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"So you have a boyfriend?" Mrs Choi asked casually while walking through the grocery store with her eighteen-year-old daughter. Daera almost choked on air, when her mother dropped the question. She remembered that she told her parents she was with her boyfriend when they met a few hours back. But the girl didn't think her parents would ask her about it.

"Yes..." She answered quietly and her mother smiled. "Wow, a lot must have happened in the years' Dad and I travelled the world." - "Well, I'm not thirteen anymore, Mum." Daera simply said and threw a box of her favourite spicy Ramyeon in the shopping cart.

Her mother cocked an eyebrow. "That's not healthy for young adults." She spoke and Daera cocked an eyebrow. "Well, I don't usually have time to cook full Korean meals for myself." The girl sassed. 

It was weird having her parents around all of a sudden. When she came home after her date with Donghyuck she was a little overwhelmed with finding her parents in her house, asking her questions and asking her for things. She only decided to join her mother on the grocery-shopping trip because she needed some things as well. She never expected her mother to parent her like this.

"What? Does that mean you've been eating this rubbish for five years now?" - "When I don't eat with Ari or order myself something then yes," Daera said and crossed her arms in front of her chest. She was feeling irritated and wanted to call someone to let her anger out, but she knew Taeho was busy with his own family problems and Donghyuck... She couldn't dump her problems on the Idol singer like this. She bit her lip and took the box of instant noodles out of the cart.

"Better?" She asked, sass dripping off her lip before she turned away from her Mum's agitated gaze and continued walking through the supermarket.

"I don't like the way you behave young lady. We're in the public right now. You should act respectfully!"

Daera turned around and looked at her mother. She didn't remember her mum being this strict. She was only thirteen when her parents decided to leave her, to live their own dream. Back then Daera was a quiet and well-behaving young girl.

But then puberty happened and Daera had to fight for herself. She had to live on her own for five years, having no one except her uncle and Taeho. Ari had his own family and his full-time job so he couldn't take the thirteen-year-old under his wing and Taeho was a confused fanboy, not knowing what to do in his future.

They were Daera's only family.

And now her mother and father were back and acting as if they had never been to Greenland, Iceland, Alaska and Puerto Rico.

Daera bit her lip, turned around and gave her mother a fake grin. "I'm sorry Mum. It has been a long day for me." Her Mum gave her a weak smile. "I see. I'm sorry for shouting at you. You can go and pick something from the Beauty section if you want." Her mother smiled and Daera gulped down a gag and gave her yet another fake smile. "Thanks, but I don't wear Grocery Store makeup."

The rest of the shopping the shopping trip felt like a punishment to Daera. She acted like the good girl her mother knew from the younger years and with each hour she spent with her parents her heart felt heavy.

After finishing dinner, that her mother had cooked (extra healthy, because she wasn't happy at the amount of Ramyeon her daughter had eaten the past five years), Daera said good night to her parents and walked into her bedroom.

Laying down in her bed, she rubbed her temples. 

She was definitely not used being around her parents anymore. With a heavy heart, she grabbed her phone and messaged Taeho, asking if he had time to talk.

I'm sorry, Daera... It's a bit wild today here... Can't really stay on the phone for too long. xx Taeho

Daera sighed reading his answer before she went and texted her Uncle, asking if he had time talking to her. 

I'm at a schedule with one of the members. Can't really talk right now. Oh, btw! Your parents are coming home today... SURPRISE! - Ari

Another no in Daera's face. She bit her lip while scrolling through her contacts. She didn't really want to burden him with her feelings but she didn't have anyone else to turn to. So when she stumbled upon his name and pressed the 'call' button, her heart started racing really fast.

After three beeps he picked up and greeted her. "You already miss my voice?" - "Hi Donghyuck, sorry for bothering you this late." Daera started and played with her hair while waiting for his answer. "You're not bothering me at all. I was just going to bed because I have a recording session for our new album tomorrow morning, but I'm not tired so... what's up?"

Just hearing his voice was making her feel ten times better. She sighed. "My parents are back." She said with a heavy heart and heard Donghyuck already taking a breath to spill something. "But I think I'm not used to them anymore. My Mum and I had a fight at the grocery store earlier and it feels weird having them at home. I'm used being alone and eating what I like and not what they put in front of me. They forced me to eat parsnips!"

"Oh, sounds tough." The same-aged boy answered. "Did you tell them how you feel about them being back?" He asked and Daera shook her head, even though the boy couldn't see it. "I can't really stand being around them. It's making me anxious."

It was quiet for a while. It felt weird talking about something so personal to Donghyuck. But it also felt great knowing there was someone listening to her.

"I felt something similar when I visited my parents in Jeju the last time. I've been gone for so long it felt suffocating being around them again." Donghyuck said. "But I talked it out with them. I explained why I live my life like that and I also told them what disappoints me about them parenting me like that. Maybe you should think about that and talk to your parents as well. They will understand it. At least I hope they do!"

There it was, the normal Lee Donghyuck with the sass in his tone. Daera chuckled. "I'll try." Then she bit her lip. "Thank you for listening to me, Donghyuck." - "That's what I'm here for."