When Won Woo returned to the car after parting from Mingyu, he was met with silence when he got back into the passenger seat. He got a bad feeling that his friends did fight while he was away because of how quiet and bothered they looked. “What’s wrong?” He asked to Soo Min who had her eyes locked on the steering wheel in front of her, she looked deep in thoughts, negative thoughts. Jihoon was browsing on his phone in the backseat and seemed confused when he heard Won Woo ask that. Soo Min hadn’t replied to Won Woo and didn’t snap out of it until he nudged her and she flinched from being startled.

 

“Oh, you’re back.” She said and calmed her racing heart. “Ready to go now?”

 

“Uh, yeah.” Won Woo thought he should ask what was wrong though. “Is something on your mind?”

 

“Huh?” She looked at him before shaking her head. “No.”

 

“Are you sure?” He wasn’t really buying it and they suddenly heard Jihoon sigh in the backseat before pulling himself up forward so he could join the conversation better.

 

“I think it’s time you two told each other the things you told me separately.” He said in a serious tone. “Now’s a good time.”

 

“Tell each other what?” Won Woo asked a bit dumbfounded at first, a lot has happened today and he was becoming slow..

 

“You both are stressed about the trip to L.A.” Jihoon explained. “Won Woo is worried he might back out.” He said and looked to Soo Min who seemed a bit surprised and glanced to Won Woo with a worried expression. “Soo Min feels the same.” His words were directed at Won Woo who turned to Soo Min and mirrored her emotion. “You both are having a difficult time, but don’t want to show it too much to the other. But you should… you should be getting through this together, right?” His friends nodded quietly and lowered their heads in shame. They were supposed to be close, but it didn’t seem like that lately when they avoided talking about important things like their feelings with each other. “I’m here for you both, but that doesn’t mean you two should only lean on me, you should be able to lean on each other as well.”

 

“You’re right. Sorry.” Soo Min felt bad and so did Won Woo. “I don’t know why I let it slide last night when I asked about your moment in the kitchen, even if we didn’t like it, we should have really talked about it.”

 

“Yeah, we should have.” Won Woo agreed.

 

“Talk about it now.” Jihoon encouraged. “I can step out of the car for a bit if you need me to?”

 

“You don’t need to leave.” They assured him. “Stay.” Soo Min said with a small smile. Jihoon thought maybe it would have been best to let them talk alone, but if they wanted him there, he would stay. He nodded and gave a small smile in return. There were a few moments spent in silence and he thought maybe he needed to help them start their conversation but Won Woo was the first to break the silence.

 

“I haven’t decided what I’m going to do, there’s still a few days until we have to get on that plane… I know I should go and see my parents, but after everything that’s happened, I’m nervous. It’s definitely going to be different seeing my mom now that I know about the affair and the child she had before me that was kept it a secret this whole time. I feel sorry, too, because all this time I thought she didn’t care about me but that wasn’t the case and I was wrong. One big misunderstanding that’s manifested into bitter feelings these past years. Can I really face them now? Can I face them like this?”

 

Both Soo Min and Jihoon were silent because that was a hard question to answer. “You don’t have to.” Jihoon said first.

 

“Yeah, you don’t have to, or at least now anytime soon.” Soo Min added on. “If it’s stressing you out that much, you shouldn’t have to force yourself. There’s no sense in hurting yourself emotionally like that, it’s not necessary.”

 

“If you decide not to go to L.A, that’s fine. You can always explain yourself later.”

 

“But I already bought the tickets, it would feel wrong not to go.” Won Woo felt like he really had no choice.

 

“We’re in a tough situation here, aren’t we?” Soo Min let out a sad chuckle. “Should I just cancel the dinner tomorrow?”

 

“Why?” Jihoon asked.

 

“Well, I did think it was a good idea to do it as soon as possible, but what’s the point if it’s stressing us out this much?” She gave Won Woo a sorry look. “I know we’re supposed to be strong, but it hard.” She added and lowered her head once more, her expression was so sad.

 

“It is. But if we put it off now, it’ll only be that much harder to do later on.” Despite how stressed Won Woo felt, he did think about the long term results if he were to cancel everything, there’s a chance it could drag on forever and he wouldn’t want something like that happening.

 

“That’s true. While I don’t recommend you pushing yourselves too hard, once you face it, it should become easier, right?” Jihoon pointed out.

 

“That’s what I’m hoping for.” Soo Min nodded. “At least just a little bit.”

 

“I think I’m getting too ahead of myself,” Won Woo sighed, “I’ll know what to do after the dinner, I’m sure of it.”

 

“Yeah, we should know what to do after that next step.” Soo Min definitely agreed and looked towards Jihoon who nodded his head agreeing as well. “Bt the way, how do you feel about all of this, Jihoon?”

 

“Oh… well, I feel bad.” He frowned. “I wish it didn’t have to be like this for you two, it honestly breaks my heart to see you both hurt. I know there’s not a lot I can do to help, but I’m trying. I wouldn’t really know how I truly feel about the affair, obviously affairs are bad, I think it was wrong for them to keep it a secret, but they have their reasons and I think they’ll be able to redeem themselves by telling the honest truth. If they can at least do that, then everything should be okay in time.”

 

In time, everything could work out for the better. Or it could go wrong, but that doesn’t mean the end of everything. They could turn it around somehow because they still had each other at the end of the day.

 

“Thanks Jihoon, for being so mature.” Soo Min managed a more genuine smile.

 

“No problem.” He reached up to pet her on her head and she chuckled while gently pushing his hand away. Won Woo also thanked him and Jihoon tried to pet him on the head too, but he was blocked instantly and Soo Min laughed when Jihoon backed up and attacked the second Won Woo let his guard down.

 

“Let’s go already, we’re losing daylight.” Won Woo pouted now that his hair was ruffled up into chaos. Jihoon sat back in his seat and buckled up his seatbelt with a victorious smile.

 

After the Trio left Mingyu’s apartment complex, they headed for Jihoon’s place like planned. The drive wasn’t long and they arrived in no time. Soo Min parked in front by the curb since the driveway was full already and Jihoon was confused on why? There was his father’s car, his mother’s car and two other cars he couldn’t quite recognize from his point of view.

 

“Looks like you have company over today.” Soo Min said the obvious while they unbuckled their seatbelts to get out.

 

“I guess so. I don’t know anything about it. Maybe it’s just my parents having friends over last minute or something?”

 

“Perhaps.” She agreed and the three of them got out of her car. When they got CLOSER to the driveway, Soo Min started to recognize her father’s car. “Wait, that’s my dad’s car.” She pointed out.

 

“You think it’s about tomorrow’s dinner?” Won Woo pointed out, it would make sense, right?

 

“Probably.” Jihoon agreed. “We should go inside.”

 

“Are you sure?” Soo Min was clearly nervous.

 

“Yeah. What’s the point of avoiding them right now? Won’t it make it easier for when we see them tomorrow?”

 

“You have a point.” She hated to admit that. Remember, what you give is what you get. No more avoiding it, just face it.

 

“It’ll be okay.” Won Woo said next to her and gave a few pats to her shoulder. “I’m just as nervous as you are, but we can be nervous together.” He added and grabbed her hand to show she wasn’t alone.

 

“Right.” She was already feeling better now. She turned to Jihoon who snickered and reached out to also grab her hand, like it was his way to comfort her without words. “Let’s skip to the door.”

 

“No.” Both Jihoon and Won Woo blurted out and proceeded to drag her all the way to the door instead.

 

“You guys are NO F.U.N!” She pouted. Jihoon let go of her hand first so he could open the front door for them. Soo Min’s hold on Won Woo’s hand got tighter when they entered the house. They could hear adults chattering in the kitchen area instantly and could tell it was both Jihoon’s and Soo Min’s fathers laughing, it appeared they were having a fun chat at the moment.

 

“Did I just hear the front door open?” They heard Soo Min’s mother ask. The trio stilled in their spots at the door when they heard someone come and investigate. It was Jihoon’s mother.

 

“Oh! Jihoon, you’re home!” She greeted with a warm smile. “You brought them with you?” She added and gestured to the WooMin duo.

 

“Ah, well, not exactly.” Jihoon said with a sheepish smile. “We were going to study for midterms but I needed to grab my school bag.”

 

“Oh, right, midterm week starts tomorrow!” The older woman frowned, she looked sorry for them and it made them chuckle at that. “Good luck with those!”

 

“Thank you.” WooMin replied in sync.

 

“Who was at the door, JiJi.” They heard another woman ask, she didn’t sound that familiar until she came into view and the WooMin duo paused once she made eye contact with them. “Oh~! It’s you!” She smiled warmly at the two before coming over to greet them with a hug. It was Rina. She grabbed both of them for it instead of individually, it was a bit awkward given Won Woo was so tall and Soo Min was so short. It was like a lopsided hug in the end. “Nice to see you both again.” They weren’t sure what to say in reply and she gave an understanding chuckle.

 

“Have you three eaten lunch yet?” Jihoon’s mother asked. “Come to the kitchen!” She didn’t give them a chance to answer and they had no choice but to follow her and Rina. “We just had lunch but there’s still some food left if you’re hungry!” She said while they entered.

 

The conversation between Soo Min’s father and Jihoon’s father suddenly stopped when they noticed them walk in. Maybe this was a bad idea after all. Even the mothers were quiet and the atmosphere suddenly felt tense. It was clear that they must’ve talked about the situation for tomorrow evening already since Soo Min’s mother avoided looking at Won Woo and even her own daughter like she was irritated, like she was mad and didn’t like that they were there. Her father also had a hard time looking at Won Woo because he was guilty. Jihoon’s parents looked sorry. It really made feel Won Woo feel like he was the odd one out, like he was unwanted there. Soo Min had her parents in the room and so did Jihoon, but he didn’t have his. He felt like an outsider suddenly, it was awful. Her parents wouldn’t look at him while Jihoon’s parents gave him a pitiful look.

 

“Hey, mom… dad.” Soo Min tried to greet them in hopes she could turn the situation around, but her mother turned away and tried to occupy herself with something on the counter and her father watched her do that with a dejected look, like he knew it was his fault that she was acting that way in front of their daughter. “Mom.” Soo Min called out again and she was still ignored. “Why are you being like that right now? It’s been a while since we last saw each other, why are you ignoring me?” She didn’t expect her mother to react this way. She could understand her mother would be upset about the affair being brought up again, but to ignore her daughter like that wasn’t making sense, what did she do?

 

“Your mom is just a little sensitive right now.” Her father explained.

 

“Shut up, Kang.” His wife said bitterly before leaving the room, she even brushed her shoulder against Rina’s a bit harsh, like the common cliché during high school drama. Jihoon’s mother went after her after muttering a soft “sorry” to the trio who watched in surprise followed by dejection.

 

Rina was a mix of everything, but managed to speak up before anything else could happen. “Right, you kids must be really busy, sorry for dragging you to the kitchen!” She said while herding them out of the room quickly. Once they were far enough, she apologized. “I didn’t think it would be like that. I’m sorry.”

 

Both Won Woo and Soo Min had no idea what to say. This really ruined whatever hope they had for tomorrow’s dinner. “It’s…” Jihoon started to say and glanced at his dejected friends. “We’ll just go.” He sighed. “I’ll just grab my school bag, you two head out to the car.” He said and the two did as they were told and didn’t spare a word or glance to Rina before leaving. They just had nothing to say. Rina felt horrible, she really thought things would have been a little more different, she didn’t expect for Soo Min’s mother to react so negatively. A moment later, she saw Jihoon passing by and left out the door, also not sparing a word or glance. She understood though, they were hurting. Poor things…

 

She walked over to catch a glimpse of them driving away through the side window by the door and sighed. When they were out of sight, she returned to the kitchen to see the other two had returned back to the kitchen, Jihoon’s mother standing by Soo Min’s mother’s side, comforting her while she continued to look bitter. The same was happening with the other two fathers, though Kangmin was dejected and guilty. “Look, I get you’re upset that the affair was brought up again, but did you really have to react to them like that?” Her words were directed at Soo Min’s mother, Soo Ah.

 

She didn’t respond and only continued to give the silent treatment. “You know it was hard on her when she first found out years ago, bringing it up again, of course she’s going to be angry.” Jihoon’s mother, Jiyoon, defended.

 

“Be angry at Kang, not the kids! They did nothing wrong. They were the ones who were lied to, why are you getting mad at them?” Rina was going to defend the children, she was on their side.

 

“Enough, I know you mean well, but it’s really none of your business, is it?” Jihoon’s father, Hoon, pointed out and Rina gave him a bewildered look.

 

“None of my business? How? I’m the one who adopted Ren. I raised him for the past 21 years, what do you mean this is none of my business! He happened to run into his half siblings he never knew about, he has the right to know the truth. They should hear it from the ones responsible, but if you’re fine with me telling your business because you’re too chicken and petty to sit down and talk it out with them, then so be it! I don’t mind telling them everything. Just know that it won’t look good on your part.” She was serious and close to fuming. “Those kids have been suffering a lot lately… don’t be selfish!” With that, she stormed out of the kitchen and headed for the front door to leave. She didn’t want to argue with them right now or even look at them, she was so pissed.

 

The two couples heard the front door shut a little harsh when she left, but not that harsh and they stood there in a short silence, thinking about what went down. They knew it could have gone better. “Shall we let her tell them, then?” Soo Ah asked and spared her husband a glance.

 

“I’ll tell them.” He shook his head. “If you don’t want to be there, that’s fine. I won’t force you.”

 

“Good.” She muttered, that irritated look still on her face while she turned away. Jiyoon could see her expression falter and she looked hurt, like she regretted it.

 

“Let’s go get some fresh air.” Jiyoon suggested and took Soo Ah by the hand. “Honey, why don’t you have a drink with Kang while we’re gone.” The couple really needed some time to collect themselves. “How about a Choco Pie run?” She said to her friend while taking a hold of her hand.

 

“... okay.” Soo Ah managed a small smile at the idea. Like mother like daughter, seriously.

 

“But only one, that’s all I’m buying you.” Jiyoon’s smiling expression didn’t change, but her tone did. Almost like mother like son… maybe.

 

…

 

Mingyu groaned when he got stuck on a math problem he was working on and he dropped his pencil before falling back onto his bed in defeat. “I need a break.”

 

“Already?! You just started!” Seungkwan scolded with a laugh from across their shared bedroom.

 

“Hey, it’s been a good twenty minutes.” Mingyu defended with a pout.

 

“And how many problems have you finished?” Boo raised one of his eyebrows, he was giving off that parental vibe right about now.

 

“Zero.” The older whimpered and his roommate felt bad for him for a few seconds.

 

“... okay, you can take a break.” Seungkwan snickered and returned to his own studying. It was clear he didn’t have time to argue with his roommate, maybe if Mingyu took a break he’d do better the next round.

 

“Thank you~!” Mingyu cooed while reaching for his phone instantly. He thought to text Won Woo and see how his studying was going. He knew they’d be meeting later, but he just couldn’t help it. He composed a cute text and sent it off with a giggle. He could hear Seungkwan scoff across the room but he ignored him. It took a few minutes for Won Woo to reply.

 

Mingyu: How’s the studying going?

 

Won Woo: I haven’t started yet.

 

Mingyu:

Mingyu: Really? Why not?

 

Won Woo: I just got home.

 

Mingyu: Oh, makes sense!

Well then, you better get to it!

Mingyu:

 

Won Woo: Yeah, I will.

 

Mingyu: These math problems are kinda hard.

 

He thought maybe Won Woo would have said he could get through it or maybe even offer some help, but he didn’t get a reply for several minutes. He must be gathering his books to study. That seemed reasonable, so he waited a bit more and tried to solve that pesky problem that was giving him hell. When he finished ten math problems, he noticed twenty minutes had passed again and he felt a little uneasy about Won Woo not replying. He didn’t want to misunderstand or make a big deal about it, but he just had this weird feeling. It wouldn’t hurt to send another text.

 

Mingyu: I managed to solve a few of them, finally!

 

Won Woo: That’s good. Glad you figured it out.

 

Mingyu: Hey… I don’t want to be annoying, but is

something wrong?

 

Won Woo: What do you mean?

 

Mingyu: Nevermind, you’re studying now, right?

 

Won Woo: No. Not yet.

 

Mingyu: Why not?

 

Won Woo is calling…

 

Instead of getting a text in reply, suddenly Won Woo was calling him. Mingyu was a bit startled and almost dropped his phone. “What is it?” Seungkwan asked across the room when he noticed that in his peripheral vision.

 

“Won Woo’s calling me.” Mingyu said and put a finger to his lips, hinting for his roommate to be quiet before he answered the call. “Yeoboseyo?” He asked and didn’t get a reply, but he heard something in the background like running water. “Uh… yeoboseyo?” He looked at Seungkwan in confusion. “Won Woo?”

 

“... yeah.” He finally heard his boyfriend speak, but it sounded soft and shaky, like he was crying.

 

“Won Woo!” Mingyu frowned. “Won Woo, what is it?” He was getting sad just hearing that reply.

 

“I’m sorry.” Won Woo apologized and sniffled on the other line. He cleared his throat, as if to play off like he wasn’t just crying. “I just… I’m not okay right now.”

 

“You’re not?” Poor Mingyu sounded like a sad puppy as he replied to him. He got up and left the room since he didn’t think he should bother Seungkwan with his phone call. “Do you want to talk about it? Do you need me to come see you?”

 

“No… no. I don’t mean to bother you.” Won Woo protested. “You should finish studying, I just… needed to hear your voice, that’s all.”

 

“I’m not sure what you’re going through at the moment, I can assume it has to do with the family situation, and I don’t want to push you into talking about it if you don’t want to… but just know that I’m here for you, you can talk to me whenever, it doesn’t matter. I’m worried about you, but I trust that you’ll be okay and you’ll call me if you start to feel bad again, right?”

 

“I will. Thank you.” He could tell he was feeling better by the sound of his tone. “Everything… will be okay, right?” He asked like he was afraid it wouldn’t be, Mingyu could hear it.

 

“Yes. Everything will be okay, Won Woo.” Mingyu said in a sincere tone and hoped it would comfort his boyfriend.

 

“I hope so. I’ll see you later then.”

 

“Alright, just breathe and take it easy. Later.” Mingyu said and then the call ended. He pulled his phone away from his ear and looked down at the screen, the call was short and lasted about five minutes.

 

“Everything okay?” He heard Seokmin ask and Mingyu snapped out of it. He didn’t realize the SoonSeok couple were studying on the couch.

 

“I think so.” He wasn’t so sure, but he had to hope things were okay. Maybe all the stress finally caught up to him? It’s been a long week after all, weekend, too. He’ll be okay, right? He was so worried and didn’t feel like studying anymore, he just wanted to go see if Won Woo was really okay. But he said he would see me later and to finish studying… he knew he should listen or he might upset Won Woo even further if he were to just show up. Sometimes it was hard to figure out what the right thing is to do. He’d just have to trust Won Woo right now.

 

…

 

“He’s been in there for quite a while now…” Soo Min muttered while staring down the hallway from her spot on the living room couch.

 

“I didn’t notice.” Jihoon looked up from his text book and looked down the hall as well. “Maybe he was taking one of those relaxing showers?”

 

“I guess so.” She shrugged. “He’ll probably look like a raisin when he comes out.”

 

“More like a prune.” Jihoon chuckled and returned to his text book. They were studying on the couch, or well, Jihoon was studying on the couch while Soo Min worked on her project next to him. She was looking up more reference photos, but took a break when she noticed how much time had passed since Won Woo said he was taking a shower.

 

He doesn’t normally take that long… she thought she could be over thinking things, but at the same time she thought something was up, something was wrong. After what happened at Jihoon’s place, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was upset. The ride home was dead silent and the trio didn’t speak a word about the encounter. Jihoon must’ve known that it was too soon to make them talk about it and decided to just silently support them. When they made it to the apartment, they of course took off their shoes and jackets at the door and Jihoon set up his laptop and textbooks on the coffee table. Soo Min mentioned she’d make them some tea and Won Woo said he was going to go change his clothes. When she returned to the living room with their tea, Won Woo had decided to take a shower. It was going on forty minutes now and he usually took five minute showers. Even when he took relaxing showers like Jihoon mentioned, he usually took ten to fifteen minutes max.

 

She let out a sigh and looked back to her laptop. She supposed she shouldn’t worry too much, she knew Won Woo wasn’t a reckless person, she trusted he wasn’t doing anything stupid right now, but she couldn’t help but worry. It was unusual, so she decided to go check on him. She ignored Jihoon when he asked where she was going, she knew it would be obvious once he sees her heading to the bathroom. When she made it to the door, she reached out to knock, but in that split second, she could hear it. She could hear Won Woo sobbing inside. It broke her heart and she let her raised hand drop to her side. There was no point in knocking now. It was clear that he chose to be alone and didn’t want to burden them with his tears. Sometimes it was better that way.

 

It was hard to walk away because she really wanted to comfort him, but she knew he probably locked the door and he most likely wouldn’t let her in if she asked. He chose to be alone right now. She managed to walk away a moment later and when she returned to the couch, Jihoon asked what was wrong and she said the truth. “He’s really upset.”

 

“... was he crying?” Jihoon frowned. She simply nodded before sighing. “I guess he didn’t want to worry us.”

 

“Yeah.” She nodded. She too felt like crying but oddly enough the tears never came. Either I'm just numb or I'm dehydrated.

 

“What about you, are you okay?” He asked and rested a hand on her shoulder.

 

“I don't know. Can it get any worse?” She said softly. “Maybe the dinner isn't a good idea after all?”

 

“Maybe not.” Jihoon had to agree. He just didn't want his friends to push themselves too hard. “Tomorrow is a new day, you know. It's easier said than done but just wait until then. A lot can happen between now and the dinner.”

 

“Nothing bad, I hope.” She said before getting up to fetch herself a water bottle. For now she should take care of her health before worrying about tomorrow. Recalling the sight of Ren in the hospital due to dehydration, she didn’t want to end up like that either and cause even more drama. Then she started to remember the encounter at Jihoon’s place, how her mother blatantly ignored her and Won Woo and pretty much Jihoon as well. “I wonder why my mom ignored us like that?” She blurted out after a short silence between them.

 

“She was probably stressed.” Jihoon put his textbook down and decided he should take a break for now and comfort his friends. “Maybe she was guilty about lying this whole time?”

 

“I get it.” Soo Min nodded and started to feel less bitter about it. She should have came to the same conclusion sooner, but her feelings must’ve gotten in the way. But she knew it must be different for Won Woo, that encounter probably really hurt him. I’m sorry, Won Woo. Her attention panned over to the hallway again and she stayed like that for a while.

 

Jihoon figured he should let her be for now and tried to get back to his studying, but it was hard for him to focus now that he knew Won Woo was upset and crying in the bathroom by himself. It made him think about when the older broke down in Ren’s kitchen. It was bound to happen again. He thought and glanced at the hallway, too. I just hope he knows we’re still here for him, he doesn’t have to be alone.

 

“Hey, I think I’m gonna go get a soda and some fresh air.” Soo Min broke the silence a moment later while getting up from the couch. “Do you want one as well?”

 

“Oh uh… sure.” Jihoon nodded. “Should I go with you?” He frowned and looked back to the hallway.

 

“No, stay here in case he comes out.” She shook her head and made her way to the front door. “I won’t be long. Just text me if anything major happens.” She added and opened the door to exit.

 

“Be careful out there, don’t get lost.” He called over and tried to give a smile, but it came out as a sad smile.

 

“I won’t.” She gave a weak chuckle in response and turned to leave. Once she shut the door, Jihoon sighed and sat there by himself. Not even a minute passed before he felt tears sliding down his cheeks. He wiped them and snickered at himself for keeping it in for so long. He thought he was lame for only crying after he was alone, like he wasn’t supposed to cry in front of his friends. He just wanted to be strong for them, someone they could lean on while they cried. Maybe it was silly to think he wouldn’t be helpful if he was also crying, that he couldn’t comfort them if he was crying, too. I’m such a fool. He dropped his head and covered his face with his hands to hide his tears, despite no one was around. And just like that, he cried a lot, by himself.

 

…

 

“Hi mom, what are you doing here?” Ren asked when he opened the door and saw Rina.

 

“Hey, sweetie, did I come at a bad time?” She asked when she heard his friends talking in the living room.

 

“No, we were just taking a break from studying. Midterms start tomorrow.”

 

“That’s right.” She nodded after taking her shoes and coat off at the door and followed him to the kitchen, because he offered to make her some tea. She took a seat on the stool at the center island counter and waited patiently for Ren to prepare the tea.

 

“You’re unusually quiet…” Ren said after turning around to lean against the counter next to the stove, he was waiting for the water to heat up in the kettle. “Something happen?” He was really hesitant on asking, but he was worried about her. He worried if something bad happened at work.

 

“I… met with your father this afternoon.” She managed to say in a soft and calm tone. “I thought I should speak with him before that dinner tomorrow evening, I wanted to know if he’s got it all planned out on what he would say or not… we met at Jihoon’s parent’s place. He brought his wife, and I didn’t expect him to, but I realize she’s a big part of this whole thing as well. So we talked. She wasn’t happy, obviously, who would be? You know?” Ren nodded in agreement when she looked to him. “And then Jihoon came home, along with your brother and sister and it just sorta went downhill after that.”

 

“What happened?” Ren frowned when he heard that. Did they fight?

 

“Well… Soo Min’s mom was still upset and ignored her when she tried to greet her. She was ignoring Won Woo the most and didn’t look too friendly either. I’m sure their feelings were hurt and they left after that. I felt really bad about it. I still do.” Rina sighed and rested her forehead on the counter while letting her arms dangle at her sides like she was defeated. The tea kettle started to whistle and Ren turned the stove off and finished preparing the tea. When he was done, he walked over to place it on the counter beside her before he leaned on her back, almost like he was trying to dogpile on her like an attempt to back hug her and she groaned at the added weight. “I’m worried they won’t tell you the whole story tomorrow.”

 

“That’s okay.” He assured her and took a seat on the stool next to her. She sat up and faced him with dejected eyes.

 

“Maybe I’ll have to tell you everything…” she sighed and reached for the tea he made her.

 

“If they won’t, then you should. You’re involved, too, when you think about it.”

 

“Right. I’ll give them the chance to say it first, if they don’t at least do that, then I promise to tell you everything… okay?”

 

“Okay.” He nodded and she smiled, she noticed how patient he’s been. “Don’t stress too much about it, alright? You’ll get sick.”

 

“I’ll try. You know I’m not too fond of doctors.” She said while sipping her tea. “Though Dr. Kim seems like a pretty good doctor, I’m sure he’d make things a little more comfortable for me like he did with you.” She chuckled at Ren’s deer caught in headlights reaction. “You really thought I wouldn't know about your visit to the hospital on Friday?” She pouted.

 

“Baekho told you?” Ren sighed and glanced towards the living room.

 

“And Dr. Kim.” She said before reaching over to smack him on the shoulder. “I pay Baekho for a reason!”

 

“It’s not like I wanted to hide it from you, I didn’t want to worry you while you’re working.” Ren explained while rubbing the shoulder she hit. “You would have probably dropped everything you were doing and rushed over and possibly cause a scene!”

 

“So! Of course I would want to be there!” Rina defended. “Call me next time!”

 

“Only if you’re not busy.” He snickered. “Don’t worry, I’m not alone when you’re not around.”

 

“I’m so jealous of all your friends!” She fake cried and turned away to drink her tea with a hint of laughter. “I’m glad, though… just don’t ever forget me, okay?”

 

“It’s kind of hard to forget you, to be honest.” Ren teased. “But I won’t, I promise.”

 

“Good.” She was happy to hear that. Even if it was silly to think he would forget about her now that he’d be spending more time with his real family, she really did worry about it.

 

“Oh, Ms. Choi,” they heard Minhyun greet after entering the kitchen for a drink. “So lovely to see you this evening!” He added and came over to give her a small hug. “You’re looking as beautiful as ever!”  He beamed and caught Ren’s elbow with his hand without even looking. Like this was a routine now.

 

“Thank you, Minhyun.” Rina chuckled when she noticed a jealous Ren. “You’re as charming as ever.”

 

“And Ren is as jealous as ever.” Minhyun teased and reached out to poke his cheek. Ren was unamused. “I’m just complimenting your mom, relax!”

 

“Whatever!” Ren pouted, Rina and Minhyun about it until he fled the room out of embarrassment and took shelter beside Baekho who was just as confused as ever.

 

...

 

Jeonghan was browsing the drink aisle in the convenience store when his phone started to buzz in his jean pocket. He pulled it out and saw it was Seungcheol calling him and he gave a knowing snicker before he answered it. “Where did you run off to?!” Seungcheol’s scolding voice sounded off in his left ear after when he answered..

 

“I said I was going to get some snacks for studying.” He chuckled his response.

 

“Why didn't you think to get them on our way home from lunch?!”

 

“It slipped my mind. Relax. I'll be back shortly. Did you want anything since I'm here?” He asked after picking out what he wanted. Seungcheol made a request for some chips and Jeonghan made his way over to grab some in the next aisle over. “Anything to drink?” He asked just as someone bumped into his back and he dropped his phone into his shopping basket.

 

“Sorry!” He heard a familiar voice say and he turned and was met with Soo Min's mother. “Oh, it's you!” She gave a small smile and waved.

 

“Mrs. Chae, it's nice to see you!” Jeonghan beamed, he totally forgot about his call with Seungcheol.

 

“Been a while, hasn't it?” She asked and he nodded in agreement. “Have you been well?”

 

“Yes, I have.”

 

“That's good. I'm glad.” She gave a weak smile and he caught onto it.

 

“Uhm,” He was about to ask if she was okay, but she beat him to it.

 

“Do you know?” She asked in a quiet tone. “Did they tell you anything?”

 

“They?” He asked confused and saw her expression shift a bit, like she was annoyed that he didn't understand. “Soo Min and Won Woo?” She nodded and averted her eyes down to her shopping basket with a mixed expression. It started to dawn on him why she was acting like that. “Yes, I know.” He answered her question.

 

“I see.” She sighed. “Word spreads fast.”

 

“That and well, I spend a lot of time with her, of course she vents to me when she's stressed.” He pointed out. “She's been stressed a lot these days… Mrs. Chae.”

 

“I know.” She looked guilty. “Thanks for being there for her.”

 

“Of course.”

 

“I'm pretty stressed myself, I can't seem to control my emotions, I might have hurt their feelings earlier… I didn't mean to.”

 

“It happens.” He said in hopes that it would comfort her. “You should let them know.”

 

“I will.” She nodded and looked around to see where her friend was, she was near the front counter waiting for her. “I'll get going now. See you soon.” She said with a small wave and he did the same.

 

He let out a short sigh and reached for his phone in his pocket. He quickly realized what happened when Mrs. Chae bumped into him. He picked up his phone from the basket and saw the call was still connected.

 

“Took you long enough.” Seungcheol teased after Jeonghan apologized.

 

“Did you hear all of that?” He frowned.

 

“Yeah, sorry, didn't mean to eavesdrop, but… couldn't really help it.”

 

“You could have just hung up!”

 

“Sorry, I'll do that next time!”

 

“Jeez, I’ll be home soon.” Jeonghan said before hanging up and was about to head to the checkout before he saw what was going on. He saw Soo Min’s mother and Jihoon’s mother standing before Soo Min by the entrance, like they bumped into each other and were now in an awkward staring contest. When he got CLOSER, he could see Soo Min call out to her mother, but the parent just ignored her and exited the store without a word. Jiyoon quickly went after her and muttered an apology as she passed Soo Min on the way out.

 

Soo Min just watched her mother leave with a dejected look and Jeonghan made his way over to comfort her. “You just came out of nowhere!” She managed a small laugh when she turned to see him after he called out her name

 

“Sorry.” He said with a sad chuckle. “I saw what happened, are you okay?”

 

“I’m fine.” She sighed and glanced at the snacks in his shopping basket. “Brain food?” She pointed.

 

“Pretty much.” He nodded. “Did you want anything?” He asked and grabbed her hand to follow him back to the snack aisle. He could tell she wanted the topic changed so he went with it.

 

“I came for a soda.” She led him back to the drink aisle. He let go of her hand so she could grab two colas and they headed to the front to check out. She didn’t protest to Jeonghan buying them for her, because she’d buy next time. Then they headed out of the convenience store together and he mentioned he’d walk her home, she thought it was sweet like always and agreed while holding onto his arm and leaned into him while walking side by side.

 

They walked in silence and slowly, almost like Jeonghan was trying to make their meeting last longer and was putting off studying as well. She noticed that and giggled to herself because maybe she was doing the same. Even if she didn’t want to leave Won Woo alone for too long, Jihoon either… she just needed fresh air like she mentioned before leaving. She continued to walk with him but stumbled a bit suddenly and freaked her boyfriend out because of it. He knew she was clumsy sometimes, but it was clear she didn’t trip on anything just now and he worried if she was not feeling well. He stopped her to check for a fever and she didn’t really have one, but might be getting one. She looked tired, very tired and even pale.

 

“I’ll carry you the rest of the way.” He said and turned to kneel down so she could get on his back. She didn’t respond right away and he looked over his shoulder. “Babe?”

 

“Oh.” She snapped out of it and got onto his back like suggested. She wrapped her arms around him tightly and buried her face into his shoulder once she was situated on his back. He carried her home like that without a word, he knew she was having a difficult time, and usually she never likes to talk about it, so he planned to just be there for her so she wouldn’t be alone.

 

...

 

There was a knock at the door that interrupted the SoonSeok’s studying, but they weren’t too mad about it since it was about time they take another break. Soonyoung was the one who got up to answer the door and he was a bit surprised to see Won Woo standing there with big sunglasses on and a red beanie over his wet hair. “Ah, is Mingyu still here?” Won Woo asked in a scratchy voice accompanied with a small sniffle.

 

“Just a second.” Soonyoung said before hurrying off to Mingyu’s shared bedroom. “Hey, Won Woo’s here and asked for you.” He called over to Mingyu in a quiet tone.

 

Mingyu didn’t say anything and quickly tossed his textbook aside before jumping out of bed and hurried over to the front door. He stepped out and shut the door behind him so they could have more privacy. “Hey!” He greeted with a sad smile since he could tell his boyfriend was wearing those sunglasses to hide the fact he had been crying for a long time. His nose was still slightly red and he had a tissue in his hand that he was using to wipe away lingering tears and his nose if needed.

 

Won Woo didn’t say anything and brought the tissue up to wipe a few more tears that managed to slip down his cheeks. It really broke Mingyu’s heart and he held his arms out to initiate a hug and Won Woo quickly accepted that invite and hugged him tightly. That’s when Mingyu noticed Won Woo’s hair was wet under the beanie he was wearing and remembered hearing water in the background when he called earlier. “Did you just get out of the shower?”

 

“Yeah.” Won Woo muttered as they parted.

 

“It’s cold, come inside!” Mingyu worried and opened the door. Won Woo was about to protest, but he realized he shouldn’t cause drama, so he listened to his boyfriend and stepped in and it was so warm.

 

“Hyung! Can you help me with this part?” They heard Seungkwan ask and turned to see his words were directed at Soonyoung and Seokmin on the living room couch. “I can’t seem to figure it out and the book is confusing!”

 

“Alright.” Soonyoung answered with a pitiful laugh and gestured for him to sit next to him. “This might take a while.” He added and looked over to Mingyu who got the hint that they wouldn’t bother him and Won Woo about anything. He appreciated that.

 

“This way.” Mingyu said quietly to Won Woo and led him to his shared room by the hand. When they were inside, he told him to sit on his bed and wait for him while he fetched him a towel to dry his hair. He made Won Woo take off his beanie and placed it on his night stand to dry before handing his boyfriend the towel he got for him, then he left to prepare some hot tea. Won Woo felt bad for burdening Mingyu, but he was happy at the same time to have someone other than his friends worry about him like this.

 

Thinking about his friends, he knew they wouldn’t leave him like that and probably had a good reason why they weren’t there when he came out of the bathroom. He didn’t bother looking around for them, so chances are they could have been in Soo Min’s room or the kitchen. I just needed to come see Mingyu. He thought to himself. They’ll understand. He planned to talk with his friends later when he gets back, when he’s more calm. Of all the times he’s spoken about the affair situation and his parents with Mingyu, he was always trying to tell him not to assume things or to think of it differently. To be more positive about the situation, he was always trying to help Won Woo, and so Won Woo felt like it was best to come see Mingyu right now while he’s in somewhat the middle of breakdown number two.

 

Mingyu returned to the room with their tea and sat down next to Won Woo on his bed. “Sorry, there’s not a lot of room on this bed like yours.”

 

“I didn’t even notice.” Won Woo chuckled when Mingyu’s elbow bumped him while he tried to move his textbooks out of the way to make more room. “What is it, a twin size?” He asked while watching Mingyu tidy up.

 

“Yeah.” He answered and gave a cute sheepish laugh.

 

“Why? You’re too big for this bed?” Won Woo frowned when he returned to sitting next to him. Mingyu looked like he didn’t know how to reply and thought about an answer. “Beds aren’t that expensive, are they? And there’s enough space in here to fit a better one, right?”

 

“You’re right.” Mingyu nodded.

 

“Then why don’t you get a new bed?”

 

“Uh… because,” he said quietly before looking away and ruffling his hair a bit like he was nervous about something. “It’s silly…”

 

“What is?” Won Woo was confused.

 

“You won’t laugh right? Promise?”

 

“... I promise.” Won Woo was curious what Mingyu would answer with next.

 

“Getting a bigger bed would just make me feel lonely if I don’t have someone to share it with.” He explained with a cute pout and fiddled with the hem of his shirt. He closed his eyes like he was waiting for his boyfriend to laugh at him and about it, but it never came and he peeked over to see Won Woo wiping his eyes, he was crying again! “Don’t cry, why are you crying?!”

 

“That’s so cute.” Won Woo managed to say and sniffled. “I never thought of it that way… now I’m always going to feel lonely in my bed.”

 

“You don’t have to feel lonely!” Mingyu assured him. “I’ll come over and nap with you whenever you want, you won’t be lonely, I promise!”

 

“That would be nice.” Won Woo managed a cute smile after wiping his tears. He scooted CLOSER so he could lean on his boyfriend and let out a tired sigh. “I guess I’m really not alone…”

 

“You’re not.” Mingyu wrapped his arm around his shoulder and gave him a tight side hug. They stayed like that for a few minutes before Won Woo sighed again and decided he should tell Mingyu why he was so upset earlier when he called. “You don’t need to push yourself.”

 

“I’m trying to be more open here.” Won Woo frowned.

 

“Sorry! I just hate to see you cry, that’s all!” Mingyu gave a sorry laugh and Won Woo could tell his boyfriend could probably cry any second but was trying to hold back and be strong for him.

 

“All of this has been really difficult. It really has. But I thought it would be okay. I thought things wouldn’t be so dramatic like I thought in my head, I really thought I was overthinking it all and just causing myself my own stress… Earlier, after we dropped you off, we went to Jihoon’s place to get his school bag because he decided to study at my place so he wouldn’t be distracted with his studio. It was supposed to be simple, just stop by, get his bag and go, but his parents were home, and even Soo Min’s parents and Ren’s mom, Rina.” Won Woo avoided calling Rina as Ren’s adoptive mother, he really saw her as Ren’s mom. “We assumed they probably got together to talk about the dinner that’s being held at the Chae’s tomorrow evening, and when we walked in it got so quiet and tense. Soo Min’s mom wouldn’t look at me, her dad either… Jihoon’s parents just looked sorry for me and Ren’s mom seemed conflicted. I really felt like the odd one out and like I wasn’t wanted there… it really hurt.” His tears started up again and Mingyu reached over to catch them with his finger before caressing the side of his face.

 

“I got the feeling that her mom doesn’t like me anymore, like she’s angry at me simply because I’m the son of the woman who had the affair with her husband. I just got that feeling… she wouldn’t talk with us and basically ignored us. If she acts like this now, how will she act at the dinner? I’m just nervous and don’t feel like going anymore. I just feel like staying home and ignoring all of this, I don’t think I can do this…” Won Woo turned to Mingyu and cried into his shoulder, it broke his heart and he really tried to hold back his own tears.

 

“It’s okay.” Mingyu managed to say while rubbing his boyfriend’s back. “You don’t have to go. You don’t have to put yourself through that.”

 

“But if I don’t go, then I’ll feel even worse.”

 

“You’re conflicted too, aren’t you?” Mingyu let out a sad snicker. “It’s really all up to you, Won Woo. Only you can decide what you’re going to do.”

 

“But… I don’t even know what’s the right or wrong choice?”

 

“There is none. You either confront them like planned or hold off until a later time. This situation won’t just disappear on its own if it’s not dealt with. Right now, you’re hurting because of what happened at Jihoon’s place and that’s expected. The dinner is tomorrow and we leave for L.A Thursday night, right? It’s pretty close, but you still have time to decide things, so just take a moment and breathe and calm down. Unless you know what you want right now, just sleep on it and see what tomorrow brings?”

 

“Okay… I understand.” Won Woo said softly while parting from their hug and wiped the lingering tears with his sweater paws. “I’m glad I decided to come here sooner than later.”

 

“Me too.”

 

“Thanks for talking sense into me… I really felt like I was going insane.” His boyfriend gave a defeated sigh and faced forward with his head low. “I wanted to talk with my friends, but at the same time I could almost predict what they were going to say. I didn’t want to stress them out any further when we’re supposed to be studying, Soo Min still needs to finish her projects. This all just happened at such and inconvenient time.”

 

“It’s only making it that much more stressful on you. But it won’t last forever, so just keep that in mind. Once all of this gets situated, things will get better and life moves on.”

 

“I’m just afraid if we’ll be moving on without our parents…” it’s been on Won Woo’s mind all day. After seeing Soo Min’s mother react like that, he worried if their parents would end up really hating each other in the end and their relationships would fall apart, even their relationships with their own children.

 

“That would be unfortunate… and while I can’t say that I know that won’t happen, you should at least have hope that things could actually work out, it’s just a little messy right now and it’s to be expected after something serious like that is brought up after such a long time. Can you imagine how her mother feels? How her father feels? Even Jihoon’s parents, how they feel about keeping it a secret too. They probably don’t even know what to do with themselves, honestly. So even if it hurt that they ignored you, you should think about it and try not to take it too personally, at least until you can talk it out with them.”

 

He watched Won Woo look over at him and frowned, like he didn’t like what he was saying but continued to listen. “You grew up with Soo Min’s parents right? Since you were 5 years old. And when your parents left, they helped look after you and cared for you. I’m sure you have a ton of wonderful memories with them and felt their sincere feelings when they took care of you. Maybe I’m going too far to say I don’t think her mom doesn’t like you anymore like you said, just because of your mom. I haven’t personally met them yet so I probably shouldn't really comment on it, but from what I’ve heard, I really don’t think her mom would do that to you.”

 

“Maybe.” Won Woo agreed. “Perhaps just in the heat of the moment kind of action or something.”

 

“Exactly.”

 

“I guess I reacted too quickly…”

 

“No, I think anyone would have gotten hurt in that situation, it’s understandable. We can’t always know everyone’s true intentions behind every action unless stated otherwise. It’s just how it is, how we function. Don’t worry about it.” Won Woo could tell Mingyu was getting a bit flustered trying to come up with good responses to make him feel better and he thought it was cute and really appreciated it.  

 

“Alright.” Won Woo nodded with a small smile. “I feel better now after talking with you, we can stop. I don’t want to stress you out with trying to come up with all these perfect responses. You did well.” He added and gave him a few pats on his back.

 

“Thanks.” Mingyu gave a relieved sigh and gave him a warm smile in return. “I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

 

“Me too. I’ll try to stop and look at the bigger picture next time.”

 

“Good. You can always come and talk to me if you need it, too. I’m here for you.”

 

Won Woo smiled and felt really lucky that he met such a kind person this year who even ended up becoming his boyfriend, he felt even more lucky to have someone like him by his side. He thought of saying thank you, but it seemed like it wouldn’t be enough if he did. Instead, he turned a bit more and reached out to rest his left hand on Mingyu’s right shoulder and used his right hand to hook around the nape of his boyfriend’s neck so he could pull him in close for a kiss. Mingyu was a little surprised but quickly relaxed and kissed him back. Their kiss was long and loving until they needed to part for air. It seemed like perfect timing since there was a knock at the door and Seungkwan poked his head inside.

 

“We were going to order food for dinner, is Won Woo-hyung going to stay and eat with us?” The couple looked at each other and Mingyu looked hopeful.

 

“Uhm, sure.” Won Woo looked back to Seungkwan and nodded.

 

“Alright! I’ll let you know when the food is here.” The younger beamed and hurried back to the living room after shutting the door.

 

“Are you sure? You don’t have to stay just because of me.” Mingyu asked and looked guilty.

 

“Well, in that case…” Won Woo started to get up from his spot on the bed but Mingyu clung onto Won Woo’s arm to stop him. “I’m kidding! Of course I’d like to eat dinner with you guys. Besides, it sounded like you were having trouble with those math problems earlier. Want me to look over them for you?”

 

“Will you?!” Mingyu looked like he just met his life’s savior. Maybe he did, academic life savior

 

“Yeah. For every problem you got wrong, you must complete another three problems.”

 

“Oh my god, that sounds like torture. I’ll be doing math all night!”

 

“Then you better have gotten them right!” Won Woo laughed and accepted Mingyu’s notebook to check.

 

“Well, then if I’m getting punished for wrong answers, do I get rewarded for right answers?”

 

“Sure?” Won Woo nodded, like it was common sense.

 

“Then what’s my reward?” Mingyu asked with a cute smile.

 

“I don’t know.” Won Woo shrugged. “What do you want?”

 

“A kiss.” It was like his boyfriend already planned this or something and Won Woo blushed. “A kiss for every right answer.”

 

“Okay.” Won Woo agreed with a flustered expression and opened Mingyu’s notebook to start checking. Even if he was being shy about it, he liked the idea too… he just wouldn’t openly admit that, would he? No. So he checked the SEVENTEEN problems he worked on and got every single one correct. “Good job, you got them all right.”

 

“Did I?” Mingyu seemed shock.

 

“Yeah, were you doubting yourself?!” Won Woo frowned.

 

“Kind of since I was struggling so hard with them earlier.”

 

“Well, you did good. I’m proud.” Won Woo smiled and reached over to pet him on the head. Mingyu did a cute laugh and made his boyfriend’s smile grow wider. “You’re so cute.”

 

Mingyu stopped and got flustered, it was usually him saying things like that to Won Woo. But he realized, Won Woo was changing, not in a bad way, but in a good way, he was being more open with him and he loved that he was saying more while they were together. “About my reward, I get them all at once or I can reserve them for a later time?”

 

“Seriously?” Won Woo had to laugh. “I guess you can use them however you want.”

 

“Then I want four now and thirteen another time.” Mingyu really thought about this.

 

“Or I can give you just one really long one until we’re interrupted again?” Won Woo teased and enjoyed Mingyu’s reaction, like he had so many choices and didn’t know what to do, like a serious math problem. “Don’t worry about it… just kiss me whenever you want.” He said so Mingyu didn’t strain himself too hard about his decision. “As long as it’s appropriate, of course.” Because he’d be so embarrassed if Mingyu took it literally and barged in during class and kissed him in front of his classmates and instructor, that would be really something, wouldn’t it? Or if he just kissed him during a conversation with his friends.

 

“I still get my SEVENTEEN kisses, right?” Mingyu pouted.

 

“Oh god.” Won Woo only laughed and nodded because he didn’t want to deal with a pouty Mingyu if he said no. “Spend them wisely.” He joked.

 

“I will!” Mingyu beamed and pulled him CLOSER for one out of SEVENTEEN kisses.

---

Chapter fifty-three~!

 

Jeonghan: Rewarded with kisses, damn why didn’t I think of that before you!

Mingyu: Hyung, don’t copy me!

Won Woo: It was only this one time, I’m not rewarding you like that every time.

Mingyu: B-But… I was really motivated! Wait~!

Boo: We should have that kind of reward system, too.

Vernon: …. Do we really? (lol)

Won Woo: I’m just gonna eat and get the hell out.

Mingyu:... E-Eat a lot and take your time. No rush…

Won Woo: If I eat a lot, you’ll have to carry me home… (knows what he’s doing)

Mingyu: OF COURSE I’LL CARRY YOU HOME BABE! DON’T EVEN WORRY!

What is this LOL omg….

(Ren is me right now)

I can't, they're so precious!

Why is there always full blown conversations at the end of my chapters, I need help LOL JK

Laejlsrktjhklgrawfegbh-Until Next Time~~~~~~~!

Happy Birthday to JEON WON WOO!

And Happy Belated Birthdays to Junhui and Soonyoung~!

LOL JUN