Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything.

 

Blinking sleep from my eyes, a low grumble left my throat as a sigh of protest at the rude disruption of my precious sleep. Swatting weakly at the arm that continually nudged me awake, I finally gave in, cracking a single eye open.

“What?!” I questioned gruffly clearly irritated.

“Cranky in the mornings aren’t we?” Was the chuckled response.

Immediately I bolted up from my seat, my barely awoken mind only then recovering the past events of the day. “Its morning already?!” I gasped almost horrified.

Another laugh from my side had me properly survey my surroundings only to find a dark starry sky and my apartment complex through the windshield of the car.

A scowl marred my features as Lee Joon’s laugh died down. “Sorry, couldn’t resist.”

Rolling my eyes, I stretched my sore limbs yawning.

“Should’ve woken me up earlier”

“Nora asked to leave you be, said she’ll text you later.” Lee Joon supplied and I nodded as he shut out the engine pulling the keys out.

Jumping out together, he tossed the said item in the air, landing it perfectly in my awaiting palms.

I grinned. “Thanks for today Joonie”

“I wonder, what would you only do without us?” His dramatic tone and head shake triggered yet another eye roll from me. “I’d be just fine.”

He snorted throwing his backpack over his shoulder. “Yea right, try saying that before you ruin my clothes”. Pulling at his shirt he gave me an accusing look.

“What? You were the one who offered a shoulder to cry on!” I pouted childishly. “Besides you smelled good.”

It was his turn to roll his eyes. “I’m flattered.”                             

I smirked. “You should be.”

“You’re one cocky .”

“So I’ve heard.”

He reached out to pull at my nose. “You’re such an idiot.”

I yelped, slapping his hand away. “Yah! Not my nose!”

“I don’t want to see you crying again.” His tone was gentle, with a hint of warning in the undertone. “More so, over some guy.” He winked.

I blinked before a soft smile graced my own lips.

“Bring it all to a close” He pointed over to the left side of my chest. “There.” It wasn’t too hard to guess to what he was referring to, or more like who.

Be it any other situation, I would’ve called you a ert.” I spoke with a quiet chuckle.

“Well you never know what I was pointing at so…” He shrugged smiling. Before I had the chance to respond he gave me a quick hug. Just as fast he jumped back and I watched him walk away to his own building complex not too far away, waving and smiling goofily.

Smiling at his antics and knowledge of dealing with me so well, I mirrored his expression waving back.

I knew that Lee Joon was right, in the end I had to face it sooner or later.

 

 

Once back in the comfort of my small apartment, I locked the door behind me and carelessly dropped my belongings on the granite counter.

I needed a quick, relaxing shower and my pyjamas. Now.

 

Soothing my tensed muscles under the spray of hot water had worked, yet it had also completely woken me up and the restlessness with it. Coping with the turn of events that took place in the last few days seemed a task harder to accomplish than initially thought.

Hyung Jun.

I found myself sitting on my platform bed reminiscing. Was it me? Or was it his sudden return that had my world tipping over the edge once again. Bringing back memories that I would rather forget.

There was a time where we shared a history after all, short but strong, or so I had thought. Or was it that insignificant?

 

That had been after Kyu Jong had introduced me to his group of friends, and onwards from after the tragedy at the forest. Strange how all of it has happened years ago, yet I remembered it so vivid and clear, to this very day.

Everything that lead up to that had started off before I met any of the guys. At that time it had only been Nora, Nana and Sierra. One by one, they had shifted. Sierra being furthest away from us all. 

My life had been just fine up until the splitting of my parents had turned things over.

I knew that my mother never wanted any of this and was trying her hardest to make things work. I had wished to ease her tension and burden and in-turn ended up hauling up a responsibility that was bigger than me.

To take it back when both my mother and sister were already depending on me, I couldn’t do that.

I stuck with an unsatisfying job in fear of losing it. Declined in social activities. The aim and aspiration to do anything diminished by the day.

 

That was there till I had a heart wrenching phone conversation with my grandparents who were miles away. Hoping that we were alright and holding up well. I had forced on a change, knowing that going on this way would turn to be my ultimate downfall.

And so, after the initial struggle, I had found a new job and entered the same educational institution my childhood friends had been attending, I had needed to move out due to the vast location difference. In a twisted sort of way, it had been a way out. At the same time, imprisonment.

Being away from home had prevented the conflicts and arguments that usually occurred, it took time to get used to staying in an absolutely empty house, with no one but yourself. The silence was deafening all own its own.

Even though I had mostly failed to get along with, or involve on deeply-levelled conversations during the years, I had missed the miniature woman I called my mother. Her over-reactive, nagging but caring nature.

My little outgoing, loud sister. She was just 9, and sometimes I blamed myself for not granting and showering her with enough attention.

The bright, positive woman I called my aunt. She had always managed to turn the gloomiest of the situations in to a good laugh. Her sense of humour was a feat to achieve. Her outgoing and energetic personality something to learn from.

I yearned for their little loving and caring gestures. Loud speeches and lame jokes during late evening’s gatherings. Silly arguments and weird making up moments. Tedious outings and typical complaints, yet the so memorable moments.

 

It just happened so, that my family remotely knew Kyu Jong’s, thus moving had been a smoother process. Having my friends such as Nora and Nana live in the same state was a blessing on its own, however having someone you could turn to for help live right above your roof was even better.

Kyu Jong had done a lot. From helping me get accustomed to my surrounding to taking me out around the city. He visited me during those very silent evenings I came to grow tired of. Despite the busy schedules, we both had found the time for peaceful, comforting chats a few times during the course of the week.

One in particular was memorable. It had just been a few weeks since I’ve moved.

 

---- A little over three years prior. Date:  24th September.  Day: Monday.  Time: 6:32pm ----

A ring to my door had me rushing out of the bathroom like a maniac having dumped the dirty laundry into the washing machine.

“Coming!” Slamming the door open I was met with the oh-so-familiar Kyu Jong standing at my door with a steaming pot in hands.

I grinned at the brunette male with a bowl haircut and kind eyes. “Hello, mommy.”

He scowled. “I told you to stop calling me that.”

I smiled stepping away to making room for him to enter. “I can’t help it, you baby me so much.”

He rolled his eyes setting the pot on the stove. “Just making sure you don’t starve yourself to death.”

I shot him a half-hearted glare. “Hey! I do eat! I can actually cook you know.”

“Yet I see you at the stove as often as your friend, Nana, isn’t grounded.”

I rolled my eyes. “As if you know when she’s grounded.” I took out two plates and the silverware.

He chuckled taking the plates from me and placing a generous amount of the steaming wonder on them. “I can hear her temper tantrums all the way up to my floor.”

I laughed at the sarcasm infused words, completing the setup of our small dinner meal.

“It’s not that loud, our neighbours survive. Besides you don’t even see me that often!”

“I see the contents of your fridge, which I may add are almost always empty.” He replied as we sat ourselves at the table.

“Really Kyu? And you tell me to stop calling you mom.”

“Food is important.”

“All you think about is food!”

“Not really, I also think about how to make it and eat it. There is a difference.” Kyu Jong laughed.

“You sound like a food maniac, stay away from me.”

He smiled softly. “Kira, I know how it feels like to be away from home and family, you don’t have to put up a front.”

 

A sad smile drew itself on my features. Kyu Jong himself had moved out at an early age. He told me that he’s shared a dorm room with his other four friends to cover expenses during the first years, as each perused their own life careers. Now at the age of 23, he was a working, independent and a happy man or mom.

“Thanks Kyu, for all that you’re doing.”

He grinned and reached from across the table to pull at my nose as I slapped his hand away.

“Not my nose!”

“You’re welcome, now dig in.” He motioned at the plate in front of me.

 

I smiled sticking my fork into the thick mass of spaghetti covered in a creamy beige sauce. Pieces of chicken roasted to a light brown coated crust with pieces of mushroom delights peeked from under. Red and yellow vegetables were cut in neat pieces along with miniature bits of bread pieces sprinkled on top completed dish decoration. The mere sight of it was mouth-watering. Quickly I rolled the contents onto my fork and took a mouthful.

“How’s it?” Kyu Jong looked up from his plate.

Closing my eyes I hummed in delight. “This is amazing ~ “

“Glad you like it, I probably should get Jungmin to come over and cook more often.” He laughed.

“Jungmin?” I questioned taking another bite.

He nodded. “Mhm, I told you about him earlier, we shared the dorm room. He’s an old friend, helped me get accustomed to the place when I moved to live here.”

I nodded humming in delight again. Kyu Jong looked at me, amusement dancing in his onyx eyes.

“His culinary skills are just like this. He was over in the morning, so we had home-made lunch. I wanted to introduce you guys to each other but you weren’t home.”

I grinned. “Seems like a nice friend you’ve got there.”

“All my friends are nice.” Kyu Jong smirked smugly.

I stuck my tongue out. “I guess I overestimated you as the motherly figure, this ‘Jungmin’ guy suits the role better, so I’ll just have to stick with bro for you.”

“We’re making progress.”

I laughed. “We are, indeed. Make sure you introduce me to this new ‘mommy’ soon! I should at least thank him for a meal so delicious.”

Kyu Jong rolled his eyes. “He’s going to kill you for that nick name for sure.”

I pointed a fork at him, a playful expression drawing itself on my features. “Nah he wouldn’t, that’s what I’ve got you for.”

 

---- Present Time. Date:  3rd April.  Day: Monday.  Time: 7:50pm ----

A heavy sigh left my lips.

I remembered Lee Joon joining the fray in the university. He was always quick in blending in.

I had finally seemed to be holding up just fine, finally gaining proper reigns on my life. It was difficult no doubt, keeping it all together even more so, yet I was moving forward.

Then came that day and everything spiralled downhill.

The accident, the investigations, the deaths, the blames. My life had flipped over like a mere side of a coin. Suddenly all I got were tails.

 

I refused to pull my family into this. My mom had enough to shoulder as it were, with my younger sister still in school. Even though they hadn’t been that far from the state I moved into, not living under the roof had its impact. My mother knew of the incident in vague details, but other than that I kept her in the dark refusing to show the effect it had on me.

There were other things to worry about such as setting my life back in place and helping them out. Assuring her that I was fine and needed to continue with what I’ve chosen as a job and course, I’ve eased some of her tension. Worried as she were, she couldn’t always be there with me. Since I was not to leave the state till after the closure of the case, it added to the distance even though she came to visit as often as she could.

It wasn’t the same.

 

End of Chapter 3.

 

A/N: Please don't kill me! I know this chapter is shorter than the others, but I promise this isn't a filler, it's actually important in it's own way. I'm not too happy with it myself but I couldn't seem to come up with a different structure T.T

Please let me know what you think!

Nonetheless, I hope you Enjoy. This is the last chapter before New Year's Eve, so Happy New Years Everyone! Best Wishes and More Fanfics. ^_^

Also I'd like to thank 'ping501' , 'pieces_shattered' and 'vibhanarasimha' for the support and comments. I love to hear opinions, it's a great motivation guys! Who are your favourites btw?? M_M hehe...

My friends too - 'Xuistar' being one xD This story is online thanks to their persistence. Make sure to check out her stories if you're fans of EXO. 

I'll be posting the next one during the first week of January 2016! Till then, Ja ne~ (Yes I'm an anime fan too)