❝The Path To Our Dreams❞

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4:00 pm 

"You left the corner, Jinsoo." 

Yoojung said, pointing at the corner of the window of the classroom while wiping the other window beside it, to look at Jinsoo who was wiping the corner with a lazy movement, as if too tired to even move his body and a groan left his lips like a tired whine. "I'm done!" 

Yoojung's movements halted as she gave him a look with a scoff. "Yah, you barely moved for a minute." 

"So, I can still get tired," Jinsoo gave her a look back, before looking over shoulder to see the four other classmates of theirs doing their tasks where two of them were their friends, as Sehun was wiping the board as being the taller one, while Hamin and Eunmi were cleaning the desk and chairs while Inha was seated on one of the chairs, waiting for them to finish so she could begin to mop the floor yet her face spoke weakness, making Jinsoo sigh. "I'll get something to drink for us." 

"You still haven't cleaned-" 

Yoojung's words were cut off by him throwing the rag cloth toward her as she caught it, almost dropping it off to glare at him as he left the classroom. 

"Where did he go?" Sehun questioned, placing the duster back in the drawer of the teacher's desk with a clueless Inha staring at Yoojung while holding the stick of the mop along with the other two classmates and Yoojung continued to clean the window. "He went to get something for us to drink." 

Sehun let out a chuckle. "He bailed out, didn't he?" 

"Isn't he way too easy to read?" Yoojung glanced at Inha and Sehun with a worried face for Jinsoo. "What if he gets scammed for being a ?" 

Inha couldn't help but shake her head at her worry. "That went too extreme, Yoojung." 

"Right? I'm overreacting." 

Sehun shook his head, an incredulous glint in his head. "You two really are his friends." 

Inha and Yoojung chuckled together, while Hamin and Eunmi stared at the trio with a baffled yet surprised look at how close they have gotten in just a short period of time, and how comfortable they looked together right now as though, they haven't interacted with Sehun much but knowing about the rumors, they had stayed away from him but seeing the sight right now, a thought of them might be wrong about him had crossed their minds with a sudden guilt behind. 

"Here I am~" 

The door slid open, a happy Jinsoo walking in with his hands filled with a shopper, which had some snacks in it along with some soft drinks where he shot a confused look at Hamin and Eunmi who were getting ready to go. "You both are done already?" 

"Yeah, we didn't bail out." Hamin chuckled at him and Jinsoo pouted. "What do you mean bail? I went to buy these for us while we work." 

"Sure, thanks!" Eunmi smiled, walking up to him with Hamin behind as Jinsoo handed them both a bottle of water with them bidding bye to them as they left the classroom leaving the four of them alone with Sehun motioning him to walk in. "You still have to clean the window." 

Jinsoo stared at him with his squinted eyes. "Little punk." 

A bit surprising for them, but Sehun had told them everything in the infirmary room, the room which held the memory of their deep conversation, a conversation which had deepened their bond a little more than it was. The words of his insecurity toward them had given the idea of how troublesome it would have been for him to have these thoughts for him to even feel like questioning himself for the friendship they were mending together. 

And a bit astonishing for Sehun as well, as the moment he had opened his heart to them, and telling them about his not so well friendship with the wrong people in the past had hurt him much enough to feel untrustworthy and insecure about himself but the moment they had welcomed his open hearted words like open arms of an warmth embrace, that they would always believe him instead of looking over at any groundless thing out there, and that their approach toward him was genuine as well to not to feel insecure about. 

And the room was left with just the laughter of how cringe the atmosphere was, and how Inha's bandage was perfectly neat, or how Yoojung's scolding had begun to them for the bullies who go around without any fear, with Jinsoo and Sehun's nod at her along with their mouths munching the snacks he bought for them. 

But, however it was, the room had filled the treasure of their longing memories there. 

"Give it to me." 

Jinsoo got a hold of the mop which had Inha's hand wrapped around, and the latter frowned. "Why? I'm going to mop it." 

"Leave it, I'll do it," Jinsoo snatched it from her with a gentle tug before handing her the apple juice. "You drink this, and get energized, goofball." 

Inha pouted, but gave in as she indeed was feeling unwell at the moment, even after having a rest a few hours ago, before tucking the straw between her lips while watching Sehun and Jinsoo mopping the floor with Yoojung instructing them as she stood by them with her hands on each side of her waist like a strict teacher and the thought had Inha chuckle loudly enough. 

Yoojung rolled her eyes with a huff, as the two males in front of her were doing anything but cleaning as Sehun and Jinsoo kept having a race from back to forth throughout the whole classroom until their mop had collided ending them in a fit of laughter. 

"Yah, we have to go home too, so be quick!" 

Both of them stopped the moment they found Yoojung glaring at them and began to do cleaning diligently where after a few minutes, they were done as the three of them sat on the chair, close enough to face each other with Jinsoo opening the water bottle for Sehun since his hand was injured, and the action of his had made Sehun smile lightly. 

"Can I ask you something?" He questioned, his eyes stopping at Inha who tilted her head with a confused look. "Hm?" 

"Did you join the swimming club because Minho sir asked you to persuade me?" He inquired, taking a quick sip of his water with a nonchalant expression, but Inha wasn't, as she stared at him wide eyed, a wave of nervousness rushing through her as she gulped. "Why do you think that?" 

He shrugged. "You're really obvious." 

"You can tell?" Her forehead creased, a surprised expression taking over her and Sehun nodded. "I can, and I think you have gotten your answer from me that I don't want to join." 

"But why?" Jinsoo asked, looking at him with curiosity and Sehun sighed. "Swimming is my hobby and I don't want something that I enjoy or find peaceful to end up with stress so that later I have no option but to hate it." 

"How are you so sure?" Yoojung questioned, tucking her strands of hair behind her ear with a serious expression, "You never know what something holds for us, and what if this hobby of yours would turn out to be the best thing for you? You told me that you don't have any dream or aim of something you want to do in the future so what if this is the thing you want but are not seeing it?"

Sehun stared at her with a blank look to nod. "And how can you tell that this is the thing we want?" 

"Look at me," Jinsoo uttered, as Sehun met his eyes which slightly lightened up as he began to speak. "I'm really interested in fashion, and accessories, and clothes," He trailed off, with a chuckle. "And believe me, I also didn't know what I want to do in the future, I even had these thoughts about Hyung who found his passion in swimming but how? And when I asked him he just said that he loves it, it interests him so he went for it," He paused, a smile gracing his lips. "And I found my interest in inventing my own fashion brand, so I'm going to go for it because that's my dream." 

Inha had a smile on her face as she heard Jinsoo's words, his way of dreaming was similar to hers until she heard him talking about her as she met Jinsoo's eyes. "Inha's dream is to be a surgeon like her mother." 

Sehun stared at her hesitantly. "Mind if I ask but I don't know what your father does?" 

Inha chuckled. "He runs a restaurant," She paused, as Sehun nodded until he heard her again. "He's a retired boxer, and I've already mastered it with Jinsoo and Yoojung since we were ten," She stopped, a chuckle left the trio's lips to find Sehun's rounded eyes toward them. "Seriously?" 

"Yeah," Inha nodded, a smile on her lips, and Sehun found himself curious about her as he stared at her with a curious gaze. "So how did your parents meet, like your mother is a doctor, right?" 

"Yup, dad had gotten injured in one of his fights and mom happened to be in the area so she treated him," Inha started, a wave of warmth through her chest as she told him about their journey. "And mom kind of started to like dad so she began to visit him and dad also liked her company so both of them dated but mom didn't like how dad kept getting injured during fights since it was a life threatening thing to do so for mom, dad left his boxing." 

"But I still don't know what he did after that?" Yoojung questioned, and Jinsoo grinned. "He roamed around aunt like a Romeo until they got married." 

Inha threw the empty packet of juice on Jinsoo's face. "You little !" 

He laughed. "I'm just kidding!"

"So won't your dad feel upset about it?" Sehun asked again, and Inha shook her head with a smile. "No, he's more proud of me for not getting into a dangerous field since he actually noticed me liking boxing so he supports me." 

"I get it, that you're confused, and worried about your only interest being a stress later but," She trailed off, her eyes lightening up. "I actually watched you swimming once, and I saw how happy and peaceful you seemed that time, and I'm really not asking you to make it your aim but you can just join in, and try it out and who knows? You can actually find your dream or not but there's no obligation to do it, you can stop it if you want." She added, with a deep breath. "The decision, and the dream is all yours to own and yours to have, however you want it to." 

Sehun heard it all, much attentively as her words went through right there, somewhere it hit hard enough for him to jolt up with a sudden determination as he nodded. "Okay, thanks." 

"He's thanking you, Inha." 

"Right? I found it weird." 

"Please, I'm hearing it for the second time but I'm still getting goosebumps." Inha shuddered, a fake one but it was enough for them to laugh as Sehun rolled his eyes. "Shut up." 

_____________

4:43 pm

The sun was still shining its sunlight throughout the road, the school gate got closed behind the moment four of them walked past it, not before bowing to the security guard who smiled with a warm beam toward them, behind Jinsoo's excited giggle as he walked beside Sehun who had his bike beside him with a firm hold on its handles while dragging it alongside him. 

Inha had Yoojung had their arms linked together as they walked together alongside the males with the four of them engrossed in a conversation of where Sehun was going to teach Jinsoo to ride the bike which he declared to go to his home as there was a huge ground located just by his place. 

Agreeing to his declaration, Sehun was quick to hop in while wearing his helmet, and passed another one to Jinsoo as he settled behind him to place his hands on his shoulder but Sehun didn't started the bike as he turned to the two females who were watching the sight with a blank stare. 

"Would you two be okay if we leave first?" He asked, his eyes averted to Yoojung then to Inha and it stopped right there, and a look was exchanged between them before Inha met Yoojung's carefree gaze to meet his questionable gaze again. "Yeah, sure. The stop is just down the street anyway." 

"Buddy, they'll be fine even if you leave ten gangsters around them." Jinsoo patted Sehun's shoulder, earning a shake of his head with a slap from Yoojung on his arm as he chuckled. "Kidding." 

"Sure, you were," She scoffed, before gesturing to Sehun. "Go ahead, we'll be okay and be careful." 

"Yah," Inha voiced out, towards Sehun who met her eyes confusingly only to find her pointing toward his bandaged hand on the handle. "Don't let it get wet or change it after a few hours." 

Sehun raised his bandaged while doing an Okay sign. "Got it, Ms. Doctor." 

"Shut it." 

The trio chuckled, before he started the engine and the bike zoomed off with a decent speed unlike his usual one, as if he was being considerate of the person seated behind him. 

Inha and Yoojung followed behind and as they reached the stop only to find them standing by it and a chuckle left Yoojung's lips while Inha grinned lightly to walk past them with a little wave toward them as they hopped on the bus which went off along with the bike zooming past them and a giddy Jinsoo waving to his two female friends by the window who just chuckled in return. 

Soon enough, Inha and Yoojung were walking down the street toward their neighborhood, and Inha found a familiar figure walking ahead of them as a smile graced her lips. "Dad!" 

Baek Daewon immediately looked over his shoulder upon hearing the familiar and one of his favorite voices to beam. "My daughters!" 

Yoojung smiled warmly at him along with Inha as both of them walked to him only to link their arms around him by each side and he chuckled. "How did your day go?" 

"It went well, uncle." Yoojung beamed, before looking at Inha with a pout. "But not for Inha." 

"Did it hurt badly?" He asked her and Yoojung nodded. "Yes." 

"I'm still here, everyone." Inha voiced out, and both of them chuckled, as her dad smiled at her. "How are you feeling now?" 

Inha scrunched her nose. "Better." 

"Then, are you both in for chicken soup?" 

Yoojung and Inha gasped together. "Hell yeah!" 

And Baek Daewon roared back. "Hell, let's go!" 

There they were, in the kitchen, Yoojung and Inha changed into one of Inha's casual wear with their hair tied up, along with enthusiastic Baek Daewon standing in his apron while washing the chicken in the sink and Yoojung was cutting the vegetables being washed by Inha at the moment.

Yet, something was missing. 

And the trio knew it, as the next minute, Inha had opened her phone to scroll through it until the sense of joy erupted in the whole open kitchen. 

Fantastic baby. 

Inha immediately raised her phone down her chin as she pretended to sing the first verse by a microphone. "Come together, everyone gather here, We gon' party like li-li-li, la-la-la~" 

Yoojung and Baek Daewon stood on their toes while continuing their task until Inha had sang the whole verse and pointed at Yoojung who immediately continued afterwards by turning around with the knife under chin while doing a little wave. "Don't ask for the answer, but just take it as it is, Go with the flow alright~" 

While her verse was still going on, and Inha was waving her arm in a wavy manner with a worried Baek Daewon gesturing her to stop for she wasn't feeling well but she was her daughter for a reason and the moment chorus part came, Yoojung and Inha pointed at each other with a loud yell. "Wow, Fantastic Baby!" 

And the duo began to dance like some carefree birds along the Baek Daewon who was moving his body to the beat like his daughters as their work continued with a whole enjoyment. 

Baek Ji-Hye, who entered the home after the hectic day but met a smiling Si-woo by the entrance as both of them chatted until they walked in, and stopped with a shake of her head as the sight again wasn't a surprise to her but it was for someone else who was standing behind her as she turned to him with a smile. "Don't mind them." 

Si-woo, who was standing with an amazed expression to find an amused sight in front of him, snapped out as the backpack almost fell off his shoulder but was quick to hold on to it to smile back at Ji-Hye. "Sure, Aunty." 

Ji-Hye walked towards the kitchen with a fed up expression as the trio seemed to be having too much fun to even stop, as Yoojung began to make Ji-Hye dance along with Daewon hyping her up while swirling the spoon in the pot with a smiling Inha but her smile dropped the moment she got the sight of Si-woo staring at her with much amusement. 

Her steps halted, and straightened herself as she grabbed Yoojung's arm to make her stop where the latter followed her gaze only to widen her eyes to find the familiar guy. "Oh, he's…" 

Inha hummed, whispering close to her. "Yeah, he is." 

Si-woo gave Yoojung a polite smile. "Hey, I'm Kang Si-woo." 

"Hey." Yoojung nodded back with a light smile, "I'm Yoojung, Inha's friend and her neighbor." 

A wave of silence followed between the trio, until Ji-Hye smiled at Si-woo. "Why don't you join us for dinner?" 

Si-woo blinked at her, surprised before he glanced at Baek Daewon who was giving him a serious expression to which Ji-Hye hissed at him to have him look away with a pout where Inha stood beside him with a question look to which he scrunched his nose, and Inha shook her head at her overprotective dad along with Yoojung who joined them. 

"I would've loved to, Aunty," Si-woo smiled at her sweetly yet in a guilty manner. "But I have to go back to campus as we're preparing for the upcoming festival event." 

Inha and Yoojung exchanged an amazed look with each other as there would also be a festival event in their school next month, where Ji-Hye smiled at him. "Then, maybe next time." 

"Sure," Si-woo nodded. "Then, I'll go and change." Si-woo slightly bowed at her before walking away after getting a nod from her and Ji-Hye gave her husband a stern look as he shrugged. "What did I do?" 

"How are you going to marry your daughter if you're going to give looks to every other guy around her?" She stared at him with a done look and Inha grimaced at the topic to glare at Yoojung who was holding back her laugh while Daewon rounded his eyes. "My daughter is too young to get married." 

"Right!" Inha beamed, patting his shoulder but stopped after getting a look from her mother as she gestured to Yoojung to come out which they did with their bickering began behind them and Yoojung laughed. "Wow, you're already getting married Inha." 

"Shut up." 

"So he's taking up the rooftop room?" She asked, and Inha hummed. "Yeah." 

"Well, he doesn't look like a bad person to me." 

"Okay?" 

"So you can get along with him." 

"Okay?" 

"And get-

"Shut up, Yoojung before I beat you to death!" 

And her laughter was the one echoing in the living room with a grumbling Inha following behind her. 

The time struck 9 in the evening, where the dinner was done with Yoojung joining in and currently, she was sitting on Inha's bed while scribbling through her notebook where Inha walked out of the bathroom in her hoodie shorts while her hands tapping her cheeks softly after the skincare routine of hers, something she really is fond of after listening to her mom's lecture about it. 

Walking to the bed, Inha reached out, grabbing the moisturizer from the nightstand to apply over her hands before gesturing Yoojung to held out her hands for her and Yoojung who was engrossed in her moment, had extended her hands only to feel the smoothness in her hands. 

"Yah, this smells really good." Yoojung brought her hand to her nose as she sniffed it and Inha grinned. "I know right." 

"Inha!" 

Both of them flinched, upon hearing Baek Daewon's yell from downstairs and Inha shouted back. "Coming!" 

Yoojung chuckled, shaking her head as she found her jogging outside the room yet it left her with a sigh after getting reminded of her earlier moments with her, and the family which treats her like her own which she was grateful for but deep down there was a part of her to want to feel the real love from her own parents, that she wouldn't have to feel envious about it to her own friends which made her feel pathetic enough. 

And she hated that feeling. 

Back to Inha, who descended the stairs downstairs to the living room to find her parents seated on the couch, as she stopped by it. "What happened?" 

"Did you order the cake?" Her mom asked, and Inha gasped, loudly enough to palm . "." 

"Language, bubble." Daewon frowned, though he didn't mind it as it was just a casual word for expressing an emotion but his wife beside him didn't like it so he had to act upon like a good dad and Inha scrunched her nose. "Sorry, but I'm going to order it now." 

"Look at the time," Ji-Hye sighed. "Do you think you'll get it?" 

"We have brother Minho for a reason." 

She beamed, earning a knowing look along with a smile from them as she excused herself to upstairs to the rooftop to talk which she couldn't in the room as the surprise was indeed for Yoojung who had no idea of it, and as Inha reached the rooftop, she fished out her phone from her pocket to dial Minho's number who answered after a few rings. 

"Hel-" 

"Brother, did you order the cake or not?!" Inha cut him off, and heard a scoff from him. "Respect, little lady