“Yoongie, how would you feel about going to Mokpo with me?” I asked her seriously a couple of days later

“Mokpo? Your hometown?”

(I nodded)

“When would we go?” she asked

“How about tomorrow?” I asked her with a grin as I pulled out two airplane tickets from my pocket

“Wow you’re fast! Sure, let’s go! I want to see where you spent your childhood!”

*At Mokpo Airport – after the flight*

“Are you nervous about meeting my family?” I asked her

“No… Maybe… A little… Well… What is your mother like? And your brother? Are they nice? Do you think they will like me?” she panicked

“My brother would like you for sure, he is a huge SONE. My mother will like you as well, you have quite a few things in common”

“Like what?”

“Well you both love the most handsomest guy in the world~” I joked as I put my arms around her

“Really? Who?” she teased

“Ya!” I yelled taking my arms off her

“Haha, I’m only joking oppa…” she laughed, “you are totally handsome”

“Where is my mother? She said she would be here around now…” I said checking the time

“Is that your mother?” she asked as she pointed out a woman

“Omma!” I called as I ran towards her, still holding hands with Yoong so she was being dragged a little

“Donghae-ah!” my mother cried as she saw me coming

“Omma I missed you so much!” I told her as I hugged her hello

“Aigoo, my son… You should visit more often… Have you lost weight? Your face has become hollower since I last saw you…” she fussed as her hands felt my cheeks

“Omma I’m fine…” I smiled holding her hand

“Who is this?” she said in surprise as she saw Yoong standing nervously behind me

“Ann-Annyeonghasaeyo! I am Im Yoona!” she bowed a full 90 degrees

“Omo, omo, omo! You are so flexible! Annyeong! Are you my son’s girlfriend?” she asked

“Y-yes…” she smiled timidly

“Wah, son! You didn’t tell me that your girlfriend was so pretty!” my mother smiled

“Sorry omma. Shall we go?”

*In the car*

(I held Yoona’s hand that was shaking slightly. I guess she was really nervous just then…)

“Yoongie are you okay?” I whispered to her

“Oppa I can’t understand your accent… It sounds funny^^” she giggled

(My Mokpo accent must be back…)

“Don’t be nervous okay?” I kissed her ear

“Wah, Yoona you are very lucky. Hae would never show his skinship to anyone! Looks like it was a good thing he met you!” mother laughed

“Omma!”

“Arasso, I’ll stop. Oh, we are already here!” my mother announced as she pulled up outside the house

“It has been so long since I was here…” I said stepping out of the car, breathing in the air

(I helped Yoona out of the car because of her heels. Together we entered the house and walked up to my old room)

“Is this your room?” she asked as she looked inside

“Donghae, I put your luggage in Donghwa’s room. Let Yoona-ssi have this room, you go share with your brother!” my mother said trying to pull me out

“Omma! I am sharing with Yoong!” I told her

“Aigoo… This young generation… Already sharing the same bed when you aren’t even married…” she muttered to herself as she left

“Where is your brother?” she asked me as she looked around my room

“I don’t know… Hmmm… OMMA! WHERE IS HYUNG?” I shouted out

“HE’S OUT WITH HIS NEW GIRLFRIEND!” she yelled back from somewhere far away

“So what exactly are we going to do here in Mokpo?” Yoong asked me

“We are meeting my friends first, they are going to be so jealous when I show them my pretty Yoongie~”

*At a local restaurant*

“Ya! Hae! Donghae-ssi! Over here!” a male stood up in greeting

“HARRY! What’s up bro?!” I said happily as I saw my best friend standing with Bianca

“Bianca and I are going to get married!” he smiled kissing the girl he had his arm around

“Ya! What is this?! When we were kids you guys hated each other!” I hit Bianca’s arm

“Aish! Oppa!” she punched me

“Hey, who’s that chick?” Harry asked nodding towards Yoona who was approaching the table awkwardly

“That happens to be my girlfriend, Im Yoona,” I said smugly

“Dude she is gorgeous!"

“Annyeonghasaeyo…” Yoong greeted my friends

“Annyeonghasaeyo!” they all greeted her back

“Yoongie, sit with me…” I said making room for her

“Where’s Ivy?” Bianca asked

“I don’t know… I think she said she was going to Hong Kong to visit her grandma or something…” Harry told her

“Hey do you guys know about my hyung’s girlfriend?” I asked them trying to get some information

“Yeah! He started going out with her about a week ago. They met at her concert, she’s an idol you know,” Bianca nodded

“Idol? Really? Who?”

“It begins with an ‘S’… What’s her name? Uhh, Su- No Sa- No.. Urgh I don’t know! I think it’s Su-”

“Sunny?!” Yoona asked with wide eyes

“No… But there was a ‘Y’ in the name as well… Suzy? Oh! No, it’s Sunye!” Bianca clapped her hands as she remembered

“SUNYE?!” Yoona and I both asked with shock

(Sunye is dating my hyung?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

“Hey sorry we’re late! Donghae? When did you come home?” a sudden voice came through the restaurant’s door

“H-hyung…. Oh my God…” I turned to the voice to see my hyung holding hands with Sunye

“What a small world!” Sunye smiled at me and Yoona

(The whole night was uncomfortable. Seeing my hyung tag around Sunye like an obedient dog made me sick. But not as sick as when he kissed her. Ewww…. Hyung, Yoona and I all drove home together and entered the house. I could barely sleep that night. Then the next day, Sunye came over to our house and stayed overnight. To make things worse, a few days later, Yoong told me that she had to leave early and go back to Seoul for her schedules. I sent her off to the airport and came home to see Sunye and my hyung cuddling on the couch. My mother was obviously used to her as she didn’t even bat an eyelid when Sunye spilt her liquid eyeliner on the carpet. I called Yoong twice a day out of loneliness but her phone was always off…)

“Hae, sit! You look like such a loner!” my brother invited

“Honey I’ll let you brothers have your privacy. I’ll go back to my auntie’s house now… See you!” Sunye left

“Hyung… What does she mean by ‘auntie’s house’?” I asked him

“Ah, she’s staying at her auntie’s house whilst she is here in Mokpo. She will be going back to Seoul for her work next month. Apparently they are allowed to have holidays as long as a month! You should have gone to JYPE and not to SM!”

(I stared at him)

“Do you love her?”

“Hell yes! Though I wish she wasn’t an idol, it makes it so hard to spend time with her… You know, I pity idols… They work so hard, give up their family and friends to make a few extra dollars than the average office worker…” he sighed

“I’m an idol…”

“Yes and that’s stupid but you were always a babo Hae”

“Dad always wanted to be an idol… Are you calling Dad stupid?!” I said with anger

“Calm down! Dude, I never called Dad stupid!”

[Phone Ringing]

“Yoong! You are alright! How come I couldn’t call you the past few days?!”

(I listened to what she had to say)

“You are at the hospital?! WHY?! No… Are you serious?! Okay, I’ll catch the soonest flight to Seoul and meet you there…”

“What’s wrong?” hyung asked without much concern

“Yoong got a call from Kyungsan's parents and she went to visit them. Kyungsan has pneumonia and is staying in hospital...” I told him as I ran to the computer to check out the flight times

“You know he isn’t you real son right? Your relationship with him is fake just like your idol life. You live a fake life pretending you are his father and pretending that you are perfect. But really you idols are just-”

“SHUT UP!” I yelled at him not able to take it anymore, “IT’S LIKE I’M TALKING TO A MALE SUNYE ONLY WORSE! THAT HAS TURNED YOU INTO A BASTARD! YOU INSULT MY WORK, YOU INSULT OUR FATHER, WHO ARE YOU?!”

“YA! I AM YOUR HYUNG! WHERE’S THE RESPECT?!” he roared back

“YOU DON’T DESERVE IT! SUNYE DOESN’T LOVE YOU, SHE CAN’T LOVE, SHE DOESN’T KNOW WHAT LOVE MEANS BECAUSE SHE IS A HATEFUL PERSON!”

“DON’T TALK ABOUT HER THAT WAY!” he screamed

“Listen to yourself! She is brain-washing you!” I yelled again but softer this time because my throat hurted

“You KNOW that neither Yoogeun nor Kyungsan are your sons. Those little brats are just getting caught up in the painful life of an idol!” hyung sneered, he wasn’t even raising his voice

“Sunye is an idol!” I pointed out

“She’s different!” he snapped

“Different how?!” I challenged

“Doesn’t matter! Listen Donghae-ssi, our mother has been waiting for you to come back and now you are going to leave early just because your FAKE son has a little cold!”

“That little cold is pneumonia, he could die from it,” I muttered

“Who cares dude? You’re going to sacrifice our mother’s happiness for someone you have no relation to?!” he grabbed my wrist as I turned to leave

“Don’t you dare talk that way about my son…” I said coldly

(I ran up to my room to pack and then I left the house. I caught a taxi to the airport and I called my mother on the way to explain. When it was time for my flight I went on the plane and sat nervously in my seat. It was to be a short flight, I knew, but somehow it felt like it would take forever. I stared at a picture of Kyungsan I had on my phone and I felt my eyes tear up. How could this beautiful, happy little baby...

Have a chance of dying already?)

TO BE CONTINUED