“Hoon,” AJ said, standing in front of the door leading to their room, “there’s a package for you.”

Hoon looked at him quizzically, not quite believing that he would have a package waiting for him inside of their dorm. “Who is it from?”

“Um…” AJ leaned down to look at it closer. “Lee… Serin? Isn’t that…?”

Hoon pushed his way past AJ, to look at the package closer. It was indeed from Serin. “I wonder what she sent?” he asked himself idly.

AJ made a disapproving face at him. “Chill bro,” he said. “No one’s going to take it from you.”

But Hoon was already carrying it inside their room, and AJ just shrugged. The last slightly over a month he’d been sharing a room with Hoon was long enough. Hoon was obsessed with this woman. Talked to her every night in some form or another. It kind of drove AJ crazy, but he wasn’t going to say anything because he was just as obsessive, if not more so, when he had a girl he liked, as well.

Soohyun, who had heard the two of them making a scene in the hallway, poked his head in the open door. “What’s going on?”

“Hoon got a package from his girlfriend,” AJ explained flatly.

Soohyun took that as an invitation to enter and sat down next to Hoon. “I bet it’s a birthday present. It only a few days away.”

“Should I wait to open it? She didn’t say anything about a package… Should I message her first?”

AJ shrugged, sitting down on his bed, getting ready to put his headphones in and block the two out. “Do whatever,” he said. “If it mattered, she’d have told you in advance.”

Hoon wanted to agree with him, but he knew he’d feel bad if he didn’t ask her first. Sitting on the floor with Soohyun across from him, he sent her a message, hoping she’d be free and answer quickly. “Can I open my package?” he asked.

“Go for it. It’s a birthday present, but you can have it a couple days early,” she answered immediately.

Without hesitating, he opened the box, finding a card from her on top of a wrapped gift. He read the card, laughing at her endearing note, and feeling excited about her having sent him enough in yen to buy himself and the members a relatively nice birthday dinner. He slid the money into his wallet, before pulling out the wrapped box and opening it. He gasped in shock, as did Soohyun, as the wrap was removed.

“She… wow,” Soohyun said, unable to express how excited he was.

“I can’t believe she’d get me this,” Hoon said, grinning from ear to ear. He turned the box over, looking at the brand new, limited edition One Piece figure Serin had bought for him. They were impossible to find, and when one could find it, it was amazingly expensive. Soohyun hovered, excited for him.

“This is so cool,” he told Hoon. “You should take it out and put it in the collection.”

“I probably shouldn’t,” Hoon said seriously. “This one might be better left in the box.”

“Ah, yeah. You’re probably right,” Soohyun agreed. “Still though. It’s kind of unbelievable that she’d have… gotten this for you.”

Hoon nodded. He was very appreciative of the gift, especially knowing how little patience Serin had when it came to One Piece. He looked over at AJ, who was lost in his own world, headphones in. “Guess he won’t mind if I make a call,” Hoon said. “Mind leaving, hyung?”

Soohyun shook his head. “Go ahead and call her. I’ll get out of your hair. But you’ll have to let me take a closer look sometime.”

“I will,” he said, shooing Soohyun out, and closing the door behind him, before picking up his gift and putting it on the shelf he had with a few other figures. He climbed into his bed, waiting for his turn to wash up, and called Serin.

“Hi Hoonie,” she said cheerily when she answered.

“Thank you so much, Serin,” he said.

“Happy Birthday! I do hope you like it as much as Hoonbi said you would.”

He laughed. “Hoonbi told you to get that for me?”

“I asked him for a suggestion,” she explained. “He just told me you’d been looking at the figure for awhile, and so I went ahead and got it for you.”

“I love it. Really. You’re so… ah. I can’t even tell you how happy I am right now.”

“I’m glad. And do make sure you get dinner with everyone. Don’t keep all the money for yourself.”

“I won’t. I’ll get a big meal for everyone. They’ll be grateful.”

“When do you get home?” she asked.

“I’m not entirely sure, but I think we’re scheduled to be back on September 1st.”

“Ah,” she said, sounding a bit disappointed.

“Hmm?” he asked, picking up her tone.

“I’m leaving that day,” she said. “I was hoping I’d get a chance to at least see you before I did.”

“Oh. That’s too bad. Where are you headed this time?”

“My usual. New York City. I spend like a quarter of my year there, I swear. But they’re a good partner.”

“Well, at least you’re familiar with the area,” Hoon said. “And you’ll be back before long. We’re going to be in Korea for awhile making preparations for the rest of the year when we get back, so I’ll be around for awhile.”

“Alright,” Serin agreed. “I’ll be sure I see you as much as possible.”

“It’s pretty late. Are you going to bed soon?” he asked.

“Well, I’m in bed right now, so yeah, probably.”

“Okay,” he responded. “I’ll let you go. And I’ll see you in Korea when you get back, alright?”

“Yep. I really look forward to it.”

“Thank you very much for the amazing birthday gift, Serin,” Hoon told her sincerely. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Hoonie,” she said in response, seeming reluctant to leave. “Goodnight,” she whispered after a pause.

“Goodnight to you. Sleep well.” He hung up his phone and stared at the screen, at the picture of her that he had set as her display picture. He wished he could hug her, kiss her. The longer this went on, the harder it got. But that wasn’t going to stop him. Hopping out of his bed, he glanced at the figure sitting with his collection again. With a pleased smile on his face, he headed to the bathroom, finally his turn to prepare for bed.

--

Serin frowned at the one word response he’d sent her. Something was wrong. This wasn’t like Hoon at all. He was ignoring her, keeping her at a distance. She had told him when she was getting back. Right in the middle of September. It hadn’t been quite as noticeable when she was overseas and exceptionally busy with work, but now that she was back, and he wasn’t attempting to contact her, she was concerned  “What’s going on?” she asked.

“Nothing,” was the prompt answer.

“This is not nothing,” she messaged back immediately. “You are being exceptionally withdrawn. This isn’t like you. What is going on?”

Her pressing him was rewarded with more silence. Now she was irritated with him. She knew she shouldn’t be, he was probably busy, and very exhausting, but she was feeling slighted at the moment. She let it go for the evening, except it wouldn’t disappear, and she was so filled with frustration at him that she couldn’t sleep. Pulling her phone out, she called him.

He answered, obviously not happy. “Hoonie,” she said, trying to be calm and understanding with him. “What’s going on? Don’t leave me in the dark. Please.”

“I…” he said. “I can’t tell you.”

“Why not?” she asked.

“I want to tell you. Believe me. Not telling you is killing me, Serin. Keeping this in is hurting all of us. But the label doesn’t want anyone to know.”

Serin closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, willing her irritation away as this was clearly not something he had much control over. “I don’t mind you not telling me. But please, don’t be distant. I can’t stand the thought of missing precious time with you.”

“I’ll try. Don’t worry,” he assured her. “I love you. I just need separation to sort out my feelings regarding other things. I’m sorry to keep you waiting so much, but I… have to. Keep sending me messages like usual. I like seeing what you’re up to. Just I might not answer. I care. Know that. And when I can explain things to you, trust me, I will.”

She wasn’t necessarily happy about the temporary agreement reached, but there were not really any other options. Without much enthusiasm, she agreed.

--

Serin had started to get suspicious about what was actually going on, but she wasn’t going to say anything. However, it was Hoonbi who accidentally let the secret slip one day. “Man, I hope the six of them are doing alright.” She had asked him if she brought dinner over for him, Hoon and Soohyun. He was not one to turn down a homecooked meal.

“Six of them?” Serin asked, a bit confused, but also her brain leaping to conclusions.

“Ah… sorry. It’s nothing,” he said, quickly trying to brush the topic off.

But Serin was sharp. And she had been thinking on the possibility for the last couple of weeks. “Did something happen with Dongho?” she asked him, well aware that Hoonbi, simply by living with Hoon and Soohyun, would know this time of information.

Hoonbi sighed, clearly unhappy with himself, before nodding.

“You can tell me. I won’t say anything.”

“I know you won’t. And this isn’t even something I should know. I just sort of overheard them one night. They’ve been so depressed and out of character recently. I was worried, you know?”

“I know. Hoonie’s been really distant recently.”

Hoonbi nodded his understanding. “Yeah. They’re all doing that. Not just Hoonmin and Soohyun. All of the members.”

“So what happened?” she asked again.

“Dongho… decided to quit.”

Serin’s jaw dropped in shock, but her head kicked in at the same time, fitting the pieces she’d been considering into a complete picture. “It all makes sense to me now.” She was upset. It hurt her to see Dongho leave, like an important part of her life was departing. And if it felt this bad for her, it must have been killing Hoon on the inside. He’d obviously been struggling with this for the last few weeks. “Enjoy dinner, Hoonbi,” Serin said, voice quiet and reserved. She left then, driving home in silence, as she fought back tears. Several escaped.

Upon arriving back home, she decided to call Hoon. His phone rang until it sent her to voicemail. She thought she should hang up and send him a text message instead. She decided against it, evenly saying, “Hi Hoonie. I found out what’s going on from Hoonbi today. I hope you’re okay with everything. Please call me when you get a chance. Doesn’t matter how late it is. I’m worried about you and love you. I’ll talk to you later.”

It was already fairly late in the evening though. Having stayed at work a little late, worked to make dinner and delivered it to Hoonbi, she was exhausted, mostly from the emotional fatigue. Dongho leaving the group weighed heavy on her heart, but she was feeling more numb than anything else. She worried for the boys and how well they were handling it. With many thoughts swirly in her head, she succumbed to her exhaustion.

--

Much later he returned her call, waking her up from her fitful sleep. “Hello,” she said, groggy.

He sounded dead tired when he replied, “Hi Serin. I guess I shouldn’t have called you so late after all.”

“It’s fine. I told you to. I wanted to hear from you.”

“Ah,” he said quietly. “I’m sorry I’ve been so busy. I barely have time to talk anymore.”

“I understand. How are you though? I heard about Dongho leaving. It must break your heart.”

He went quiet for a second, before finally saying, “It was what he wanted. We all agreed that it was the best for him and his health.”

“Are you okay though?”

“Yeah. I’m okay,” he said, but it sounded strained, like he was telling a lie. “Actually, no. I’m not okay. It’s tearing me up on the inside. It’s like I’ve lost a family member. We’re all pushing ourselves really hard preparing for two upcoming albums, and just every time we do something, we can feel his absence. I miss him so much.”

She listened carefully to him. Hearing the exhaustion and sadness in his voice made her hurt for him. “Come over here tonight,” she told him gently.

“You want me over there?” he asked, dubious.

“I just want to see you and hug you and kiss you,” Serin explained. “I want to support and comfort you. I’m upset about him leaving, too. I want you here with me.”

“I’ll be there then,” Hoon told her. “Give me like 15 minutes.”

“Are you already at home?”

“I just walked in, but I’m going to grab a few things and leave. I’ll see you shortly, okay?”

She agreed and hung up with him, getting out of bed quickly to make sure her room was sufficiently tidied. Serin hadn’t really planned on inviting him over. It just felt like what she needed to do when she heard him. She needed to see him, and as it was extremely late, this had seemed like the best option. Her room wasn’t very messy; it never was, but she put the few things that were out of place away in the 15 minutes it took for him to arrive, and let him in when he rang the buzzer.

As soon as he shut the door behind himself, he dropped his bag and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. “I missed you,” he admitted. “The last few weeks have been rough.”

“I know. I could tell.”

“Ah yeah. I’m sorry I didn’t contact you really. I didn’t want to burden you with my problems.”

She pulled out of his arms then and reached for his hand. “I don’t mind you sharing what’s on your mind. Nobody can hold it in forever.” She was leading him to her room, but even though she was tired, she knew she was likely too upset to actually sleep.

He simply nodded his understanding. “I’m exhausted,” he told her.

“More than just physically, I’m sure.”

“I think the emotional exhaustion is the worst part. We’ve been working so hard this year. Our tour in Japan, performances in South America, and now we’re preparing for several different comebacks. It would be exhausting without the added loss of Dongho leaving us. What are we going to do without him?”

Serin sat down on her bed, and he followed suit. “You’ll power through adversity just like U-KISS always does,” Serin said confidently.

“Will we really though? I feel so defeated any more. What are we even trying for?”

Serin faced him, looking him in the eyes with passion. “You’re trying for your fans. For all the people who love you and wish for your success. You are trying for yourself because you love what you do. Even though things are hard, you have gone through so many struggles and hardships to get as far as you already have. Don’t give up now when things are starting to look a little down. You are a fighter. This defeated version of you isn’t the Hoonmin I love.”

“Serin,” he said, “I wanted to see you so badly. I wanted to talk to you and tell you everything, but our mouths were sealed. We had to struggle through knowing he was going to leave and not able to tell anyone. I had to avoid you, or I would have started crying.”

“Hoonie,” she said, “lie down. Relax. You’ll get through this.”

She stood up, instructing him to lie down on her bed, which he did. She could see the tears building in his eyes, and he rolled over, burying his face in the pillow. She walked over to the other side and climbed in, sitting down next to him and rubbing his back in silence. She could see his back heaving, indicating that he was crying. She bent down over him, wrapping her arms around his torso and pressing her cheek against his back. “Hoonie,” she whispered. “You’ll be okay. Everything will work out as long as we all stick together.”

Serin stayed like that until she felt his breathing pattern return to its normal state. She pushed herself up and off of him, and then sat in a state of numbness. She too was upset, but she knew there was nothing she could do. The only thing she could do was embrace the hope she felt and help Hoon do the same.

He rolled onto his back then, looking up at her with his red-rimmed eyes. “Serin,” he told her quietly, “thanks. Thank you for… for everything. Loving me even though I can’t always be with you. For supporting us through everything. For just being you. I don’t know how you even can stay with me. I don’t give you as much of my time and energy as you deserve.”

She bent down again, this time to kiss him on his lips. “You don’t have to worry about that,” she whispered against his lips. “I have no intentions of leaving.” She kissed him again, this time more deeply and more passionately, trying to prove her words true through her actions. After a few moments Hoon pulled away.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure, Hoonie. What’s on your mind?”

“You say you’ll wait for me, and you’ll never leave. How can you do that? Isn’t it hard? It kills me to be separate from you.”

Serin sat up again, quietly trying to work out how she was going to word her answer. “Because I love you. Because my former fiancée promised he would do the same for me and broke his promise, and I would never want you to have to deal with the pain I felt from that.  I miss you a lot and wish I could have you to myself all of the time, but I respect your job and how it forces you to live. I don’t see why I should get worked up and worried when it’s your job that keeps us apart. I’m not going to get jealous and think you’re with some other girl. Or think that you don’t want to see me when the reality is you just can’t see me. I know that you love me, and that’s enough to keep me around.”

Her words assured him enough so he could finally relax and feel the slightest bit of optimism. “I really don’t know what I’d do without you. Thanks for loving me despite my flaws.”

“You’re welcome,” she said smiling happily.

“I feel like a weight has lifted off my chest. I’m glad I came over. I think I may actually be able to sleep peacefully tonight,” he told her.

“Then go to sleep. I’ll make sure you’re up in the morning.”

“I set an alarm on my phone already. I should be fine,” he told her.

“If you’re as exhausted as I think you might be, you could sleep through it. I’m sure I’ll be up, so I’ll just make sure, okay?”

“Sounds good,” he agreed as she pulled back the comforter on her bed and spread it over them. She snuggled against his side and rested her hand on his chest. Hoon wrapped his arm around her, sliding it under her neck and lazily playing with her hair.

“You know,” she said, eyes closed and voice sleepy, “if it helps you sleep better, you can spend your nights here for a little bit. I don’t… you can’t move in or anything, but I won’t mind… putting your mind at ease so you can sleep. You’ve got an impending comeback. That’ll go smoother if you’re as well rested as you can be.”

“I’m not sure,” he said, sounding just as sleepy as she. “It feels a little wrong to even be here.”

“I can go sleep in the guest room, if you’d feel better.”

“No. Stay,” Hoon said to her. “If anyone should go, it would be me.”

“I really don’t mind if you stay. Besides, sleeping together doesn’t mean we have to… you know.”

“I know,” he said. Not as though it would have mattered much if he hadn’t. He drifted to sleep almost immediately.

--

Hoonbi sat in the living room, watching TV quietly. Serin was coming over this evening with dinner again, not that he minded a good, free meal. Hoonmin and Soohyun were both sleeping in their respective rooms, having finished their music video shoot earlier in the day. He was hungry now though, and was hoping she’d get here quicker. As the thought entered his mind, he heard the door buzzer go off. Getting up, he let her in, taking a bag from her as she entered. “Hi, Hoonbi,” she said, sliding her shoes off and walking inside, heading for the kitchen. “How are things?”

“They seem to be better, overall. Moved on and ready to promote again.”

“That’s good to hear. Whenever Hoonie comes over to my place,” she said, looking a bit uncomfortable about bringing it up, “he seems to be in a better mood.”

“Yeah. His mood improved a lot after he started spending time with you again. Soohyun… I’m not sure he’s over it still.”

“I wouldn’t imagine he would be,” Serin reasoned.

“Want me to go wake them up?” he asked.

“Sure, I’ll set the table while you do that.” So he left her in the kitchen while he went to get his brother up first. Hoonmin was decidedly easier to wake up that Soohyun, and it would likely take the both of them to get him out of bed.

A gentle touch on Hoonmin’s shoulder and saying, “Dinner time,” was all it took to get his brother up. He looked beat, eyes bloodshot and swollen.

“Huh?” Hoon said, looking confused.

“Serin brought dinner for us. Get up. Let’s eat.”

So Hoon stood up, pulled a sweatshirt over his bare chest, and walked out with Hoonbi. “Help me get Soohyun up.”

A tired, wry smile graced Hoon’s lips. “Better make sure he gets dressed too.”

The two walked into Soohyun’s room, looking at the mess and sighing. He had, of course, not taken a shower and both felt a little grimy even being in here. “We need to make him clean sometime. This is gross,” Hoonbi said.

Hoon didn’t even acknowledge him, going and roughly shaking Soohyun. “Oi hyung, wake up,” he said, loudly. Soohyun’s eyes fluttered open, but he simply rolled over and pulled his blanket up.

Hoonbi grabbed the end of the blanket, pulling it off of him, leaving Soohyun curled up in bed in nothing but his boxers. “At least he’s clothed,” Hoonbi said.

“Aish,” Hoon exclaimed then. “He’s wearing my boxers though. OI HYUNG! WAKE UP!”

He rolled over on his back, still not looking like he was going to get up any time soon. “He sleeps like he’s dead, I swear,” Hoonbi lamented. “I wonder if Serin would have better luck,” turning around to go get her.

“No don’t!” Hoon exclaimed. “Soohyun-hyung isn’t dressed right now. Don’t bring her in here.”

“He’s got underwear on,” Hoonbi reasoned. “No big deal.”

Hoon frowned at him, before forcibly grabbing Soohyun by the shoulders and making him sit up. Soohyun’s eyes shot open at the sudden movement, but he slumped his head and leaned forward, still not ready to get himself up. Hoon sat down on the bed next to him and draped Soohyun’s arm around his shoulder. “Help me get a shirt on him,” Hoon told Hoonbi. “We’ll take him out to the table by force then. He’ll wake up when he sees the food.” Hoonbi did as instructed, and together they put a hoodie on him, slid on a pair of sweat pants, and then led Soohyun out to the table.

Serin laughed when she saw them, dragging a now blonde Soohyun into the kitchen. “Guess he didn’t want to wake up?” she said.

“Mmmm,” he moaned, not entirely awake still, but at least conscious.

“Good morning, Soohyun,” she said cheerily, playfully ruffling his hair and flashing Hoon an amused grin. “Let’s get some food in your belly.”

He was starting to wake up now, and he pulled himself out of Hoon and Hoonbi’s grasp. “What for dinner?” he asked, groggy.

Hoon was happy to sit down and eye what she’d made. It looked delicious, and he didn’t want to wait. “Let’s just eat,” he said, as now that he was awake, he realized how ravenously hungry he was.

They all ate in silence, eating everything she’d made before finally leaning back and relaxing. “It was very good,” Hoon told Serin.

Hoonbi chimed in, “Thanks for the meal.”

Soohyun was satisfied and still tired, but he also thanked her. “Seriously, you’re the best, Serin. You might as well just live here and clean and cook for all of us.”

Hoon shot him a look, but she answered before he could say anything, “I moved out of my father’s house because I was tired of looking after a bunch of boys. You’ll have to find someone else to be your maid.”

Hoonbi laughed at the antics, standing up to stretch and move to the living room. “Have you guys finished our anime?” he asked.

Serin nodded, while the other two shook their heads. “Haven’t had time,” Soohyun explained.

“I bet,” Hoonbi said. They followed him into the living room, all taking their usual seats. Hoonbi was in the single seat. Soohyun and Serin sat on either end of the couch with Hoon in the middle.

“Want to turn on the last episode you guys watched? I don’t mind re-watching, and I imagine Serin doesn’t mind much either.”

“I don’t mind,” she told Hoonbi.

Soohyun shook his head though. “I got up for dinner. I think I’m going to go back to bed before long now that I’m done with that.”

“Oh okay. How’s the comeback looking?” Serin asked.  “Is the video cool?”

Soohyun nodded. “The video turned out pretty well. We’re doing a hip-hop song this time. I don’t know how the fans will like it, especially after everything that’s happened…”

“Don’t worry,” Serin told him. “Your fans are rooting for your success, no matter what’s happened. I’m sure they’ll love it.”

“I can let you listen to the song,” Hoon said. “I’ve got it saved on my phone.”

“Yes please,” she said. Hoonbi expressed his interest as well, and together they all listened to the song.

“I like it a lot,” Serin said. “It’s catchy. Has good rhythm and flow. It’s sort of nice to hear Jaeseop and Eli taking center stage.”

Hoonbi nodded. Though not as trained as a musician, he did at least know when a song sounded good. “I like this one. I wouldn’t worry too much.”

Hoon and Soohyun seemed to visibly relax a bit at their praise. “You guys like it, so that’s a plus,” Soohyun said.

Hoonbi’s phone went off then, and he answered it, stepping out of the room to talk to his girlfriend. He agreed to meet up with her for a few drinks, and told them he’d be back later, leaving Soohyun, Serin, and Hoon sitting in the living room together. “Let’s put in a movie,” Hoon suggested.

Serin thought it was a good idea. Together the three picked out a movie, and began watching. Soohyun wasn’t focusing on the movie much. He was still quite tired. He also felt awkward sitting next to Hoon and Serin. They were only holding hands, but he still felt like he was a third wheel. Only half an hour into the movie, he announced, “I’m going to go to bed guys. See you later.” He stood up and left them alone on the couch. Hoon stretched out taking advantage of the full length of the couch and used her lap as a cushion. She, without thinking, ran her fingers through his red hair, making him relax deeply, nearly putting him to sleep.

He wasn’t though. Eyes closed, listening to the movie play, relishing the sensation of his scalp being rubbed, he lay on her lap. He was startled then when he felt her lips touch his. Eyes shot open, meeting hers in surprise, and she simply smiled at him coyly. He was going to say something, but her lips were on his again, kissing him with so much passion and sincerity. He regretted every missed opportunity of being with her.

“Stay here tonight,” he told her when she finally withdrew. “I’ve been to your place a few nights during the last few weeks. Stay here. With me.”

She bit her lip indecisively. “Okay,” she agreed finally.

They stayed on the couch for the remainder of the movie. Hoon remembered how it ended, so he didn’t care that the rest of movie was spent focusing on Serin’s soft lips, aromatic skin, how her s fit in his cupped hands, and her back curved into his palms perfectly. She stood up slowly when the movie finished and slowly walked in the direction of his room, while he turned the TV off and followed after her. He gave her a t-shirt and athletic shorts to sleep in, and while she went to change in the bathroom, he pulled his hoodie off, and climbed in bed. He tried to wait for her to come back before sleeping, but he couldn’t, his tiredness finally overwhelming him. She came back not long after he’d passed out, and simply climbed in bed with him without a word. The clothes he’d given her were not quite as warm as what she usually wore to sleep in, and he kept his room cooler than she did, so she was glad for his warmth. It was still fairly early, so she stayed in bed with him while he snored gently beside her, and played a game on her phone, content to simply be beside him.