When Ren returned home, he took his time to prepare for bed. He had such a long stressful day, it’s no wonder why he felt so tired and slow. He entered the kitchen for a glass of water and memory of when he brought Soo Min over started to resurface in his head, but it made him smile instead of being sad. He was done being sad for tonight, he needed to just remember the good things for now, he needed to be happy about something at least. Note to self: don’t feed her so much sugar in one sitting. That thought made him chuckle.

 

He finished his water and headed up stairs to his room where he proceeded to get dressed for bed. He wiped his face off with one of his makeup wipes, he was just too tired to do his full nighttime skin routine right now, this was the least he could do. He then tied his hair back and crawled into bed. He lied there for several minutes staring up at the ceiling and thought about his time with Won Woo and looking at photo albums. That prompted him to grab his phone and look at the pictures he took of those photos. It brought a smile to his face seeing the photos of little Soo Min and Won Woo. Seeing photos of high school Jihoon was nice, too. Then the pictures of his biological parents came up and he studied them for a few minutes. When will I get to meet them? He wondered. Would I ever get to meet them?

 

Despite how much of a secret it was and all the drama, he really wants to meet his biological parents. It was just a matter if they’d want to meet with him, now that he’s all grown up. He worried if maybe they wouldn’t want to because of all the negative emotions circling around the situation. Maybe they’d feel like they shouldn’t, maybe they wouldn’t want to stir the pot of drama just to keep the peace. What peace though? He doesn’t know a lot, but he could tell things weren’t exactly picture perfect based off what he knew about the affair. He was sure there were going to be some bitter feelings about it after all these years. Would it be a good idea to approach them suddenly after twenty-one years of it being a secret? Things seemed so complicated now, but he wasn’t going to let that discourage him.

 

I’ll meet them, one way or another. Just once at least. He knew he’d stay in contact with Soo Min and Won Woo for years to come. There was no getting rid of him after this. Jihoon, too. Can’t forget about Jihoon again! Speaking of Jihoon, Ren decided to send him a text even though it was getting late. He felt like he should tell him about meeting with Won Woo and let him know he’s feeling better now.

 

Jihoon texted back moments later saying that he was glad that Ren was feeling better.

 

Jihoon: If you ever feel down, just talk to

someone, okay?

 

Ren: I will. Thanks.

 

Jihoon: No problem.

You should get some sleep now.

 

Ren: Same for you.

 

Jihoon: I will, in a bit.

 

Ren: Busy with something?

 

Jihoon: Yeah, but I’m almost done,

so don’t worry. Just go to sleep. I’ll

text you tomorrow.

 

Ren: Got it. Night~!

Ren:

 

Jihoon:

 

Seeing the sticker Jihoon sent in reply had Ren laughing. He could just imagine that was what Jihoon looked like right about now. “That guy needs to slow down on working… he’s just like my workaholic mom!” He muttered quietly while putting his phone away. Mentioning his mom, Rina, he sighed. What was it going to be like if his real mother became a part of his life? It’d be a little confusing when talking about his mothers. Then he remembered something he heard once before, he can’t remember from where, but it made sense to him now. There’s mother and mom. Mother being someone who birthed you and mom who raised and took care of you. It made a lot of sense now that he was this situation.

 

Even though twenty-one years have already passed, he hoped his mother could have a chance at being a part of her first son’s life. As for his father… I never had a father figure before. He wasn’t sure how that was going to go? Growing up, his mom filled in the dad role when needed and he didn’t even notice a difference. How could he really when he never experienced having a father. But he did observe his friends and their fathers, so it wasn’t like he didn’t have a clue on what it was like. He was just curious now about what his father would be like after everything is settled? He hoped it wouldn’t be too awkward or strange. If he can, he’d ask Soo Min more about what their father is like.

 

Thinking of Soo Min now, he wondered how she was doing tonight? He hoped she was doing better by now. He also hoped he could see her sooner than later as well, but he wasn’t going to push it. After talking with Jihoon earlier, he knows he should give her the space she needed. Tomorrow will be a better day, hopefully. All that thinking started to tire him out which was a first and pretty soon he fell asleep while thinking of the future.

 

...

 

Soo Min knew this would happen. She knew she would have a rough time falling asleep, after all, she’s not at home right now… she’s not in her own bed. Even though she’s spent the night at Min Ji’s a few times in the past, things weren’t so stressful at the time like they were now. So, of course she couldn’t sleep tonight. Damn. She was feeling very homesick now, all she wanted to do was go back to her shared apartment, but she would feel bad if she left Min Ji’s in the middle of the night like that. Not only that, she’d most likely have to face Won Woo once she arrives because chances are, he’s having a difficult time sleeping tonight as well. She could just feel it. Yin and Yang have been separated again.

 

Memories of the camping trip came to mind and it didn’t help at all. How she remembered they both got sick from stress… stress from being separated. Even though at the time it was planned out, this time it was so sudden. What am I doing? She didn’t want to think they still had codependency with each other, but it was starting to seem like it now since that’s all she could think about, she could only think about going home and reuniting with Won Woo. He’s probably fine. She thought to herself. He probably doesn’t want to see my dramatic right now. She lied to herself.

 

She stared at the ceiling in silence for several minutes and eventually let out a quiet sigh. I can’t do this. Seeing Min Ji sleeping peacefully next to her made her frown and start to feel bad until the girl shifted next to her and woke up. “Hmm? You’re not asleep?” She mumbled, it was clear that she was half asleep.

 

“No.” Soo Min answered honestly, she didn’t hide the dejection in her voice.

 

“What’s wrong?” Min Ji sounded more alert this time and gave her full attention to her sleepless friend.

 

“I don’t know if I can sleep here. I tried but I just can’t seem to relax. It has nothing to do with you, honestly! I just… have a lot going on.” Soo Min explained after sitting up.

 

“I understand.” Min Ji also sat up and rested a hand on her shoulder. “If you need to go, do it. Just get home safely!”

 

“I will, don’t worry.”

 

“Text me when you get there, or else I might not be sleeping tonight either!”

 

“I will!” Soo Min assured her after getting off her friend’s bed and started to gather her things to leave, at least it wasn’t a lot, just her laptop bag and jacket.

 

“I’ll see you to the front door!” Min Ji rolled out of bed and made Soo Min laugh when she overestimated how far to roll over and fell off with a small thump. “Whoops…”

 

“Are you okay?”

 

“I’m fine!” Min Ji jumped up with a bright smile. She opened her bedroom door for Soo Min and followed her out all the way down to the front door, they made sure to be quiet about it so they didn’t wake her brother or her mother who came home late. “Text me!”

 

“I will.”

 

“Text me and let me know how you are over the weekend, too!”

 

“I will.” Soo Min nodded and smiled. “Thanks.”

 

“No problem! Be safe!”

 

“I will! Talk to you later.” Soo Min waved and started to make her way to the front gate. When she exited and turned to properly shut the gate, she could see Min Ji still at the front door watching her. “You can go inside now.” She called over and Min Ji chuckled before doing just that. Soo Min turned around and looked up at the clear sky, the moon was shining and the stars were sparkling. It wasn’t that visible because of the city lights, but she could still see it.

 

Luckily for Soo Min, Min Ji’s house was a few blocks away from Jeonghan’s shared apartment. And of course the convenience store Mingyu works at was along the way as well. She started to head that way and pulled out her phone to give her boyfriend a text to let him know she was coming over. Even though there was a chance he was already a sleep and wouldn’t wake up because he puts his phone on silent at night so it wouldn’t wake him. She could also text Seungcheol, but she didn’t want to bother him… it was fine, it wasn’t like she was going to be stranded outside, she knew their passcode. They’d be in for a surprise when they wake up to see her on their living room couch, though. She chuckled at that thought and she did so again when another thought came to mind, surely Jeonghan would notice her when he needs the bathroom in the middle of the night.

 

In a matter of minutes, she made it to the convenience store and frowned when she didn’t see anyone at the register. Maybe he stepped away for a few minutes? She thought and decided to walk the the aisles for a moment and grabbed a Choco Pie and a Coke. Since she was headed to Jeonghan's, she thought to get him something as well while she was at it, a triangle kimbap and strawberry milk. By the time she came back to the register, the clerk was back, Mingyu was back. “Oh, it’s you!” He seemed surprised to see her and she just smiled. “What are you doing out this late at night!” He frowned and looked very worried now.

 

“I left my friend’s place… couldn’t sleep.” She explained and set her stuff down on the counter for him to scan. “I got stressed, so I left after talking with her. I planned on going home but…”

 

“But?” Mingyu asked while ringing up her items.

 

“How was Won Woo? Did you two have a fun time on your date?” Soo Min asked. She avoided eye contact just then, too.

 

“We did.” He answered. “He also ate dinner with me and my friends.”

 

“Really? That sounds nice.” He could tell Soo Min’s smile was genuine instead of forced and that made him worry a little less, but he was still worried in the end. She paid for her items and they waited for the receipt to print.

 

“Are you okay?” He asked. He recalled how he returned to Won Woo in the store and how he was crying, he wondered if it had anything to do with Soo Min since he later on admitted he was troubled by the situation.

 

“I’ll be okay. Don’t worry.” She assured him and finally looked up. Her expression didn’t seem as dejected as before until she heard about Won Woo. He could see the look of sadness and guilt in her eyes. He could see the tears making their way to the surface.

 

“My shift is over now. Can you wait for me to clock out?” He asked and she nodded. She figured he wanted to walk her home, but unfortunately she wasn’t going home. “Wait by the door, it’s too cold to wait outside.” She nodded again and he hurried to the back to clock out of his shift and changed. Someone already walked in and was preparing for their shift before Soo Min came in, all Mingyu had to do was clock out and leave.

 

A few minutes later, he emerged from the back room and approached Soo Min who had been staring down at the floor, clearly lost in her thoughts. “I’m back.” He said softly and gently touched her shoulder. She didn’t flinch and looked up at the door. He opened it for her and they stepped out together.

 

The walk to the end of the sidewalk was quiet and Mingyu wondered if he should speak up about the situation that was going on, between her and Ren… but then he felt like it really wasn’t his business and he shouldn’t pry. I should do something at least. Something to help.

 

When he turned to start a small conversation with her, he noticed she had stopped walking and was standing still a few feet away from him. “What’s wrong?” He asked and took a few steps CLOSER towards her. The tears from before were really threatening to fall. “Soo Min, what’s wrong? You can talk to me, I’ll listen…” he sounded hurt when he said it and it made her feel worse. She didn’t want to worry him too much but she supposed it was way too late for that now.

 

“Sorry.” She apologized and forced a small smile. “I planned to go home, but I can’t.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“Because…” she thought about what to say, she really didn’t expect to be explaining herself tonight to Won Woo’s boyfriend. “Because I’m a drama queen. I’m a brat. I’m selfish. I’m overreacting. I’m guilty…” she trailed off and started to avoid eye contact again. “I learned more about Ren tonight, and about the mystery behind the situation going on between him and I… and Won Woo. I reacted poorly to Ren, and I thought selfishly about Won Woo. I feel bad and can’t bring myself to face either of them.” Mingyu stood there and listened to her while she let it all out. “My cousin confirmed the truth and while I should have been excited about learning that I have a half brother I never knew about, I selfishly wished for things to be different. Instead of accepting Ren as my brother, I wished for it to be Won Woo and thought things like, it would have been easier that way. It only made it more difficult to go home after thinking those things… how could I face either of them when I’m such a selfish and a horrible person?”

 

“You’re not a horrible person!” Mingyu exclaimed. “You’re not selfish either, you were upset.”

 

“That shouldn’t be an excuse, there has to be some truth to it, otherwise why would I even say it in the first place?”

 

Mingyu was silent for a moment. He really wasn’t sure how to comfort her now when all she was going to do is go against anything he says. How would Won Woo calm her down? He thought. He heard the stories Jeonghan’s told him before about how the duo do well without words. They share a connection so strong from all the years standing by each other’s side, just being near each other is enough to calm the other down. But she doesn’t want to go home.

 

“If you’re not going home, where are you going?” He broke the silence a moment later. During that time while he was thinking, she had calmed down a bit and he was glad. Maybe she just needed to vent. Maybe she just needed to say all of that out loud. Even if he wasn’t much help with his innocent replies.

 

“Ah,” she muttered and reached for her phone in her jacket pocket, “I was going to Jeonghan’s place.” She checked to see if her boyfriend replied and she was relieved to see he did. He said he’d be waiting for her since she mentioned she was dropping by the convenience store for a late night snack.

 

“I’ll walk you there.” Mingyu said with a soft smile.

 

“Thanks.” She managed one of her own. Then he started to lead the way, since he knew where it was from before. “And… thanks for listening to me. I’m sorry that I was so dramatic. I didn’t mean for you to feel helpless when I went against the things you said.”

 

“It’s fine.” He assured her. “Everyone’s different when it comes to venting and being comforted. I’ll have to work on it!” He added with a sheepish chuckled. “Seeing you so upset, I felt like I should take you to Won Woo because I know he could comfort you better than me, but it was hard since he’s part of your stress right now.”

 

“Then you’re doing well by walking me to Jeonghan’s. He also can comfort me.”

 

“True. It slipped my mind until now.” He pouted. “I’ll remember for next time.”

 

“But you’re okay at it, too.” She admitted. “Even though it’s cliché to tell someone they’re not bad when they put themselves down, it does help a little.”

 

“Right, but it’s true… you’re not a horrible person for feeling that way about the situation. You were upset. Everything happened so suddenly, and it’s stressful. I agree it shouldn’t be an excuse but it kind of still is. It’s difficult to think straight or rationally when you’re upset and we tend to think the worst when we’re in that state of mind. But it’s okay. It’ll be okay once we calm down.”

 

“You have good points.” She said with a small sigh. “I need to work on the way I act when it comes to stressful things. I’m not helping myself by becoming distant and quiet. It doesn’t help when I try to avoid things either.”

 

“Something like that will take time and patience but as long as you’re trying, it should be enough.” Mingyu gave her a small pat on her head and smiled down at her when she pouted up at him.

 

“Thanks.” She patted him on his arm since there was no way she was going to be able to pat him on his head in return. “Thanks for walking me here.”

 

“No problem.”

 

“... I have a feeling Won Woo is stressed and not sleeping tonight. I don’t know if you’re able to or not, but I would like it if you went to check on him, and if you could stay with him if he needs it?” Her dejected expression made a return once she mentioned Won Woo.

 

“Sure.” He nodded. “I don’t mind doing that, I’m a little worried about him, too. And if it’s going to ease your mind knowing he’s not alone, I’m sure it’ll ease his mind knowing you’re with Jeonghan as well.”

 

“Exactly,” she smiled, “you’re already getting the hang of this now!”

 

“I’m glad!” Mingyu was happy now. He was of some help after all! “I’ll send him a text now to let him know I’m heading that way. Is there anything you want me to tell him before I go?” He asked after he pulled out his phone to compose the text. It was quick and he ended up opening up his voice recorder and hit the record button before turning his phone display off so she wouldn’t notice it. He kept his phone in his hand and trusted the phone’s mic would pick up her words despite he wasn’t holding it up close to her. He felt like Won Woo would like to hear Soo Min’s voice and hear her say it rather than Mingyu passing it on like a messenger.

 

“Ah… well for starters, that I’m sorry for acting so strange suddenly and leaving him in the dark. I didn’t meant to react so badly like that and confuse him. I feel bad for not texting him, I always tell him everything… but I’ll see him tomorrow. Or well, later since it’s already tomorrow now!”

 

“Okay, I’ll let him know.” Mingyu chuckled. “I’ll head over now. Take it easy and relax, okay? Night!” He said with a small wave and turned to leave.

 

“Get there safely! Goodnight!” She called after him and waved when he looked over his shoulder. He basically dropped her off at the building entrance and she waited until he reached the end of the lot to head up to Jeonghan’s place.

 

Mingyu pulled up his phone to stop the recording but decided maybe he should say a few things before he does just that. “Hi Won Woo, it’s meee~” he said cutely, “I’m heading your way right now and I’m freezing. Didn’t expect for it to be so cold tonight. I’m kind of sad… I didn’t realize how stressful things have been for you two, I feel like a jerk for not staying with you when I walked you home. It must’ve been so cold and lonely, right? But don’t worry, I’m coming over to warm you up with love and attention!” He suddenly snickered. “I’m so embarrassing, I know! Gosh… but hopefully I can help comfort you just like Jeonghan is going to comfort Soo Min. She’s staying with Jeonghan in the end, So you can be at ease. And I’m going to be with you, too! Even if I have to sleep on the cold hard floor…” He made his pouty tone clear. “Okay, I’ll focus on getting to your place without turning into actual ice. Be there shortly~!” He cooed and ended the recording. He then sent it to Won Woo through Kakao and then put his phone away. “Should I run?” Maybe it’d keep him warm on his way there.

 

…

 

When Soo Min entered Jeonghan’s shared apartment, she noticed she entered the second Jeonghan started to doze off on the couch. She felt bad but thought it was adorable. Quietly, she sat her bag down by the door and put her jacket up on the coat rack. She took off her shoes and headed to their kitchen to put the stuff she bought away into the fridge. She also pulled out her phone and send a text to Min Ji letting her know she got “home” safely. She didn’t get a reply back and Soo Min assumed the girl passed out while waiting for that text. She chuckled at the thought and was glad she didn’t really wait up too long for that text, she couldn’t imagine if she forgot to send it, Min Ji would have been up all night or spammed her friend with texts until she replied. Soo Min kept her promise at least. Then she returned to the living room to greet her boyfriend who snapped out of his sleepy state and got up to give her a hug.

 

Not much was said between them other than holding each other in a tight and warm embrace. It was definitely something she needed. She couldn't help but smile when she noticed his long locks were free from his usual low ponytail, his hair tickled her face a bit here and there. It lasted for a few minutes until she felt Jeonghan’s body get a bit heavy on her shoulder. “To the bed before you squash me like a pancake!” She giggled and proceeded to lead him back to his room.

 

“Do you want to change?” He asked after shutting his door behind himself.

 

“Already one step ahead of you, babe.” She said from her spot at his closet. She was going through it and found some of her T-shirts and shorts that got left behind during the summer. She even spotted her striped long sleeve shirt from the time she visited on his birthday. Gotta remember to take it back when I leave. She was happy that her boyfriend stays on top of his laundry, her left behind clothes were washed and clean so she changed into them while Jeonghan returned to his bed.

 

When she was done, she made her way to his bed and crawled over to lie next to him. He instantly pulled the covers over her and pulled her close to keep her warm. “Sorry for showing up so late.” She said quietly after he turned his night lamp off on his nightstand.

 

“Don’t worry about it.” He assured her in his sleepy tone. “I’m happy you’re here.” He added and held her CLOSER.

 

“Of course.” She chuckled.

 

“Did you want to talk?” He muttered and started to her hair in a calming manner.

 

“Maybe later.” She said softly.

 

“Alright. Get some sleep, okay?” He mumbled and kissed her on the forehead. She smiled and hummed in reply. She cuddled close to him and tried to sleep, but it was still difficult. Her mind was still clouded with many thoughts, it was restless and frustrating how she couldn't focus on sleeping.

 

She hadn't even noticed herself that she was drawing little patterns onto Jeonghan's chest while thinking about everything, of course that was going to keep him awake, unless it was comfortable? “Why aren't you sleeping?” He muttered in a moment later.

 

“Sorry.” She snapped out of it and stopped her doodling. “My mind is just so chaotic tonight…”

 

“Go ahead, tell me about it.” He said while shifting and sat up along with her. He his lamp on the nightstand so he could pay attention and not fall asleep.

 

“... I don't know.” She said softly with a frown. “I talked to my cousin earlier while I was at Min Ji’s, he happened to be there, what a coincidence, right?” He simply nodded and she continued. “He finally said something about the affair. He answered one question I had on my mind since I saw Ren.”

 

“That was?”

 

“If my father is indeed Ren's father?”

 

“What did he say?”

 

“He just nodded.” She said with a sheepish chuckle. “Then he told me what he knew about Ren, like his birthday and his favorite foods. He also told me how Won Woo's mother decided to give Ren to his adoptive mother, Rina. It was bittersweet and I felt sad. I wish things wouldn't have turned out this way, I wish no one had to feel betrayed and hurt, I wish our parents were honest from the start, you know?”

 

“I know.” He nodded in agreement and gave a gentle rub to her arm. “Parents can be so strange sometimes, they just want what's best for their kids but sometimes they don't see the whole picture and how the children will truly feel.”

 

“Exactly.” She noticed his expression falter a bit after saying that and she could only assume he was thinking about his own parents and how things weren't so great between them. Memories of his mother yelling at her resurfaced and she sighed. “I know we're talking about me and the situation going on, but… I can't help but think of your parents when you said that just now.”

 

“What about them?” He said bitterly.

 

“Have they tried contacting you lately?” She was a little hesitant on asking but managed to do it.

 

“I don't know.” He shrugged, but it was a lie. His mother did try contacting him on his birthday, but he ignored it, he was still angry about how she treated his girlfriend. She left a voicemail and he at least listened to that to make sure it wasn’t an emergency, she did wish him a happy birthday but it didn’t sound too sincere and there was no apology from the last time they saw each other. She even asked for him to call back so they can talk and he knew what that talk was going to be about, she was probably going to ask about his relationship and somehow convince him to come home. But then again, can’t know for sure until he calls her back. He doesn’t plan on it though.

 

“It's been awhile… maybe they've changed?” She asked innocently and he snickered at that. It was like she was reading his mind and he always found that amusing how she happened to always say things coincidentally. She frowned at his reaction and he let out a short sigh.

 

“I'm sorry.” He reached out and took her hand into his. “I want to believe that too, but they're the stubborn type, I doubt they'll ever change.”

 

“Right.” She can admit he had a point.

 

“Was there any more you wanted to tell me?” He asked a moment later. She quietly shook her head in reply. “Do you feel any better?”

 

“Just a bit. Thanks.” She gave a small smile.

 

“Good, try to sleep, okay?” He said before turning to turn off his lamp. Once it was off, he lied down and faced the ceiling while Soo Min remained sitting up. It was true that her mind was more calmer now after telling him about her talk with her cousin, but after bringing up his parents and seeing how bitter he was about it still had her lost in thoughts about that now. She felt bad for him, she really didn't want to see him still bothered with his parents. She was sure it doesn't feel that great. It seemed like everyone’s relationships with each other were falling apart instead of improving. Just a matter of time before it gets worse. We can stop it somehow, right? While it was difficult to be positive for herself, it was much easier to be positive for others.

 

“Still can’t sleep?” She heard Jeonghan ask in the dark.

 

“I just noticed you don’t have a night light.” She said softly and searched for his arm blindly. Her eyes hadn’t adjusted just yet, the only thing she could see was his digital alarm on his night stand. “Why is your room so dark?!” She added with a small whimper.

 

“Sorry.” He chuckled and managed to grab her arm and tugged her his way. “It’s alright, I’m here.”

 

“Your place is so quiet, too.” She added while cuddling close to his side.

 

“Don’t think about it too much, just relax.” He said and guided her head onto his chest so she could listen to his heartbeat. She supposed this would help and started to tape on his chest with her left index finger to mimic his heart and he smiled. He began to her hair in a calming manner again until she stopped tapping on his chest, because she fell asleep. It didn't take long for him to do the same after shifting a bit and held her tight.

 

…

 

Won Woo was having a hard time sleeping until he heard his phone buzz on his night stand. It startled him at first before he quickly grabbed it to see what it was. He wasn’t too surprised to see it was from Mingyu.

 

Mingyu: Are you still awake?

 

“What does he want?” He chuckled to himself. “He misses me too much?”

 

Won Woo: Yeah…

 

He didn’t hear back from Mingyu for a few minutes and sighed. He thought maybe he crashed once he got home since it was such a long eventful day for them. To think he had to go to work on top of it all, he felt bad for his boyfriend. Too bad Won Woo wasn’t able to crash when he got home, not because Ren had stopped by, but because he was just too stressed to even relax and fall asleep. Damn. Gonna be up all night at this point, right? Then his phone buzzed again.

 

Mingyu: [Voice Note 04:06]

 

“What the hell is this now?” Won Woo muttered before he tapped play on it. He waited for it to load and then he heard a voice, a familiar voice, a voice he missed. It was Soo Min. He could feel his heart ache a bit, he’s been so worried about her. He hit the return button on his phone to exit the chat and re-entered so he could start the voice note over again. He wasn’t paying attention to what she was saying the first time. When it played again, he felt bad to hear her apologize. He knew she was stressed but knowing her she would always apologize, even if it wasn’t needed.

 

He heard that she’d see him tomorrow, technically later today, and that was enough to make him feel better about everything. He really didn’t like it when people avoid him and he feared she’d avoid him for days depending on how stressed she was, so it was nice to hear he’d be seeing her sooner than later. Then there was silence in the voice note for about thirty seconds and he started to think maybe Mingyu forgot to end the voice note for the rest of the three minutes remaining. Just as he was about to call him an idiot, he heard a shuffling noise like Mingyu realized it and was turning it off, but that can’t be right since there was another three minutes left.

 

“Hi Won Woo, it’s meee~” It was difficult not to smile when he heard his boyfriend greet him. And in a cute voice, too. The rest of his message started to play out and Won Woo was surprised that Mingyu said he was coming over and he was going to stay over as well. He also heard about Soo Min staying with Jeonghan tonight as well. Our first night together?! Won Woo suddenly thought and felt panicked.

 

Just as he got up from his bed to prepare-prepare for what?-he heard Mingyu at the door already! Damn! He rushed out of his room to open the door and bumped into the couch while he was at it because it was dark and he couldn’t see that well. At least he didn’t get hurt. When he opened the door, Mingyu stepped in quickly with a small shiver. “I made it!” He chirped while hugging himself and faced Won Woo.

 

“Tch, you’re going to catch a cold!” Won Woo frowned and gestured for him to take his coat off. “I’ll get you a blanket!” He went off to his room like he did earlier and returned with a warm blanket for Mingyu to warm up. “Sit down, I’ll make you some tea.” He pointed at the couch after turning the light on and made his way to the kitchen. Mingyu did as he was told and made his way over. He sat there and covered himself with the blanket as tightly as he could and waited for Won Woo to return.

 

A few minutes passed and Won Woo came back with the tea. “Careful, it’s still hot.”

 

“Got it.” Mingyu nodded and accepted the cup of tea from him. Won Woo was smart this time and made sure it wasn’t boiling hot, he made sure it wasn’t as hot as lava. That memory had him chuckle a bit and Mingyu noticed. “What is it?”

 

“Nothing.” Won Woo shook his head. “Just drink the tea.”

 

They spent a few minutes on the couch while Mingyu warmed up and drank his tea. Won Woo didn’t say much and just watched him, he admits that he’s happy Mingyu came back to keep him company, but he wished he would have just waited and let him pick him up with the car. He was worried the guy was going to catch a cold now because of him. “Now it’s hot.” Mingyu’s voice snapped Won Woo out of his thoughts.

 

“Already?” Won Woo asked with a hint of laughter. “Well, that’s good. At least you’re not cold anymore, right?”

 

“Funny how I said I was coming to warm you up, but it was the other way around.” Mingyu said with a sheepish smile.

 

“It’s okay.” He thought that was cute. “So… how is this going to work?”

 

“How’s what going to work?” Mingyu repeated and tilted his head.

 

“You’re staying over?”

 

“Oh… right. If you want me to?”

 

“Sure. But are you really going to sleep on the floor?” Won Woo frowned and looked at the couch that would be too small for the giant to sleep on either. “... I guess you could sleep in my bed.”

 

“If you’re okay with that?!” Mingyu suddenly seemed nervous about that and Won Woo chuckled, he thought if anyone was going to be nervous, it was going to be the one who never had been in a relationship before, himself.

 

“Yeah, it’s fine. Soo Min sleeps in my bed from time to time and vice versa, I don’t really have a problem with other people sleeping in my bed… but I guess it’s different since you’re my boyfriend, right?”

 

“It is, but I promise to behave!” Mingyu blurted out with a tinge of pink dusting his cheeks.

 

“You better.” Won Woo teased. “I don’t need anymore of these markings right now.” He added while touching the side of his neck with faded love bites. At least his boyfriend was gentle on him, he had googled up pictures of hickeys after changing out of his turtleneck earlier and saw them on his neck in the mirror. Some of the images were awful to look at and he was glad Mingyu didn’t do something like that to his neck. He’ll be wearing turtlenecks for the next few days for sure!

 

“Me either.” Mingyu chuckled and rested his hand on the side of his own neck where Won Woo marked him. His was already disappearing since Won Woo was cautious about it at the time and didn’t really want to too hard.

 

This is so embarrassing…

 

It’s okay, it’s okay…

 

There was a small silence that ensued and it almost started to get awkward until Won Woo suggested they head to his room. Despite Mingyu was in there briefly before, he took the time to admire the room while Won Woo prepared his bed for two people It was decently big for a two bedroom apartment. There was a small bookshelf of books on the left side of Won Woo’s bed and a nightstand on the right side with a small lamp and digital alarm clock. There was also a night light plugged in next to it. Mingyu didn’t judge since Seungkwan has a night light on his side of the room at their place, and besides, it helped when you needed to use the bathroom in the middle of the night in the dark, he could safely avoid tripping or running into the walls.

 

Across from Won Woo’s left side of the bed, there was his decent sized desk with his laptop and other things neatly organized on it. There wasn’t much on his walls other than some framed art. Upon CLOSER examination it appeared to be some old art from elementary school. Particularly his best friend’s art. Mingyu couldn’t help but smile seeing how much Won Woo cherishes his friends and the things that were given to him. He could see CDs with Jihoon’s name labeled on them displayed on the top of Won Woo’s bookshelf. There were even pictures of Won Woo and his best friends as well as Won Woo and his other friends like Jeonghan, Jisoo, Seungcheol, Junhui and Chan.

 

Now he was feeling envious, even though it was the same with Mingyu and his friends, they cherish each other and always displayed the gifts given to them by each other, but he supposed it was a bit different since Won Woo and Soo Min have known each other since they were kids, literally. Fifteen years.

 

“You can sleep on the right side.” Won Woo snapped him out of his thoughts.

 

“Wow, your bed is big.” He muttered when Won Woo walked around to rearrange his pillows.

 

“It’s a queen size.” Won Woo informed him. “There’s a lot of room, so that’s why I don’t mind sharing my bed sometimes.” He added and pulled back the covers so they could get in. “Oh, right, did you want to change before you sleep?”

 

“Change?” Mingyu tilted his head again.

 

“You can borrow a change of clothes, unless you want to sleep in that turtleneck?” Won Woo pointed and made his way over to his closet. He picked out one of his large striped long sleeve shirts to lend to Mingyu, he liked loose fitted clothing to wear as his pjs because it’s comfortable. He managed to find a pair of sweatpants for Mingyu to wear as well, but he was sure they were going to be a little small for his boyfriend. He sent the giant to the bathroom to change this time and waited for him to return. He also mentioned to Mingyu that there were extra unopened spare toothbrushes in the medicine cabinet and that he was welcomed to use one of them for brushing his teeth.  

 

Mingyu was quick about changing and washing up that he was already walking back in. Won Woo’s large shirt looked like a medium on Mingyu and his sweat pants looked like capris on him. It made him laugh and Mingyu pouted. “It could be worse.”

 

“How so?” Mingyu asked after getting into the right side of Won Woo’s bed. (Your right, their left).

 

“I could have been a 5’ 3” girl.” He pointed out. “Nothing would have fit you at all.”

 

“Right. Then I’m glad you’re a tall guy.” Mingyu said with a cute grin. Won Woo snickered at that in a cute way and looked up at the ceiling. There was a few inches between them and it stayed that way for a bit while Mingyu told Won Woo about his time at work. Then he talked about meeting with Soo Min at the end of his shift and how upset she seemed to be. Won Woo started to feel bad again but Mingyu was able to say something positive to distract him from those negative feelings. He really didn’t mean to bring it up but it sort of slipped out, he was still pretty worried about her even now.

 

“She’ll be okay.” Won Woo said quietly after a short silence. “Don’t worry.”

 

“Really?” Mingyu looked at him and his side to face him.

 

“Yeah.” Won Woo turned his head and nodded softly. “It must seem like things are really bad right now, maybe because things like this don’t happen often, but when they do it doesn’t last for very long, that is… if we get it under control.” He went on to explain. “But I won’t lie, things seem more intense because of the situation and I’m still worried about how it will go from here. Though, I do feel like it’ll be okay. I need to have some hope at least, right?”

 

“Exactly.” A smile slowly formed across Mingyu’s lips. “Everyone is just in shock and processing it. Everyone works differently, that’s all, we just can’t help but worry and that’s okay, too. Would be awful if no one was worried, it’d seem like they didn’t care, right?”

 

“Good point.” Won Woo let out a sheepish chuckle. Just then, Mingyu yawned and that only meant it was time to sleep now. “Do you snore?” He asked shortly after and looked for the time, it was nearly 4am!

 

“No!” Mingyu replied and looked offended. It made Won Woo laugh at how quick he said it.

 

 

“I don’t think I do. My friends don’t complain, so I don’t.” He explained while Won Woo just chuckled next to him in bed.

 

“Maybe because they’re afraid you’ll attack them!” Won Woo pointed out. He was referring to earlier when his friends about being alone with Won Woo and how he quickly tried to smack them. “Don’t worry, you’ll find out tonight if you snore or not.”

 

“I don’t know how to feel about this.” Mingyu pouted again. “But really, be honest with me, okay?!”

 

“I will.” Won Woo smiled and faced the ceiling again. His night light flickered a bit and He let out a small sigh a moment later. Better change the light bulb tomorrow. Another moment passed and he spoke. “It’s quiet tonight.” He could hear Mingyu sound confused next to him. “Usually Soo Min has music playing in her room at night, I’ve gotten so used to it now it feels like something is missing.”

 

“You can play some music if you want? I don’t mind. Seungkwan sometimes plays instrumentals of slow songs so I’m used to that kind of thing as well.” Mingyu assured him in a sleepy voice. He sounded like he was going to knock out any second, he was pretty tired now.  

 

“Okay, I’ll do that.” Won Woo sat up and reached for his phone. He pulled up a playlist on his music player that had several piano covers of popular kpop songs and pressed play. He kept the volume a bit low and lied back down to get comfortable again. It was already starting to help, he felt calmer now that it wasn’t so silent in the room. “Let’s get some sleep now.” He said and turned to tell Mingyu goodnight but was met with a sleeping Mingyu already. He pouted for a second but was glad that he was already sleeping. He was hoping he could do the same now. It wasn’t right away, but eventually Won Woo drifted off to sleep after the third piano cover played.

 

 

...

 

It was almost 6am when Soo Min woke up, about three hours since she arrived to Jeonghan's place. She's used to waking up every few hours to toss and turn and sometimes needed the bathroom. It was the latter this time.

 

Jeonghan's hold on her wasn't as tight from earlier since he shifted in his sleep as well, she was able to get out or his bed quietly without disturbing him. She made her way to the bathroom down the hall and shut the door. She forgot to lock it though and realised it when it opened minutes later and it was Seungcheol.

 

“What are you doing?! The door was shut for a reason!” She exclaimed and covered herself however she could since she was still on the toilet.

 

“I didn't know you were in here, sorry!” He apologized and backed away while shutting the door at the speed of light.

 

She quickly finished up her business and exited the bathroom after washing her hands. When she walked out, Seungcheol was standing in the hallway waiting. “Morning.” She said with an embarrassed laugh.

 

“Morning.” He said back with the same kind of laugh. “I didn’t expect you to be here this morning.”

 

“Yeah, sorry about that. It was a last minute kind of thing.” She apologized while rubbing her left arm. “The bathroom is free now. I’ll go back to Jeonghan’s room.” She added and hurried away. She could hear Seungcheol chuckle behind her and it made her feel even more embarrassed. Damn.

 

After returning to Jeonghan’s room, she sighed when she saw her boyfriend sprawled out on the bed, leaving no room for her to lie down again. She didn’t want to wake him up so she sat on the floor and rested her back against the side of his bed. So much for going back to sleep now but that was fine. Three hours of sleep was becoming normal for her these days, but she wasn’t trying to make a habit. Maybe he’ll need the bathroom soon and it’ll be my chance to steal his bed. She thought with a soft giggle. In the meantime, she grabbed her phone and decided to go through her social apps to pass some time. She was still sleepy, but she didn’t realize how sleepy she was until she felt someone shaking her by the shoulder and she woke up. It was Jeonghan and he was kneeling down in front of her with a worried look. “I fell asleep?” She asked and he nodded before helping her up from her sitting position.

 

“You should have just woken me up.” He lightly scolded. “You’ll hurt yourself if you sleep like that.”

 

“I’m fine.” She assured him. She really was fine, she didn’t feel sore or had a stiff neck, she was honestly surprised about it, how long was she asleep? The time was now nearly 8am. So she was asleep for a little over an hour. Wow.

 

“Do you want to sleep more?” He asked after she sat down on his bed. He was at his closet picking out something to change into.

 

“Are you going somewhere?”

 

“I asked you a question first.” He chuckled.

 

“I do…” she pouted. “So where are you going?” She asked again in a curious tone.

 

“I need to run a few errands and drop by the campus, but I should be back before noon. Just sleep some more, alright?” He said while changing by his closet.

 

“Okay.” She wasn’t going to ask much about those errands since there was no need to question it. Maybe he was picking up assignments or dropping assignments off?

 

“I’ll be back. Just relax and sleep as long as you want, I’ll wake you up later.” He walked over and gave her a kiss on her cheek before leaving his room. She could hear him greet Seungcheol out in the living room since he left the door cracked a bit so it wasn’t so dark in his room. Once she heard the front door shut, implying Jeonghan left, she lied down and tried her best to fall back asleep, and luckily she was able to.

 

…

 

Won Woo woke up when he heard the sound of buzzing on his night stand. He knew it was his phone ringing and reached for it. He squinted at the screen and could see it was an unknown number. He sighed and put his phone back, he hated being woken up for no good reason, but quickly he recalled the first few digits of the unknown number and realized it was from the states. He turned and snatched his phone again and answered the call.

 

“Sorry, were you asleep?” He could hear his father ask.

 

“Yeah, but it’s fine!” Won Woo assured him and tried to sound alert. “Did you get a new number?” Otherwise he would have saw Dad on the caller ID.

 

“Whoops, I did, sorry about that! I dropped my phone and the screen shattered. What did I expect since it was an iPhone, but I got smart and got a Samsung this time.” Won Wo chuckled at the way his father explained the scenario, as if he was talking to one of his friend or something. “I dropped it again the other day and guess who didn’t have to buy a new phone, this guy!”

 

“That’s good.” Won Woo felt conflicted just then. It’s been so long since he heard his father talk to him like this, he didn’t realize how he was slowly forgetting what this was like, it was probably why he got so worked up about it when he talked to Mingyu that time. Because he couldn’t really remember enough, it’s been so long. And now that he started to think about it he thought to ask why they never call like this?

 

“So, what time is it there now? I still can’t seem to get the time difference right.” His father chuckled. “I hope you slept well?”

 

“Yes. And it’s 8:17am.”

 

“That doesn’t seem to be too early, right? And how’s school?” Won Woo really didn’t expect for his father to call this early in the morning and ask him about school. It seems a little strange to him but at the same time, maybe not. Maybe it was just the fact that Mingyu was sleeping right next to him that was strange!

 

“School’s fine. Midterms are next week.” He replied back quietly. His father didn’t question why he was being so quiet, he probably assumed he was still tired or something.

 

“Good luck on those.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

“I know it might be a dumb question to ask, but are you still visiting for fall break?”

 

“Yeah, why?”

 

“Just checking! We usually hear from you when you buy the tickets.”

 

“Oh, right, sorry… it was a bit busy this week.” Won Woo stuttered on his reply and it seemed like his father noticed that. It got him thinking again, how his father said that. Have they been expecting me to make the calls? That would probably make sense, though, even if he did start making frequent calls, he never knew when they were busy and would hate to bother them. That just made his feelings more complicated on the situation.

 

“Did something happen?” He snapped out of it when he heard his father’s concerned voice.

 

“Kind of.” Won Woo figured there was no use in lying about it, but he wasn’t going to blurt it out either. Not now at least.

 

“Is everything okay?”

 

“Maybe.” Won Woo was doing a poor job at pretending everything was fine when they weren’t. “No one’s hurt, don’t worry.” Maybe that could help make his father less worried.

 

“You know you can talk to me, right?” Those words had Won Woo feeling like suddenly. Why say that now? He frowned. Especially when it seemed like they weren’t as close anymore after being separated for so many years.

 

“I know.” He simply replied. “Don’t worry about it, you’ll find out soon enough about what happened.”

 

“Alright.” His father simply replied. He’s my dad, parents are supposed to sound more worried, right?

 

Just then, Mingyu shifted in his sleep and started to wake up. “I have to go now, I’ll see you when I visit.” Won Woo said quickly before hanging up.

 

“Were you on the phone?” Mingyu asked while rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

 

“Yeah, sorry, did I wake you?”

 

“No.” He shook his head. “Who was on the phone? Was it Soo Min?”

 

“No… it was my father.”

 

“Your father?” Mingyu seemed more alert now. “Is everything okay?”

 

“He was just calling to check on me.” Won Woo explained with a bothered look. “He wanted to confirm if I was still visiting or not. But I think he could tell something was up by the way I was replying…”

 

“Parents are like that.” Mingyu pointed out.

 

“Didn’t think mine were capable of that despite being away for so many years.”

“Won Woo… don’t start being negative about that again.” Mingyu frowned after sitting up and facing him. “If your parents didn’t care like you said, your father wouldn’t have bothered calling in the first place.”

 

“Yeah, well he also probably knows it’d look bad if he didn’t call his son once in a while, right?”

 

“You don’t know that!” Mingyu seemed disappointed with Won Woo’s words, it was clear.

 

“I’m done talking about this.” Won Woo said bitterly before getting out of bed. “Good ing morning, I’ll go make some damn breakfast.”

 

Mingyu couldn’t believe how pissed his boyfriend got from talking about his father like that. It escalated in a matter of seconds and that concerned him. Why is he so bitter about it? Maybe he just really didn’t understand what it was like to be in Won Woo’s shoes. To have your parents move away while you’re a teenager, it was the most critical time in his life to have his parents there but they were gone. He had to settle for his best friend’s parents, which was definitely not the same as having your own. And now this huge secret about an affair surfaced, his mother gave birth to a son she gave away a year before he was born and no one said anything about it, he was lied to all this time. Now that Mingyu thought about it, that is a lot for one person to handle, it’s no wonder it put him in such a bad mood. Damn.

 

He felt bad since this was the first time he stayed over with Won Woo, he wished they didn’t have to have a negative encounter so early in the morning, but he supposed he can’t expect perfect scenarios to happen during a time like this, during a time his boyfriend is stressed. Mingyu made his way to the bathroom to do his morning business and washed up before heading to the kitchen where he could see Won Woo making some toast with butter and jam. He kept wiping at his eyes with the back of his wrist here and there and that broke Mingyu’s heart. Won Woo was really upset.

 

Mingyu was hesitant about approaching Won Woo right now, he wasn’t sure if he’d get pushed away or not, but seeing his boyfriend struggle on making the food properly because of his tears had him make up his mind. He entered the kitchen with a few slow steps and made sure Won Woo knew he entered the room before reaching out to stop him from making the toast. Neither said a word and Mingyu pulled Won Woo into a tight hug. Won Woo really didn’t want to, but he started to sob into Mingyu’s chest. He wondered what would have happened had Mingyu not stayed the night. He’d probably be alone in his room crying until there were no more tears right about now. With Soo Min MIA and his father calling, it was just too much for Won Woo to handle. He knew things would get better in time, but right now it was hard. He was having a hard time keeping it all together, keeping his emotions in check. “I’m sorry.” He managed to say through his tears.

 

“It’s okay.”

 

“No, it’s not… I’m such a jerk. You didn’t deserve that.”

 

“You were upset, I understand.”

 

“How does that make it okay?”

 

“Jeez, you and Soo Min are so alike!” Mingyu chuckled. “It’s fine, really! We all tend to snap when we’re upset… it’s just how we are, fortunately, because you know if we didn’t experience such emotions every now and then, how could we feel anything else? There’s got to be some sort of balance in our life.”

 

“Balance?” Won Woo repeated. “I definitely don’t feel like I have balance right now, I hate it. I feel like I’m sinking with how many bad things that keep happening, like there’s not enough good things to keep me above ground. I feel hopeless sometimes.”

 

“What can I say to help? What can I do to help?” Mingyu’s voice was calm. “Tell me because I want to help you not feel like that anymore.”

 

“I don’t know.” Won Woo honestly answered. “I really don’t know…”

 

“How about I start with making you a delicious breakfast? I’ll make you something better than toast, okay?” He asked while pulling back to look at Won Woo. He wiped a few of his remaining tears for him and smiled when Won Woo nodded innocently. “You can go wait in the living room if you want.”

 

“But I don’t really have much to cook.” Won Woo pointed out and stepped over to open the fridge to look inside.

 

“I’ll make do with what’s here. Don’t worry! Challenge accepted!” Mingyu grinned with a thumbs up. Won Woo managed a small chuckle and left Mingyu to do his magic!

 

Won Woo took a seat on the couch and turned the tv on and left it on whatever channel it was left on from yesterday, he really didn’t care since he wasn’t really paying attention to it anyway. But the sound of a knock on the front door caught his attention and he got up to answer it. If it were Soo Min or Jihoon, they would have entered already, Jeonghan, too. But then again, their other friends were always polite and knocked. That or it could be some random stranger looking for someone else’s apartment, it happens every now and then. So he opened the door and was a little surprised to see Ren standing there with a drink tray holding two cups of a warm beverage, maybe coffee or something? He had on a black trench coat and a red scarf around his neck, his hair was also tied back and he was wearing a red beanie to match his scarf. “Morning!” He greeted with a small smile. He seemed nervous.

 

“Morning.” Won Woo said softly, still stunned about seeing Ren all of a sudden. “What are you doing here?”

 

Ren’s expression faltered a bit and he looked worried. “I felt like I had to come see you. Something didn’t feel right… and I guess it was true.” He could see Won Woo had been crying judging by his slightly pink and puffy eyes. Won Woo didn’t know what to say to that, and he felt like crying some more. “I bought you some hot chocolate.” Ren said with a sad smile and held the tray over for Won Woo to take one of the cups.

 

“Thanks.” Won Woo managed a sad smile of his own and took one of the cups before stepping aside to let him in. Once he was inside, he took Won Woo’s hot chocolate and sat it down on the small table near the door so he could pull his brother into a tight hug. That did it, Won Woo started to cry again and Ren just held him close while rubbing his back to comfort him. He wasn’t sure why Won Woo was upset but he knew he had to comfort him somehow.

 

After a few minutes, they parted from the hug and Won Woo wiped his tears and apologized for crying on his probably expensive coat. “Don’t worry about it!” Ren chuckled and took his coat off to hang it up. “It wasn’t that expensive…”

 

“And that’s supposed to make me feel better?” Won Woo snickered at that.

 

“Did it?” Ren said with a sheepish smile and it made Won Woo laugh. Good. No more tears. Right as he was going to ask about breakfast, Ren saw Mingyu emerge from the kitchen and he about had a heart attack.

 

Just like that. Just like that!

 

“Holy… I thought you were alone!” Ren almost collapsed to the ground he was startled so bad.

 

LMFAOOOOOOOOOO

 

Won Woo couldn’t help but laugh at Ren’s dramatic reaction. He might have laughed a little too hard now that he was bent over holding his stomach. It was contagious and soon Mingyu was also laughing.

 

 

“Damn, I’m glad you two got a kick out of that…. I thought my heart stopped.” Poor Ren could barely stand on his own and had to get support from the nearby wall.

 

HELP.

 

“You weren’t really that scared, right?” Won Woo asked.
 

 

Ren didn’t say anything and just pouted at them. He was embarrassed now, do you blame him? He almost pissed his pants…

 

Yah, that’s a little TMI don’t you think!

 

“I need the bathroom.” Ren blurted out and Won Woo pointed him in the right direction.

 

*Pout* I don’t like you anymore…

 

“Poor Ren.” Mingyu chuckled after Ren was successfully in the bathroom.

 

“That was hilarious.” Won Woo was still laughing.

 

Just you wait until I’m laughing at you, little brother.

 

How am I little when I’m taller than you?

I ain’t gonna play this game with you. And screw you Jihoon, at least I’m taller than you.

*Minhyun’s expression lol*

You’ll regret saying that… I promise.

Come at me bruh.

Who’s taller now, ?!

Wow. Okay.

Yeah, don’t mess with me…
*Won Woo enters the scene*

[they’re so cute, help]

We’ve somehow transitioned into the A/N. Uhm… lol How did that happen!

Well, since we’re here, CHAPTER FORTY-TWO.

*insert horizontal line*

 

---

 

So yeah… hi. How’s it going? Guess I really didn’t know how to end the chapter lol

It was cute tho, right? Hope I can keep it going and not get stuck x.x

The year is almost over, or is over for some of you already because you know, time differences!

Hope everyone has a safe holiday! DRINK WATER!

2017 has been one hell of a year for me, but hoping 2018 will be better!

Here’s to hoping I update more in 2018 lol

I already have a busy week ahead of me to start off the new year, so I hope to see you all again real soon~! Until then~!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR BELOVED JISOO~!

A little late, but it’s okay!

*resists the urge to squeal in the dead of night when she’s supposed to be sleeping*