I've been roaming around 
Always looking down at all I see 
Painted faces, fill the places I cant reach 

***

Suzy enters the room first. Doojoon and Jihyun were in the private room already, sitting on the edge of their seats with their back straightened. She wonders how many bottles of wine they’ve already been through to keep them sane whilst being in the same room. Suzy nods her head in a response to their nervous expressions before she turns around and the person behind her and welcomes her in.

Slowly Doojoon and Jihyun rise from their seats, straightening out their outfits and clasping their hands together to keep steady. Joohyun appears from behind Suzy’s tall frame, and looks at the taller girl for support. Suzy looks down and smiles at her, “Mum, dad, this is J—”

“Joohyun,” Jihyun beats her to the punch. Of course she remembered. She chose the name after all. Joohyun is smaller built comparative to the rest of them who despite the fact that she wore heels. She towered over Joohyun intimidatingly as she eyed the girl’s outfit.

Suzy tonight especially picked Joohyun’s outfit. After all it was the first time they were going to have dinner together, as a family.

The test confirmed it, a positive match and emotions to say the least were running high tonight. “Come sit,” Doojoon gestures for everyone to take a seat, he pulls out the seat for Joohyun. “We’ve already ordered everything, so no need to worry. Do you want some wine?” The question was intended for Joohyun.

“Yes,” Suzy says which earns a stern look from her father.

“Just water please,” Joohyun says nervously, as she stares at the plate in front of her; anything to distract her from Jihyun’s intimidating gaze. Her mother had been observing her quietly since she entered the room and she made no attempt to hide it.

“Mum, stop staring, you’re making her uncomfortable.” Suzy scoffs and shuffles in closer to Joohyun who only took a quick glance at Jihyun to offer her a reassuring smile. The older lady was intimidatingly beautiful; her eyes a deep, dark brown, almost black at night. Her skin was radiant, she didn’t look her age but of course she wouldn’t when she was raised with money.

Jihyun smiles and leans backwards, “So, Joohyun, tell us about yourself. What do you do? Where do you live?” She’s direct and Suzy expected no less from her mother.

“I’m studying dance at university and I live in a small apartment by myself so that it’s closer to where I study and work.”

“You work?” Doojoon asks.

“Yeah, at a café, it does enough to get me through rent.”

“What about your university fees?”

“My…uhmm…parents help me pay for that, but I’ll pay them back once I’ve got a job.”

“Oh? What do your parents do?”

“My dad’s a salaryman and my mum owns a hair salon.”

Everything felt odd to them as they listened to Joohyun recount about her family. But of course, they were. They were the ones who took her in and raised her. They had Joohyun at her worst and her best whereas the only thing that they had in common between them was the blood pulsing through them.

“Do you have any siblings?” Jihyun asks and Joohyun nods.

“Yeah, just one, Sooyoung,” Joohyun says, the corner of her lips lifting at the thought of her little sister. “She’s two years younger than Suzy actually.”

Suzy looks over nervously at Joohyun who does the same, she glances away awkwardly and nods her head. Her family sounded perfect. Why would Joohyun give up her perfect family for someone like the Baes?

“Is she their biological daughter or adopted as well?” Jihyun probes.

“Mum!” Suzy says, weary of her mother’s forthright personality would scare her off.

“She’s their biological daughter, they had her after they adopted me.”

“They sound like nice people,” Doojoon chimes in and offers her a warm smile and Joohyun nods her head.

“They raised me,” she says. Regardless of the intent, Jihyun felt her body stiffen. The food arrives in the room and is served on the table. Joohyun stares at the small portion quizzically as everyone around her picked up their utensils and began eating. It was quiet, which was odd for her. Dinner at her place was never like this.

It was her father with the television on in the background as he watched the news. He’d often curse about the economy, the government and the wealthy. In his opinion they were the reason Korea was collapsing. On the other side of the table her mother was telling her sister to eat more vegetables whilst she protested. It was noisy, really noisy sometimes but it was comforting for her. Better than the sounds of metal clanging against ceramic plates.

“Is something wrong, Joohyun?” Doojoon asks.

She cuts into the cucumber and shakes her head, “No not at all,” she says.

“Please, eat.”

***

Soojung charges angrily into the living room. She pulled out draws and pulled books off the shelves in frustration whilst her mother kept her eyes fixed on her newspaper. “Where’s my passport?” she crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. “Where did you hide it?” Her mother ignores her protest and continues to read her newspaper till Soojung rips it out of her hand and tosses it onto the floor.

“Why do you need your passport?” Sooyeon lowers the paper and places it on the coffee table in front of her. “Are you going somewhere?” Soojung felt her cheeks flushed as her mother pulled out her plane ticket from her back pocket. It was torn into two pieces.

“You searched my room?”

Sooyeon stammered, “It fell out when I was looking for something,” she lied. “How did you get this ticket?”

“You have your methods, I have mine.”

“Was that your plan when you acquired this ticket?” Her mother was good at avoiding the question. “You were going to sneak out at night with your luggage? Have me wake up and realise my daughter was in another country?”

“I would’ve told you.”

“And then what? Where will you stay? What about your father?”

“What about him? You were the one that lied to him, remember?”

“The moment he found out you weren’t this flesh and blood he distanced himself from you. What kind of man do you think he is? He’s not going to help you.” Sooyeon pursed her lip. “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you by my side Soojung, that’s where you belong. I’m the only one you will protect you. I’m the only one who won’t hurt you.” Her mother pushed off the couch and stood square with her daughter before walking away.

“But you are hurting me…you won’t let me leave.”

“I want the best for you, Soojung,”

“Why don’t you see that the more you force me here the more I want to leave?”

“I want the best for you, Soojung. You'll see that someday.”

She rolled her eyes and stormed upstairs, the door slamming behind her echoed in the giant house. She collapses onto her bed and screams into her pillow in frustration. She couldn’t let her mother win but she needed help. All of her friends in were busy with their own problems as it was and San had already helped her enough by paying for the now torn up ticket.

With a deep breath Soojung dialled. The phone rang four times, “Hello?”

“It’s me.”

“Soojung?”

She hadn’t realised how much she had missed him in that moment. His voice sounded weary and she wondered if he had been sleeping. It had been a few good months since she had spoken to him let alone seen him.

“I know that I'm not your flesh and blood. But you're really the only father I know and have and I need your help.”

***

When Seulgi arrives backstage all the girls are swarmed around her dresser. It was their last show for the night, a fuller crowd than usual and Seulgi couldn’t be more delighted with her successes. She grabs the towel from chair and dabs away the beads of sweat rolling down her cheeks. “Hey, girls,” she pants and they all giggle.

“Aren’t you lucky, Kang Seulgi,” she hears one of the girls say to her. She furrows her brows and pushes to the front where she finds her dressing table, covered with bouquets of tulips. The girls all looked on enviously and Seulgi scratched the back of her head.

“Who’s it from?” one girl asks.

“Do you need to ask? It’s her boyfriend. Kim Jongin.” Another chirped and Seulgi turned around and placed her finger on her lips immediately

“Is my mother here?” she whispers and they all glance around, shaking their heads. Her mother would usually be backstage ushering her to quickly change. But tonight she was probably outside talking to the other guests. There was nothing she loved more than to brag about her talented daughter. With the success of their performances, tonight they probably wouldn’t be leaving for a while.

If her mother overheard anything about Seulgi having a boyfriend she would lose it let alone dating Kim Jongin. Their parents were competitors and Mr. Kang had reason to believe that Kim Jonghyun wasn’t as honest as he claimed to be. So naturally the entire Kang family were raised to keep their distance from those no good Kims. Seulgi remembers her brother recounting a run in with Jongin’s older sister. Needless to say it sounded unpleasant. “Good, be quiet. He’s not my boyfriend,” she whispers and nudges her friend playfully.

“Sure,” her friend smirked and rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “This is romantic as romantic gestures get, kkangseul. I’m envious.”

Seulgi rolls her eyes when one of the girls points out the card peering out from beneath the pile of flowers and she pulls it out. She opens it slowly and reads the message inside.

‘Congratulations. You did wonderful tonight, we should celebrate. The limousine is waiting downstairs ready to take you if you’re willing. – Your friend, Jongin.’

The girls all coo and giggle, each one swooning as Seulgi rolled her eyes. She picked up a bouquet and shoved it into her friend’s hands. “Youngji, take this, everyone take a bouquet. I can’t take all of it home…”

“Aye Kang Seulgi, this is a gift from your boyfriend you can’t do that…”

“Whose boyfriend?” a male voice called out to them from the door and the girls all jumped backwards into each other.

“Yah! Wang Jackson! This is the girl’s change room,” Youngji hisses and the girls all grab a bouquet from the table and rush back to their own to get changed.

“Thanks, Seulgi,” the girls say and offer her a pat on the back. Seulgi smiles and grabs a bouquet herself and turns around to Jackson.

“I thought you weren’t allowed to have a boyfriend? Or were you just lying to me last year to soften the blow?”

“You’ve met my mother, do you seriously think I’m lying?”

Jackson laughed and nodded his head in agreement. Seulgi’s mother was petite, like her daughter, but she was feisty for her size. She had a sharp tongue and wasn’t afraid to question everything and everyone especially when it came to her daughter. Their choreographer was the victim of much of her verbal abuse. “Why do you take so long to get changed? I thought we were all going out tonight to celebrate the final performance.”

“Well we are, but it doesn’t mean you can come barging in here whilst we’re half way changing.” Youngji raises her index finger to his temple and pushes him gently. Jackson grimaces.

“So are we going or not? The boys are waiting and they’re getting impatient.”

“We are, but Seulgi’s not coming, she’s got a date.”

“Heo Youngji!” Seulgi hisses and turns around to Jackson with a bouquet of tulips in her hand. “Take one?” she pleads, “I can’t take them all home with me.”

“So you’re giving us your leftovers?”

Seulgi frowns and Jackson smiles, “Alright, just because you’re my Odette…”

“Not Odette anymore, Prince Siegfried,” Seulgi teases and Jackson laughs.

“So long as you’re Odette I will happily be Prince Siegfried.” Seulgi’s smile reaches her ear. Her laughter, sweet to his ears. “You’re really not coming?” Jackson pouts and Seulgi looks at the card in her hand.

“I’ll make it up to you guys next time, I promise…” she smiles and Jackson can’t get angry. No one ever gets angry when Seulgi smiles.

“I’ll hold you to it.”

“I bet you will,” Youngji chimes in, “Now move along, we need to get changed.” She shoves him out and Jackson waves to the girls before he leaves.

Seulgi looks at the card and sighs, “Kim Jongin,” she utters beneath her breath, bites her lip nervously. Tapping the card in her hand she placed it down in the final bouquet on her table. She smiles to herself.

***

The car ride to Joohyun’s place is quiet. Suzy was still reeling from the events of the night. It was an odd feeling to see everyone sitting down at the table, eating a meal and not fighting. They were extra considerate as to not scare Joohyun away despite her mother’s intimidating presence. She could tell that as much as Jihyun had rejected the idea of bringing Joohyun into the family originally, she was curious about the girl.

As they arrive at the front of Joohyun’s house, the paparazzi all reared their heads and rushed to the window. Joohyun clenched her fist tight, she wasn’t used to the attention, more so when they were all yelling at her. The bodyguards pushed the cameras out of the way as the driver helped Joohyun out of the car before the guards escorted her upstairs.

Suzy let out a sigh as Joohyun disappeared out of her sight. It was the first time she could breath easy the entire night. Her seemingly fit dress felt looser, and exhaustion began to settle in. Playing the perfect family was tiring and there was no point in keeping up the act if they wanted Joohyun for the long run. How long before she realised what kind of a mess she signed up for.

“Miss,” the driver turns around to face her. “Apparently Miss Joohyun’s apartment was broken into.”

Maybe it wouldn’t take as long as she’d thought.

***

Seulgi arrives at a dance studio downtown. She recognises it immediately as the place where she first realised her dream. When she was still young and wide-eyed. When all those around her dragged their feet along the hallways to ballet class, Seulgi skipped happily. She loved to dance and it was made better that her parents were so supportive of her dreams.

Her fingers trace along the concrete walls as memories flooded her mind, causing her lips to tug into a smile. There’s a photo of her in the cabinet. She’s eight then and Jongin is too. She’s walking along the corridor when she stops by their old classroom.

Seulgi’s fingers hovered over the handle and she opens the door slowly. The light seeped through and Jongin greeted her with a relieved smile. He stood up from the floor and dusted off his pants and shirt. She walks into nervously and greets him with that infamous smile of hers that makes him buckle at the knees just a little.

“What are you doing here?” Seulgi asks.

Jongin turns around and picks up two baskets. “I wanted to organise a special dinner for you tonight. You’ve just finished your final performance for the time being and well…”

“You ordered Sushi?”

“I did,” Jongin smiles and opens up the lid of the basket. “However, just in case we felt like indulging ourselves to celebrate, I bought fries and burgers.”

Jongin pulls out two burgers wrapped in foil and Seulgi looks around. “Where are we going to eat?” Jongin pulls out a picnic blanket and pats the seat beside him. Resting against the mirror, Jongin pulls out a burger and Seulgi snatches it from his hands much to his surprise. He pulls out the plate of fries and two cans of soda. “So friends arrange romantic dinner dates for each other?”

Jongin doesn’t say anything but his nervous smile is telling. “You think this is a romantic dinner date?”

“Two people, a meal on a picnic blanket, in the place where we first met,” Seulgi pauses, “Alone.”

“It’s whatever you want it to be.”

Seulgi nods her head silently and bites into the burger happily. It had been a while since she had felt this normal.

***

The police take their leave and Suzy closes the door behind her as they do. Her bodyguards stand outside as Suzy picks up anything she comes across. Nothing was stolen, at least nothing obvious yet. She suspects it’s the paparazzi trying to invade in Joohyun’s life but she wouldn’t be surprised if robbers were looking for an easy target. After all Joohyun’s whole life had been plastered all over the front page for the world to see.

“Are you going to be ok?” Suzy asks, weary of the response she’d get.

Joohyun picked up books and placed them back onto the shelf. Closed the cupboard doors that had been left opened and neatened her cushions. “I think so, I’ll just need to get a better lock.”

“I can get someone on that tomorrow for you.”

“Please, Suzy, you’ve done enough.”

“I’m sorry I dragged you into this mess. If you’re interested in moving in with us even till the media dies down…”

“I think it’s best if I continue to live my life the way I’ve been living it, we can’t give them all the power.” Suzy pressed her lips into a thin line and nodded her head. “Plus the few nights I spent in Sehun’s hotel was odd to say the least.”

“Then maybe I should spend the night here with you.”

Joohyun smirks, “I don’t think you’ll enjoy it very much. Without your queen sized bed, and silk sheets.”

Suzy laughs, “Is that what you think I sleep on?”

“Well am I wrong?”

Suzy grates the bottom and shakes her head, “I’ve just woken up in worse places, plus there’s something cosy about your home.”

“Cosy before someone broke into it.” Joohyun looks at the shattered photo frame on the floor and picks up the shards of broken glass carefully.

“I’m sleeping over,” Suzy says defiantly and Joohyun smirks accepting her proposal.

***

Sehun arrives home early for the first time in months to catch his mother sitting at the dining table solemnly staring at a hot cup of tea. He had been avoiding coming home early for weeks in an attempt to avoid seeing her like this. He drops his keys down on the table and takes a step towards the stairs before he reluctantly turns around and walks to the dining room.

“Mum?” he approaches her slowly and takes the seat opposite her. She adjusts herself and pulls her robe closer to her chest.

“You’re home early,” she says with a forced smile.

“You’re still up.”

“Couldn’t sleep.”

“Dad again?”

Miyoung smiles, “It’ll be fine.”

“It’s been a few months and he’s still angry with you about that?” Sehun slammed his fist on the table and Miyoung sighs causing him to recoil apologetically. “I didn’t call her again, I don’t want her in my life. You’re my parents.”

“I know, Sehun. However, Soeun is trying to get the court to approve a reverse adoption.”

“Reverse adoption?”

“She’s saying that your biological father threatened her to give you up for adoption and the attorneys think she might have a case if that happens.”

Sehun clenched his fist, “Which means?”

“If she’s successful we might lose you for real.”

***

Jongin grumbles as Seulgi cheers victoriously, throwing her arms in the air. They had been playing thumb wars for the past fifteen minutes and of the ten games Seulgi had won seven. Jongin won the first three, which lead him to believe that Seulgi was playing him. He falls back against the wall and crosses his arm. “I’m not playing anymore,” he pouts.

Seulgi laughs and Jongin can’t help but steal glances at her when she does. Her phone flashes and immediately Seulgi holds her breath. She places her finger on her lips and answers the phone immediately. Her demeanour changes, her back straightens. “Hello? Woohyun.” Jongin his head sideways at the name. “I’m out with my friends, we finished our con—”

Jongin notices how her expression changes immediately, “I told mum I would be home late tonight, I’m with friends…”

Jongin wonders why Seulgi isn’t being specific, she wasn’t with friends, she was with a friend, a male friend. However Seulgi seemed nervous, shuffling to the side to talk to her brother alone. Jongin sighs and starts packing up the left overs into the basket. He’s almost done when Seulgi returns with an apologetic smile.

“Your brother?”

Seulgi nods her head, “I’m sorry, he’s just being protective.”

“Or over protective.”

“Hey you have older sisters too,” Seulgi pouts and crounches to the ground to help him fold up the picnic blanket.

“Yeah, I know,” Jongin grins, “They’re all the same.” He places the blanket neatly on the basket and helps her to her feet. “Home then?”

“Yeah,” Seulgi agrees, “My brother’s actually coming to pick me up.”

“Why? I can take you…”

Seulgi sighs and digs her hands into her pocket, “Sorry, he insisted.” Listening to Seulgi speak so sincerely made him feel warm. Jongin opens the door for her first and they make their way down the corridor. At Jongin’s car, they wait side by side in the cool night air with Seulgi rubbing her arms to keep warm. He offers her a seat in her car but Seulgi rejects. Her phone flashes again and Seulgi turns to Jongin with a smile. “He’s around the corner, you should go first, I’ll be fine.”

“Go? Why? I’ll wait till your brother arrives.”

The nervousness in her voice and expression is telling. She doesn’t want her brother to see her with him for whatever reason. “I…I don’t want him to misunderstand.”

“Misunderstand what? I’m your friend you can tell him that…”

“My brother’s over protective, Jongin…”

“Does your brother hate me?”

Seulgi stops mid sentence, her eyes darting backwards and forth before she hangs her head and looks to the ground. “He doesn’t like anyone who wants to date his sister,” Seulgi says in an attempt to dodge the question. “Please, just for me…”

“Kang Seulgi!” Woohyun’s voice caught them both off guard. Seulgi immediately runs over to his side and pulls him away so that Woohyun doesn’t see his face. She knows that if he does she’d be in big trouble. “Who’s that?” Woohyun asks and Seulgi just ushers him back into the car.

Jongin has his back faced towards Woohyun with his fist clenched tight. He could’ve easily turned around and confronted Woohyun but Seulgi’s voice stopped him.

“He’s a friend who was waiting outside with me to be picked up.”

“Where are your other friends?”

“They’re all inside, let's go home, I’m really tired…”

Jongin hears the door slam behind him and the car driving off. He eases back into his skin and falls back against his car. He stares at the sky before dropping his head dejectedly. Maybe they weren’t meant to be. He climbs into his car and turns on the engine when his phone vibrates in his pocket.

Jongin fishes his phone from his pocket and glances at the message. ‘Thanks for tonight, I had a nice time on our date.’

“Date…” Jongin uttered beneath his breath an unknowing smile crept upon his face.

***

You know that I could use somebody 

Apologies for the late update. I'm planning out the rest of the fic (and other fics) as I write so it's coherent. We're still a while from the end but we're a lot closer too. In regards to the plot a bit biased towards Suzy/Jongin at the moment I guess I just want to deal with one/two conflicts at a time (which can get heavy when you have four main characters and side characters) that will tie in together later. Meanwhile still setting up for the other characters to be dealt with rather than having more filler chapters because those are a bore/chore to write. Thank you all for reading. I hope you enjoyed and please leave a comment.
xo