Finally, there is no school today. On days like this, I always love to sleep in. I woke up around 8am, and I have been laying on my bed ever since.

I still can't get out of my head the scene of seeing my brother again. He looked like he was doing well for himself. He looked clean, happy, and everything I wish to be when I turn 18. His smile is the same and so is the way he acts towards me.

Two days. In two days he's going to be leaving Seoul. I hope he comes back one more time. I really want to see him again. I missed him so much, and it just makes me sad knowing that I probably won't be able to see him again for maybe another year or so. I feel like he wouldn't come visit me out on his own because he doesn't want to deal with our parents. I understand him. Leaving without a word at the age of eighteen, never sending us calls or letters of how you are or where you're at. I can understand if he's afraid to face Mom and Dad again. I would be too.

To my surprise, the house is quiet. I don't hear a TV playing downstairs, a radio on in the kitchen, or when it's a bad morning, my parents fighting. I get off my bed, finally after about 3 hours, and walk downstairs quietly. I searched around the house and caught no sight of my parents. I looked out onto the driveway and both their cars are even gone. Where could they have gone?

This would be a great time for my brother to come again, to finally be in the house. But then again, we wouldn't know what time they would come back. Gosh, I miss him.

Being up and out of my bed, I felt like doing something. Like going somewhere. I changed out of my sweats and threw on some jeans and a coat, then headed outside. I memorized this neighborhood like it was the palm of my hand. For years, my brother and I would always sneak out the house without our parents knowing and just run around this place. I know where everything is at and who lives where. Pretty much everyone in here knows who I am. Whenever I walk to school, they sometimes smile and wave at me. Sometimes I even have some older guys ask me how my brother is doing. I assume they were his friends and I sadly lie like I still know. I just say he's doing fine. Remembering him yesterday, I don't think I'm wrong.

I walk into a book store not too far from my house and sit down at an empty table that already had books placed out on them. I look around, watching people pass by. The moms reading to their kids, friends coming here to have a small hang out, and even some dads trying to find the right gift for their children in the toy area. I don't really remember much when I was young. At least, like 7 years old and younger. I just remember that my parents weren't as bad as they are now. When did it all start really? The fights? The yelling? I don't know.

"Hey! What are you doing here?" I hear from in front of me. I look up from my thinking and spot Hoseok smiling with a cup of coffee in his hand. He took the seat across from me and offered some of his drink. I politely declined.

"My parents weren't home and I was bored. I decided to get out the house and I don't know, I just wanted to sit here." I say.

"Really? Funny. I'm starting work in about an hour and a half. I usually always come this early to get myself a small breakfast and something to drink."

"What happened to your breakfast?"

"Didn't bring enough money apparently. They raised the prices." he says. I chuckled and his smile turned into a face of curiousness.

"Are you okay?" he asks. I nod my head and ask why him. He said that Jimin and Taehyung had told the guys what happened at school the other day. They also told them what I did last year and why everyone acts the way they act towards me.

"You know, when I first met you, I wouldn't have thought someone like you would have done something like that. You did seem a bit, I don't know. What's the word I'm looking for? Stubborn? Like when we tried to help you up, you didn't really want it and you shrugged your arm away whenever we touched you. But, I wouldn't have thought you were a guy who could do that." he tells me.

I look at him, his eyes still. I sigh and turn my head away to the side, watching these kids run by with children's books in their hands. I bit the inside of my bottom lip, and sighed again.

"Can I ask something?" I say. I look back at him and he nods his head, looking a bit confused.

"Why did you guys come and help me up when I fell? No. Why did you guys want to continue being friends after one small meeting? And it was of me just tripping." I ask.

"Yoongi and Taehyung were the ones that saw you fall. Yoongi actually hopped off the bench  and went towards you first. We followed after. After helping you up, well you know we saw the uniform you wore and I guess we all wanted to have a chat since you go to the school we went to and some still go to. Honestly, I didn't think we would have started a conversation after helping you up. I thought it would've been just you saying thank you and then walking away." he tells me.

"I thought that too." I replied back. Actually, I remember leaving soon after Taehyung and Jimin asked me to eat with them. I guess I wouldn't have became their friends if I hadn't looked for the spot they mentioned the next day.

We sat there for a couple more minutes, not saying anything. Hoseok just drank his coffee and I continued looking around the place. I glanced over at him a couple of times, but he was just on his phone scrolling through whatever he was on.

A couple more minutes have passed and I looked at him again. This time, he turned towards me too. I smile awkwardly and he starts talking, breaking the weird silence.

"Jungkook." he starts. "Give me your phone."

Without knowing why, I gave him my phone, unlocked, with no hesitation. He typed something and then handed it back to me. I open my phone and see that he had added a new contact, himself. Jung Hoseok, it was saved as.

"None of us have your number, so you can just call or text me whenever you feel like hanging out or talking. If it's alright with you, I'll give them your number as well once I get it." he says. I nod my head slowly and put my phone back into my pocket.

"Smile Jungkook. Yeah?" he says. I look at him, a bit caught off guard. I didn't expect him to say anything like that, out of nowhere even. He checked his phone and then stood up.

"I have to leave now if I want to make it back to work on time. I don't work near unfortunately. Remember, you can call us anytime! See you later Jungkook!" he says, smiling and waving as he leaves the store. For some reason, the way he acts just makes me want to smile. I feel a bit bad if I don't smile because of him.

-

I stayed an hour more in the book store after Hoseok left and decided to walk back home. My parents still weren't back, seeing how their cars still weren't in the driveway. I walk in and just laid down on the living room couch. I'm still bored with nothing to do. The thought of texting Hoseok had came to my head, but then I remembered that he probably started work already so I didn't want to bother him.

I laid on my couch, staring at the door. Is my brother coming today? Is he going to knock?

Then, I remember how he threw pebbles at my window. I walk upstairs to my room and sat on my bed, doing nothing.

I waited, but nothing. Maybe not today. Hopefully tomorrow. Then, I heard the front door opening. I peek out my room door and I see downstairs my mom and dad entering the house. Both of their faces were nothing. My dad headed straight to the living room and my mom walked upstairs, going straight to her room. The TV starts playing, and everything seems like how it usually is. Except, the image of my parents walking in looking numb remains in my head. Where did they go and what happened?

I didn't want to ask my dad because I was too afraid, and I didn't really want to bother my mom. And so, I just left it like that, not asking anymore questions. I go back and lay on my bed, seeing that it's 2pm, almost 3.

With nothing to do today, I close my eyes to take a nap. But even with that, I became afraid of missing whenever my brother decides to throw another pebble, or do something else to say that he came back.

But, I still ended up falling asleep, taking that nap. A day not so proactive, besides that chat with Hoseok, somehow made me tired. A day of no school, where I usually end up sleeping almost the whole day, became a day where I wanted to stay awake, to hopefully see my brother.