A month. That’s how long Jongin had been staying in the Oh Household ever since he first moved in; an entire month of dealing with Oh Sehun’s bull.

To be honest, Jongin considered himself to be a patient person who always believed that most people were legitimately good on the inside and did not intend to harm others. That being said, there was a limit to how much he could take at times. When it came to oppressing Jongin, Sehun was simply unstoppable. And really, by now, Jongin should have been used to it already. How his fiance treated him was no worse than how he was treated in his previous residence.

Luna decided to visit today. It's completely unexpected, and not even Mrs. Yeun, the head maidservant, was aware of it. As usual, Jongin was in the middle of eating alone in the dining area when Luna sauntered in, and she blinked in confusion as soon as she spotted the younger boy. They got into an awkward, bewildered stare-down before Sehun followed her inside.

“Uh...babe, who’s that?” Luna nudged her boyfriend, referring to Jongin who was still staring at them with a blank expression on his face. Sehun almost immediately cast a nasty glance towards Jongin. The latter, already expecting Sehun to ignore his presence as usual like he was just a speck of dust, however, was completely taken aback when Sehun did the exact opposite.

“No one. Just a new houseboy that grandma hired,” Sehun lied casually, holding the jittery boy underneath his piercing gaze. “What the are you doing here? Scram before I kick you out.”

Jongin didn’t even bother finishing his food and rushed to the back stairs, which were used by the maids to access their quarters. He could dimly hear Luna's voice in the background, but he couldn't clearly tell what she said because his senses have gotten jumbled due to the buzzing in his ears and his welling eyes.

The young teen ended up at the rear garden, feet submerged in the clear waters of the pool. The stars were bright ahead of him, the wind frigid, nipping at the tips of his nose and ears. Jongin’s sniffles filled the silence as he frequently wiped his eyes to keep the tears from falling.

Sehun was so harsh to him. Yes, Jongin was aware that the reason Sehun had snapped at him was that he didn’t want his girlfriend finding out his real status in this house. Still, couldn’t he have just told him to leave without being so cruel? Jongin would go without being reprimanded, he wouldn’t even make a single complaint.

These were the nights—times—when Jongin longed for his aunt's presence and calming words. He recalled the comforting gaze of hers and the soothing lullabies she would sing to him whenever he was upset.

Jongin missed her badly. She was Jongin's only true ally in this cruel society, the person who stood as his birth mother ever since. He needed her to hold him, he needed the comfort of her embrace and the security of her forehead kisses. He needed her here.

But it's too bad that he's on his own. He’s terribly lonely, left to fend for himself in a life he never desired in the first place.

Jongin watched the pool's ripples while feeling the coldness of the water surrounding his legs. When he noticed that his eyesight was becoming fuzzy, he wiped them dry again.

Tomorrow, he and Sehun would fly to Yeosu Island, where one of the Oh Family's resorts was located. Jongin was certain that he’d have to deal with Sehun's spiteful words once more. The thought of that made him feel even worse because he could never relax in his fiance’s presence. He could never be relieved because he knew that Sehun would remind him, sooner or later, that he was a worthless, miserable human who didn't belong there.

What exactly did he do to deserve this? Jongin would ask that question all the time, to no one in particular, and naturally, he’d get no response. He looked up at the black sky, greeting his field of vision with a blanket of cosmos. They appeared so marvelous, but out of reach.

Just like Sehun.

Everything about him was flawless, and Jongin was self-conscious of how insignificant he was in comparison to Sehun. How his chances of even fishing for Sehun's friendship were basically non-existent. Jongin was in shambles and had no idea what to do. He couldn’t just resign himself to this kind of fate, could he?

“Be strong, my baby,” his aunt’s voice echoed in his mind as he stared up ahead, tears blocking the shining stars. “Have courage. For yourself.” 

“What do I do, auntie..?” Jongin muttered. What did it take to be strong? When no one understood his circumstances, his feelings, where would he find that strength?

How long before his dwindling sense of purpose vanished completely?

-

-

Jongin's alarm pierced the silence of his room as the first rays of sunshine seeped between his curtains. He cracked his eyes open and stared blearily at his blinking bedside clock, reading 6:40 A.M.

When Jongin finally mustered the strength to sit up, he closed his eyes again and brought his clasped hands near to his lips.

“Happy birthday, Jonginnie.” Jongin murmured to himself with a faint smile, his features still streaked with sleep. He prayed in his thoughts, thanking God for another birthday celebration. When he's finished, he went on to do his morning preparations.

Completing his routine in record time, Jongin spent the remaining minutes packing a few of his other essentials for the trip. Baekhyun had already bombarded him with silly birthday greetings, and honestly, if that wasn’t his best friend, he wouldn’t have understood what Baekhyun was trying to convey behind the emoji-filled, exaggerated, theatrical texts. He also received a simple greeting from Kyungsoo, followed by others from his friends back home. He missed them quite a lot, too.

Except for his closest friends, nobody really knew his birthday. Not even the servants in this household, who have been with him since his first day here. Jongin never told them because doing so would put pressure on them to give him a gift, which he didn't want them to worry about. No one, apart from his friends, should know that he turned fourteen today.

When Jongin walked down the main floor, he noticed that some of the servants were already milling around, preparing for another day of labor. Making his way to the dining room to eat breakfast, Jongin cheerfully greeted the maids and butlers he passed by. The house workers smiled, noticing the contagious shift in Jongin's demeanor today; he appeared to be a little more animated than usual. It's not like it's a negative thing, though. The kid was the only one who brought a ray of sunshine into this gloomy castle.

Jongin rushed through his food, not wanting Sehun to catch him at breakfast. He’s kind of avoiding being roasted on his special day. He’d get nervous every time a maid passed by, mistaking them for his fiancé.

“Good morning, dear,” Namjoo, one of the house's older servants, welcomed Jongin with a loving smile before setting a plate of dessert in front of him. Jongin smiled back, looking lovely with his crescent-shaped eyes. Namjoo stood by, gently patting the boy's head and watching Jongin eat to his heart's content. “Do you like it, Jongin?”

Jongin nodded, savoring the taste of the cake on his tongue. This was without a doubt his favorite flavor. "I love it! It’s so good, can I please have some more? And...um...can I also pack some for the trip later?"

“Of course, Jongin. Anything you want.”

Some maids couldn’t help but smile as they walked by, unsure why Jongin was radiating such a bubbly energy today. However, their smiles dropped faster than a speeding bullet the moment their young master announced his presence. All servants cautiously scurried off, leaving only Jongin, Namjoo, and Sehun in the dining hall.

Jongin already knew Sehun was in the room the moment he caught a whiff of the older’s cologne. His gut twisted with dread and something else he didn't quite recognize. He began stuffing everything on his plate into his mouth fast, not wanting to spend his morning with someone who was born to torment him.

He stood up from his seat, practically choking on his lemon cake, just as Sehun sat down on his. Sehun’s eyebrow rose instantly as his gaze shifted from the table to Jongin. When they locked gazes, the younger jerked around and left the room like a dog with its tail between its legs. Ignoring Jongin’s strange behavior, Sehun returned to reading the text message his grandmother sent last night.

Sent by: grandma

12:46 AM

Tomorrow is Jongin’s birthday. Be nice to him.

“Mrs. Namjoo,” Sehun called the attention of the old woman who was currently serving him breakfast.

“Yes, young master?”

“Did you give him the cake?” Sehun inquired as he leaned back in his seat. The elderly lady nodded.

“Yes.” 

For a brief while, Sehun's gaze drifted away. “What did he say?”

“He loved it.” Namjoo answered with a knowing smile as if she knew something Sehun didn't. The younger male, on the other hand, didn't dwell on it, dismissing the maid shortly after his interrogation.

-

-

Sehun began to notice Jongin avoiding him since they left the mansion, as well as in the car on the way to the airport. Whenever their eyes collided, Jongin would always be the first to look away, and he only stood a meter away from him if absolutely necessary- otherwise, he acted as if Sehun was a plague. The latter already had a hunch as to what might have caused it.

Yesterday was a complete ing mess for him. Three of his team’s best players simultaneously quit because of academic and personal issues. The sports festival would be kicking off in a month, and he's short of three ing members. There wasn't much time to hold tryouts and train recruits. It didn't help that his girlfriend was constantly harping on him about her obnoxious, punk- step-brother, about whom Sehun couldn't care less. Do Kyungsoo was the furthest thing from his mind.

He didn’t mean to snap at Jongin last night. He even made a brief stop at his grandmother's favorite pastry shop to pick up Jongin's birthday cake, with strict instructions for the chef to make it lemon-flavored as according to Hyejin, it was Jongin’s favorite cake. He was supposed to give it to Jongin himself, but to his surprise, Luna was waiting for him when he returned home. She never informed him that she was coming over, and he only found out when he saw Luna's Porsche parked in the driveway. She said she wanted to have dinner with him, and Sehun found no reason to decline his girlfriend’s request.

So when Luna spotted Jongin, Sehun panicked and immediately came up with words that were mean enough to make Jongin leave. As much as he didn't want to admit it, the look on Jongin's face as he raced off pricked his conscience for the rest of the night. The kid's birthday was practically the next day and there he was, threatening to kick him out.

Whatever. It was pointless to reflect on the past because it already happened. He's somewhat to blame, but it didn't mean he'd apologize. Jongin simply had rotten luck, to be eating at the same time Luna arrived for a visit. Sehun had no intention of letting Luna know about Jongin—hell would have to freeze over first before that ever happened.

It had been an hour since their flight from Seoul took off. Apart from the faint buzz of the jet engines, everything was completely silent; just the kind of environment that Sehun enjoyed. Jongin was seated across Sehun, his gaze fixed on the azure horizon.

The clouds were puffy and the scene still took Jongin’s breath away, even though he'd been staring at it for a while now. He’d never rode a plane before. This was by far the nicest experience he ever had. He's confident that Baekhyun would be overjoyed too if he was here.

Every once in a while, Sehun would occasionally glance at Jongin to see what the latter was up to. Jongin’s presence, for the most part, was strangely tolerable for him today, but Sehun surmised it might be because it’s his birthday and that he’s considering being civil towards the younger just for today. He didn't feel the need to give Jongin a birthday present because he hardly liked him, but being nice to him for a day would suffice.

Jongin fell asleep sometime along the trip. Sehun only noticed this when the plane began to shake, causing minor turbulence. During this, Jongin's head bumped against the window, drawing Sehun's attention. Despite that, the other didn't even wake up, just budging in his seat to find a more comfortable position. The older's lips twitched with a wry smirk. .

“Excuse me,” Sehun cleared his throat the moment a stewardess passed by. She flashed him a genial smile. “Can you get me a blanket and a neck pillow? Thanks.”

“Of course, sir,” the stewardess nodded and excused herself, only to return minutes later with the things Sehun asked her. She handed it to Sehun, who dismissed the woman with a calm