♧ FIVE ♧

"I'm certain it's him, Auntie," was all Seulbi could say at the moment.

For now, the family members (Dongwoo and now Sunggyu included) were huddled in one the more private lounges of the hospital to discuss about Henry's sudden appearance. To make things worse, Woohyun's mother had taken her spot right in between Sunggyu and Seulbi, making it even more impossible for the two to communicate.

"Child, why didn't you tell us about this? Your Aunt Soyeon or Uncle Boohyun at least?" Soojung asked.

"I'm really sorry," the heiress apologized. "I only hid it from you to respect cousin Henry's wishes. Truthfully, he was a bit hesitant to leave his home behind. He plans to go back soon to the people he's currently living with."

Sunggyu could feel that all eyes were now back on him, observing every minute detail about him to the best of their ability. Eagle-eyed Woohyun was especially creepy. His eyes had never left him for the whole duration that they were gathered together. It was almost as if he was waiting to catch a slip-up of some sort.

"Son, our family has been looking for you for nineteen long years. Where on earth did our Seulbi find you?" Jong-In asked him. Sunggyu turned to Seulbi for answers, his mind suddenly going into spontaneous combustion at the question. He had run through his so-called 'background story' several times in his head now that it was practically impossible to forget, but now when he actually had to say it, he was completely blanking out.

"Um, Uncle, it's been a long night. He's a bit tired. Let's not hamper him with so much questions alright?" the heiress eased.

"Jeonju. Cousin Seulbi found me in Jeonju," Sunggyu finally replied to quell the rising suspicion. "I think it was fate that she almost ran me over with her car. She put me in the hospital, this one!"

Seulbi's nostrils practically flared after hearing that. Kim Sunggyu, what are you saying? This was not part of the plan! "It wouldn't have happened if you weren't running on the streets like a deranged person," she growled lowly before turning to the rest of her relatives. "If you're worried, he's fine. We offered to have him completely checked at the hospital, but he had to run away at the last minute."

"That was only because I had to attend to Sister Mi-nyu, who was nursing a broken leg and was admitted to the same hospital. She was the reason why I was running like a 'deranged' person in the first place."

"Coincidentally, that was the last hospital I was looking into for any records about the accident. By then, I was running out of leads so I opted to shift my search to the orphanages nearest to the accident site in high hopes that a two-year-old Henry had been placed under their care."

"We were having difficulty in hailing a cab to get home, when cousin Seulbi came up to us and offered a ride. At first, we declined because where we lived was too far."

"They told me they were on the way back to Little Haven orphanage, which was a priority on my list. After hearing Sister Mi-nyu mention his back story, everything about him just sort of clicked then. That's how we got to where we are right now."

The fact that the two were on the same page with regards to the story spoke lots to the rest of the Lee family. It was impossible to think that up on the spot, let alone fill it in coherently. There were no areas of conflict between the two, no plot holes, no nothing. Based on that alone, Sunggyu and Seulbi were most probably telling the truth. Well they really were. Partially. By good telepathy, the two had agreed to leave out a few unmentionables, such as the 25-million won escape and the hiring processes and conditions.

Woohyun finally decided to break his silence, revealing his innermost thoughts. "For all we know, he could still be faking it. Have you acertained that his story is true?"

It was exactly as Sunggyu expected. Someone was always bound to go against the flow and for this family, that was personified in Nam Woohyun.

"Woohyun, don't be disrespectful! The boy has been through a lot and has just recently found his way back to us. Squabbling amongst ourselves is the last thing your grandfather needs right now," Soyeon chastised.

Seulbi cleared , filling the whole family in to settle Woohyun's suspicions. "I have records from the police station who covered the Uncle and Aunt's car accident case dated that September and I managed to speak with one of the attending officers of that case. He remembered handling a little boy, who had been sent to one of the nearby orphanages after no one took him in-- he presumed that his parents were victims of the car accident. He pointed me to Little Haven. Little Haven coincidentally had a copy of that same report filed under his name. Also, his resemblance to Uncle Jinki is uncanny. I have a few of his baby pictures too, if you'd like to view them, and he looks exactly like cousin Henry did. That can't be some mere coincidence."

She had police records? His baby pictures? Sunggyu didn't know whether to feel relieved or creeped out. He could see why she had chosen him as the likely candidate to fill in for Henry's role (aside from the fact that he could weasel his way in through lying)-- he had the closest back story and he was the least likely to merit any form of suspicion due to that. While it was a good thing that her extensive research was saving his right now, he couldn't help but feel a little pried into. But he couldn't blame Lee Seulbi for wondering. It was as she had said. Everything fitted around so much that it was a slap to the face to attribute that to mere coincidence alone.

Also, for the first time in his life, Sunggyu actually thought about trying to figure out who his real parents were, regardless of whether he belonged to this family or not.

"Woohyun..." Soyeon nudged at her son, tapping her foot in impatience.

Woohyun only gave one of his dimpled smiles. "My apologies, it was rude of me to doubt you. I'm really sorry... hyung."

Sunggyu tried to school his expressions after that, but one thing was clear. Even though he seemed believable to the rest, Nam Woohyun clearly wasn't buying it. Nam Woohyun was completely suspicious, probably because he's seen through his sorry excuse of acting.

"So you've lived in an orphanage all this time, correct?" Soojung continued.

"Yes madame. But by policy, I had to leave when I was twenty. I came here to Seoul to find work and help out with the orphanage's expenses out of gratefulness. I couldn't leave the family who took me under the wing."

"You've only just met our Seulbi?"

"Yes, on that day," he replied. "I didn't know who she was until she spoke to me about grandfather and the rest of the family on the way to the hospital. I got mad after hearing about Woollim... I sort of walked out on her last night after that."

"You mean to say that you were unaware that your relatives are of this financial status?" Boohyun pressed on.

"With all due respect, sir, I grew up in an orphanage for as long as I could remember thinking that I had been entirely abandoned by my own family," Sunggyu calmly replied. "I wouldn't have even dreamed of having relatives who belong to the upper echelon of society, let alone even dream of having relatives."

So much burn right there as he fired away with his words. Whatever Sunggyu was doing, Seulbi thought he needed to keep that up because it was definitely working! She gave herself an imaginary congratulatory pat on the back for choosing her accomplice well.

Hoya had about enough of all of this, volunteering to be the voice of reason to end this drawling conversation. "Why don't we continue this discussion some other time when our conditioning is better? Seulbi's tired. Henry's tired. Mom and Dad are jet lagged-- we're all tired. The most important thing right now is that our family is complete and that Abeonim is recovering. Also, Seulbi had gone through a lot in these past days in finding Henry on her own. Do we really not trust her?"

"You're right, son," Soojung finally gave in. "Father must be worrying right now. We've been away for too long."

Sunggyu had breathed a sigh of relief. The grownups had decided to return to Jungyeop's hospital room, Woohyun included. Dongwoo had approached him after to formally introduce himself as a family friend and had offered to get him something to drink and eat. Seulbi gave him a small nod, signifying that Jang Dongwoo was practically harmless. She watched as Dongwoo whisked a hesitant Sunggyu away to the nearest coffee shop. That left Sungyeol and Hoya in the lounge along with her.

Seulbi plopped down back onto her seat completely pooped. "Thanks Howon. If they kept the grilling up, I would have been burnt barbecue by now. Also, I'm sorry. Aunt Soojung was screaming at both of you earlier this morning."

"No problem. Our family shouldn't be arguing like that first thing in the morning. It's not going to make anyone's day any better," Hoya chuckled, ruffling her hair. “But, Bee, you’re really a miracle child. You've practically made the impossible possible."

"You wouldn't believe what I've gone through these past few days..."

“But good news is, you actually found him!” Sungyeol prodded, happy for his cousin. "You actually found cousin Henry!"

“Mmm-hmm.”

"What was that about nearly running him over though? What if you actually killed him, Princess?"

"Guh. Can we please not bring that up ever again?"

<<<< >>>>

Sunggyu was relieved to be back to the hospital room. The Jang heir had been bombarding him with a few curious questions of his own, but at least they weren't pertaining to his fake identity. Most of the time, he had been sincerely asking about his hobbies and interests in an attempt to genuinely befriend him. He had also offered to run him through some sort of crash course to help him get to know his 'cousins' better too, but Sunggyu had dismissed it for 'some other time', stating that they really needed to be getting back. Dongwoo was a likeable person, really, but the whole time, Sunggyu had been fidgety, knowing that it was not the right time to go out and meet new acquaintances and friends. The more he prolonged his stay and his interaction with these people, the more nervous he got. Some sort of slip up was bound to happen soon if he didn't high-tail and leave; he could feel it.

Woohyun nodded briskly to acknowledge his presence before looking away, still extremely wary of him. Sungyeol and Hoya had given him small smiles, while Seulbi looked rather excited about Dongwoo's appearance. Rather, the appearance of the red bring-home box that Dongwoo was carrying. Also, Jungyeop, who had been lying down in content this whole time as his ECG readings were continuously monitored, couldn't be more happier to see all of his grandchildren gathered together, despite the slightly awkward and quiet atmosphere. As of the moment, he was quietly thinking up of ways to bring them closer together.

"Since Henry is back, and Hoya and Sungyeol are here, we might as well be on our way for a bath, fresh change of clothes and some sleep. I'll drop oppa off and I'll be back later in the evening, Abeonim," Seulbi announced. All this while, she was staring hungrily at her little gift from Paris. Dongwoo only shook his head in amusement, knowing that it probably wouldn't last her the whole day.

Jungyeop nodded in permission before turning his attention to Sunggyu. "Why, where are you headed, son?"

"M-Me? Back to the hotel, I guess."

"Hotel?" he clarified and Sunggyu nodded. "Ours? Woollim's?" He nodded again in response.  The elderly man turned to his granddaughter who only grinned guiltily. "What do you mean he's currently staying at the Olympus?"

"I-- I'm sorry," she apologized whilst stammering. "His arrival was so sudden it was the only place I could think of that was near enough to the hospital."

"Have him move out of the Olympus immediately," Jungyeop ordered. 

This was it. It was off to the slammer for him until who-knows-when. He knew he should have written that grand apology letter to Sister Mi-nyu and Little Haven for his actions before he accepted this job.

"Seulbi, kindly inform your Aunt Soyeon to have our help prepare one of the rooms at the estate. Also have her see to it that it is to Henry's liking!"

"What?!?" Sunggyu cried simultaneously with Seulbi and Woohyun.

The excitement in Jungyeop's tone clearly could not be missed as he spoke. "It defeats the purpose of homecoming, you know? I want my grandson home with me and the rest of the family!" Sunggyu practically gave the heiress the hardest glare his small eyes could muster. He knew it. The longer he stayed, the deeper he dug himself into this little hole Lee Seulbi had started. Declining would upset the elder; more so, it could raise enough suspicion and expose his true identity.

"Can one of you please see to your cousin Henry? I will be fine on my own here!" Jungyeop instructed.

"I'll help him," Woohyun volunteered with an overly sweet smile, beating his younger cousin to it. "Our Seulbi must be very tired."

"Woohyun, it's really no problem for me to help out--"

"I just want you to rest up, alright? Let your elder cousin handle it," Woohyun coolly dismissed, ruffling her hair in affection and she only grimaced in response. Had it been done during normal circumstances, the girl would have secretly appreciated the offer. Seulbi had to remind herself to back down for the sake of protecting Sunggyu and their little lie. Defensiveness was a tell-tale sign that something suspicious was going on, after all.

By some form of divine intervention, Seulbi managed to pull Sunggyu aside before they parted ways. The poor boy looked infuriated at the series of unfortunate events that befell them one by one, but she could deal with that later. "Be very careful of Woohyun," she warned him in a hushed tone. "He may look like a village idiot, but he's really quick-witted."

As if he didn't have that figured out already. Before he could even retort, Woohyun had appeared.

Speaking of the devil himself.

"There you are!" he called out cheerfully, which was clearly all for show. "Shall we go?"

The ride back to the Olympus was comfortably silent. Sunggyu was as casual as possible and didn't bother to force any small talk upon them and neither did Woohyun. It was an even battle of psyching the opponent out, neither one having the upper hand. Sunggyu didn't take long to pack either, seeing that he didn't own a lot. It was still that same backpack and trolley luggage from when he had been booted out (albeit lesser in content-- he had passed a few things he didn't really need or use back at Little Haven).

All this while, Woohyun had been eyeing him carefully with his arms crossed, not even offering to help out, making his point clear. He was definitely not welcomed to stay at their home. After 10 minutes, just as Sunggyu was finishing up, he had finally excused himself, saying he would wait outside. "Hey you. Have everything in this room accounted for once we leave," Woohyun instructed one of housekeeping staff passing by once Sunggyu was out of ear shot.

"Yes sir."

"And have your manager report to me ASAP. I want to make sure nothing's been taken or tampered with."

<<<< >>>>

"How remotely far away is your house?" Sunggyu couldn't help but wonder in curiosity, breaking the silence. They were driving through what seemed to be a private subdivision waiting to be sold out. The place was resident-less yet full of landscaping. Frankly he was bored out of his wits. Even if girl wonder grated on his nerves at times, at least she was entertaining company, unlike her two-faced cousin over here. He was only nice when other people were in the vicinity.

Woohyun scoffed lightly as he made a right turn, following the road that went uphill from there. "We're already here. We passed the entrance a good five minutes ago, be patient."

"It's practically a no-man's land around here. Where are your neighbors?"

"Neighbors? We have none. This is private property."

"All this?"

"And much more. You'll see once we reach the actual compound," the heir replied casually, slowing the car down a bit. "Ah, we're here. Please have a good look around." His tone was mocking, but Sunggyu already had his attention drawn elsewhere.

Grand golden and black iron gates that shone in the sunlight were there to greet them. Lining the road were perfectly-trimmed hedges, adorned with exotic flowers Sunggyu never knew existed. Every now and then, some marble pillars and sculptures accented the grounds. The car was pulling up round the rotunda towards the grandest white Mediterranean-style mansion in the center, complete with the hugest fountain he's ever seen. "You have got to be ting me," Sunggyu murmured under his breath.

A red carpet had already been lain out in welcome and there stood several attendants, all dressed in crisp black suits and blazers. Standing at the main doorway was Woohyun's mother and Seulbi, who had yet to change out of her dress from the previous night as well, though her bun had been neatly redone.

To Woohyun, the whole showcase was a good enough display of power. A grim reminder of what their family can do if 'Henry' was revealed to be a complete fraud. What ticked him off was that instead of cowering in fear in the realization that he chose the wrong people to mess with, 'Henry' seemed even more unfazed by it all. Kudos to him for being really thick-skinned.

"Good morning, young master," the whole community bowed in greeting the moment Sunggyu stepped out of the car. Soyeon and Seulbi immediately moved closer to greet him, however, he was too dazed from the VVVIP treatment he was receiving and the grandeur of the estate. He could honestly get used to this, just for the lodging.

"Thank you for bringing him in, Woohyun. Welcome, my child! The attendants will take care of your things, Henry," Soyeon told him gently, repeating the call when the boy continued to be inattentive. "Henry?"

Seulbi had to practically nudge him with her elbow and sharply her head towards the direction of her aunt. The attendants took their chance and seized Sunggyu's bags while his guard was down, hurriedly wheeling his things off into his room before they got scolded. Sunggyu put on his fake act again, placing his best formal etiquette on. He hadn't been to fancy dinner parties, but hopefully information from TV and film would be enough to get him through. "I'm really sorry-- yes madame?"

"I hope my son didn't bore you throughout the whole car ride," Soyeon announced, noticing the boy's lacking attention span as of late. "I would just like to personally welcome you to home. How'd you like it so far, Henry?"

"Good," came his response before he decided to veer off-track with the conversation. "Forgive me, madame, if I don't respond quite right away. It's just that I'm really not used to being referred to as Henry. Sunggyu is the name given to me by the nuns who've taken care of me. It's the name I've grown accustomed to growing up."

"That's fine with me, as long as you start getting used to calling me 'Aunt' as well, not Madame. We're family, Sunggyu."

"Yes, Auntie."

She smiled at him. "Now, that's much better. Please do come inside, Sunggyu, and follow Shimgoon. He will be the one to show you to your room. Seulbi, kindly follow-up with Chef Tony at the kitchen regarding lunch, make sure his house specials are served. Woohyun, son, please accompany your cousin. Also, both of you can go pick out your favorite dishes, okay?"

Seulbi couldn't be more happy to agree now that Woohyun would be under her watch, for purposes of checking out whether he had their little concocted lie figured out or not. They were walking towards the kitchen when he finally decided to speak up.

"Princess, I hope you don't get offended, but I have a really bad feeling about cousin Henry," Woohyun admitted. "It's not that I don't trust you or anything, alright? None of that. I don't know, there's just something off about him, but I can't put my finger on it."

She knew this was bound to be brought up sooner or later. "None taken. Maybe you're feeling threatened about the fact that you've been displaced from your alpha male position among us cousins? Aww, you'll always be our Namu, with extra sap, of course," Seulbi teased. Out of play-spite, he reached out and ruffled her hair wildly enough so that her hair bun dangled at an odd angle off her head. "I just re-did this!"

"Why would I feel threatened? Currently, our generation's 'alpha male' is you, muffin top," Woohyun shot, backing off topic when his younger cousin gave him a pointed glare. "You know, at first I was against the idea of him living with us because of my suspicions, but I've changed my mind. I'd like to get to know him a bit more now. And if by that I found out that hyung is a complete fraud and has been lying to Abeonim, to you, and to the rest of our family, I will personally make sure to have him sent to jail and punished accordingly by law. All to protect our family." 

Seulbi gulped. This was going to be a lot harder than she thought.

<<<< >>>>

If his suite room back at Olympus had been fit for a king, his room right here was fit for a god. For him, it was practically paradise! Shimgoon had informed him that this had previously been designated as a family room, but since a nicer one had been built at the extension on the first floor, this was converted into an extra guest room instead. Now that he was here it was all his. The furniture was pristine white (which he really liked), matching the white and light gray walls. The room was a loft type, the lower level comprising of a welcoming area complete with his own couch and flat screen (even bigger than the one at the hotel), a mini dining area and a mini-office over to the far right. Below the stairwell was his very own walk-in closet, adjoined with the bathroom (and shoot, the bathroom was just as big as his whole rooftop apartment unit). On the top landing was his actual bedroom, complete with a king size bed and a big enough window and window sill he could practically sit or nap on.

"We're sorry for the lack of furniture, young master Sunggyu," Shimgoon apologized whilst bowing. "This was all prepared on such short notice. We hope it is to your liking and comfort."

"Are you kidding? This is more than I could ask for!"

"If you need anything replaced or added because you are dissatisfied with the way things are, please do tell us."

"No worries, it's okay, really!" Sunggyu couldn't help but laugh out of excitement.

"Then I'll give you time to settle in. We will be calling you in time for lunch, so until then, please rest well, sir."

The moment Shimgoon had left him alone, all hell broke lose. Gone was the cool and collected Kim Sunggyu-- he was running around the room like a little child on Christmas morning, unable to school himself. Even though he knew that any inappropriate actions could be condoned and misinterpreted in this household, he couldn't stop running his curious little fingers onto each and everything. He could really really get used to this kind of lifestyle!

A curt knock interrupted his room appreciation time. "It's me. Can I come in?"

Anger surged through his veins and he remembered why he was stuck in this miserable situation in the first place. Suddenly, the place felt more like a hell hole than paradise.

"No!"

Ignoring his reply, Seulbi pried his door open, walking in, only to have the door immediately slammed shut behind her. Sunggyu's glare was livid as he pulled her further inside. "Our deal was valid for one night only! What am I doing here, Lee Seulbi?!? I don't want to end up living with someone as stingy as you and the rest of your uptight family for the rest of my life!" he hissed. "That two-faced prick with an imaginary super-tight wedgie, especially."

"Believe me, I am not the least bit happy about living with you either," Seulbi snapped, crossing her arms. "And don't call Woohyun a whatever-you-just-called-him-with! That is a very vulgar thing to call someone-- even if that particular someone makes me want to disown him sometimes."

"Prick," he repeated for the fun of it, enjoying her discomfort, which was obvious in the way she crinkled her nose and how she was struggling so hard to block him out audibly. "Prick. Prick. Prick."

"One more, and I'll start deducting 500,000 won from your salary for each time you say it."

That shut him up.

"But props to you, that was really good acting and really quick thinking from you back there," Seulbi told him, not forgetting to commend her employee for a job well done. "Good job. Even if you had to embarrass me in the process. Sungyeol is not going to let that down, believe me."

"Does that merit me a raise then?"

"Is everything in terms of money to you?"

"Speaking of money... my payment," Sunggyu reminded her, holding out his hand in his impatience. "It's nice that your grandfather's getting better and all, but the rest of your family seriously gives me the creeps. The sooner I receive my pay, the sooner I can distance myself from them."

"Do you seriously think that this'll end here after that display you've shown my family? Our problems have just turned for the worse."

Her point was extremely valid. Her grandfather was on the road to recovery. Her whole family had met him and were currently aboard the rejoice-we've-found-our-long-lost-Henry train. There was no way he was getting out of this so easily. On top of that, Seulbi wanted to prolong his stay to get the DNA testing done in secret.

"No!" he exclaimed. "No, I do NOT want to pretend to be your cousin for the rest of my life!"

"Two weeks. I'll find a way to send you off after that. Abeonim still needs you. Just please give me more time to figure things out," Seulbi bargained.

"I hope you've realised that the more they question me about things, the more they'll realize I'm a phoney, which will completely screw us over!"

"I'll cover for you. And wouldn't it be more suspicious if you suddenly left?"

"I AM NOT STAYING HERE FOR TWO MORE WEEKS!"

"FINE. I'll give you a raise!" Seulbi screeched back in her frustration to shut him up, pulling out a check from her pocket. Sunggyu's expression softened and his tiny eyes lit up at the sight of it. "This was what I was here for in the first place. I've decided pay you in installments until the two weeks are over, so if you want your money like we agreed on, you'll have to stay. Before you leave, I'll pay the additional sum too. Happy?"

Gleefully, he grabbed the check, validating it. "Thanks boss. You're the best!"

If she was less polite, she would really kick him right then and there. Was there anyone any more money-hungry than he was? Seulbi shook her head, deciding to leave him to his own bidding, not wanting to have a migraine before lunch time. Sunggyu on the other hand, the TV and lazily flipped through the channels, stopping at one particular news report due to the mass number of people he was seeing on TV.

Earlier today, Empire Group's heir has made his touchdown at Incheon International Airport from London Heathrow. Despite having no earlier releasing statements, thousands of fan girls came to greet him, causing massive momentary crowd control problems and inconvenience to several passengers, who posted complaints. Fortunately, airport staff managed to quell the crowd when it was highly needed. No injuries have been reported.

Seulbi stopped before she could completely exit, marching back towards the television.

The person featured looked like a total world-class celebrity with the way the media, the press and fan girls were hoarding over him as he exited the arrival gate. Dozens of security guards were surrounding him, just to make sure no one got too close. The crowd was relentless but security managed to control them eventually, all the way until he had boarded his limousine. Sunggyu scoffed a little, criticizing the guy for poor cognition skills. If he didn't want to be noticed, he should have dressed up like a normal civilian instead of his all black ensemble and matching aviator shades. Of course that good-looking face of his would stick out immediately.

Fan girls could partly keep their hopes higher, because the rumors regarding his permanent stay in Seoul are highly speculated to be true despite having no official release from an inside source. L, who has been away for the past two years due to prioritizing his education at one of the most prestigious high schools in London, is set to follow in his father's footsteps and inherit the Empire group of companies.

"Hey, earth to Lee Seulbi?" Sunggyu called out, waving a hand in front of her face. "He's that good looking, huh? He owns hotels and resorts, your family owns hotels and resorts-- if you play your cards right, maybe you can worm your way and demand for an arranged marriage!"

That comment seemed to have upset her thoroughly. Reaching for the remote, she switched channels.

"Don't let Woohyun hear you watching that," Seulbi told him, her tone a bit somber. "He won't be too happy about it--"

Somewhere downstairs, glass shattered, as if it were forcefully thrown against a hard surface. Sunggyu looked at the heiress, who only sighed. Truthfully, the distance was so great, it was impossible for the people downstairs to hear what was on TV. Seulbi guessed that her cousin might have been watching the same channel as well, thus the commotion.

"What's wrong with him?"

"Don't be an irritant. Just don't ask."

"What's wrong with asking?"

"Boys are so annoying," she murmured, storming out of his room, leaving Sunggyu wondering what was suddenly wrong with her as well. She seemed so somber all of a sudden over one news report.

"What a man-hater, geez. The other one's a two-faced violent prick. What's next, siblings who are into macabre and gore?" he complained. "This family is going to drive me nuts, I swear to God!"

<<<< >>>>

The next few days seemed to pass by rather quickly. Jungyeop was recovering at full-speed, envigorated by Sunggyu's presence and care. Sunggyu decided it was safer this way to spend the whole day at the hospital, away from the scrutinizing Woohyun and away from the extra moody Seulbi. He hadn't gotten much opportunity to interact with the other two Lee siblings, but that was good-- he already had a handful of people to deal with. The Lee CEO had given him the least problems so far. Sunggyu found himself opening up more easily to the old man and their conversations were surprisingly meaningful at times aside from the usual discussion about his "parents": sometimes they talked about politics, sometimes about the health and education system, sometimes about the latest technology. One particular time had been attributed for celebrity gossip, even.

Sunggyu was amazed. Jungyeop's mind was still so sharp for his age, it would have been such a waste had he continued to deteriorate. Jungyeop was equally impressed at his grandson's inherent wit and was thoroughly entertained by him.

One afternoon, the grandchildren were gathered at their grandfather's hospital room. The grown-ups have decided to give them a break as they've been taking turns in watching over the proceedings of the business. It was trailing down to the last few weeks of their winter break and the university semester would be starting soon. Woohyun was the last to come in bearing good news.

"Good afternoon, abeonim," he greeted politely. "It's Seulbi I need to speak to. Princess, that person you forwarded the application for?"

Seulbi and Sunggyu's ears perked up. "Lee Sungjong?" the heiress questioned. "Yes, what about him?"

"He made it into the top 5 grantees," Woohyun replied. "He could have been Number 1 with his credentials though, had he not submitted late. That would have merited him a full scholarship together with the school miscellaneous fees covered, including book and pocket money allowance. I'm not entirely sure about how much he has off now, but we'd like to speak to him about it."

"T-This is great news!" Seulbi exclaimed in complete happiness. "Phone-- Sunggyu, phone--"

"On it!" Sunggyu exclaimed in equal glee. He couldn't be prouder and happier for his dongsaeng; he always knew Sungjong would make it far. The younger boy was highly intellectual and has a keen sense of understanding for things. He would really make a great financial analyst, lawyer or doctor-- heck Sungjong could be anything great if he set his mind to it.

"My parents would like to personally see him and speak to him. You think he can make it all the way from Jeonju?"

"I can accompany him here, no problem!" Sunggyu offered, glancing once at Seulbi and she understood immediately. This was their opportunity to seize for Sunggyu's great escape away from this little web of lies they've started to spin.

Jungyeop interrupted their happy conversation. "I have a better idea. Why don't you all accompany Sunggyu back to Jeonju? Maybe go sight-seeing for a bit."

"Huh?" everyone couldn't help but ask, surprised by the sudden suggestion.

"It's okay, grandpa. I can go on my own. These kids aren't used to the public bus--"

"Why not take your cousins? You can go on a road trip and take the family van with you. It'll be a fun cousin bonding time, perfect for you to get to know each other more. Besides, the last time these four had been on a trip together on their own was Tokyo Disneyland back when they were all thirteen and twelve," Jungyeop continued.

"Abeonim's right, you know?" Sungyeol agreed.

"If you want, you can take Dongwoo with you!"

Sunggyu couldn't help but sigh deep inside. Escape plan deliberately foiled.

Seulbi was rather skeptical about the whole trip. "I'm not so sure, Abeonim. I have a bad feeling about sitting in that van with the five of them," she admitted warily. True enough, she was getting that foreboding sense of impending doom. "I'm not comfortable with leaving you here alone as well."

"I'll be fine, my dear, if that's what you're so worried about," Jungyeop reassured. "Your aunts and uncles are here to take care of me, and I'm feeling better and better each day. So please don't worry about me and go take a break for yourself, alright."

It took awhile before Seulbi agreed, "... alright, Abeonim. If that is what you wish. What do you guys think?"

"It'll be fun!" the Lee siblings piped.

"What could possibly go wrong?" Woohyun agreed.

As voted on by majority, they agreed to having the road trip immediately on the next day. Hoya then phoned in Dongwoo to tell him about it, getting his confirmation. Woohyun and Sungyeol started polishing the plan and Sunggyu stepped out to call Sungjong. Jungyeop had such a big happy smile, pleased at their excitement.

Still, Seulbi couldn't help but feel bothered about it. Nothing could go wrong, right?

<<<< >>>>

Jeonju was a 2-3 hour drive away from Seoul. Dongwoo and Woohyun had committed to taking turns driving. From his seat in the van, everything became surprisingly unfamiliar to Sunggyu, maybe due to the change in vantage point. He could still remember a couple of landmarks to signify where they were, but frankly that was it.

Seulbi had to deliberately remind herself to keep her cool, unable to ease her worry. They had gotten off to a rocky start with the seating arrangement, which Sunggyu had managed to quell through a game of rock-paper-scissors. Dongwoo took to the driver's seat for the first half with Woohyun at shotgun. Hoya and Sungyeol had the luxury of the back seat, while due to her terrible luck at the game, Seulbi took the middle row seat right next to the door. The next problem they had encountered was an argument about whose iPod to put up for listening, as each and everyone's genre choices were rather diverse. Sunggyu had managed this as well by pulling out the auxiliary cable, forcing all of them to listen to the radio instead. "I don't know how you guys deal with horsing around, but from where I'm from, we play fair," he muttered.

Ears perked up when Super Junior's Sorry, Sorry started playing on the radio.

"I haven't heard this song in ages," Woohyun chuckled as he caught himself singing along. "I used to hate it, but it's just too catchy to pass up." Hoya and Sungyeol were already rubbing their hands together, dancing to the choreography in their seats while having a good laugh about it. Even Sunggyu was nodding his head to the beat, mouthing some of the lyrics. Dongwoo, being a good sport about it, turned the volume up and started singing as well. Seulbi couldn't help but laugh as the whole van went horribly off key at the highest note of the song. As the trip got more and more comfortable and casual, all her apprehensive feelings were temporarily relieved.

Everything went much smoother after that with everyone enjoying the spontaneous sing-along, belting out notes at the top of their lungs to some familiar songs on the radio. No matter how lame it looked, it still was a lot of fun. There was no traffic, the Lee siblings made sure snacks and drinks were free flowing, they were on their last leg and last hour and everything was going great until...

"I need to pee," Sungyeol announced, reaching over to turn down the radio volume. Woohyun, who had been driving by then, had been too engrossed with the SHINee song he had been belting his heart out to and got pissed when Sungyeol tried to fiddle with the volume.

"Hey, what gives?"

"--Need to pee!" he repeated.

Hoya chuckled, "That's what you get for drinking too much coffee, Yeol. Hold it in 'til we get to a gas station or something."

"Not later. Now! My bladder seriously cannot hold itself in anymore."

Woohyun continued to ignore him though, checking on the gas gauge. It was nearing empty. How could they not have realized that at one of the pit stops they rested at? "We're running out of gas too. Seems like you get your wish, Yeol. I'll pull over and ask around for the gas station." True to his word, he had pulled up by some free roadside after spotting an old passerby.

Getting off of his seat and out of the car, he jogged across the road to ask the elderly for some directions to the nearest gas station. He had just finished his whole sentence when the elderly man asked him to repeat everything from the top, much to his chagrin, just because he didn't hear right.

"This is going to go on forever," Sungyeol complained. "I REALLY need to go!"

"There are a bunch of trees over there," Sunggyu suggested nonchalantly, taking pity at the younger Lee brother's plight.

Sungyeol's jaw dropped in complete disagreement. "No, I am not going to do something as uncivilized as becoming one with nature!"

"It seems to me that you have no other choice. The next gas station is probably still a good 30 minutes away if you can hold it that long," he pointed out. Upon hearing that, Sungyeol bolted out of the van and into the deeper area of the woods to release tension on his bladder. When they realized Sungyeol was taking too long, Hoya frowned out of worry, getting off the van in attempt to follow after his brother. He might have been swallowed whole by a waiting python in the process.

"Dino-woo?" Seulbi suddenly called out. "Correct me if I'm wrong but... is our van overheating?"

And true enough a steady pillar of steam and smoke was rising from the hood. Dongwoo scrambled out to check on it, Seulbi right on his heels. Currently, Sunggyu was the only one left in the van. Sungyeol and Hoya were still nowhere to be found. Woohyun was still struggling to get directions from the elderly man. Dongwoo and Seulbi were crouched over the now open hood, double checking every other nook and cranny for possible problems.

Sunggyu sighed. These rich kids were hopeless. Quietly, he got off the van and closed the sliding door, planning on helping them out one-by-one with their current problems. He had not alighted for a good minute when suddenly an audible click was heard. Woohyun's eyes widened and he, not caring on whether he acquired his needed information or not, ran back to the van.

"Why did you all get off?!? It's on autolock!" he screeched just when Sungyeol and Hoya had come back, disinfecting their hands with a small bottle of sanitizer Hoya had kept in his pocket. After hearing Sunggyu's 30-minute estimate, he felt the sudden urge to empty his bladder as well. "Our van is on autolock! The keys, my phone and wallet are there!"

Right then and there, everyone realized the grave matter they were in. Not one phone nor wallet was currently on hand-- all of them had been locked away inside the van. Woohyun turned back towards the elderly man he had been talking to earlier to ask for help but he had already gone. Now they were stuck in the middle of nowhere with no cash, no transportation and no means to get in touch with anybody.

"It'll be fun, they said," Seulbi whistled in deep sarcasm. "Nothing could possibly go wrong, they said."

A/N: Roadtrip, a-la Infinite. I can totally imagine them being like this, with the maknae as their communal pack mule. Poor maknae!