“What did you want to talk to me about?” Ren tried to ask innocently, but he knew what it was going to be. After what he heard this morning while he was fake sleeping, he’d be surprised if Won Woo asked about something else right now.

 

“Well,” Won Woo started off. “Soo Min told me about earlier when you two bumped into each other. You said something that was interesting, do you remember what it was?”

 

“Ah…” Ren gave a nervous smile, he could easily play dumb, but then what was the point of that. There was no use in pretending that he didn’t know nor lying about it. He’d just be looked at as a liar if he did and he didn’t want that, he disliked liars. “I guess I shouldn't lie and say no.” He added before sighing. “I called her my little sister.” He planned to tell the two about his discoveries, it was just the timing that was off at the moment. They only met on the camping trip a little over a week ago, things were moving too fast.

 

“Did you really mean that or?” Won Woo's expression was slightly serious because it actually was a serious matter. He understood some people would call another person like a sibling, like when guys would call their friends their brother from another mother, their sister from another mister, a close bond like that. But they hadn’t known Ren that long yet and while maybe the two might have clicked right away, there were other strange encounters that made that innocent sister comment a little more strange.

 

“It's difficult to say.” Ren sighed. “I should probably point something out first before I say anything further.” He decided maybe he could say one thing, the two were bound to find out eventually, he told Jihoon so he might as well tell the duo.

 

“What is it?” Won Woo suddenly felt worried. He didn’t know what to expect and it was really making him anxious. The situation with Soo Min’s parents seemed to make everything feel like a cliffhanger to be honest. Hyungwon refused to tell her what happened, even her parents rejected talking about the reason why they didn’t see Won Woo’s parents off at the airport when they left for their overseas jobs. “We were just busy at the time, stop asking about it.” Even if that could be the truth, it sounded so shady when they said it. Won Woo started to wonder if what Ren was about to say had anything to do with him, too?

 

“I’m adopted.” Ren said after a short silence. He seemed worried and hesitant the way he was looking at him and it was probably because he was trying to gauge Won Woo’s reaction. The younger wasn't extremely surprised, but there was still a hint of surprise in his expression. “When I talked to my adoptive mother, I learned of a half sister I never knew I had. The story seems to fit Soo Min pretty well… and our similar appearance is uncanny, don't you think?”

 

“Yeah, it seems like it’s not just a coincidence.” Won Woo nodded. Now that he thought about it... “So, you might be the child from the affair one of her parents had?” Despite it wasn't his parents he was talking about, he still felt horrible about it. Ren noticed that and wondered if he shouldn't say too much just yet, at least until he gets those DNA results back.

 

“Maybe.” One of the reasons why he was so cautious and hesitant on telling the two about what he knew was the possibility that Won Woo and Soo Min might not be so welcoming to Ren if they heard he was born from the affair their parents had. He’s heard about situations like that before, and he wished he hadn’t read about it, because he was scared it was going to happen to him. For both Won Woo and Soo Min to be living their lives happily and peacefully and then here he comes along saying their parents had an affair and he was born… that would catch anyone off guard and in some cases, make you angry for being lied to. There could even be negative feelings towards Ren in their subconscious, but he felt like they weren't the type to do that… he really hope they weren’t the that type. But it was still in the back of his mind.

 

“Damn.” Won Woo didn't seem too happy to hear it, as expected, but Ren could understand why. “Well, I suppose everyone makes mistakes at some point.” He sighed before noticing Ren’s dejected expression and he cringed. “I'm sorry, I don't mean that you're a mistake.” He curse at himself in his mind, how could he say something so rude?!

 

“I know.” Ren assured him with a sad snicker. “I just feel… bad. I feel sorry. My birth seems to have caused issues between friends…” his adoptive mother said so herself, she said how his father’s wife found out and was angry to the point it caused a rift in their friendship, he was pretty sure Won Woo’s father might have been pissed, too. Who wouldn’t be pissed if you found out your significant other cheated on you with your best friend and even had a secret child? Even Ren was mad when he heard it and for a few minutes he hated himself. He was their illegitimate child and they gave him away. They even went on to have another child of their own which they kept. Even if his birth mother gave him to a close friend, he felt so unloved.

 

“Really? Who is it?” Won Woo asked, clearly curious. Now that he thought about it, he noticed how his parents and Soo Min’s parents seemed to have distanced themselves after his moved to the states. Could he be talking about our parents?

 

Won Woo’s question snapped Ren out of his depressing thoughts and he gave a weak smile. “Sorry, can we talk about something else for now?” It was clear that Ren was getting upset and while Won Woo really wanted to hear about what he had to say, he didn’t want to force it out of Ren. But that just made things even more interesting.

 

“Sure.” Won Woo nodded. Another cliffhanger. He thought with a hint of disappointment.  Maybe they’d talk about it again another time, when they’re more prepared… because they knew this was leading up to something serious. “So, uh… have you talked to Mingyu much lately?” He asked and was slightly nervous. He knew the two were friends or at least acquaintances, it was clear that they knew each other, their mothers knew each other, he just wondered if they two had been talking to each other lately or not?

 

“I talked to him this morning after his shift at the convenience store near your place.” Ren answered with a small smile. He didn’t expect for Won Woo to ask about that, especially since he heard from Soo Min that she wanted those two to get together. “He seems really nice and sweet.”

 

“What did you two talk about?” Won Woo looked panicked for a second and Ren chuckled.

 

“Not much, but he told me he was going to L.A with you this next weekend.”

 

“Oh… right. It’s my father’s birthday and I invited him.” Won Woo said it like he almost forgot.

 

“That’s nice. Are you going to introduce him to your father or something?” Ren asked in a teasing tone and Won Woo pouted.

 

“No, it’s not like that!” He complained and Ren laughed again and muttered a small I’m just kidding. “But… I guess I should say I did confess to him.”

 

“You did?!” Ren almost shouted and Won Woo stared at him. He was reminded of Soo Min just then. They’re definitely related. He thought with a bittersweet smile. “Sorry, didn’t mean to be that loud.”

 

“It’s fine, you’re excited, I get it. I bet Soo Min told you about me and Mingyu, right?”

 

“She did.” He nodded. “I’m happy for you, Won Woo.” Ren said with a bright smile and once again, it just felt like it meant more… like he was an older brother congratulating his younger brother on his new romance. Could we be related, too? “We should celebrate, order anything you want, I’ll pay!”

 

“Thanks.” Won Woo chuckled before looking down to the menu in front of him. It was nice meeting Ren for lunch, even if things got serious for a few minutes, at least they could talk about other things. When their waiter came to take their order, Won Woo really did order everything he wanted but Ren didn’t mind of course, he ordered just as much as Won Woo anyway!

 

…

 

“Did you bring me out to lunch to tell me you’re not going to L.A again this year?” Soo Min muttered after they had ordered their food. She didn’t order anything big and her father seemed to notice that. He was about to ask about it, but then thought maybe she just wasn’t that hungry at the moment, or maybe she was watching her weight? She also didn’t seem too happy to be there at the moment but her father chose to ignore that. He knew their relationship wasn’t so great recently, even though he was trying to fix it.

 

“You mean I can’t just take my daughter out to lunch without notice?” She just gave him a look and he laughed. “Yes and no.”

 

“Don’t lie about it!” She frowned. “Just be honest!” She didn’t mean to snap, even if she was going through a lot today, it was no excuse and she started to feel bad. But it seemed like her father didn’t get hurt or offended by it. He only smiled before speaking.

 

“We’ve decided to go this year.” He said while stirring the ice in his water around. “So you won’t have to relay the presents this time, okay?”

 

“What made you decide to go this year?” She was a little caught off guard and sat forward while giving him a hard stare. She wanted to know. “What changed?” Something seemed weird about it. Something seemed out of the blue with it. Something seemed fishy about it and they just ordered Italian food, pasta, spaghetti, there were no fish around. Okay, that’s a lie, there was probably fish down the street in another restaurant.

 

“We’re all getting old and time is ticking?” Her father said with a joking tone. “We’re just not that busy this year, okay?” He watched his daughter sit back in her seat with a small sigh, there was that shady tone again. “Do you not want us to go?”

 

“No, it’s not that.” She shook her head. “There’s just been a lot going on.” The strange encounters with Ren, learning about the affair, her fight with Jihoon, now her parents were suddenly going to L.A with them despite the way they distanced themselves from Won Woo’s parents. She really wondered how this all was going to end?

 

“Like what? Do you want to talk about it?” He thought maybe he should really ask, he is her father after all… parents always make sure their child is okay, right?

 

“No.” She answered almost instantly, her eyes were locked onto the table in front of her and she didn’t noticed the dejected expression on her father’s face when she rejected that offer so quickly. “I’ll be fine.” Even if she’s started to talk to her friends more, talking to her parents was another level.

 

“Are you sure?” He knew if he didn’t at least ask that, it would look like he didn’t really care, which he does care. After scolding her for prying into things about their distance from Won Woo’s parents, he didn’t feel like he should be prying into her problems or issues, not after that. It wouldn’t seem fair.

 

“Yes.” She simply said before taking a sip of her tea. There was a tense silence after that and her father tried to think of what to say to lighten the mood. He thought to ask about school, but if he remembered correctly, she isn’t very fond of school. He thought to ask about kpop, but he knew he probably wouldn’t be able to keep up with her fangirl talk, let alone, she probably wasn’t in the mood to talk about that with him. One thing he did think about to ask, which every parent asks when meeting their child after a short while...

 

“How are you and your boyfriend doing? Has he been treating you right?” He asked with that parental tone, like always when it came to her boyfriend.

 

“Yes.” She nodded with a small snicker. “He said he would have joined us if he didn’t have class.” To be honest, she really wished he did tag along, because things didn’t seem to be going too well between them, it was awkward and tense and she hated it.

 

“Really? He missed me then, right?” He grinned when his daughter scoffed at his question. “I missed him too, be sure to tell him that.” Well, at least he knew how to joke.

 

“I don’t want to.” She shook her head with a pout “Tell him yourself!” He laughed and she managed a small smile. So maybe things weren’t so bad, maybe she was overthinking things. “How’s mom doing?” She decided to at least ask about her mother before the visit was over.

 

“She’s doing fine, like always. You and your mother are so independent, I don’t even have to worry about you two, but I still do.” He admitted. “She also wanted to join us for lunch but she was busy running errands for the trip to L.A.”

 

“Maybe she and Jeonghan should go have lunch together.” Soo Min chuckled at the thought. They seemed to get along, though her mother always gave Jeonghan a difficult time about his beauty and would say how jealous she was. Jeonghan would end up complimenting the older woman until she was embarrassed and then he’d get hit in a friendly and playful manner for being too sweet. Soo Min would then for being so cliché and cheesy until he’d hit her in a playful way, too.

 

“Maybe~!” He also laughed, maybe he was thinking the same thing as her. “We’ll all eat together soon, don’t worry.” He added after taking another sip of his water.

 

“Jeonghan is coming with us to L.A. Won Woo bought him a ticket… I guess for his birthday.” She realized she should probably tell him who was going so he wasn’t surprised when they meet at the airport.

 

“Really? That was sweet of him!” Her father always thought Won Woo was a nice kid, especially since he helped Won Woo every now and then while growing up without his parents. You could say he kind of raised him, so he was always pleased to hear about Won Woo’s kind acts. It would make him proud.

 

“He also bought Jisoo’s ticket since he doesn’t have the money right now. And he also bought our new friend Mingyu a ticket, too.”

 

“Wow… he sure knows how to save his money! He’s like an ATM.” Her father seemed impressed now. “Your new friend Mingyu?”

 

“Yeah, he’s a new friend of ours.” She nodded. “We met him last month and they’re getting pretty close, so he invited him on the trip.”

 

“Interesting. I’m excited to meet this new friend.” He smiled just like a true parent. “Any other new friends you made since we last talked? Particularly female?”

 

“No.” She said innocently and he gave a worried laugh. “Girls are hard to talk to sometimes…” she added and he gave her a sorry look. “Min Ji is the only friend I have who is a girl, but maybe in the near future we’ll make more girl friends.”

 

“Yeah, don’t worry about it, though.”

 

“You shouldn’t worry about it either.” She pouted. She knew her father didn’t mind about her choice in friends, especially since her best friend is a guy when stereotypically it should be a girl. After she started her relationship with Jeonghan, that’s when he started to worry since her boyfriend tended to get jealous sometimes at the fact majority of her friends were male. He was also probably worried about his daughter getting judged for hanging around so many guys, people might get the wrong impression... “Mingyu isn’t the only friend I met last month, I also met a familiar looking model and his group of 4 friends. He’s the son of a famous designer named Choi Rina.” She explained and noticed her father’s expression change at the name mentioned.

 

“Rina?” He repeated and started to look lost in thoughts about it. It looked like he knew who that was. She was tempted to ask him about it, but she had to remind herself to deal with one issue at a time today. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a good idea to ask about that right before they were going on the trip to L.A. What if things turned bad and the whole trip is ruined? She would feel so bad and sorry to Won Woo’s father if that happened. She decided to stay quiet until their food finally came and they ate in a long silence. When they were done, he told her that he’d see her again soon and to stay in contact. She could tell he seemed bothered about what she said earlier and worried if maybe she shouldn’t have told him about Ren and his mother now.

 

It seemed to really shake her father up since he didn’t even giver her a ride home, but that was fine since she didn’t think she could deal with the tense silence in the car anyway. Walking home would give her time to think about things, even though she hated walking long distances.

 

Jihoon: I’m on my way over.

 

Her phone snapped her out of it and she quickly tried to hail a cab because she knew she wouldn’t make it home in time if she walked, she didn’t want to be late on meeting with Jihoon. She got frustrated when it seemed like not many cabs were stopping for her and she started to worry. Maybe is she walked to the next block, she’d have better luck? And luck she had.

 

“Hello, Miss GaGa.” She heard someone say and she turned to see Minhyun waving at her from the passenger seat of Baekho’s car. “Need a lift?”

 

“Yes!” She nodded with a smile of relief and hurried to get into the back seat. “To my place.” She said to Baekho while buckling her seatbelt.

 

“Are you in a rush?” He asked with a small frown, he had to wait for some cars to pass before he could drive off.

 

“Kind of.” She answered quietly.

 

“Then, we’ll have you there as quickly as possible.” Minhyun assured her. “Just don’t get a speeding ticket, okay?” He said to his friend this time.

 

“I won’t. I never got one before, relax.” Bakeho muttered as if he was embarrassed by his mother. By his Mother Hen. “I’m actually a better driver than you.” He added under his breath.

 

“What was that?” Minhyun asked like he was going to scold him for it and Baekho gave him a sheepish laugh and said it was nothing. It was cute to Soo Min and she held back her small laughter. They kind of reminded her of her friendship with Jihoon and her expression started to drop. She really hoped things would get better after talking things out.

 

…

 

“Are you ready for L.A?” Jisoo asked when he and Jeonghan went for some pizza after their final class of the day.

 

“Maybe.” Jeonghan gave a light chuckle. “The real question… is L.A ready for us?”

 

“I'm sure L.A is ready.” Jisoo snickered at how cliché that was, but it was cute.  “Where are you staying in L.A?” He asked out of curiosity, they hadn’t talked about the trip yet.

 

“In a hotel with Mingyu.” Jeonghan simply answered and didn’t see Jisoo’s expression change. “Won Woo ended up inviting him before me. I was thinking about asking to stay with you and your mother, but I don’t want Mingyu to be alone when Won Woo and the others are staying with his parents.”

 

“Right.” Jisoo nodded. He understood that. “Well, what if it was okay for Mingyu to stay with my mom and I? Will you come stay with us?”

 

“I mean, if it’s okay?” Jeonghan looked up at him and was kind of confused on why Jisoo seemed so insistent about it, like he was trying to talk him into it.

 

“It’ll save money, too.” Jisoo pointed out, as if that would make him less obvious.

 

“Oh, you’re right!” Jeonghan suddenly smiled. “Then, thanks!” He really hadn’t thought about that till now and started to feel like an idiot. He didn’t know what was going to happen if he stayed in the hotel without a ton of cash on him, even though he knew his girlfriend and her best friend would help him out, he didn’t want to burden them like that. Maybe it’d be okay if I dipped into my savings just a bit? He thought before noticing Jisoo and gave him another smile.

 

“No problem.” Jisoo had a smile of his own, a victorious smile. “I’ll be sure to contact my mom about it later.” His mother really wasn’t going to mind, she also would recommend it as well to save money after hearing about her son’s friends and their stories.

 

This wouldn’t be Jeonghan’s first time going to L.A, he’s actually gone with the trio and their parents before when they went on two week summer vacation to celebrate the trio’s graduation from high school. Even Jisoo and their other friends Seungcheol, Chan and Junhui had tagged along, it was the funnest vacation ever! But Jeonghan had stayed with Soo Min and her parents because they wanted to know Jeonghan better. Jisoo didn’t get the chance to have him stay with him and his mother before, but this time it was going to happen.

 

Jisoo wasn’t sure what was going to happen on this trip since it was going to be different now that Jeonghan and Mingyu were tagging along, but he was hoping he’d get to spend a lot of time with the older. “Jeonghan?”

 

“Yeah?” He looked up from taking a bite of his pizza, it was funny… where was this guy’s manners?

 

“Should we go swimming in L.A?” Jisoo asked while muffling his laughter.

 

“Sure, that sounds like fun!” Jeonghan said with a bright smile behind his hand for obvious reasons, his mouth was full. It made Jisoo smile, of course, he could be so biased sometimes. There was an idea behind that suggestion though. Would I be phased when I see him shirtless again? It was a plan to figure out that strange feeling he’s been having towards Jeonghan. Even if he tried to picture it now, he wasn’t so sure. He’d have to see it for real to know whether or not these feelings were platonic or something more. He hoped it’d be as simple as seeing his friend shirtless and be assured that he was still attracted to women. Time would only tell now.

 

...

 

“Do you want a lift back to the campus?” Ren asked after he and Won Woo exited the restaurant.

 

“If you don’t mind?” After eating so much, Won Woo didn’t like the idea of walking home right now and he knew not to bother Soo Min, either.

 

“No problem.” Ren assured him just as Baekho’s car pulled up in front of them near the sidewalk. “We’re in luck, Face isn’t around this time.” He chuckled before Baekho got out of the car to open the door for them. “We’re giving Won Woo a ride back to campus.” He mentioned to Baekho while Won Woo crawled over to sit on the right side of the back seat. Walking around wasn’t a good idea since there was moving traffic.

 

“Understood.” Baekho smiled before shutting the door and proceeded to get back into the driver’s seat. Before he could drive off, Won Woo spoke up.

 

“Actually, can you take me home? I think I’m just going to skip my second class.”

 

“Really? Why?”

 

“I ate so much, I feel lazy now.” Won Woo admitted and the other two laughed at his reason. “I think it’d be better if I just went home.”

 

“True. Then we’ll drop you off.” Ren assured him and looked to Baekho who nodded in understanding. He thought about letting them know he had dropped Soo Min off a short while ago, but he had to focus on driving, he sure didn’t want to mess up and have Minhyun about it later.

 

The drive started out quiet until Baekho put on some music for them to listen to so it wouldn’t be so awkward, but maybe he only felt that way since Ren and Won Woo were in a comfortable silence. They were currently stopped at a traffic light and Ren’s eyes scanned the street and landed on a familiar ice cream stand. “Won Woo?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Do you have any room for ice cream?” He asked with a small smile when he faced him.

 

“... maybe.” Won Woo chuckled. He was reminded of Soo Min again, but then he almost frowned. He didn’t want it to always be like that, he wanted to be able to remember Ren for Ren. He supposed it was just difficult since the two nearly have the same personality, the same hair do, similar faces and the same love for Lady GaGa.

 

“Then let’s make a quick stop, Baekho?”

 

“Understood.” Baekho said with a warm smile and proceeded to make the proper turn so they could circle around to get to the small ice cream stand. He stayed in the car while Ren and Won Woo got out to get their ice cream, he felt like letting them have some time alone to bond, just like Ren did with Soo Min.

 

Ren really thought there wasn’t going to be a repeat of what happened on Monday, but the moment he saw Won Woo smile at the ice cream the lady at the ice cream stand made for him, he had those similar thoughts that he had with Soo Min. This is what it would have been like, getting ice cream with my little brother? There was that annoying sting in the back of his eyes again. , don’t cry now! He tried to calm himself down while Won Woo paid for the ice cream but it was no use. The tears started to make their way down his cheeks.

 

“Are you crying?” Won Woo seemed shocked before apologizing to the lady at the stan. The woman gave them an understanding smile.

“He did this on Monday when he was buying ice cream with a girl who looked just like him.” She mentioned quietly while Ren started to become a mess. “Now that I look at you… you look like him, too.” She added while pointing at her jaw and then her nose to hint that’s what she thought was familiar about them. Even though Ren’s nose was a bit wider, it was still straight and pointed like Won Woo’s.

 

“Really?” Won Woo could feel a weird sinking feeling in his stomach, and it almost started to make him feel sick since he ate so much. Ren was adopted and one of Soo Min’s parents had an affair… Ren looked like Won Woo in some way, did that mean one of Won Woo’s parents were involved in that affair, too? Could that really be why they distanced themselves from each other? It kind of made sense, but it seemed so crazy… it can’t be true, can it?

 

“Are you two brothers?” The lady asked and Won Woo didn’t know what to say. Won Woo just stared at Ren who was crying while their ice creams started to melt. The woman realized maybe the situation just got serious and she didn’t say anything further and stepped away to give the two a moment.

 

“Ren?” Won Woo asked and felt a slight sting in the back of his own eyes because of Ren’s tears, but he definitely was going to cry, not in public. “Are you okay?” He asked while taking the napkin that was given to him with his ice cream to wipe off the dripping ice cream on Ren’s hand. “What’s wrong?”

 

“I forgot… I’m on a diet.” Ren said with a small sob and Won Woo knew that wasn’t the reason but gave a sad chuckle to play along.

 

“Pft, why? You don’t need to be.” Won Woo said in a slight scolding tone. “Then I’ll eat it.” He added and was about to take it from him, but Ren turned away.

 

“This is mine. Eat your own!” He had a hint of laughter in his tone at least. “Sorry,” he apologized a few seconds later. “I didn’t mean to cry.”

 

“It’s fine. I guess I’m a little sad too that our hangout session is ending. But I’m not going to cry like a baby.” Won Woo said in a teasing tone and Ren snickered in reply. “We can hangout again soon, so cheer up!” He really hoped they could hangout more, spending time with Ren felt special and Won Woo was starting to think… maybe that lady was right. Are we really brothers?

 

“Right. Thanks.” Ren managed to calm down after those words. They were able to eat their ice cream before returning to Baekho’s car. The bodyguard didn’t say anything about Ren’s pink and swollen eyes from crying, he could already guess what happened. The model put on his shades in hopes that it would help so the two wouldn’t worry about him too much. Won Woo felt a little bad for him, he wished he could have comforted the guy a little better but it was so sudden. And then he started to remember what Jeonghan asked him earlier this morning before Soo Min came into the room.

 

They had talked about how Won Woo would feel if Ren was really Soo Min’s half brother. He had said he’d be happy for her, but Jeonghan had to go and ask if Won Woo wanted a sibling of his own. “Of course. I wouldn’t feel so alone if I did.” Despite he had Soo Min by his side, she wasn’t blood related. Besides his parents, he didn’t have anyone else who was close and related by blood. He had thought about it from time to time while growing up, what it would have been like if he had an actual sibling? What would it have been if he had a brother? Would he and his brother have been close?

 

Most of his friends were the only child in their own family, so it was easy to just pretend like they were his siblings, but that didn’t change the fact that they all weren’t related by blood. I’m thinking about it too much. Won Woo almost let out a small sigh but remembered he wasn’t alone, he was still in the car with Ren and Baekho. He noticed Ren was more calm now, but still had his shades on. Sitting there with him in the back seat, he couldn’t help but feel like he wasn’t alone when he was with Ren… that strange connection was there. Maybe he really is my half brother? As much as he didn’t want to assume things, it was hard not to. He’d have to look into it further after his trip to L.A and midterms, there was too much going on right now.

 

He looked out the back seat window to see where they were currently and recognized the street they were on. They’d reach his apartment in another ten minutes, or fifteen since there was some traffic. He thought about the situation for a little while longer until he was home.

 

...

 

“Hey.” Jihoon called out to Soo Min who was sitting on the couch by herself after he entered the shared apartment. He knew the passcode, all of their friends did so it would be easier instead of making them wait outside when the two were busy or not paying attention. And besides, their home was their friends home to be honest.

 

“Hi.” She managed to greet him back but he could tell she was still upset by the way she didn’t properly look at him. Her eyes were locked onto the TV across the room and he knew why, she always had a difficult time confronting people, including her friends when there was something wrong. He too had that problem, but if he didn’t step forward and speak, the trip there would be a waste. He stood there for a moment before walking over to sit next to her but he left some space between them. They were still close since the couch wasn’t that big to begin with.

 

“Here.” He said quietly a few seconds later and handed her a crafted rose made out of gold and black tissue paper. The stem was gold while the rose was black. “I… took the time to make this for you.” He watched her take it and look at him with surprise before her expression turned into a sad one, she seemed touched. “It took about three and a half hours, I stabbed my fingers a million times but it came out pretty decent. I thought to get you a real rose, but they wither away after a few days and I just don’t like that idea at all. I know you’re not very fond of colorful things, so I used two colors that you always liked. The color gold seems precious and valuable and black, well, I can’t think of anything when it comes to that color… I just know you wear a lot of black clothing.”

 

Soo Min didn't say anything because she was choked up on the tears that started to make their way to the surface when she noticed his hands. There were band aids on his left index and thumb and one on his right index finger, probably from when he stabbed his fingers a million times. She knew making paper roses needed some sort of support to keep it all together, and usually small sharp pins were used. She felt bad, because she knew he uses his hands to make music, whether he plays the guitar or the piano or even his keyboard and mouse to piece things together on his computer program, she couldn't image how much it hurt right now to touch anything? A moment later, she reached out to grab his right hand into her left and looked at him when a tear finally fell. “I'm sorry.”

 

“No, I'm sorry.” He said with a sad snicker and closed his hand around hers. “I should have listened to you instead of letting my feelings get in the way.” He added while using his left ring finger and pinky to wipe a few of her tears. “I judged too quickly, I should have known you'd never do anything to spite me.”

 

“But still, I said mean things an-”

 

“No, you were right. I never make time for anything anymore. I didn't know that until you said it. I'm sorry, I'm such a bad friend…” It was hard to admit, but he had to. Even if he didn’t do anything bad on purpose, he still felt like a bad person for neglecting his friendships. He wished he could have been more aware, maybe things like this wouldn’t have happened.

 

“I'm still sorry for saying it in front of everyone!” She said with a quiet sob. She didn’t mean to cry, she didn’t want to cry, but she couldn’t help it. We all know someone who struggled with that recently...

 

“I know. I forgive you.” He assured her while wiping more of her tears, it was like niagara falls now and he almost laughed. “I’m sorry for talking back in front of everyone, too. So, will you forgive me as well? I promise to be a better friend this time. I’ll even be sure to schedule days just to spend time with you, and with Won Woo.” He could see her chuckle at that comment and he smiled just a bit. “Can you give me another chance at being your friend?”

 

“Of course.” She quickly nodded. “Our trio is incomplete without you, Jihoon.” Her comment almost made him start crying and he looked away and cleared his throat. He honestly didn’t think he meant that much to her or Won Woo since the two had each other. They were a close duo and he knew it would always be like that, he wouldn’t have a place there… but he actually did have a place in their little trio, they made a place for him and he hated how he hadn’t properly appreciated that. Seeing her teary smile hurt, but he was happy at least. He wasn’t going to cry, not in front of her. We all know someone who struggled with that recently, too. “I know things were difficult and you didn’t mean it… and I know that you didn’t mean for things to turn out this way, either. I tried to be understanding, but I just proved that I didn’t try hard enough, so I promise that I’ll do better, so something like this doesn’t happen again.” Now he would be grateful to have a friend like her, someone who at least tries to understand him and forgives him even when he felt like he shouldn’t be forgiven for the harsh things he said.

 

“I’ll do better, too. We all need to make the effort.”

 

“Exactly.” She nodded while the tears were still rolling down her flushed cheeks.

 

“Good.” He managed a smile. “Now stop crying.” He added after pulling her into a tight hug. She did just the opposite and cried even more while he laughed and by calling her a cry baby. He hugged her until her tears started to die down. He wasn’t a very affectionate person to start with, but he knew she needed this, and honestly, he might have needed it too. Talking was still difficult, but actions and gestures were easy.

 

“I know music means a lot to you,” Soo Min said in a shaky voice from her tears. “I've supported you since we became friends and I knew it would take up a lot of your time, I understand that, but I worry if you're going to forget your friends in the process?”

 

“I won't.” He said softly and his hold around her tightened. “I at least won't forget you, you're the last person I would forget. There's no getting rid of you, honestly.” He added with a weak laugh. “I'll always remember where I came from and who was there for me, you don't have to worry about that, alright?”

 

“Are you sure?” She sobbed into his shoulder and he snickered.

 

“Yes!” He patted her on the back a bit rough a few times, it was in a playful manner and not too hard. “I promise!”

 

“Okay!” She managed to say while she continued to sob.

 

“Girl, if you don't stop crying I swear…” he laughed, but it was okay. He'd comfort her as long as he had to, because she was his special person. They remained like that for a few minutes before he decided it was time to part after she was much calmer. “Let's order something to eat. My treat.” He suggested while checking his shirt to see if he needed to change. He had a feeling that she’d be hungry after all that drama.

 

“Okay.” She nodded with a more genuine smile despite her tear stained cheeks. “Sorry, I'll get you a shirt from Won Woo's room.”

 

“No, it's fine.” He stopped her. “It's a limited edition shirt now. The lean on me, you can cry on my shoulder because I'm an .” His comment made her laugh.

 

“Stop, you're not an … anymore at least.”

 

“Thanks.” He chuckled at her honesty. It was appreciated. “So, what did you want to eat?”

 

“Can we have pizza? I had pasta with my dad earlier, so I’m in the mood for pizza now.” She added with a sheepish laugh.

 

“Sure.” He nodded and pulled out his phone to make an order on an app. “You were with your dad earlier?” He asked while he tapped away at his screen. He already knew what she wanted on the pizza and didn’t have to ask, but she looked at his screen to double check and it made him smile when she didn’t correct him on anything. He hadn't forgotten her favorite toppings yet, he still remembered some things at least.

 

“Yeah, he wanted to tell me that he and my mom are going to L.A this year.” She explained while sitting back in her seat and let out an exhausted sigh.

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah, I was kind of surprised, too.”  

 

“This trip just got more interesting now…” Jihoon felt slightly worried, he didn’t think things were going to go smoothly on this trip now that her parents were in the mix. It was obvious that something happened between her parents and Won Woo’s parents, but they weren’t sure what it was? Maybe it had been a small fight or something, but after hearing about the affair…

 

“Maybe whatever issue they had back then, they’ve resolved it now?” She pointed out, and it was unfortunate how fake that sounded. She was starting to think maybe her father had the affair… and it was with Ren’s mother, Choi Rina? He seemed so shaken up when she mentioned that woman… it seemed suspicious and maybe even possible? But then again, why does he also look a bit like Won Woo? She was starting to confuse herself. She had thought about Won Woo’s parents, but at the same time, she didn’t want to. She didn’t want to accuse them of anything, so when she saw her father’s reaction to Rina’s name, she felt like that made more sense.

 

“That could be a possibility. I just wonder what that issue was?” Jihoon’s voice snapped her out of it.

 

“Me too.” She sighed before she felt Jihoon tap her on the cheek with the back of his hand.

 

“Let’s not think about that for now, okay? You’ve been through a lot this week, just stop and relax.” He said in a slight scolding tone and it reminded her of Baekho and Minhyun from earlier.

 

“I’ll relax if you relax.” She said with a hint of laughter. Just then, Won Woo came through the front door and he was surprised to see the two on the couch, they were kind of surprised to see him home so soon, too. They thought maybe he would have been occupied with Mingyu, but they supposed that wasn’t the case.

 

“Hey,” he greeted and made his way over. “Is everything all good now?” He added with a hopeful smile.

 

“Yes.” Soo Min nodded and held up the rose Jihoon gave her with a huge grin.

 

“That looks really nice, did you do this?” He looked at Jihoon who suddenly seemed shy from the praise. It was definitely out of his expertise, but he was glad that his friends acknowledged that he had some sort of artistic talent. “Why gold and black, though?”

 

“He said gold seems precious and valuable.” Soo Min said sweetly after Won Woo gave the paper rose back. “And black… is actually a shade, not a color.” She giggled at Jihoon’s expression, like he was saying he felt like an idiot.

 

“I’m not the one majoring in art, cut me some slack!” He pouted and he earned a good laugh from his friends. “When I think of black, it feels like nothing. Maybe I’m nothing without you, maybe I’m nothing without my friends…” the meaning suddenly came to him out of nowhere.

 

“True.” Soo Min was in agreement and had a sad smile on her lips.

 

“That was dark.” Won Woo snickered and pushed Jihoon back with his index finger on his forehead, the younger lost his balance for a few seconds before he sat straight and glared at his older friend. “But that was deep and special, too.” He added while also pushing Soo Min’s forehead back and she fell back without a fight and a small laugh. Won Woo took a seat next to her right after and now she was now in the middle of the two happily admiring the paper rose. “Will you make me one, too?” He asked Jihoon after their eyes met.

 

“No way, make your own.” Jihoon snickered and faced the TV.

 

“Damn, I’m jealous.” Won Woo pouted before also snickering. “But I’m glad you two are okay now. I was so worried… it felt strange since it doesn’t happen often.” Sometimes they have their disagreements, but it never escalated or got out of hand. This could actually be the first time Soo Min and Jihoon had a serious fight. Won Woo started to worry about the day he and Soo Min have a serious fight of their own. He was hoping it wouldn’t be any time soon or even better, maybe it won’t ever happen?

 

“Hopefully it won’t happen again.” Soo Min tried to say positively. “Because we are precious and nothing without each other…” she added while holding up the paper rose, as if it was going to levitate on its own and start shining with a mystical light. “The symbol of our friendship, the logo of our group, the meaning of our lives…”

 

“Can you stop?” Jihoon blurted out while reaching over to push her arm down, but she easily switched the paper rose into her other hand to keep it up. Jihoon tried to push that arm down as well and Won Woo laughed until he noticed the bandaids on the youngest’s fingers.

 

“What happened?” He pointed and Jihoon quickly retracted his hands. As if on cue, the pizza he ordered earlier arrived. Jihoon got up to get it and left the two on the couch alone.

 

“Paper roses are painful to make.” Soo Min said with a small frown. “If you’re not careful, you might stab yourself a million times with the sharp pins.”

 

“Oh, right.” Won Woo nodded in understanding. “He couldn’t use thimbles?”

 

“Have you ever worked with thimbles before?” She chuckled at his clueless expression. “I’m sure it’s not that bad, but I still feel horrible…” she muttered quietly and looked down to her paper rose. “I appreciate his effort, though. That was really sweet of him.”

 

“It was. He can be sweet if he wants to, that’s for sure.”

 

“Right, he’s even buying me pizza.” She said with a light chuckle and they both glanced over to Jihoon at the front door.

 

“Are you going to be okay?” Won Woo asked softly, he was still worried about her after everything.

 

“Yeah, I’m fine.” She nodded and watched Jihoon at the front door talking with the delivery guy. “I’m hoping we’ll be much CLOSER after this.”

 

“Me too.” When Jihoon returned to the couch with the pizza, Won Woo started to pout. “That looks good.” He said while holding his stomach. How could he suddenly feel hungry after the huge lunch he had with Ren?

 

“Have some.” Jihoon said while grabbing a slice for himself.

 

“But I already ate a lot earlier when Ren invited me to lunch.” Won Woo whined. “I don’t think anymore food can fit in my stomach at this point.”

 

“You were with Ren earlier?” Jihoon asked, but he asked in more of a curious tone than a jealous or hurt tone. He learned not to act that way by now. He can’t scold Ren for being possessive and then turn around and be possessive himself.

 

“Actually, a lot happened this morning…” Soo Min spoke up and faced Jihoon. “Should we talk about it?” Now that the issue with Jihoon was resolved, maybe she could focus on the situation with Ren?

 

“... maybe next time. We’re supposed to be relaxing, remember?” He nudged her before sitting back in his seat with his napkin on his chest and lazily ate the pizza while watching the TV screen. As much as he wanted to hear about it, like he said, they should relax for now. He didn’t want his friends stressing out anymore than they should, especially before they have to travel.

 

“Right.” Soo Min smiled and proceeded to copy him after getting a slice of pizza of her own.

 

Won Woo just looked at the two with a small shake of his head, they were adorable, and he realized he’s been getting soft lately. He really thinks Mingyu’s and Jeonghan’s persona’s were rubbing off on him. That or he always thought his best friends were cute! He chuckled at that thought before he grabbed a napkin and a slice of pizza and proceeded to copy them, too. He didn’t want to feel left out!

---

Chapter thirty-six~!

 

Poor Ren~!

All he’s been doing in these chapters lately is CRY!

I feel so bad… OTL

Ren: Will there ever be a day when I don’t cry by the mere sight of my beloved siblings?

Ren: Perhaps until winter, when my tears will freeze and are frozen in time until the beautiful spring…

Aron: You’re be a little dramatic there, Ren.

Should we be worried about you?

Ren: I’m fine, I’m just a little emotional, that’s all.

Ren: *DEEP THOUGHTS*

Why does he have to be so beautiful…

EUGG

At least Jihoon and Soo Min are fine now~!

His poor hands though TT^TT

Won Woo is happy… and now he can think about Mingyu all he wants without worrying about his cute friends. The next chapter shall have more meanie, don’t worry~!

Until then~!

Also, it’s still July 21st here, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO BAEKHO~!

(it really was the 21st of July but I'm editing this later on, in case you noticed the date of published and edited at the top of the chapter,this applies to everyon else's birthdays I posted on LOL)

And also, Happy Belated Birthday to JR, I didn’t get to put that in my A/N at the time, whoops~!

He’s not happy, jk XD

I don’t remember if I put it for Aron either back in May…. if I didn’t, SORRY!

Aron: *SOBS* IT’S OKAY. BETTER LATE THAN NEVER, RIGHT?

Minhyun: I’m hoping she doesn’t forget my birthday…

Ren: Don’t worry, I’ll make sure she doesn’t forget… FO SHO

*THE RETURN OF REN’S FO SHO XD*