So here is a list of excuses and I AM SO SORRY QwQ

9/13 note: So Boys24 is over... I will not know how Hocheollie is doing ;-;... but I am glad that Isaac and Inpyo made it in... but anyways I will still continue to update this story! Anyways, what happens in this story will obviously be too much to happen in one day but please do understand that the plot was planned before the whole Hwayoung thing. I could've changed it to suit the pace better however I don't want to change it if that makes any sense?? Like I've been waiting for this moment in the plot but obviously the characters had to change for my own and my readers' comfort first so I'll be continuing the story as if Isaac was always part of the main cast if that's fine with you guys (if not then message me through commenting or PM-ing if you think it feels too packed and that I need to space out the events more)

10/10 note: Also I'd like to comment that Bomin of Golden Child looks like the love child of DoDoo o-o

10/31 note: Also also this was suppose to be updated earlier but then i got surgery...

11/7 note: also also also writer's block is a bleep TT-TT (anyways fighting Haejoon (Rubin), Alex (Jaeyoon), and Sungho in Mix9!)

11/19 note: also also also also Doha Q^Q

12/24 note: also also also also also short chapter but another update to come soon

Am I...? No no, maybe I'm just over-thinking about this whole thing. That and the combined stress of everything that's happened beforehand. Now I'm just sounding old and senile at this point if that's actually the cause of this though...

"Yah, if you keep scrunching up your eyebrows like that you're going to burn up the entire hallway."

Jaehyun flinches, realizing that he is indeed consistently staring at the hallway floor the entire walk back to Hocheol's room. He looks up, the younger expressing obvious confusion about what exactly he was doing.

"O-Oh, sorry," Jaehyun stutters, to which Hocheol pouts.

"Hyung, you don't have to apologize. I'm just kind of concerned, like, are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine! Completely fine!" honestly he was close to answering with 'that's what I've been thinking about this entire time'.

Hocheol stands there, staring at him a bit longer as though he is trying to read Jaehyun's mind before sighing. He turns to open the door to his room, allowing for the two to enter as the sound of something else porcelain shattering outside.

About 5 seconds in the room and Hocheol suddenly pinches his cheeks, catching the butler off guard easily.

"Awrgh wud awe wou doin??" Jaehyun cries out.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Hocheol emphasizes 'sure' with a stretch.

"Wes I ah hwine!" he reaches up to massage his sore cheeks, feeling somewhat annoyed at being treated like a child by someone younger than him. He couldn't help but harrumph, "What was that for?"

The younger grumbles, "You're lying and it's obvious. It's bothering me because you always help me but I..." the rest of his sentence changes to mumbling that sounds nonsensical to Jaehyun.

"Okay okay, I'm sorry. It's just... something I'd like to keep to myself for now..." Jaehyun murmurs, "Forgive me?"

"Hug."

Jaehyun's first instinct to that is to look at Hocheol in a confused manner, the latter opening his arms and obviously waiting patiently for a hug. He awkwardly walks over and hugs the younger, who returns it easily.

"Hyung, why are you acting so awkward? This shouldn't be that different from that piggy back," Hocheol stifles a giggle but the small action is already enough for him to abruptly push the younger away at arms distance. Before Hocheol could say anything Jaehyun stutters, "I-I forgot something at home! I-I'll be back so don't worry!" and immediately heads out and slams the door closed.

There it is again.

The butler puts a hand ver his chest, wondering when the insistent thumping would stop because he'd like it to stop very much so. He lets out a sigh, thinking a walk outside of the mansion would clear his head, turning to meet the rather cold poker faces of Hocheol's parents. He doesn't know what he did wrong but he knows he messed up somewhere along the way to earn such expressions from them.

A couple moments later Jaehyun is feeling a strong sense of deja vu as he sits by himself in front of the strong presences of Hocheol's parents in their office. [Somewhere along the way of travelling from Hocheol's room to their office the entrance hall is oddly clean but obviously missing two porcelain vases on the shelf outside. Inho is lying on the staircase- possibly dead- an obvious sign that Inho tried to head upstairs to warn them but tripped from leftover suds and face-planted hard enough to black out before being able to do so. It's then that Jaehyun plans to buy one of those neon yellow caution signs meant to cover wet and slippery floors but he double-guesses since it would probably only serve as another factor for people to trip and face-plant knowing the people here] The only thing he can say is different is that he is fairly aware that he is being severely judged by them at the moment.

"What do you think you're doing, slamming the door so harshly to our son's bedroom," Mr. Chae cuts the silence, making Jaehyun flinch at the harsh tone.

"I-I'm sorry..." he stutters and starts sweating because that sigh of disappointment afterwards only serves to worsen the atmosphere. He really does not want to continue to suffer from incredibly intense situations on a daily basis.

"Anyways, the reason we need to talk to you is to change your job position. We've decided to assign the task of aiding Inpyo in garden tending."

That immediately snaps him out of his stupor, nearly breaking his neck from turning his head to actually look at them. A dozen questions run around his heads as he tries to stutter at least one of them out. "E-Excuse me...?"

His voice gets caught in his throat when he sees Mrs. Chae raise a hand to gesture him to stop.

"For now, we can't tell you much as to why but you have the right to know that you should be relieved that you're not getting fired at this very moment," and there's a glint to her eyes that leaves Jaehyun unsettled even when the talk is over.