Early in his childhood, he had dreamed that he would eventually meet a girl who he would meet and would immediately know that she is the one for him and he is the one for him. Back when he used to think when the world was just full of rainbows, fairy dust and unicorns, he had imagined that the girl he would marry would be beautiful, charming, had an outstanding personality and basically excelled in everything she did.

Of course, as he grew up, Yoochun realized that nothing in this world was perfect and that everything had a flaw, had a curse and that no matter how impeccable, something seemed on the outside, in the inside it would be ruined, broken and that it would have at least one trait that if not used properly, it would be the source of its downfall.

Especially after he saw his father’s lifeless body lay on the ground, he realized that no matter how terrible and cruel the world treats you, if you only respond with love and care, it would win against all the evil and monovalent things in the world.

Deep inside, he had either wished to be adopted by a loving family who would not end up abandoning them and leaving them by themselves once more. Even if there was a chance that he probably wouldn’t be adopted at all.

He vowed even if he wouldn’t even dare to find a lover of his own and dedicate his whole life to taking care of his sister, even if he sees her get married and have a family of her own and that his whole life he had been served with a golden platter and now it was his turn to give back.

….

Yoochun opens his eyes to see a spacious, bricked 2-story mansion that was easily identified and seen from afar due to its bright red color that stood out clearly to him. His half-crescent lidded eyes peeking through the tinted glass and curiosity takes the better of him. Little Yoona was already wide awake and was currently nudging her brother’s knee to shake him out of his slumber.

                “Oppa, wake up! We’ve arrived now.” She whines excited as she takes his hand in her much smaller ones and jumped up and down impatiently, not being able to contain her enthusiasm.

                “Alright, Yoong-ah – Oppa is getting up, we’ll be getting off already.” He smiles tiredly as he looks down and messes up her hair playfully, his fingers shifting through her locks delicately.

                “The two of you will be living here for now on until willing parents may take you in and adopt the two of you as their own children.” Mrs. Hwang softly brushes her wrinkled fingers against their shoulders, as she steps down and waits patiently for the two of them to step down the car.

Yoona deliberately jumps off the car and lands perfectly on her bare two feet, even if the height of the fall may have concerned her older brother greatly. Yoochun steps out of the car with his backpack tightly secured on his back and held all the used bags he could have brought with him on both of his arms.

He unknowingly sighs as he attentively looks around his surroundings, noticing a swarm of children his age around him playing and having the time of their lives even if none of them may even be related. He knows that this moment will be the perfect time for him to move on, for him and Yoona to move on.

The past had been too nice to him, until it had struck the hitting blow at him, the moment that had changed his life forever. He was never the same person after that moment, especially as he had imagined that everything was fine and perfect until his father was found dead and his mother was suspiciously gone for the moment.

The first figure that approaches him as he makes his way in was a pale, male teenager that had a lanky figure and had large doe-eyes that caught his attention. He assumed that he was the same age and the same height as him, with his short, raven-colored hair making his features look even sharper and more angled. A rumpled, browning thick brown History book was found enveloped between his arms, securely locking it in as if he was afraid if a thief would steal it away from him.

                “Hello, I am Park Yoochun and I believe you have been taken in by Mrs. Hwang too?” Yoochun reluctantly offers a hand to be shaken, while the boy just timidly nods and looks at him with a cautious expression.

It is nearly a minute before the other boy responds with a tight handshake and quietly utters something that sounded even more pessimistic as he went. “I’m Kim Jaejoong and I’ve been here since I was 5. I haven’t seen any relative or anyone who was willing to adopt me ever since.”

Yoochun nearly wanted to frown as it struck him that maybe his fate may end up like him and that probably Yoona had a greater chance of being adopted and she would be separated from him. He scolded himself on being so selfish to even think about himself in this very moment, he was supposed to make this new friend feel better and show some empathy at least. Although he did appreciate his frank attitude in speech, something he won’t be able to master.

                “I am so sorry to hear that, I do wish the best for you.” He said slowly, still careful in case the newly met stranger would be offended in any way.

                “That’s alright. I’ve met other kids who’ve been here longer than I have, and have only been adopted when they are 17 or so.” Jaejoong spoke up in a nonchalant tone as he continued walking the same direction Yoochun was walking towards.

The two had kept walking towards the orphanage’s main living room in complete silence, with no words exchanged even if both had hesitantly tried to ease the awkward atmosphere.

                “May I ask when your birthday is?” Yoochun chirped curiously as he watched the other grab two packs of orange juice from the refrigerator.

“Mine’s on January 26 or that’s the official date I use for documents. I’m currently 15 and will turn 16 by the New Year.  When’s yours then?” The older of the two shook his shoulders casually as he slammed the refrigerator door carefully and sat down next to his new “friend”.

                “That makes me younger than you then- May I refer to you using hyung?” “I wouldn’t mind.” He nodded.

“So hyung, are there any kids here that you are particularly close to?” The younger of the two cleared his throat as he slowly sat down a tangerine colored gingham pattered couch beside him, slouching his body in comfort on the firm couch.

                “Well… there are these two other kids named Junsu and Changmin who I usually hang out most of the time with.  You could join our small clique if you want unless you meet the other kids.” Jaejoong fiddled endlessly with his fingers before he pointed at two kids outside by the window who were covered in slick mud and had obviously just finished a round of soccer as shown by their exhausted expressions.

Yoochun stood up next to the counter to see a pair of two boys, with one surprisingly taller than the more petite yet athletic one. The taller one seemed a lot more shy and naïve than the boisterous and outgoing one, as shown by the pair of thin-rimmed glasses that rested on the bridge of his nose and the piles of books and notebooks that were sticking out and shoved onto his green-colored backpack behind him.

The shorter yet more muscular and curvaceous among the two seemed very optimistic and was more into sports than academics at all compared to his companion. A red jersey sweater, lanky jogging pants and a pair of dirt drenched sneakers have just added up to his perception that he really was an athletic and fun-loving person.

                “Come on, you want to meet them?” Yoochun shifted his attention as he heard the older boy’s voice towards the door and was offered a box of orange juice for him. “Sure, if you don’t mind. Thank you for the orange juice by the way.” He nodded as he obediently followed behind him and sipped some orange juice from the box with a mint colored straw.

To Yoochun’s surprise, Jaejoong grinned at him shortly for a split second in which Yoochun had nearly missed seeing and he couldn’t help but smile back out of relief that he had a new friend that he would be kept company at the orphanage where he would stay until some couple decides to take him and hopefully his sister as well.

The two of them walked over towards the plain, empty wide field that went on for acres and acres, where they found the two other boys lazily lying on the grass fields and closing their eyes for what seemed like a short nap, even if they were covered with shards of grass and spots of soil and mud.

                “You lazy bums, get up! If the two of you are late for dinner we’ll all get scolded in the end!” Jaejoong rolled his eyes in frustration and started to lightly kick grass towards his two friends; both responded with grunting and rubbing their foreheads repeatedly in a circulating motion due to somewhat a headache.

                 “Hey hyung stop hitting us, we’re getting already!” Changmin lazily complained as he sat up from the ground slowly with eyes still half-closed as he rubbed the back of his head back and forth as a result of the pain he felt in that area and yawned loudly.

Junsu and Changmin looked up to see a stranger they had never seen before, before they had glanced at one another in a synchronous motion and bobbed their heads in agreement.

                “So are you the new kid Mrs. Hwang has been telling us about?” Junsu optimistically stood up and eyed the unfamiliar figure that stood next to Jaejoong. Yoochun nodded and smiled silently at him.

                “Don’t be shy, we’ll all get along here! I’m Junsu and this guy next to me is Shim Changmin, he’s Mrs. Hwang’s nephew and lives just a house away from here. You’ll see him often too!”  Junsu laughed heartily and offered a handshake with his right hand, at the same time he encircled his right arm around Changmin’s shoulders, even if they were a lot higher than his.

Changmin grinned shyly at the new friend, he had just made and waved shortly before pushing back his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “I assume you’ve met Jaejoong hyung before as well. If you’re younger than him and Junsu-hyung, you’re probably going to be my hyung as well. Well I’m 14 and I’m turning 15 next year.”

                “I’m Park Yoochun and I was born on June 4, 1986, so does that make me younger than both of them and older than you?” “Well you’re older than Junsu hyung and I but you’re younger than Jaejoong hyung.” 

Yoochun looked at his new friends gratefully and happily as he could not help but keep smiling at them even when they started bickering and teasing one another playfully. “ It’s good to have people who accept you the way you are.” He told himself silently.

                “Would you like to meet the other kids? I believe some of them are playing cards inside.” Jaejoong stopped his steps as he paused in the middle of the hallway, causing the other boys behind him to stop walking abruptly as well.

Junsu looked at him with wide, surprised eyes and shook his head in boredom. “Why are we going to play cards with them, especially with my sister when we can play outside when the weather is good? I think it would be nice to show our new friend our neighborhood as well.”

He wrapped his arms around Yoochun’s shoulders and smiled cheerfully in an attempt to welcome him further in the new community he was in, even if his new friend may have flinched for a few seconds. 

                “It sounds wonderful- I mean, if it’s fine with you guys-“ Yoochun rambled nervously before Junsu cut him off. “ Of course it is, you’ll also be able to see Changmin’s house and oh, the house at the end of the street, a family of rich people live there.”

                “The Jung’s live there hyung, they also partially support the orphanage financially, which is why it looks as awesome as it is now. A pretty girl around my age lives there too.” Changmin replies confidently as he marches straight towards the street where he lives.

Junsu smiled an evil grin as he thought of what he classified as a brilliant idea, earning a reluctant glare from Jaejoong who was silently whispering “Don’t do it.”, as he thought it was a horrible idea. He was too late.

                “Why don’t we introduce you to her before her overprotective brother comes up and kicks us out?” He teased lightly.

Changmin looked at him with an unbelieving expression, as he took off his eyeglasses out of shock. “Are you kidding? Don’t get us in trouble again, please. “He raised his arms up in exhaustion, prompting to walk away in his disagreement with the idea.

                “It’ll be fun, I promise. Right, Jaejoong hyung?”  “ If you hold me liable for this just because I am your hyung- I will kick your .” “Thanks hyung, I knew you always had my back.” Junsu smiles back sweetly, taking his answer for a yes.

Yoochun stood there in confusion, still baffled on what was currently going on and was contemplating on rather to refuse or not. “It probably won’t be that bad – You’re just meeting a friend not a possible blind date candidate, Park Yoochun get your mind together.” He thought to himself.

Junsu dragged them towards the Jung family’s manor, which had a green, exotic patio by the front of their manor, before they walked over towards the family’s gate.

The gate was jet black and nearly a story high, pointing up with sapphire gems gracing the fleur-de-lis decorations that was found on the gate and provided a wonderful first impression of what the family was like.

                “Junsu-shi, what are you trying to do?” Yoochun looked down in horror and gulped nervously as he saw Junsu put down his ball and look up towards the inside of the manor behind the gate. “Nothing, trust me, I won’t break anything.” He replied carelessly.

Within a millisecond, Junsu raises his leg and kicks his black and white soccer ball upwards, high enough for it to reach up in the air and fall down quickly within the Jung family’s property.

                “Jae hyung, Minnie yah – both of you go behind the bushes- I’ll introduce him to her.” He winked at the remaining boys behind Yoochun with a whisper, as the other two hesitantly hid behind the large bush that clearly hid them well.

Yoochun crossed his fingers deep inside that it wasn’t some of their housekeepers, her parents or even her brothers who would open the door, hoping that he wouldn’t get beaten up on his first day at the orphanage.

To his surprise, however, a little girl who appeared to look like the age of 5 appeared once the door section of the gate opened, holding the soccer ball that was even larger than her tiny, little fingers and looked at them with a distressed and vexed expression, before throwing the ball by their feet and crossing her arms irritatingly.

He didn’t think a girl this short, little and petite would be the same age as someone like Changmin, especially since the high pitched voice didn’t make sense either.

                “Soojung-ah, you still haven’t finished your milk.” The voice of what seemed like a teenage girl was heard echoing from inside the large mansion and the little girl rolled her eyes upsettingly.

                “You troublemakers are lucky that my older sister is here.” The little girl mumbled before she silently walked away back to the dining room.

Yoochun looked at Junsu displeasingly and tugged on his sleeves repeatedly as a signal for them to run for their lives before they get into more trouble. Junsu didn’t even budge or move a muscle as he stood there smiling, anticipating for the pretty teenage girl he was talking about.

A dainty and slender figured teenage girl with bright, curious eyes, peach colored chapped lips with long, straight black locks that fell down her shoulders looked out confused on what was going on, but scowled skeptically as she caught sight of Junsu.

This is it. She’s probably the girl they’d been talking about in the fairy tales of Yoochun’s childhood, she’s probably the one. He was enchanted from the very first glance he looked at her, it wasn’t just the looks, but it was also the aura she glowed had kept him indirectly staring at her while she was dealing with Junsu.

                “Junsu oppa, are you here again to bicker with my sister or my brother?” She mocked him lightly as she slouched against the marble post that supported the towering gate.  By the time she had finished speaking, she noticed the unfamiliar figure that timidly stood next to me.

She looked at him as he was already looking at her, which prompted him to look away shyly as he attempted to not get caught staring at her.

“It looks like you guys have a new friend from the orphanage. I’m Jung Sooyeon and I’m 14. Well that other kid you just met, that’s my little sister Soojung. ” She smiled shortly before bowing at the new member of the gang who liked messing with her.

Yoochun stood there awkwardly and nodded with drifting eyes, fingers moving restlessly as they hid behind his back. “It’s nice meeting you, I’m Park Yoochun and I’m 15.”

Jessica laughs for what seemed like after a long time, as Junsu and even Jaejoong and Changmin from afar look at her in surprise for making it seem like it’s been so long since she’s laughed with them.

Yoochun knows this is the start of a new beginning and that probably, he may be able to move forward from the dreadful past that has brought him down.