*+:｡.｡ʜ-ʜᴇ...ʜᴇʀᴇ?｡.｡:+*

"Mooommmmm!!!"

No sooner did Wooyoung cross the threshold of his house, than he rushed indoors. He kicked away his school shoes, threw away his socks, deposited his bag right on the floor and ran straight into the kitchen. Hongjoong quietly entered after him, sighing, as he softly closed the door, opened his own shoes and socks and put them away neatly, and then proceeded to put Wooyoung's one in their proper place. He then went inside the house and into the kitchen, from where the delicious smell of something being cooked wafted down to him.

Hongjoong smiled, as he saw his mom, in her old apron and messy bun, her fresh face and her beautiful smile, stirring away something inside a vessel. She was cooking and laughing at whatever Wooyoung had to babble from the dining table. Oh! How beautiful her smile is. Hongjoong put down his school bag and sat down on a chair across Wooyoung, as he looked at his brother and smiled.

"And mom, I swear, let this idiot have some wheels under his feet. God! He walks like a sloth, mom!"

The woman laughed, as she poured the hot soup into another vessel and turned to the boys.

"Okhay, boys," she said in a gentle voice, "It's almost time for lunch. Go and take a shower while I set the table."

"No mom, I'll help!" Wooyoung stood up, giving his mom a tiny salute.

"Me too," Hongjoong stated eagerly.

The woman smiled fondly at her sons.

"No No, my darlings. Go and change, both of you while I will set the table. I'm sure you'll like today's lunch a lot. Now go before the food gets cold...go!"

The boys gave their mom a big hug and then immediately dashed upstairs to the washroom, competing as to who would reach earlier. And of course it was Wooyoung. Wooyoung quickly pulled his clothes out of his closet and disappeared into the bathroom. Hongjoong placed his school bag and Wooyoung's on their bed and sat down. He plopped back on the soft mattress and closed his eyes, covering his face with his hands. He felt relaxed, as his aching body lay on the bed at ease after a long day at school. Hongjoong's mind was still crammed with a million thoughts. And no doubt, the most specific one was...Who was he?

Hongjoong slowly rose up and kept sitting on the bed. He could hear his brother singing his lungs out under the shower. Typical bathroom singer. Hongjoong smiled. His eyes scurried around the entire room and soon, he saw a picture frame hanging on the wall of the room the two brothers shared. It was a picture of Wooyoung and him, when they were only seven. Hongjoong sighed.

I'm a lucky fellow.

"N-No....don't f-father....p-please..."

A little boy, perhaps six years old, was kneeling on the cold hard floor, crying and begging for mercy. He was a thin starveling one, so pale and so thin that you could easily count all the bones in his body. The boy didn't stop crying. He was young and helpless. He didn't know what to do. He was scared.

A burly man stood in front him, his huge shadow casting on the trembling child at his feet. His face was red in wrath, his eyes holding fumes of fire. In his hand he held a strong belt, as he brandished it on the floor like a whip, making a horrible sound. Anybody looking at that man at that moment could easily say that this man was in his worst moods. And not only was he in a stale mood, he was drunk.

"You wretch! You think I'll let you go, huh? You deserve this. All of this. If it weren't for you, I would not be here today, stuck in this hellhole. It was all your fault. Now you better shut that ugly mouth of yours if you don't want me to slit your throat!"

The poor little child hiccupped, but instantly stopped crying as the man's cruel words echoed into his ears. Minutes later, a high pitched painful wail shook the whole house, as the man whipped the little one with his belt, mercilessly and without a break. The child cried in pain, but what else could he do? There was no one, no one to save him.

The man had just paused and had refrained from beating the child to get drunk once again. The sobbing one lifted his head and looked around. Oh! How his back burned. How cruel were the scars all over his frail, little frame. The boy was tired, but was too brave to give up, even at that tender age. Looking around, he immediately noticed the front door of their house wide open. His instincts told him to flee, even thought the grounded fear within him told him to pause. Yet, he soon made up his mind. Without even thinking twice, he dashed for the door. His body ached. He was bleeding from every scar upon his skin. Yet he ran. He ran amidst the flowers, through the garden gate and landed on the street. Without looking anywhere else, he kept on running. He knew that his father was there behind him, he knew that he would catch him soon, and he also knew, how brutally his body would be used if his so-called father really caught him. But he didn't stop. If...If there was some hope...

"Mumma can I have that ice-"

A woman in her early thirties was standing near an ice cream stall, holding the tender hand of her six year old boy. She had let her child choose his favorite ice cream and was waiting patiently for him to choose. The boy was almost in the middle of telling his favourite ice cream, when suddenly, out of no where, another boy, apparently of his age, stumbled across his mother.

"Who are you-Oh my! Oh my god!" The kind woman couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the tattered clothes of the child and the horrible scars on his skinny body through the tears on the clothes. She quickly kneeled down and gently held the little child, who was crying, trembling and panting.

"What happened little one?" She asked softly, "Why are-"

"I'm sorry, madam," A rough voice caught the woman's attention, as she saw a burly, drunk man standing behind them, the belt still in his hand, "My son is rebellious and has been causing nuisance to everyone. I'm sorry that he's being a nuisance again. Now, Hongjoong..."

The child trembled on hearing his name upon the man's lips, his tears falling non stop down his pale cheeks. He kept on clutching the woman's skirts and was trying his very best to hide behind her. The clever woman knew well, what was going on.

"Sweetheart..." She gently asked the boy, "Who is he to you, hmm?"

"S-Stranger...!"

And that was when, for the very first time, Hongjoong forgot his father, completely. That was the truth. At first his father didn't believe him. But then, as he saw the woman was supporting his son and even threatened to inform the police if he continued pestering him, he left, saying that he'll never come back to take his 'ungrateful wretched son'. Since then, the kind hearted lady adopted this adorable boy and raised him up along with her own little one, Jung Wooyoung. The two boys became inseparable brothers, and as time grew, their bond became stronger and sweeter. Wooyoung, the extrovert, loud mouth rebellious one, was always there to beat the ass up of anyone who dared to bully his soft, kind and sweet natured brother, Hongjoong. Hongjoong was finally happy. He got a home, a family, care and love.

And he also knew this...he had a power. That was his little secret that he kept completely to himself. Well...not from Wooyoung though.

"Um...Joong, you 'kay? You've been literally staring at that wall for like an hour-"

Hongjoong jolted out of his daydream, as he was brought back to reality by Wooyoung's annoying voice. Hongjoong quickly rubbed off the tears from his eyes and looked blankly at his brother with a confused 'huh'. Wooyoung slapped his own forehead with his palm and shook his head at Hongjoong's seemingly 'cute' stupidity, trying to act funny, even though he knew something was bothering his brother.

"Were you saying anything?" Hongjoong asked, clueless.

"Nah...of course not..." Wooyoung replied, and then he suddenly threw Hongjoong's clothes right square on his face and screamed, "GET LOST AND SHOWER YOU BITCHASS M-!"

"SHUT UP! Mom will here you," Hongjoong whispered, pressing his palm tightly on Wooyoung's mouth, shutting him up. Wooyoung attempted to lick his palm, but before he could execute his plans, Hongjoong had already removed his hand off his mouth. He gave him a fierce look and went away, leaving Wooyoung laughing on his bed without any reason.

He's crazy!

Hongjoong quickly went inside the bathroom as Wooyoung's witch like laughter echoed across the room.

The boys had a scrumptious meal with their mom, who was no doubt a great cook. After lunch, they stomped back to their room, their bickering never seeming to end. The brothers sat down at their tables to finish up all their home works and studies. It was almost evening when Hongjoong finally looked up from his books.

"Care for a stroll?" He asked Wooyoung, who had his head crammed into a science book.

"Nopes!" said Wooyoung, rapidly flipping the pages, "Chemistry's gonna be the fucking end of me. You topper bitch! You've got all your shit sorted but I haven't. Whatever! You go today. I'll join you some other day. And hay! Don't get lost please. I won't-"

"Yea. Yea. I won't! I ain't a baby."

"You are," Wooyoung replied, looking directly at Hongjoong with a huge smirk on his face, "You're my baby."

Hongjoong rolled his eyes in annoyance and quickly put on his hoodie and some skinny jeans and went out for a lazy stroll. He loved the evenings. Who doesn't? They were beautiful. The twilight that glowed the firmament, the Sun that sloped down the Western horizon, the plethora of birds that chirped on every branch was of course a beauty to bask in. The birds chirped and filled up the monotony of the neighborhood and soon crickets joined the melody too. A cold breeze blew softly, as dusk was about to set in.

Hongjoong was in his own dream world, not really caring where he was going. Due to his carelessness, he soon ended up in an unknown place. Though this place was not very far from his residence, it seemed a tad creepy. It was a dark alley, where you'll find nothing but crazy hooligans or those bastards who are always up with some dirty tricks under their sleeves. You know...bad boys.

Not wanting himself to get into trouble, Hongjoong was about to turn around and retrace his path back home, when suddenly, he heard something that ran a shiver down his spine.

Voices.

Hongjoong listened closely. The voices were probably coming from behind the brick wall around the alley. Hongjoong didn't feel very brave, but wanted to explore too. His stupidity led him to quietly follow the voices and find a small gate that led to the place behind the wall. Hongjoong peeped carefully, being completely assured of the fact that he wasn't being seen. Through the railings of the gate, Hongjoong saw some people talking. It was not a very good talk, rather a verbal fight. Hongjoong noticed that they were all men, clad in black attires and masks, and not very young. They looked like some mafias or...drug dealers or something of that sort. Hongjoong definitely didn't know any one of them, and on top of that each and every one were wearing masks. But on a closer scrutiny, Hongjoong suddenly felt his heart skipping beats at a certain discovery. There was only one guy who wasn't wearing a mask. It was...him.

Dark, raven hair pushed backwards with only a few strands mingled with sweat falling on his forehead, sharp, gorgeous eyes, a chiselled nose and thin, red lips, exquisitely carved on an extremely handsome face, beauty glistening in every nook and corner of his visage. His eyes, his smile, oh, so gorgeous, so etheral.

"H-He...here?"

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

*feeling dejected*

This book ain't getting reads.

Don't tell me you guys don't like Seongjoong!

Whatever!

Read and...Enjoy!

Do comment and share your thoughts!!

。･:*:･(✿◕3◕)❤