol. I'm a new student..." I smiled and the next thing I knew, she was blushing.

"Ah, here's your ID, schedule, map and room key. Your room number is 1004." She handed me everything and I gladly accepted them.

"Kamsahamnida."

"Also, you are asked to attend the attendance party which starts 10 minutes from now."

"Ah, jinjja?" I scratched the back of my head and her cheeks turned a darker shade of crimson. "I guess I'll just leave my luggage in the room and attend the party then."

"Ah, ne. Whatever suits you, sir."

"Kamsahamnida..." I look at her name tag. "Kwon Jihye." I wink at her and walk away, just in time to see her look down like a tomato.

I ride the elevator to the 10th floor and find the door to the 4th room. I unlock the door with the key that was given to me and a smile instantly paints itself on the canvas of my face as the blue color greeted me. Chic. I look over to the right side of the room, only to find it fully arranged and occupied. So my roommate is already here? Maybe he's already at the party. I place my luggage beside my bed on my side of the room and immediately leave for the rooftop.

Æ

When I get there, blasting music from the speakers meet my ears - a not so unfamiliar scene. I dance my way through the crowd, earning a few 'woos' and 'ahs' here and there. I decide to just let loose tonight, leave all my worries to the drinks. Just tonight.

I go outside where an island bar awaits me, the stool almost calling to me and seducing me to go for it. I let my feet guide me to the bar.

"What can I get for you sir?"

"We won't pay right?" I asked.
"Aniyo. It's on the house." The bartender replied.

"Nice!" I shout out load, earning a small giggle from the bartender.

"Give me a shot of tequila."
"Coming up."

As soon as the bartender poured my shot, I gulped it down in one go. The alchohol felt so nice in my throat, or perhaps it was the feeling of finally being here that made its taste even better.

"Another one."
*GULP*

"I want a shot of rum."
*GULP*

"Give me a glass of your finest wine."
*GULP*

"Do you have beer?"
*GULP*

I lose track of how many shots and glasses I've consumed. All I know is that the world is a spinning ball right now and the large crowd is not helping. I struggle to get up from my seat with my eyes betraying me.

The next thing I know, I fall into some liquid surface and I fall HARD, before I realize that I'm sinking. I tried to shout for help but my throat felt burnt from all the alchohol, one of my greatest disadvantages as the moment. My swimming skills escape my body as the liquor took over, the world still a twinkling mess. After that, it was a blur. Just a few moments later, everything was pitch black.

Æ

I feel air enter my lungs and I desperately it in, my only hope of surviving. I hold onto the source of air, finally managing to open my eyes. I choke the water out of my system and there stood the most beautiful creature, next to my mom, right in front of me.

"Where am I?"

Okay, there you have it! THE DEYM FEELS COMMENT BELOW IF YOU FELT IT TOO! (My cousin almost cried after I showed her this and we were out in the public soooo)

I changed a few things in this story like their dorm and a Choi being poor (because honestly I haven't heard of any Choi member being poor xD) and also the name of SCoups' hyung which I failed to find online because I HAVE TO MAKE A PLOT. Please understand me T.T I LOVE YOUALLL!