It was a Thursday night, and again Jinwoo found himself roaming around the school grounds on his way home. Every afterschool he's decided to catch up on some much needed school work and study at the Belle library. Although it was tiring since he would come home at around 9:00pm, only to start his cleaning shift at Peaches and Cream at 10:30pm. It was exhausting, but attending Belle had its luxuies. Especially at the library where Jinwoo would rest his aching back on the leather chairs, and more recently he would take off his heels and rest his bare feet on the heated marble floors though he would get scolded at by Ms. Han the librarian for 'dirtying' the ground. For heaven's sake the library even provided tea, coffee and snacks. Jinwoo made a promise to himself not to take advantage of the free croissants or else he might put on weight which was already extremely difficult even for him. Though the best part about staying afterschool was the walk home. The school library closes at 8:00pm, well into the night. And so everytime he passes the extremly large school field, a sense of freedom and fantasy always filled his body. Although its main use was for recreational uses, Belle was known for lavishing in utterly useless things, meaning man made ponds and lakes, surrounded with all sorts of plants and trees, illuminated by multiple garden lights scattered around. It was beautiful. A midnight garden paradise, like a complete reflection of the night sky above. Though he would always be the last student in the library, Jinwoo didn't doubt that some of the school's facilities were still in use. The school closes its gates at 11:00pm, and so sports teams and/or students take advantage of the up to date fitness equipment. Every night the gym would always be brightly lit as Jinwoo walked past the school buildings. This wasn't the first time that Jinwoo had thought about using the gym's facilities for his own. For all of his life he was known to be the lanky kid, always looking so feminine. But was that a good thing or a bad thing? It certainly was a bad thing to him atleast at childhood since he was bullied for it. But more recently this year he mentally thanked his father and mother's genes for making him look this way. Sure he wasn't the most lean or muscular out of the male students, but heck his features came quite handy when transforming into Rachel. He actually began to embrace himself more each time he removed the makeup, the wig, the clothes. But scars will always remain, and so at times he misses out on opportunities due to his shyness and introvert behaviour that developed through bullying. And so Rachel had become some sort of outlet for him. It was a sort of release that he never expected at first. But yet again he wanted to live as himself once more, as Jinwoo, the intellegent scholarship holding Belle student that held a very tight group of friends to his heart. Jinwoo, the kid who worked hard for money as a cleaner at Peaches and Cream located behind the Little France bakery. Jinwoo, the kid who had to leave his family behind in the countryside in order for a better education. Jinwoo, the kid who always wore grey hoodies.

Jinwoo had reached the golden gates of Belle, though with every step he took, with every click his heels made, a sinking feeling would always fill his body. Anchoring him to stay.

-flashback-
Day 1 of Belle school year

Jinwoo was exhauseted. It was only the first day at Belle Private High School, yet the older already felt like giving up. It wasn't his subjects that were difficult. Heck he got into the school with a scholarship, so needless to say the subjects weren't the problem. It was the dam school itself. It was too big. Jinwoo wouldn't be surprised if he saw students driving in one of those expensive golf carts across the property. The mapping and lay out of the school was extremely inefficient, to Jinwoo atleast. In the morning he would have algebra in the main school building, though the next he would have vocal lessons in the music block all the way on the other side of the school. No wonder why everyone was so dam fit, he hasn't actually seen anyone who was remotely fat, let alone any actual fat on their bodies. The girls were so thin, on the other hand, the boys would either be lean or muscular. No grey area whatsoever. It was either you were this or that.

Jinwoo walked towards the golden gates of Belle, ready to go home. Tonight him and Mark planned to celebrate and talk about their first day by going out to eat at that Little Asia restaurant they've been hearing so much about ever since they moved in together. The two had saved enough money for a descent meal. A real treat that him and the red haired dimsum head looked forward to. Jinwoo smiled as he walked pass the golden gates of Belle, though only to be stopped by a familiar voice.

"Do you need help?"
"Mino!" Jinwoo taken aback, before bowing to the other. "Oh um..thank you for guiding me around school the whole day." Jinwoo looked down in embarrasment as he scratched the back of his head.
"Don't worry about it." Mino smiled as he adired the blushing older infront of him.
"I Umm....What are you doing here?" Jinwoo looked up.
"Waiting for you." Mino bluntly replied.
"Uhh..... Excuse me?" Jinwoo looked at the other in confusion. Was he joking or not? Probably just waiting here for his ride home.
"You might get lost on your way home." Mino snickered at the older.
"Hey! It's only Belle that confuses me. I know my way home perfectly fine thank you very much." Jinwoo complained to the other.
"Are you sure about that?"
Though before Jinwoo could reply or even sum up a thought, Mino instanly linked their hands together as Mino lead the way, not that he knew where Jinwoo's house was. But he was sure that if he did take a wrong turn the older would get annoyed and point out the right direction. And his theory proved to be correct. What was meant to be a 30minute task took Jinwoo almost an hour. Though strangely enough he didn't mind time passing by. He certainly didn't need to be home early as him and Mark didn't plan to leave until 8:00pm. But an hour was enough to get a slight picture of who Song Mino really was. Though a mysterious aura still surrounded the other, but Jinwoo didn't mind. In fact it was kind of Mino's charm. Surprisingly enough, even if this was their first day of meeting, Jinwoo didn't mind Mino holding his hand, it certainly reminded him how Hanbin used to hold his way back in middle school every afternoon. But those memories were for Jinwoo to keep and cherish.

"Okay. Go home now." Jinwoo stood still infront of an apartment complex, though it seemed that Mino still wanted to walk.
"Why?"
"Because....this is where I live?"
An O formed on Mino's mouth as he looked at Jinwoo's so called home. It was nice enough, certainly much smaller than his apartment, but it was good enough for one person.
"Okay. I'll be going now." Mino looked into the older's eyes as their gaze met each other.
"Okay." Jinwoo replied with a smile.
...
....
....
"Mino let go of my hand."
...
"Oh right." Mino nervously chuckled as he followed Jinwoo's request. He felt himself get hot all of a sudden before facing the older once more.
"Tomorrow again?" Mino asked as he shoved his hands in his pocket in an attempt to seem cool.
"Sure, if you want to." With that Jinwoo simply waved before passing through the glass doors and into the apartment lobby. Mino kept watch until the older entered the elevator. He simply smiled before making his own way home.

-flashback end-

Jinwoo sighed as he stopped just after passing the gates. He stared at the pavement where he encountered Mino afterschool for the very first time, a tiny flower growing through a cracked pavement stone. Though the flower had already wilted, Jinwoo didn't want to kill it any further by pulling it out. His hands felt cold. No pair of gloves would contain his body warmth. It was weird. Every time Jinwoo walked home, he felt the need to hold something. His hands would always feel empty...Feel cold....devoided of warmth. Devoided of happiness.

--------------------------------------------------

Jinwoo laid on his bed as carefully as humanely possible, though no amount of caution could prevent the bed from screaming like a dying cat. He had to keep reminding himself that buying a new single bed was an imporant priority he needed to undergo along with buying new light bulbs for the apartment. Though they would always slip out of his memory. For the past few days Jinwoo's been feeling so preoccupied. Even though his studying was going well and grades were at an all time high, or even though he would constantly be praised at work by the VIP's and the manager on how clean the brothel had become ever since he taken up the position,  Jinwoo would always felt troubled by something. And it was Mino. Seungyoon, Taehyun or Seunghoon don't know where the other is. WINNER is like a family, but what kind of family doesn't know where the other members are? Jinwoo sighed as he faced the ceiling, filled with glow in the dark star stickers he had bought yesterday on his way home. Jinwoo loved star gazing, and so this had helped him feel a bit calmer. He had just finished his cleaning shift, and he was exhausted. Though the pastry Fei had bought him from the Little France bakery at the front restored some energy. He missed Fei, and so it was a wholesome experience catching up with the experienced VIP. Jinwoo even prepared a whole bag of Fei's favourite snacks and food as a way of thanking the other, recalling how on the night he ran away Fei was the one who had given him a blanket so that he wouldn't freeze to death. It might've been a serious situation back then, but tonight they pretty much just laughed it off. Alongside Fei, Jinwoo had gotten to know Min a whole lot better. Teasing the blonde on their first encounter and how she pretty much had to use a stool just to even whisper in his ear, making Jia and Suzy laugh, new VIP's in training under Fei's watch. Though Jinwoo somewhat felt concerned that Suzy would be working in such a place, but Fei reassured him that the innocent looking girl would only be working as the new counter lady position for any clients that want to make any appointment. But it troubles him how Suzy even heard of Peaches and Cream in the first place, she looked like a highschool student. A twelvie.

*Buzz Buzz Buzz*
....
....
....
*Buzz Buzz Buzz*

Jinwoo groaned as the sound of his vibrating phone filled up the bedroom.
Seunghoon I swear if you message me one more time about playing farmville or candy crush I swear the Jamaican Trio will because a duo with only me and Taehyun. Jinwoo instantly regretted unlocking his phone as his screen blinded him. Base on the number of times this has happened to him, Jinwoo wondered how he still wasn't blind. His eyes readjusted before he opened the new message.

From an unknown number.

He's gone. Please live your life comfortably now. Not as Rachel. But as Jinwoo.
-Mino

Author's note: WAHT