It had just turned 2am when Ren checked the time on his phone before closing out all his social apps he had been browsing. He had woken up a while ago to use the bathroom, to think he had been dehydrated recently he almost doesn’t believe it now that he’s had to use the bathroom several times today. When he returned to bed, he had a hard time falling back asleep. His busy mind just made it impossible. He thought to browse social media to pass some time until sleep decides to return, but it didn’t seem like it had plans to come back. Great. Dehydration and now sleep deprivation? He sure couldn’t catch a break lately. But he knew things get worse before they get better. He just has to tough it out, wait it out. Patience.

 

After he put his phone away, he shifted onto his left side and faced the peacefully sleeping Jihoon next to him. He seemed to be in a deep sleep and Ren smiled. He was glad his friend was getting a good sleep after hearing how he doesn’t take care of himself properly. He supposed pursuing the dream he had came with some costs, but that didn’t mean he had to settle for them either. Ren would be sure to scold him more about sleeping from now on, because he can’t let his friend’s career fail before it even starts! Thinking about careers, he thought about his own and what plans he had for next year.

 

Things would surely be different now after everything that occured this week. He’s gained new siblings and reunited with his old best friend. It was something he’d have to factor in since he would like to include everyone on his journey along the way. Jihoon’s background in Music could surely help and Soo Min’s background in Art, too. But then he thought about Won Woo. What’s his talent and skills? There was a lot he still needed to learn about his brother, and sister and he couldn’t wait until he does. He was wishing time would move faster so they could get over all the stressful parts like meeting his biological parents and OVERCOME the shock and betrayals. He knew it wasn’t going to be easy nor fun, but he’d be strong and get through it, because he believed they will have a happy ending. If we don’t, we just gotta make one then.

 

Jihoon suddenly stirred in his sleep and slowly woke up to see Ren watching him and he flinched from being started. “What the hell?” He muttered in his sleepy voice. “Why are you still awake?”

 

“I went to sleep!” Ren chuckled. “It’s just, I had to use the bathroom a while ago and so… I couldn’t fall back asleep.”

 

“Why not? Is something on your mind?” Jihoon rubbed one of his eyes and his side to face Ren properly, like he was going to listen to his friend’s worries. It was honestly cute and made Ren smile again.

 

“Yeah, pretty much everything. Good luck trying to sleep with a chaotic mind. It’s impossible.”

 

“Not unless you stop thinking about it.” Jihoon snickered.

 

“And if I can’t?” Ren said with a tired sigh. He was tired, he just couldn’t fall asleep.

 

“You don’t have anything that will put you to sleep? Like a comfortable spot on the bed or maybe even white noise? Music?” Ren quietly shook his head and jutted out his lower lip to complete his pouting expression. Jihoon snickered once more before he turned around to grab his phone and proceeded to tap away on it like he was looking for something in his music library, because he was. “Well then, let’s test something out.” He said softly before opening up one of his many playlists. “I don’t want to always compare you to Soo Min, but since you two are siblings and almost act similarly, I wonder if this will work for you?”

 

“And that is?”

 

“Piano music.” Jihoon answered and tapped on a piece to play. It was one of his own songs he composed and Ren liked the melody of it a lot. “She wants to learn piano but she gets so sleepy listening to it.”

 

“Cute.” Ren chuckled and imagined it in his head.

 

“Are you the same?”

 

“Maybe? I mean I am tired, it’s just the falling asleep part that isn’t working.”

 

“Just listen to it for a bit and try to relax. Close your eyes and focus on the music. At least try to sleep.”

 

“Alright. Thanks.” Ren appreciated his help greatly and hoped this would work, otherwise he just might end up sick again.

 

For the next several minutes, Ren listened to Jihoon’s self composed piano songs and he really enjoyed it. At some point he really did feel relaxed and started to lose consciousness. He was finally falling asleep and Jihoon was happy to see that. Now he just hoped Soo Min wasn’t experiencing the same thing right about now? A part of him wanted to go check on her, so he did. He carefully got out of Ren’s bed and quietly made his way downstairs to the guest room Soo Min and Won Woo were staying in. When he opened the door, he was surprised to see Won Woo awake instead of Soo Min.

 

“Oh? What are you doing down here?” Won Woo asked in a soft whisper.

 

“I came to check how she was doing.” Jihoon answered while gesturing to Soo Min after approaching the bed. “Ren had a hard time sleeping just now, and I know Soo Min struggles sometimes too. You as well. Me too.” He sighed at that last bit.

 

“Yeah, it .” Won Woo said with a quiet chuckle. “I would have my piano playlist but I don’t want my phone dead in the morning.”

 

“Just do it.” Jihoon scolded. “Don’t worry about that, sleep is more important.”

 

“But-”

 

“I’ll ask Ren if he has any spare chargers or something, just… sleep for now!”

 

“Fine.” Won Woo playfully rolled his eyes and reached for his phone so he could put on the mentioned playlist. Piano music didn’t make him sleepy but it relaxes him at least. And once he’s relaxed enough he can fall asleep since there’s nothing to keep him awake or distracted, no pesky negative thoughts… he was having a lot of those recently and he knew why. He just hoped things could get settled soon so he wouldn’t have to think things like that all the time. He just wanted to go back to thinking things like ‘What’s for breakfast?’ or ‘What’s for lunch?’ and of course ‘What’s for dinner?’ Don’t forget ‘What’s today’s snack?’

 

Jihoon came over to Won Woo’s side of the bed to check which piano pieces he was listening to and saw the older look up at him with a small smile. Naturally Jihoon smiled back and knelt down to be eye level. “I’m supposed to sleep with you watching me?” Won Woo asked with a quiet chuckle.

 

“I can leave if it’s distra-”

 

“No, you can stay.” Won Woo said quickly and cut him off. Jihoon snickered and Won Woo pouted, he knew what his younger friend was thinking right about now, how quick he protested and how cute that was. A moment of silence passed them before Jihoon spoke again.

 

“Did you get to talk with Soo Min after we left this room earlier?” He asked quietly.

 

“A little.” Won Woo answered back in a quiet tone as well.

 

“Did you bring up that moment in the kitchen, about how you feel on the trip to L.A?”

 

“No.”

 

“Why not? You should tell her.”

 

“I know.” Won Woo looked bothered, like he regretted not saying anything. “It was just difficult to bring up again. She did ask about it but… I didn’t want to talk about it at the moment.”

 

“It’s alright. You have a few days to make a final decision. Remember not to be too hard on yourself if you choose not to go. While you should face the situation at hand, you shouldn’t risk your mental health at the same time.”

 

“Thanks for understanding.” Won Woo really appreciated Jihoon’s words tonight. After having that mini breakdown in front of him, he definitely felt a lot CLOSER to him now. “I’ll let you know what I decide when the time comes.”

 

“I’m sure you’ll make the right choice for yourself, I won’t worry too much.” Jihoon gave him a sheepish smile. “Please sleep, we’ll see you in the morning.”

 

“Yeah,” Won Woo managed a small smile of his own and watched Jihoon stand up. He reached out and gave a gentle pat to his head and chuckled when the older swatted his hand away with an embarrassed pout. “Go already!”

“I’m leaving now. Goodnight, Won Woo.”

 

“Goodnight, Jihoon.” And then he was gone and Won Woo was left alone once again, but this time he was less stressed and starting to relax after having that mini talk with Jihoon. The piano music was also helping too, and before he knew it, he fell asleep shortly after thinking of more positive outcomes for their pending trip to L.A.

 

…

 

It was morning when Soo Min woke up, she felt refreshed and good for once. Usually she’s still sleepy because she didn’t sleep well, but this time she could say she got a good sleep. It was interesting to think about given she was in a foreign place and usually that’s enough to keep her awake, thus not a good sleep. She moved her arms over her head and began to stretch like a cat when they make a crescent moon shape with their back, though her moon was a funny looking moon since it didn’t curve all the way. She’s not that flexible. A satisfied groan came out of her lips after stretching and she sat up to see she was in bed all alone. “Did he wake up before me?” She asked out loud and turned to check the time on her phone. It was around 8:43am, just SEVENTEEN minutes until 9am. A bit early for someone who wakes up an hour before her afternoon class.

 

Her phone battery didn’t drain too much during the night, but it was at 41% and there weren’t too many notifications. No one had texted her, they were all just emails and social apps about kpop news and pesky promotions from websites that she forgot to mark as spam. She’ll get to it eventually… eventually. For now she just cleared all the notifications and just then, she heard a knock on the door and it opened. She looked over and expected it to be Won Woo, but it was Ren and she suddenly became a little tense before he greeted her a good morning with a bright smile. Those tense feelings started to fade away just a bit after he stepped in and asked if she wanted a change of clothes to change into. He also asked if she wanted to take a shower or a bath, and if there was anything she needed or that he could do for her.

 

“I suddenly feels like I’m talking to room service.” She joked and earned a laugh from him. “I’m fine, don’t worry.”

 

“Breakfast is almost done. Are you hungry?”

 

“I don’t usually eat breakfast in the morning, but I suppose I’m a little hungry.” She said with a small smile and got up to follow him out of the room. When they entered the kitchen, she saw Won Woo standing at the stove monitoring something that was cooking in the skillet. He greeted her a good morning and she said it back to him with a cute smile and wave. “Where’s Jihoon? He’s not awake yet?”

 

“He’s still upstairs sleeping.” Ren answered. “I tried to wake him up but he wouldn’t budge so I just thought to leave him be a little longer. He was always like that whenever we had sleepovers.”

 

“Yes, it followed him into adulthood.” Soo Min chuckled and made her way to the stairs. “Don’t worry, I’ll get him up.”

 

“Should you really wake him up? We should let him sleep a bit more, right?” Ren was a bit worried and looked to Won Woo who seemed like he agreed.

 

“Just give him another thirty minutes.” Won Woo’s words were directed to her and she pouted. “Then you can go jump on him.”

 

“That’s how you wake him up?” Ren was shocked and even more worried for his dear friend.

 

“Fine. Thirty minutes.” She said while walking over to sit at the center island counter to wait patiently. She thought about going upstairs anyway because already she could tell she was going to make things awkward between her and Ren despite what happened yesterday. At least he knows how I feel. That should make it less awkward.

 

Quietly, the two sat at the center island counter and watched Won Woo finish cooking breakfast. He hadn’t noticed them sitting there watching since he was focused on his task. Ren was looking around his kitchen and thought about how he could rearrange things to make it look more aesthetically pleasing, as if it wasn’t already, his kitchen look like one of those high class mansion kitchens that every housewife dreams of. As for Soo Min, she noticed the stool seats spin and just like a fascinated child, she started to spin around in it. Ren obviously noticed and looked her way and a smile spread across his lips when he saw her having fun. Though he knew that wasn’t something she should do for too long and was about to tell her to stop but someone stopped her and that someone had blonde hair. For a second he thought it was Jihoon but realized this person was too tall to be Jihoon!

 

“Please don’t do that, you’ll get sick.” Minhyun scolded in a gentle tone and Soo Min was startled before nodding in reply and looked away with an embarrassed expression. She caught Won Woo giving her scolding eyes as well and whimpered on the inside. When she looked to Ren she saw him giving her an apologetic smile and that reminded her of what he said last night, how he’d be that brother that would always let her have a Choco Pie when the others don’t, that probably meant letting her do things the others wouldn’t let her do either. Or maybe that was just her thinking that right now, but Ren didn’t stop her so it was a possibility in her mind for sure.

 

“I’m gonna go wake Jihoon up!” She blurted out before hopping off the stool and hurried her way over to the staircase where she was greeted by Baekho who was putting his coat away.

 

“Good morning, Miss Soo Min.” He gave her a bright smile and it was contagious. “How are you today?”

 

“I’m good.” She said softly. “Thanks.”

 

“I’m glad to hear it! Sorry for intruding on your visit with Ren, Minhyun wanted to check up on him.”

 

“That’s fine.” She assured him and glanced towards the kitchen. Baekho noticed her guilty expression and it made him think of how she had struggled with the truth.

 

“Is everything okay?” He asked even though he knew there was a high chance that she’d lie and excuse herself, but he just had to ask, he’d feel bad if he just ignored it because he was too kind hearted to do that.

 

“It’s still kicking in.” She gave a small sigh. “I told him how I really felt about it all… I’m happy he understands but I still feel bad for making things awkward.”

 

“In time it should get easier. You just need to spend more time with him, that’s all.” Baekho gave her a warm smile. “Things are different now compared to the last time you hung out with him, so it will be a little difficult but I’m sure once you two start bonding those feelings will fade away.”

 

“Thanks, Baekho.” She managed to give him more of a sincere smile this time. “I’ll remember that.”

 

“Good. If you ever feel down about it again, please talk to someone. You can always talk to me if you need it.” He said while reaching out to give her a pat on her shoulder and she noticed something on his right arm. It was dark and it just caught her eye drastically. She backed up and stared at his forearm for a second before pointing with her finger.

 

“Is that a tattoo?”

 

“Yes.” He nodded with a small chuckle, it was quite obvious, wasn’t it? So he was amused that she even needed to ask.

 

“Of?” She took a step CLOSER to get a better look.

 

“A white tiger.”

 

“A white tiger? Interesting.” She stared at it even more intently until the door opened and startled her. In came a noisy Aron who was complaining about the cold. JR was following close behind and was complaining about Aron complaining and then they noticed Baekho and Soo Min at the staircase.

 

“Morning!” Aron beamed while taking his coat off. “Finally discovered Baekho’s secret tattoo? Cool, huh? He even has some on his chest, show her!”

 

“Hyung!” Baekho scolded and swatted Aron’s hand away when he tried to ubotton the bodyguard’s shirt. “That’s inappropriate!”

 

“Control yourself!” JR scolded behind Aron.

 

“What?!” Aron was so confused before he heard Soo Min giggling. “They’re just cool tattoos!”

 

“You can just describe them to me.” Soo Min smacked him lightly on his arm and he pretended like it really hurt him, to which she rolled her eyes playfully, he was so extra.

 

“I guess if you’re interested I can tell you about them.” Baekho glanced to his friends who nodded, Aron nodded more eagerly of course. “Well, for starters, Baekho isn’t my real name, it’s Dongho. Baekho is the name my friends gave me during high school and it just stuck with me so I got this tattoo of a white tiger, because it’s what the name Baekho means in Korean. The tattoos on my chest are both in different languages as well. One’s in French, I can’t pronounce it because I don’t want to embarrass myself, but it means ‘Never give up.’ The other one is in English. It’s a star with the phrase ‘What you give is what you get.’”

 

“See, very cool and interesting tattoos, right?” Aron glanced to Soo Min who looked a little upset suddenly. “What’s the matter? Are you inspired by it or something?” She simply nodded and it soon dawned on his why it affected her. “I knew it was a good idea to talk about your tattoos!” He grinned at Baekho who only gave him a worried smile. He agreed maybe it was helpful but he just didn’t like to see her upset again.

 

“Was it painful?” She asked curiously. Not everyone is the same, some people can handle it while others can’t and she just wanted to know.

 

“A little but I got through it every time.” A smile slowly spread across her lips when he said it. Even if he was literally talking about his pain tolerance about getting needles to his arm for a long period of time, she was thinking of it in a different way, a more meaningful way now.

 

“I could never get a tattoo.” She rubbed her left arm nervously. “Though it would be nice to get one so I could remind myself of something special.”

 

“There’s no need.” JR assured her. “Your heart shall always remember for you.”

 

“Wow, that was so cheesy!” Aron laughed after a moment of silence, Soo Min was really awestruck by what he said and so was Baekho but here Aron was! JR smacked him, hard, because he ruined the moment! “I agree though!”

 

“Thank you… for your wise words.” Soo Min said while glancing to Baekho and then to JR. “And I suppose I should thank you for even bringing up the tattoos. I feel… better now.”

 

“No problem! Happy to help!” Aron smiled before he noticed Ren approaching them. Soo Min noticed his eyes shift and she turned to see Ren walking over. This time she didn’t feel tense, she felt more at ease and relaxed. What you give is what you get. If I keep giving distance I will surely get it in return and I don’t want that. And I can’t give up either, even if it gets difficult, I have to make all the efforts, I have to try to make this work because it will work. I just want us all to get along and live happily ever after.

 

“I didn’t know you were all coming, we only made enough for four people!” Ren complained when he noticed his friends huddled by the staircase with his sister. He supposed they were talking to her… or bothering her. He narrowed his eyes and looked at Aron first. “Were you picking on her?” He asked, because he had noticed the hint of sadness in her eyes when he got CLOSER.

 

“No~! Of course not!” Aron blurted out and suddenly he saw Won Woo coming over too, like he had heard Ren and protective mode kicked in! “Why would I pick on your sister?! Why I would never!” He huffed like he was offended that he was being accused of such a thing.

 

“You pick on your own sisters, why not Ren’s?” JR coughed and muttered those words and Aron suddenly looked guilty which earned a laugh from Baekho and Soo Min.

 

“He wasn’t picking on me.” Soo Min helped him out since it wasn’t fair to let him get the piercing glares from Won Woo, or Ren. Mother Hen Minhyun was now heading over to see what all the fuss was about and he was even eyeing Aron suspiciously too! He must pick on others a lot! “I’m gonna go wake up Jihoon!” She announced before turning around and headed up the stairs quickly. They all watched her disappear seconds later before all eyes panned to Aron.

 

“Seriously! I do one good thing and no one believes me?!” He pouted.

 

“Honestly, he wasn’t picking on her. Soo Min noticed my tattoo on my arm and Aron brought up my other tattoos, so I talked about them. I told her the meanings.” It seemed like Ren got the hint and his scolding expression softened dramatically. He looked like he appreciated Aron a lot now. Minhyun was the same and he smiled while Won Woo was a bit lost on the reason.

 

“Enlighten us once more~!” Minhyun asked and rested a hand on Won Woo’s shoulder. Baekho took the hint that Minhyun wanted him to tell Won Woo the meanings of his tattoos as well because it just might help Ren’s other sibling just as much! So he did just that and Won Woo looked awestruck and touched. Like it hit home with him. Never give up. What you give is what you get. Of course. He had a whole new perspective on life now after hearing those words.

 

“That’s very inspiring.” Won Woo managed to say with a small smile. “Thanks for telling me.”

 

“You’re welcome.” Baekho gave him a bright smile.

 

“Did it hurt?” He asked and the three who had heard Soo Min ask that suddenly thought how connected the three siblings were. So Baekho gave the same answer and Won Woo’s mood improved just as expected.

 

“A bit but I always got through it. You can too.” Baekho added since he got the picture that he was asking for a different reason.

 

“I will.” Won Woo nodded. It was such a sweet moment!

 

“Babe, don’t cry!” They suddenly heard Minhyun coo and he pulled his boyfriend who was crying into his hands over for a hug.

 

“I’m sorry.” Ren’s muffled voice said against his chest. It’s just been such a rollercoaster ride emotionally this week. He was sure the ride wouldn’t be over for a long time, not until everything was settled. He cried for a minute while everyone else comforted him, even his brother which was even more sweet. He was happy now. “Oh right. I have a tattoo as well.” He said after parting from his boyfriend and wiped his tears quickly. He lifted up his left hand and took off the watch to reveal three little words accompanied by a small pink heart across his wrist under the palm of his hand. “It says ‘I love you ❤’ in English.” He explained. It was in a simple comic sans font.

 

Won Woo looked at it closely and smiled, he thought it was a cute tattoo and asked why he got it. “Ren has such a big and kind heart.” Minhyun started to explain since Ren was still a bit emotional. “After Jihoon moved away, he was lonely for a short while until the rest of us met him in high school. Since then, we’ve been super close and we became like a family. We always say I love you to each other in platonic ways, and romantic ways,” he pointed between himself and Ren just so Won Woo understood and he did, “You never know how fast things can happen in a blink of an eye, so we always let each other know how much we care and love each other. It really means a lot to Ren whenever we say I love you to him because he had felt so lonely growing up, now he’s surrounded by people who love him and he wanted to remember that always.” Minhyun finished by bringing Ren’s wrist up again to look at the tattoo. “Pretty simple.”

 

“That makes me want to get a tattoo just like it.” Won Woo said with a cute snicker, but it was clear he had gotten emotional listening to that small story. It made him think of last night when Soo Min told him I love you before bed and how he said it back. He understand what that’s like, honestly, and he was just glad Ren had his friends and boyfriend around him to do that too.

 

“Be warned, it hurt a lot.” Ren pouted and rubbed over the tattoo with a pained expression. “But I got through it.”

 

“And I will too.”

 

“Okay, enough!” Ren covered his face once more to cry and Won Woo laughed before pulling him into a hug this time. It was such a cute brother moment and the others were happy they got to see it!

 

…

 

Jihoon was still asleep when Soo Min entered Ren’s room and she smiled to herself. She worries for him a lot about his poor sleeping habits. Composing songs and going to school at the same time can’t always be a good combo and she really hoped he wasn’t pushing himself too much. After their fight they had earlier in the week, she hoped it opened his eyes on how much time he spends on his music than he does with other people. I’d like to think he’s not just here for Won Woo and I because he feels like he should be, but because he wants to be. She would never want anyone to feel like they’re obligated to put things off for her.

 

She could hear Ren and the others talking down at the end of the stairs while she was shutting the door and couldn’t help but hear Ren mentioning he had a tattoo himself. Honestly, after disappearing around the corner on the second floor, she had stopped and listened in on Baekho telling Won Woo the stories of his tattoo as well. She even peeked around the corner and got to see Won Woo’s reactions, but Minhyun caught her. He didn’t say anything and she appreciated that. The last thing she wanted at the moment was to get back into their conversation, not because she didn’t want to, but because she needed a moment away and a moment for Won Woo to talk with the others since he hasn’t had many chances to do so. When she heard Ren crying, she took it as the cue to leave before she starts crying, and she slowly walked to his room. Once she got to the door and entered, that’s when she heard Ren start talking about his own tattoo.

 

Just like Won Woo, it made her think of last night when she said goodnight to him. She could relate to that. Jeonghan is always telling her he loves her in their texts and calls and when they part ways in person. She knew it was kind of embarrassing to say every time, but after hearing Ren’s story, she wouldn’t feel embarrassed about it anymore and she will make sure to always say it to all her friends, to all the people she loves… like their parents. They’re the ones who taught them those words when they were little and even taught them the meaning. It’s sad how distant they’ve become, it was like they’ve forgotten all about those three little words. Maybe it would take only those three little words to bring them back together? Never give up. She thought while shutting the door. A single tear slid down her cheek once the door was shut. What you give is what you get. She wiped that tear and turned to face her brother’s room.

 

She walked over to kneal next to Jihoon on the right side of Ren’s bed and watched him for a moment before she reached out to his hair gently. “You need a haircut, bro.” She teased in a whisper. She saw his face scrunch up before he swatted her hand away and groaned, she woke him up.

 

“I know.” He mumbled before stretching his arms and back. “What time is it?”

 

“Last I checked, it was almost 9am.” She answered before crawling over to sit in front of the Lady GaGa shrine.

 

REN: They’re never going to stop calling it that, are they?

 

“It’s too early to be alive.” Jihoon complained while turning on his side, his back facing Soo Min. He could her hear simply snicker at his comment before she started to speak to Lady GaGa.

 

“Good morning, Mother Monster.” She greeted. “I hope you are well on this fine Sunday morning? Things are… better today. It started out a bit difficult, but it’s getting better as time goes on.”

 

“Are you really talking to a picture mounted to the wall?”

 

“Shhh~!” Soo Min pouted at him. “I’m venting!”

 

“To a picture?!” Jihoon sat up and looked at her like she was crazy, but she wasn’t looking at him and he could tell maybe he needed to be more understanding. A few seconds of silence passed and he got up and joined her on the floor next to her. “Good morning, Mother Monster.” He greeted and saw Soo Min smile in the corner of his eye. “I slept good last night, despite I was running around checking on everyone in the middle of the night. I made a wish that these three would have a good night’s rest for once after this chaotic week. I hope that was you working your magic last night. And if it was, thanks. I really appreciate it.”

 

“Me too.” Soo Min chirped to that. “Also, I’m grateful to have so many people around me this morning telling me things I needed to hear and words I shall forever remember. I’m glad that we were all able to bond yesterday and become CLOSER with each other. It’s something I didn’t expect to happen, I never really thought anything was missing or out of balance, but I was kind of blind. Maybe because I knew something was missing and everything was off balance but I just didn’t want to admit it. I didn’t want to face it. But I will face it now. No more Poker Face.”

 

“Don’t start with the puns again.” Jihoon held in a chuckle. She chuckled at that too, because it wasn’t intended. They sat there for a moment in silence before she spoke again.

 

“Everything’s going to be okay, right?” She asked to both Lady GaGa and Jihoon. “Some way or another, everything will turn out fine, right?”

 

“Yes.” He answered her. “When things get difficult, just remember not to give in. I’ll be there pushing you from behind to keep going forward, because it’s the only way to move on.”

 

“Can’t I just teleport?” She joked and he smacked her lightly with a snicker. “Just dance, gonna be okay…” she muttered song lyrics. Jihoon ended up singing the next part and she chuckled before joining him and before they knew it, they almost sang the whole song until they noticed Ren and Won Woo standing behind them and they suddenly became shy!

 

Ren instantly started clapping with an apologetic chuckle for interrupting their performance, Won Woo joined in as well, which embarrassed the two even more. “Are you still hungry?”

 

“You cooked breakfast?” Jihoon’s expression suddenly turned into one of horror. “Did you come up here to evacuate us?!” He added and fiend panic while linking his arm with Soo Min’s and was about to lead her away to safety. Ren only sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

 

“Won Woo cooked.” Ren answered. “We still evacuating?”

 

“Yah…” Won Woo was offended. “I might not be that great at cooking, but I’m decent enough!”

 

“It’s a joke.” Jihoon laughed and unlinked his arm with Soo Min. “I’m hungry, let’s go.” He added and made his way to the door while patting Won Woo on the back, purposely leaving Soo Min and Ren behind.

 

Ren simply gestured for his sister to follow him out of the room with a soft smile. She only watched him head to the door and stopped when he noticed she didn’t follow. He was confused and concerned. He thought of what to say until he saw her come up to him and point to his right wrist. He held it up and she frowned when she didn’t see the tattoo she heard him mention. She pointed to his left wrist and saw he was wearing a nice watch. It’s probably covered.

 

“I heard the story about your tattoo earlier.” She spoke calmly. “I suppose you could understand that’s how Won Woo and I feel about each other. Friends who became our chosen family…”

 

“I understand.” He said with a sincere smile. “I understand now.”

 

“Good.” She was happy, it felt like things could really work out now. “I’m looking forward to bonding with you in the near future. I’m sure we’ll get along just fine, right?” She added with a hint of a chuckle.

 

“We will.” He nodded.

 

“Who would have thought the girl who tainted your image by being short in front of the paparazzi would turn out to be your half sister. Do you want to take that comment back now or?” She asked with a cute pout.

 

“I’ll still bring you those Choco Pies to your hospital room like I promised.” He laughed and she rolled her eyes. They were referring to the time he told her to wear high heels and she complained she’d break her ankle if she did that.

 

“Be sure to go undercover. Don’t get caught.”

 

“I won’t.” He assured her and they laughed with each other. There was a moment of silence before Ren grabbed her into a tight hug and she held him just as tight. They finally managed to OVERCOME one of many issues that was hindering the start of a new life and journey. Honesty and acceptance.

 

“Can I have a Choco Pie for breakfast?” Soo Min asked after they parted and began their way to the stairs.

 

“No.” He simply said, and almost in a strict way, a parental way, a Won Woo and Jihoon kind of way.

 

“But… you sai-”

 

“After breakfast.” He patted her on the head and gestured for her to head down the stairs first.

 

“Fine.” She was okay with that, obviously, as long as she got her Choco Pie!

 

When they made it to the kitchen, they saw everyone else standing and sitting around the island counter passing around extra food that Minhyun miraculously made in the short time frame that Ren and Won Woo left to fetch Jihoon and Soo Min. “Finally! Let’s eat already, I’m starving!” Aron said in a teasing tone. Minhyun smacked him upside the back of his head on behalf of everyone in the kitchen.

 

“Sorry about this.” Ren apologized after taking his seat between Won Woo and Soo Min at the island counter. Actually, between Won Woo, Soo Min and Jihoon since the younger two were sharing a seat and it was quite adorable to the rest of them as they focused on eating the delicious food that was made. They really looked like a pair of kids sitting at the counter with the other adults.

 

“Won Woo made this one.” Jihoon muttered behind his hand after taking a bite of the food while Soo Min did the same and agreed with him and forced herself to swallow it. “Nice try though.” Jihoon managed to give a thumbs up to his friend a few seats over, but it didn’t help that he sounded parched and reached for his cup of water. Perhaps he put too much salt in the rolled egg?

 

“It tastes just fine!” Aron spoke up and looked confused.

 

“That’s because you’re eating the one I made.” Minhyun clarified.

 

“Oh…” Aron gave a sheepish laugh when he saw Won Woo’s annoyed expression. “Let me taste the one he made then.”

 

“Here.” Soo Min proceeded to give him her entire plate and Ren gave a pitiful laugh when Won Woo pouted even more. “Choco Pie now?” She face Ren with a cute smile.

 

“Not yet.” He chuckled and gestured for her to finish eating now that Jihoon slid his own plate over to Soo Min.

 

“Yah…” Soo Min slid Jihoon’s plate back and he only pushed it over again and they went back and forth for a few seconds until Minhyun scolded them.

 

“Kids, don’t play with your food.”

 

“We weren’t playing with it! And who are you calling kids?!” Jihoon talked back, Minhyun only gave a warning look, like he was actually the parent at the table. “You don’t scare me.”

 

“Ren, do something?”

 

“Do what?” Ren was caught off guard. “What do you want me to do?”

 

“It’s not that bad, I don’t get why they don’t like it?” Aron interrupted and his words were directed at Won Woo.

 

“Thank you.” Won Woo appreciated that someone actually liked his cooking! Unlike his ungrateful friends!

 

“Tell him I’m older than him and not to talk back to me.” Minhyun recaptured Ren’s attention. Suddenly there was so much going on at the table that when he turned to repeat those words to Jihoon, he noticed Soo Min missing.

 

“Where did she go?” He asked the others and they looked at each other and shook their heads before looking around the room and noticed Baekho was missing from his seat as well.

 

“Miss Soo Min, please don’t, that’s dangerous!” They heard him say a couple feet away and they turned their attention over to the corner cabinet where Soo Min had climbed up onto the counter and was trying to reach for the single box of Choco Pies on the very top shelf. It was a high shelf and she couldn’t reach it on her own.

 

“Is that why you told me to put it there?” Minhyun asked Won Woo who was just laughing, he was so amused and… happy. It felt like he was sitting at the table having breakfast with his out of control chosen family. This was nice.

 

“It’s empty!” Soo Min blurted out in complete dejection after she managed to grab it after standing on the counter. Everyone was laughing, not at her, but with her. She already knew who her target was when she tossed the box and it hit Won Woo on the head and his laughter stopped instantly.

 

“Yah! What do you think you’re doing throwing that at me?!”

 

“It was an accident.” She feigned innocence and clung onto the cabinet shelves behind her for dear life now that she noticed how high up she was from the ground.

 

“Have fun getting down.” Jihoon chimed in and she pouted his way.

 

“Wow, you three are just a handful, aren’t you?” Aron was entertained to say the least. “How’s the weather up there?” He joked to Soo Min.

 

“Scary.” She whimpered.

 

“Don’t worry, I’ll help you down.” Baekho assured her and had his arms out ready to do just that.

 

“Sorry about this.” Won Woo apologized to Ren who snickered, he had apologized about how his friends interrupted their breakfast and now Won Woo was apologizing for Soo Min’s crazy behavior.

 

“It’s fine.” Ren said while watching Baekho try his best to convince his sister that he wouldn’t drop her and that she could trust him. Eventually Aron and JR joined the scene, even Mother Hen. “Should I call for more help or are you good?” Ren called over and she pouted at him! So the teasing already begins.

 

“I’ll do it.” Won Woo eventually said when what should have taken a minute took ten! It wasn’t like Soo Min didn’t trust Baekho and Ren’s other friends, but at the same time she didn’t. There was also the idea that she didn’t know them that well and was making it awkward for herself about them touching her body despite it was to help her get down from the counter. At least if it was Won Woo, she would be more comfortable. “Jump. I’ll catch you.” He joked and she frowned, but also hid her laugh. “Just try to squat and get on my back.” He instructed while reaching up to hold her hands to give her more support.

 

Ren watched intently, because he just noticed how different she was reacting to Won Woo compared to his friends. He understood that she doesn’t know Baekho and the others that well, but it was just interesting to see the huge difference and to see just how much Soo Min trusted Won Woo right now. He hoped one day she could trust him like that as well. He was sure Jihoon trusted him like that already since they have history together. Once she was finally safe on the ground, Won Woo pinched her cheek and she winced and covered her sore cheek with a sad puppy look while Won Woo scolded her about climbing up onto high surfaces. And honestly, she deserved that. Her actions went a little out of hand this time, all for an empty box of Choco Pies.

 

“I really thought there were Choco Pies up there.” She said in a dejected tone after returning to her seat. “All that climbing for nothing.”

 

“That’s why you think before acting on it.” Aron pointed out.

 

“More life lessons now?” She said with a weak smile.

 

“Oh, no!” Aron frowned. “Sorry, I really only meant this situation particularly. You could have easily used the end of a broom to push the box off of the shelf instead of climbing up the counter.”

 

“Right.” She nodded. “That’s smart.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

“I mean the idea is smart, not you.” She added and his friends tried to hold in their laughter.

 

“But I came up with the idea!” He defended.

 

“Whatever.” She chuckled. “Sorry for interrupting breakfast.”

 

They all assured her it was alright. She promised not to be that extra next time and they went back to eating their food. Some conversations were held here and there between Ren and his friends, as well as Won Woo. Soo Min and Jihoon were surprised to see how talkative he became around the others and it made them happy to see it with their own eyes. Won Woo was changing for the better.

 

When it was all over, more conversations took place while Minhyun and Baekho cleaned up the table. Jihoon joined the conversation Won Woo was having with JR and Aron and that left Soo Min and Ren the only ones left at the counter since they hadn’t moved yet. This time they knew it wasn’t the rest trying to purposely get the two siblings alone so they could talk, because they really didn’t need to.

 

“What are your plans for the rest of the afternoon?” Ren asked out of curiosity. Tomorrow was the start of midterms as well as the family dinner where he’ll meet their father for the first time properly.

 

“Right… I guess go home and work on my projects.” She sighed in defeat. “At least I started them and just need to finish them.”

 

“What kind of projects are you doing?”

 

“Image editing and illustration.” She explained and sat up so she could explain it to him. She supposed now was a time to bond with her brother just a bit more. She told him what classes she was taking this semester and what she’s learned so far and how excited she is about learning more. He really found it adorable and gave her warm smiles and encouraged her to do her best. He was cheering her on. That gave him the cue to talk about his own classes and projects and she was amazed and in awe. She was also encouraging him and cheering him on.

 

About two hours had passed by then and unfortunately, it was time to cut things short. Everyone needed to study for midterms and once again, there was Soo Min, bragging about how she didn’t have to study for anything! “But you have to create, and that’s just as stressful.” Won Woo pointed out and suddenly she didn’t feel like bragging anymore. He was right. It earned a few laughs from the others for sure.

 

Everyone started to say their goodbyes to each other and they all made plans to meet up more often in the future since when they accepted Ren, they accepted his chosen family as well. Won Woo mentioned that and it got Ren all worked up again with his emotions. Won Woo told him to be careful, he didn’t want to hear about his brother ending up in the hospital again for crying too much. The siblings gave each other a tight hug, even Jihoon gave Ren a tight hug.

 

“Good luck on studying!” Ren called after them after they exited the front door and walked down the little path to the street where Won Woo had parked Soo Min’s car yesterday. “Good luck on creating masterpieces!”

 

“Right back at you, bro!” Soo Min called back with a happy smile and waved from her spot at the driver’s side door. After the trio got into the car, they were off a moment later down the street and Ren already missed them.

 

“You okay?” Baekho asked after resting his hand on Ren’s shoulder.

 

“Yes.” He nodded and returned inside with him so he could part ways with the others.

 

“We’re studying here!” Aron pointed out when he saw Ren’s lonely expression. “Did you think we were going to leave you here all by yourself?”

 

“Yeah.” Ren pouted.

 

“We’re not! That’s why we brought our stuff with us!” He pointed out while opening the hall closet that had their school bags.

 

“Why did no one tell me?”

 

“Sorry,” Minhyun gave a sheepish smile. “Surprise.” He added with a light chuckle.

 

“Shall we get to it then?” JR asked while pulling out his bag. He already looked like he wanted to go home.

 

“I’ll make more snacks!” Minhyun beamed before heading off to the kitchen.

 

“I’ll set up the living room into the perfect study place.” Aron hurried off to get started.

 

“I’ll go sit on the couch and dread this whole thing.” JR muttered and followed their energetic friend with no energy at all. It made Baekho laugh and Ren snicker.

 

“How are you feeling now, Ren?” The older asked him once their friends were out of sight.

 

“Good.” Ren answered honestly. “Really good.”

 

“Great, I’m glad!”

 

“Thanks.” Ren could finally smile truthfully for once. “Can you help me bring down my project supplies from my room?”

 

“Sure, no problem!” Baekho said with a bright smile and followed Ren up the stairs. When they entered his room, without fail… “Good afternoon, Miss GaGa, how are you today?” It always made Ren laugh and he thought it was nice since he too greeted his Mother Monster sometimes when he gets home from a long day of errands or work. He was sure the next time Soo Min comes over, she would do just the same as Baekho and he looked forward to it.

 

…

 

“It’s already lunch time, let’s eat.” Soo Min said with a wide smile as she made the correct turns to get to their favorite burger joint.

 

“Okay, but we should go straight home after that.” Won Woo pointed out before looking back at Jihoon in the backseat all by himself. Well… he was browsing his phone so maybe he wasn’t too alone back there. “Do you want to eat with us or should we drop you off first?”

 

“I’ll eat with you.” Jihoon answered after looking up. “Actually… don’t take me home.”

 

“Why not?” Soo Min asked and looked at him through the rearview mirror.

 

“I mean, when we’re done, can you take me there to pick up my school bag? Can I study at your place?”

 

“Sure, no problem?” Won Woo was slightly confused, he wasn’t understanding and maybe it was because he was hungry and his brain was a bit slow. Jihoon chuckled at his friend’s clueless expression.

 

“It’s better I study elsewhere so I don’t get distracted with my studio.” There was a few seconds of silence before the WooMin duo finally understood and even said “oh!” at the same time. “Get it now?”

 

“Yeah. That’s better.” Won Woo agreed. “Glad you thought of that.”

 

“Me too, I guess.” Jihoon sighed. It was clear he already didn’t like the idea of studying today, but he had to be a good student.

 

They arrived to the restaurant shortly after that and headed inside. They were surprised to see they weren’t the only ones who came out to eat lunch, Jeonghan and Seungcheol were with Mingyu in the booth next to the Trio’s usual spot. Right away, Mingyu noticed them and waved in greeting. Naturally the Trio headed over to greet them properly. “Hello, my beautiful King!” Jeonghan cooed while extending his hand out for her to hold since he was trapped in the booth thanks to Seungcheol who didn’t get the hint to move out of the way. Soo Min giggled and took her boyfriend’s hand into hers and even stepped forward to place a kiss to the back of it. That had Jihoon and Won Woo scowling and Mingyu cooing at how adorable it was!

 

“We’re in public for the love of…” Jihoon muttered while Seungcheol laughed at how disturbed he got just from that mere action between their lovebird friends.

 

“Were you guys leaving?” Won Woo decided to change the topic and scanned the table that was empty.

 

“No, we just got here a minute before you guys did!” Mingyu explained. “Since I missed class earlier this week, Jeonghan invited me to lunch to talk about the lecture I missed.”

 

“Right.” Won Woo realized he needed to contact Daniel about his notes later. He would be sure to do that when he gets home.

 

“Why don’t you three join us?” Jeonghan gestured for them to sit before he childishly pushed on Seungcheol to get out of the booth. He obviously wanted his girlfriend to sit next to him.

 

“Chill out.” Seungcheol pouted. “I guess I’ll go make the orders?” He turned to the rest of them and pulled his phone out to make a note. Jeonghan was still pushing on him. “Wait until I get everyone’s orders!” He complained. Jeonghan sighed dramatically and Soo Min could only give a sorry laugh to the rest of them. “Jihoon, mind coming with me?” Seungcheol asked Jihoon who was slightly caught of guard. He was going to say no, but then knew he’d feel guilty if he did. The thought of being alone with him in line made him nervous but when he heard Jeonghan whine about how long it was taking for Seungcheol to move out of the way so he could properly greet the love of his life, he decided he’d rather spare himself the horror of the SooHan couple greeting each other in their typical lovey dovey manner.

 

“Sure.” He nodded and gave a few pats to Won Woo’s arm. “Just don’t watch.” He added and earned a pout from Jeonghan. Mingyu just laughed and Won Woo snickered.

 

Finally, Seungcheol got up from the booth and allowed Soo Min access to her beloved Queen. The oldest left with the youngest to place their orders right away while Won Woo sat down on the other side of the booth and scooted over so he could sit next to Mingyu, his boyfriend. They both watched Soo Min on the other side scoot over and get pulled into a hug by Jeonghan, it was cute, even Won Woo could admit that and it started to make him think of how they were greeting each other with a hug and a kiss to the lips yet, Won Woo wasn’t greeting his own boyfriend like that at all. He just simply smiled at him and waved before sitting down. DAMN. But he was sure his boyfriend didn’t mind, probably because he was more interesting in seeing the other couple interact with each other. He’s probably wishing that was us. Poor Won Woo was feeling bad now.

 

Mingyu started a conversation with the two while Won Woo sat there in silence and listened. Soo Min noticed and started to worry for him. Because of that, Mingyu noticed her expression and her eyes directed at Won Woo who looked bothered. “What is it, are you okay?”

 

“I’m fine.” Won Woo answered quickly. “It’s nothing.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“Yeah.” He nodded and avoided eye contact. That made it clear that it was a lie and Mingyu looked to the SooHan couple who mirrored his expression. There was a short silence that ensued until Soo Min spoke again.

 

“Uhm, I think I left my wallet in the car.” She said and started scooting over to get out of the booth. “I’ll be right back.”

 

“I’ll go with you!” Jeonghan also scooted out of the booth. “You know, just in case someone decides to rob you in the parking lot.”

 

“Then Seungcheol should come with me!” She pouted at his excuse.

 

“I can handle robbers!” Jeonghan defended.

 

“Whatever!” She snickered before heading out to the car. Jeonghan followed after her closely and that left Won Woo and Mingyu alone.

 

“They’re always doing that.” Won Woo said softly with a sigh.

 

“Doing what?” Mingyu was kind of slow today, probably because he was hungry too.

 

“Getting us alone together.” Won Woo explained. “We’re together now, I don’t see why they need to keep doing that?”

 

“Oh,” Mingyu understood. “I don’t see why either.” He added with a hint of a chuckle. “Do you want me to tell them to stop it?”

 

“No, it’s fine. I really don’t mind it to be honest.” The older shook his head and stared at the table before looking out the window next to Mingyu. He could see where Soo Min had parked and how she opened the driver door and leaned in. She held up her missing wallet like mentioned, she had been telling the truth after all and it made him snicker. So he thought wrong?

 

“What?” Mingyu asked and followed his gaze. He could see the couple outside standing by Soo Min’s car. She was saying something and Jeonghan replied to her. It was like they were chatting about something and it made him smile. It was nice to see them together, he could tell they were much happier when they were face to face and then he noticed Jeonghan lean down and kiss Soo Min. That was his cue to stop watching and his attention went back to his boyfriend who was still watching them with a dejected expression. “Won Woo, tell me. What’s wrong?” Mingyu wasn’t going to take “it’s nothing” as an answer anymore.

 

“I’m sorry.” Won Woo apologized.

 

“What for?”

 

“For not greeting you properly when we arrived.” He lowered his head and fiddled with the zipper on his jacket. “You’re my boyfriend yet I greeted you like you’re some friend I bumped into. I feel bad.”

 

“It’s okay.” Mingyu assured him. “We’re in public and I understand PDA probably isn’t your thing, especially in front of your friends. I’m okay with that, don’t worry.”

 

“Are you really?” Won Woo managed to look up at him with those guilty eyes. “You’re not just saying what I want to hear, right?”

 

“Well…” Mingyu sighed and looked away. He glanced out the window again to see the SooHan couple were still outside chatting by her car. He supposed they were giving it some time before returning back to the booth. The line was kind of long when Seungcheol and Jihoon left to get the orders too. But that was okay, at least Mingyu was given this chance to talk with Won Woo like this. He turned to look at Won Woo again and gave him a sweet and warm smile. “I just want you to be comfortable. I don’t want you to feel like you must do the same things other couples do like your friends. We can do what we’re comfortable with doing. If that’s greeting each other like friends in public, so be it. I’m already just happy with how you look me in the eyes and smile so sincerely. I’m fine with that, okay?”

 

“Okay.” Won Woo nodded and a faint smile reached his lips.

 

“So relax, alright? You’re worrying your friends.” Mingyu said and gave his boyfriend a few pats on his back. Won Woo gave a sheepish chuckle and nodded again. Instead of retracting his hand, Mingyu wrapped it around Won Woo’s shoulder and pulled him CLOSER. “Friends can give each other hugs, right?”

 

“Right.” Won Woo smiled and leaned into him.

 

“What about holding hands?” He asked and reached for the older’s left hand with his left.

 

“Uh…” Won Woo was getting flustered now.

 

“How about under the table, out of sight?” Mingyu was being adorable now and it made Won Woo’s heart flutter and his smile widen. Despite the long line in front, the booth they were sitting at didn’t have many people around in the back area, customers were sitting in the front and other side of the building the most right now.

 

“Maybe in time… I’ll get more comfortable doing PDA like the King and Queen.” Won Woo said while looking down at their conjoined hands.

 

“I’ll patiently wait for that day.” Mingyu said with a cute smile. “Not that I need it that much.” He added quickly. “I wasn’t jealous or anything when I saw your friends doing it... “ he cleared his throat in between the two comments. He was jealous!

 

“Sorry. They’ve been at it for two years.” Won Woo chuckled.

 

“I thought they’ve been dating for three years?”

 

“Yeah, but they weren’t affectionate at the start, it took time.”

 

“Oh right, I think Jeonghan told me about that during the camping trip.” Mingyu remembered now. “There’s no rush, honestly. Just be you and I’ll be happy regardless.”

 

“Stop being so sweet.” Won Woo pouted.

 

“Why?!” Mingyu laughed.

 

“It’s making me want to kiss you.” He looked away with a clear blush on his cheeks.

 

“Good.”

 

“Rude!”

 

“Cute!”

 

Won Woo looked at him again with a mix of a pout and shyness. It was like he was thinking of doing something but hesitated. Mingyu being Mingyu, he leaned CLOSER as if to help him make a decision. When he saw Won Woo eyes switch between his eyes and lips he got the hint that he really did want to kiss him right now and Mingyu leaned in even more until Won Woo closed his eyes and allowed Mingyu to kiss him.

 

The kiss was short but long enough to put Won Woo in a small happy daze. He did it. He kissed kissed his boyfriend in his favorite burger joint.

 

“And we’re back.” Soo Min’s voice snapped him out of it and he just smiled and asked how the trip to her car was, he didn’t even get flustered or panicked. She gave him a funny look and glanced to Mingyu who gave him a cute laugh. “It was fun.” She said with a bright smile, because she too was in a great mood after talking with her own boyfriend and even sharing a sweet kiss.

 

“Well, waiting in line for these orders was not fun.” They heard Jihoon say and put the tray of burgers and fries down with a sigh.

 

“Yeah, it wasn’t.” Seungcheol showed up beside him with their drinks and a frown on his face.

 

“What happened?” Mingyu was worried.

 

“My feet hurt.” Both Seungcheol and Jihoon complained in sync.

 

“Oh.” The others also said in sync before laughing in sync too. LOL

 

“Sit down, sit down!” Soo Min gestured and Jihoon quickly took his seat by Soo Min while Seungcheol took his seat by Won Woo. “Dig in, I paid!” She added with a cheerful smile. She had handed off the money to Seungcheol when they returned inside.

 

“Thank you!” Mingyu cooed, the others also said their thanks and Jeonghan almost didn’t say thanks because he felt bad. He didn’t know that’s what Soo Min did when she talked to Seungcheol in line. He thought she made a change on her order. He had noticed Won Woo and Mingyu at the booth talking and caught a glimpse at their romantic moment. Then Soo Min linked her arm with his and they headed towards the table shortly after Won Woo shared a kiss with his boyfriend.

 

“Cheer up babe.” Soo Min assured him and grabbed a fry to feed him. “You can’t always buy my meals.” She added and giggled when the fry bent against her boyfriend’s mouth since he didn’t accept it.

 

“She’s right, Jeonghan. Let other people treat you for once!” Seungcheol said in a light scolding tone.

 

He managed a smile and accepted the deformed fry from his girlfriend and began to eat with them. He was hungry and he can’t let the food go to waste after his girlfriend paid for it. He’d be sure to pay for her next meal, hopefully. With that, they all ate their food while keeping up conversation about midterms. Jeonghan informed Mingyu about the lecture he missed and even told the interesting story of a student getting caught texting in class and how upset their instructor was, the student was kicked out on the spot. They all promised to never text in class ever again after hearing about it.

 

…

 

Lunch was over before they knew it and they parted ways with each other, except for Mingyu. He caught a ride with Won Woo and his friends since he only met up with Jeonghan and Seungcheol, they didn’t bring him to the burger joint. Like always, the WooMin duo didn’t mind giving him a lift home.

 

Somehow, Mingyu ended up in the back seat with Jihoon since Won Woo sat in the passenger seat up front with Soo Min. He didn’t really think about it that much honestly, but someone else did and they heard Soo Min giggling in the driver seat while eyeing the two in the back seat. It was clear why and Jihoon gave her a small glare. “What?”

 

“Nothing.” She chimed. “I just didn’t realize how small you looked next to Mingyu like that.”

 

“Shut up.” Jihoon complained. “Says you who has to adjust the driver seat because your feet can’t reach the gas pedal after Won Woo drives your car.”

 

“Fair enough.” Soo Min pouted. “You know I really didn’t mean it like I was making fun of you.” Jihoon didn’t say anything and sighed. He supposed he reacted too quickly, but his height has been an insecurity of his growing up, so he didn’t like it being brought up. “I’m older than you but shorter than you.” That made him snicker, as well as Won Woo and Mingyu chuckled with worry.

 

“Smarter than you too.” Jihoon joked and she rolled her eyes playfully before muttering a quiet true while they waited at the red light.

 

“Being tall isn’t all that great, you know?” Mingyu spoke up. Won Woo nodded in agreement. “There’s pros and cons to everything, so don’t let it get you down.” Jihoon suddenly smacked him on the arm and he was shocked. “What did I do?!”

 

“What the hell, Jihoon?” Won Woo was just as confused and slightly displeased. “What are you hitting him for?”

 

Soo Min just laughed, she got it, she got the pun. “Wi arae wi wi arae~” she sung to EXID’s song Up and Down. Now Jihoon kicked the back of the driver seat and they heard her voice shift from it. Won Woo just sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He got the puns now too.

 

“I hate you!” Jihoon complained.

 

“I love you too~!” She beamed. Mingyu was definitely entertained and amused at this point. He could see Won Woo smile when he heard her say that and he saw it on Jihoon’s face too. Cute.

 

It wasn’t long until they made it to Mingyu’s shared apartment. “I’ll walk you to your door.” Won Woo said and unbuckled his seatbelt to get out. “Don’t fight while I’m gone.” He warned his friends and Mingyu giggled at their reactions. Soo Min scoffed while Jihoon huffed.

 

They really didn’t fight after the couple left. Jihoon only talked with her about midterms before L.A came to mind at the end of the week. He recalled the moment back in Ren’s kitchen when Won Woo basically broke down. He probably still hasn’t told her about that yet…

 

“I wonder how tomorrow will go?” She snapped him out of his thoughts. “I wonder how that’s going to affect the trip?”

 

“Who knows…?”

 

“I hope it goes well. It would if we end up cancelling the entire thing.”

 

“If that happens, it happens. It’s better we don’t push ourselves too hard.”

 

“You’re right.”

 

“After what happened this week, are you confident in going to L.A?”

 

“Not really.” Jihoon didn’t expect that, but he supposed after being with Won Woo for so many years, they tend to act similarly too. “Just kind of stressed about seeing Won Woo’s mother. She’s a part of the affair. The CLOSER it gets to leaving on the trip, the more it bothers me.”

 

“I see. I don’t blame you. Perhaps Won Woo feels the same about seeing your father tomorrow.”

 

“Maybe.” She agreed. “I wish this would have happened during summer break or winter break even. It’s hard to deal with this and school on top of it.”

 

“I know.” Jihoon felt bad for his friend like always. He couldn’t do much about it right now either, he couldn’t change the past or alter the unknown future. All he could really do is be there for his friends when they need it.

 

“I’m sure everything will be okay… in time. It’s just difficult, that’s all.”

 

“Yeah. We just have to be strong and push through it.”

 

“Right. Just don’t kick me from behind or I’ll kick you back.” She teased and he snickered before kicking her seat again. “I hate you.” She said with cute pout.

 

“I love you too.” He repeated her words from earlier and her pout vanished and she looked happier. Probably because he hasn’t said it much to her before, so it was kind of a big deal in her head, especially after today.

 

“Love you more!”

 

“I’m not doing this, stop.” Jihoon’s expression quickly turned into annoyance and disgust and she laughed.

 

…

 

“I guess you’ll be studying at home?” Mingyu asked while they walked up to his floor.

 

“Well… I don’t have much of a choice, do I? Midterm week starts tomorrow and I haven’t studied at all this week… I even missed class.”

 

“Right.” Mingyu sighed. He looked like a sad puppy and Won Woo started to catch onto why he was acting that way.

 

“Maybe later we can… I don’t know. Meet up? Eat dinner together? Hang out for a bit? You know… spend some time together?” Won Woo got shy towards the end and Mingyu just adored it. “But we can’t stay out too late… school night.”

 

“Right!” Mingyu was no longer a sad puppy, but an excited one! “I’ll study hard! Just text me when you’re done studying on your side.”

 

“I will.” Won Woo was happy to see his boyfriend in a better mood now. It was cute. “I’ll get going now.” He added now that they were standing in front of Mingyu’s apartment door. “Good luck.”

 

“You too.” Mingyu chirped. Then he leaned down a bit and gave a quick peck to Won Woo’s lips. “See you later~!” He waved and was about to turn and head inside, but Won Woo stopped him by the arm and made him face him one more time. “What is it?” He could tell the older wanted to say something but was too embarrassed to say it and lowered his head a bit and his hold on Mingyu’s wrist loosened until it dropped to his side.

 

Mingyu was going to ask what was wrong, but he could already hear Won Woo’s “it’s nothing” reply in his head. He needs to speak up more! He thought while hooking his finger under Won Woo’s chin and made him look up. He gave him a cute smile before leaning in a second time and gave Won Woo a proper kiss this time. A longer kiss than earlier and Won Woo reacted quickly and kissed him back. Mingyu’s left hand brought Won Woo close by his waist while his right hand moved to the back of his head and he deepened the kiss that way. Won Woo only clutched onto Mingyu’s hoodie in response and his left leg started to raise behind him in that cliché manner you see in the movies.

 

When they parted they were almost out of air and Won Woo was dazed yet again. “Oh?” He noticed the older’s left leg and pointed. “It really raised up on it’s own?!”

 

“Shut up!” Won Woo was clearly embarrassed now! He stomped his leg down and turned to hurry off. “See you later!”

 

“Later!” Mingyu laughed after him. “Love yo-” he caught himself before he could finish his sentence. Won Woo was halfway down the hall by now and didn’t really hear it judging by the way he turned and shouted a confused huh? “Bye~!” Mingyu just shouted back and waved. Won Woo smiled and waved back before disappearing around the corner.

 

Mingyu let out a small sigh. He was happy yet disappointed. It was too soon to be saying that. It was too soon to be saying “I love you.” But deep inside he couldn’t help it. Even if they’ve only been dating for a few days, he felt strongly about Won Woo. He’s loved before and he just knows it now, he loves him more than he loved Sangho. “I love you, Won Woo.” Mingyu quietly said while looking down the empty hallway. “I love you.”

---

Chapter fifty-two~!

 

What was once only 5k turned to 12k I knew it, I only have the ability to write when I’m not supposed to LOL that’s weird… anyway, here’s a long chapter full of… sentimental meanings, emotional responses and a bit of fluff. Or kind of lol. Meanie are so cute OTL

Only took me like 24 days to get it right haha. >.> I’m kidding, I was recovering like I said I would. Still have a long ways to go with this recovery but the worst part is over I think. So I’m getting back into writing x.x been writing offline mostly to that GyuHao(OCxIdol) fic I mention before, sorry about that!

Happy 3 Year anniversary to SEVENTEEN~!

Wah, 3 years already! Waiting until their 17th year anniversary LOL

P.S When I started this fic back in Oct 2015, Mansae era was on my mind but now it’s been 2 and a half years since then and so their appearances keep changing in my head when I write this fic lol All I ever mention is that Soonyoung and Jihoon are still blonde and have long hair (predebut days) Jeonghan still has his long chestnut colored hair. I think Minghao has his cotton candy hair still in this fic. Jun has his Vampire hair still… Jeez… well, I plan to give them makeovers soon aha

The hair must go.

Jeonghan: Babe, you’ll still love me even with short hair, right?

Soo Min:

Jeonghan: *Worried*

She will, don’t worry that’s how it was before you decided to grow it out in high school.

True LOL

Just start off small

Work your way up

LOL

Kay BYE!

PPS, just in case, Ren doesn’t have a tattoo on his wrist saying I love you

But if he gets one I’m quitting and never coming online again.