I wake up, and willingly apparently because I beat my alarm by 30 minutes. I guess I might as well check my phone… Oh crap I ignored Changjo last night!

“Hyung, I just wanted to say sorry for snapping at you this morning, my dad’s just something I’d rather not talk about”

 

“Goodnight hyung...”

And he sent me another one 2 minutes ago. So that’s why I got up…

"Good morning hyunggie~~"

 

Wow, he’s too cute. I reply.

"Wa~ You’re so handsome keke Good morning! ^.^"

I don’t even have a chance to get out of bed before he responds.

“Heh thanks… Can you send me one of you?”

 

“I don’t know Changjo, I’m not the best looking in the morning.”

 

“Please yeobo? :3”

 

“Okay fine but give me a minute I’m eating breakfast keke”

I’m not but I need a chance to get ready for him.

“*sighs* okay…”

He played the yeobo card, freaking cheater. I hurry up and get in the shower, get out, and rush to put on clothes. I put some hair gel in my hair and think I am ready, but of course my luck I have a breakout on my cheek. I’m patting on some bb cream when Sulli walks in.

 

“Oppa wake u- Oh you already are!” Her voice is quite horse from the strain she's put on it lately.

 

“Yeah, I even beat my alarm.”

 

She chuckles, “I think that’s a first for you.”

 

“Probably.”

 

“Why are you getting ready so early?”

 

I glance at her through my mirror and realize she’s still in her pajamas. “I uh… don’t know. I just woke up and felt like getting ready.”

 

“Yeah but you hardly ever wear the bb cream I got you for your birthday. Why now?”

 

“I just felt like it, and I have a big zit on my cheek.”

 

“...or you’re trying to keep up your looks for someone” she snickers but her demeanor quickly changes and she glares at me. “Or should I say some people.”

 

“Can we just not talk about that now?”

 

“I’ll quit bringing it up when you tell Sohyun.”

 

“I need to tell her on my own terms Sulli.”

 

“But the sooner the better, right? I don’t think she would want to spend a big part of her life with a cheater.” I hear her mumble under her breath, “and a gay one at that.”

 

“Oh my god Sulli just shut up, okay? You should be worrying about yourself right now, not me.”

 

“Whatever.” She sighs and sits on my bed, watching me closely.

 

“Holy crap, maybe I should use this stuff more often!”

 

“You should, you look like you could be an idol.” She pauses before saying, “Oh, your parents left already, they went to pick up my brother and sister from the airport.”

 

“Sooyoung noona and Minho hyung? God, I haven’t seen them in forever.”

 

“I know, right? Well I’m gonna go get ready too.”

 

She leaves my room and I shut the door behind her, almost pushing her out. I try to take a selca for Changjo but it takes about 16 tries before I finally get one that I think is good enough. Well it’s not, my clothes are a little messed up, but I can’t handle looking at myself for much longer. I send the picture to Changjo.

 

“Here you go…”

 

I head downstairs and get a bowl of cereal and start eating when he replies

 

“Omo, hyung you’re so beautiful! heehee i love your serious face.”

 

“keke thanks, I think I tried too hard, though.”

 

“No, you’re perfect, hyung!”

 

“Quit making my head big and get ready, the bus leaves in 20.”

 

“Okay, mom.”

 

“Ah! Jerk!”

 

“hehe”

 

I sit for awhile and finish my cereal and put my bowl in the sink. It’s almost time to leave and Sulli comes downstairs.

 

“Sulli, why are you getting ready? You shouldn’t worry about school yet.”

“I’m not going to school, I’m going to my dad’s funeral. That’s why oppa and unnie are coming in today.”

 

“Oh, well good luck then,” I say as I walk out the door.

 

“Thanks, I’m gonna need it.”

 

She shuts the door and I walk to the bus stop. I wish it was closer to the house, and that it wasn’t a city bus so it didn’t have to leave so early. Every time I take it I’m one of the first people at school. As I walk I start to think about Sulli. She must be taking everything so hard. I mean it’s all happening at once. And she’s so confusing. One minute she hates me, at the next minute she’s almost normal.

 

“Oh why is she so confusing?” I say aloud.

 

“Who?” someone behind me pipes up.

 

I whip around to see someone with a puzzled expression. “Changjo! H-hey.” I stutter, breaking a smile.

 

He chuckles, “Hi yeobo, but who’s confusing?”

 

“Sulli,” I say as we reach the bus stop and sit down. “She’s just… I don’t even know.”

 

“She always was like that, even when we were kids.”

 

“Well, I hope she stops soon because she’s giving me a headache.”

 

“Just let her go for a while, she’ll cool off.”

 

“I hope you’re right.”

 

The bus pulls up and we walk in and find an empty seat in the back.

 

“You know she found out, right?

 

“What? Hyung, what did she say?” He says absolutely baffled.

 

“She’s mad. Really mad.”

 

“I’m so sorry, I messed everything up, didn’t I?”

 

“No, it wasn’t anything you did, I wanted you to. I was just being greedy.”

“Do you think she’ll tell-”

 

“Sohyun? No, she wouldn’t want Sohyun to get mad at her. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Sulli it’s that her image and her relationships with people mean everything.”

 

“Yeah, her brother and sister are like that too.”

 

“Are they?” I ask. “I never spent much time with them.”

 

“I don’t know they’re just all really proud. It gets old.”

 

There is a pause and I start thinking about Monday again.

 

“Changjo, can you stick around me a little bit today?”

 

“Why?”

 

“Minsoo, he uh...  h-he… he might be a little mad at me.”

 

“Why? What happened.”

 

“Well, we kinda got in a fight on Monday. And I got away from him.”

 

“Bad idea, Minsoo hyung always takes care of his unfinished business.”

 

“Oh god I hope he forgo- Hyung?!?” I raise my voice and continue, “Did you say ‘Minsoo Hyung?’”

 

Changjo smirks, “Yeah.”

 

“Changjo, Minsoo is not a nice guy, why would you be friends with him!?”

 

“We’re not friends, he’s my brother.”

 

“... huh?”

 

“It’s a long story.”

 

“No, tell me. If you want…”

 

“Let’s just say my dad got around.”

 

“Ah… I see. Then sorry for saying that about your brother.”

 

He giggles, “No, it’s okay. Hyung and I are pretty close, but I know he’s a jerk.”

 

“...So you’ll protect me?”

 

“Yes, I’ll protect you,” He assures me. “I can’t just tell Minsoo to leave you alone though…”

 

“Why not?”

 

“Because if he leaves you alone then you might need me less,” Changjo says sheepishly.

 

“Aw, yeobo. I’m not sure I could ever not need you.”

 

“Promise?” He asks with a cute, worried expression on his face.

 

“Promise.”

 

We sit for the next ten or so minutes talking about pointless stuff that we find hilarious and then the bus arrives a few blocks aways from the school. We get off and start our walk. We walk for a bit before I hear light footsteps fluttering behind us.

 

“Ricky!”

 

Sohyun comes up from behind us and gives me a big hug. Changjo has a strange expression on his face but I can’t tell what it is.

 

“Noona, I missed you!” I say, a little shocked.

 

“I missed you too yeobo, I didn’t see you guys at all yesterday. I got worried.”

 

“We didn’t mean to make you worried,” Changjo pipes up. “We were just helping Sulli.”

 

Sohyun pulls away from me, she must be embarrassed that she practically forgot Changjo was there. “Oh... why didn’t she ask me to help?”

 

“I don’t think she wanted to bother you, noona.” Changjo answers, choosing his words carefully.

 

“Yeah, we do live right next to each other.” I say.

 

“Well next time tell her that it isn’t a bother, okay?”

 

“Okay.”

 

“Okay.”

The three of us walk for a little bit longer until we reach the school. We split up and go to our lockers and I’m grabbing my things when I hear heavy footsteps behind me.

 

“Minsoo.” Man, why couldn’t Changjo’s locker be next to mine?

 

He turns me around and asks, “Why weren’t you in school yesterday? Too scared to face me?”

 

I wish I’d have as much courage now as I did then. “N-no I was helping Sulli.”

 

“Yeah I heard her parents died. She must be really hurt and distressed right now. Can I get her number?”

 

“Hyung, leave Ricky alone, he didn’t do anything to you.” Oh, Changjo, thank God.

 

“I wasn’t going to do anything, I just wanted his friends number.” He turns around to face Changjo.

 

“Sulli? You don’t need her number.”

 

“Oh yeah, she was your girlfriend once, wasn’t she?”

 

Changjo shoots me a shy glance. “Yeah, but that’s not why. She’s not doing too well right now, and it’s not like she ever liked you before.”

 

“That’s why right now is my perfect chance! C’mon Changjo, let me have this.”

 

“Whatever.” Changjo huffs with a smirk as he walks into his class.

 

“Ah that idiot, when will he ever learn about love?”

 

Oh trust me, he knows a lot about it. “Can I go now?”

 

“No, I want Sulli’s number!”

 

“I’ll give it to you after school, we’re gonna be late for class!” I pipe up.

 

“Late? C’mon you runt.” He grabs me by the collar of my shirt and shoves me into a utility closet. He shuts the door quickly and turns around to face me. It’s so dark I can barely see anything.

 

“What are you doing?” I say rather loudly.

 

“Shut up!” He covers my mouth and says, “You wanna have fun today?”

 

I rip his hand away and ask, “Fun? What do you mean?”

 

“What I mean you little wimp is we are going to cut school for the day and you are going to be my sidekick.”

 

“But I missed yesterday too.”

 

“So text Soohun-”

 

“Hyun. Sohyun,” I correct.

 

“Whatever, text her and say you’re helping Sulli or something. And then text Sulli and say ‘Hey cover for me with Sohyun and btw Minsoo wants your number.’”

 

Well, at least he has a plan, maybe he really isn’t that dumb. I do what he says, against my better judgement, but I leave out the part about his number. I hope Sulli doesn’t get too pissed at me again. “There I did it, what now?”

 

“We wait for another 15 or so minutes until the halls clear out. Then, we leave.” He says with a grin, seemingly proud of his plan. But, why isn’t he beating me up right now? I guess I’m his only link to Sulli… What an idiot.

 

We wait for what feels a lot longer than fifteen minutes before I finally ask, “Aren’t we good yet?”

 

“I think so, but I thought I heard someone walking a few minutes ago.” Minsoo says while he has his right ear pressed against the door.

 

“Let’s just go,” I whine.

 

“Shut up shrimp, I’m going, just be quick and quiet.”

 

We exit the utility closet and I wish we wouldn’t have. The person Minsoo heard was the principal and he is walking down the hall not facing us... Yet. As he starts to turn Minsoo drags me into the girls’ bathroom across the hall. I get the picture and we both hide in separate stalls.

 

As the principals footsteps come closer I hear minsoo whisper, “Stand on the toilet so he won’t see your feet.”

 

I comply but I can’t shake the feeling that Minsoo could be more clever than me. I mean, for the longest time I acted like an airhead but I’m not afraid of being seen kind of seriously now. So I am a little irked by Minsoo treating me like his school project.

 

“Alright, he’s gone.” Minsoo says and we leave the bathroom.

We hurry and get outside and off of school property, almost getting caught by a teacher’s aide.

 

“Thank God she didn’t see us.”

 

“Minsoo, what are we even doing?” I ask, ignoring his last statement. “Why, out of all the people in school, do you want me to skip with? Shouldn’t you be kicking my right now?”

 

“I should be, but I won’t. Any friend of my little brother’s is a friend of mine.”

 

“He told you we were friends?”

 

“Oh yeah he told me all about you. It’s like you’re replacing me as his brother. It’s kinda funny.”

 

“Okay, but still. What are we doing?”

 

“Well I have a few friends that I want to meet up with.”

 

“Can’t I just go do something else, then?”

 

“I can’t have the teacher’s pet going back to school and ratting on me, now can I?”

 

“What!? I am not a teacher’s pet!”

 

“Ricky, yes you are. You know you are. Don’t even try to- No you are.”

 

Well I am, but- “Hey you brought me with you, if you didn’t want me knowing you shouldn’t have talked to me today.”

 

“Just shut up and get a move on, please?” He says as he starts walking down the street faster.

 

“Fine.”

 

We walk for a few minutes before Minsoo begins again. “What are you wearing?”

 

“What do you mean? Clothes.”

 

“No you’re wearing a blazer. What the hell is that?”

 

“I don’t know, it was what I had…”

 

“Well If I consider myself anything close to a flower boy for some of the things I wear, then you’re just a freaking flower.” He laughs.

 

“Trust me. You’re nothing close to a flower boy. They are usually kind, unlike you”

 

“Is that anyway to talk to your Seonbae?”

 

“No. Sorry. Can we just drop my clothes?”

 

“No. Not until we get them changed. We’re almost to Changjo’s, I’ll let you borrow some of his stuff.”

 

“If we’re going to Changjo’s why can’t I go to my house?”

 

“Because I don’t think that you have any clothes that look half decent.”

 

“Fine, but how are you gonna get in?”

 

“He is my brother, I have a key. I’m spend a lot of time here.”

 

“Oh. I didn’t know you were so close…”

 

There is a short pause before hyung- I mean, Minsoo asks, “Has he ever told you about our dad?”

 

“No, and he gets mad whenever it comes up.”

 

“It was hard for him. Dad was hard for him- For us. He ruined our lives.”

 

“Why? What did he do?”

 

“I’m not sure I should say anything else until Changjo’s ready to tell you. If you’re as good a friend as he says, then he’ll tell you soon enough.”

 

“Why can’t you tell me?”

 

“Because it’s not really something I should be able to tell. Changjo has lost a lot of friends from telling them. In fact, the only one that knows that is still his friend is Sulli.”

 

“But what could be so bad that you can’t tell me?” I continue to question.

 

“Just drop it, we’re here.”

 

He unlocks Changjo’s front door and tells me to stay by the door. He runs upstairs and comes back down about five minutes later with one of Changjo’s outfits.

 

“Here, go put these on.” He motions his hand towards a bathroom.

 

I go into the bathroom and inspect the outfit. Dark blue knee-length jeans. Well, knee length on me, they’re probably a lot shorter on Changjo. I’ve also been given a dark grey V-neck shirt and a white jacket. I put the shirt and jeans on and as I put the jacket on I get a whiff of something familiar. It’s a comforting scent. Changjo. I break a smile and leave the bathroom.

 

“It took you long enough!”

 

“Sorry, Minsoo.”

 

“You ready?”

 

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

 

We leave Changjo’s and head down the street in the same direction, away from the school. Which is miles away by now.

 

“We’ve been walking for almost an hour…” I whine.

 

“You had a break at Changjo’s. It’s only a little farther.”

 

“Fine. What friends are we gonna see?”

 

“You wouldn’t know them.”

 

“Can’t I know their names?” I bite smartly.

 

“Chunji and Byunghun.”

 

---

A/N: I'm so excited to be writing again! I hope you all liked the fixes I made to my previous chapters, if you read them before I suggest reading them again! I really love where this fic was going, I have almost all of it planned out now! Not written, just planned. But I'm still not sure what the will be... You guys can comment and tell me where you want the story to go! I want to make you guys happy! :D