“Jeonghan, where did you meet Kim Mingyu?"

Jeonghan's heart beat so fast, he was afraid of his mom sudden question. Even if he already prepared and thought of a perfect excuse, he was still nervous since it means he had to tell a lie to her. "Well... I..."

"Did you go out to meet him?"

"What are you talking about?" Jeonghan said, tried to look and sounded so confused. "Of course not... I was... I met him online."

"So you didn't go anywhere?" she asked. Jeonghan shook his head. "Then you don't know who he actually is..." she suddenly mumbled to herself, thinking that no way Jeonghan could hear her. But he did.

Jeonghan blinked in confused. "What do you mean?" Jeonghan asked, pretend that he didn't know any idea of this matter. And that was he actually had to do, pretend that he didn't know much about Mingyu. But now this turned out that his mom sounded like she knew who Mingyu is.

"Mom, you know Mingyu...?" Jeonghan asked carefully.

Mrs. Hong shook her head and smiled. "Of course, no! How can I know? I just met him today!" she said with a high tone, make Jeonghan frowned. "Okay, then. Uhm, I'll be preparing for dinner. I'll call you two after everything is ready."

But before his mom went away, Jeonghan grabbed on her hand. "Mom..."

"Y-yes?"

"I'm so sorry..." Jeonghan apologize. He couldn't help to keep feeling guilty. However, this family took a really good care of him, that’s why he felt like they didn’t deserve a lie. But he knew that she would freaked out if Jeonghan told her that he did go to Seoul and try to find his real family.

Mrs. Hong also felt guilty. She hugged Jeonghan. "No, Hanie... I'm sorry I made you uncomfortable..." she said and pat Jeonghan's back. Jeonghan didn't know why his mom had to apologize to him. But, whatever. He just hoped that she won't find out that what he did.

After Mrs. Hong gone away to the kitchen, he knocked at Mingyu's door.

"Yes?" Jeonghan heard the voice inside and still not believing that it was real, even after hearing it for several times already.

"It's me, Jeonghan."

"Okay, wait."

 

Jeonghan wait for a couple seconds before Mingyu finally opened the door and showed him a very happy face. "You need something?" he asked.

Mingyu appeared in different outfit, a casual one. He was very stuffed before with the coat and backpack, but now he's in his white shirt, navy blue sweater, and light blue jeans. Jeonghan got fascinated by his good looks and he could do nothing but stood still.

"Hyung?"

"Y-you look good. And a bit familiar, somehow..."

Jeonghan actually lied. It's not a bit. He remembered clearly that he saw Mingyu used this outfit in his dream. He also remembered that episode really well.

Very well indeed. But that was not important right now.

"Jeonghan hyung?" Mingyu called when he realize that Jeonghan was spacing out, again.

"Uhm, I need to talk about something... May I come in?"

Mingyu nodded and let Jeonghan in. Jeonghan told him to sat on the bed and listen.

"So, I was lying to my mom that I met you online."

"Okay...?"

"Somehow my family really don't like the idea of me go out to find my real family. They didn't say it directly, but I could see from their eyes when I tried to talk about it. They just looked uncomfortable, I could see that they clearly didn't like it," Jeonghan smiled sadly. "I know they just love me so much that they didn't want me to leave and maybe just worried about me, but..."

Mingyu reached for Jeonghan's hand.

"Are you not happy here, hyung?"

Jeonghan blinked. He was happy. And never really thought of another kind of happiness since he had a beautiful family and two best friends that he treasure very much and finally he met the boy from his dream. It's so much happiness that even he lost things in the past and sometimes it bothered his mind, Jeonghan just thought that he didn't need that other thing from the past. He had everything here.

But things changed after he knew Mingyu was alive. His Mingyu.

It reminded him again, that something was missing.

A piece of his heart is missing.

"I..." Jeonghan couldn’t even answer after he thought for long.

"I've asked you before. Please come back to us? My parents really would love to meet you again. They missed you so much. If you don't feel happy here, I wish you'd come back to us..."

Jeonghan released his hand from Mingyu. "I've told you too, I can't..." he said and suddenly felt uncomfortable, too.

"I know... I'm so sorry. Forget what I've just said..." Mingyu said and smiled slightly. He realized it was still not the right time. He was still over excited from the fact that Jeonghan was actually still alive and also the fact that Jeonghan was his fiancè. But he still needed time to tell Jeonghan about that one. "Well... now, what do you need me to do?"

"Please pretend that we really met online... for me? Because the truth is I ran away, all alone to Seoul, not even my brother and my best friend knew where I was gone that day—well, they finally knew, though. And I don't want to disappoint them. I just need you to cooperate with me... please?"

Mingyu nodded. “Sure,”

‘Anything for you, Hanie hyung.’

 

 

 

Jeonghan told his mom that he's going out to find Jisoo and Seungcheol. But he didn't tell her that they've argued with each other. Well, Jeonghan thought they'll be fine in no time so she didn't really have to know.

"Okay, be sure to come back before dinner time."

Jeonghan took Mingyu with him to show him around too. Mingyu looked so excited when they stepped outside the house. He took a deep breath.

"It's very fresh here! I never stayed in a village alone like this! It was always whether with my parents or a field trip from school!" he said and looked around excitedly.

"Not with your friends?"

"I don't actually have close friends. Some people are good and I befriend with them, but I don't fully open myself to them."

Jeonghan pouted. "That's bad... They must be thinking that you're a cold person."

Mingyu chuckled. "I think they did."

Jeonghan hit Mingyu's arm. "Don't chuckle! Why don't you befriend with them?" he asked. He's feeling guilty somehow.

Mingyu shrugged. "I don't know..." he calmly said. "But actually it's not that bad, you know? I feel free from the pressure of people's hope."

Jeonghan sighed and murmured to himself. "People’s hopes, huh?"

 

 

 

Even though the riverbank was located behind the Hong residence, it was not exactly at the back of the house. You need to walk about two hundred meters to the west, through small woods and then you'll finally find the riverbank. Jeonghan has been there million times already so he needed to bring no more compass.

"Well, the thing is, Hong family is a rich family. You can't see that from the first time you met them since they really are a humble family. And their house wasn't as big as a mansion, nor a high class apartment—"

"Are you kidding me? That was the most beautiful traditional house I've ever seen in my live!"

Jeonghan laughed. "It is beautiful thanks to my mom. She keeps it beautiful every single day," he said.

"It's weird..." Mingyu said.

"What's weird?"

"You, calling someone else 'mom' when she's not even..."

Jeonghan smiled slightly. "She's the only 'mom' that I know..."

"Yeah... I know, but..."

"I know..." Jeonghan said and suddenly looked hurt.

They both stop walking for a moment. "Hyung, I'm sorry..." Mingyu said genuinely.

Jeonghan shook his head. "No, it's okay..." he said and sighed. "Well, I know... I always know, there also a weird feeling about calling her that. But I don't know how to remember the other as my 'mom'."

Jeonghan smiled gently and still looked hurt. And Mingyu couldn't look at that because it hurts him too. ‘I’m sorry, hyung…’

 

 

 

"Are you sure they are in the riverbank?"

Jeonghan shrugged, he didn't know either. "But Jisoo once said he likes how peaceful the flowing water is..." he said and smiled fondly while looking at far away, remembering.

"Seems like he loves peace..." Mingyu saw Jeonghan nodded to his words.

"And he's a gentle person, you'll like him!"

"So... Jisoo is that one you called your brother?"

"Yes! He's the same age as me and we are always together since the day his parents took me in. People often said that we're twins!" Jeonghan said and chuckled. He couldn't wait to m