Jin Min’s POV

It’s been nice living with Junho and the other 2PM members in their dorm. Of course, I had to enter and leave the house secretly, but they all treated me like I was their younger sister, making me feel very welcome and like I belonged, which was a feeling that I craved so badly. I gradually began to tell myself that I was getting along fine without my mother, that I had everyone I needed around me already. But the absence of my mother continued to nag me.

After school one day, I unknowingly began walking to my house, and by the time I finally realized where I was, I was already standing opposite the bright red back door. “Since I’m here, I’d better go in, just to take a quick look.” I told myself out loud. Taking a deep breath, I pushed open the door as I braced myself for the scene that would await me. It didn’t fall short of my expectations. Dirty food takeaway containers and empty beer bottles were strewn all over the floor. Noting that my mother’s wallet was on the dining table, I knew that she was at home. I gingerly headed over to the couch, where my mother was lying, totally drunk and asleep. Tears swirled in my eyes as I realized that she had not changed one bit since I had left, she had even become more of an alcoholic! I carefully covered my mother with her coat before heading to the kitchen to get a broom. It was my duty as a daughter after all. The house became a lot neater after all the food containers and bottles were disposed off. I cooked some kimchi fried rice for my mother and left it in the microwave before writing a note to my mum. When I left the house. I looked back one last time, then headed back home, to the dorm.

Hyosung’s POV

My head pounded, but I was growing accustomed to that. A delicious smell wafted in my nostrils. It..it smelled like food! Not just food but freshly cooked food. I glanced groggily at the dining table, it was clean for the first time in a few months. A plate of kimchi fried rice was on it, with a handwritten note next to it. I would know this handwriting anywhere…it was Jin Min. “Mom, I missed you, so I came back. But I came back to this. I really wish that you wouldn’t do this anymore, both for my sake and for your own sake. Contact me if you need anything!” Her handphone number was written at the bottom of the paper, a cruel reminder that I, her forever irresponsible mother, had not called her ever since she left the house.   

Junho’s POV

I finally reached home close to midnight after completing a photoshoot. On my way to the bedroom I passed by Jin Min’s room, where I discovered that the lights were off and that the room was empty. Remembering her escaping stint earlier on, I frantically called her handphone, where I reached her voicemail. My heart pounding, I went into her room to search for clues as to where she might have gone. My eyes flickered to her “sleeping” laptop. I revived it and an Internet page appeared, a forum…about 2pm. My heart stopped for a second when I saw a blurred picture of Jin Min, taken outside the dorm. There were a lot of hateful comments being posted below it by fans, cursing Jin Min and wondering about the relation she had to us. I face-palmed. I should have expected this day to come, should have tried to prepare her for this. Before I launched into a full-scale search though, Wooyoung burst into the room. “Junho, what are you doing here? Anyway, I wanted to get my PJs from the room, haha Jin Min washed them for me yesterday.” I interrogated Wooyoung immediately about where Jin Min was before running off to the rooftop.

Jin Min was sitting on the ledge of the rooftop, softly strumming her guitar. On her face was an unreadable expression. Upon seeing me, however, her face creased into a surprised smile.  “Junho!” She cooed. I heaved a deep sigh of relief as I ran over and hugged her. “You worried me Jin Min!” She stared at me in surprise, before chuckling quietly. “You…you saw those forum posts?” I asked cautiously. She nodded without hesitation, much to my surprise. “You don’t need to feel burdened by that hate, they’re just fans after all, don’t let it affect you too much.” I continued. She seemed oblivious to my comment, just kept silent and continued strumming her guitar. All of a sudden she began to sing. “Let it rain, let it rai-i-n, oh I ain’t scared no more, oh let it rain, let it rain, I know I got you by my side.” She looked at me the whole time she sang, her knowing eyes telling me that I didn’t need to worry about her. Assured, I leaned back and closed my eyes as I listened to her melodious voice. Her voice broke a little towards the end though, which caused me to sit up in alarm. Tears were quietly streaming down her face, which she tried to wipe away once she caught me looking.

“I’m not afraid to let it rain, to go through tough times, because you’re by my side. You’re like my guardian angel, my best friend, my mother.” She quoted the lyrics of the song as she gently my hand. “I went to see her today, Junho. I cannot describe the pain I felt when I saw her in a worse state than before. I felt like I betrayed her in a way, like I was being un-filial. I didn’t know what to do, so I came up here to take a breather. While singing I just really wished that a miracle would happen, that she would change, for me, her only daughter, that she would be a real mother to me, always protecting me, loving me…I just really wished…” I held her in my embrace, comfortingly; all the while racking my brain to find a way for Auntie Hyosung to realize how much Jin Min missed her and needed her.