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blood is thicker than water

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(Italics are thoughts)

Hyeju took heavy steps into the apartment. It was too small for her tastes but it was perfect size for the single man in front of her. It was quite clean for a guy's house or maybe he’s just not home enough to even make a mess. Hyeju settled down her bag on the couch and took a seat, her eyes examining the area.

‘That’s the kitchen, the hallways, and a window to escape.Who am I kidding? It’s a freaking apartment. How can I jump?’ Hyeju mentally facepalmed.

“Thinking of an escape plan? The door is just right there, heiress.” Mino pointed to the front door while taking a sip of his orange juice -- Hyeju’s favourite drink. She swallowed dryly as she stared at the drink in Mino’s hand. “Want some?”

“No, I’m fine.” Hyeju sighed and looked away but then the bottle was placed in front of her eyes.

“Just drink it. I didn’t poison it or anything.” Mino urged and she finally gave in, sipping a bit of drink. Hyeju tried to suppress her smile for finally getting a sip of her favorite drink for that day. She always had her daily dose of orange juice “Lemme guess, favorite drink?” Mino sat beside Hyeju and she nodded, moving an inch away when she realised he had moved closer.

“Can you please sit a little farther?” Hyeju sai and wedged a pillow in between them.

“You’re telling me what to do in my house?” Mino raised an eyebrow.

“I know it’s wrong but isn’t it your responsibility too to make the guest feel at home?”

“You have a point, heiress. I like you.You are exactly like the stories my mom told me.”

“Excuse me?” Hyeju raised an eyebrow at his statement

“Moving on. Stay here as long as you want or forever for all I care. Everything is free, electricity, food, water BUT you have to buy the groceries as I’m tight on money for the next few months. If you ever feel like the obligation to pay the bills because you feel guilty and blah blha blah...please do so-“

“Wait wait, why are you being so kind to me?” Hyeju cut Mino off but Mino continued his ‘rules and regulation’ rant.

“No no, not yet, heiress. No bringing home guys! This applies to me too except I won’t bring home guys. I’m not interested in guys if you’re thinking weird stuff. So if you follow those simple rules, we can live happily ever after!” Mino grinned and took a sip of his orange juice as he was getting parched from the sudden talk.

“Who are you? Why are you being like this to me?” Hyeju turned her gaze to the guy fully and stared into his soul.

He sighed and turned to look at the teenage girl too, staring back into her eyes. “Ok, listen to me 'cause I’ll only be saying this once. No questions just listen because you’ll understand what I’m going to say after this, just later on... So, please, just listen. I’m doing this because I want to and I have the obligation to do at least this much for you. To pay you back, to apologize on my mom’s behalf, and to do my responsibility as someone really important to you so please just accept and live here peacefully?” Mino pleaded and Hyeju swore she saw his eyes getting watery but he got up and left for his room.

“Obligation? Apology? Mom? What am I getting myself into?” Hyeju sighed and slumped back into the couch.

Hyeju heard a door open and Mino came out with clothes in his hand. “Here, wear this for tonight. I know it’s a little too big but you’ll need to wear your uniform tomorrow. Tonight, You can sleep in my room and tomorrow, I’ll clear a room for you and shop for a few things. The bathroom is at the end of the hall.” Mino placed the clothes on the table and went back into his room, only to come out again a few seconds later with a blanket and a pillow in hand.

Hyeju nodded and took the clothes with her to the bathroom. Locking the door behind her,she let out a sigh of relief. She didn’t know why but she had a feeling that she was going to be safe with Mino. It was a feeling that she had never felt before but she was sure that it wasn’t love as it didn’t make her heart flutter. It just felt like she had a pair of strong protective arms blocking anything that was going to touch her.

“What is wrong with me?” Hyeju sighed and splashed cold water to her face, hoping to wake up her senses. She finished her light refreshment moment and wore the clothes. Although they were a bit too big, they were comfy. She hung her school uniform up, hoping to get the weird smells out by the morning. On her way to her room, she glanced at Mino and then turned to walk towards him. 

“Good night, Minho oppa.” Hyeju gave a small smile and slightly moussed his hair. She walked back to the room and plopped onto the bed. She shut off her mind, deciding to not think of anything, and she let sleep take over.

As B.A.P’s "Warrior" went off as the teenage girl’s alarm, she continued to let sleep take over and snuggled more into the cover, hoping it would block out the sound. Suddenly, the song was put onto a stop and a presence was felt. Hyeju lazily turned around and saw Mino gazing down at her.

“Morning, heiress. You don’t want to be late on a school day now do you? “ Mino smirked and walked out. Hyeju groaned and threw the blankets off of her.

“I HATE YOU!” Hyeju shouted.

“I LOVE YOU TOO, HEIRESS!” Mino shouted back from wherever he was in the house.

Hyeju lazily dragged herself to the bathroom and got ready for school.She tied her hair in a ponytail and combed her bangs to the left. After preparing herself for the day, she stepped outside and sat at the dining table. Mino placed a plate of pancakes in front of her.

“I hope that fits your taste, heiress. This is the most American-ish breakfast I have ever made in my whole life.” Mino grumbled and sat across Hyeju.

“Thanks. I really appreciate your efforts.” Hyeju smiled and took a sip of her orange juice.

“Wow, the heiress knows how to smile? She can show appreciation? That’s too much for someone like me to handle in one day, heiress.” Mino said sarcastically.

“Don’t test my patience, Mino” Hyeju clenched her teeth.

“Oppa.” Mino finished the sentence up for her. "Manners, young woman.”

Hyeju sighed and ate her breakfast quietly. The older boy did have a point and Hyeju was taught to always respect everyone but she felt comfortable with the older boy that kept on insisting her to call him oppa. She found it funny how he sulked over such petty things.

“Oh! Can I borrow your phone? I need to make a quick call.” Mino silently nodded and handed over hisphone. Hyeju dialed the number that she had memorized in case of emergencies and this, was definitely an emergency. 

“Hello?” A middle aged man answered the phone.

“Uncle? It’s me, Hyeju.”

“Oh my god, Hyeju?! Are you safe? Where are you? Everyone is dead worried about you!” Her uncle continued to bombard her with questions and she was glad she was on the phone where the man couldn't see her roll her eyes at the word "everybody".

“Uncle! Uncle! I need your help” Hyeju managed to interrupt her uncle.

“What is it, honey?” He changed his tone into a more soft and fatherly voice. This was what Hyeju loved about her uncle. He didn’t have people to call a family of his own and so he always treated Hyeju like his own daughter. Both of them adored each other and sometimes, Hyeju preferred her uncle more than her own father. Her father never talked to her in such tone; it was either flat or stern. “Hyeju?” Her uncle snapped her out of her thoughts.

“Yeah I’m here. I need help to get into school. No bodyguards and make sure everyone shuts their trap about me being in the school. Please help me.”

The perks of having her uncle as the principal and owner of the school, she can make everyone shut their mouths with just a word from the principal a.k.a her uncle.

“Sure, honey. Be here in 10 minutes please. We need to discuss. I’ll be waiting for you at the office. There’ll be orange juice”

Hyeju hummed in response and hung up the call. Her uncle even knew her favourite drink. Hyeju never had any father-daughter moment with her father. Heck,her father knows nothing about her. It was all for the cameras but it never bothered Hyeju because she was taught to never meddle in other's business. Her father was the last thing in her mind.

“I should go to school now.” Hyeju passed the phone back to Mino and slung her bag on her shoulder.

“How are you going to go there?” Mino finished his breakfast and slipped on his jacket.

“Your going out too? Where are you going? And I’ll probably drop by the station a few blocks down the school.That’s the nearest station anyways.”

“To accompany you to the bus stop, of course, to make sure you're safe.” Mino patted her shoulder and pushed her out, locking the door behind him.

“Mino-“

“I insist.” Mino cut her off and walked forward. “You’re not coming?” Mino turned around and saw her glued to the ground.

“Hmm? Oh yeah, I’m coming.”

The walk to the bus stop was silent and Hyeju was bored by the silence. She hated having someone by her side that wouldn't talk.

“Hey, what was the place last night?” Hyeju broke the silence.

“The Underground.”

“Underground? Isnt’t that the subway in London?” Hyeju creased her eyebrow in confusion.

“Well, heiress,we people there can’t afford to go London. Heck,we can’t even afford our bills for our crappy apartments. It’s a place where the best rappers come to.”

Hyeju nodded in understanding. “Can you bring me there again?”

“Why?” Mino raised an eyebrow.

“I just want to repay the boys from yesterday and plus the place looked interesting. No one knows me there and I’m glad.”

Mino scoffed at her statement. “No one knows you there? Heiress, everyone knows who you are there. It’s just that they don’t want to be bothered by the heiress' appearance at such a low place.”

“Can everyone freaking stop calling me that?” Hyeju half shouted and honestly, she was surprised at herself. She never shouted at someone and she never knew she had the ability to do so.

“Wow, heiress can actually stand for herself?”

“If you’re gonna keep calling me that, please go home.” Hyeju sighed and turned up front, not wanting to look at the older boy again.

“Ok ok. I’m sorry, ok? It’s just that I like calling you that rather than your own name. Which was...?”

“It’s Hyeju,Ryu Hyeju. My name is Ryu Hyeju.” Hyeju sighed,hearing the nickname again.

“Yeah,that.” Mino nodded slightly,sighing and again they were enveloped with total silence as the sounds of vehicle passing by filled the silence.Hyeju rolled her eyes upwards trying to prevent herself from crying. One thing that Hyeju had always promised herself and has kept that promise to herself even till this day is ‘to never cry. Never waste my tears on people who aren't not worth it.’

“Your bus is here.” Hyeju simply nodded and rode the bus without glancing back or saying a simple goodbye. Mino sighed and only walked away when he was sure that Hyeju got on safely and the bus drove away.

Hyeju sneaked inside the school from the backdoor, yet another perk of having your uncle as the principal. She knew the school like the back of her hand. She knew all of the secret passages and school secrets. She walked through the hallways and as promised, there were no bodyguards around. Students started to whisper but someone yelled, “We understand why you ran away Hyeju! I give my respect to you!”

Hyeju chuckled. “Thanks!” Hyeju yelled back to whoever it was and everyone laughed at the little conversation the high schoolers had. The reason why Hyeju loved the school so much, it wasn’t full with snobby rich kids. Contrary to popular belief, it was filled with smart, pretty, handsome, friendly rich kids. Hyeju knocked on the principal’s door and heard a faint ‘Come in’ before gripping the doorknob and twisting it

“Hey.” Hyeju grinned and closed the door.

“Manners, Miss Hyeju. We’re at school.”

“I’m sorry.” Hyeju bowed her head slightly and settled down at the seat, placing her bag on the empty seat beside her.

“Now tell me. Why did you run away? Did your dad do anything to you? I’ll talk to him so please, just go home Hyeju. Everyone is worried sick about you.”

“No! I’m not going home.” Hyeju said sternly, “If we’re just going to talk about this, I’m leaving. I have classes to attend.”

“No, Hyeju! Wait. Please let me help you. Where are you staying?”

“It’s ok. I have a place to stay. It’s more safe than you think. Uncle,please do me a favour.”

“What is it, honey?”

“Please watch over me closely. Support me, stay by my side and I swear I will make you proud.” Hyeju pleaded.

The older man sighed and gave in, slightly nodding to her offer. His niece smiled slightly and gave him a brief hug before walking out to start her classes for the day. She even managed to grab the bottle of orange juice off the table before walking out.