A:N/ Sorry the intro chapters are so short, but they'll get longer as the story progresses no doubt.... Enjoy everyone!

“So how much did he explain to you, before you guys started fighting?” his mother questioned lightly, seated opposite her son at their kitchen table. She could hear the muffled sounds of power tools from the garage at the back of their yard, informing her that her irate husband wasn't around right now, and thus, wouldn't interrupt their conversation.

“All he said was that he volunteered me to help out a friend. That's where the argument began.” Chunji stated, quietly, head resting in his hands.

She reached across the table giving his arm a light squeeze to convey her sympathy. “You boys argue so much, how I wish the two of you could get along.” she sighed, knowing that such a wish was wasted. Her son and her husband had been fighting for years, ever since Chanhee became a teenager. The fights weren't likely to stop any time soon.

“We'll start getting along the moment that he stops treating me like an infant. He's been filled with resentment ever since I told you guys that I was interested in another guy. That's what's at the heart of all this, he can't stand the fact that I'm gay. He needs to stop living in the past, the world is a more open and accepting place. I shouldn't have to pretend to be something I'm not for anyone else, but because I won't do it, suddenly I'm not good enough to be his son. Suddenly I can't possibly make decisions for myself.” Chunji exclaimed, bitterly. Time and again they had gone over this, but this particularly sore point never seemed to go away; it was always lurking in the air between the two men.

“I'm sure it's not as bad as that. But you've got to understand, that people from our generation aren't used to hearing something like that from their children. Sometimes they just don't know how to deal with it.” His mother stated. She understood her son's bitterness, but at the same time she understood her husband's perspective on the whole thing. Unfortunately, the two sides would probably never see eye to eye on the matter.

“I'm glad I've still got you, mum.” Chunji stated fondly, his hand reaching across to clasp his mother's in his own, warm grip. For years now, it had felt like his mother was the only person in his family that he could rely on. His older brother didn't want to have to deal with him, having just gotten married, he had enough things going on in his own life to worry about. And then his dad.... He had his own issues about this matter. About him in general.

“Oh don't be like that. You've still got your father too, and your brother, even if it might not seem like it right now. I think your father is just disappointed that he's not going to get any grandchildren.” she commented lightly, withdrawing her hand back to her side of the table, folding them neatly in her lap.

“Please, my brother can take care of that!” Chunji chided, waving off the comment, disinterestedly. He'd never had any interest in having kids himself, but perhaps that was because he hadn't really stopped being one himself, yet. Despite all of his thoughts regarding his own maturity and independence, he was very much aware of the fact that he acted like a kid a lot of the time. He was too caught up in immature things going on in his own life, rather than practical realities, to be a real adult.

His mother flicked her hand in her younger son's direction for his attitude, scrunching up her features, to display her displeasure at his word choice. She didn't like the reminder of the fact that soon she'd be a grandmother. She thought she was still to young to be called that!

“Well, you're not going to be able to do this favour, based on what your father told you so I'll tell you what I know about the matter. From what I've been told, there's this woman. She used to be a classmate of your father's when they were in middle school, and they remained fairly close until around 10 years ago. She'd gotten married, and had a son, although you were probably a little young to remember that. They moved when he was pretty small. Well they've been living in America ever since.”

“So then what does that have to do with me?” Chunji questioned bored. His mother shushing him, “You need to know the whole story!” she chided, making Chunji roll his eyes. His mother loved to gossip with him. But gossip included far more detail than Chunji was interested in hearing. He waved his hands, in a sign of defeat, knowing that she wouldn't continue the story until after he did so.

“So anyway, there's some big fight between them. The couple get divorced, and she decides to come back home to South Korea. There was some sort of custody dispute, but in the end, Byunghyun comes back with her. But because she's been overseas for so long, she's lost contact with a lot of her old friends, and the ones she did keep in contact with, have sided with her husband, and hate her now. They blame her for the whole divorce! So when she was in need of help, she started reaching out to older friends, and contacted your father. Well he was so moved by the whole thing, that he agreed that you could help her out, which is why you're now stuck doing this favour.” she explained, excitedly. Chunji just shook his head; his mother had always loved the thrill of dramatic tales of woe in people's lives.

“And this favour would be?” Chunji queried, starting to wonder what he could possibly have to help them with, given what was going on in their lives. He certainly wasn't in any position to help the woman resettle into the country, if that's what his father wanted. But he couldn't see what else they could have been expecting him to do, in order to assist them.

“To take her son, Byunghyun to his school formal at the end of the year.” she concluded, easily.

Chunji's jaw dropped at the comment. “You've got to be kidding me!” he exclaimed, horror covering his features. All the colour drained out of his face at what he'd been signed up for. He didn't even know this kid. And his own school formal hadn't exactly been the most pleasant of experiences, why would he want to repeat that experience with a lot of awkwardness thrown in for good measure?

“Oh it's not that big a deal. Besides, he really needs it. He hasn't been here long, and from what I've heard he's been having trouble making friends at his new school. His mother just wants him to have someone else there for him on such a special night.” she said, clearly very moved by the younger boy's plight.

“But I don't even know him!” Chunji spluttered, confused. As tragic as that whole scene sounded, how would being taken to his formal by a complete stranger, who was only asked because he was the gay son of this Byunghyun's mother's friend, make any of that any better? Wouldn't that only make things worse for the other boy?

“It's not like the formal is next week, you know. Why don't you start talking to him? The two of you might become friends. That'd certainly make this favour a bit better, now wouldn't it?” his mother questioned lightly.

His mother may have made a good suggestion, but that didn't mean that he had to like it.