Time check, 12:00.

             It is already lunch hour and still, there is no Taemin in sight. Minyoung sighed as she clutched on her phone, Taemin haven’t been returning her message or calls and she was getting worried.

             “Minyoug,” Key came into Minyoung’s classroom and spotted the empty table beside her. “Taem didn’t come?”

             Minyoung shook her head, “I couldn’t find him. He sent me a text this morning saying that he won’t be late.”

             Key smiled, patting Minyoung’s head as though she was a little girl, “Don’t worry, it’s Lee Taemin we are talking about, nothing will happen to him. Maybe something happened at home?”

             Minyoung shrugged her shoulders, nodding in agreement. “Well then, let’s go for lunch! My brother went ahead to help us queue for the western food. They serve seafood spaghetti today.” Key exclaimed, eyes sparkling at the delicious food waiting for them while pushing Minyoung out of her classroom.

“Taemin, it’s time for dinner.”

             The seven year old Taemin sat in the corner of the room, the room was so old, smelly, and dim-lighted and Taemin didn’t like it. “Hyung…I want mum…”

             Jinki tilted his head and looked around before entering Taemin’s room. “Taemin, come and eat, dad is going to scold if you keep on crying here.”

             “But hyung, I missed mum…I don’t like it here…” Taemin whimpered quietly and Jinki quickly went over to hug his little brother.

             “WHO IS CRYING AGAIN??”

             Jaehyun came into the room agitatedly, fuming with rage and dragging Taemin off Jinki. “Dad!” Jinki shouted, trying his best to block Taemin from getting beaten up by their angry father.

             Taemin scream-cried from the grabbing and beating, and it wasn’t long before Jaehyun started hitting Jinki as well.

Taemin closed his eyes as he lay on his back on his bed, his phone vibrating for the N^th time that day in his bag.

             Sighing, he reached out for his bag and searched for his phone. “Yeah,” he answered the call.

             “Taemin! You finally answered. Where are you? Didn’t you say you won’t be late?”

             “…” Taemin placed a hand over his eyes, feeling vexed and tired. “Taemin?”

             “Sorry, Minyoung, can I find you later? I’ll wait for you at the gate after school.”

             Confused, Minyoung paused for a second, “Okay, see you later.”

             Taemin took a glance at the time on his phone, there’s still another two hours before school ends. Throwing it aside, he sighed again.

“You met her, didn’t you?”

             Taemin blinked, “She came by in the morning.”

             Jinki sighed, “You’re going back to her?”

             “She said she would settle dad’s debts, and also the rest of his life—,”

             “So you’re going back?”

             Taemin swallowed, “I…I’m not sure, hyung. I thought it would be better for dad if his debts were cleared. I mean, aren’t you tired? Cleaning all these almost every other day?” Taemin gestured at the splashed paint.

             “But I’m contented with what I have right now. If I were you, I would rather pay debts on my own than to owe someone else my life.”

“Taemin!”

             Taemin let out a smile when Minyoung came into sight, alongside with Key. “Well then, Minyoung, I will leave Taemin in your hands.” Key chuckled, waving goodbye to the couple before walking in the opposite direction.

             Taemin hung an arm over Minyoung’s shoulder as the both of them walked towards the direction of her house. “I thought you will be in class earlier than I am.” She said.

             “I will be, but something came up. Sorry.” Taemin stuck his tongue out at Minyoung. “What happened again?”

             “Umm-hmm…that woman came by in the morning, and we had a talk.” Taemin replied.

             “…And?” Minyoung tilted her head to face her lover but Taemin looked straight ahead, tightening his arm on her shoulder so that Minyoung came closer to him. “And I’m tired, so let’s catch some sleep at your place.” He grinned.

             Minyoung glanced at that smiling face, she mentally sighed. What am I supposed to do with him? I can’t help but he looked so tired.

             “Where’s your brother?” Taemin asked, removing his sneakers and glancing around the empty house, before his attention landed on the photo frame sitting on top of the shoe cabinet that he failed to notice the previous time when he was here. “Is this your parents?”

             Minyoung turned a little bit red when she caught Taemin looking at the photo frame of her late parents. Well, maybe it’s time to introduce…?

             “My brother went for practice; he won’t be home till night I guess.” She said, walking over and hooked Taemin’s arm. “And yes, that’s my parents.”

             Taemin raised a brow. “I’m Lee Taemin, nice to meet you.” He gently bowed at the photo frame, earning a whole-hearted smile from Minyoung.

             “Well then, I’ll go make some tea.” Minyoung said as she walked ahead of Taemin to the kitchen, until Taemin caught her arm and spun her around, making her fell in his arms.

             “W-what, what’s wrong?” Minyoung was surprised at Taemin’s act but he didn’t say anything.  He just quietly wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly with his chin resting on her shoulder.

             “Five minutes, please, just stay like this.” He breathed.

             Minyoung’s heart softened as she runs her hand down Taemin’s back to soothe him. “It’s okay. If holding me can make you feel better, I’m all yours.”

             If this is the only thing I could do to make you feel better.

             “What am I supposed to do? Minyoung, I’m confused.” Taemin sighed, pulling Minyoung apart and touching her face with his right palm. “I don’t know what decision to make. Either way, I’m going to hurt someone’s feelings.”

             “Taemin…” Minyoung cupped his weary face. “Do what your heart tells you.” She said, pointing at where Taemin’s heart is. “Do what you think is right.”

             Taemin blinked, closing his eyes as he leaned against her forehead with his. “What is right?”

             Minyoung chuckled, “I can’t decide that for you, baby. It’s for you to find out.” And she planted a light kiss on his lips. “Don’t worry; I’ll be here always, with you.”

             Taemin could feel his cold heart warming up; he wrapped her in his arms once again. “I love you, Minyoung.”

The sound of door opening woke Taemin up. He looked to the left at the wall clock hanging just beside the door, gosh, they slept for three hours.

             Taemin groaned, and that woke Minyoung up. “I think Minho hyung’s back.” Taemin said in his hoarse voice. “You think so?” Minyoung grumpily asked, turning her back on Taemin.

             “Hey…wake up,” the long-haired lad smile, rolling over and pulling Minyoung into his arms by her waist. “Minyoung,” he called.

             Seeing that Minyoung fall sleep again, Taemin smiled and peck a kiss on the back of her neck. “I’m going back,” he said,

             “Hmm, don’t be late…tomorrow,” Minyoung mumbled and she exhaled deeply. “I might not be going school tomorrow; I’ll call you again okay?” Taemin said, getting up from the bed.

             Minyoung shot up from the bed, supporting herself with an arm plopped on the mattress, “Why?”

             “I’m going to find her. I’m heading to Han’s Co tomorrow.” Taemin said, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Thanks to you, I’ll follow what my heart says.” He patted on Minyoung’s head, giving her a kiss on her forehead and pushing her back down on the bed. “Now go back to sleep, you pig.”

             Minyoung giggled, waving goodbye to her lover as he left her room.

             “Oh hey Taemin, I thought I saw your shoes outside.” She heard her brother’s voice before she falls into deep slumber again.

“You know where to find me, right? I’ll be waiting for your answer.”

             Taemin stood before the towering skyscraper as he looked at the building. People were walking in and out of the building, wearing smart formal and carrying a handbag in one hand, and the other hand holding documents and files. The women would tie their hair up in a neat bun and the men made sure their hair doesn’t go out of place.

             He raised a brow and took a look at himself through the reflection on the glass door – skinny jean and t-shirt with a pair of sneakers. Were the security guards even going to let him in?

             “I’m looking for Narsha Park.” He told the receptionist who took a look at his outfit, then at his long hair which he tied up in a ponytail. “Sorry but—,”

             “Make a call,” Taemin said, “And say Lee Taemin wants to see her. I’m pretty sure she will appreciate your help.” He said arrogantly. Judging me, weren’t you?

             The lady sitting behind the desk made the call as per requested, “Yes, I understood.” She said into the phone.

             “Ms. Park is in her office, it’s at the 18^th floor. I’ll bring—,”

             “It’s okay,” Taemin cut her off, “I’ll go by myself.” And he thanked the lady before leaving.

             Taking the lift together with other people certainly wasn’t what Taemin was used to. The old and rotten building that he lives in has a broken lift that no one bothered to fix. Luckily for him, he lived on the third floor that he could easily climb the (old and worn) stairs every day.

             He sighed, yes the lifts in the building were spacious and fully air-conditioned but the number of people taking the lift is just….too many.

             When the lift reached 17^th floor, the remaining people in the lift stepped out, leaving only Taemin inside. One of the guys popped his head in the lift before it closed, and the door opened again.

             “You’re not getting out?” he asked and Taemin shook his head with a brow raised. “The 18^th floor has only one office and that’s the CEO’s office.” The guy said.

             “Yeah, I know? I mean, that’s why I’m heading there, right?” Taemin sneered as he pressed for the door to close. Seriously?

             When the door opened on the 18^th floor, Taemin’s eyes widen at the spacious office that appeared before his eyes. The lift was the entrance to the office and the entire 18^th floor was the CEO’s space.

             “Mr. Lee, here please.”

             Taemin raised a brow at the familiar guy who stood beside the lift, seemed like he already knew Taemin was on his way and he was there to welcome him. Mr. Lee? Just a few days back you appeared at my doorstep with a ed up attitude.

             “Ah, Taemin, you’re here.” Hyojin exclaimed, putting away all the files on her table. She smiled, a black framed spectacle sitting on the bridge of her nose.

             “Have a seat,” Joon said quietly, gesturing for Taemin to have a seat before his boss’s desk. “You may leave, Joon.” The CEO of the company said, giving him a smile.

             Taemin swallowed, taking a seat and making himself comfortable. Like hell, comfortable? How to be comfortable in this suffocating environment?

             “Relax, don’t be so tense. It’s just me, your mum.” Hyojin said, after sensing Taemin’s tensed up body movements. “You can do better than this, son. How are you going to face the public if this is all you’ve got?”

             Taemin flinched, “What? What did I say about facing the public? I’m not here to acknowledge you, mind you.” He retorted.

             Hyojin was taken aback by Taemin’s sudden reaction, but she quickly composed herself and raised a brow with a small smile. “Now that’s my son.”

             Taemin breathed deeply, he swallowed again.

             “So you’re not here to bring me happy news?” she asked, taking off her long-sighted glasses and putting it down.

             Taemin watched as Hyojin clasped her hands together and placed it on the table, the pair of delicate and pretty hands of the woman he once called his ‘mum’, the same pair of hands that pushed him away.

             After a while of silence, Taemin spoke. “Do you know about my life?” he asked, leaning back against the chair and lacing his fingers together. “And hyung’s…do you know how hard it was…back then?”

             A glazed look on Taemin’s face scares Hyojin. In fact, it scares her a lot. It made her think twice about asking them to come back. It was like there’s a hidden message in Taemin’s lifeless emotions that says ‘what makes you think we will come back to you after all the suffering you gave us?’

             “I—,”

             “Every day, I’ll be crying. And every day, I’ll get beaten up for crying.” Taemin continued, not giving Hyojin the chance to talk. “Hyung will protect me, and he will get beaten up too.”

             “The man who lost his wife, lost his status, lost his position in the company. The man who was betrayed by his love ones, by the people he called ‘friends’.” Taemin sighed.

             “At the age of nine, where young kids will be having ice-cream and chips on a swing in a park on a Sunday afternoon with their parents, hyung went to work. From morning to late night, he washes dishes for a restaurant. The pay wasn’t high, of course, but he was happy that it was enough to just buy me a decent meal.”

             Hyojin felt tears filling up the rim of her eyes; she her dried lips as she swallowed the lump in .

             “Every day, hyung blames himself for not buying enough food for me to eat, and nice clothes for me to wear. When he himself didn’t eat enough, didn’t wear enough for winter. During cold season, he would get sick easily. He couldn’t work and that’s when he blames himself even more.”

             “But do you have any idea how brightly hyung smiled, when I was at the same height as him now even though he was two year older than me? He was smiling at how well I’ve grown, and he felt so happy he almost cried. He was so afraid that I didn’t have enough food to eat and that I won’t be growing anymore.”

             Taemin’s lips parted for a while when he could feel the sad feeling spreading in his body.

             “Right, dad didn’t do anything. He drinks and gambles all day every day, getting into debts and making trouble for us. But one thing for sure, he won’t leave home. There’s never a time where hyung and I would wake up one day finding ourselves parentless.”

             Taemin watched as the woman in front of him lowered her head, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to fall.

             “You asked me how well were hyung and I doing; now I can answer you.”

             Taemin straightened his back, placing his laced fingers on the table.

             “We are doing well now. So I beg you, please don’t look us up anymore.”