While the Choi family was mulling over the recent incidents, Jeonghan was left by himself. He got updates occasionally from Seungcheol but with everything going on, Jeonghan told him to focus on himself before anything else.

After blurting out all those words that weren't convincing at all some time ago, he learned that his father only said the things he said because he was inebriated. He was placed some where nice, he was told to work hard, and he did work hard. The moment the man realized what happened right under his nose, maybe someone told him something, Jeonghan was locked up in his room, served only a meal a day until he thought his son would be obedient. Everything happened so fast that Jeonghan still didn't know what was going on. He just knew that the work he was doing was credited to someone else.

Trapped and tired, Jeonghan wondered if he should have started this fight along side Seungcheol at all if it was going to be this tiring. If it wasn't for Joshua.... no if it wasn't for the arranged marriage he wouldn't have bothered to go against his own father. The dirt he had on his father while working might not be useful in his own hands and perhaps it would do better in Seungcheol's hands but Jeonghan was tired.

Following his father's words ever since America, anyone would be tired. Always monitored, always told to do this and that against his will. Maybe it isn't worth it at all. But when he thought of how his partnership with Seungcheol might affect Seungcheol (...Joshua...) he thought that he couldn't possibly tied down a hard working man with such a ....waste of space.

Maybe it would be better if I wasn't here. Joshua wouldn't have had a broken heart, I wouldn't have hurt anyone, Seungcheol wouldn't be tied down by me...

Thinking something so extreme, it startled even himself. No, no. Not yet. While I'm here I have to do everything I can.

------------

Dividing his time between helping the Choi family and his chain coffee shop, Joshua finally found a sense of balance. There was less and less that he could do for the kids as Jihoon and Wonwoo were back and doing better. Seungcheol was also doing better; his company was back in his hands, along with his very stupid stock rules that saved his life. The moment Choi father couldn't buy out the whole company, he had his people sell every single stock, leaving about 48% of the company out on the market. Jun, Hoshi, and himself all helped to buy up the remaining stocks to resell slowly, in smaller parts to ensure that nobody else could do what Choi father did.

Joshua checked out with his secretary and headed towards the kids home. Around five times a week they all end up at the house for dinner. Seungcheol was cleaning up trails as fast as he could so that he could live with them, but in the mean time they basically do everything a family should do. 

Arriving at the house, he entered and was greeted with a mess. The kids froze in place while looking wide eyed at him. Both sides were silently looking at each other. "Eh?" 

The kids were covered in flour, maybe some cream, and is that egg in Seokmin's hair? Wonwoo was holding Seungkwan over his head, the only moderately clean kid around. "Joshua hyung, please help meeeeee....." Wonwoo cried. Letting out a sigh, Joshua moved to help clean up. Having someone else suddenly in their space, even if they were familiar, it broke the flow so the kids were a little sheepish and didn't play as hard. They are still young, warming up sometimes is still slow. 

The warzone(kitchen) was blocked off with baby doors, Wonwoo was wrestling them all into the master bathroom while Joshua cleaned up the place. At least the cake that they were most likely making was already in the oven, Wonwoo must of finished it before the kids came in like hungry zombies. Cleaning up the floor, swiping everything from the counter into a trash bag, washing all the utensils and cooking ware, the kitchen looked like a kitchen again. 

Everything in place, the usual sense of accomplishment washes over him, feeling refreshed and complete. Hearing a car come up in the driveway, he moved to open the door expecting either Hoshi or Seungcheol. And there was Seungcheol coming up. 

"Yo, you're here early."

"Nah not really. I handed everything to my secretary before coming. And you? You seem a bit late today."

"It's just a slow day. Everything is settling down and we have to move forward. So a couple meetings about the idols in our labels coordinating a comeback schedule is all."

"Mhm. Sounds tough. Well, the kids are washing up with Wonwoo. Chan is napping with Jihoonie."

After making a little more small talk, Seungcheol went to find the others while Joshua started up the stove to make dinner. Usually dinner is make in rotation and today was Wonwoo's turn but seeing as his hands are full, he'll ask for a favor next time. Playing music from his phone, one of Woozi's songs filtered through the house. Moving on auto pilot making a simple fried rice recipe, he hummed along to 'Drift Away'. It brought back nostalgic feelings that brought the mood down, but it was heart warming to remember.

All of a sudden, a terrible feeling invaded his heart. What is this feeling?  It felt foreboding and uncomfortable. I should be careful in the following days. Removing the thoughts from his head, he continued to work on dinner. 

Jeonghan........