"The revolution's coming, it's a minute away
I saw people marching in the streets today
You know we are made up of love and hate
But both of them are balanced on a razor blade"
-ED SHEERAN, WHAT DO I KNOW

It took three rings before Seokhwee answered his mother’s phone call. Well, it was always like that and Wonwoo gave up scolding his eldest son for that, telling him what if there was an emergency. He kept scolding and scolding his son, but he eventually gave up, seeing as Seokhwee still won’t change his ways and only answer after three rings or more. He sighs before swiping answer and putting the device near his ear.

“Yes, Umma?” he starts out with his soft voice.

“Where are you?” Wonwoo’s tone was in a mix of demand and curiosity. Seokhwee couldn’t help but wonder why his mother’s tone seemed on edge and unsure. Surely there must be something he needs and it’s surely not to just check up on him.

Seokhwee looks around and checks the time on his wristwatch. It’s nearly four in the afternoon. “Hongdae, umma. Why?”

“Well, uhh… I… I’m with Yifan right now and you told me you want to meet him so—“

A wide smile formed on Seokhwee’s lips just from hearing the name and he agrees eagerly. “So we get to meet each other right now?” he finishes for his mom. “Early dinner sounds good, but what about Jungmin and Haru?” Of course, he’s the responsible older brother, he needs to play his part.

“Well, they—huh? Ahh oh… Oh!” It seems that Wonwoo must be with someone—must be with that guy and Seokhwee’s smile grew wider at his assumptions.

“Hm?”

“Jungmin didn’t want to come along and Y-Yifan wanted to dine in Sapore.” Wonwoo starts. “So he chose to stay at Mingyu’s flat with Haru instead.”

Seokhwee frowned at the reasoning. Sure, his smile grew even wider when he heard Sapore since it is one of the best Italian five star restaurants in Seoul. Yifan must really have a peculiar taste and is living well. Only the explanation on where his younger brothers will be staying in boggled him. It’s still a weekday and there’s still two nights left before the weekend comes. Besides, Jungmin’s overflowing hatred towards their father is still there so why would he choose Mingyu’s place over the Choi’s.

It took him a minute to process things.

Maybe he’s reading too much in it, but he realizes how Jungmin’s antics towards Mingyu have lessened on their last stay at the flat. He doesn’t babble much and keeps his hateful words to himself. He seems to tolerate Haru on a higher level as well and he doesn’t roll his eyes when he sees their father lounging on the living room couch. At first, he didn’t really mind since Jungmin is avoiding Mingyu still, anyway, but now when their mother mentioned about Jungmin ‘choosing’ to stay there. It’s odd.

“Seokhwee?” Nevermind.

He clears his throat and smiles again, shaking off all the sudden thoughts flooding in his mind. “Are you going to pick me up or should I just go there?” he asks but then takes back his words immediately. “Forget what I said Umma. Pick me up! I’m still wearing my school uniform so I need a change of clothes! I’m at Ver’s Garden. I’ll wait for you both here, yes?” then he abruptly ends the call without letting Wonwoo answer. He’ll come anyway, no matter what.

First challenge; make the potential step-dad buy him expensive clothes.

---

It’s been weeks since Wooseung’s last visit. Of course, Jihoon admits that he really was used to the boy dropping by his home all either battered on bruised. Sometimes it’s just small toe stubs, but still, the boy comes when something remotely bad happens to him; specifically on his body that he knows Jihoon could take care of. Wooseung must’ve underestimated the dog that mauled him and sent him to the ER.

Jihoon wants to deny it so badly, but how his heart aches so much tells him not to. It tells him not to even try to change the fact that he really does miss his son badly. Seungcheol could go himself. He doesn’t really care much about the man anymore, sensing that there’s something that’s definitely developing between him and Joshua. He just wants to see his son, Wooseung, in the flesh; maybe give him a hug or two. Raining kisses on his face seems so obvious so he puts that idea in the back of his mind.

He sighs and runs his fingers through his hair as he’s stuck staring at the current composition he’s working on. He was surprised at how he could make the song so melancholic that he almost doesn’t want it released for the girl group to sing. Not to brag but his mellow teeny honey voice really soothes him no matter how much he convinces himself not to be too proud of his own work. He doesn’t want to be a narcissist.

“Someday, the cold rain will become warm tears and fall down…” he sighs out the lyrics he wrote for the chorus. “It’s alright” he sings. “It’s just a passing downpour”

Faint knocks from his door took him out of his bubble. Assuming it was just the postman, he sluggishly dragged his feet towards the door. He didn’t really expect to see his son in front of him, not giving him a chance to admire how he looked better now with the neck brace gone from his neck with the sudden hug around his frame.

Wooseung had his forehead pressed so close on Jihoon’s warm chest. The older panics a bit at the fact that Wooseung might hear how loudly and rapidly his heart is beating.

“I’m not covered in dirt, nor do I have knee scrapes and bruises…” Wooseung says, voice muffled on the fluffy sweater Jihoon is wearing. “…but can you please baby me and scrub my back?”

He wouldn’t let anyone see it, but Jihoon smiled with teeth for the first time in years.

---

Seunghan opens the door to the sight of his dad, Joshua and Jeongsoo lounging on the sofa with a bowl of po