"From today onwards, this will be your room."
Minhyun looked at the mattress with a single pillow on the floor and lack of drawers or cupboards. It wasn't furnished, of course, since the room had just been cleaned out for him as well. Seung-youn stood there with crossed arms and beads of sweats dropping off him as he scowled from having to help his dad shift out their things just to have a makeshift room for this strange boy. Minhyun stepped in and sat down on the mattress before looking up at them.
"Thank you," he said softly and the older man beamed.
"Glad to have you here."
Sometimes, the simplest words hold the most meaning. Minhyun felt tears sting his eyes almost instantly despite having cried them out just moments ago. He blinked them away and just nodded. He had fresh clothes and a warm bed to sleep on. There wasn't much else he would ask for. Sung-hoon closed the door and let out a sigh.
"Why did you bring him back?" his son immediately snapped.
"Because I couldn't just let him soak under the rain in front of the bar. Try to get along, would you?"
"No! You're kicking him out first thing in the morning, dad. We can't afford to take care of someone else. You're already working your hardest just to put me in school."
The older man patted his son's shoulders and chuckled. "And you just have to do your best to graduate. Don't worry about him. When he wishes to leave, he will leave."
Despite his protests, his dad didn't kick Minhyun out the next day. Instead, he was shocked when he opened his room door and almost walked straight into the vacuum cleaner. He managed to dodge it in time and scowled.
"Yah! What do you think you're doing in broad daylight making all these noises? Quit it, won't you? People are trying to sleep here," the boy hissed and Minhyun just kept quiet. It only infuriated him more but before he could snap again, his dad opened his bedroom door.
"Morning, kids. Want some tuna bread for breakfast?" he asked casually which made Seung-youn huff and stomp off. Sung-hoon walked over to Minhyun and patted his head. "You don't have to do anything for us to stay but thank you. It's been awhile since I had time to clean too. It's a big help."
Minhyun smiled a crack and nodded.
"I'll see you at breakfast. You can continue cleaning later if you want and then we will talk about schooling."
"Yes, sir."
"Hmm? Ah. Don't be so formal. Just call me Sung-hoon or better yet, call me dad," the older male chuckled jokingly.
"Yah! You better don't! We don't need you here!"
"Oh, come on, Youn~ Are you getting jealous?"
"Shut up, dad!"
Minhyun blinked and his chest stung but it didn't hurt like before. It was warm and he couldn't help but to let out a soft chuckle before putting down the vacuum cleaner to have breakfast.
Ah, is this what family feels like?
Tears were already falling from his eyes before he even opened them and they only fell more as he sat up and started sobbing like crazy, holding onto his aching chest that hadn't stopped hurting. He didn't care about the pain in his head. It didn't compare to the one in his heart. He bawled his eyes out although he knew he should be quieter, wailing into the blanket. It felt cold. It felt stifling.
"You're awake. You're finally awake," a worried voice filled with relief said as the door opened. Minhyun couldn't even bring himself to stop crying as Woodz made his way to his side and held him tightly. "Minhyun. I'm so glad you're awake."
