Before going home, Jungmi and Youngjae (who was still a little upset about Jungmi's interaction with Bookworm Cafe's manager) helped a stooping elderly man carry his shopping bags while crossing the street and into a warm restaurant. To thank them, he gave them a bag of fresh pears and several packages of rib meat. He bade them goodbye with a wide smile and wished them a happy New Year's Eve.

Once Jungmi and Youngjae arrived at home, Himchan was the first to greet them with a scowl, which was completely unlike him. "Where exactly were you two? Why did you leave without asking, Jungmi? Did you know how much Oppa worried about you???"

"Hyung, calm down, will you?" Youngjae said with a roll of his eyes. "All we did was go to the market to--"

"Get some food. We were running low on meat," Jungmi interjected, shooting a warning glare at Youngjae. Daehyun, who had hurried downstairs when he saw the bus pull in, didn't miss this exchange.

Hm, something is off... Are they hiding something? He thought. Jungmi heard this thought and, even though it was a small one, flushed pink with guilt.

Yongguk cleared his throat from the sofa. "That still doesn't give you are reason to run off like that, Jungmi. We were worried about you. Next time you leave this house, you let either me or Himchan know, got it?"

"Ne, O-Oppa. Arasseo..."

Argh, why won't she tell anyone why she left? Youngjae thought miserably. She can't keep this in the dark forever... Jungmi flinched at the frustration in his tone.

Sensing the awkwardness in the room, Youngmi smiled brightly and said, "You know, at least my Eonni came home. Imagine if she didn't. That would have been a disaster! So, stop moping around, Himchan-oppa!" Youngmi did her best to stand, only to wobble unstably when she accidently put pressure on her injured ankle. Jongup was instantly by her side, securing his arm around her waist again.

"Yah, Shim Youngmi! Don't you dare stand up! Sit back down before your ankle gets worse!" growled Jungmi. Youngmi pouted, forgetting for a moment that Jongup was in a very close proximity to her.

"Eonni, I'm fine. Don't worry about me," Youngmi beamed. Jungmi frowned slightly at her, then brought the bags of food into the kitchen.

"So..." Yongguk began. He had no idea how to bring this subject up. New Year's Day was literally around the corner and he knew that the girls had no hanboks to wear. He knew that Jongup's mother wouldn't mind if the sisters used hers, but Jongup would. "Jongup."

Jongup hastily removed his hands from Youngmi's waist, smiling sheepishly. "Yes, Hyung?"

"Is it alright if the girls could borrow hanboks for tomorrow?" Yongguk inquired quietly. There was a sharp intake of breath. The boys knew how much Jongup despised anything to do with his parents, even though they left the entire house under his care. (Though, it was more like "abandoned.") That included going into his parents' room.

Jongup curled his hands into fists and his lips formed a thin, hard line. "Hyung..."

"It's only for tomorrow, Jongup. You don't have to touch anything else in your mother's room other than those hanboks," Yongguk explained quickly before his dongsaeng could explode. "Tomorrow is New Year's Day--"

"I already told you that I will never enter that room again!" Jongup snarled uncharacteristically. Youngmi stumbled back in shock. Jongup snapped back at Oppa!

"Yah, Moon Jongup! How dare you talk back to your leader like that!" Himchan barked.

"I have the right to, Hyung! If you haven't forgotten, this is MY house!"

"Jongup-ah," Yongguk said firmly. "It's time that you get rid of this bitterness that you feel towards your parents."

"I don't care what you say. I'm NOT going into that room. Don't forget that I'M the owner of this house, not you," Jongup emphasized in an equally serious voice.

"Don't forget that I'M the one who has custody over you, now!"

Youngmi could feel the unnatural tension rise between Jongup and the rest of the boys. Even Daehyun was staring daggers at him. She knew that something was incredibly wrong. "Jongup-ah..."

"Dak chyeo (*Shut up, rude version), Youngmi, if you know what's good for you!" Jongup sneered bitterly. He turned to Yongguk. "Hyung, you must be out of your mind if you think I would go back into that room just to retrieve something as insignificant as a hanbok. My answer is NO, and that's final." Without another word, Jongup left the room, stomped up the stairs, and slammed the door shut behind him.

There was silence after he left the room, as if everyone was still trying to process what just happened. By everyone, it meant only, of course, the sisters. Everyone else knew exactly what happened with poor Jongup.

Youngmi was utterly clueless. She couldn't believe that she was seeing this side of her crush for the first time of her life. What was wrong with him? She had absolutely no idea. She decided to ask the one person who would explain it to her. "What just happened, Yongguk-oppa?"

"Youngmi, don't..." Jungmi warned, but Youngmi ignored her. She needed to know what just happened to her crush of three years. She faced Yongguk with a deep frown.

"Oppa, what just happened? Why did Jongup act like that? I don't understand."

Yongguk sighed. "Youngmi, let's talk about this later. The pressing matter at hand is not having hanboks for you two for New Year's Day tomorrow."

"Are you serious, Oppa? I think that whatever happened with Jongup matters more! Why should I care about the hanbok when he's suffering like this!"

"Shim Youngmi!" growled Jungmi for the second time. "Now is not the time to be prying into other peoples' businesses!"

"Eonni, how can you not be a bit suspicious about what happened? Jongup is usually not like that! Do you expect me to just forget about something like this?" Youngmi snapped.

"Youngmi, that's enough. Stop acting like a child!"

"Noona... Youngmi-noona is just curious..." Zelo murmured, unsure of how to take all of this drama at once.

"Youngmi, settle down. I will explain everything to you two, alright? Just not now. Later." Yongguk got up from the couch and also made his way to his room. "Everyone is free to do whatever they want for the rest of today. Just don't forget that we have dinner at 6:00."

~:~:~:~:~

Jongup didn't show up for dinner that night and everyone at the table seemed to be at a loss for words. Not even Himchan could liven up the mood with his jokes and funny stories. Youngmi stared at Jongup's empty seat. She couldn't figure out why he would be so angry. Did something happen between him and his parents? Or, particularly, his mother?

"Youngmi-noona..." whispered the maknae, breaking her concentration. "You just took my kimbap..."

"Oh!" Youngmi exclaimed, hastily returning the kimbap to his plate. "I'm sorry, Zelo-ah... My mind was somewhere else."

Jungmi suddenly got up from her seat and went to the kitchen. She prepared a meal on a tray for Jongup and was on her way up to his room when Yongguk stopped her. "Jungmi, he's not going to accept it."

"That doesn't matter, Oppa," Jungmi snapped. "One of the things I can't stand in this world is when someone starves him or her self by his or her own will."

"Just listen to me, will you? Jongup won't care. Even if you bring it up, he will still refuse to eat."

"That doesn't matter. If I have to force-feed him, then I will. He didn't eat much today. He even skipped lunch."

"Noona, Jongup-hyung doesn't like being disturbed while he's angry," Zelo said with wide eyes.

"What is all this nonsense? There are times when my temper gets the best of me, but that doesn't mean that I skip meals because of it!"

"Jongup is a special case, Jungmi," Yongguk muttered wearily.

Jungmi placed Jongup's tray on the table and crossed her arms with a huff. "And why is that?"

"He's the owner of this house."

"I don't get it."

Yongguk sighed. As much as he admired Jungmi for her kindness and persistence, she cared too much. Suffice it to say, she needed to tone it down a notch. "Jungmi, just understand that not everyone is perfect."

"Explain to me why he's so imperfect, then."

"Jungmi, this isn't a joke," Yongguk growled. "Jongup has a right to be angry right now. I said something out of turn--"

"Look, Yongguk-oppa. My sister and I are living under your house, at least for the time being until we find somewhere else. If this happens in the future, how are we supposed to deal with it? We care about Jongup just as much as you do. So, please let us do this for him."

Yongguk was quiet for a while, staring at the dinner tray on the table. Jongup could be difficult to work with when he was angry, perhaps even the most difficult. Granted, all the other boys had stories to tell, but Jongup's was probably the worst. Moreover, being the owner of the house, Jongup was entitled to do anything he wanted inside the house. That included defying Yongguk's orders.

Perhaps the girls could be of some help. Jongup didn't mind them and he spoke to Jungmi quite often. And Yongguk could see that Jongup had a soft spot for Youngmi. He glanced between the two sisters. If they were willing to help, perhaps Jongup would open up a little. He smiled at the possibility. Seeing Jongup genuinely happy would be a sight to see.

"Okay. Go ahead. Jungmi, you can take it up to him."

"Wait! I want to take it up to him!" Youngmi volunteered enthusiastically.

"No, Youngmi," Jungmi shook her head firmly. "You are still injured!"

"You know, it might be a good idea for Youngmi to go... They are the same age and she has a personality that makes people smile." Himchan glanced softly at Youngmi, who beamed at him with renewed joy.

"Alright, she may go. But--" Before Jungmi could finish, Youngmi whisked up the tray and hurried upstairs, not caring a bit about her ankle. "Be aware of Jongup's temper..."

~:~:~:~:~

Jongup paced around his and Zelo's room, doing his best to calm himself down. He knew that he shouldn't have snapped at his Hyungs and Youngmi like that. He knew that Youngmi did nothing wrong. But, hearing Yongguk mention his mother, even if it was only for a small task of retrieving hanboks from her closet, infuriated him.

Didn't Yongguk know that Jongup's parents left him the house, then disappeared off the face of the earth? Didn't he know that all they left behind were documents saying that they were no longer his parents and that he was under Yongguk's care from that point onward? Didn't he know that all of this happened just two weeks before Christmas? Didn't he know that this wound was still so fresh that it was a chore to keep a smile on his face?

Jongup stopped pacing and aimed his fist at the wall. THUMP. Damn, it felt like his heart was ripping into a billion pieces again. His parents, his loving, caring, always-smiling, parents, had abandoned him with the house for almost three weeks already. They left without a word and it was clear that they would never return. They left knowing that their son would feel lost without them. They left knowing that their son would be angry with them. That he would miss them terribly. With an anguished cry, he flew his fist again and again at the wall. THUMP-THUMP-THUMP-THUMP-CRAAACK!

He stared the hole he made in the wall in horror and disbelief. What the--? Ah... whatever, I'll fix it later.

A knock on his door brought him back to reality. He glared at the door with venomous eyes. Who the heck is it? It better not be one of the hyungs or Zelo! They know that it's best to leave me alone until tomorrow morning! He let out a frustrated sigh, ran a hand through his hair, and wrenched the door open.

"What do you want--?" Jongup paused. The person he least expected to come up to his room stood right in front of him with a wary smile and a tray of food.

"H-Hi, J-Jongup..." Youngmi stammered.

Jongup straightened up, but didn't change his tone. "What are you doing here?"

"I... Well, I noticed that you weren't eating and--"

"I'm not hungry, thanks." Jongup made to close the door, but Youngmi took a step inside. With her injured ankle. She cried out in pain, diverting Jongup's attention to her injury and diffusing his anger a bit. "Oh, shoot! I forgot about you ankle! Come, I'll help you sit down."

Jongup was once again by Youngmi's side, holding on to her waist. This did no justice to her already racing heart. Calm down, Youngmi. He's just being nice to you because you live in the same house.

He led her to his bed and took the tray from her hands. He then proceeded to take a look at her ankle. "I hope I didn't injure it further," murmured Jongup. He glanced up at Youngmi's beet-red face, not noticing how his touch was affecting her. "I'm sorry. I should have been more careful."

"N-No problem. Haha, you weren't thinking straight."

Jongup's eyes landed on the tray she brought up and softened. "Why did you bring this up with that bad ankle?"

"Because I wanted to see your smile." Youngmi blurted out. She slapped a hand over once she realized what she said. "I-I mean--"

"Thanks, Youngmi. But, I'm not hungry... I'm telling the truth." Jongup sighed and distanced himself from her. All of a sudden, Youngmi could feel heat radiating off of him, as if his anger was slowly returning. A reddish tint settled over Jongup's skin, which was a little weird, given that it was Winter and the home was freezing. Youngmi blinked as she remembered her sister's words the night before: Look, I'm sure that our new powers are beginning to form. Watch out for it.

Is sensing and seeing auras my new power? That's so cool! Youngmi grinned at the thought.  

"What's so funny?" Jongup asked, clearly confused about her grin.

"H-Huh? Oh! Nothing... Hey, I have a question. Why did you get mad, all of a sudden? I don't think Yongguk-oppa meant anything by it."

Jongup clenched his jaw to keep from snarling. It was a simple, innocent question, yet it made him angry all over again. He wanted to tell Youngmi that it was none of her business, but the nice guy in him told him that it wasn't right to do that. Especially to such an angelic girl like Youngmi.

On the other hand, Youngmi witnessed his "aura" grow darker, almost to the color of ember. Something was off about him. His anger was directed at something much deeper than a bunch of hanboks.

"It... It's not something to worry yourself about. Thank you for your concern, though," Jongup managed to say indifferently. Youngmi wasn't convinced. His aura said it all for him.

"You know, I've been told that I'm a good listener. You can tell me if it's hurting you this much."

Jongup whipped his head at her in surprise. "What makes you think that I'm hurting?"

Your aura. Youngmi shrugged. "I guess that I'm just intuitive. Look, you don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to. I just want you to know that we all want Happy Jongup back." Especially me.

Jongup chuckled darkly. "Happy Jongup? Is that what you see? I'm never happy. I just pretend to be. Again, thanks for your concern. I'll... eat this if it makes everyone feel better. But, don't expect me to be happy-go-lucky in the next few hours."

Youngmi was at a loss for words. This was the first time she was seeing her crush in this light. Literally. The now charcoal-hued aura constricted around his body, wrapping itself so tightly around his torso, it seemed to suffocate him. This showed that not only was he not in the mood to be happy, he wanted to keep this secret away from others. From her.

Youngmi gulped. "Okay... Enjoy." Frowning slightly, she left the room.

~:~:~:~:~

New Year's Day approached gloomily, for Jongup was still melancholy from the previous day's event. However, he managed to come down for breakfast. He even exchanged a few words with Zelo and Jungmi, both of whom were the only ones he was willing to speak to. He continued to keep the ever-present distance apart from his hyungs and Youngmi.

Despite this, Youngmi was still relieved to see him at breakfast. Her mood lifted considerably, even though she noticed how his aura remained a bit dark and hazy. She casted Jungmi a sad look from across the table. She had told her sister about her new power (with not as much zeal as when she first discovered it) and Jungmi responded accordingly. However, she hadn't mentioned how Jongup admitted that he was never happy. Jungmi could already guess it, being the perceptive person she was.

All the boys picked at their food. Not even Daehyun or Zelo, the unofficial bottomless pits of B.A.P., were up for seconds. It was clear that the absence of Jongup's happiness was taking a toll on the boys. Soon after breakfast, Jongup retreated back into his room and only came out for meals. Jungmi did her best to cook the biggest and best meals they could afford, only to be met with disappointment when the boys barely ate their fill.

The entire household was so downtrodden that Jungmi didn't even go out to retrieve her work schedule from her new job as she had promised. Instead, she called the Bookworm Cafe and discussed it with Joongki, who understood her predicament perfectly well. She felt the need to be home with B.A.P.

Throughout the day, Youngmi's awareness of her powers grew as she was gradually able to see everyone's auras while they moped around. They were all gray, save for Jungmi's hopeful, yet dimmed, yellow aura. Youngmi tried to tell herself that it was temporary. However, she could feel the darkness dragging her feet, inducing her into a heavy, lethargic state.

That night, after dinner and, yet again, another one of Jongup's subtle rejections of her company, Youngmi showered and entered her room feeling drained. Was this what it felt like be... melancholy? She was never the type to be affected by others' moods. She was a moodmaker. She didn't need others to be happy. However, this new power of hers made her realized that the feelings and moods of others mattered, too. She flopped onto her sister's bed and closed her eyes for a few seconds.

"You know... There is really something wrong with Jongup's mood. And it's not just because of Yongguk's comment." Jungmi's voice piped up from the desk. Youngmi popped open her eyes. She didn't notice her sister when she entered the room. She looked up at her and noticed her light gray aura. Neutral.

"What do you mean?" Youngmi asked as she joined Jungmi at the desk.

"I mean that Jongup has something much more to him than what meets the eye. Even this melancholic state of his is a front. From what I've seen today and reading the depressing thoughts of Daehyun and Youngjae, Jongup is in pain. And it has something to do with his parents." Jungmi looked up at Youngmi with a scrutinizing glare. "You know something, don't you?"

"Wh-What do you mean?" Youngmi asked again, hearing panic seep into her voice. "I told you, he didn't tell me anything..."

"Didn't you read his profile?" Jungmi read aloud from the profile. "'Has a dark side due to his past. Adores Zelo and has utmost respect for his hyungs.' The dark past is understandable. But, how many times did he respect his hyungs today? Not once. You have to admit, something is seriously wrong."

"Eonni... Please give it a rest. He should be fine by tomorrow..."

"I know that you like the boy, Youngmi. But, God told us to guide B.A.P. to believe in Him. How is this going to happen when Jongup can't learn to forgive others? It's clear that he harbors bitterness for something. Even Yongguk-oppa mentioned so yesterday." Jungmi sighed as millions of thoughts crossed her mind. What could she or her sister do to fix this? "Come on, let's pray about it. I know that God is hurting over this as much as Jongup is."

The sisters joined hands and hearts and bowed their heads. Jungmi parted her lips. "Dear Heavenly Father, we lift up Jongup and the boys to You. Please reveal to them that You love them and help them realize that You are the only one who can take away their pain. Also, please help us support them. We want to be pleasing sacrifices to You. Thank You for giving us the opportunity to be there for them in this time of need. Thank You; we love You. In the mighty name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen."

*****Hey, all! Here I am again, after a VERY LONG hiatus. I know, I know... You all are probably angry with me. :( I'm sorry, I've been a bad author. So, to make up for it, I've written a long update for you! Yay! As always, please comment and subscribe. Constructive Critcism is always welcome! Please enjoy! :)*****

*****P.S. Thank you for continuing to show interest in this story, my readers! I promise to be better at updating on time in the future... ^^ I just want to let all of you know that I'm thankful for your continual support!*****