t e n ;

As soon as Hoya drops me off, I run out of the car without casting another look behind. Not even bothering with a simple goodbye, I continue running up the steps leading to my house.

I do feel a twinge of guilt.

I’ll just call him tomorrow, I decide.

Jabbing through the keys hastily, I try my best to hold back the tears. Knowing my parents, they would still be up – and they simply can’t know that I’m crying.

They cannot know that I’m actually tearing over Suho.

I push open the doors and sure enough, the lights are still on.

I let my long curls fall by the side, partially covering my face so that they won’t see my upset face.

“Oh, Chorong-ah,” appa calls out to me from the couch. “You’re back home...early. I thought you weren’t coming back until later.”

“Chorong, is everything okay?” eomma asks and I hear her getting up from her seat. “Did something happen between you and Hoya?”

“No, no everything’s fine,” I mumble and turn away from them. “I’m going up to wash up for a bit and then head to bed straight after that. So, uh...goodnight.”

I hurry up the stairs before they could fire me with more questions. As soon as I reach my bedroom, I close the door behind me and lean back against the wooden surface.

Only then, when I’m finally alone, do I let the tears flow.

ღ

“Suho...” I whimpered, big fat tears rolling down my chubby cheeks. “You bad, bad boy. You gave me such a scare, do you know that?”

As soon as I said that, I felt his fingers twitching from the side.

“Suho?” I jerked up instantly and started shaking his sleeping figure (even though I had been warned several times not to). “Yah! Babo! Are you up? Can you hear me?”

His fingers moved again. A second later, his pretty eyes fluttered open lightly. Turning his head to the left, I could see his mouth gaping open slightly.

“Who are you?” he feigned ignorance, despite his head looking so swollen after being bandaged up. “What are you doing in my room?”

I purposely hit him on the arm hard.

“Ow!”

“Serve you right,” I glared at him. “You look like an idiot yet you’re still attempting lame jokes. It’s not funny. You scared me to death!”

He cracked a smile.

“Does this bandage makes me look cool, Chorongie?”

“Babo, didn’t you hear me? I said you look stupid.”

He pouted. “You’re just being mean.”

“You were mean first! Scaring me like that! How did you manage to fall down from that tree Kim Joonmyun? You’re better at climbing than I am!”

“I lost my footing,” he replied meekly and reached out for my hand. “I’m sorry. Did I really frighten you so much?”

I nodded. “Please don’t do that again. What if something worst had happen? What if your condition were more serious than this? What if – “

“There, there.” He patted my hand. “I think that’s too much of ‘what ifs’ already. And besides, I’m fine now, right? Don’t worry so much, Chorongie. I know you care about me.” He smiled teasingly at me.

“Of course I do,” I mumbled. “You’re my guardian. You are the one who’s supposed to look after me, not the other way around.”

“Hmm, you’re right...” he said softly as his eyes started to close again. “...I am your guardian...”

ღ

Joonmyun climbs up the stairs to their house attic, after he was sure that his parents were already asleep. He hasn’t been up ever since they moved to their new house, and he doesn’t have any idea what the small place actually holds.

But after that particular encounter with the intriguing stranger, he somehow feels that the missing piece to the big picture can actually be found here.

And now, as he steps inside the attic, he doesn’t have any idea what exactly he is looking for.

No, he will find it.

He will make sure that he finds whatever it is that can help him find his connection to the girl.