Daehyun started preparing for the grand reunion between Yongguk and Jieun, a one-sided attempt at a dreamed scenario. To let Yongguk who has already given up on himself, be accepted by Jieun again, there's more than just convincing Jieun's side.

But Daehyun thinks he's already shaken Yongguk's resolve by channeling the message that, Jieun hasn't given you yet, not completely. The last string of hope that Jieun is still holding on is Yongguk's as well.

"Come on, Yongguk, time to get up and be prepared!"

Daehyun pulls the man from his bed at six in the morning, and the strange thing is that Yongguk doesn't show any refusal. The man gets up without a word, shutting the bathroom door behind him. Daehyun is a little worried by the reaction at first but takes it that Yongguk has already accepted the need to pick himself up for Jieun. Yongguk's up for Daehyun's plan.

Yongguk goes out running, resuming the habit after the long pause following Jieun's departure. Daehyun spreads out the first plan of the day on Yongguk's table and begins when the man returns,

"So, as you know, I've already shown Jieun your recording that day. But, I think, using your talents, in order to get her back, the most appropriate thing to do is to write her a song!" Daehyun announces his brilliant idea and pushes Yongguk on the chair closer to the table filled with his lyrics.

"But! Not these kind of sad and mellow-y lyrics like these... Write something happier? Sweet? About her? Something like I want you back in my life and um, I'll be a better man to you! You get it?"

Daehyun's plan was to surprise Jieun after Yongguk's done with the song, get the house keys and every thing she's returned back into her hands and propose to her once again. Daehyun thinks Jieun's just waiting for Yongguk to show her that he still cares and loves her. It's not really about what Yongguk does, but to show that Yongguk really still cares, it is still necessary.

As the days go by, Daehyun finds Yongguk to be more like a human again, with emotions, even if they were anger and disgust and all the negative expressions the man always throws in his face, Daehyun is glad Yongguk is at least, a feeling person again. It's a good sign. It means Yongguk is also getting kicked up and energised to get Jieun back.

Daehyun, half convincing and half scamming, got Yongguk and Jieun's pictures with the man's permission. He looks through them in the computer and finds Yongguk to be smiling very blissfully in them. Yongguk had those moments of happiness that Daehyun realised how high a cliff Yongguk must have fell from when Jieun said it's the end. He purses his lips and is all the more determined to make this succeed.

Just so Yongguk can find back that smile again.

Daehyun wants Yongguk to pick out some materials to make a little something for Jieun. Well, maybe not so much of a 'little', maybe more of a very sincere present big enough to express his whole-heartedness in earning Jieun's return. They come to the mall at a timing where the crowd is sparce with Yongguk behind an average mask and a hiphop cap. Daehyun was thinking more of a card or a photo album with a story written inside but that's from his own thinking. He has no idea what Yongguk has in mind but it can't be too bad since Yongguk's an artsy person. Daehyun is just afraid his stoic lack of humour may murder that part of art within him, especially since this is such a tender piece of work. 

They walk around a shop selling crafts material and Daehyun was intrigued by the exquisite papers and ribbons they sell until his eyes catches the sight of Yongguk, entirely absorbed by a moving music box. The man watches the dancing rabbit in the centre of the intricate box, twirling with his partner. The way Yongguk watches it makes Daehyun feel a tinge of sourness in his chest, like somebody squeezed a tiny bit of lemon on top of his heart where he felt Yongguk's feelings as he gets reminded of Jieun and himself, like the two dancing rabbits.

"You rascal!" A yell beats his concentrated silence and a slap meets his face before he could recognise that hateful voice.

-

Now Jieun would have told him she loves this music box, if she was here. Jieun always have a thing for these kind of things. She loves those things from fairytale stories, walking foxes and dancing rabbits, it's childlike and very endearing. Jieun would love the music from this box as well. Yongguk reaches out a hand to pick up the dark blue box as the rabbits slow down with the ceasing melody. Maybe he should not ask for Daehyun's opinion but he glances for the boy anyway to see his assistant struggling against another man who has a hand gripped over his face. The passers-by take glances at the scene and some stop in their steps to watch, but none of them comes up to help the boy.

"Oi!" Yongguk goes up and releases Daehyun from the humiliating gripping and shoving. Daehyun ducks behind him quickly, wincing from the pain or the humiliation, he doesn't know. He grabs Yongguk from the back of his shirt and pulls the older man away. Yongguk turns around to look at him but Daehyun doesn't say a word but shakes his head, gesturing for them to just leave. He looks terrified and extremely uncomfortable.

"You little bastard, trying to escape again?" The middle-aged man raises another hand to Daehyun but is stopped by Yongguk who glares at him with both disgust and anger.

"Mind your own business! You little bastard, how dare you--"

"I'm calling the police." says Yongguk and the man, as well as Daehyun turns pale. 

Daehyun tugs on Yongguk's shirt furiously, trying hard to stop him but couldn't find the courage to say a word as he keeps himself rooted behind Yongguk. Yongguk pulls out his phone calmly, unfazed. The middle-aged man who attacked Daehyun, on the other hand, sputters in anger out of fear and humiliation, already on his way to escape as he scolds his way out of the shop, scrutinised by onlookers.

Yongguk turns away from the atrocity and slides his phone back into his pocket. He would want to ask Daehyun about the situation but he's a tad bit too surprised by the way Daehyun's face is paling to carry on. Daehyun looks like he would have slipped to the ground if he did not put both hands around his shoulders. He shakes the boy who mumbles "I'm okay" repeatedly, blatantly lying with his eyes so disconcerted.

-

"It's nothing." Daehyun insists as they sit in the car. "Hurry up and drive!"

"Nothing? Who are you kidding?" Yongguk scoffs as he jams the car keys but without an idea to start the car.

Daehyun huffs, heart rate speeding as the anger boils inside him. "I said it's nothing!" he bursts out.

Yongguk, startled, glances at Daehyun through the rear view mirror before shifting his eyes to the boy beside him. Daehyun's shoulders are crouched, shaking with his sobs which he tries to hide by lowering his head.

After a long moment of silence, Yongguk finally starts, "Daehyun, you should tell somebody. Did the man do anything to you when I wasn't looking?"

Daehyun tries to recover from his sobs, wiping his embarrassing tears furiously. "I say, it's nothing! And it's nothing like that!"

"Then what is it?! You made trouble and that guy was taking revenge? Or what?" Yongguk makes an assumption and Daehyun gets very angry with that. He gets furious, the anger overwhelming him inside and he glares pointedly at Yongguk who stares back unfazed. And then Daehyun feels so angry, the tears overflow and blur his vision until he can't breathe anymore.

Yongguk is taken aback as Daehyun hides his face between folded arms, resting on the space above the glove box, sobbing uncontrollably. It's obvious he pushed a button of some sort and it's some horrible big taboo inside Daehyun. Yongguk feels really quite guilty. He waits for Daehyun to calm down. And when Daehyun does, the boy carries on and orders him to drive as if nothing has happened as if his eyes weren't red and puffy and his face doesn't look like a mess.

Yongguk obliges, teetering around the edges of Daehyun's spikey exterior carefully. He doesn't want to burst anything again. But he does probe again back at the studio before Daehyun could get dismissed from work because the boy seems way too off to be alright.

It seems Daehyun's distracted enough when taping up the cardboard for Jieun's gift to spill out his thoughts. He however, speaks monotonously compared to his usual upbeat, and annoying, voice.

"Nothing. He's my foster parent. We didn't have a great time when I was living with them. They were horrible people. I ran away the moment I could and thank god I could be independent when I reached legal age. But... they're horrible. That's it."

Yongguk's cursor move around on his monitor in circles as he pretend to busy himself.

"Where are your real parents?"

"Died. That's why I'm really scared of thunders. I was in the car with them. I can't remember much though."

Yongguk remembers the way Daehyun cowers when the thunder rumbles, calling 'appa, appa' every single time. He's shocked to hear such a thing happened to Daehyun but he keeps it suppressed inside. It never feels great to have somebody overreact on something you had put away in one corner of your recesses. He doesn't know what else to do, so he just puts a hand on Daehyun's head.