【 lead a happy[a hard] life 】

"Ah this life..." The 24-year-old man cussed and continued breathing heavily in his bedroom, he's irritated and annoyed really bad. But, he can only squeeze his eyes really hard and grit his teeth until he tires his mind and sweat his head a lot. In addition to his quite long locks of hair on the back of his head was sticking on his nape because of his excessive sweating too.

"Shin Dongwoo is having another bad day..." His friend said outside the his dorm's door. Lee Junghwan scratched his head after hearing what Cha Sunwoo said. With the unbelievable expression on his face, he added: "I haven't seen hyung like this, like constantly..." Junghwan would just nod in sad agreement and just stare at the locked door.

"Eh... oh, hyung... If you need us, just give us a ring. We'll go here for you, okay? Please take a rest, we'll be going." Sunwoo leaned on the door and reminded with his deep voice, hoping his hyung would still hear his words while on the verge of tiring himself inside.

"Y-yeah hyung, don't do anything foolish. I hope you'd talk to us tomorrow. Bye, hyung." Junghwan also said, and the two boys walked towards the front door, locked it and went out of the house.

After two hours and a half, Dongwoo woke up from his desk. His eyes stinged and felt really small because of its swollen feature, (Yes, he cried out too.) He scratched his head and wore his glasses, which was a common thing to wear even he didn't really have bad eyesight. He stood and slowly stretched out, he'd do what he regularly do after stressing himself until he falls asleep. He'd clean and arrange his things like an organized man he is, after some clean up and go for a small bath. He feels more relaxed at night but still his depression will stay inside his head and continue bother him.

He walks out the shower, fresh and clean. Like purity, behind the acts of his own mind's misery. He'd wear comfortable clothes and then heads out the balcony, he felt the night's cool breeze; He loved how it went over his skin, he loved how the night fits perfectly as always, he loved how the wind would slightly make his hair fly back, he loved how he can still see a flying animal at night— wait... a bird?

The bird landed in front of him, leaning its head to the left side... right or straight at a blink of an eye while they were having eye contact. Dongwoo shifts himself closer to the bird but surprisingly it didn't fly away. "Wow..." He silently say while he stared at the bird in amazement, "I haven't even been this up close with birds." The bird happily sang and hopped around, he then felt a new feeling to his muscles on his face that he haven't even done for quite a long time— smiling.

Later on, Dongwoo found himself talking to the bird until midnight... He cut his sentence off when he noticed how long he was talking and how the bird haven't flown away. "O-oh," He yawned. The bird twitched it's head to the left while looking at him, that Dongwoo thought the bird might be saying 'Wait, what happened after you ate 2 dozens of kimbap?'. He even replied back as if what he thought was right, and as if he was really conversing with the bird. "Well, I've been talking about a half of my life to you in three hours... why haven't you flown?" He chuckled then right after and went inside his room.

Surprisingly, the bird flew and followed him inside. Dongwoo just gave a small 'Whoa.' after seeing the bird on his desk. "Hey, don't you have a tree or uh... home out there?" He asked, the bird only stood and blinked. Dongwoo sighed and lays his body on the bed, "It wouldn't be a mess anyways if I'd keep a bird here... I guess." And he just slept through the night.

×××

The next morning, Dongwoo woke up from somewhat like a singing voice faintly running through his ears. Like someone was inside his room, singing. From the thought of this he rushed to sit and look around but nobody was there, only a shadow wherein the bird he 'met' last night was only there, singing.

He scratched his head and slightly smiled as it was only the bird that was singing. "Why are you still here?" Dongwoo said as he boredly stared at the bird on his desk, his eyes wandering over the small bird's white feathers, how it sparkles from the morning light.

Dongwoo wiped his eyes and continued in going to the bathroom and wash his face up. Because, Dongwoo admits he doesn't look good in the morning. His locks of hair blown and stand to any direction from his head, springing out. With a swollen face that'd make his eyes really small, and also makes his face more chubbier.

He came to the living room and sat on one of the sofas, he felt like sitting there was a new feeling to him. Because, he only stayed in his room for so long. No wonder he just thought of now to sit there. He didn't notice that the bird was just standing around a corner of his room, just looking at him.

After a couple of minutes, the front door opened and brought in three boys. It was the two from yesterday, Sunwoo and Junghwan and then they also thought to bring in Gong Chanshik... the youngest of them four.

"O-oh hyung, you've finally come out!" Sunwoo happily sat on a chair in front of Dongwoo, "You look so thin! Hyung, you got to eat." With a serious tone, he glanced at the youngest with a commanding look. "Chanshik."

"Ah yeah, okay hyung." Chanshik got the signal and went to the kitchen to make some food.

While Sunwoo was talking with Dongwoo, Junghwan was looking at the bird that was silently singing. "Ya, hyung. You never told us you owned a beautiful bird." He said while lightly touching the bird's feathers, and smiled noticing how it didn't even flinch.

"O-oh, yeah... Well, it just uncoincidentally went by the balcony yesterday. I don't even know why that's still here." Dongwoo scratched his head while looking at the bird.

"Maybe it wants to stay with you," Sunwoo blurted. "I guess." And then he chuckles. "But animals are based on instincts. It might fly away for some time too."

Junghwan came over to sit with the small bird standing on the bridge of his index finger. "Look, this bird's totally cool. Talk about it's snow feathers, I want to bring this home!—" After the latter happily blurted the last few words out the bird flew instantly to Dongwoo's shoulder.

Sunwoo was hiding his laugh, "Maybe it doesn't want to go with you then." Then he laughs fully. Junghwan rolls his eyes and looks at Dongwoo and the bird. "You know, it suits you having a bird by your side. It feels so calm to take a look at it, am I right, Sunwoo?"

Sunwoo nodded in agreement, while Dongwoo was blushing faintly. "I guess so." Was the only thing the hyung in the room can only say.

Chanshik went into the room with a tray of oat cookies and a pitcher of milk. "Chanshik's proficiency of making food is just the same level of his." Sunwoo chuckles and receives a small punch on the shoulder from the younger.

While the four boys were eating, "Do you guys think that birds like this eat cookies?" Junghwan thought.

"Maybe no?" Chanshik said. "I know there are some stuff on TV saying 'Bird wanna cracker? Bird wanna cracker?' It sounds so forced, that maybe birds don't even want to eat a cracker... cookies might be too." He explains.

"Well, let's prepare something for the bird even if it doesn't eat cookies then." Sunwoo says. "Maybe hyung owns rice wheat here, birds eat those right?"

Chanshik nodded, and then Sunwoo went on to get some wheat. Junghwan looked at the younger and said, "No wonder you know some facts about birds and stuff, do you know what specie is this bird then?"

"It sings right?" Dongwoo nodded. "Then it's a Hummingbird." Chanshik answers, receiving amused looks afterwards.

"Wah, our maknae is just so good at everything." Junghwan then gave small claps.

They didn't notice that Sunwoo was already there with the small bowl of rice wheat, the bird took off and went to the bowl to pluck and eat the grains that Sunwoo took. "Wait, but are Hummingbirds 'not' pure white? Or like snow white?"

"Maybe it's an albino Hummingbird then, that's not impossible to happen." Chansik scratches his temple as they continue to eat and talk about stuff that concerns them from the time being.

×××

The three boys went home as they spent the whole they with their hyung, and it was night time again. Dongwoo was really curious why the bird haven't flown away. He let the thought pass by again and wondered that it was going to be winter tomorrow, he can feel the chilly atmosphere around the house. The man was quite excited for it, he looked at the bird and saw it sleeping early on his desk. He looked for a small cushion in the living room, and came back. He gently held the bird's body and put it on the cushion where it can sleep warmly through the night.

He also thought to sleep early as so he can enjoy the winter view tomorrow.

×××

Days passed by and Dongwoo felt like the bird was not only a pet or his companion... but as a friend. He grew closer to the bird as the spent the whole times with each other, he didn't even notice that he stopped being depressed all the time. Now, they were out to go to the park.

"You know there's something weird with you..." Dongwoo says, "Did you become fatter?" He pouts as he looks at his cupped hands where the bird was snuggling. The bird looks back at him instinctively, that gave Dongwoo a thought that the bird was saying, 'What the hell?'

"O-okay fine, you didn't become fat then." He says in a pride-lowered voice, and the bird goes back snuggling. After an hour, they come back to his home and prepares his dinner and the bird's grain. Dongwoo was quite on a diet now, so he only prepares hot spicy ramyeon for the night.

He sits on a counter, across him is the small bowl of wheat where the bird he had named as 'Snow' just earlier was happily plucking and eating it's food. Dongwoo smiles as he sees the bird, he really felt happy and attached. He also would think of if this bird was a real person, he'd love it better like his close friends.

Eventually, it was time to sleep. Dongwoo got really sleepy after eating, and like a bear he was. It'd look like he was hibernating for this winter. He flopped down on his bed and slept soundly. Though, he did not take notice of something... now, lost to him.

×××

The next day, Shin Dongwoo woke up 5 hours plus than he usually would. Because, every 7 in the morning he wakes up to the sound of—

"Oh ." It sank in his mind that he didn't woke up early because Snow didn't sang nor chirped. He stood up and looked all over the house, he didn't bother cleaning up his face. He combed his hair back with his fingers and continue to whistle around outside. Being given by some neighbor of his, a weird look to him. He took notice of that and got shy, he bowed half-heartedly to the neighbor and ran back inside to his home.

And now he's in his room again, all locked up. "Ugh, I should've have thought this time would come..." He sighed and ran his hands from his face upwards to the back of his head. He felt another familiar feeling that he always felt last time, what was it again? Sadness. Sadness was there again since he was alone, not literally because there's his other three best friends to support and help him. But, he wouldn't want to bother those kids.

He's an adult now, he should help himself. Well, that what would his 3rd person view in his mind would say.

Anyways, he dunked himself up with a lot of questions that mostly degraded himself and some little nonsense stuff that concerned around how life worked out for him. He couldn't understand, nor anyone. Maybe, he only needed someone to talk to... like Snow. He was throughout open with that snow-feathered Hummingbird, he felt like he's lost a companion now— Immediately putting him back in his depressed state.

Two days after Snow's unknown departure, Junghwan and Sunwoo pays a visit again. But they took notice of how it was dead quiet again in the house, felt like déjà vu to them actually. They went to Dongwoo's bedroom door silently and listened to the small sighs, sobs and grunts inside.

Then right after, Junghwan gave Sunwoo a look saying i-think-i-know-why-hyung-is-like-this! Then afterwards, Sunwoo shot back a look saying me-too!

The boys were ready for this sort of thing concerned to their hyung. They had Dongwoo's bedroom key, and they now slowly barged into his room and went beside their hyung. "Hyung, we know why you're like this. We understand, aight?" Junghwan patted Dongwoo's back. "We're here to be your best wingmans." Sunwoo added.

Dongwoo takes a look at Junghwan. "R-really?" Junghwan nodded. Then he spins his head to Sunwoo, "Uh, best 'wingmans'? What?" He looks at the younger in confusion.

"You got dumped by a bird." Sunwoo blurts out with a stupid look on his face. Junghwan then, left his jaw open on with what Sunwoo just said.

Dongwoo runs his hand through his face. "Please get the out of my room."

Junghwan tenses up and drags Sunwoo out to their hyung's living room. "What the ing did you just ing say?!" He hisses and glares at the squirrel-faced guy.

"What?" Sunwoo says as if like he didn't do what he just said to his hyung.

"You goddamn jerk, I'm going to kill you!" Junghwan attempts to strangle (in a brotherly manner) Sunwoo, but the latter runs out of their hyung's house.

"Not unless I go back to the house first!" Sunwoo exclaimed, running along.

Junghwan then, rolls his eyes as he accepts the younger's challenge.

×××

Dongwoo went into his room, just from the balcony. In a sleepy state. He remembers what Sunwoo again said yesterday, he gave an annoyed sigh. Because that was just absolutely a nonsense answer. He pinches the bridge of his nose lightly and walked over to his bed to take his rest for the day. His drowsy eyes were just staring at the wall, waiting for it's downfall. As then on... something shifted on the other side of Dongwoo's king-sized bed, just in front of his eyes. He thought he just saw something small, white animal going down to his bed—

Small,

White animal...

Sno—? His internal question was interrupted by a blinding shine of light from where the small, white animal for as Dongwoo would think 'flew' down. He groaned slightly and shut his eyes from the light, he really feels drowsy and weak, but he'd try his best to squint his eyes to a larger figure than what he saw earlier. It wasn't a bird— It was... a person.

But even though Dongwoo took notice of the figure he say, he desperately tried to use his strength to talk. "W-who the hell are y—", Dongwoo's quite silent, tired voice was cut off. He thought he was just dreaming for a second but, no. It was real, and this was still real. As he can still see the person, in blurry features, looking at him. The person chuckled— that chuckle was the most beautiful sound Dongwoo had ever heard, even if it was just a chuckle. He had felt a warm feeling than a warning feeling from the stranger's presence. He really wants to see who the person was but then, his eyesight cleared for a second. "N-no, this couldn't be..." Then the person slowly wrapped their hands together. This feeling of warmness shooted through the different parts of his body, making his nerves and muscles relax and which made his eyes close and to say one last word before he falls into a good night's sleep.

"Jinyoung-ah..."