-28-

Sunggyu could not believe it, his mother was right in front of him and he did not know why she was here.  He was at  a loss of words.  Sunggyu did not know what to say to her.  The last time he saw her was when he four years ago, when he started high school.  She did not even come to his high school graduation, but Sunggyu knew his father banned her from coming.

"Oppa..." The little girl tugged on Sunggyu's arm and did not like the expression on his face.  She released his arm moments later and watched Sunggyu stand up, hurried out of the room.  Sunggyu needed air, he was having difficulty breathing.  He leaned against the wall and slid down it.

"Sunggyu..." His mother called after him, reaching out her hand.

"Don't worry Eomeoni I will watch the kiddies, you should go after him." Dongwoo said with a gentle smile on his face.  He never seen Sunggyu react like that before.  He always had a cold, stone-like expression on his face.

"He would not have ran off like this if he did not want to see me." Sunggyu's mother sighed as she looked at the brother and sister who were bullied by the other children often.  She was happy Sunggyu was so nice to them, not a lot of people are.  The two kids seemed to have a shocked expression on their faces. 

"Ahjumma, I did not know you had a son." The little boy asked, "Why doesn't Gyu hyung not come around more?"

Sunggyu's mother knelled down to the kids level "When you are older I will tell you Jiyoung..." Sunggyu's mothers smiled and her eyes disappeared just like her son.   "Why don't you go over to Ailee with Suyoung, she knows what you two like to play." 

"Ok, Ahjumma..." The Jiyoung said as he grabbed his little sister, Suyoung's hand and dragged her along.  He liked Ailee noona, she was so pretty and nice.  Sunggyu's mother sighed deeply and turned back to Dongwoo who was still standing there, "Why don't you help Ailee with them?"

"Sunggyu been wanting to see you, but he did not know where you were.  He is a hard person to read sometimes, but I can tell that he is happy to see you.  I think Sunggyu is scared of the consequence if his father finds out if he tried to go look for you.  He is already miserable as it is. He needs his Eomeoni. His real Eomeoni not his soon-to-be-step-mother."

"You must be good friends with my son .  You seem to know him very well, Dongwoo ah." Sunmi said as she sighed deeply.  Sunggyu needed more friends like Dongwoo.  Sunmi knew that people like Dongwoo were very hard to find.

"Well, I am trying to be his friend, but he keeps trying to push me away." Dongwoo looked at Sunmi, "He keeps telling me that I will only get hurt if I try to be friends with him, but it only makes me want to be friends with him even more."

"I see..." Sunmi bit her lip and wondered what he ex-husband was doing to the poor boy.  The look on Sunggyu's face before scared her a bit.\, "Then how do you know my son so well?" She was curious about this pink haired man. 

"I'm a psychology major and it is important to study human behavior.  I have been observing his behaviors and I can tell that the lifestyle he is in currently is not going to help him.  It may have already left some physiological damage on him.  I'm just worried about him.  He always seems tried anymore.  He never used to be like that when he was younger."

"Dongwoo sii...did you go to school with Sunggyu?" She asked.

"If you mean now, yes, but if you are talking about the past...no" Dongwoo but his lip. "He came into my parents restaurant often for octopus with Myungsoo. It was so long ago, though.  I do not remember much about it." Dongwoo smiled, "You should go talk to him." 

 "Aigoo..." She ran a hand through her hair and held back what she really wanted to say about that bastard, but it did not matter anymore.  She was happily remarried, but her family was not complete without Sunggyu and Myungsoo.  Sunggyu's mother, Sunmi  sighed deeply as she headed outside after her son to find him crouched down against the wall, with his palms pressed against his head.  She slowly made her way over to Sunggyu and kneeled down next to him, pulling Sunggyu into a hug.  "I know it's hard my son...if wish I won custody over you and Myungsoo, but...well..."

"I know, the law normally sides with the father when a divorce happens in Korea.  Single mothers are looked down upon, and people are scared of father. They knew if they rejected him, he would have prevented their kids from getting into any college." Sunggyu looked at his mother, and smiled weakly.  She has not changed much, and is prettier then he remembered. "I just..." Sunggyu took a deep breath, "I just miss you every day."

"I know you do, and I am going to try and have my two favorite boys back in my life.  I will fight for you no matter what, my Gyu..." She his hair and looked at her son and sighed, "The song you wrote was so beautiful.  You always had a way with words,  you know how to charm people so well. So...Gyu ah...is there a girl in your life yet?"

"No, because you know that any girl needs to be approved by father. Knowing him he is going to pick someone out for me that I will eventually be forced to marry.  He already threaten someone who I am close to, but..." Sunggyu sighed deeply. 

"You like this girl don't you?" Sunggyu's mother asked as she took Sunggyu's face in her hands.  She hated how tried and worn out he look.  The dark circles under his eyes upset her.  Sunmin could not stand seeing her son in pain. 

"Even if I do, I probably cannot ever be with her." Sunggyu sighed deeply.  "If I do anything father does not like, Myungsoo would suffer.  I cannot allow that to happen.  Myungsoo is my responsibility and so is Hyerin's safety."

"So that is her name.  She has such a pretty name." Sunmi smile.  She stood up and held out a hand for Sunggyu to take.  "We should head inside before those men, Sunghoon sent to watch you spot me. I should be heading home anyway, I come here on my days off to volunteer."  She was about to leave when Sunggyu caught he wrist. "Is there something else?"

"Do you have a number so I can contact you?" Sunggyu asked.

Sunmi looked over her shoulder and noticed that Sunghoon's men were coming their way. "Ask the Ahjumma who runs the orphanage, she has it. Gyu, stay strong and make sure you find time to enjoy your youth. I love you so much, my son."  Sunmi's wrist slipped through Sunggyu's finger tips, and she disappeared moments later.

"Sunggyu...what are you doing out here?"

"I needed fresh air.  It is suffocating in the