Sorry for the lack of updates!

School has been driving me nuts with tests everyday T__T

Enjoy! :D

----------------------------

Joon was now working part-time with her dad, helping him out with a few jobs. Hyomin should have been pleased. Joon being around more should mean they could start to relax around each other. Her mum was even feeding him. But he was a little awkward around her, a bit stiff. He didn't want to talk about his family much and, being Hyomin's mum, she did.

The truth is when he took a break and they spent time alone together, he was more interested in the physical side of their relationship. Every conversation Hyomin started he'd stop by kissing her, or telling how pretty and y she was. He was attentive and gorgeous and he took her breath away, especially when he was outside working with her dad, wearing a faded floppy T-shirt that accentuated his muscular arms. Yes, Hyomin still wanted him. His touch still made her skin tingle. But lately he seemed almost needy.

Hyomin wanted them to talk. She wanted him to tell her more about himself, but all they did was lie about, making out with each other.

As hot as he was, that was starting to lose its appeal.

"He's a quiet boy, isn't he?" Her mum said after he'd gone home one evening and they were sitting in the kitchen. "I got the feeling he had a rough childhood."

"He did," Hyomin said, flipping through her Maths Examination revision notes. She'd be lucky if she scraped a pass.

"Oh?" She was curious. "What happened?"

"His mum was a depressive. That's why he ran away."

"Really?" Her mum looked shocked. "Poor kid. Poor woman."

"Hmmm." She put down her notes. "But it's so hard, Mum. He's so coiled up in that way. He's happiest when he's chopping up bits of wood, or driving around, or playing with the dog ... doing physical stuff. It's like everything else is out of bounds."

"Not everyone is lucky enough to have two parents together and relatively sane," she said, getting up and taking some pastry out of the fridge. "You should have a little more compassion. I know you had a horrible time at school. But you had us. He's had to mature very quickly. His life has been more complicated."

Not as complicated as Jaejoong's, Hyomin thought.

"But things are different now. He's free of all that stuff ... yet he still acts like the mixed-up kid." Hyomin sighed. "It's not like he's talking about it ... I wish he would. But it's hanging over him all the same. I'm not sure I can just ignore it. But ... I'm not sure I'm ready for it either."

Or I didn't want to be. It was funny how she had entangled herself willingly with Jaejoong, yet she wasn't prepared to do the same with Joon.

"He's dealing with trauma," said her mum. "He's not going to get over it just like that." She frowned. "You need to grow up a little. People aren't perfect."

"I know." Hyomin was being immature. Maybe she had got a little spoiled. Got used to having Jaejoong and Joon meeting all her needs between them. Her mum was right. And Jaejoong wasn't here. If he and Hyomin really had that strong a bond between them, why hadn't she seen him since the ball? Hyomin remembered his words to Changmin that night. He couldn't have been more clear. His feelings for her were just platonic, whereas Joon wanted her as his girlfriend.

Hyomin picked up the notes again and scraped back her chair.

"I'm going upstairs to do some more revision," Hyomin said grumpily.

Her mum stopped rolling out the pastry to look up at her, concerned.

"It'll work itself out, you know," she said, with a half-smile. "It always does."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hulll. I'm feeling a little emotional today.

Parents having a silent war. I'm not doing very well for my studies. I just cried loads of tears reading Jaejoong's letter to Changmin.

Ah. This week has been a wreck week for me T__T

... I'm sorry readers for this disappointing chapter.