I'm like a boat on the water
You're the rays on the waves that calm my mind
Oh, every time

Minho realized that the little scene he had with Taehyun made him stupid enough that he actually gave in to Zico’s invitation of spending the night at a wild party. He had been blacklisted by his school because of a previous fight in another bar not too far from where they are and his mother had threatened him to “stop the nonsense” if he wanted to keep the apartment so Minho tried to wee away from these kinds of craziness.

But look where he is now.

Here he is again, sitting uncomfortably between two women who barely have anything on as they try to get into his pants.

His other friends were already way beyond tipsy and were currently dancing crazily – even Zico has a curvaceous woman on his lap but Minho can’t seem to force himself to pour his attention to anything around him.

Not the women, not the suffocating smell of smoke and perfume, not the drinks or the loud music.

Because his mind was still on Nam Taehyun’s offended expression.

1:

Boat on the Water

He tried to contact him, tried to apologize, tried to make him reconsider. Minho managed to  get his number using his wide network of friends and acquaintances but even after all his efforts, all Taehyun did was answer him with a harsh “Hello?” and slam the phone down with a harsher “No.”

That’s when Zico called him, asked him out on another unforgettable night, and persuaded him with a promise of: “Let’s just forget everything!”

And that promise was nice enough on its own.

The last time Zico said unforgettable, it meant Minho spending the rest of that unforgettable night with his forehead and shoulder blade throbbing in pain and hiding in a dark alleyway.

So why is he here again, he wonders.

Minho sighed. He can’t remember how many times he already did that but he did again anyway as he sipped on his drink; his gaze far from everything around him, trying to reach a certain blond who doesn’t even want to hear his voice.

He was beckoned by his current reality when he finally felt one of the ladies’ palms slowly rubbing the inside of his thigh so Minho stood up – too tired to play with anyone and too uninterested to return the favor. He excused himself from the women who winced at his response and instead gave them a polite smile before he proceeded to the veranda.

At least that was what he was planning to before he bumped into someone, making the drink Minho was holding spill onto the drunken man. Fuming with rage, Minho was hit straight on his jaw before he could even apologize, and in instinct – the rapper hit back.

That was how Mrs. Song was called into the Dean’s Office came Thursday morning, a dejected Minho waiting for her by the office door with a white gauze pasted on his jawline.

She greeted him with a keen glare, before coming close and taking a good look at the cloth on Minho’s jaw. “Does it still hurt?”

“Yeah,”

But instead of gently patting it, Mrs. Song playfully slapped the bruise, making Minho take a sharp inhale of air because of the sudden pain. “Omma!”

“That’s still not enough! You already made our hard work go to waste when you insulted Taehyun and now this! How can I travel back to our province to look after our business there if you keep getting into troubles!?” She barely breathed through that long statement, her eyes a pair of large, unbelieving balls, just like her son’s.

“But he was the one who hit first!”

“Aish! No matter who hit first you’re still wrong in hitting back!”

The Dean’s Office door opened before Minho could defend himself and a petite woman came out, ushering Mrs. Song inside as she asked Minho to wait outside.

Minho and his mother were outside a three-story house colored brown, white and black as Mrs. Song pushed the doorbell button.

It was decided that his apartment would be rented by a far uncle with no questions allowed to ask when the Dean decided it’s the last warning he’ll give Minho.

Why did Minho agreed to this?

Well he didn’t.

“She’s been wanting to see you for some time now.” She said as she tugged on his collar.

Minho gently let go of the luggage he’s been carrying to help his mother in adjusting the shirt’s collar.

“It’s really embarrassing that I’ll only come here now. I last saw her when I was like, fourteen?”

His mother clicked her tongue as she finally gave up on straightening the fabric. “Don’t worry about it, she’s always asking about you from me.”

“Ah~ I wish I could’ve at least known she’s this near to me.”

The lady laughed, “I forgot to tell you~”

He will live with his mother’s best friend for the mean time until his mother is able to settle things with their family business.  Minho is not particularly against it since he had been taken care of by this special auntie ever since he could remember, it was just that he doesn’t want to be a bother, since she already had a family of her own and it’s been years since he last saw her.

After a few minutes, a woman with curly, mid-neck-length hair came out with a wide smile, opened the little gate and hugged Minho’s mom tightly.

“This is Minho?” She asked when they finally parted and her eyes landed on Minho’s profile.

Minho bowed politely and introduced himself. “I’m sorry to intrude Auntie.”

“Oh you’ve gone so big already! The last time I saw you, you were just a little boy!” She asked about how his life in university is aside from the fight and if he eats well. “Your mother already told me everything and you are not intruding!” And then she patted Minho’s shoulder and invited the two of them insi