“Will you return to Gyeongbuk?” The long-haired pushed the door open.

“I don’t think so. I can return there in February. Myungho will visit them during Christmas anyway.” Although the blonde had told him to leave because he might confront with his hot-headed-turned-unreasonable mother but just couldn’t resist Seungcheol who insisted on carrying his things in.

“I… I’m sorry if I ruin your visiting.” He slowly walked along the hallway with a helping hand of Seungcheol.

“Don’t be. It’s not like you wanted this to happen.” He softly replied with a wide smile that almost took the younger’s breath away. Seungcheol sat Jeonghan on the chaise lounge while he took the bag to the bedroom.

The blonde looked around but couldn’t detect any trace of his mother. Is she here? Or she left already? The kitchen is too quiet to have anyone in there. There was no one on the terrace either. Don’t tell him that…

A scream was heard from the upper floor and followed by ‘Who the hell are you?! How in the world you got in here? Are you a thief? Help! Help!’ and so on. There was some smacking sound as well.

Great, so she is upstairs and met with Seungcheol. Jeonghan sighed and knew he needed to do something before the black-haired was beaten up to…death? He supported himself up when his mother was chasing the latter down the staircase.

The blonde rushed to block the woman from making another hit on Seungcheol’s back. “Eomma, stop. He’s not a thief. He’s the one who saved me that I told you about, Seungcheol.” Her face was even paler.

“A-annyeonghaseyo.” The black-haired bowed half-frightened-half-respectfully. “M-my name is Choi Seungcheol.”

“Hanie, why didn’t you pick up my calls? Daeunie’s and Junhui’s, too!” She pulled him into her arms.

Being dragged abruptly, his ankle bended a little, “agh!”

“Hanie, what’s wrong? Are you hur- oh my goodness!” She gaped and covered at the sight of the bandaged ankle and furiously yelled at the black-haired while eyeing him accusingly. “How and why is my son hurt? What did you do to him?”

Jeonghan tried to calm her. “Eomma, don’t blame him. I didn’t watch the way and hurt myself. There was a log and-”

“A log!?” He was startled. “Why would you hurt yourself with a log? You went into the forest or what?!”

“…We did, eomma.”

“Why in the world would you take him into the wood?” She started to roar.

“Eomma, why are you like this? He saved me though. He even let me stay in-”

“Jeonghan.” The blonde was stopped by the tone that was too sedate, too serious. He looked up and saw those orbs tacitly saying hajima.

Ah… He realized just now he almost spilled something he wasn’t supposed to.

The mother looked at them confusedly. “What? What lame excuse will you use?”

The whole room was silent for a while. “…I apologize, eomma-nim, that I took him out without informing you and even got him injury. It was all my fault that, although I know he isn’t very well, I still traveled him as far as Gyeongbuk. Next time I’ll ask for your permission fir-”

“You still have the gut to say next time? How can you ask for next time when you couldn’t even take good-enough care of him?! How can I trust you?” Gyeongbuk? Is that his hometown? That far?

“Eomma, enough.” What is this situation? Why does it sound like boyfriends asking the others’ parents for consent to date them or something…

He bowed again, this time with all his respect. “I’m truly sorry and this won’t happen again. But please… reconsider the next time.”

“Leave.” She said sharply without even looking at him. “Don’t come near my son. Leave him alone.”

Jeonghan swore he could see tears in that puppy eyes. Quietly and promptly, the black-haired did as he was told. What is this feeling? Why does it hurt so much – much more than his sprained ankle? Why does he feel like the other is really leaving him? Is he? “Eomma, I hate you.” He fumingly said.

“What?”

“Aren’t you too much? You kept blaming him with all things that none was proved true, but didn’t give him a freaking second to explain.”

“What was there to explain? He admitted he was the one at fault in the end.”

“He accepted it all because he is too nice to just say the truth that your son was heedless and could hurt himself even by just walking around!”

“…” The mother was speechless. Did her son just yell at her?

“You really went too far this time, eomma. Next time, I’m begging you, do not interfere and ruin my relationship with decent people.” He started heading toward his bedroom, not having any energy left for arguing.

“Decent? You call that decent- Jeonghan! Come back here, I’m not finished talking with you! Yoon Jeonghan!” A door slammed.

After locking the door, the long-haired thrown himself onto the king-sized white bed as tears streaming down his pretty orbs. First, his donator. And now Seungcheol? How could she disapprove anyone so easily? Is Oh Daeun the only one for her? Or is it because of their amity with the girl’s mother? Is that more important than what her son really feels and wants? How could she… He let out a long despairing sigh. What should or what could he do now? Will Seungcheol hate him for his mother’s action today? He hopes not. The blonde then passed out because of exhaustion.

-

Congratulation, you have been selected!

Seungcheol was reading the message in his phone as he was strolling around the campus, having no intention in going back to the dorm. Although the context was delighting, he didn’t feel one bit delighted. His mind was now full of that person, Yoon Jeonghan. He was irritated, too, when his mother told him to leave but he couldn’t blame the younger, could he? But the mother was indeed a strong person; her slap in his face and her hit on his back still hurt. He groaned as he massaged the sore shoulder. Tonight’s moon was still beautiful nonetheless…

-

Jeonghan was having quite a hard time and was in a dilemma. First, since that day, Seungcheol, being a decent person that he was, stopped seeing him- no, he is avoiding him – again. The difference was that this time he knew why the older avoided him even though it didn’t make any difference. However, the worst thing was that the blonde himself was the reason why the older avoided him. Second, the day after that day, Jeonghan gathered his sense and sent apologetically explaining texts to Junhui and Daeun for not picking up their calls the days before. Junhui replied with plenty emojis and ‘I’m worried about you. Your mom almost broke my phone by calling every ing hour to check if you came back to my dorm.’ But the problem was Daeun hadn’t texted him back. He tried to reach her number but she wasn’t answering – just like what he had done to her – what goes around really comes around. At first, he just thought maybe she was tired of his apathy and wanted to be alone for some time – she also stopped visiting him. But day after day, nothing changed. He still couldn’t reach her phone and his texts wasn’t answered – they weren’t read, even. Jeonghan had tried calling her parents and they said the girl was alright and perhaps too preoccupied with her study because they hadn’t heard much from her either – they sounded super pleased when they knew their only soon-to-be son-in-law called, like; finally, he got interest in and cared for our girl, and, at least this marriage still had some hope. But in fact, Jeonghan didn’t really care for the girl or her parents. He did it because his mother always called him asking whether the girl responded him back yet. And that was all.

However, on the Christmas Eve day, the blonde was walking toward the dental college because Jun said he had something quite serious that it couldn’t be talked over the phone to discuss with him but he himself couldn’t come out at the moment due to his fussy professor – he gives plenty assignments to compensate the long Christmas break or what? – so Jeonghan offered to go to him during lunch time. As he was pacing along the connecting building bridge, he saw someone he hadn’t seen for some time, Seungcheol. The older looked as exhausted as always but the dark circles under his bulky orbs seemed to have enlarged. Had he gotten any sleep for the past whole week? And it looked the older was too tired, maybe too sleepy, or maybe just avoided him as normal, that he didn’t noticed the younger waving at him since 20m, 10m, and 5m – there was no one except them at the bridge thought, so why wouldn’t he see him, right? Now, they were few feet apart. Jeonghan blocked his way.

“Excuse me,” Seungcheol said gloomily and moved himself aside but the person in front of him blocked him again. Seriously, what does this person want? The black-haired had no choice but to slothfully bring his drowsy lifeless eyes up. Who is this? Why do I feel so familiar although I don’t feel so familiar? Brr, what nonsense are you saying? Get a hold of yourself, Choi Seungcheol. He narrowed his eyes to look properly which the younger found it cute.

“What are you doing, Seungcheol?” The long-haired giggled.

He just couldn’t figure anything out. That’s a man’s voice. And he knows me? How? When? Who is he? Why don’t I know him?

He got more concerned now since the other didn’t reply. “Cheol-ah, are you okay?” We’re close, too? Why is calling me like that? Suddenly, a pair of soft bony hands were brought directly to his face, cupping his cheeks. “Choi Seungcheol, look at me straight.” The black-haired flinched.

Wow, he sure has the audacity to do such a bold action. Why are kids these days tend to do whatever they want? What do parents teach them? Or do they teach them at all? Feeling rather trespassed, he brought his own hands up to remove the immodest ones but stopped when their hands met. These hands… These knuckles… He knew them…too well. Then everything clicked in his crazy mind.

It was Jeonghan’s turn to flinch for the other suddenly also brought his hands up and placed them on the younger’s. At first, it seemed like the black-haired wanted to free Jeonghan’s hands from his face but when he actu