I hate being sick. I absolutely hate it, especially due to my weak immune system. I've had to miss school for the past two days, and laying around the house all day has been bugging me. It's boring and miserable, especially since Daddy and Jonghyun are gone all day because of work. I have no one to keep me company. 

I also have to worry about catching up on schoolwork. I mean Jongin's been nice enough to send me some of his notes in a class we share, but his handwriting . Plus, he at taking notes anyway. No wonder I make better grades than him. 

Sadly, I couldn't rely on Ravi because we don't have any of the same teachers. Just my luck. 

These past few days haven't been all bad though. Minho and I have gotten so much better at communicating. He's called me on his lunch break multiple times, and it's been nice. We text during the short breaks he get at soccer practice. He even visited me on Thursday after soccer practice to check up on me. I'm just so relieved that we're moving our relationship in the right direction. Ever since our moment in my bedroom, I couldn't help but feel giddy with him. Though we didn't go all the way, it felt nice to be able to progress our intimacy. Maybe one day I'll be able to do that with him. Hopefully soon. 

A few moments later, my phone rang revealing the one person I wanted to talk to. "Hello," I answered trying to sound normal. 

"Hey, Tae," said Minho. "I had some time left over from my lunch break so I decided to call you. Are you feeling better?"

I smiled to myself at how sweet the situation was. "I had a massive headache this morning, but I'm better now."

"Mmm," he hummed. "That's good." There was a pause before he asked, "Do you miss me?"

I smacked my lips and rolled my eyes. "No." Like hell was I going to admit it. "You're not that special."

"Ha ha ha," Minho laughed sarcastically. "You're so mean to me, Taeminnie. It's ok though. I know you love me. I love you too."

I groaned in annoyance as my lips forced itself into a -eating grin. I sighed in defeat, "The things you do to me, Choi."

"Speaking of things," Minho cleared his throat as if he was nervous to continue his thought, "Um, I wouldn't mind doing... more things with you again. Only if you allow me to, of course," he rushed out. 

My heart rate increased. He wanted to do things with me again? I mean, it's not like I haven't done it before. I'm obviously not a , but just the fact that Minho was so open and was asking permission really meant a lot to me. However, I couldn't even think of fully giving myself to him yet without him knowing about my past. Just in case something went wrong, he wouldn't be confused if he knew the truth. 

"Taemin?" He pulled me out of my thoughts. "Look, it's ok if you don't want to do those things as well. I understand-"

"No," I quickly cut him off. "That's not it. I actually really enjoyed what we did," I blushed at the confession. "I- how can I say this? I love you so much and I trust you, but I can't fully give myself to you yet. Does that make sense?"

There was a pause before he said, "It'll make more sense if you can tell me why."

I sighed, "I know, and I will... eventually. I just don't know how to bring it up yet."

"Well, we're talking now aren't we," he encouraged. 

I lightly chuckled before answering, "It's not something that can be easily talked about over the phone. I can't believe I'm saying this, but just come over today if you have time." I'm ready to get this over with.

I heard surprise in Minho's voice. "Are you sure? I don't want to force you to tell me anything if you're not ready."

I took a deep breath before answering. "Minho, I'm ready. Besides, my hormones have been raging and what we did a few days ago did nothing to help it."

Oh boy was it true. Ever since me and Minho did that in my room, I kept thinking of him nonstop. The main thing on my mind was what with him would be like. I was curious and wanted to find out, but I would always put those thoughts aside because I hadn't told Minho about my past. I would feel guilty for not telling him because it felt like I was harboring a major secret. That's why I would never allow myself to let things get that far. 

We ended our call after the bell rang, signaling Minho had to get off the phone. He promised he'd come over if he had time after practice. I could only hope he would come because I'm ready to stop letting my past ruin my future. 

For the rest of the day, I laid on the couch covered in a blanket on a boring Friday that'll most likely lead on to a boring weekend. As I flipped through tv channels, I heard keys opening the front door. I checked the time and saw that it was kind of early for either Daddy or Jonghyun to be returning home. Maybe one of them came to look after me. 

However, when the person made it into the living room, it definitely wasn't who I was expecting. 

I lifted my head slowly and scrunched my brows. "Dad?"

There stood my father with a sheepish grin on his face. He lifted a white bag that was in his hand before saying, "I heard you're sick, so I brought some soup."

I closed my eyes and sighed, counting to ten in order to not snap. What the hell was he doing here? And when did he get the keys to the house? More importantly, why wasn't he with his precious family?

I opened my eyes and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Well, nice to see you too-"

"I'm not joking."

He made his way into the living room and placed the bag of food on the coffee table. "Kibum told me you've been sick for the past few days. I was worried so I decide to drop off some food to help you feel better. I even stopped by the pharmacy to pick up some medicine."

"I can take care of myself."

"Just give it a try," he said pointing at the bag of food. 

I didn't even know what to say. I tried to think of something snarky, but I was so hungry and weak at the moment that I was appreciative that food was in front of me, but of course I didn't let him know that. He sat awkwardly in the chair adjacent to the couch as I sat up and dug into the soup. It became even harder to ignore him once I took a sip of soup. It was delicious and bursted with flavor. 

He looked on quietly with a small smile as I continued to eat. After some moments of silence, I groaned, "I can't even be mad at you right now because this soup is so good. Did you make it?"

"Sunhae did."

I nearly spat out the remaining soup in my mouth as I dropped my spoon in the bowl with a loud clatter. "I'm not hungry anymore."

Dad furrowed his brows, "But you were eating like you were starving."

"Not anymore if this soup's made by her."

"Taemin, she made it because she was worried about you-"

"She doesn't even know me."

He sighed. "Tae, just eat the soup. It's nothing wrong with it. It's delicious. You said so yourself."

I rolled my eyes and looked sideways with every intention not to eat anymore soup, but my stomach betrayed me by growling. Plus the soup smelled as great as it tasted. I slowly picked up the spoon again and ate silently, ignoring my dad again.

I continued to tune him out as he asked questions about school or whatever to catch up. However, one question did catch my attention. 

"You're still with that boy?"

"His name's Minho. And yes," I said bluntly before continuing with the soup because yes, it is delicious. Doesn't mean I'll eat it happily. 

"Has he been treating you right?"

"Yes."

"He better continue."

I rolled my eyes in agitation. I really wanted him to shut up, but I wasn't in the mood to argue. So I zoned him out until he said something that caught my attention again. "Oh!" He said as if he just remembered something. "I have some news about your old dance teacher, Yunho."

I stopped eating and look up at my dad in confusion. "What?"

He sighed before continuing, "Well after finding out what he did to you, I couldn't just put it to rest, so I did some investigating on my own. I planned on suing the out of him once I found him, but it turns out that someone else already beat me to the punch. After more digging, I found out he got sent to prison about a year ago on multiple charges of ography, molestation, and . It sickens me that bastards like him are still out there lurking around."

I sat there quietly as the information sank in. Yunho's in prison? I was shocked to say the least. Not because of the fact that he was in prison, but because of the fact that my dad actually went out of his way to put him in prison. 

"You were really going to find him?"

He nod. "Yeah, I know you said you wanted us to back off, but you're my son. There's no way I could go on with life knowing he got away with it. Luckily, someone stopped him in his tracks. He won't be getting out any time soon. The only thing I regret is not being able to kick his myself."

I stared at the floor as I tried to process everything he'd just said. I couldn't believe that he actually went on a quest to find Yunho to make sure he was punished. To be honest, even though I've been moving on from the traumatizing situation, I was relieved to know that he couldn't harm anyone else like he harmed me. In a way, this was the closure I needed. 

Dad must've taken my silence the wrong way. "Look, I'm sorry for going against your wish-"

"Thanks, Dad." I interrupted as I looked up at him. "Thanks for trying to find him. It means a lot."

He looked a little taken aback by me thanking him. Nevertheless, he smiled and said, "No problem."

I smiled to myself, "Thanks for telling me. I'm glad to know he's locked up."

"So am I. He deserves everything negative that comes his way. There's no way in hell that I would ever let anyone get away with hurting you like the way he did."

We sat in silence as my thoughts raced. I couldn't help but feel free, even though I hadn't interacted with Yunho in years. In a way, he still had control over me because I let that traumatic experience affect how I handle situations today. But no more. I can actually be myself now without having my thoughts race back to him. This gives me the confidence I need to tell Minho, even Jongin, about what happened. 

"Did I earn myself a hug from my hopefully forgiving son," dad asked as he sported a hopeful grin. 

I chuckled to myself before getting up and hugging him on the other couch. "Yes, you've earned a hug, but you're not completely forgiven for everything you've done."

He sighed as he pat my back. "I thought so, but for now, I'm fine with this."

After giving him a final hug, he got up saying, "I have to get back to work now. I came here on my lunch break."

I nodded. "Thanks for stopping by," I said as I walked with him to the front door. "I miss our talks."

"I miss them too, son. I promise I'll make more of an effort to have alone time with you."

"Don't make promises you can't keep."

He nodded before reaching into his wallet. "I almost forgot." He pulled out a wad of folded cash and handed it to me. "It's $200. Make sure you keep up with it."

I blinked in surprise. Dad used to always give me money when he visited me to make sure I had enough money for things I wanted, but I just assumed that since he has anther family to take care of he would stop. 

I folded the money and put it in my pocket. "I'm not going to lose it."

"How is that when you lost your wallet?"

"Hey," I said in defense, "that was one time!" Last year, I'd lost my wallet which had about $700 and a debit card in it. It's safe to say that my dad was pretty pissed. 

He laughed and brought me in for another hug. "I'm just teasing, but let's not let it happen again, ok?"

I nodded and he kissed my cheek. "Bye, dad."

After he left, I went to my room to put up the money, then went back into the living room wishing the time would go by faster. It's times like this that made me wish I had a sibling. At least I could be entertained. 

In the moment, I thought of Jinah, Dad's daughter. I don't think I could ever get used to the fact that I'm not Dad's only child anymore. He has someone else to take care of, and of course I'm jealous. I don't even call her a sister because in my mind, I'm still the only child for both parents. 

Just as I was about to doze off again, my phone started ringing. I looked at it to see that it was Ravi. 

"Hello?"

"Hey, Taemin. Are you feeling ok?"

I smiled as I scratched my head. "My nose is still a little stuffy, but I'm better. I no longer have that horrible headache."

"Great! I was wondering if I could come over today. School just got out and my cousin let me hold his car today."

I looked at the time seeing that he was right. School had just gotten out meaning I wouldn't be able to talk to Minho for awhile anyway do to soccer. I guess Ravi would be a good distraction until Minho came, that only being if he had time after soccer. 

"Sure! I don't mind. 

While waiting for Ravi to arrive, I decided to make myself look presentable. I brushed out my hair and washed my face before throwing on some decent clothes. I folded up my blankets and put them in the hallway's closet before making my way back into the living room. Ravi showed up a few moments later, giving me a huge hug after I opened the door. 

"Hey, Taemin!"

I smiled and hugged him back. "Hey."

He pulled away before saying, "You look good for being sick."

"Gee, thanks," I said sarcastically as I walked him to the living room. 

He chuckled as he sat on the couch, "That was a compliment. Take it or leave it."

"I'll leave it," I answered playfully.

I sat down next to him as he said. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're trying to flirt with me."

I chuckled, "I guess you don't know any better because I'm not trying to flirt with you. The only person I flirt with is Minho."

At the mention of Minho, Ravi seem to visibly tense. I didn't know what that was about so I decided to change the conversation. "So what do you want to do today?"

Ravi smiled, "You have the Xbox 1, right?" I nodded. "Great! I brought some fighting games we can play. Just beware, I'm going to kick your ."

I scoffed. "Oh, please. I may not look the part, but I'm the biggest gamer there is." My phone vibrated, stopping me from gloating. I looked to see that it was a text from Minho. 

Minho- hey, babe. Sorry, but I won't be able to make it today. The team pissed coach off so we're having a late practice

I was disappointed to say the least. I really wanted to talk to him today about my past. The sooner I can get over this hurdle, the sooner we can start progressing our relationship. However, I couldn't get mad because I knew soccer was an obligation Minho had. 

Taemin- it's ok :( I'll see you another time. Good luck at practice 

I was sad, but Ravi helped lift my spirits. We played games all evening, me being victorious more than Ravi. It quickly became evident that he was a sore loser, but it was hilarious. I just wish Jongin could be here as well because then everything would be perfect, but he's an idol now with barely any free time. 

Before we knew it, it was nearing 6pm. My parents would be home soon and Ravi claimed he needed to be home befor dinner. I heard a knock at the door as I walked Ravi out the living room. I thought nothing of it, thinking it could be one of my parents. 

When I opened the door, I was shocked to see it was Minho. 

"Minho?" I was so confused. 

I noticed what I thought to be a smirk on Ravi's lips before he said, "I think I should go."

Minho gave a snarky reply. "Yeah, you should."

When Ravi finally pulled out the driveway, I turned my attention to Minho. I pulled him into the living room and looked at him. 

Minho said defiantly, "What?"

I crossed my arms. "You didn't have to be so rude."

"I don't want you alone with him."

I raised a brow. "So you're making rules for me now? He was keeping me company. You weren't even supposed to be here. What happened to your late practice?"

"There was no late practice. I wanted to surprise you. I thought I would receive a bit of a warmer welcome from my boyfriend."

That made me feel a little bad. "I'm sorry, Minho. I was just a little confused. Plus, I didn't like the way you talked to Ravi. What's up with that? You don't act this way when I'm with Jongin-"

"Because Jongin isn't trying to my boyfriend!" 

His outburst threw me completely off. "Excuse me? What the are you talking about?"

Minho groaned in what seemed to be agony. "Don't you see it? The way he looks at you. He's trying to take you away from me just to me over like he always has."

"Minho he's not trying to take me away from anyone. You've got it all wrong."

"Dammit, open up your eyes, Taemin! He may not show it now, but you'll see. I'm trying to protect you now before it happens."

I stared at him before scoffing. "You're jealous aren't you?"

Minho stifled in awe before storming past me toward the door. "I'm leaving."

I chased after him out the door, stopping at his car. "That's it isn't it?! You can't stand the fact that I got the attention of someone other than you."

Minho turned around and walked up to me, towering over me. "When are you going to get it through your thick head that Ravi is bad news? Huh?"

I remained silent as I continued to stare into Minho's eyes, challenging him to say something else that'll piss me off. He gave one last look before storming off to his car. 

I walked to the window, "Where do you think you're going? I still have to talk to you."

"Talk to me some other time when you start making sense." And at that, Minho pulled out the driveway speeding out the neighborhood. 

I stood there in awe as tears prickled at the eyes. I put my head back and breathed to stop anymore tears from forming. It just hurt to think that I was ready to tell Minho everything, but I won't be able to do that because somehow Ravi's presence pissed him off. 

I got myself together and walked back into the house. I tried to fall asleep to forget about everything, but soon I heard the front door open, daddy and Jonghyun's voices making their way throughout the house. 

Daddy walked in and asked, "Why the hell was the door unlocked?"

I yawned. "Oh, I had a friend over. Ravi. I guess I was too tired to lock the door."

"Aww," Daddy said as he walked towards me, placing a hand on my forehead. "Are you feeling better?" The question of the century. 

I nodded. "Dad came over."

He raised his brows in surprise. "Oh really? What happened?" He sat on the edge on the couch as a curled into a ball. Jonghyun sat next to him. 

"Well, he brought over some soup. But that's not what I wanted to talk about. He told me something about Yunho."

"What about him," he asked in defense. 

"He's in prison."

He gaped and looked over at Jonghyun before looking back at me to ask, "How does he know?"

"He said he did his own investigation and was trying to track down Yunho. But he found out he's in prison for the very same thing he did to me, plus more."

Daddy placed a hand over his mouth in shock. He let out a relieved sigh as he pulled me into a comforting hug. "Oh, sweetie. I'm so relieved."

I smiled into the hug. "So am I." I felt Jonghyun join in on the group hug, and it brought a bigger smile to my face. Our moment was ruined when I went into a coughing fit. 

Daddy groaned. "I knew I forgot something. Jonghyun, can you go to the pharmacy to get some more medicine for Taemin? I think we're all out."

He stood up, "Yeah, where are the keys, love?"

I quickly said, "It's ok. Dad brought some when he came over." I handed the bag to Daddy so he can inspect it. 

A smile spread across his face. "I'm glad he still remembers what medicine is safe for you."

I was given some medicine before being told to relax as Daddy and Jonghyun prepared dinner. 

As we were eating dinner, the doorbell rang. Jonghyun went to go answer it, later returning with a solemn-looking Minho. I slowly stopped eating and stared at Minho, shocked as to why he'd be here, especially after the fight we had. 

He bowed to Daddy. "Hey, Mr. Kim. Sorry for interrupting your dinner, but I was wondering if it was ok that I steal Taemin for a moment?"

Daddy smiled politely at Minho before looking at me. His smiled died down as he probably noticed the mood I was in. He asked, "Are you two fighting?"

Before either of us could think of a coherent answer, Jonghyun saved the day my saying, "Kibum, let's not get into their business. It's something they have to sort out if that's even the case. And Minho, it's up to Taemin if he wants you to steal him away."

I sighed before getting up from the table. I walked towards Minho as I said, "We'll be in my room."

As we were walking up the stairs, I heard Daddy shout, "Leave the door open!" I rolled my eyes and kept walking. 

When we made it to my room, I decided to be a good child and leave the door cracked. When I turned around, I saw that Minho was fidgeting and staring at the ground. 

I walked closer to him and asked, "Why did you come back? Didn't I piss you off enough?" I couldn't hold back to aggressiveness of my tone. 

He sighed before finally looking at me. "I'm sorry for exploding on you, Taemin. I- I've just been stressed out a lot lately due to practice and school. I shouldn't have taken it out on you, no matter how much seeing you alone with Ravi irked me."

I took everything in before deciding to apologize myself. "I'm sorry-"

"Tae, you have nothing to apologize for-"

"But I do. I'm sorry for not taking your feelings into consideration. I'm not sure how I would react if I found you alone with someone I didn't like for whatever reason."

"You'd kick my ," Minho said lightly. 

I smiled. "Yeah. Anyway, I'm also sorry for being another cause of your frustration. You said you've been stressed out from school and soccer, but I can't help but to think I'm also stressing you out...ually."

Minho seemed confused before he let out a surprised, "Oh. Um, well that's not the main source of my stress so you don't have to worry."

"But I feel like it is something to worry about. Maybe if there wasn't so much between us, you wouldn't be as on-edge when I'm around Ravi. Maybe if I gave you , we wouldn't be arguing as much. Maybe-"

"Taemin," Minho said as he placed comforting hands on my shoulders, "Stop. Just stop, ok? Yes, I've been stressed lately and yes, I wouldn't mind having with you, but please do not blame yourself for anything. Please don't throw yourself at me because you think it'll make me happy. You're a beautiful person with a gorgeous body, but please don't give it to me when you're not ready. Ok?"

I really didn't know what to say or do except nod. He pulled me into a hug, apologizing over and over again. I couldn't help but to feel guilty, like everything was my fault. Minho's a sweet guy who'll take the blame for anything as long as a conflict can be resolved. 

However, if I hadn't invited Ravi over, this would've never happened. If I would find the courage to have with my own boyfriend, maybe Minho wouldn't  be as frustrated and stressed. Either way, I planned to fix things. Starting with myself. 

I breathed before saying, "Minho, I don't know when's the next time I'll ever be alone with you like this, so I plan to use this time wisely."

He pulled back. "What do you mean?"

I sighed and led him to my bed. We both sat as I said, "I'm ready to tell you my story. I'm ready to tell you everything."

Another chapter out the way! A lot happened. Hope you guys liked it. Please comment ^.~