Eunjo did not like it. Not one bit. He couldn't fathom it. Everyday felt so suffocating and uncomfortable. Emptiness hung in the air as the days passed on. His mother's eyes became duller and lifeless. Her cheerful spirit was demolished into debris that couldn't be salvaged. His father saw her changed and became sullen but he didn't let his happy facade slip in the presence of his new daughter-in law. Eunjo didn't fake his funk whereas his father did. Any attempt Haera made towards him, he would take on step backwards. He refused to be associated with her. He got his room back but he didn't expect to get it back this way. The thought erked him.

He had a devious, fool-proof plan. No one could ever find him. That was until he heard a familiar voice call out to him while walking sidewalk. He turned his head and perked up. It was his number one person of interest. He ran up to her and engulfed her in a bear hug. 

"Eunjo?!" she said in shock. She bent down to his level and mustered up a frown upon her pink lipglossed lips he wouldn't forget. Her eyes bored into his with upmost seriousness. That look was foreign to him. He'd never seen it on her before. He felt like he was being scolded with just looks. She looked different too. With her snap back on backwards, and her big tshirt, with each short-sleeve a different color, half tucked in her bleached denim jeans. 

"Hani noona, aren't you happy to see me?" he asked. A nervous smile played at his lips. But it wasn't cutting it with her. She stood up at her full height. 

"Follow me." he followed behind anxiously. He tried to make small talk but she wasn't having it. He heaved a sighed. He wondered how things turned out to be this way. His unofficial role model, something he will never admit publicly, is changing before his eyes. Her aura has shifted but still had some remants of the past. It felt mature to him. That she actually became a woman. But, what settled uncomfortably in his mind was that it wasn't his brother that put forth that change. 

"...Hey, wake up, Eunjo." Hani snapped her fingers in front of his face.

"Huh?" Eunjo intook his surroundings. He was in the heart of the city. It was certaining bustling with Seoulites and tourists. He looked to front of him and saw a chicken restaurant. It looked new crisp with the neon red sign outside with the a chicken logo. How ironic, he thought. "Why are we here?" he asked. She chuckled a little and put a hand on her hip.

"I figured that you didn't want to be returned home so soon, so why not. I'm meeting some friends here anyway. Might as well introduce you, little brother." She explained with a slight smirk curling at the side of . She put her hand around his shoulder and led him in the restaurant. 

It was chaotic inside. It was packed full of people ready to eat. As if it was the Olympic games, waiters were prancing like gymnasts and the cooks were firebenders. The cooking fire raised in volumes to their will as they shook the pan. He was reminded of that American cartoon show he was watching. It piqued his interest since Korean television is just stagnant to him. But, he was used to stagnant until now. They arrived at table full of men. Hani stood behind him with her hands on his shoulders. She could feel his heart rate jump to to very high heights. They laughed and made jokes. All of their hair were different colors. Purple, dirty blonde, black, pink, and a mix between blonde. Who are these weird  people, he thought. Although, Eunjo noticed one man that stood out. The man with dirty blonde hair stared directly at Hani and smiled towards her. He looked up and saw her returning the gesture. It was that smile. The same smile he saw at the day of his brother's wedding. His mind began to put two and two together and he was not delighted with the result.  He momentarily cursed his fast, analytical mind.

"Ja, Eunjo. Take a seat. Don't be shy." She nudged him to seat beside the man that gave Hani that smile. He cursed his luck. Hani took a seat next to him. 

"What's your name?" the man beside him asked with a smile that made him seem like a bunny in Eunjo's eyes. He saw why Hani fell for him. He looked towards the other men and answered curtly. "Eunjo." The man noticed the slight bitterness in his tone but chose to ignore it. 

"I'm Jungkook, but you can me hyung, if you like."

"I'm good with ahjussi." Eunjo shot back. The whole table quieted and stared at him. He took no mind to it and turned towards Hani with a devious smile. The men snorted and attempted to hold back their laughter.

"Jin hyung, I love him already." The pink-haired guy snickered.

"Oh, shush Jimin. He's silently fuming. Let him fume in solitude." Jin whispered to him also snickering.

"I'm hungry, please feed me." Hani controlled her shocked expression and frowned. 

"Hey, Baek Eunjo! Apologize right now! He's older than you." Eunjo frowned at his reprimandment. 

"It's okay, Hani. He's just a kid." Jungkook smiled, but he was gritting his teeth in annoyance. Eunjo witnessed his look and felt automatic satisfaction at his work. He got him riled up.

"Oppa, it's not okay," she flicked the boy's forehead, and snickered, "you little brat." 

The waiter came to their table and they placed order. After eating three dozens of chicken wings, they left the restaurant and went their separate ways except for Jungkook. Eunjo felt his annoyance won't cease to follow him. So, he decided to walk in between them to guard any advances Jungkook would attempt. 

"Noona, where are we going?"

"Where else do you think? I'm taking you back home." she looked down at him. Eunjo froze in his spot. He glared at her with such bitterness and sorrow that she had never seen before. She realized her mistake too late as she saw him run away from her.

"Eunjo, wait!" 

"Idiot, I don't want to go home!" He yelled while running. 

"I'll go after him." Jungkook followed after him.

He saw Eunjo sit on the park bench with his back hunched over in defeat. His tears freely released a waterfall. So, he stroded to his side cautiously and sat next to him. The boy noticed his presence and quickly wiped them with the back of his hand. 

"I hate you." Eunjo stated while sniffling. Jungkook leaned against the bench and put his hands on the back his head. 

"Well, I hate myself too, but I'm happen to be enjoying life right now." Eunjo didn't reply. He scooted away from his proximity, and turned his head away from him. 

"Hani doesn't understand. I can't go home. She'll be sad again if I told her why. Wasn't that what happened last time when she was sad? Mom said she almost did a bad thing." Eunjo spilled unexpectedly. Jungkook held his breath and sighed. He never knew that the boy already had such knowledge of the event but not the complete truth.

"Sometimes in life we need to feel sad. We can't just go on living with happiness with nothing to feel sorrowful about. You don't give her enough credit, you know."

"But,  I can't bear to go home. It's so suffocating to even be in there. And I still blame you."

"Blame me? You blame me for making her happy again?"

"No! T-that's not what I meant! You took her from me! She's changing already from hanging around you! I love Hani noona. She was always there. She saved my life when I still feel like I don't deserve my own life. Eventhough I love my brother, she has had a bigger presence on my life than he has! I don't want to lose her." Eunjo spilled more tears at his realization, "I'm so stupid, I called her an idiot. She must hate me now." Jungkook scooted closer to him and patted his back. 

"She could never hate you Eunjo. She loves you and she does understand your pain. People change for the better most times and other times they don't, but that's part of life. Life isn't going to remain stagnant all the time. Life isn't going to go the way you want it to, but that doesn't mean Hani will stop loving you."

"Eunjo." They turned their heads and saw Hani standing right behind the bench. Her face  controted feelings of realization and a twing melancholy. "I could never hate you. How could I hate my little brother?" she said with a teary smile. Eunjo hopped off the bench and slammed into her with a tight hug.  

"You never had to worry about her going away. My girlfriend is practically yours." Jungkook jokingly grumbled under his breath. He shook his head and crossed his arms. After leaving the park,  they headed to Jungkook's place. Eunjo looked around him as the neighborhood was unfamiliar to him. He looked up at his hand and saw that Hani was still holding it ever since they left the park. But he internally groaned in irritation at the fact that Jungkook was on the other side holding her right hand. Hani let both of her hands out of their grips and bent down to his height.

"Eunjo, you are staying the night with me and Jungkook, but tomorrow you are definitely going home. Mother was worried sick."

"You called mom?!" Eunjo asked, astonished.

"Of course I called mom! I had to let her know where you were. I knew you were missing in the first place because she called me a few minutes before I saw you. Noona is smart, isn't she?" she tapped her head with her index finger. He sighed in defeat. "Go ahead inside." she handed him the key and he didn't waste time to get to the door. 

"We're finally alone, huh?" Jungkook spoke up interupting the small silence. He turned in her direction. She released a sly smile and giggled. He witnessed the pink blush that spreaded around her cheeks. It made his heart swell with pride. 

"I hope we didn't wear you out tonight."

"No, but I could say the same thing." he smirked in promiscuity. He grabbed her arm and lead her into a hug. 

"Oh, you dirty teddy bear."