Hello,

How is everyone?

I hope you enjoy this chapter and will leave me a comment or subscribe or upvote or do all three?

Sophie :)

______________________________________________________

“Minwoo wha~” I slammed the from door behind me and slid to the floor; trying to catch my breath after running all the way home. Tears were already falling from my eyes whilst everything around me seemed to be closing in. The walls were pressing down on me as my parents pulled and tugged at my body; it was hell.

“Have you been drinking?” I heard my dada ask as I was pulled to my feet, his face next to mine as he tried to catch a whiff of my breath. I knew I was in trouble but I couldn’t focus anymore; everything was swimming around me.

“You are in so much trouble Kim Minwoo. God, I can’t believe you woul~” I closed my eyes and just hoped it would all be over soon. It was all too much. More tears fell as I thought over everything that had happened. I wished that I hadn’t kissed Yukwon. I wished I hadn’t fallen for him and had to get jealous over Jia. Then again, I may not have met Junhong and Youngjae.

“Tae, I don’t think this is the right time,” I heard my appa whisper before I was picked up gently. The arms felt warm and comforting as I was carried up to my room. I knew it was my appa when he placed a kiss on my forehead and tucked me in: chuckling slightly. My head burrowed into the pillows and I fell into a dreamless sleep within seconds.

____________________________________________________

“What are we going to do?” Taemin asked as he hugged his husband. It was a shock to him to see his son stagger through the door before collapsing and having a breakdown. He was shaking from the experience, wide awake at four in the morning with nothing but the haunting image in his head.

“Tae, it’s the first time he’s done this. We’ll talk to him tomorrow and see what’s up. As for punishing him for drinking, we both know how we were when we were younger. You can’t say you didn’t drink when you were his age,” Jongin reassured Taemin whilst his head: not missing the eye roll and pout his husband expressed during his speech.

“I know but, he’s ... he’s my baby,” Taemin choked out as tears began to fill his eyes.

“Maybe I should have talked to him earlier. An overwhelming rush of guilt flushed through said male as a tear trickled down his cheek. He might have been able to stop this. Why didn’t he notice anything? Was he failing as a parent?

“Like I said, we’ll speak to him tomorrow. Now sleep babe, love you,” Jongin commanded and placed a kiss on his lovers lips. Taemin just smiled, returned the gesture before settling down for a sleepless few hours.

____________________________________________________

The light burned. Everything ached and a pulse thundered through my head as I sat up. A wave of nausea rippled through my body as I turned my head to the side and read the time on the clock – 09:27. Swallowing, only to find I had an extremely dry throat, I tried to sit up. My vision swam as my body became accustomed to my vertical state before I heaved and stood from the bed. Suddenly, an overwhelming feeling of being sick rose in me and I dashed to the bathroom, just making it in time. The contents of my stomach burned on the way up as the vile splashed in my messy and greasy hair.

“Argh,” a groan left my lips. I jumped when a hand came into contact with my shoulder. Turning around, I realised it was my dad. He looked tied, as though he hadn’t slept yet he still had a small smile on his face. A cold flannel was pressed against my forehead and two pills alongside a glass of water placed on the floor.

“Dada?” I croaked out; my voice not working.

“It’s ok baby. Take the medicine when you think you can stomach it, they’ll work wonders.” I nodded before sipping the water and throwing the pills back and launching them into my empty stomach. I wretched a little, becoming sweaty and shaking as I lay back against the bath tub and took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered; wanting to cry suddenly.

“Shhh, let’s get you back to bed,” Dada said before helping to the room. I fell asleep again with hands running through my hair and a kiss on my cheek.

_________________________________________________

“Minwoo-ah, time to get up,” I rolled over, feeling a little more perky then before, to see my Appa standing with a towel and clothes in his hand. I sat up, looking around me before standing and taking the bits. “Go shower, dinner is nearly ready.” I nodded before trekking through and into the shower.

The water was warm and relaxing. I loved the feeling of the water as it pounded against my shoulders and ran over my form. I stayed there, motionless, for a while before reaching for my strawberry shampoo. It may have been a female brand but I liked the smell and it did wonders for my hair. The headache from earlier was just a dull ache now and the nausea seemed to have disappeared; only hunger left now. I rinsed and dried myself quickly as the smell of food wafted through the partially open door before hurrying down to the kitchen were Dada was cooking and Appa was talking with Auntie Key and Uncle Jonghyun.

“And he finally emerges,” my Appa smiled as he pulled me into a hug. I hummed a little and took a seat, eyeing the rice and other dishes that covered the table.

“How are you feeling sweetie?” Key asked with a concerned look.

“Better,” I smiled a little as I took a sip of my drink. My stomach churned and gurgled from being empty causing everyone else to laugh as I blushed.

“Hungry I see,” Jonghyun commented before pulling a large parcel up from by his seat. I looked at him quizzically as he passed the package to me over the table.

“Open it.” Nodding, I ripped the paper off of it, revealing a cardboard box. Tearing the tape with my fingers, I popped the end off and looked in, only to nearly let out a squeal.

“Thank you so much,” I said in awe as I pulled a pristine white and neon green skateboard from the package. It was what I had been wanting for a while: ever since Junhong had bought his into school one lunch and we had played with it.

“Your Dada was talking about how you’d been on about getting one,” Key smiled as I went round to the other side of the table and gave him a hug; Jonghyun a bro-fist which he kept missing on purpose.

“Come on let’s eat.”

___________________________________________________

It was around half-way through the meal that the doorbell rang. All of us that table stopped eating, some in the middle of munching whilst others were lifting a spoonful of food to their mouths. I was the first one to slid my chair along the floor and stand, hurrying through the hallway and opening the latch. The other side revealed a worried looking Junhong standing with his skate-board.

“Hyung!” I shouted and lunged forwards; pulling me into a hug. I hugged him back, standing back with questions.

“Hi, what brings you here?” I asked as I looked back into the house half expecting to see my Dada appear.

“I came to see if you were ok after yesterday. Leo-shi said you just ran,” Junhong said with a frown. I swallowed guiltily before moving to the side and beckoning him inside.

“Come in and we’ll talk.”

“My Appa is just coming, he had to park the car around the corner,” Junhong explained as he shook his shoes off his feet. I nodded, leaving the door a-jar slightly and showing Junhong the way through to where everyone else was. As soon as we walked through the door, everyone looked at me with puzzled eyes.

“Everyone this is my friend Junhong,” Junhong greeted everyone and I couldn’t help but notice how Key looked worried. I shrugged it off though and grabbed my skate-board to show Junhong.

“Minwoo, why leave the door open?” Dada scolded lightly before going to close it. Both Junhong and I followed him along with Appa and Key to go outside with our boards; I insisted I wasn’t hungry anymore and wanted to learn some tricks. However, a silence came from the hall that was worrying.

“Minho?” I turned the corner to see Dada looking at the man in the door way with a half frightened, half shocked expression. The man looked at my Dada with a shocked look two as they continued to stare at each other in the doorway.

“Uh, Taemin?” He asked.

“What are you doing here?”

“Appa, this is Minwoo and his family,” Junhong chirped causing all the adults to go quiet from shock and look between the two with many questions rising.

To be continued ...