"Hi Mom, where are you?"

"Hi honey. How are you doing? We're in NYC right now. But we'll be home the day after tomorrow. Is everything okay? Do you need anything?"

"No, I don't need anything and everything is okay. I just need to talk to you as soon as you get home, okay?"

"Baby, you are scaring me. What is it that you want to talk? Can we do it over the phone? Are you okay? If you need me, I can fly to Vancouver tonight."

"No, mom, it's something that we need to talk face to face. I'm fine by the way, it's not about me. See you in two days. Bye. I'm hanging up."

Minho hangs up. "Thanks, Andy."

"Don't mention that. I'm sorry that you still can't call your parents on a landline in your own house without supervision."

"Don't be."

"If I may ask, is something wrong? It is unusual of you to call your mom like this."

"Do you know Hope Foundation?"

"I've heard of it but I'm not fully aware of what they do."

"I have a friend that is one of their scholars and I'm embarassed with how they run the scholarship programme. I just want to hear about it directly from my mom. I mean, if that is how they do things, then I want to tell her that she should be ashamed of it and probably just stop doing it."

Andy smiles and Minho frowns upon it.

"It's nice that you care about the company." Andy says out of defense. "You're the only heir after all."

"I feel bad for lying to all of you but I have to. Just think about what you would have done if you know about the flat and the job!" Taemin says at the end of his confession. He really told Jonghyun the truth, every single one of it. "I can't afford going back to Seoul before seeing Minho again."

Jonghyun sighs. He doesn't know how to react to this. He wants to be mad at the younger but at the same time, he knows Taemin did the right thing for himself. He thinks it might be karma getting back to them for what they did to Taemin. "Okay Taemin, I don't want to argue about this. Just consider us even. Now you know how it feels to lie for good reasons." Taemin reaches out to hug Jonghyun when he hears it.

"Thank you."

"No, don't thank me yet. I need to see Minho first. He has to know about your ty scholarship and your roommate and your addiction to sleeping pills. I demand him to do something about it. And I'm not going to help you about this with Onew and Key. You deserve their wraths."

"I can talk to Minho hyung. He wants to see you anyway. It's not an addiction!! And please don't tell Onew and Key hyung about this. Let me tell them myself."

"Okay."

That afternoon, they all agree to sit together for lunch. Minho and Jonghyun are obviously ecstatic to see each other again. No matter how messed up things between them, they have been friends since they were little kids, so when they look at each other the anger just melt down and all that is left is the longing. Taemin waits patiently for the pair to catch up with each other's lives before they change the topic to his life.

"Now that you two have met each other, I demand you to do something about Taemin. I don't like the place he live in right now."

"I haven't been inside but I agree with you. The most surprising yet shameful is that he got the scholarship from my parent's foundation. I'm going to ask my mom about it when she's back in town tomorrow."

"You better do. In the meantime, what about finding a new place for you?"

"Hyung, I don't think I can afford it right now. And I don't want your money."

"Taemin, I've been curious about whether your parents know that you're here. I mean, as much as your parent disagree with our relationship I don't think they would just cut you off, financially speaking." Minho asked.

"They don't know that I'm here, only my brother. I can't use the cards they give me here because that way they would find out. But the point is I'm fine with the apartment. It's not my favourite place to live but I've learnt to live there. Plus, I can take more jobs over summer break to earn more money and rent a better place." Both Jonghyun and Minho were clearly displeased when Taemin mentioned the word "jobs".

"I don't like the idea of you working part time jobs after school."

"Then you have to bear with it because that's what I need to do right now."

When Minho was about to give up on this, Jonghyun added "Do you know that Taemin has a male roommate that -"

"You what?"

Jonghyun smirks gloriously at that.

"His name is Dean. He might not be the best roommate but he is okay. We barely talk, or should I say, see each other. So there is nothing to worry about him."

"And how he is reacting to your nightmares?"

"Good question, Minho." Jongyun teases, making Taemin throw a glare to him.

"He is fine with it." Taemin hesitates. "I mean he has never complained." Taemin steals a glance to his boyfriend only to see his sharp look focused on him and gets very uneasy and intimidated. "Well, you know I don't make noises anymore."

"and how do you come to that?"

"Jonghyun hyung, I swear -"

"How do you do that?" Minho interrups, repeating the question with a stern voice.

"Sleeping pill" replies Taemin weakly. He just wants to disappear when he sees Minho heaves a sigh and looks totally pissed off.

"Alright, I'm sleeping over your place tonight."

"There is not enough space for you. My bed is small."

"We just have to make it work for tonight."

"Now that everything's settled, I can fly back to Seoul in peace."

That evening, Minho drives Jonghyun to the airport. He promises to visit them some time. After that, Minho takes Taemin back home to get some stuff for the sleepover. Minho assures Taemin that it is okay, his parents are not at house and that the maids would not rat them out.

"You have a nice house." Taemin comments when they step into the house.

"Yeah, it's nice but way too much when you live here alone. Since mom and dad are on business trips most of the time, I feel like living here alone with the maids. Wait here, I'm going to find one of them and tell her I'm not going to be home tonight."

"Okay," Taemin looks around when Minho is away. Then he hears the sound of little footsteps and there is a white puppy approaching him. Taemin squeals when he sees it, wondering if it's Eve. But the puppy runs away before Taemin gets to it and on instinct, he follows it out.

"Eve~" Taemin calls out, he is now in the dining room. He is relieved when he sees no one around wherever he goes which he wonders if there are people living in this house at all. "Eve~ come out here." Taemin catches a glimpse of the dog slipping under the dining table. He gets on his knee and lifts up the table cloth and smiles when he sees Eve. "Come here, little girl." But Eve doesn't budge so Taemin crawls under the table to reach her. "Come here, I won't hurt you." Eve barks a little but Taemin keeps trying to lure her out. After some time, Eve takes careful steps toward Taemin and when she is close enough, he pets her head and praises her. That is when Taemin hear the voice of a woman calling Minho's name. He freezes a little. The sound of the woman's high heels is getting closer.

"Minho? Minho baby, is that you?" says the woman and Taemin is 100% sure that the woman sees his feet sticking out from under the table. He holds Eve and slowly crawling out of the table. His eyes meets the woman's and he knows that is not the maid. "Who are you? How do you get here? What are you doing with my son's dog?"

Taemin feels like someone's strangling his neck. He is scared, too scared to say anything. This is it, he thinks, this is how he ends.

"Mom?"

Both of them turn around and sees Minho standing a few feet away. "Mom, why are you here?" Minho stutters, he doesn't expect to see his mother there.

"I'm leaving NYC earlier because I'm worried about you." His mom explains. "And who is he, honey? Is he your new friend?"

Minho looks down on Taemin who is still sitting on his knee while holding the barking Eve. "That's Taemin."

"I must admit that I don't pay a close attention since I think that the director would be capable of running it just fine but now that there is a complain on their performance, I promise I will take a look on their programmes and see if there is something I can fix." His mom says as she sips on her cup of tea. All three of them are talking on the living room. Minho tells her about Taemin scholarships and she surprisingly responds to it calmly and not trying to shift the subject to Taemin.

"If there is something you can fix? if? Mom, there is already something wrong about it."

"I can't just throw accusation on them, honey."

"Mom, I can take you to Taemin's place so you can see it yourself if you don't believe me."

"It's not that I don't believe you, honey, but the boards we have over there are all excellent people I doubt they would let this kind of things happen."

"Alright mom, just come with us, now!"

"Okay, if that's what you want."

"Okay, wait here, I'm going to grab my backpack." Minho leaves them alone and Taemin is going to scold him later about this.

"So Taemin, does he take you here often when we're not around?"

"No, Ma'am. This is my first time here."

"Ah I see. How long have you been here?"

"Since the college started. I'm studying at the same university of Minho, just different major."

"Do your parents send you to study here?"

"No, they don't know about me being here. I don't talk to them since..." Taemin's voice trails off. He wants to say since she and her husband separate them but can't find the nice words to say it.

"Since I made them keep you away from my Minho?"

Taemin nods.

"Okay, come on, let's go see his apartment." Minho's voice saves Taemin's life. "Taemin, bring Eve along."

They get into Minho's car. Taemin sits at the back with Eve. They are all quiet during the ride. When they pull over in front of his apartment, he notices that Minho's mom doesn't look happy with it but tries to keep her composure. Taemin leads the way to his room.

"Sorry Ma'am, there is no elevator here so we have to go by the stairs."

"Alright, please show us the way."

Taemin takes them up to his room. He is grateful Dean is not around this time. Minho's mom scans their apartment and shows nothing on her face.

"Where is your roommate?" Minho asks.

"I don't know, we don't tell each other about our whereabouts. Can I get you a drink?" Taemin politely offers to Minho and his mom.

"No, thank you Taemin."

"Okay then."

"See, this place is horrible Mom. I don't expect something fancy but at least a decent place will do."

"Do you have anything to say about this place, Taemin?"

"Nothing. I'm thankful that I can get the scholarship from your foundation. I mean it must have helped a lot of students."

She laughs, which only terrifies Taemin. "No need to be all sugary about the foundation because of me, Taemin. You can say whatever you have in mind."

"Well, I didn't say that out of courtesy. When I signed up for the scholarship, I didn't know it was yours. When I get here and see this place, this may not my favourite place to live but this is what they provide us with so I'm grateful with this. Although I'm taking part time jobs so that I can afford to rent a better place which starts in half an hour. Bottom line is I'm not going to file a complain or anything about this place. I just need to go."

"Part time job?"

"Yes, Ma'am. I'm working on a cafe not far from here. If you wish to stay, you can but I have to excuse myself or else I'll be late." Taemin eyes Minho for a support which doesn't go unnoticed by the older.

"Mom, do you want to stay here? I'm going to drive Taemin to work and get back here to pick you up if you want."

"No, no, I'll just leave with you. Come on, we don't want Taemin to be late."

"What major do you take, Taemin?" She asks Taemin when they're on their way to the cafe.

"Psychology."

"Oh, is that because of your conditions? Because you want to know what actually happen to yourself through this study?"

"Mom!" Minho warns.

"It is related to that but more because I want to be a psychologist so I can help people."

"I see. But that must be the second reason you're applying to UBC right? I guess the first one is Minho."

"Mom, stop it."

"You are right, Ma'am."

"Is there anyone who knows that you're here?"

"Only my brother and Minho's friends."

"So you get the support from Jinki, Kibum and Jonghyun."

"Alright, there it is. Have a nice evening at work, I'll fetch you up later." Minho turns around to bid goodbye. Taemin kisses Eve and excuses himself.

"Please leave him alone." Minho says to his mother. "You can do anything to me but please don't hurt him, Mom." Minho pleads.

"What things do you think I would do to you?"

"I don't know. Sending me somewhere no one knows and keep me there. Anything you could think of to keep me away from him."

"You know that we did it to keep you safe, don't you?"

"But I'm safe with him. It's just a stupid paranoia, superstition or conditions as you call it. It's not his fault that bad things happen to his old friends. Nothing happens to the hyungs so far. Nothing happens to me, too. He is not a bad person. He is just misunderstood."

"Alright Minho listen to me, I'm going to sort out this scholarship situation first and then we talk about Taemin. Okay?"

"Okay. But if you or dad do anything to him -"

"No one will do anything to anyone. I promise you."

"Thanks Mom."