After JaeJoong had found out about his parents and why he was different in the first place, he was even more quiet and slowly shut himself from his friends in fear that they could find out and leave him. But JunSu with his bubbly self and his little brother ChangMin were always surrounding him, keeping him company and brought back the smile that once graced his lips weeks before he had found out.

The relationship with his grandparents was strained for weeks as his heart was still aching with the story of his mother and father and that he was unwanted by everyone, even his beloved grandparents. But since he still loved them so dearly, their relationship just grew stronger and he knew that his grandparents loved him likewise. They told him so often in the times they apologized to him.

When JaeJoong turned twelve and came into middle school, JangLi feared that it might be even harder for him in life since now older children were surrounding him, even more dangerous than the children in JaeJoong's primary school that had punched him back then. She was hoping that everything would go fine on his first school day and that JaeJoong wouldn't come home with scratches and bruises. And her hope was not for less.

Instead of bruises and scratches JaeJoong came home with a wide smile on his lips and jumped happily towards his mother. His mouth was spilling out details so fast once he reached his mother that the poor her couldn't follow any of his babbled words.

“Jae honey, calm down and take a breath,” she said with amusement in her voice, stopping JaeJoong and reminded him of breathing. His face had already gone all red and blue with his excitement and not-breathing that he had to struggle for new air. He stopped bouncing up and down on the sofa once he took enough deep breaths, his cheeks still glowing in a shade of red that would even make Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer envious.

“So, and now tell me again what you just said. Sloooooowly~” JangLi mocked her son, earning herself an adorable pout from JaeJoong before the energetic boy began to babble once more. Well, it indeed was a bit slower than before.

“When we came into our classes today- Oh, oh! Susu is in my class!” JaeJoong babbled with sparkling eyes, stumbling over his own little tongue while speaking and interrupting himself with information his poor mother had to find out all by herself. JangLi listened with a genuine smile to every word that left JaeJoong's mouth. She was just happy to see him this joyful again.

“And when JunSu sat next to me our teacher said two more names! You know? Yunnie and Chunnie are in my class, too!” JaeJoong said with so much joy that his mother's heart swelled with happy emotions.

“YunHo and YooChun?” JangLi inquired, happy to see JaeJoong in pure joy of his two cousins being in his class, too, but still worried because of the two lovely boys' mother. She just hoped it wouldn't have that much affection on the boys' blossoming friendship.

“Uhuh,” JaeJoong agreed with such eager nodding that JangLi feared his beautiful little head would fall off of his neck.

*

But as much as Jung HaeWon was against the friendship of her own sons with JaeJoong, she still couldn't do nothing against it except for forbidding any visits of JaeJoong in her own house. But that didn't keep the boys from playing during their school breaks, vacation, at JunSu's or JaeJoong's place. Their friendship grew strong over the years they spent together in middle school and the weekends they often used for sleepovers.

It was one of their last sleepovers they wanted to spend together before they would enter high school and for the first time they were inside of YunHo's and YooChun's home since their mother was fortunately on a business trip and their father was not in the least one bit against it. He did know why his wife was so against JaeJoong, but he himself had absolutely no problem with the kind-hearted 15-year-old boy.

The five boys were watching horror and action movies throughout the night, snacks, chocolate and every unhealthy food possible finding their way into their stomachs. Their mattresses were spread around the living room they were camping on, lying in a row between the sofa and the television.

It was Sunday morning, the rain falling mercilessly down onto the town on a cold spring day when Jung HaeWon came back home; earlier than everyone had expected. Her furious outburst rang through the entire house once she stood in the door frame of her living room and saw JaeJoong sleeping peacefully in between ChangMin and YunHo.

Everyone woke up, horror written on the sleepy faces of YunHo, YooChun and JunSu as they stared at the furious older woman. ChangMin just stared at her blankly, annoyed that his sleep was disturbed by her high-pitched voice. Everyone was awake, except for JaeJoong who was snuggling even more into his pillow and clung onto the corner of YunHo's cushion with his fingers.

“What the hell is this doing here in my house!” HaeWon screeched at the top of her lungs, ignoring the pleas of her husband to calm down as she pointed disgusted at JaeJoong's sleeping figure.

“Mother!” YunHo retorted enraged, sending his mother a death glare as she spoke like this about his cousin and best friend. “What did JaeJoong do that you hate him this much?” he asked, the question something that had always been circling inside of his mind.

JaeJoong slowly stirred awake at the noises surrounding him, his sleepy eyes opening before he slowly lifted himself into a sitting position. He stared confused at his friends before his eyes landed on HaeWon, dilating in fear and horror at the disgusted and enraged look on her face. He gulped as the hateful eyes were piercing into his soul, his body shivering behind YunHo as he tried to hide himself behind his friend.

“You want to know, why I hate this creature? I'll tell you,” HaeWon said sneeringly with an eerie smile on her lips, staring into JaeJoong's widened eyes that started to tear under her strong gaze. Her smile turned into a triumphant one when she noticed how scared JaeJoong was.

“P-please, don't,” the pleading soft voice of JaeJoong reached her ears, making her feeling pleasant even more. Here JaeJoong was, in front of her and every person dear to him, and she could break everything with just a single sentence. The look on HaeWon's face told JaeJoong that he was doomed, that she would do everything to make him suffer and lose his friends. He closed his eyes at the punch that was about to come, the tears spilling down his cheeks.

“Honey, stop it,” Mr. Jung tried to reach his wife but he fell on deaf ears. He felt sorry for JaeJoong.

“His parents were brother and sister,” HaeWon said with such triumph and it was even more triumphant for her to see JaeJoong slumping at her spoken words.

Everyone was shocked, too shocked to even register that JaeJoong jumped up and ran out of the house. He ran into the rain with nothing but his pyjamas on, his face covered with tears as his entire world had tumbled down.