Jinho waited for the two men to arrive, and when they did, he didn't know what to feel. Among the two tall men that he and Hui bid goodbyes hours ago, was another man with a pink disheveled hair, hanging his head lowly in an attempt to be polite. Jinho also didn't know what to say. His tongue was trying to form coherent words, but the hand that reassured his back did so much that he couldn't do to himself.

 

"What brings you here, uhm—" Hui debated what to call the new face, but Yanan already cut him off.

 

"I'm Yanan," he said with a small smile.

 

The two men beside him knew nothing else but to shut themselves. Their eyes were staggering and Jinho was able to catch them off guard. Jinho's movements were directive, and straight to the point. His eyes spoke more than his mouth could ever do, and his arm that nudged Hui's waist was an enough indication for him to excuse himself, bringing the two youngsters.

 

After following the footsteps of the older towards the farthest corner of the room, Wooseok and Shinwon were restless. The hands that hide themselves underneath the cloth of the jeans, prevents the sweat from pooling, but their mind and chest was still racing.

 

Shinwon was trying to think ahead, and Wooseok was trying to make excuses. They were trying to do just anything to prevent this from happening.

 

"Why did you bring an unfamiliar face here?" Jinho asked out of curiosity.

 

"This is my house hyung," Wooseok remarked, in which he earned a mean gaze from the oldest.

 

"What did you just say?" Jinho repeated.

 

"I'm—"

 

"I am just asking why, I did not ask any of you to force him out, Jung Wooseok," Jinho retorted with his straight face.

 

The primary concern of the oldest isn't who Yanan is. He knew that he couldn't judge people based on their status and how they look, and he knew better than that. After running away from his hometown with Hui beside him, he learned a lot of things that he didn't know was possible to learn through a mere single person.

 

Jinho just wanted to know why—

 

"He has a story of his," Shinwon replied and held Wooseok's hand in his like they were the closest.

 

Because even if Shinwon didn't tell him that, Jinho knew for a fact that every person in this small household has something to run away from.

 

"Did he do anything to you?" Jinho's eyes now softened making the two youngsters to loosen up their tense shoulders.

 

Their shaky eyes looked for Jinho's and somehow, they felt at peace.

 

"He said I'm too kind," Shinwon said and pulled Wooseok to his side, "And he also said that Wooseok didn't need my kindness because he's too innocent for that."

 

Wooseok's head bobbed up and down. His grip on Shinwon's hand tightened and his eyes dove in deeper to Jinho's knowing ones, "I couldn't understand him hyung," Wooseok mumbled.

 

Jinho stared up at the two and observed their bodies. It's quite funny how people were so intimidated of how Wooseok stands tall, and inhales cigarette smoke, but when he's in front of Jinho, he's still the child among them all. It's also funny how Shinwon desperately wanted to push them away, but was the first one to join this journey he has with Hui, and the way his face radiates his generosity and worry about other people was the exact contrary of what he says.

 

There are people who are good with their mouth and words, and there are also people who are good with their body and actions.

 

And what's in front of Jinho was the epitome of that contradiction.

 

"Well, wasn't he right about that?" Jinho stated before reaching out both of his arms to touch their heads and mess up their hair.

 

Jinho always tell Hui that he agreed to run away with him because he had nowhere to go to. He simply just wanted to run away. He always tell Hui that he wasn't sure if this rag tag they formed would last and if any of these would last until they finally felt peace.

 

But Hui was always the first one to reassure him that some things are meant to stay.

 

And if these people truly didn't want to stay, Jinho must be able to let them go.

 

Now that Jinho was walking towards the living room where Hui and Yanan are residing and talking, Jinho realized that Hui was wiser than he is. Because now that Hui's under eye creases are forming for the second time, Jinho realized that it wasn't like the first time he saw it when they encountered each other on the subway.

 

It wasn't because of the desperation, sadness, grief and guilt.

 

It was because of his happiness.

 

"Hwitaek," Jinho exclaimed, making Yanan and Hui's head to turn around to him.

 

Hui immediately beamed up and Yanan's lips formed a slight smile.

 

"Hyung! He's funny!" Hui excitedly pointed at Yanan who still has his smile had plastered on his face.

 

Jinho didn't have enough time to deliberate whether it was a real one or not, because what matters right now is that the person he looks up to, who's wiser than who he was, who's never afraid to reach out and give people the hope they've been reaching for, was happier than all the days they've spent with each other.

 

"For sure he is," Jinho said with a smile and sat on the seat that Hui was patting.

 

Please stay with us, Hwitaek-ah. Jinho whispered to himself before introducing himself to Yanan.