"I was born and raised in Korea, but when I was 13 my dad got a job in Hiroshima, Japan as a history instructor at one of the universities. So we had to move there. I loved my dad, so I didn't have a problem with it. I mean, I was sad to leave all my friends, but my dad was the world to me, so of course I was happy to be able to move with him. Things went really smoothly for the first 3 years we were there. I had made new friends and I had picked up the language well, my dad was making good money, and we were all happy.
Then, one day while I was at school, I got a call from the hospital saying that my dad had just had a heart-attack and that he didn't look good." JunHyung tensed then, and grabbed your hand.

"One of his close friends came and took me to see him. I rushed into his room in tears and grabbed his hand, begging him to stay with me. But... Just because you want something so badly, doesn't mean you get it, right? I sat there and watched as his heart monitor stopped and he left me for good..." At this point, you had tears rolling down your face and JunHyung gathered you into his arms. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I had no idea..." "I'm ok now... Time heals all wounds, right? It just still hurts a bit when I talk about it." He nodded, understanding. "Do you wanna hear the rest?" you asked him after you had stopped the worst of your tears. "If you're ok with that," he responded. So you continued.

"So I was 16 when my dad died... In fact, my birthday had been the night before. Great present, huh? Anyway, I went home that night after being told I should get some rest, to find my mom passed out on the floor with alcohol bottles everywhere. Being the person I am, I freaked out and called an ambulence. They came and took her away and I was left in my house all alone for the night. I didn't bother going to school the next day, so I spent most of my time at the hospital with my mother. Apparently she had almost drunk herself to death out of depression and after she woke up, she would be taken to a rehabilitation center. I was just glad I still had her and that, soon enough, she would return home.
"During the time she was in rehab, I stayed with my friend Risa and her family. I was expecting a call from the rehabilitation center in a few days to tell me that my mom was ready to come home. Naturally, when that day came, and I saw that they were calling, I was very happy. I answered the phone with a big smile on my face only to be disappointed again. My mother wouldn't be coming home. Ever. They had to send her to a mental hospital after she tried to kill herself... They said it was because of all the pain and shock that she had to go through after my dad died. What hurt me the most was the fact that she didn't even think about me or what I had to go through now that both my mom AND my dad were gone. It made me so mad at her because she had no idea. At that moment, I hated her and I wanted to be the one who had been lying on that hospital bed dying. Not my dad..." you felt the tears welling up in your eyes. "I still hate her for doing that to me. I can't forgive her and I can't forgive myself either for not being a better daughter and being able to save her!" you sobbed.

Reliving those memories, you just wanted to scream, but instead of attracting attention to yourself, you threw your arms around JunHyung, buried your head in his chest and let out all your frustration. You didn't realize how hard you were holding him until he went to remove your arms so he could look at you. "I'm sorry..." you apologized. "Don't be," JunHyung reassured. "I can usually keep most of this in when I tell somebody... But it's different with you. It's like I can just let everything go, with no worries." He didn't say anything. He only grabbed your hand tighter and smiled a bit before pulling you up off the bench. "Well, what do you say I finish walking you home? I think we've had enough excitement for today," he offered. You nodded and started walking.

As you were walking though, you realized that you had never actually gotten to the point of why you lived alone, so you looked up at JunHyung and said, "So, I never really finished... The whole reason why I live alone is because after both my parents left me, I had nowhere to go. I could have stayed in Japan, but I thought that moving away from there might dull my pain a bit. I called one of my relatives in Korea and she agreed to pay for my plane ticket. However, once I arrived, I came to the realization that I didn't especially know a lot of my family very well. And I suppose none of them wanted to have to worry about me because they had all pitched in and gotten me my own apartment to live in. It was saddening at first; the thought of having to live alone at 16 and the feeling of abandonment by your own family. It got better though as time went on, and I learned to deal with it to the point where I hardly even realize I'm alone anymore. So... that's it then," you said, looking at JunHyung's face. He was silent. "I don't understand why they wouldn't want to care for such an amazing girl like you," he said, finally. "Well, my family has never been very warm and caring," you said. "But it's ok, I turned out fine, right?" "Do you even have to ask?" JunHyung smiled.

You arrived at your apartment and JunHyung was just getting ready to leave when you turned back to him. I don't want him to leave yet... "Umm... Do you wanna come inside?" you asked him. He smiled and nodded, so you grabbed his hand and led him inside. You all the lights and headed to the kitchen to get some water. He followed you and just stood there at first, but as you were filling the glasses, he came up behind you, wrapped his arms around your waist, and rested his chin on your shoulder. You smiled and then kissed the side of his face. I could stay like this forever...

After you were done in the kitchen, you led him to the front room and sat on the couch. "So what's your family like?" you asked, laying your head in JunHyung's lap. He seemed to hesitate a little, but then went on. "Well, when I was in 3^rd grade, both of my parents kind of just... left. They never said anything and if something happened between them, I was too young to understand. So the day they left, I was just sitting there playing with some of the new toys I had gotten for my birthday a couple weeks back, not having any idea that my parents weren't coming back. Then someone knocked on the door, so I answered it and saw my mom's friend, Woo SaRi, and her son, JiHo (Zico), standing on the doorstep. They came over all the time, so I didn't think anything of it and just let them in. Apparently my mother had left a note in the kitchen telling her that they wouldn't be coming back and to take care of me. So SaRi took me upstairs and told me to gather everything I needed because I was going to be staying with them for a little while. I did as she told me to and then we left.
"After the first couple weeks, I started asking when I could go home again and she would just tell me 'soon.' It was after about 6 months of this that I think I finally realized that my parents weren't coming back. At first, I was extremely upset and wondered why my parents would do that to me, but as time passed and I started to feel like SaRi and Zico were family, I felt better. They were always really kind to me and SaRi treated me like another son, so I was grateful for that. I also became really good friends with Zico, to the point where we just started calling eachother 'hyung' and 'dongsaeng.' So, I spent more than half my life living with them until I was old enough to move out. SaRi had done enough for me and I didn't want her to have to worry about me anymore. When I told her this, she was a bit sad at losing a son, but understood my thinking. However, Zico, being the kind of person he is, insisted that he come live with me. SaRi and I tried everything we could to make him stay at home, but he wouldn't budge, so in the end he ended up coming to live with me. As a result, we spend loads of time at his mom's house so that she doesn't get lonely. Sometimes I still wonder though if it was because of something I did that made my parents leave..."

The entire time he had been telling this to you, his hands had been running through your hair, making you slightly drowzy. You couldn't help but yawn as you told him, "I don't think so. Sometimes there are things that are just better left without an explanation." Then, "I know this is kind of beside the point... But I was just thinking... And I've only really known you for 2 days, yet I trust you enough to tell you pretty much everything about me. I knew GyuRi for a whole year before I told her all that stuff. I just feel like you're so different... In a good way, of course," you yawned again. Then you got a wondering look on your face. "Maybe it's because I...I... really..." but you didn't ever get a chance to finish your thought before you fell asleep, your head still in JunHyung's lap, leaving JunHyung curious as to what you had been about to say.

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~This is my longest chapter yet! I really didn't plan on writing this much, but there was just so much to write about and I couldn't stop!! Haha I hope it didn't get boring ^_^' Thanks for the comments, they're greatly appreciated! ^o^ Don't be silent readers! ^^ ♥