“Is he sleeping?” Won Woo asked in a small whisper when he noticed how quiet his friends were. Of course they were quiet since they were watching the TV, but they had been commenting on the events happening in the show for the first thirty minutes. It was mostly constructive criticism at least. Jihoon hadn’t said much for a while now and that’s when Won Woo glanced over to see the youngest leaning on Soo Min’s shoulder with his eyes closed.

 

“I think so.” Soo Min answered back in a whisper, naturally.

 

“Are you tired?” He also noticed the clear fatigue on her face, they had been watching the TV for about an hour or two since the pizza arrived. The afternoon was about over and evening was approaching within the hour. Time sure feels slow when you skip your afternoon class. Won Woo thought to himself in amusement. He doesn’t usually skip, so it wasn’t a familiar feeling to him after all.

 

“Just a little.” She replied with a small nod, she didn’t want to wake Jihoon if she were to make any sudden movements.

 

“Why don’t you sleep?” He suggested while gesturing to their younger friend. He recalled how she said she met with Ren earlier this morning after Mingyu’s shift, it must’ve been pretty late at the time and he knew she probably didn’t get that much sleep before she went to campus earlier with him and the other two, Jeonghan and Mingyu.

 

“Not yet.” She protested with a frown. “I wanted to tell you what I told Jihoon before you showed up earlier.” The expression on her face told him she was serious.

 

“What is it?”

 

“I had lunch with my dad today. He said he and my mom have decided to go to L.A this year with us.” Everything was said in a whisper, but it was difficult since her voice cut out here and there from being too quiet. “I really don’t know what changed their mind… and it seems kind of weird now. I even mentioned Ren’s mother’s name, and he was kind of shaken by it.”

 

“Choi Rina?” Won Woo was curious now. That did seem strange.

 

“Yeah… it seems pretty suspicious, I don’t know why he would react like that. It looked like he obviously knows who she is since it made him react like that. I was going to ask about it, but I didn’t since well...” she trailed off before looking to Jihoon to her left sound asleep on her shoulder.

 

“There’s something I’ve been needing to tell you as well.” Won Woo shifted so he was facing her more properly. “I’ve bumped into that woman two times. And each time she talked to me it was like as if we knew each other, and in a motherly way, too.”

 

“Really?” Hearing that word motherly made her whip her head back around to face him.

 

“It was strange. What makes it even stranger is what Ren told me at lunch today. He said he was adopted.” Despite how quiet they were being, Soo Min went completely silent. “After what you said about your dad reacting to that woman’s name… it seemed pretty suspicious. Ren told me he learned he had a half sister, and the story fits you. He didn’t tell me the story but to be honest, I think it might be true.”

 

“I would think so, too.” She said with a dejected tone, she was shocked, of course, but at this point she was almost expecting it, too. This all sounded too strange and crazy to be true, but certain encounters seemed to point it to the idea.

 

“I also… think he might be my half brother, too.” Won Woo still didn’t feel too sure about it, but after what happened earlier, it seemed to be possible.

 

“Wait… you too?” She suddenly looked confused. “How?”

 

“I’m not entirely sure… unless one of my parents were apart of the affair as well?” Saying it out loud made Won Woo almost feel sick. Affairs were never a good thing, of course, there would be a negative reaction to it. “I think Ren knows more and hasn’t told us yet.”

 

“Why?” Soo Min almost sounded bitter and it was understandable since she’s dealt with that before when seeking answers. Her cousin refused to tell her anything… and the thought about Ren not telling them anything either was starting to frustrate her all over again.

 

“He might be scared or worried. Maybe he’s trying to find proof of it as well.” Won Woo pointed out and her expression started to calm down.

 

“That’s understandable.” That was a good reason, she supposed.

 

“Do you think maybe this was the reason our parents distance themselves from each other?” After thinking about the possibility, it seemed to make a lot of sense.

 

“I honestly think so…” Why else would their parents distance themselves?

 

“If it’s true, what then?” Won Woo hadn’t really thought that far ahead. “Should we be mad?”

 

“I don’t know.” She shrugged and cringed, she had already forgotten that Jihoon was sleeping on her shoulder!

 

“You really don’t know how to relax, do you.” Jihoon muttered in irritation while sitting up and rubbed one of his eyes.

 

“You were awake?” Soo Min felt bad, maybe they had woken him up from talking this whole time and he didn’t say anything about it.

 

“Ren does know more.” Jihoon simply said while getting more comfortable on her shoulder again, he basically confirmed that he had been listening to them after all. “You should ask him about it next time.”

 

“Did he tell you anything?” Won Woo asked and was met with silence. “Really, how does he fall asleep so quickly?” He pouted. And to think he had been listening this whole time.

 

“I don’t know, I’m jealous.” She chuckled and shrugged her shoulder a bit to test if he really did fall asleep, his head almost fell off her shoulder and she quickly saved him from waking up again.

 

“Well, I guess we should just let it be for now. We can ask Ren when we get back from L.A?” Won Woo said a moment later.

 

“Sure, sounds good.” She nodded in agreement. Once again, they should face one thing at a time. There wasn’t much left to say at this point, so the two continued to watch the TV. They would try to relax for now. Shortly after Soo Min finally fell asleep and Won Woo took a few moments to admire his friends, they seemed so peaceful now despite what happened today. He was glad things were okay between them now, he wouldn’t have to worry about it so much now. Eventually, sleep caught up to Won Woo and he too fell asleep on the couch next to his friends.

 

...

 

“Hyung!” Mingyu called out to Jeonghan after he spotted him in public. The older had parted with Jisoo after eating and the younger also parted with Hansol after hanging out for a bit. He had thought about contacting Won Woo, but he bumped into Jeonghan by coincidence. “I’m so happy I bumped into you!”

 

“Wish I could say the same.” Jeonghan laughed when he saw the younger start to pout. “I’m kidding, of course I’m happy to see you again, for the second time today.”

 

“I don’t know if I believe you after that.” Mingyu still looked offended!

 

“I was really kidding! Lighten up!” Jeonghan patted him on the shoulder. “Are you looking for Won Woo?”

 

“No, but I want to now.” Mingyu said with a sheepish smile. “But what about you? How is Soo Min?” They had briefly talked about this morning before class started, he could tell Jeonghan was pretty worried throughout their entire lecture.

 

“I’m not sure. She didn’t answer my texts or calls after class ended earlier. I was going to head over to their apartment to check on her, but I wanted to check on my grandmother first since I’m in the neighborhood.”  

 

“Oh, right, your grandmother.” Mingyu smiled. “Can I come, too?” He asked with a hint of caution. “I mean, I don’t have to, I just thought it’d be nice to meet her.”

 

“Sure, you can come.” Jeonghan smiled. “I’m sure she’d like to meet you, too.” He added. “We can go to Won Woo’s apartment afterwards?”

 

“Yeah, that sounds good!” Mingyu was in agreement and the two started to head to the elder home Jeonghan’s grandmother was staying at. The walk wasn’t very long, they were pretty close to the place from where they bumped into each other, which was why Jeonghan thought he should drop by.

 

They entered the building and Jeonghan signed in at the front desk and made sure to get Mingyu to sign in as a visitor as well for his grandmother. The woman at the sign in desk kindly told them to wait while she locates his grandmother. Mingyu took that time to look around the front area, he thought it was pretty nice and well decorated for an elder’s home. It really did feel homey. “This place is really nice.” He commented.

 

“Yeah, it is.” Jeonghan agreed with a smile. “Halmoni is lucky.”

 

“Maybe, but don’t worry, you’ll be in here fifty plus years from now.”

 

“Thanks.” Jeonghan didn’t seem amused with that comment. “I love thinking about growing up and biting the dust.”

 

“Hyung…” Mingyu frowned. “Don’t worry about it, it’s a long time from now!”

 

“It’s not as far as you think. The year is already almost over. Time flies.”

 

“Hyung, let’s not talk about this anymore. I’m sorry for bringing it up, or well, you actually brought it up but forget about it!” Mingyu pouted and turned away from his friend. That’s when the woman from behind the desk returned.

 

“Your grandmother is in the quiet room in the back.” She explained.

 

“Thanks.” Jeonghan said quietly before heading to mentioned room. Mingyu quickly followed after him.

 

“Hannie~!” The elder in the small lightly decorated room’s face brightened up the moment she saw her grandson enter the room and Mingyu thought it was really sweet. “Oh, you brought someone with you?” She asked after Jeonghan gave her a quick hug.

 

“This is Mingyu, he’s a new friend of ours.” Jeonghan introduced the younger who bowed respectively.

 

“It’s nice to meet you, halmonim!” He greeted.

 

“Wah, he’s so polite and handsome… and really tall!”

 

“You don’t need to point that out…” Jeonghan muttered in a jealous tone and the elder just laughed before asking Mingyu a few questions about himself so she could get to know him better. Jeonghan let the two have their small talk for a bit and texted Soo Min again to see if maybe she was just busy earlier or something.

 

[Note: This convo takes place right before Soo Min talked to Won Woo at home on the couch.]

 

Soo Min: Sorry! I left my phone on silent by accident

earlier. I didn’t realize till now!

 

He chuckled at that. Typical Soo Min.

 

Jeonghan: That’s okay. I just wanted to know

If things were okay with you after meeting with your dad?

 

Soo Min: Yeah, things are okay.

Apparently they’re going to L.A this year…

 

Before Jeonghan could type a reply back, his phone was taken from him by his grandmother who scolded him for using his phone during the visit. “Who are you texting?” She asked while sliding down her glasses from the top of her head so she could read, but it was no use, she never knew how to read the touch screen, it was always too bright for her or too dim.

 

“It’s Soo Min, I was just checking on her since she didn’t answer my texts earlier.” Jeonghan explained while holding his hand out for her to return his phone.

 

“Is everything okay?” She frowned while giving his phone back.

 

“Yeah, things are fine, don’t worry.” He assured her.

 

“That’s right, so how did things go that night on your birthday?” She suddenly grinned from ear to ear. “Did it fit?”

 

“Fit?” Mingyu asked, obviously confused on what they were talking about.

 

“We should go now, but I promise to bring the others with me next time.” He said quickly with a sheepish chuckle and got up from his seat to give her another hug.

 

“Please do, I miss everyone!” The elder said sweetly, Jeonghan had successfully distracted her. “It was so nice meeting you, dear!” She gave a gentle pat to Mingyu’s arm since he had been sitting in the chair next to hers.

 

“Likewise!” Mingyu gave her a charming smile. “Please take care until next time!”

 

The two gave her a small wave before leaving the room and once they were outside after signing out at the front desk, Mingyu commented on how adorable Jeonghan’s grandmother was. “I’m surprised, she was really behaved today.” The older had said with a small turn of his head.

 

“Behaved?” Mingyu was confused.

 

“Don’t worry about it, let’s just head to Won Woo’s place already!” Jeonghan gave another sheepish laugh before leading the way. Mingyu was curious about that but figured there was no point in asking about it any further, maybe he’d find out later on. He caught up to Jeonghan right away.

 

The two made it to the WooMin duo’s apartment a short while later since they walked instead of taking a cab, the sun was starting to set by now and created a beautiful sight of blue, purple, pink and orange hues above the whole city. It was so stunning, Mingyu had to stop and stare for a moment.

 

“Why are you just standing there?” Jeonghan’s voice snapped Mingyu out of it.

 

“I was just admiring the evening sky!” Mingyu said before turning around to follow Jeonghan into the apartment complex.

 

“It was quite pretty, wasn’t it?” Jeonghan said with a small smile while they were making their way up to the apartment.

 

“It was, I should have taken a picture!” Mingyu pouted.

 

“Even if it’s not the same, there will always be a sunset more beautiful than the previous. But that’s not to say one is greater than the other, they’re all pretty unique in their own ways.”

 

“So poetic, hyung!” Mingyu teased. “But I definitely agree~!” He added just as they arrived to the front door.

 

“I’m glad you agree.” Jeonghan chuckled and punched in the passcode to enter.

 

When he saw the trio asleep on the couch, he turned to Mingyu and gestured for him to be quiet. Mingyu was confused until he saw the precious sight himself. It was so adorable, he wanted to take a picture! But it seemed like he wasn’t the only one feeling that way, Jeonghan already had his phone out and was ready to snap a photo himself. The two ventured over to get the perfect picture, they seemed to have something in common now, gushing over their friends.

 

Jihoon’s head was resting on Soo Min’s shoulder while her head rested on his. Won Woo didn’t seem to be a part of it since he was leaning away from them and it was probably by accident. They knew it wasn’t like they purposely fell asleep on the couch like that and they could see the almost empty box of pizza on the coffee table and could guess they had a good snack before sleeping.

 

“You’re seriously going to eat that?” Mingyu whispered when he saw Jeonghan pick up one of the cold slices of pizza. “You don’t know how long it’s been sitting out!”

 

“I’m sure it’s fine!” Jeonghan laughed before taking a bite. “I’m going to go heat it up.” He added and made his way to the kitchen.

 

“That hyung…” Mingyu shook his head before he looked back to the sleeping trio. He smiled at how precious it seemed. Judging by the way Soo Min and Jihoon were sleeping on each other, he thought it was safe to say those two made up. (a sun spider fell on my shoulder while writing this scene.) And judging by the way Won Woo was sleeping on the couch with them, he spent some time with them before knocking out.

 

When Jeonghan shut the microwave door a little too loud and turned it on, Won Woo stirred in his sleep since it hadn’t been long since he fell asleep and a few seconds later, his eyes fluttered open. “Mingyu?”

 

“Good evening.” Mingyu smiled sheepishly. “We came to check on you guys.”

 

“Oh…” Won Woo muttered while sitting up properly and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. “I guess I fell asleep too, huh?” He muttered after glancing at his friends next to him before looking to Mingyu. “What time is it?” He didn’t mean to fall asleep! He supposed all the food he ate played a part in it.

 

“Almost 8pm.” Mingyu answered after quickly checking his phone.

 

“Damn, it's still so early.” Won Woo sighed and touched his hair to make sure it wasn’t messy from his uncalled for nap. There actually was a few rebellious strands sticking up near the back of his head and he had missed it. He realized that when Mingyu giggled at him and leaned over to help him with it.

 

“You can always go back to sleep?” Mingyu pointed out after fixing his hair, that kind of defeated the purpose of helping him now, didn’t it?

 

“No, I was actually going to text you about dinner but I fell asleep. Sorry.” Won Woo shook his head in protest. “I said it earlier, right? That we’d go to dinner…”

 

“It's fine, you needed your rest.” Mingyu assured him with a cute smile. He remembered.

 

“Let's go.” Won Woo ignored his comment and got up from his spot on the couch. “They should be fine here, they're small enough not to have a problem with it.” He explained while rubbing his sore neck.

 

“Won't they get cold though?” Mingyu worried and Won Woo couldn't help but smile.

 

“Right, I'll get them a blanket.” He said before heading to Soo Min’s room to grab her comforter and brought it back to drape over their small bodies. Won Woo suddenly had the urge to snap a picture and he did. He also sent it to Ren for some unknown reason, or was it really unknown? Sometimes acts like Jeonghan, but it's rare. “Okay, let's go.” He turned to head for the door and that's when he saw Jeonghan standing there eating the slice of pizza he heated up. He simply waved with a knowing grin.

 

Won Woo chose to ignore him while Mingyu waved and said his goodbye before following Won Woo out of the apartment. When they made it to the parking lot, Won Woo walked towards Soo Min's car. “You don't want to walk again?” Mingyu teased.

 

“No way.” Won Woo snickered before getting into the driver's seat. Once Mingyu was in the passenger seat he asked what he was hungry for.

 

“Why don’t we eat what you want to eat this time?” Mingyu asked innocently, it was cute.

 

“... I ate a lot today.” Won Woo admitted with a sheepish laugh and rested a hand over his stomach. “I basically ate an early dinner with the other two earlier, and I ate so much when I was at lunch with Ren, I think I'm done eating for the day. Sorry.”

 

“I don't know if that should be a good thing or a bad thing?” Mingyu chuckled. “But I guess not being hungry is nice.”

 

“Even if I ate, you should eat, too. You have work later, right?”

 

“Not tonight. I have the night off.”

 

“Then we’re in no rush, that’s good.” Won Woo seemed happy to hear that and Mingyu noticed. “So pick a place to eat and we’ll go.” The younger figured he should at least eat while they’re out, so he picked Won Woo’s favorite burger joint, because he had started liking cheeseburgers a lot recently… Won Woo totally didn’t have anything to do with it. Okay, maybe he did.

 

...

 

“Jihoon… Jihoon wake up.” Jeonghan gently nudged him awake shortly after Won Woo had left with Mingyu.

 

“Whaaat?” The younger groaned. He obviously didn’t like being woken up when he was sleeping so well and comfortably.

 

“Are you spending the night here?”

 

“Here?” He repeated in confusion before opening his eyes and realized where he was.

 

“Seungcheol is on his way to pick me up, I wasn't sure if you wanted a ride home?”

 

“Oh…” he mumbled before he noticed he was leaning on Soo Min who was still asleep. “I think I'll stay.”

 

“Okay.” Jeonghan chuckled. He figured he'd be too tired to return home anyway. “Why don't you two move to her bed, the couch can't seriously be that comfortable, right?” He started to have flashbacks of when he fell off that same couch.

 

“You're okay with that?” Jihoon asked but he still sounded like he was half asleep.

 

“Of course.” Jeonghan snickered. “She actually sleeps better if someone is with her.”

 

“I didn't know that?”

 

“You do now.” He said while scooping up his girlfriend into his arms so he could carry her to her bed. When he put her down in bed, he pouted. He wished he could stay the night, too. Her friends were so lucky and he was quite jealous. He gently caressed her cheek before placing a small kiss to her forehead and turned to leave the room. He didn’t get far since she woke up and asked where he was leaving off to in a cute pouting tone.

 

“You never replied to my text earlier.” She said after he came back to her bedside.

 

“I was visiting halmoni at the time. I took Mingyu with me and they were chatting up a storm, but then she caught me on my phone and scolded me.”

 

“I would do the same.” She made a judging face, but it looked silly since she looked so sleepy.

 

“You said your dad is going to L.A with your mom this year?” He thought maybe they could talk about it for a few seconds.

 

“Yeah.” She nodded and let out a small sigh. “I don’t know what’s going on? Things seem so strange… When I mentioned Ren’s mother’s name, my dad acted really weird afterwards. Then I talked to Won Woo earlier before I fell asleep. Apparently he learned that Ren is adopted and Ren thinks I’m his half sister, and now Won Woo thinks he’s his half brother. It’s so sudden and sounds crazy, but could it really be true?”

 

“It really does seem crazy.”

 

“I don’t know how to feel about it. Maybe I’m too shocked and I haven’t been able to properly register it to my brain?”

 

“Just take it easy.” He said while resting his hand on her arm. “It’s been a pretty long day, you should rest and pick up on it again tomorrow when you’re well rested.”

 

“Right… I really need to relax.” She nodded in agreement and managed a small smile. “Thanks for coming to check up on me.”

 

“No problem. I wish I could stay but I have to go home and do homework.” He said with a pout.

 

“ to be you.” She teased with a small snicker. “I haven't gotten far on my midterm project.”

 

“What?” He blurted out. And here she was teasing him about having to do homework when she needed to do hers as well.

 

“Don’t worry, I’ll work on it tomorrow!” She chuckled at his concerned expression. “Go ahead and go home… I’ll see you tomorrow~!” She gave him a sleepy smile before puckering her lips for a kiss. He just smiled and leaned forward to peck her on the lips before he stood up and headed to the door.

 

“Sweet dreams, my beloved King. I love you.”

 

“I love you, too, my dear Queen.” She waved from her bed. Jeonghan blew her a kiss before finally exiting the room. He shut the door and started to walk towards the front door when he remembered Jihoon was there. He fell back asleep. “Yes or no?” He questioned himself, he was debating if he should leave him there or not, but after what happened to him last time he slept on that couch…

 

Jeonghan let out a defeated sigh and proceeded to scoop Jihoon up into his arms despite the risk of the blonde waking up and knocking him out for carrying him like that. It seemed like the guy was really knocked out since he didn't even stir in his sleep when Jeonghan picked him up. Just as he was turning around to walk back to Soo Min's room, he saw Seungcheol sanding at the front door. “Yo.” Jeonghan chuckled and watched Seungcheol hurry over to him

 

“Why are you holding him so recklessly?!” The older scolded in a whisper while supporting Jihoon's head up since the way Jeonghan was holding him had Jihoon's head bent back due to gravity. “What if he chokes on his saliva or something?”

 

“You're right, I'm sorry.” Jeonghan chuckled before fixing his hold on Jihoon and now it was like he was cradling him. “The poor baby!” He added and began to rock the 19 year old in his arms. Jihoon's birthday was soon, though.

 

“Can you not?!” Seungcheol smacked Jeonghan on the shoulder with a disapproving look. “Hurry up and put him down before he wakes up and knocks you out.” He had a point and Jeonghan hurried back to Soo Min's room to put him in the bed with her. She had already fallen asleep by then and didn’t stir in her sleep when Jihoon joined her. They were pretty knocked out now. He covered them with the blanket before whispering a small goodnight and left the room.

 

“Let's go.” Jeonghan snapped Seungcheol out of it after he returned to the door. The older had been staring at Soo Min's bedroom door. “What is it?”

 

“He couldn't stay on the couch?” Seungcheol asked innocently but it was clear he seemed a bit bothered.

 

“Tch, I felt the same.” Jeonghan snickered. “Couches weren't meant to sleep on. Especially that one.”

 

“But he's small enou-”

 

“Don't be jealous.” Jeonghan laughed. “They finally got to talk things out and they've been close like this before. It's fine.” He added and actually pulled on Seungcheol’s arm to get him moving.

 

“Bu-”

 

“Cheol, do you like him or something?” Jeonghan blurted out after they exited the apartment. He could tell his friend was caught off guard by that question. “I'm fine with those two sharing a bed, but are you?”

 

The older seemed too flustered to speak. It seemed like there was no way he was going to be able to talk his way out of this. “I guess so.”

 

“I noticed how you two have been acting around each other lately. You’d seem happy and he’d seem embarrassed about something, even flustered. How long?” Jeonghan said with a growing smile. “Since when?”

 

“Since high school.” Seungcheol shyly admitted. “Let's not talk about this in front of the door.” He started to walk off and Jeonghan simply agreed and followed him to the car. “You're not going to harass me with questions all night, are you?”

 

“No.” Jeonghan rolled his eyes. “Tomorrow is going to be a long day, need my beauty sleep.” He grinned. “But we'll definitely have to talk about it soon!”

 

“Alright.” Seungcheol smiled. Even if he was embarrassed and shy to admit it, he was glad that Jeonghan didn't make a huge deal about it tonight like he might have if it wasn't so late into the evening. “You're not jealous in the slightest?” He was referring to Jihoon sharing a bed with Soo Min tonight.

 

“I am!” Jeonghan pouted. “But I can't really do anything about it.” He added while folding his arms across his chest with a pout, like a bad sport.

 

“Chill.” Seungcheol said while pulling out of the complex’s driveway.

 

“I'll chill if you chill.” Jeonghan snickered and Seungcheol laughed. The drive home would be a long one.

 

...

 

“Is everything okay now?” Mingyu asked after they sat down from ordering his meal for the evening, a double cheeseburger with a large fry and fountain drink. “Did things get worked out?” He wanted to make sure even if he saw it himself.

 

“Yeah, they did.” Won Woo nodded before he sighed. “I still don't know what will happen after this. Kind of since we have stuff going on, it's hard to focus on one thing.” He seemed worried now. Mingyu couldn’t help but think of the small talk he had with Ren after his shift this morning. The model seemed stress about something and he had also mentions the WooMin duo. He knew it was probably none of his business, but he couldn’t help but worry about them, if there was anything he could do to help them, he wanted to be able to do so.

 

“I'm sure it will be okay in time.” Mingyu said positively before taking a bite of his burger. That was the least he could do for now. There was a moment of silence while he ate and Won Woo looked around the restaurant. He supposed it’d be hard to keep a conversation going if your companion was eating, he didn’t want Mingyu to rush nor did he want his food to get cold if they talked too much.

 

“Sorry about not coming to see you last night, I wanted to, but...” Won Woo suddenly blurted out.

 

“It's fine. I'd rather you be there for your friends when they need you, I can wait my turn.” Mingyu chuckled but his words had Won Woo staring at him with an intense look, like he was thinking about something to the point of zoning out. “Won Woo?”

 

“I missed you.” Won Woo managed to say a moment later and gave him a shy smile. Perhaps he was just summoning up the guts to say that. It was a good thing Mingyu wasn’t chewing anything at the moment or he might have choked on it.

 

“I missed you, too.” Mingyu simply said with a cute smile in reply. He knew it, Won Woo was getting more comfortable around him when he saw the genuine smile on Won Woo’s lips after he said it back to him. It was adorable. Just then, Mingyu noticed Won Woo reach over and took one of his fries. “I thought you were done eating for the day?”

 

“It was just one fry!” Won Woo pouted.

 

“That’s fine, eat as many as you want.” Mingyu said cutely while moving the tray CLOSER towards Won Woo so he could grab some more. He didn’t mind sharing, not at all.

 

“Thanks.” The older took a few and placed them on a napkin and ate them while Mingyu finished his burger. Before he knew it, he ate the rest of Mingyu’s fries. “Sorry!”

 

“It’s fine!” Mingyu laughed, he really didn’t mind, as his stomach growled just a bit but only he noticed it. “I guess it’s possible that you’d be a little hungry since I was eating in front of you.”

 

“But still… that was your food.” Won Woo felt bad, for eating Mingyu’s fries and for his body, so much food in one day. He was definitely going to get fat at this rate.

 

“I’ll just buy another one.” Mingyu assured him while getting up to make that order. Won Woo wasn’t sure if he should get up and get one for himself, too, just so he wouldn’t eat Mingyu’s fries again, but he kept thinking about all the food he ate already, he’d hate it if he overate and got sick later. When Mingyu returned, he sat down a small order of fries in front of Won Woo before sitting down with his own large order of fries. “I really don’t want you to overeat.”

 

“I was just thinking that, too.” Won Woo snickered. “Thanks…” he supposed it wouldn’t hurt to eat that much in the end.

 

“Fries are addicting, honestly.” Mingyu made a happy sound after eating a few.

 

“Why do they have to be so bad for you, though?” Won Woo pouted as he continued to eat them, it was like his body had a mind of its own, seriously.

 

“I know.” Mingyu laughed. “But it’s okay to treat ourselves once in awhile.”

 

“Exactly.” Won Woo definitely agreed with that, and now he started to feel better about eating. It wasn’t like he ate this much every day, he’d be fine.

 

“So, I met Jeonghan’s grandmother earlier before we came to your place.”

 

“Really?” Won Woo seemed a little surprised. “How did it go?”

 

“She was so cute and adorable!” Mingyu gushed and Won Woo had to laugh. “Though, she did ask Jeonghan something towards the end and he seemed kind of flustered and suggested we leave. I don’t know why he acted like that?”

 

“While Jeonghan’s grandmother seems cute and adorable, she’s also really mischievous and occasionally has a dirty mind.” Won Woo explained. “Looks can be deceiving.”

 

“I had no idea!” Mingyu seemed shocked and understood what Jeonghan meant by his grandmother being behaved.

 

“She’s really something.” Won Woo chuckled. “Most of the time she’ll ask about if they’ve planned a wedding and when will they give her a grandchild?”

 

“Wow.”

 

“I think it’s funny, though sometimes I feel bad for them since I don’t know, might make them feel pressured.”

 

“That’s true. I’m sure she doesn’t mean to pressure them, maybe she’s just really curious and wants to know so she can prepare. I know it’s hard to plan for those kind of things, proposals are so sudden sometimes, and babies… are another story.”

 

“I know it might happen one day,” Won Woo suddenly looked petrified, “I’m not sure what I’ll do when the time comes. I’d probably be the one who is more freaked out than them and the baby isn’t even mine.” His words got a laugh out of Mingyu, it was cute.

 

“Babies aren’t that bad, don’t worry!”

 

“You say that like you’ve experienced it already~!”

 

“Maybe! My mother had a few friends who had babies in the past two years and I got the honor to baby sit a few times! Babies are adorable 80% of the time!”

 

“What about the other 20%?”

 

“Let’s not talk about that.” Mingyu’s expression suddenly darkened and it was Won Woo’s turn to laugh.

 

“Well, thanks. At least you’ll know what to do if the time comes.”

 

“Of course!” Mingyu beamed. “I hope to have kids of my own someday…”

 

Hearing those words suddenly had Won Woo zoning out again. We’re already talking about kids? And they just started their relationship, too? Things sure moved fast! “Won Woo?” Mingyu’s voice snapped him out of it. “Don’t over think about what I said, it’s just something I’ve been wishing for since I was younger, okay? You know how girls dream about getting married and starting a family when they grow up?”

 

“Right.” Won Woo nodded.

 

“Yeah, it’s just that… so don’t think about it for now.” Mingyu said with a shy smile and focused on finishing up his fries. Won Woo thought that was so adorable and swore he just fell in love with Mingyu just a little bit more.

 

They finished their fries a few minutes later and agreed to leave the restaurant. Won Woo thought about taking Mingyu home, but if he had to be honest, he didn’t want their time to end just yet. The night was still young even if it was dark now. “Want to go for a drive?” He asked.

 

“Sure!” Mingyu seemed excited about that and it made him smile.

 

They took a drive around town in comfortable silence. Mingyu admired the city lights while Won Woo focused on driving. He really wasn’t the type of driver who could do much while driving, talking was still a bit of a challenge so he was glad Mingyu was occupied with staring out the window. But the silence got boring pretty quick for Won Woo, so he ended up driving them to Han River to relax. They sat in the car for a moment until Mingyu suggested they go outside and get some fresh air. Won Woo was glad he said that since he had started to get nervous and his stomach started to feel a bit queasy from all the food.

 

Mingyu leaned against the front of the car and gestured for Won Woo to do the same next to him. He did as suggested and the car moved slightly and Mingyu laughed while Won Woo felt embarrassed. I really ate too much! He thought, despite that was going to happen regardless. The two took a moment to admire the river and the night sky reflecting on the calm waters. It was a beautiful sight.

 

“So, how did your lunch with Ren go?” Mingyu broke the silence later on. “I’m just curious, that’s all.” He added and cleared his throat a bit. Won Woo thought that was so cliché and funny.

 

“It went well.” Won Woo answered.

 

“What did you two talk about?” When Won Woo remained quiet, he frowned. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.”

 

“No, it’s not that, it’s just…” Won Woo trailed off and started to play the scene over in his head. “Lately, Soo Min's been having strange encounters that involve Ren and his mother. I didn’t know what to make of it until I had lunch with him today.”

 

“Strange like?”

 

“Well, Ren has this idea that Soo Min might be his half sister… because he told me that he’s adopted, and his mother, Choi Rina, told him he had a half sister. He said the story fits Soo Min.” It was Mingyu’s turn to stay quiet while he listened to Won Woo. “I was kind of shocked, I wasn’t expecting that… but what I really didn’t expect was when Ren and I stopped for ice cream on the way home, the ice cream lady asked if Ren and I were brothers. She said we looked similar and pointed to her jaw and nose. I don’t know if it’s really that noticeable, I don’t really think we look that similar but maybe it’s just me since I wasn’t expecting it. I know Ren and Soo Min look very similar and maybe it might be true that they’re half siblings, but the troubling part of it all is who had the affair among her parents and with who? Now that I’m thrown into the mix, I can’t help but think my parents were a part of it. I never knew why they decided to leave to the states for their oversea jobs and I never knew why they seemed to distance themselves from Soo Min’s parents. But after meeting Ren and piecing together those strange encounters… maybe that’s why?”

 

“Wow.” Mingyu barely got out. “You’ve had one crazy week.”

 

“Exactly.” Won Woo frowned. “I’m not even sure if I want to go to L.A now.”

 

“Don’t say that!” Mingyu felt bad. He understood Won Woo was probably feeling a lot of emotions right now, but he didn’t want that to affect the plans he already made. “Like you said, you don’t know what really happened, even if you came up with a possible answer, it’s not confirmed yet. I know it’s probably difficult to tell you to just put it aside for now, but you really should go to L.A. You already planned it for the past week, and it’s your father’s birthday, right? Won’t he be sad if you didn’t show up?”

 

“He probably doesn’t care.” Won Woo turned away with his head lowered.

 

“You don’t know that!”

 

“Maybe I don’t, but the fact they rarely contact me should be proof enough.”

 

“Won Woo, don’t be like this. You said your parents have busy jobs, right? They live overseas, the time difference is crazy, do you really expect them to call every day?”

 

“No, I don’t expect them to call me at all. I bet their assistants get more calls than I do.” Won Woo stood up from his spot and started to walk towards the river. He seemed really upset now that they were talking about it and Mingyu felt horrible. He wasn’t sure what he could say to help now.

 

He watched Won Woo from the car for a few minutes, because he wanted him to calm down before he would approach him again. He saw Won Woo kick a small stone around with his hands shoved into his hoodie pockets. It was difficult to see Won Woo this upset. What could I say? What could I do to make him feel better? Another moment passed and Won Woo was still kicking that stone around until he noticed him stop. He saw Won Woo looking at him with a slight angry expression on his face. It wasn’t until he shouted over at him that he realized Won Woo had started to cry, probably out of frustration. “What?! You’re just going to sit there and watch me kick a ing stone around?!”

 

“Sorry!” Mingyu called back over and stood up from his spot, he was about to walk over but hesitated. He suddenly felt scared, he hadn’t seen Won Woo this upset before and it hurt to think he was the one who tried to talk to him about it in the first place. He never meant for it to turn out this way. He worried if he approached him now, he’d be rejected and Won Woo would say something he regrets.  

 

“Isn’t this the part when you comfort me?!” He shouted again before he turned and kicked the stone as hard as he could and it went flying into the river, it skipped a few times before sinking. “Yah~!” He shouted a third time when he saw Mingyu still at the car, at least 30-40ft away.

 

“I don’t know!” Mingyu said with a sad laugh. “Are you going to kick me into the river, too?!”

 

Won Woo just let out a deep sigh and turned away to face the river. He realized maybe he was being a bit dramatic right now, and it probably worried Mingyu. Calm down. He thought to himself while taking a few deep breathes, but it didn’t stop the tears that were falling. Stop thinking about it… He wanted to tell Mingyu what was on his mind when he asked, but he didn’t think it would end up like this either. He thought talking about it would help, but it clearly didn’t, not for him. “What am I going to do?” He asked himself and wiped away his tears with the back of his hand. “What do I do?” He felt lost.

 

“Just relax.” He suddenly heard Mingyu’s voice behind him before he was pulled into a back hug. “I’m sorry that you’re going through a lot. I wish I could be of better help…”

 

“No, I’m sorry.” Won Woo broke free before turning to face him. “I shouldn’t have been so negative about it when you were trying to be positive. I let my feelings get out of control…”

 

“It could have been worse.” Mingyu said with a small shrug. “You could have pushed the car into the river.”

 

“Stop.” Won Woo pouted and hit him on the chest. “I didn’t mean literally.”

 

“I know.” Mingyu chuckled and pulled Won Woo into a proper hug. “Until you know the truth, just don’t let it bother you so much. Go to L.A. Go celebrate your father’s birthday, because even if your parents made a mistake or not, I’m sure they still thought about you when they made their choices and decision. You think they don’t care, but that’s the thing, you don’t know if that’s true or not. Try not to make assumptions, okay?”

 

“Okay.” Mingyu was right. He was completely right and Won Woo felt stupid for saying such things in front of him. “Thanks.”

 

“No problem!” Mingyu chirped after they parted from their hug. “Off topic, but I just want to say, I’m impressed. Even if you kicked that rock out of frustration, it skipped like four times before sinking. I don’t think I ever got a rock to skip even once in my lifetime!” Seeing Mingyu being so enthusiastic about that had Won Woo holding in his laughter, he thought it was sweet. “Can you throw it with your hand?” Mingyu suddenly placed a small flat and smooth rock into his hand and turned him to face the river.

 

Won Woo looked at the rock then to the river. He tossed it and it sunk immediately.

 

“You didn’t even try!” Mingyu pouted before bending down to pick up a few more rocks. He got into position and threw one of the rocks in attempts to try it. It sunk immediately. He tried again, and it sunk. The third one sunk too.

 

“Try kicking it?” Won Woo chuckled at Mingyu’s defeat.

 

With all that pent up frustration, Mingyu kicked the fourth rock as hard as he could and they watched it fly into the air and… “Where did it go?” Mingyu asked and squinted.

 

“I didn’t hear it hit the water. You probably kicked it to the other side of the river.” Won Woo snickered. “Impressive.”

 

“Whatever!” Mingyu dropped to the ground and crossed his legs and arms with a small sigh. Won Woo smiled and took a seat next to him on the ground but instead, hugged his legs to his chest and looked out to the water. “Won Woo?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Thanks for talking to me.” Mingyu said with a soft smile when Won Woo looked over at him. “I know talking isn’t your thing, but I appreciate that you would tell me what’s on your mind. That you opened up to me… it makes me happy that you trust me enough to talk to me about such things.”

 

“Right.” Won Woo looked away with a small pout, he was embarrassed like always when he was told stuff like that. “Thanks for listening to me.”

 

“Anytime.” Mingyu said happily before reaching over to wrap his arm around Won Woo’s shoulder and brought him CLOSER until the older was leaning on the younger. Won Woo was happy with this and rested his head against Mingyu’s shoulder.

 

“I really don't know what to do… regarding our relationship.” He muttered a moment later.

 

“It's fine.” Mingyu’s arm held him CLOSER.

 

“Is it really fine?” Won Woo sighed. “I’ll understand if you don’t want to wait around… I’d really hate for you to be unhappy.”

 

“But I’m not unhappy!” Mingyu assured him. “I’m happy just being by your side. Don’t worry about it.” He added and Won Woo looked up at him before they shared that moment again. That moment of looking into each other's eyes. Won Woo could easily tell where this was going to go now and he wasn't going to stop it.

 

It was like Mingyu read his mind, or his expression and started to lean forward. It was a lot quicker this time and he was already just an inch from Won Woo's face. It was cute how Won Woo quickly sealed his eye shut, like he was bracing for impact again, and then he puckered his lips out! “Really? Duck lips?” Mingyu couldn't keep his giggle back.

 

“Are you making fun of me?!” Won Woo frowned and felt insecure just then.

 

“No!” Mingyu assured him. “I just couldn't help it, you were cute.”

 

“Ahh! I'm going crazy.” Won Woo muttered and turned away from him while ruffling up his hair. “Just forget about it!”

 

“Okay.” Mingyu chuckled and he didn't seemed too bothered by it. He figured it wasn't going to be that easy anyway, especially if he was someone who got super shy and embarrassed, he probably wasn't mentally prepared yet.

 

Won Woo was surprised at how well Mingyu reacted this time, but then he felt bad. He felt like Mingyu was expecting it to be like this, and while it should make Won Woo less stressed about it…

 

Mingyu smiled at Won Woo when he looked over at him a second time. It was cute and had Won Woo staring at him until he faced him and closed his eyes while puckering his lips out just a bit. Mingyu was confused before he realized what this meant and he happily leaned over to place a small peck to Won Woo's waiting lips.

 

It happened so fast that Won Woo's reaction was 3 seconds off. He was… okay. It didn't hurt and well, it didn't really feel like anything to be honest and he frowned. Is that all? He was sure he was going to feel something when it happened but… he looked over at Mingyu again who was already leaning over and cupped the right side of his cheek before placing his lips onto Won Woo's in a longer kiss this time.

 

Won Woo was stunned at first and was completely shocked by the sudden kiss, but it wasn’t long until he relaxed a bit and closed his eyes, remembering that’s how it went in the movies. Mingyu was the first to part from the kiss, and when he opened his eyes he saw Won Woo sitting there, eyes still closed and his lips slightly puckered out, it was so cute it made him laugh. He was really serious about never being in a relationship.

 

“Yah…” Won Woo frowned after opening his eyes to see Mingyu laughing, he knew he was probably laughing at him for his lack of experience or something. Before he could say something again, Mingyu locked his lips with his in another sweet kiss, surprising him again.

 

Now won Woo felt something. He felt his heart racing. His face burning. His knees about to give out underneath him and he was sitting! The butterflies were definitely raging. He felt so many feelings in the second kiss and it was overwhelming but he liked it regardless. So, this is what it’s like… to like someone who likes you back? He thought while naturally melting into Mingyu’s kiss. They hadn't parted yet and it seemed like they never would until Won Woo felt like his lungs were dying. He had to pull back and catch his breathe.

 

“Are you trying to kill me?!” He barely got out.

 

“You weren’t breathing?” Mingyu was surprised while laughing. “You’re supposed to breath through your nose!”

 

“Shut up.” Won Woo turned away, he was still trying to catch his breath. “What am I supposed to do?!” Won Woo complained. This was so romantic, oh so very romantic.

 

“Breathe through your nose!” Mingyu repeated.

 

“Too much work!” Won Woo turned away and covered his face. Despite complaining, he was utterly happy right now. He didn't expect to feel like this after kissing Mingyu, he thought he wasn't going to like it, you know, since he didn't really like anyone touching him in the first place, he was almost sure he wouldn't like anyone kissing him, either.

 

“It's okay, it's late anyways.” Mingyu pointed out and Won Woo frowned. “We probably should head home.”

 

“No, not yet.” Won Woo shook his head. “I want to stay a bit longer… can we?”

 

“... maybe for another 30 minutes unless you're planning to sleep through your classes again?” He chuckled and Won Woo snickered at that.

 

“I don't really care at this point.” Won Woo said before shifting to face him. “I want to be with you right now. We probably won't get to be alone for awhile after this…”

 

“Aren't you being a little dramatic?” Mingyu bit back a small laugh, but it was adorable to see Won Woo talk like that.

 

“Maybe.” He said with a small pout and looked away to hide his flustered face. “Don't you feel the same, though? Next week is midterms and then we leave for L.A afterwards, when we get on that plane we won't be alone… even while we're in L.A.”

 

“You already forgot that you said you'd take me stargazing?” Mingyu chuckled when he saw Won Woo's look of realization.

 

“Originally, I was taking you there to confess.” Won Woo admitted. “But it'd still be nice to go.”

 

“Yeah, I still want to go.” Mingyu said with a sweet smile and took Won Woo's hand into his again. “We can kiss under the stars. It'll be so romantic.” Oh so very romantic.

 

“How can you say it so casually?!” Won Woo turned away for the third time.

 

“Did you like it?”

 

“Like what?” He hesitated on facing him again, but once he finally did, Mingyu spoke again.

 

“When I kissed you?”

 

“Why?” This time, Won Woo tried to stop himself from turning away to hide. He was doing it too much and he personally didn't want to be that embarrassed, even if it might be cute to Mingyu.

 

“No?” He asked with a worried smile. “I just don't want to do anything you don't like.”

 

“Oh…” Won Woo realized it now and started to feel bad. Mingyu was really considering how he felt and it was nice but he couldn't help but feel like it was burdening him. He finally told him his feelings yet he has to be cautious about what he does. This was probably why he was so hesitant on telling him how he felt in the first place but then he wouldn't have been honest. Honest. I should be honest again. “I liked it.” Won Woo said softly. “I didn't think I would, but I did, a lot more than I thought I would. Maybe it's just in my head… you can do what you want. I'll try to be more open about it.”

 

“You don't have to do that, I was just making sure I wasn't doing anything you didn't want. I'm fine, I got to kiss you once, I'm happy with that.”

 

“It was three times. You really at math.” Won Woo snickered.

 

“I guess so!” Mingyu laughed as well, he was a little embarrassed now.

 

“Three is an odd number…” Won Woo trailed off and his eyes were locked onto Mingyu’s.

 

“You want to make it even?” Mingyu cracked a flirtatious smile and it made Won Woo chuckle and look away with a small blush.

 

“I feel like this is going to be a recurring thing…” he said quietly before looking at Mingyu again and looked into his eyes once more.

 

“Remember to breathe this time.” Mingyu teased and Won Woo rolled his eyes before meeting Mingyu hallway and their lips locked in a fourth kiss.

 

It went even better this time, that's for sure, so well that there was a fifth, sixth, seventh… eighth, ninth and tenth kiss. How many kisses would you consider to be a make out session? Mingyu wasn't sure if he was just imagining it, but it seemed like Won Woo got better each time they kissed and he was supposed to be new to it all?! When Mingyu parted from the eleventh kiss, Won Woo frowned. “What?”

 

“It's an odd number again.”

 

“You're keeping track?!” Mingyu was surprised and impressed at the same time. There was no way he would have been able to focus on anything other than Won Woo's lips on his. He was too lost in the feeling of being able to finally kiss Won Woo, he couldn't be bothered with counting how many kisses they shared. Suddenly, he was snapped out of it when he felt Won Woo peck him on the lips quickly.

 

“It's even now.” He said with a small chuckle. Mingyu seemed surprised and it was cute. But it didn't last long since Mingyu pulled him into another kiss. If Won Woo had to be honest, he really liked the feeling of kissing Mingyu even though it hasn't been long since they started. The kissing ended on an even number, at least. Sixteen.

 

“We really should go home now.” Mingyu pointed out after they saw the time on his phone. “As much as I don’t mind kissing you by the river and wouldn’t mind doing that all night, it’s cold and we have classes tomorrow.” He could see Won Woo pout at that.  

 

“Alright.” Won Woo agreed and was slightly reluctant since… he really didn't want their time to end, but at the same time he worried that he'd get addicted to kissing Mingyu and that would be all the night was. Not that that was a problem or anything… Can you overdose on kissing? He wondered, and it seemed silly but he was curious.

 

Is this normal? He wondered on the drive to Mingyu's shared apartment. He wasn't sure why someone like him who didn't like too much affection was already kissing the person he liked sixteen times on the first night? Maybe because I've wanted to for a long time. Ever since that time in the classroom, when Mingyu almost kissed him… that made sense. Or was he trying to make up for having Mingyu wait on their relationship? He couldn't be too sure and frowned.

 

“I'll see you tomorrow.” Mingyu's voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he realized it was time to part for the night. “Goodnight, Won Woo.” He added before leaning over to kiss him on the cheek. Just as he was pulling back, Won Woo stopped him and managed to kiss him on the lips one last time. Mingyu stared at him in surprise.

 

“SEVENTEEN seemed like a good number to stop on.” Won Woo said calmly but it was clear that he was flustered. “Goodnight.” He added with a small smile a few seconds later.

 

Mingyu was able to snap out of it and returned his smile before getting out of the car and waved as Won Woo drove away. Once he knew Won Woo was gone, he turned and knelt down on the sidewalk while covering his warm cheeks with his hands and let out a small squeal. He was happy… super happy tonight.

---

Chapter thirty-seven!

They totally made out at the river.

Won Woo is addicted to kissing Mingyu.

He was like “Shimmie Shimmie Ko Ko Bop, I think I like it.”

Mingyu doesn't even care, honestly.

He loves it.

Their relationship has officially started, yay!

Wah, Jeonghan is so cute~! *0*

Jeonghan: I know I’m cute.

Once again, this chapter started out short but once I started to edit it, BAM. 4k to 10k

My English instructor did say I was wordy when I wrote my essays XD

But it’s okay, I want to be wordy in these chapters, I’m working on being more detailed too, but my vocabulary is still small so that’s why. Though I don’t think I’d want to start using big words, I know not everyone will know it, especially readers who don’t have English as their first language. I think I’m fine where I’m at tho, so I won’t worry about it!

Also… I hate summer. Can it already go? Please and thank you.

If you caught it during the chapter, I mentioned that a spider fell on my shoulder while writing one of the scenes. Do any of you know what a sun spider is? Don’t look it up, it will give you nightmares! But I thought to share that with you all lol.

You are welcome, be scared with me.

I had to wake up my twin to help me get it off and I was shaking like a leaf.

Twin: You’re fine, you big baby, I killed it.

Me: ……….

Lol, guess who isn’t sleeping tonight (7/17/17)

It happened on Won Woo’s birthday, OF ALL DAYS.

Guess my shoulder was a hot spot for sun spiders 😂

Jihoon's ‘lean on me’ shoulder, ironic much?

LOL

Anyways, Meanie finally had their first SEVENTEEN kisses~!

How special~!

Seungkwan is disgusted JK.

Next stop. L.A. Or well, at least getting to the airport, and then L.A~!

I wish all the characters could go, it would have been fun but eh… maybe next time.

*Characters trying to steal my laptop so they can write themselves into the L.A trip*

You know, I can still write on my phone…

Also, you’re welcome for the super long chapter. Hopefully the next one is long too since updating frequently is becoming a challenge because of therapy for my knee as well as inspiration for this fic has been low. I’ll try to work harder~! So until then...

See ya next time~!