Hanbyul's POV~

I can't believe I just ditched my friends and school, but I was kind of happy being with Daehyun, alone. He and I still had our fingers interlocked as we walked to a nearby park. 

"You know, I've always imagined something like this," Daehyun grinned. I looked up at him, confused. "A school uniform date."

I couldn't hold back the laughter. "You're kidding me!"

He laughed too. "I'm serious! But that was when I was in my early middle school years."

My eyes were tearing up. He nudged my arm to stop laughing at him. 

Who would've thought that Daehyun, the chic and cool guy, would have thought of a school uniform date?! But I have to admit, it was cute. 

"Well, enjoy it now cause this is our last year of wearing our uniforms," I giggled, moving closer to his side. He chuckled and nodded. 

"Oh you know I'll cherish this day," he grinned and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. "I have other fantasies about school uniforms too."

I immediately give him a disgusted look. "You're absolutely unbelievable."

"And yet you still love me," he snickered making me giggle too, but then my face became serious. 

I stopped walking and he stopped with me, looking at me. He saw my expression and knew something was up. 

"Did I say something wrong?" he asked, concerned. I bit my lower lip and rubbed my arms. He stepped closer to me. 

"I want to know," I began. "What you think about me...what your feelings are towards me."

His face softened and he gently smiled. 

"I've dropped so many obvious hints and you still couldn't pick up on them?" he asked with a gently laugh. I pouted and shrugged. 

He sighed and placed his hands on my shoulders, slightly bending down to meet my eyes. 

"I love you," he bluntly said. My heart raced and I felt the rosy pink shade creep up on my cheeks. "I really do love you, Hanbyul."

A smile crept up and he noticed it. 

"I know it looks like we've only been messing around, but I want to get serious," he said, blushing. He was actually blushing!

I swallowed hard. I didn't know how to react. 

"I want our relationship to be official, Hanbyul," he said. I could hear the nervousness in his voice. "Let's date."

And boom! My chest exploded!

"Let's start dating," he repeated and I blushed like crazy. "What's your answer?"

"Do I have to state the obvious?" I asked and he softly laughed. 

"I'd like to hear you say yes," he said and I immediately gave him the answer he wanted to hear. He and I couldn't stop smiling and so he pulled me into a tight embrace. 

Finally, we were officially together. I couldn't wait to tell my friends and my parents who kept teasing me. 

"Wanna get some ice cream to celebrate?" Daehyun asked as I nodded. He interlocked his fingers with mine and we started walking to find an ice cream shop. 

Luhan's POV~

I had the day off, so I stayed home for the day. I looked at the clock and it was 2 in the afternoon. I've done nothing productive today, except stay in bed and stare at my dusty ceiling, covered in old spider webs. 

I shifted my position and laid on my side with my arms curled up underneath my head when I felt my phone vibrating. I picked it up and looked at the caller ID to see that it was my father's lawyer. He's been calling ever since my father was taken into custody and proven guilty. In place of my father, he's been trying to get a hold of me to see how I've been doing, telling me to visit my father; I've never picked up his calls though. 

My phone fell silent and seconds later it vibrated again, but it was the lawyer, it was Yongguk hyung. 

"Hello?" I answered quietly. 

"Hey Luhan," he gently said. "How've you been?"

"As good as the last time you saw me," I lied. 

"That last time was last night when I picked Hanbyul and Daehyun up at the airport," Yongguk chuckled his husky chuckle. 

Silence. 

"Wanna grab something to eat?" he asked, breaking the silence. 

"I'm not hungry," I replied. I heard a light scoff. 

"Hanbyul told me your living conditions you can say," he said on the other line. "I know you haven't had a proper meal. I'm on my way to your house. Don't you dare run away either."

"I won't," I answered and he hung up. I deeply exhaled and flipped on to my back to stare at the ceiling, gripping onto my phone. 

I stayed like that for 15 minutes when I heard someone knock on my door. I slowly got up and made my way to the door. I opened it and saw Yongguk standing there with his gummy smile. 

"Decided to bring the food to you," he grinned holding up to boxes of fried chicken. I lightly snickered and stepped aside for him to come in. 

Once he stepped in he observed my place. 

"Some place you've got," he said. I wasn't sure if he was being sarcastic or not. 

I kicked some stuff out of the way and took a seat on my bed. 

"Sorry, I don't a place for you to sit or place the food on," I said and tapped the empty space next to me. "Will this do?"

He warmly smiled and took a seat next to me. He set the boxes on the ground in front of us and opened them. 

"Lets eat first, then I want to have a little chat," he said and handed me a pair of plastic gloves. 

A chat? I didn't need a chat at the moment...or maybe I did. 

I started devouring the food in front of me as he watched, almost like a proud father. I was a bit embarrassed so I slowed down a bit. 

He opened a can of coke and placed it in front of me. 

"Eat as much as you want," he said. "This is for you anyways."

I swallowed hard and nodded. 

We ate for a good 10 minutes and cleaned up. Then the atmosphere started to get serious as hyung and I sat on my bed, leaning against the wall. 

"What'd you want to chat about?" I asked with my legs curled up against me. I was anxious on what he had to say. 

"Are you happy?" he asked. I looked at him, flustered. 

"Eh?"

"I asked if you're happy," he repeated, this time with a firmer voice. 

"You can say so-"

"Be honest with me, please," he said with desperation. I sat there in silence, holding my knees closer to my chest. "Daehyun and Hanbyul told me everything and I know they're in no position to tell me, but I don't blame them."

I didn't even feel any hatred towards them cause I didn't care who knew my past. Honestly, I was kind of glad they told Yongguk. 

"Why are you holding back so much?" he asked with his head hung low. 

"I don't want to look like an idiot," I confessed. 

He scoffed. "You look more like an idiot now than you would of if you were honest."

"I know...," I said; I know very well just how idiotic I am right now. 

"Then why continue to act this way?" he continued to question. "Why can't you just let yourself go?"

"Because if I let myself go, I'm afraid I won't be able to control myself," I said feeling my chest grow heavy. 

Silence. Nothing felt more uncomfortable than this silence. 

With this silence, I felt my eyes flood with tears and slowly one by one, they broke free and slid done my cheeks. I lifted my hand up to wipe them away but Yongguk grabbed my wrist, stopping me. 

"Let them fall," he said with the most calming voice I've ever heard. And so I let them freely fall. 

"Can I tell you something?" I sniffled as Yongguk nodded. "That question earlier, if I was happy...I'm not."

"I know," he faintly smiled. And with that, I told him everything I was feeling.

I told him how ashamed I was of being appa's son, how I wished umma was still with me, how I wanted to open up to Daehyun and how much I loved Hanbyul.

I thought I was happy with the people I loved most, but my happiness with them was only temporary. 

I hated myself for being such a coward and sobbing in front of him made me look even more like a fool. 

Yongguk hugged me tight as I cried in his arms. I was full of hurt and hatred towards myself. I wanted to disappear from this world to stop the suffering. 

Yongguk rubbed my back as I hiccuped my cries. 

"You're not a coward, Luhan," he soothed. "You're just a lost child, who has yet to find their happiness."

I sniffled. 

"And you know, it's okay to not be okay," he continued. "No one is perfect; everyone makes mistakes. You have the potential to learn and to grow from your mistakes once you become honest to yourself."

I continued to hiccup and he released me. He placed a hand on my head and gently rubbed my head. 

"No matter what your father did should not effect you. Hell, my father was a drug addict before he died of overdose and I was made fun of, but I didn't let those rumors stop me from moving on. I became a stronger person because I wanted to prove to them that I was not going to become what my father was. I got stronger because that was what my father was not," Yongguk said. "Because my father was emotionally unstable, I became that stable pillar for him. Even if I hated him, I still wanted to protect him because no one else could. And you should do the same for your father."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and wiped my tears with the back of my hands. 

"I am no expert, but by the looks of your 'condition', I'd say you need a family," he said with a faint smile. "A family to give you security, to give you love, warmth and strength. With a family, you'll be able to overcome your fears and weaknesses. The only way I was able to overcome those was because I had a family who supported me; halmeoni and Zelo."

"But I don't have anyone else besides appa," I whispered. 

"Don't be silly, you have us," he smiled. I felt my heart squeeze at the last three words. "We've always accepted you as a part of our family, Luhan. We're all concerned about you."

I shifted my gaze to the ground when I felt his hands on my shoulders. 

"When you're more comfortable, come join us for dinner some day," he said and I slowly nodded. 

Hyung stayed with me 'til the sun set then left. I was curled up in my bed and thought of what he said. I was honestly touched and relived to have had this conversation with him. If only I was honest from the start, then I would've at least been happier. 

Daehyun's POV~

I dropped Hanbyul off at home when I saw Yongguk pull up from behind. We waved to him as he got out of his car and walked to us with a smile. 

"You guys just got home?" he asked as we nodded. "I heard you guys didn't attend class today."

It wasn't a first for me so I didn't feel guilty, but Hanbyul tensed up. Yongguk looked at Hanbyul with crossed arms. 

"Principal Oh called me since your father didn't pick up," he stated as she pouted in guilt. Hyung chuckled and pinched her cheeks. "Don't ditch any more classes, finals are coming up."

"Yesh shir (yes sir)," she said as he stretched her cheeks out, playfully. I snickered and she glared at me like it was my fault, if I remember correctly, she enjoyed the date way more than I did. 

"Why are you home so late anyways? You're off today and you've only got a morning class," Hanbyul asked rubbing her cheeks. He shrugged with a sigh, "I went to visit a dongsaeng."

"Who?" she questioned, suspicious. 

"A very fragile dongsaeng," he said with a grin and headed towards the house, then stopped to turn to us. "Oh and if a particular someone brings up about my father being a drug addict, just play along. It was something to motivate this person."

"Drug addict?" I questioned Hanbyul with a raised eyebrow once Yongguk was in the house. 

"My uncle (Yongguk and Zelo's dad) wasn't a drug addict,"she blinked her eyes, just as confused as I was. "Oppa was the addict when he entered his early high school years. He almost died of overdose, but thanks to halmeoni and Zelo he's been drug-free since then."

"Then why-"

"I don't know either, but like he said just play along if we do ever meet that dongsaeng he went to see today," she coolly said. "He did say it was story to motivate this person, so he has his reasons."

"I guess?" I questioned and sighed. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow. Gotta start on that math assignment."

"Crap! I forgot!" she gasped and I laughed calling her an idiot. She frowned and crossed her arms. "Wanna work on it together?"

"Nah, I wanna work on it alone," I smiled. She pouted a "why?". I hugged her and rested my chin on the top of her head. "I know that if we study together alone, I won't be able to focus. My attention will be on you only, probably wanting to kiss you or something."

She giggled and looked up at me. "I guess I'll let it go for tonight."

I smiled with a nod and lightly pecked her lips. I gestured her to go inside and so she did. Once she shut the door behind her, I headed home.