“I’m home.” Jieun mumbled.

There was no answer though her mom was there, sitting on the couch, staring blankly at the certain direction. Jieun’s heart felt heavy, she then walked toward her mom, arms wrapped on her shoulders. She heaved a deep painful breath before gave her mom a light peck on her forehead. Jieun lived in a decent home, her family was all fine before some heartbreaking events came one by one and crumbled her family. The cheerful girl somehow turned into quiet and gloomy one, she felt that she had lost a half of herself.

“I miss you.” She spoke to the photo frame in front of her, “If only it wasn’t you but me instead, I wouldn’t be this suffering. It’s hard.” She started to sob.

Jieun concealed lots of painful memories within her heart, it wasn’t that surprising if she often got bad dreams or her insecurities suddenly emerged when everything seemed difficult to her. This is why she never skip going to the library, the only place that she could calm herself.

On the other hand, Baekhyun wasn’t left Jieun alone, he purposely hid behind the wall as carefully watched her entered her house. He could see her sad back whenever she entered her house. Baekhyun heard a lot from Chanyeol, that’s why he liked Jieun a little bit too much everyday and wanted to protect her. After made sure that Jieun was safe, well he thought, he swung his legs back home. Like Jieun, he also wasn’t as cheerful as before but recently he kept smiling, it was because of her after all.

“I’m home.” He spoke.

“Hey, Bud! How was your day?” A tall figure came and greeted him.

“Good as usual, how about you Dad?”

“Just so so. Go dry yourself and let’s have a late dinner with me.”

“Alright.”

Baekhyun’s Dad is the warmest and cheerful man, thus Baekhyun inherited his cheerful side from him. They also had suffered from the most painful event from their lives, especially Baekhyun. It was the most difficult life phase, as for Baekhyun, he would rather be dead instead of living his life. But, fortunately that he could pass this even though hadn’t fully healed yet.

“So, who’s this girl?” Mr. Byun blurted out.

Baekhyun choked up a bit yet tried so hard to act calm in front of his Dad. He wondered how came his Dad found out about Jieun because the fact that he hadn’t told him yet.

“W-what girl? What do you mean, Dad? He stammered and chuckled awkwardly.

“You’re my son, I know that. It’s alright if you don’t want to talk it but I’m so grateful.”

“Grateful?”

“Yeah, you keep smiling recently and it makes my heart a little bit in ease because you know after—“

“Mom’s death.” He smiled bitterly, “This girl resembles Mom, she likes books yet she is all fragile. It feels like I want to protect her, she is a sweet girl after all, she just quite reserved just because some bad things that had happened to her.”

Mr. Byun only smiled; he didn’t need to ask further because just like his habit, Baekhyun would definitely tell him everything whenever he wanted to. He kept talking about Jieun that night, how special she was, how different and how she affected his life day by dy. Mr. Byun knew that his son had head over heels for her just from the spark of his eyes whenever he talked about her. The old man secretly thanked this Lee Jieun girl in his heart.

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