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boki couldn't believe her own ears. she blinked twice as shock wouldn't leave her face. "a-are you staying here?" she muttered, somehow she didn't want to be heard. but soon mrs. do appeared on the door's frame, behind jooheon, laughing.

"ah it's you guys... i thought you were going to arrive later on... come inside, it's cold out there." jooheon quickly removed his shoes as he stepped in first. boki stared at her mom with shocked eyes.

"is he-

"ah yes, i forgot to tell you... he's staying in the guest's room... since you guys have vacation, i told jooheonie he could stay here to avoid spendind too much time on trains and public transport." mrs. do said as she walked into the kitchen. a few seconds later she returned with two cups of tea for the both of them.

"here. drink something warm... and remember take a bath before going to sleep. we have plenty work tomorrow morning, right?" she said to jooheon who quickly nodded.

"sure eomoni." she turned to look at jooheon as if he had grew three heads.

"eomoni?" she asked shocked. both jooheon and boki's mother laughed.

"ah... cut the drama, he's like family now." she seemed confused over the sudden mother-son relationship they developed in such short time.

"what exactly are you guys doing in the morning? the restaurant doesn't open until noon." she said sipping the warm ginger tea.

mrs. do folded fresh washed clothes as she glanced at her. "well... i figured since jooheonie is here, he could help us around with some things... instead i'll give him bonuses."

"what kind of things?" boki asked confused. jooheon took a seat on the living room's couches as he drank the tea quietly. "well... my old car... it needs to be repaired."

"but you hate driving." boki quickly said. she just nodded. "i know. i know... it's not for me." with this, boki quickly left the cup in the coffee table and followed her mom around, as she walked, collecting more clothes that were scattered around.

"explain yourself?" bona turned and sighed, as if she was tired.

"you know... since jooheon is working here... i figured out we might add delivery services... he's going to try to repair the car." boki frowned. it wasn't a bad idea actually.

"i can do some delivery in the night time, just a couple of hours, but that could improve the sales." jooheon said nodding. boki nodded. "it's actually a good idea... i could also help." mrs. do eyes widened.

"oh tell me more!" she explained, jooheon joined them in the kitchen area.

"i mean... business now moves through social media... i could... create an instagram account, we could post some pictures of the food we sell... think about promos and we could spread the voice of the delivery during dinner time."

jooheon's eyes sparkled. "that could attract lots of clients."

bona's eyes sparkled too, she pinched boki's cheeks.

"ahh that's my cute girl, who's studying business... you're starting to think like a ceo."

boki rolled her eyes. "mom... it's just an idea."

"an idea we're doing, right eomoni?" jooheon said. boki's mom quickly nodded. "starting now! go... go create that account and tomorrow we'll take pictures." she said grabbing the basket with the clothes.

"i am so excited." she added. boki smiled as she joined jooheon in the living room.

"i always talk about your poor judgement... - jooheon started, she knew he was talking about kihyun - but gotta admit this is actually a good idea." he finally said, pulling two candies from his pocket, he threw one at her face.

"yah!" she complained, to which, he only laughed as he took his to his lips.

"so do you know anything about fixing cars?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. if boki was honest, she doubted he'd knew how to even hold a tool. but he seemed confident.

"tsk. i could create a car from zero if i wanted."

"then why you don't do it? you could be rich."

he rolled his eyes. "here you go again... with the being-rich lecture... i don't care about money. money isn't the most important thing in the world." boki tilted her head aside, clearly confused. she knew money wasn't everything.

but it was a big part of someone's life. it was as important as other things, such as love.

"also i don't want to... because it's a lot of trouble."

"then why are you doing this for my mom?" he seemed offended for a second, his eyes widened and his dimples gone. "can you stop over thinking stuff? stop trying to find a hidden meaning in everything birdhead. just because you're dating satan, you don't have to act like his minion."

"jooheon- she started, somehow warning him.

"no. listen. your mother has been the greatest employer i've had since i started working, which was at the age of 14. she's been kind to me, she has helped me so much, giving me flexible schedules and over paying me for my work, why? i don't know. maybe she wants to help me, maybe she's an angel in disguise... call it whatever you want. maybe i remind her of someone... but she deserves all the help she can get. she works hard to pay for your sorry ass lame business school... and runs a business just by herself... so yeah, sue me if i want to help her and somehow thank her for everything she's doing for me. she's just not like my- he stopped talking when he realized he had given a lecture to boki. but somehow he couldn't finish the sentence, because he knew it'd be like a treason. she's just like moms should be, not like mine.

jooheon knew, in the short time he had been knowing do bona, she was what moms looked like. generous and sweet, guiding and forgiving. dedicated and loving. not like his mom.

boki looked down, somehow ashamed. she couldn't help but wonder what kind of mother jooheon had.

"i am sorry. you're right." she said now meeting his eyes.

"thank you... for helping her."he just shrugged.

"i am just returning the favor." boki smiled sweetly and reached out for his hand.

"listen... - she started. when he felt her hands, for the second time that night, his heart stopped for a second, his eyes widned at the sudden display of affection, sudden and unexpected.

"i know that... you think i am the worst just like your step brother. but i am not." she finally said. he narrowed his eyes as if he was having a hard time believing her. she just laughed.

"don't look at me like that. i am being serious."

"yah... you expect me to believe you?"

"i do actually. i know i am used to overthink stuff.... but it's an old habit, before i even got reunited with kihyun again. and you know what they say about old habits. they die hard."

jooheon rolled his eyes, but didn't move his hands from hers. "but i'll try to change it, alright?" he hesitantly looked at her and sighed.

"i am not bad intended like him you know?" she kept quiet for a second, acknowledging this was actually true. "i know." she simply said now, letting go of his hands.

he quickly returned them to the pockets of his hoodie and looked away. "you wanna hear something crazy?" she asked, sitting closer to him. immediately, he turned nervous as he sat straight, glancing from the corner of his eyes at her.

"yah speak. i don't have all night."she giggled.

"you're the person i trust the most... right now, in my life." boki's sweet voice echoed in the big living room. he just stayed there still, trying to process what he just heard

"so thanks." she said standing from the couch and ruffling his hair as she passed him by.

"good night lee jooheon." finally, she disappeared through the hallway, leaving him alone in the living room, with a raced heart and red cheeks.even though she didn't trust too much in jooheon's hability to fix cars, she was soon surprised when she heard the motor starting. mrs. do's shouting of excitement woke her up. she wrapped her body in a robe and walked outside.

jooheon's face, neck, arms and hands were black from all the burned oil and dirt the car had. both were jumping happily on their feet once they realized jooheon's doings had worked.

"i can't believe it." mrs. do said.

"well i'll be damned." boki mumbled as she walked out of the house. jooheon glanced at her with a confident look.

"well?" he asked, crossing his arms on his chest.

"woah... tha'ts impressive jooheonie... congrats. now i owe you a pizza." he seemed confused, his eyes narrowed as he tilted his head to one side.

"pizza? we never-

"tonight after work. it's on me." boki said with a smile as she returned inside the house.

jooheon glanced at bona confused but she just flashed a pair of thumbs up.

"a date?" she mumbled but he quickly shook his head.

"god save me." with this mrs. do just laughed as she smacked the back of his head.

"go get a bath. i'll have lunch ready for all of us." mrs. do said as she returned inside. jooheon glanced at the old car as he thought it'd be a good idea to take it to the car wash.

once they ate the lunch, boki followed him outside. "where are you going?"

"i am taking it to the car wash... it's kind of dirty inside too." boki glanced back at the house and then at jooheon again.

"fine. i'll go with you, i need to buy some stuff." he just shrugged as if he didn't care, but deep inside, his heart raced.

"sure hop in." he turned on the engine and boki's impressed eyes marveled around.

"you really know your stuff." he just smiled.

"care to tell me?" jooheon just shrugged. "my uncle... he was a mechanic and taught me a few things."

"few things? you're an expert." he looked away at the memory of his now deceased uncle, suddenly missing him. boki noticed again, a flash of a sad memory just like yesterday, when he talked about his gradma. but she didn't want to ask him. she didn't want to put him in an uncomfortable position. but also, she felt like shit if she didn't do it.

"where's he now?" he glanced at her, eyes turning glassy. and then she wondered how sensible jooheon was, behind that tough facade, he was actually a sensitive guy. very different from kihyun, who was like a concrete wall. she never witnessed moments like jooheon had with her. except for that one time when he confessed feeling pressured from his father, for having high expectations of him. but jooheon being sensible, somehow was endearing to her. she felt the need to hug him every time he looked like this.

"in a better place i guess... or that's what my mom used to tell me."she looked down, shame covering her face. she expected an answer like "in china or the us" but never that he was gone too.right then, boki wondered how lonely jooheon was, lonely of a family.

and then the pieces fit together. that's why he felt so attached to boki's mom. she sighed as she glanced at him. "well i am glad he taught you mechanic stuff... we surely needed one."

he smiled as his eyes remained glued on the street. "speaking of which... do you have a license?" she asked, crossing her arms on her chest. he rolled his eyes as with one hand, he pulled his wallet out of the pocket and threw it at her face.

"look inside."

"ouch!" she complained as she opened the wallet. her heart skipped a beat when the first thing she noticed was a picture of two kids.

one of them seemed to be a baby jooheon, probably around 5 years old with an older kid, probably 8 or 9. her heart twitched at the view, both kids wearing denim overalls, jooheon's inside shirt was red while the other's was blue. she swallowed hard as she glanced back at jooheon for a second, his features were exactly the same. he looked exactly like he did in the picture, just taller and bigger.

the other kid though...

"you can't find it? or are you trying to steal my money?"

"yah!" she exclaimed smacking his head. he complained in pain.

"what's up with the do girls always smacking me?" "because it's fun. here it is." she said grabbing the license and immediately laughing at the picture that appeared there. he complained, rolling his eyes.

"tsk. i was 18 okay?"

"yeah... you were also chubby and had acne and- she couldn't stop laughing, he just turned serious on the wheel, keeping his eyes on the road.

"okay enough bullying time. give me that back!" he exclaimed trying to reach for the wallet but boki avoided his hands.

"ah you were so cute... even if you looked like a nerd. what happened to you?" she joked, making him laugh instantly.

"if you want to keep your head you better return that now."

"alright alright." she said with lifted hands, a clear gesture of defeat.

"i trust your driving now..." she said returning the wallet to him. he nodded.

"thanks." boki just smiled. the question hammering at the back of her neck. who was that kid?

"who's that kid?" she found herself asking. his eyes widened softly as he blinked probably several times.

he glanced shocked at her but quickly returned his eyes to the road. "what kid?"

"uh... there's a picture of you and a kid-

"yah what makes you think that's me?" it was now her time to glare at him. "dimples? it's you. there's no denial." he remained silent for a second, and again, a sad memory crossed his eyes.

"you're a wacko just like your boyfriend. that's not me."

"jooheon. it's obviously you... but who's the other guy-

"shut up we're here. go and buy your lady things while i get this car cleaned. see you in half hour here." he said parking and opening the door for her. she remained silent for a second but finally groaned softly in frustration and stepped outside of the car.

on her way to the store, she couldn't help but wonder if she had gone too far by asking that?

but again, she was just curious. now, she was suddenly curious about jooheon's life. it was obvious he was reckless and a rebel. but now, in the past weeks, she had learned a few new things about him. good and bad.

for example, he was a good worker. suddenly the thought of kihyun, having him fired from his jobs, hurt deep inside.

in the short time he had worked on her mom's restaurant, she realized he was actually hard working and responsible.what kihyun did, had no name. it was shameful and selfish and deep inside she knew, she could never let go of it. on the other hand, boki also learned that jooheon was a lonely person. he seemed to not have relatives. his grandparents gone, his father and now his uncle.

was he really that lonely?

he seemed to have a bad relationship with his mother, after what he almost admitted the previous day, about boki's mother being a model mother.

where there more secrets? where there more things he was hiding? more pain? more loss?

the kid in the picture surely seemed to be way more important that his uncle or grandma and she knew that's why he decided to quickly change the subject. because he almost gave himself away when he talked about his uncle and gradma and he didn't want to seem weak on boki and her mother's eyes.

not him. not right now.

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