Archive of Our Own

     If running a coffee shop was an RPG, new customers were always the daily tasks.

     Seungmin chuckled to himself at that comparison. But hey, after all, he was just a kid. Granted, a kid who should be in his first year of university, but still a kid nevertheless. And, seeing the usual Monday morning rush at Park’s Happiness, Seungmin couldn’t help his mind wandering off to make his job just a tad more interesting.

     New customers were always at the back of the line. It was usually the regulars that came first, lining up to get their usual morning sugar rush before heading off to work. Seungmin didn’t mind the crowd; it was a sign that his parent’s coffee shop was successful. After all, why wouldn’t it be? The shop offered several drink options all made in record time, had a kitchen in the back to make freshly baked goods and on top of that, had a crowd of beanbags and bookshelves at the shop’s corner, making the place very attractive for the younger population as well. 

     But Seungmin knew that the secret ingredient of Park's Happiness's crowd stemmed far beyond that. It wasn't just the drinks, the workstations, or the comfy lobby furniture that made up the majority of its success. No, it was something beyond the tangible world, something that cut beneath the surface.

     “Hello, Ms. Peters. Today’s Kelly’s birthday today, isn’t it?” Seungmin cheerfully asked the next customer, taking out his notepad to mark the order.

     The kindly woman gave a huge smile. “Why yes, dear, that’s awfully sweet of you to remember!”

     “Forget the special days of my favourite customers? Of course not!” Seungmin said with a wink. “So, is it the usual?”

     “You know me, Seungmin,” Ms. Peters said with a laugh. “I’ll tell Kelly you wish her a happy birthday!” Seungmin wrote down the usual order of lavender cappuccino with cinnamon and double sugar, even though he had it memorized by now.

     “I’ll include those double chocolate brownies that Kelly likes,” Seungmin said. “It’s on the house!”

     “Oh no, Seungmin, I couldn’t possibly-”

     “Please allow me. Think of it as her birthday present,” Seungmin said, already writing down the treat. He opened the door to the kitchen. “Five squares of double chocolate brownies!” he called to the bakers.

     “You’re an absolute angel. Have a fabulous day!” Ms. Peters gushed.

     Seungmin waved her off with a smile before going to the next regular. “Mr. Robbers, that’s a heavy briefcase you have there. Is that a sign that I should add in three extra sugar packets to your coffee?”

     “You know me well, Seungmin,” the elderly man chuckled. “I have a huge proposal I need to present to the marketing team. I’ll definitely need something to get me through trying to squeeze even a single idea into their thick skulls!”

     “A little something coming right up!” Seungmin wrote down the usual order of coffee: two milk, five sugars. “Good luck with your presentation!”

     “I’ll need it!”

     The next customer was a girl a year younger than Seungmin but still recognized him upon reaching the counter. “Seungmin, I’ll take the usual!”

     “A medium hot chocolate with extra marshmallows and sprinkles coming right up, Samantha,” Seungmin said, rolling his eyes playfully. “Anything else?”

     “Maybe…” Samantha clicked her tongue twice. “A side of Literature notes?”

     Seungmin shook his head in mock disappointment. “I told you Ms. Stevenson will not repeat what she says if you don’t take notes fast enough, but did you listen?”

     Samantha groaned. “I’m sorry; I should have listened to her former students. But please, help me out, I have a test this Wednesday!”

     “Okay, that’ll be an additional five dollars.”

     “Seungmin!”

     “Okay, okay, I’ll give it to you when I call you for your hot chocolate.”

     “You’re a lifesaver, Seungmin! I’m telling all my friends to come here instead of Starbucks from now on!” Samantha said, leaving the counter.

     Seungmin gave a sigh of relief. Good, he was done with all the regulars. Now, it was time for the newbies. Not that he minded the regulars. They were an absolute pleasure to have small talk with and all thought Kim Seungmin was the best thing since sliced bread. Of course; his parents would not want customers to think otherwise.

      “Seungmin, why does someone come to a coffee shop?” his mom asked him years ago.

     “Because they… want coffee?”

     His mom rolled her eyes. “Nice deductive reasoning. But WHY do they want coffee?”

     “Because they like it?” 

     His mom stared at him, waiting for another answer. Seungmin thought for a while. “Because they need energy.”

     “Okay fine, but WHY do they need energy?”

     Seungmin was getting fidgety; his 15-year-old self much preferring to procrastinate on his homework with video games than answer confusing trick questions. But still, he managed to conjure a response. “Maybe because they have a long day ahead of them? So they need something to lift up their spirits.”

     “Exactly!” his mom said, snapping her fingers. “A lot of customers are looking for something to brighten up their day, a little something to bring a smile to their faces. That’s the secret ingredient your father and I have. It’s not just a drink that can accomplish that. It’s friendship, a simple smile and a sentence that shows you care. THAT’S what keeps people coming back. That assurance that they are welcome and they will leave that shop feeling a little bit better than before. Remember that, Seungmin.”

     “Okay mom, I will.”

      Seungmin wasn’t one to brag, but he was good at what he did. Good enough for his parents to leave him in charge of the coffee shop while they went “soul searching,” a.k.a travelling around the world as much as their paychecks and inheritances allowed. Ever since Park’s Happiness opened five years ago, Seungmin observed what his parents did, chatting up the customers. He learned how to memorize even the smallest details they told you, because remembering those details showed you cared.

     And he wasn’t unhappy. Sure, ideally, Seungmin should be sleeping in a college dorm, skipping classes, going to parties. Oh, and studying in whatever major he did. He shouldn't be taking a gap year to run Park’s Happiness while his parents were away. But it wasn’t like Seungmin even had a clue what he wanted to major in, so maybe this year off would be good for him. 

     In the meantime, he spent a day behind the counter wearing his sunshine smile, munched on cafe leftovers at the end of the day, and sweet-talked his parent’s employees to take over a shift if he ever felt like he needed a break. Yes, life was certainly going in a different direction, but it was a comfortable path and Seungmin didn’t mind taking it. 

     Mornings were always the busiest. There were lots of regulars but also new customers. Seungmin knew his parents' motto for new customers. Make them want to come back. Seungmin had the words playing in his head over and over like a mantra as he addressed the next customer, a raven-haired boy probably around Samantha’s age.

      Make them want to come back. Challenge accepted.

     Seungmin pasted on a smile showing all teeth. “Hello, welcome to Park’s Happiness! What can I get you?”

     The boy froze for a moment, his eyes scanning the menu above. “Hello… I will… I will get...” He clammed up.

     English clearly wasn’t his first language. Seungmin sympathized with that. “Take your time. Our options can be overwhelming,” he joked, hoping to make the boy feel at ease.

     Mission failed. The boy’s mouth seemed to grow dry, his eyes scrunching to try to make out the words on the board. Seungmin made a mental note to talk to his parents about the annoyingly cursive letters they insisted to write the menu with. 

     This boy was clearly uncomfortable and that meant Seungmin wasn’t doing his job. His childish desire to win every RPG task took over. He gave the boy a gentle smile. “How about I surprise you?”

     The boy’s face contorted into confusion. “Sur-prise?”

     “I will give you.” Seungmin pointed to the boy. “A drink I choose.” Seungmin held up a cup. “How about that?”

     The boy stayed silent for a few seconds before cautiously nodding. “Okay…” He quickly left the counter to sit at a table.

     Seungmin didn’t have time to ask the boy for his name. It was a shop procedure, so Seungmin could call out the name of the person so they could collect their drink. He didn’t blame the boy for not waiting, as Seungmin had never asked the name of the regulars in precedent drink orders. He almost called the boy back but decided against it. He was uncomfortable enough; it would be best if Seungmin gave him the drink personally.

     And so, the morning went. Seungmin dealt with the next few customers in an equally sweet fashion. 10 points if he comes back tomorrow, 20 points if she returns next week, not a chance that he will come back anytime soon… His hands were busy preparing the drinks for the customers and receiving the baked goods from the kitchen (Ms. Peters smothered him in a hug after presenting the brownies. Samantha insisted she was already typing up a good review on her blog when Seungmin presented her his notes. Mr. Robbers said the same thing for Trip Advisor.) 

     Soon, he had given the regulars their orders and had finished making a drink for the boy. Despite it being March, winter was still stubbornly clinging to Canada. Therefore, Seungmin settled on giving the boy a simple hot chocolate, with marshmallows and a side of whipped cream if the boy wanted it. Seungmin had debated making a caramel hot chocolate to spice things up but decided he didn’t know if the boy would like it.

     “I’m taking ten. Miren, cover for me!” Seungmin called into the kitchen. He walked away before he could hear complaints that would never come. After all, what could anyone really say to the owner’s son?

     “Thanks for being patient. Here, hope you like hot chocolate,” Seungmin said, making sure to speak slowly. He slid into the seat next to the boy.

     The boy eyed the drink and took it. He took a small sip, his eyes widening. “Good!”

     Seungmin laughed. “Yeah, our drinks are told that a lot.”

     The boy looked at Seungmin and smiled. “Thank you… for the drink.”

     “It’s my job, don’t worry about it,” Seungmin said, waving it off.

     The boy scanned the store, looking curious. “You… look- my age. How are you…” The boy paused, trying different words out of his mouth. “In charge of… here?”

     “How am I running this place?” Seungmin clarified. The boy nodded. “My parents own this place. I’m just looking after it while they’re travelling. I’m taking a gap year. What about you? Don’t you have school?”

     “I have… break,” the boy simply answered.

     “School break? There’s no break now in Canada. Where are you from?” Seungmin asked.

     “Korea.”

     Seungmin’s face brightened. He switched languages in no time. “You’re Korean!? So am I! My name is Kim Seungmin!”

     It looked like every ounce of tension the boy was holding left his body, deflating like a balloon. “Thank you, I was losing all my brain cells remembering the vocab books I studied! I’m Jeongin!” Jeongin no longer seemed shy in his native tongue. “So is Park from Park’s Happiness the family name?”

     “You got it,” Seungmin said, a halt in his words once realizing what he was implying to Jeongin.

     Jeongin noticed. “But- your surname is Kim. So…”

     “Yeah, I’m adopted. Kim Seungmin is my birth name,” Seungmin said, as casually as he could.

     Jeongin’s face fell. Seungmin had expected it. He had learnt very early in life that it was best to drop the bombshell on people upon meeting them, as opposed to them finding out and increasing the pity. Hello, my name is Kim Seungmin. I’m an only child. Fun facts about me are I like purple and can’t stand spicy food. Oh, and I’m adopted - No, my birth parents are not royalty. No, I don’t miss them. No, I don’t need an appointment with the school’s guidance counsellor. Yes, I’m okay.

      “Wipe that frown off, it’s not a big deal,” Seungmin said, waving it off. “I got adopted when I was like… five. I don’t know my birth parents and I don’t want to. My parents right now are my real ones.” Seungmin hoped Jeongin didn’t pick up the dark undertone in his voice.

     “Shame. If you cared enough, you could go on a grand adventure to find them.” Seungmin relaxed when Jeongin resorted back to joking.

     “So, what brings you here?” Seungmin asked, changing the topic.

     Jeongin lost his words again, clearly not expecting the question. “Oh! I’m here on an… exchange trip. I signed up to stay with a family here to explore another country. I arrived last week.”

     “Do you like what you see so far?”

     Jeongin shrugged. “I’ve spent my time trying to fight jet lag. I need to start searching.”

     “I can give you recommendations,” Seungmin said. “I know this place well.”

     “Were you born here?” Jeongin asked.

     “No, I was born and raised in Korea,” Seungmin said. “We moved here five years ago when my parents wanted to pursue their dreams of starting a business. They got a deal on this place and they were off!”

     “That sounds impressive,” Jeongin said. “My parents would never take risks like that.”

     “Yeah, my parents love risks.” 

     It was true. Seungmin saw his parents as the most impulsive people ever. Whether it was for opening a coffee shop and even heading out to travel the world, little thought was ever put into their decisions. They put all their trust in fate. They were firm believers of “God only helps those who help themselves.” Well, Seungmin’s parents must have helped themselves a lot, because they were now happy owners of a quaint coffee shop in the centre of Lakeshore, Oakville. Fate was definitely on their side.

     “How long have they been travelling for?” Jeongin asked.

     “Around two months so far,” Seungmin said. “They call often and send postcards.” Was it annoying that they had just upped and left like that? Yes. But, was Seungmin happy for them nevertheless? Of course.

     “You must miss them,” Jeongin said absentmindedly. It was a passing comment, but Seungmin still felt his stomach lurch.

     “Perhaps.” The ringing of the bell signalled more customers entering the shop. “I should probably go now. That will be $3.50. Cash or card?”

     Jeongin pulled out his wallet and fumbled with the Canadian dollars. Seungmin helped him sort it out and took his pay. “Enjoy your drink, Jeongin!”

     “I will,” Jeongin said, already eyeing it wistfully. “I haven’t even finished it and I’m already missing it!”

     “Well, there’s more of where that came from if you ever want to come again…” Seungmin drawled. Make them want to come back. Seungmin felt especially determined about that motto when it came to this customer.

     Jeongin smiled, one that reached his fox eyes and lit up his entire face. “Definitely! I might also just take you up on that offer to give me place recommendations.”

     “I’ll compile a list for the next time you come over.” Dang, Seungmin definitely should ask his parents for a raise. He was putting extra sugar into his sweet talk.

     “Thank you again, Seungmin hyung!” Jeongin said, giving a bow. “See you!”

     Seungmin felt his heart warm up, seeing the boy leave. New customers were nerve-wracking but there were always those rare times when you discovered more than what you bargained for. Seungmin had definitely gotten some bonuses from this daily task. He had no doubt that Jeongin would come back again.

     Mission accomplished.

     Out of all the times Jeongin could have returned to the coffee shop, he had chosen to walk in on Seungmin attempting to take a small nap with his head on the counter at ten in the morning.

     Yes, he knew. Totally unprofessional. Seungmin could almost hear the scolding from his parents. But then again, was it really his fault that his job demanded him to wake up at 6:30 to serve the early customers? Like, who even wanted coffee at 7 in the morning? His life would be easier if coffee was more of an evening drink.

     Anyways, Seungmin was stirred by an annoyingly soft whisper of  “Um… Seungmin hyung?”

     Jeongin yelped when Seungmin woke up with a shock, shaking the sleep out of his eyes. “Did any customers see me like this!?”

     “No hyung, I’m the only one here,” Jeongin said, laughing. “You shouldn’t sleep on the job.”

     “Tell all the coffee lovers to ease up on coffee in the morning and that may happen,” Seungmin grumbled. He then instantly brightened up. “Oh wait, you came back!”

     “I said I would,” Jeongin said with another one of his face-filling smiles. “Speaking of coffee, do you have any?”

     “No, Jeongin. What makes you think you can ask for coffee at a coffee shop?” Seungmin deadpanned. He chuckled and went off to brew the pot. “How much milk and sugar?”

     Seungmin waited while Jeongin finished the hot drink. He suddenly heard a loud rumble. “Hey, your stomach is trying to tell you something."

     Jeongin groaned. “I didn’t eat much breakfast. Don’t even ask me why, I felt too lazy.”

     “So anything you’re setting your sights on for lunch?” Seungmin asked.

     Jeongin gave a sly smile. “Well… there’s one thing I’ve heard Canada is super famous for. It’s supposed to be a breakfast item, but hey, I’m not picky.”

     Seungmin didn’t need to be an Einstein to figure out what Jeongin was talking about. “Oh my gosh, you haven’t had maple syrup yet!?”

     “Well, not in Canada,” Jeongin said. “I figured it’ll taste better here cause it’s where it comes from.”

     “Depends. You need to know the right place…” Seungmin began. An idea began to form in his head.

     Jeongin shifted closer to the counter. “What are you implying…”

     Seungmin smirked. “I get off my shift at noon. Think you can wait until then?”

     Jeongin pointed at the beanbags in the shop. “I will be waiting there!”

     Before Seungmin could respond, one thousand decibel chatter entered the shop. The sound filled the shop with its siren-like noise, interrupting the serene silence within. It was almost as if a huge crowd of people had walked in.

     Except, it was only two people. And most of their chatter was taken up by shouts of “Lix, don’t run away from me, you know I’m right!” followed by a “No! Screw you!”

     Seungmin gave a sigh, all hope for a peaceful day evaporating. “The Jilix twins are here.”

     “The… Jilix twins?” Jeongin asked.

     “Felix and Jisung. They’re twins, completely obnoxious and chaotic, oh- and because of the messed-up nature of the universe, they’re my friends,” Seungmin explained.

     “MINNIEEEEE!”

     “You’re going to scare the customers away!” Seungmin said, switching to English. “Do you guys have an off button!?”

     “You don’t look happy to see your own brothers,” Felix pouted. “Minnie, I thought we were your favourite.”

     Right, one more detail. Seungmin’s birthday was only a week after the twins. That made him the unofficial “triplet” of the group. Meaning that Jisung and Felix had full permission to go around announcing that Seungmin was “related” to these human tornados. He really was a lucky one.

     “Can I take your order?” Seungmin changed tones to his sweet-talking, very passive-aggressive, worker self.

     Felix smirked and put his hand on the table. “I’ll take the usual.”

     “Same here!” Jisung chimed in.

     “One Ice Americano coming up,” Seungmin said, winking at Jisung. He then glared at Felix. “You, on the other hand, can go to hell and stop ordering your ‘usual’ when you change your order every time you come here!”

     “Hah, see, Minnie likes me better!” Jisung teased. He earned a shove from Felix but only stuck his tongue back.

     Right, another peculiarity with being friends with siblings. The sibling rivalry. Though Seungmin hardly complained as most of the time, it involved Jisung slamming the door upon entering the house and yelling at Felix that if he didn’t pay him back his money he won from a bet, he would break his PC. To which Felix would immediately leave his gaming spot next to Seungmin and chase Jisung up the stairs, threatening that he would break his PC. This usually resulted in their mother sitting the two down and explaining that any repairs for broken PCs would come out of their pockets, a scene which Seungmin would happily spectate with popcorn. Seungmin was the only thing the brothers were in a truce on, which was technically an honour.

     “Anyways…” Jisung began while Felix tried to decide his order. “Seungmin, we need you as a tiebreaker. Is cereal a soup or is soup a cereal?”

     Seungmin noticed Jeongin awkwardly standing at the sidelines, probably very lost in the boisterous English conversation. Seungmin sighed. “As much as I’d love to give one of you guys yet another superiority complex, meet Jeongin. He’s here on vacation from Korea. Speak Korean. Jeongin, this is Jisung and Felix.”

     “Really!?” Jisung exclaimed, immediately switching languages. “Is it like, summer break there or something?”

     “Or something,” Jeongin responded sheepishly.

     “Is he a new customer?” Felix asked Seungmin in Korean. It had been a while since the friends had actually had conversations in the language, especially after Seungmin became comfortable in English. It was a bit awkward but not unusual.

     “Just came in yesterday. He wants to explore more of Canada,” Seungmin explained.

     “Oooh, have you seen Ripley’s Aquarium!? Or the CN Tower, or Niagara Falls, or a Raptors Game, or the Tim Hortons, or-” Jisung was very jumpy around new people, always wanting to grace his expertise on foreigners.

     “I just arrived last week,” Jeongin admitted. “But Seungmin says he’ll give me recommendations. Oh, he’s taking me out for lunch, to taste some good maple syrup.”

     “Oh yeah, do you guys want to come?” Seungmin asked.

     Felix shook his head. “Sorry Minnie. Jisung and I have classes. We just got a break now.”

     Both Jisung and Felix were taking classes at the local community college. Felix was taking culinary classes while Jisung was doing entrepreneurship. With Seungmin’s social expertise, it was a running joke between the three that they would someday open their own shop together. It was a nice dream, especially with college (or non-college in Seungmin’s case) life shoving reality in their face at every minute.

     Seungmin hid his disappointment with a smile. “Oh well, maybe another time.” The bells of the door rang again. “Felix, order now! You’ll hold up the line!” 

     Felix quickly ordered a regular ice cap. He and Jisung asked Jeongin a few more questions about how he was liking Oakville and such until Seungmin gave them their drinks.

     “Catch you later, Minnie!” Jisung called back, inviting stares from new customers. Felix gave a peace out and with that, they were gone.

     Seungmin watched them go with… a bit of a sinking heart. Felix and Jisung weren’t just school friends, they were family friends. It had been just a few months after Seungmin had moved to Canada. At the high school arts night (All Canadian public schools required students to take one arts course. Seungmin had chosen vocals since he felt he was decent enough, only to be stuck in his school’s crappy choir for arts night), Seungmin’s parents had heard a few sentences in Korean in the crowded school halls. Like bloodhounds, they had sniffed out the couple speaking the language, and the rest was history. After many family meetups, Jisung and Felix had taken Seungmin under their wing, teaching him English and getting him used to the culture. Seungmin didn’t know what he’d do without them.

     They really were triplets back in high school. But now with the twins off to college and Seungmin with his hands full at Park’s Happiness, he felt like their old memories were slowly beginning to diminish. He never saw the two as often and though he knew their friendship would never change, Seungmin couldn’t help but be bothered by the distance between them. It was small but very noticeable, like a crack on the ground you can’t help but try to avoid.

     “... Seungmin hyung?”

     Right, Jeongin was still here. “I’ll finish my shift soon. Then, let’s go for brunch!” Seungmin promised. Jeongin nodded eagerly and headed over to the beanbags.

     Seungmin was definitely excited. But now, he had to work. He made sure the sugar packets were filled and looked up at the next customer.

     “Hello, welcome to Park’s Happiness! What can I get you?”

     “After tasting that, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to have normal maple syrup again,” Jeongin groaned. He and Jeongin had finished eating and were now walking off the heavy brunch they had had.

     “Unfortunately, I have to agree with you," Seungmin said. “Nothing beats Canadian maple syrup. You should go to a farm. They give out apple cider too and it’s heavenly!”

     “Another thing on my list,” Jeongin chuckled.

     “I wouldn’t mind helping you fulfill your list,” Seungmin casually said, letting his words flow away with the wind.

     But luckily, Jeongin caught it. “Will you, hyung!?”

     “Of course. I’m pretty much my own boss, I can lift off a few shifts here and there,” Seungmin said, shrugging.

     “You’re the best!” Jeongin said. “I was scared I would be lost here and wouldn’t get to do anything. I’m glad I decided to walk into your coffee shop!”

     Seungmin allowed himself to soak in the compliments. But a question stayed on his mind. “Why aren’t you here with your parents?”

     “Oh… them.” Seungmin could almost swear he heard a slight bitterness in Jeongin’s words. “They couldn’t care less about coming here. But hey, it’s my final summer before university. I can live it how I want.”

     Oh, so the kid did have a rebellious streak. Seungmin couldn’t help but burst into laughter at that. “Okay! How about you have the time of your life? That would serve them right.”

     “It would,” Jeongin agreed. He looked around. “I like this place. Like, it’s full of people so you don’t feel isolated, but it also feels peaceful, so you don’t feel overwhelmed.”

     “Yeah, Lakeshore is great,” Seungmin agreed. “I’m really glad I live close by here. And if you walk a certain way, you can see the ocean.”

     “Really, where?”

     Seungmin grinned and turned the corner, leading onto a narrow road that connected to a pathway. “Right in front of you.” The ocean sparkled under the March sun.

     “Oh wow,” Jeongin said. “This place has a lot of surprises!”

     “Yeah, if we keep on following this trail, there’s a lighthouse too,’ Seungmin said.

     “Oh, please lead the way!” Jeongin seemed to be curious about everything, no matter what it was.

     Seungmin looked ahead at the trail, a path he had walked on numerous times, in a place that had become home after only a few years. And he was more than happy to walk it again.

     “Of course!”

     And just like that, Jeongin became a “regular”.

     The hot chocolate with extra marshmallows became his “usual” and Seungmin small-talked him just like all the other regulars. Except this time, Seungmin would also see this customer when his shifts were over. This was a customer he spent most of his free time with, one who would often bring a book to the coffee shop, waiting patiently on the bean bags, no matter how long it took. 

     He definitely was Seungmin’s “favourite customer”.

     At first, the two wandered more around Lakeshore, getting ice cream, taking walks, going into other coffee shops to scout out the “competition”. Oh, and maple syrup. A lot more delicious pancakes and waffles with authentic maple syrup.

     That soon escalated to Seungmin driving Jeongin to the nearest Tim Hortons. It was pretty much your typical fast food place (Jeongin insisted Seungmin probably had better icecaps), but hey, this was Canada, one had to visit a Tim Hortons at least once.

     They visited an orchid. Jeongin couldn’t stop talking about the apple cider and maple taffy, everything being so new to him. Sometimes, Jeongin was even to invited Seungmin’s house (a mere walking distance from Lakeshore), the two spending the night watching cheesy K-dramas and action movies. Seungmin would have even allowed Jeongin to sleep over numerous times if it wasn’t for his obligation to stay with the exchange family that had taken him in. But the two certainly pushed that rule, Jeongin leaving Seungmin’s house at almost 1 am on some nights.

     A few weeks passed where something really special happened. Well, Seungmin had had something special planned, but he would have never been able to predict the events later that day.

     Seungmin got the day off from work and told Jeongin he was taking him to Downtown Toronto. That was where all the famous landmarks like the CN Tower were. Seungmin himself had only gone downtown a few times in his life, but it was always a trip worth remembering. The crowd, the restaurants, the attractions, there was nothing not to love about the city.

     Jeongin had gotten a morning ticket on the Go Train. Seungmin, who had to spend the morning cleaning the shop, couldn’t make it then. However, Jeongin assured him that he would be fine taking the train system himself and could meet Seungmin there. Seungmin made sure Jeongin had their meeting spot memorized.

     Seungmin had arrived at the Eaton Centre with the jitters. It was from excitement but also from the apprehension of meeting Jeongin. He should be in front of Hot Topic…

     Instead, Seungmin heard raised voices at the snack shop across. He froze at the voices.

     “Why are you stealing, hm?”

     “Are you deaf or are you going to answer us!?”

     “Does he even know English?”

     “Stop wasting our time and answer us!”

     Seungmin’s worst fears were confirmed when he saw Jeongin standing speechless in front of the two men behind the cashier counter. They looked ready to throw hands.

     “What’s going on here?” Seungmin asked, trying to speak as calmly as possible, despite just wanting to run to Jeongin and make sure he was okay, the poor boy looking like he was going to pass out.

     “He has no cash on him. And won’t respond when we ask him why,” the man said gruffly. “Little brat’s trying to steal this.” He held up a box of Pockey’s.

     “You want to be paid? Here.” Seungmin hastily threw a few bills on the counter. “Keep the change.” Seungmin held his hand out to Jeongin, which Jeongin gladly took.

     Seungmin sat him down on one of the mall benches, letting Jeongin catch his breath. His hands were shaking. A few minutes later, he spoke softly.

     “I’m sorry, Seungmin hyung. I saw the shop and wanted a snack, but I realized I only had my credit card with me. But… I didn’t know how to tell them I’m not paying with cash, then they started yelling at me, and I didn’t know what they were saying-” Tears rimmed his eyes. “I’m sorry! What was I thinking, trying to buy something without knowing the language!?”

     “Those guys were jerks,” Seungmin said. “It’s their fault for not letting you get a word in.”

     “But I have no words!” Jeongin said. “That’s the problem! I made the stupid decision to come here alone without knowing the language and I don’t even know what I’m doing !”

     That brought a new knife-cutting tension. Seungmin didn’t understand what Jeongin was implying.

     “... didn’t you come here to sightsee?” Seungmin asked.

     To his surprise, Jeongin shook his head. “No. I’m here on a wild goose chase and have no idea where the hell I’m going.”

     Jeongin didn’t explain anymore. Seungmin didn’t ask. The two sat in silence, recovering from the spontaneous events of before.

     “I’m hungry… You said you had a place for lunch?” Jeongin finally asked.

     Seungmin did. But now, he was regretting it. “It’s a buffet. Where you have to talk to a lot of people. Are you sure-”

     “Yeah, let’s go,” Jeongin said, getting up with a start. “I’m not ruining this day.

     Seungmin didn’t even get the chance to tell Jeongin he could never do such a thing before Jeongin walked ahead and Seungmin had to catch up with him to lead the way.

     Marché was a great place. They had every cuisine and dessert, something for everyone. But Seungmin was too worried about Jeongin to explore. He led Jeongin to the Italian section where they both ordered the classic pasta with a side of fries.

     Taking their seat, Seungmin shifted awkwardly, waiting for Jeongin to say something. Finally, he put his fork down with a sigh.

     “I’m here… hoping to see my brother.”

     Oh… that was not something Seungmin had expected to hear. “You… have a brother?”

     “Apparently,” Jeongin scoffed. “That obviously wasn’t an important detail for my parents to mention. I figured it out because I found an old photo in my parents’ drawer when I was looking for my watch. They were holding a baby. And it wasn’t me.”

     “Wasn’t… you?” 

     Jeongin shook his head. “It gets weirder. So I kept the photo with me and forgot to put it back when I went out. At a bus stop, a lady next to me spotted the photo in my pocket. She came closer to me and told me something… something about how I might be able to find some answers in Oakville. She also mentioned how Lakeshore is always 'lovely year-round.' She walked away before I could ask her anything. I thought I had imagined everything. But I did research and realized she was talking about Canada.”

     “And you just… listened to her?” That didn’t sound like something Seungmin would ever do.

     “Not exactly,” Jeongin said, his face darkening. “I confronted my parents about the photo. They confessed to me that I did have a brother. They didn’t deny the location I had of Lakeshore. That was all I needed.”

     Seungmin knew the story wasn’t over yet. “And…”

     “And we fought,” Jeongin said plainly and simply. “My parents said I wasn’t supposed to search for my brother. They wouldn’t even tell me his name or why he doesn’t live with us anywhere. They just said something stupid about how ‘he doesn’t want to be found’. I got really mad at how much they were keeping from me. I packed my bags, contacted an exchange family, and left. My parents don't approve of me being here. Yet here I am, trying to search for a random person with no freaking clue what’s his name, what he looks like, or where to find him. The most idiotic thing I’ve ever done.”

     Seungmin sat there shell shocked after the numerous surprises dropped. But something wasn’t right. “Why do you care so much about a brother you never knew existed until now?”

     “I mean, I think I have one memory of him…” Jeongin shook his head and shrugged, apparently deciding against sharing it. “Plus, it’s not just about him. It’s about finally doing something for myself.”

     “Meaning…”

     Jeongin sighed. “When I was a kid, I was really sick. I spent most of my early years at the hospital. I was at death’s door during those times apparently. I’m all better now though,” Jeongin quickly added, clearly noticing Seungmin’s stunned expression. “But my parents can’t move on. I understand their fear, but they still treat me like glass, someone who can break apart at any minute. They never let me out of their sights when I was little and we’ve never travelled as a family. I thought them keeping my brother from me was another stupid ploy to protect me. I’m an only child, I get lonely. So I guess coming to Canada was like a chance for me to finally breathe and gain some control. I want a brother but most of all, I also want my freedom back.”

     It looked like Jeongin was done with his explanation. Seungmin paled. There was only one time in his life he had ever been in a hospital. That was a time that would haunt him forever. Jeongin’s story hit too close to home. “I… hope you find him.”

     Jeongin scoffed again. “I’m finding a needle in a haystack.”

     “But you never know,” Seungmin said, letting his voice show hope. “Your decision might seem stupid, but I can guarantee you, it’s the type of decision my parents love making. And they’re happy now because of the ‘stupid’ choices they made. Luck can hit you at the least luckiest of times. I mean, we met out of pure chance. Have a little fate.”

     A small smile tugged at Jeongin’s lips. “Yeah… maybe I can be lucky.”

     “That’s the spirit!” Seungmin grinned. “And hey, at least you’re knowing you have some freedom. And we’re not done! I still haven’t shown you the iconic attractions downtown.”

     The smile spread through Jeongin’s whole body. “Right! The least I can do is have some fun!”

     “So dig in,” Seungmin said, looking at their uneaten pasta. “Though you gotta admit, it’s definitely sketchy how a random lady seemed to be knowledgeable about the whereabouts of your brother.”

     “I’d rather not think about that,” Jeongin said with a shiver. “And oh- this tastes so good!”

     So the rest of the day went well. More than well. What better ends off a day than staring out at the city from the floor of the CN Tower, letting the city lights come to life through the enormous windows? It made Seungmin feel so small and big at the same time. Having Jeongin by his side made him feel at the top of the world. There was still so much to see and do but Seungmin promised Jeongin another day. Both would eagerly wait for another day to come.

     But that day never happened. Because the next day, Jeongin didn’t show up at the coffee shop. Or the next day. Or the next. Seungmin went through his usual work routine, anxiety coursing through his veins, desperately hoping for a raven-haired boy to sound the bells of the door.

     Soon, hope turned to hopelessness. Nobody would occupy the beanbag corner again. Nobody would come in to order a hot chocolate with extra marshmallows. Nobody would respond to Seungmin’s jokes with a smile that lit up an entire being. The person who had filled Seungmin’s weeks with so many memories slowly drifted into an imagination.

     “Relax Minnie, school break is over in Korea, isn’t it? Jeongin probably had to return home,” Felix said.

     “But he didn’t even say goodbye!” Seungmin said.

     “So you’re saying you’re worried something happened to him,” Felix concluded.

     “No, I’m sure he’s safe…” That was actually far from Seungmin’s worries. But how could he explain to Felix how Jeongin’s sudden departure had hit him in a different way? How could he ever begin to comprehend the renewal of the hidden skeletons that he had managed to keep away for years?

     “I just miss him, that’s it,” Seungmin said, trying to muster a playful smile.

     “Understandable, Minnie. But hey, it’s not the end of the world. You still have me and Jisung.”

     Seungmin caught something in Felix’s tone. It wasn’t just in his mock disgusted way of saying Jisung’s name (the two were in yet another fight, something stupid over how Felix was taking over their shared Netflix account with Lego Ninjago), but in the sadness of telling Seungmin the world wasn’t ending. Seungmin could tell Felix really didn’t want Jeongin leaving to be such a big deal to Seungmin. He wanted Seungmin to be happy with the friends he had.

     It made sense. Maybe Seungmin should listen. “Of course I have you guys. Nothing can replace that.”

     “Though if you find a replacement for Jisung, I wouldn’t mind,” Felix joked. “But thanks man, that means a lot.”

     “Sure, sure, can I take your order?”

     “Yeah, I’ll take the usual.”

     “Felix, I will chuck you out of the freaking window-”

     Life went on. It went on really fast. In fact, the rush at the coffee shop and the daily hours made months pass by in the blink of an eye and before he knew it, Seungmin’s birthday had arrived.

     As per tradition, it was celebrated at Felix and Jisung’s house. A bunch of his parent’s friends were also there, but they didn’t have any kids for Seungmin to talk to. So his party consisted of the parents’ chatter filling up the first floor while Jisung, Felix, and Seungmin holed up in the twins’ shared bedroom, hanging out until they were called for cake cutting. Nobody was complaining.

     The only difference was, Seungmin’s parents were not present. Their recent postcard located them somewhere in New Zealand. Still, Seungmin had hoped for at least a phone call, but nothing came. He shook it off, trying to look forward to the festivities. But an ache in his tummy formed, not going away no matter how much fun it was fooling around with his friends.

     He tried to make it go away, surrounded by so many joyous people, belting out “Happy Birthday” and all scrambling to feed Seungmin a slice of the cake. People who cared, people who were happy for him.

     But the ones that should have been at the top of the world were nowhere by his side.

     Finally, Seungmin couldn’t take it anymore. He saw a chance to slip away and talk to Jisung and Felix’s mom. “Ms. Lee, are there any missed calls from my parents?”

     Mrs. Lee made an ‘o’ as if she had just remembered something and for a second, Seungmin had hope. “No, no phone calls…”

     Or not.

     “But your mother told me before she left on her trip that she and your father left a present for you in your family’s present cupboard.”

     The present cupboard! It was a small shelf in the house attic where Seungmin’s birthday presents were always kept. It was the first place he would go to every year he woke up for his birthday. How had it never occurred to him to check there?

     A present was no phone call but at least it was some sort of communication. Still a sign that his parents were thinking about Seungmin despite the adventures they were definitely having elsewhere.

     The party didn’t end until nighttime and Seungmin tried to remain patient, politely thanking everyone for the presents and well wishes. After a final goodbye to Felix and Jisung, he was in his car, back to his house.

     The present cupboard was probably the only thing in the attic that wasn’t dusty. Seungmin’s parents kept it clean on a regular basis. One would think that they would also clean the rest of the attic while they were at it, but the dust that filled the air when Seungmin even put his foot on the ground made it painfully obvious that that was not how they rolled.

     Seungmin’s heart was beating as he put his hand on the handle of the cupboard. What could be in it? Seungmin had never made any specific requests but his parents always had a knack for getting him presents he never asked for but always needed (he had never once asked for Mario Kart in his life, yet that present had had him and Felix sitting in front of a screen for hours every day.) What was special this time? Light filled the cupboard to reveal…

     An envelope. Seungmin scanned the cupboard to see if there was anything else, but that was all. Seungmin took the envelope to see if maybe there was a gift card inside.

     Not even that. All there was was a birthday card. Seungmin’s heart sank. He wasn’t a spoilt kid who demanded a gift for every occasion, but was a mere birthday card the only thing his parents thought was good for him? He opened it and was promptly surprised.

     Writing. Lots of it. This wasn’t an ordinary dollar store card. His parents had written out an entire letter. Seungmin allowed himself to feel touched. He began reading.

     He started out with hope but by the end of the letter, all there was left was raw and utter confusion.

      Seungmin! Hi!

     We know what you're thinking. Seriously, a cheap birthday card for your special day? What were we thinking? Luckily, you went through your emo teenage phase years ago, so we know you won’t just throw this letter away in disgust without reading it.

     Contrary to what you’re believing right now, your father and I do have a birthday gift planned for you! But come on, you’re a growing boy, why should you have everything handed to you? No, you’re going to have to search for your gift.

     That’s right. Your corny and embarrassing parents are sending you on a scavenger hunt! How fun! Here are the rules:

• You will be getting various hints, the first one being in this letter. The hints will lead you to more hints, along with rediscovering certain ‘special’ parts of your life.

• What is the end goal you ask? That’s a secret. The only clue we’ll give is that as you experience the old parts of your life again, the final product will lead you to something ‘new’

• Oh, and most importantly, have loads and loads of fun! Don’t just do this to get your present. Enjoy yourself! You might be wondering how, but I think it’ll become obvious as you experience the scavenger hunt.

     So are you ready? Because here is your first hint!

     Hint: Remember you and your father’s little bet on which customers would always come back? We still think he owes you $10… go and collect your payment!

     That’s it on our end! You’re going to have a blast! Go have fun, please don’t miss us. It’ll ruin the enjoyment. 

     Lots of love,

     Mom and Dad <3

      If it weren’t for the peculiarity of the message, Seungmin would have burst out into laughter. That was his parents; all jokes, very little seriousness, like little kids playing the Game of Life. Oh, and total mind readers. All of Seungmin’s insecurities were cleared up.

     But still… a scavenger hunt. What was Seungmin looking for? What did they mean by ‘something new”? Heck, what did ‘rediscovering the old part of his life’ even mean?

     Hesitant, Seungmin took out his phone and dialled his parents’ number.

     “Hello, you’ve reached the Parks! Every call matters, so we’ll definitely get back to you! Oh… and if you’re Seungmin, no cheating kid! Follow the instructions, you don’t need your parents’ help!”

     Yup, Seungmin was definitely laughing. His parents must have updated their voicemail knowing today was the 22nd. They really were calling out random numbers on the Game of Life, certain that they would win the spin in the end. Which meant Seungmin now had to take this seriously.

     Hint one… that certainly brought back a lot of nostalgia. When his parents had first told their customer motto to Seungmin, Seungmin and his dad would take turns behind the counter, being complete angels to the new customers. They then would place bets on who would eventually return. They had a special shelf in the back kitchen where they would keep the money they owed the other. Come to think of it… that workaholic lady that Seungmin had bet $10 on, despite her busy schedule possibly preventing her from coming back for coffee, had returned just a week before his parents had left on their travels. His dad did owe Seungmin $10!

     It was late, but Seungmin still drove over to Park’s Happiness. He unlocked the shop and went to the kitchen. The shelf was at the back, empty. Except for the $10 bill taped to the back wall.

     Chuckling, Seungmin took it. He felt around the rest of the space until touching a piece of paper that almost cut him. 

     Taped to it was, strangely, one of the pens Seungmin had gotten for his 7th birthday. It wrote out invisible ink that could only be seen by the light at its other end.

      Seungmin, if you’re reading this, we are very thankful you didn’t throw away that letter you found. Oh, and just in case you found this by accident, PLEASE forget you saw this. Put it back! You can keep the $10!

      Luckily for his parents, Seungmin hadn’t even bothered to check this shelf for months. It was amazing they had actually thought that far ahead.

      Hint: Remember that pen? We bet you lost it by now. Why can’t you be like Felix? He saves all his birthday cards and presents. In fact, he probably still has that one card we gave him for his 18th birthday, the one with the Fortnite gift card. Though we think we accidentally wrote in invisible ink on the second page of it…

      That was it. Seungmin turned the paper around to see if there was more of a hint, but this was all he had to go on. The idea that his parents had written the third hint on his friend’s birthday card two years ago was absurd, reckless, and… totally the type of thing Seungmin’s parents would do.

     Seungmin smirked. This was getting interesting.

     Seungmin called Felix the next day on one of his breaks.

     “Hey. If I can get a Tuesday off from work, can you skip a few classes?”

     “Huh? I mean, I definitely can. But Jisung wouldn't be free, he’s always crammed on Tuesdays.”

     “Exactly.” Seungmin grinned. “I want a video game day again.”

     Silence on the other end. Seungmin was contemplating if Felix had possibly fainted from shock. “R- really!? With pizza, and nachos, and fries-”

     “And ice cream, and chocolate and enough junk food to make us explode,” Seungmin concluded with confidence. “I missed those days, let’s do it again.”

     “I have only one class on the Tuesday after next Tuesday. I can skip it!”

     “Perfect. I’ll pay Miren $10 dollars to cover for me that day,” Seungmin said.

     “Would $10 cover it?”

     “Oh, I happened to come across it one day. Might as well put it to use,” Seungmin said slyly. “See you then, Lix!”

     “Bye, Minnie!”

     Seungmin hung up feeling very satisfied. At first, he had planned to merely stop by Felix’s house to check out his birthday cards. But a rule on his parent’s letter had made him reconsider.

3. Have loads and loads of fun!

      So heck, if he was going to Felix’s house anyway, why not make a day out of it? Seungmin had always felt disappointed about the distance forming between him and his friends. Now was the perfect chance to close it.

     Seungmin called out into the back. “Miren! If I give you $10, can I get a day off!?”

     Back when Seungmin had gotten Mario Kart for his birthday, Felix had freaked out, insisting the two had to play. So Felix ordered pizza and Seungmin came over with his game. The two had had their eyes glued to the screen for hours. Felix then got a whole bunch of RPGs for Christmas and had gotten Seungmin hooked. From then on, video game days were common between the two, much to the disapproval of their parents.

     Once they got older, work and college got in the way of their tradition. So Seungmin was heavy with excitement outside of Felix’s house, Mario Kart in hand.

     Felix had the entire room set up. Bean bags? Check. Large pizza? Check. Full-screen TV? Check.

     “My parents aren’t home!” Felix said, already on a sugar rush. “Let’s get it!”

     And so the hour followed, yells filling the household as many wins and losses took over the screen.

     “I’m in first place! Suck on it!”

     “Oh no, Lix, my shell just hit you! Might as well just overtake you!”

     “Ahh… but you forgot about the banana peel I left in your path. GG!”

     The competitiveness eventually left the confines of the screens and expanded to the pillows in the room and the leftover popcorn in the bucket. Hours later, the two were on the ground, candy littering the floors, and their laughter run on sugar.

     “This was so fun!” Felix exclaimed!”

     “You bet!” Seungmin’s stomach hurt, but this time from laughter. The only time it was acceptable.

     Both of them definitely needed a day like this. Their sidewalk was no longer littered with small cracks. It was a smooth walkway, completely unbreakable.

     “Hey, Lix, you know how you save all your birthday cards, right?”

     “Yeah…” Felix dreamily muttered. “So?”

     “Weird question. Can I see them?”

     “Why?”

     Seungmin finally explained the scavenger hunt given to him by his parents. It wasn’t a secret, Seungmin had just never gotten the right chance to tell Felix and Jisung.

     Felix was on his feet in seconds. “Holy crap, you’ve become a spy now, Minnie!”

     “In a way.” Seungmin laughed. “And somehow, one of the hints is on your 18th birthday card.”

     Felix frowned. “I never saw anything.”

     Seungmin smirked and took the invisible ink pen out of his pocket. “Now we will”

     The Lees didn’t like throwing things out. Hence why Felix had a drawing crammed with old report cards and birthday cards. It took a lifetime to search through it.

     “Here!” Felix finally said. His 18th birthday card was folded at corners but still salvageable.

     “Okay, give it here.” Seungmin opened the card and shone the pen’s light on the blank spaces. “Any place now, we should see words… over here!”

     Felix’s eyes widened, seeing blue letters appear on what was originally a blank page. “That’s so freaking cool!”

     It took a while for the pen’s light to cover all the letters but eventually, the message was clear.

      Yes Seungmin, your crazy parents had this hunt planned years in advance. The things we do for you, huh?

     Hint: Though you’re one to talk about being crazy. We’re not the ones who took over abandoned storage spaces and called them ‘secret hideouts’. That’s right, we knew about it all along! We even know about the vandalism you did to that place. We… might have even written a message of our own there. We’re going to ignore how legal your antics are because we want you to see our creation we’re very proud of :)

      “What’s it saying?” Felix asked, confused.

     “I know EXACTLY what it’s saying,” Seungmin groaned. “I can’t believe they knew!”

     “Knew what?” 

     “Oh… nothing. Just a little secret I have with your brother,” Seungmin said with a wink.

     Felix scoffed. “Jisung? You guys have secrets now?”

     “Right, cause I can only imagine how well informed he is of our video game days,” Seungmin pointed out.

     “Fair enough,” Felix said. He smiled. “But I enjoyed today, Minnie. We need to do this more often.”

     “Right. We need to bring back this tradition,’ Seungmin said. And strangely enough, he had the conviction to hold onto that promise. “Call me whenever.”

     “Aw… come here!” Felix pulled Seungmin into a hug, despite his protests. “I’ll be back to order a usual!”

     And just like that, their day was over. But there definitely would be more in the future.

     Upon departing, Seungmin took his phone out. Felix would throw a fit, but it was time for a little bit of betrayal.

     “Hey, Jisung. Tell me what day you have the evening off.”

     “So you’re telling me your parents knew about our hideout all along!?” Jisung exclaimed. “And not only that, they used it in this treasure hunt they’re sending you on!?

     “Crazy, right?” Seungmin picked at another fry, still processing that information. “It’s just like them to use that knowledge for their own gain instead of ratting us out.”

     “I miss that place…” Jisung said, almost a bit wistfully.

     Memories also flowed through Seungmin. “Yeah, same. But that’s what we’re here for after all.”

     Jisung had gotten the evening off the very next week, so the two were in the mall food court. They were playing it low, preparing themselves for the kind of, sort of, possibly illegal act they were about to commit.

     They scanned the crowd, waiting for it to thin. Soon, families packed up and left and other groups went to explore the stores. 

     “Okay, let’s go!” Jisung said.

     It was by the side of the last restaurant lining the court. Making sure nobody saw them, Seungmin opened the door, leading them into a small hallway with more doors. They snuck into the second one on the left.

     Seeing its contents, it really was a hub of memories.

     Jisung and Seungmin discovered this place when they were 15 while they had been looking for the washroom (thank goodness for their crappy sense of direction.)  It could have been an old janitor's closet or storage room, but what mattered was that nobody was ever in it. Whiteboard took up two of the walls and it was a barren but cozy space. Only one thought had gone into the two teenagers’ minds.

     Take it over.

     And take it over they did. They brought cushions to line the walls and even pinned in a floating shelf that Seungmin had found in the attic. Oh, and they brought whiteboard markers to use the whiteboards. Those were a mess. They drew all over the walls. Sometimes they came here to study, writing test questions and answers. This was the place where Jisung had quizzed Seungmin on English. This was the place they holed up in to gossip about teachers, girls, tests, anything. This was the place where they blasted music through Jisung’s speakers, not giving a care about who would hear them. This was a place they had even fallen asleep in after cramming into the night.

     This place was Seungmin and Jisung’s secret. A special clubhouse only they knew about. Seungmin often felt like this was the link that tied their friendship together. So here they were again.

     “Yo Minnie, our drawings are still here!” Jisung said, running towards one of the whiteboards. “Dang, is that supposed to be a picture of a dog or a jellyfish?”

     “You’re one to talk,” Seungmin said. “Your squirrel looks like a cactus!”

     “Let’s see how much we’ve improved,” Jisung said, picking up a marker.

     “Oh, you’re on!”

     Seungmin nearly forgot about the scavenger hunt as the two rushed back into their high school days, living through their memories. They hadn’t been in this place in months and none of them quite knew why they had stopped.

     “Still a jellyfish, Minnie.”

     “Still a cactus, Sungie.”

     “Why you-” Jisung picked up one of the cushions. “Say that to my face!”

     “Okay, it’s still a cactus!” Seungmin challenged, picking up his own cushion.

     Yeah, Seungmin had completely forgotten about the scavenger hunt. This moment was theirs and they were completely lost in it.

     “Hey… Seungmin?”

     “Yeah?”

     “There’s a message at the top corner of the wall. It says hint-”

     Just like that, Seungmin was running to the wall Jisung was looking at. Surely enough, there were sentences bunched together. Seungmin sighed. His parents weren’t making this easier for him.

     “Sungie, hoist me up.”

     “What!?”

     “Just do it. What are your afternoons at the gym even for?”

     So soon, Seungmin was on the shoulders of a struggling Jisung. “Read it quickly!”

     Seungmin skimmed through the message as fast as he could. He chuckled nervously. “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me...”

     “I’m down.”

     “Wait, Sungie, no-”

     The two toppled over onto the cushions. They were out of breath but soon laughing.

     “Screw you…” Seungmin muttered.

     “So what did it say that got you so shocked?” Jisung asked.

      You hate us kiddo, don’t you? You should have known we adopted you to make your life harder. This is our world now :)

     Hint: You had a great time with Felix and Jisung, didn’t you? It hurt us to move to Canada, away from everything you knew, but we’re glad you found some long-lasting friendships here. Don’t ever forget them. 

     Speaking of moving, we actually gave presents to everyone we knew in Korea as final going-away gifts. But I gave something particularly important to the Bang family. I told Chan to hold onto it. You might just want to go collect it!

      “I think… my parents are telling me to go to Korea,” Seugnmin said in disbelief.

     “Really!? So this hunt is global now!?”

     “It seems so. Gosh, what do they have in store for me?”

     “Cheer up!” Jisung said. “You get to see your old home again.”

     “I guess so…” Seungmin said. “Hey, do you have your speakers with you? Let’s stay here a little longer.”

     Jisung grinned. “Thought you’d never ask.”

     They spent at least another hour in the hideout, talking, drawing some more, and eventually talking about the scavenger hunt.

     “You don’t seem very happy about going back,” Jisung noticed.

     “I am, don’t get me wrong,” Seungmin said. “It’s just… you know how I always say you and Felix are a mess?”

     “I remember,” Jisung said with a playful eye roll.

     “Well…” Seungmin fell against the cushions. “I left an even bigger mess in Korea. One I haven’t quite cleaned up yet.”

     Seungmin’s parents had planned out EVERYTHING.

     His ticket had apparently already been booked (Mr. and Ms. Lee had handed it to him sheepishly, admitting that his parents had left it in their care before leaving.) Miren had also called over extra staff his parents had hired to look over Park’s Happiness. In a week's time, he was all packed to go.

     “This is all happening so quickly,” Seungmin said at the airport. Jisung and Felix had gone to see him off and also to take his car back home.

     “Your end present is probably going to be epic!” Felix said cheerfully.

     “Maybe Korea is your present,” Jisung pointed out.

     “Maybe…” That actually wasn’t such a bad idea. Maybe Seungmin was now being led on some sort of sightseeing trip at his old home. “Anyways, I’m off. I’ll update you guys on what I find." He had no clue what he was going to find.

     “Ayyy, group hug!” Jisung pulled the two in, the triplets sharing a final embrace. Seungmin was thankful for the enthusiasm of the two. Yes, they were definitely human tornados.

     But they were tornados Seungmin would happily be swept along in. He meant it from the bottom of his heart.

     “Okay, see ya guys!” Seungmin didn’t say when. He didn’t know when. But he could allow himself to feel excited.

     Seungmin didn’t stop waving to Jisung and Felix until he turned the corner for security check-ins. He took a deep breath.

     He was leaving his home. Now, he was going to face something old… and very new at the same time.

     It wasn’t like Seungmin hadn’t ever visited Korea since he moved away. His parents tried to make it a yearly trip, staying for around two weeks at a time. But no matter how many times Seungmin stepped into the airport, signs and chatter all around him, cool air coming in from the entrance, there was one thing that would never change.

     The feeling that he had come back home.

     Seungmin used to beg his parents to send him to Korea alone. Now, that adventure was his. And he handled it pretty well, if he did say so himself. He converted his currency and called a cab, having a very specific destination in mind. The jetlag hadn’t hit him quite yet so Seungmin was determined to get as much done as possible before sleep pulled him away.

     Five years ago. That was when his parents had written the fifth hint. This scavenger hunt had been in the making for at least five years. For all he knew, this entire hunt could be his birthright (adopted right? child right?) Seungmin had a hard time wrapping his head around it all. But it explained why none of the hints were numbered. His parents wouldn’t have been able to predict how many there would be.

     The cab dropped Seungmin at the parking lot of a certain building. It was massive, the grounds filled with people running to and fro, many leaving for the day.

     Seungmin stood against the pillar in front of the building, watching the latter. His eyes spotted the man he was looking for and he made himself visible in front of the entrance, waiting to be noticed.

     The man blinked several times seeing Seungmin and rushed forward with wide eyes. “Seungmin!”

     Seungmin grinned, putting his words on hold to envelop the man in a hug.

     “Hi, Channie hyung. Surprised?”

     The Bang family were long-time friends of the Park family (plus a Kim Seungmin, of course.) Seungmin had known Chan for most of his life. It was always a running joke in the family that when Seungmin had first gotten adopted, Chan, only eight years old at the time, had thought his birthday wish for a younger brother had finally gotten fulfilled. 

     Their friendship just worked, like an already assembled puzzle that could never break apart. Leaving Chan was the thing that hurt the most in moving away from Korea. Regular video calls and trips to Korea could never fill in that void.

     “My parents never told me you were coming,” Chan said, sitting behind the wheel in his car while Seungmin climbed into the passenger seat.

     “Yeah, this was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing.” Once again, Seungmin didn’t mention the scavenger hunt. It wasn’t of priority right now with the thrill of being back.

     “I’ll call my parents and tell them you’re here so they can prepare the guest room.”

     “Oh please, you act as if you guys even touch those rooms and they’re not permanently reserved for the Park family,” Seungmin teased. “Anyways, how’s your producing job?”

     “I’m a co-producer right now, but the people I work with usually appreciate my output,” Chan said. “I might just get to produce a full song in the future album the company’s going to release.”

     “There’s my music producer friend being a success,” Seungmin said with a playful nudge. “You should show me some of your work!”

     “You’re asking me to leak unreleased music to you?”

     “Exactly!”

     Chan chuckled. “So your parents are still on their trip of theirs?”

     “They’re on that trip forever!”

     “So what do you want to do?” Chan asked.

     Seungmin yawned on cue. “Can I sleep for some time? Jet lag is a pain.”

     Chan looked at Seungmin with a knowing smirk. “Okay, but when you wake me up at 3 am telling me you’re not tired, I’m leaving you in the dark.”

     “Shut up!”

     Chan’s parents were more than thrilled to see Seungmin, though he could sense their gloom at his parents still being away. But the Park family travelling moto still stood. Why pay for a hotel when you had the Bang family? Seungmin slept peacefully that afternoon and Chan’s parents gave him a full-course meal as a snack. Thankfully, he still had enough room saved up to go out to dinner with Chan.

     “Still on that gap year?” Chan asked after placing their order.

     “You bet.”

     “How’s business at your coffee shop?”

     “Blooming. And it’s not mine, though most of the customers seem to think so by now.”

     “And what’s the real reason you came here?”

     Seungmin almost dropped his spoon. “To see my good friend who I haven’t seen in-”

     “Yeah, yeah,” Chan said, waving the statement away dismissively. “But I’m having a guess that there’s another reason why you’re here. But I don’t want to say it until you tell me yourself.

     Wait, so did Chan know? Seungmin sighed and explained the scavenger hunt for the umpteenth time.

     “The hint I have right now says my parents gave you something important before leaving for Canada,” Seungmin said.

     Seungmin expected confusion from Chan. Not a silly grin and a soft chuckle.

     “I knew that was why you’re here!”

     “You know about this!?” Seungmin explained.

     “I didn’t know it was a treasure hunt, per say,” Chan admitted. “But at your family’s going away party, your parents gave my parents a box of chocolate. Then to me, they gave me a sealed envelope. They told me to hold onto it and to only give it away when you someday ask for it. They used to remind me about the letter every time they visited.”

     Seungmin’s jaw hit the floor. His sneaky parents really did mastermind all of this! “So- you have it!?”

     “At home,” Chan said. “Eat up and I’ll show it to you.”

     So at home, Seungmin lay across Chan’s bed, waiting for Chan to find the “present” entrusted to him years ago. He finally emerged with a tattered but still sealed envelope.

     “Tell me what it says,” Chan said, handing it over.

     Seungmin almost ripped the entire top off in anticipation. He unfolded the paper and slowly read it.

     By the end, his expression was one of pure shock and dread. He put his hands on his head. “Mom... Dad… why!?”

     “What is it?” Chan asked, concerned. Seungmin only handed the paper to Chan.

      We sent you to Korea! How do you like that, kiddo? The Bang family was probably delighted. Tell them we say hello :) Hopefully, there are no hurt feelings in letting Chan in on this.

     Hint: This is probably going to bring up some… bitter feelings. We need you to read this with an open mind, Seungmin.

     We really regret the fact that you were never able to visit Minho in the hospital. But the truth is… we did. And we may or may not have signed something on his cast that we told him to remember. We think it’s about time you paid him a visit.

     P.S. We know you’re still blaming yourself for what happened. None of this is your fault. It’s time to write yourself back into the story you used to have.

      “So you need to…” Chan began.

     “Why would they do this!?” Seungmin said, completely lost amidst the workings of his parents. “I probably won’t even be allowed to visit.”

     “Did that stop you before?”

     Right, Chan had a point.

     “Plus, you’ve always wanted to see him again, haven’t you?” Chan said.

     “I have…” Seungmin admitted. “I always just figured things were too much of a mess to even try.”

     “And now, you have the chance!” Chan said enthusiastically.

     “But what if he… doesn’t want to see me?”

     Chan rolled his eyes. “Why would you think that? Are you still blaming yourself for all that?”

     “I was the one you persuaded him to-”

     “What happened that day was a freak accident that could have easily happened to you or Hyunjin too,” Chan said. “It just happened to be Minho. You aren’t responsible for any of that. You know perfectly well it was Minho’s parents that blew the whole thing up to another scale.”

     “I guess so…”

     “Come on.” Chan smiled. “I know I’m your best friend and all that-” He got a shove for that. “But you and your school friends were like superglue. It wouldn’t be fair if you’re this close to me even after moving away but you drift apart from them.”

     “You’re right. Thanks, hyung,” Seungmin said with resignment. “I guess… I can pay a visit next week.”

     “Great! Then we can have some ‘us’ time until then,” Chan said with a grin. “Let’s sleep now and get up early for breakfast tomorrow.”

     “My body will probably wake me up anyway…”

     “Just don’t wake me up at 3 am.”

     “Shut up!”

     Seungmin did lay awake at 3 am that night. There was too much on his mind. There was a mess he had left behind in Korea. Maybe it was no longer fair to keep on avoiding it.

      Hyunjin… Minho hyung… I miss you both.

      It was March, five years ago, at 4 pm, around 6 degrees Celsius.

     Seungmin, Hyunjin, and Minho had decided to stay behind after school instead of heading home. The school grounds were technically off-limits outside of school hours but nobody was ever around to enforce. So off to the hills the three went.

     They were school friends so they never really got the chance to hang out outside of school. Especially with Minho. He was a high school senior, crammed with exams and college applications. It didn’t help that his parents were strict and no-nonsense, disapproving highly of Minho’s “younger friends” and much rather he spent his time at home, studying.

     That obviously didn’t stop Minho from sneaking out and spending time with Seungmin and Hyunjin. He always claimed that the two younger boys were far more bearable than the “morons in his grade.”

      The three had been inseparable since middle school, when Seungmin and Hyunjin had met in the manga section in their library (Seungmin had gotten lost. Hyunjin had meant to be there 100%) and Minho had also been stacking up on volumes, scanning the corridors to make sure he wouldn’t get busted for his guilty pleasure. Seungmin loved Hyunjin for his constant dramatics in every situation. He loved Minho for his snarky remarks where one would have to have the highest class of humour to laugh along with. Seungmin and Hyunjin could laugh along every time.

     That day, it had snowed the night before and melted around mid-afternoon. The field was just a wet mess of slush. Seungmin and Hyunjin had been whining the entire day that they had missed the chance to go sledding. Their complaints had gotten on Minho’s nerves.

     “Shut up, you two. The hills are slippery from water. Go try sledding there if you want to do it so badly.”

     Yeah, about Seungmin and Hyunjin being the master translators of Minho’s humour? They failed. Their eyes lit up and before Minho could even call out his joke, the two had gotten their sleds from home and dragged Minho to the hills that day after school.

     “This might just work, Seungmin!” Hyunjin said, looking down at the hill.

     “I think so too!”

     “You guys can’t be serious!” Minho exclaimed. He was sitting against a tree reading a book. It was a habit for him whenever he hung out with Seungmin and Hyunjin. The other two never took offence to it. They found comfort in Minho’s mere presence. Besides, they knew the older boy either had to study or grab the opportunity to read the comic books he kept in his secret stash in his room.

     “You bet we are!” Hyunjin threw himself face-first onto the sled and propelled himself down the hill. His screams of “WOOHOO!” echoed through the school grounds.

     “Seungminnie, this actually works!” Hyunjin said, throwing a thumbs up from the bottom of the hill. “It’s a bit bumpy but still fun!”

     “Okay, let’s race!” Seungmin said. Hyunjin came back to the top and Seungmin looked towards Minho. “Minho hyung, I have an extra sled. Race with us!”

     Minho scoffed from his spot. “No, this idea’s stupid.”

     “Don’t be a buzzkill, Minho hyung, come on!” Hyunjin said.

     “No, you two are going to die.”

     Hyunjin eventually dropped the begging, perfectly content with Minho just watching. However, Seungmin had been a bit more exhilarated. He grabbed Minho’s arm. “Hyung, pleaseee? Come on!”

     Minho shook his head in disbelief. “Fine. Loser owes the other two 12000 won.”

     “Deal.”

     Seungmin had been at the far left of the hill, Minho taking the right and Hyunjin in the middle. 

     “3”

     “2”

     “1”

     “Take off!”

     Hyunjin was right. The speed down the soaked hill was still fast. He just felt a bit out of control. He couldn’t focus on his surroundings, focusing on maneuvering his sled. It was all worth it in the end when his sled reached the bottom and Seungmin happily threw himself to the ground, his clothes now soaked.

     “Hyunjin! Minho hyung! I think I won!”

     No response.

     Seungmin sat up. Hyunjin had reached the bottom by then but instead of confirming Seungmin’s call, he leapt himself off his sleigh and began running to the right. Seungmin sat there confused until Hyunjin cried out.

     “Minho hyung! Are you okay!?”

     Seungmin finally got to his feet and followed Hyunjin. 

     Towards the older boy face-first on the grass, making no sound except for grunts of pain.

     After that, everything was just a blur.

     A broken arm. It was horrible, but it could have been so much worse. Minho’s parents disagreed with that notion. The accident on the hill had been the final straw. Seungmin and Hyunjin being at the scene had made them instant enemies in Minho’s parents’ eyes.

     Near chaos ensued the following week. The only thing Seungmin remembered from it was him bawling his eyes out the night of the accident, begging his parents to take him to the hospital to make sure Minho was okay. Minho’s parents had made it clear that neither Seungmin nor Hyunjin was to be in even near vicinity of their son, so the only thing the Parks could do was hug Seungmin consolingly.

     Seungmin knew Minho was okay but never saw him for the next few weeks. Minho’s parents had made sure of that. Seungmin’s parents told him that Minho’s family had nearly pulled out a lawsuit in their dramatics. Hyunjin’s family moved away in the following weeks to distance themselves from the chaos. And soon… Seungmin’s family moved to Canada. His parents had assured him it was just because of the deal they had gotten on a building so they could open up a coffee shop. But a part of Seungmin could never escape the possibility that maybe it was also to get away from trouble too.

     None of this was Seungmin’s fault. He had come to accept that. But what would have happened if he hadn’t been so insistent to have Minho sled with him and Hyunjin? What if he had simply laughed off Minho’s joke and gone home that day? What if he hadn’t been such an immature teenager who thought the world would end if he didn’t go sledding that day? Seungmin couldn't shake off the feeling that in moving to Canada, he was really running away.

     Now his parents were giving him an opportunity to come back. No more running this time.

     Seungmin had wanted Chan to come with him for moral support. Chan had reasoned that he wouldn’t be much help since he didn’t know Minho. So here Seungmin was, standing outside of the Lee household, his heart threatening to beat out of his chest.

     It wasn’t like he had completely cut off contact with his friend. He and Hyunjin were still well in touch. They texted tons of times and still kept up with their video calls. Hyunjin had invited Seungmin over several times when he came to Korea but Seungmin had never been able to, Hyunjin’s new address being too far of a distance. A part of him was also scared about how things stood between them after the family fights.

     Seungmin still technically had contact with Minho. They video called occasionally. Seungmin still followed his Instagram account. But Minho was never able to be available much, probably buried by university work. Seungmin couldn’t blame him. But his naturally paranoid self still worried that Minho blamed him for his injury.

     The fear of being left by the people who cared about him. Seungmin wondered when he would ever be able to convince himself it would never happen.

     Seungmin had sent a text to Minho that he was coming over. He didn’t know if he had gotten it. Either way, there was no turning back now.

     Seungmin rang the doorbell and waited with bated breaths. His feet were right about ready to bolt before the door opened a sliver.

     The familiar older boy with shaggy brown hair and hazel eyes peeked outside, his eyes training on Seungmin.

     He then immediately closed it shut.

     Normally, that would have been the worst-case scenario that could ever happen. Seungmin should have felt devastated, his spirits dropping to ultimate lows.

     But instead, he felt on top of the world. He still remembered the secret code Minho had told him and Hyunjin years ago. And it seemed like Minho still remembered too.

      Guys, if I close the door on you when you ever come over, it means my parents will notice your arrival. If that happens, go to the back door and I’ll let you in from there.

      Seungmin let himself skip happily to the back of the house. He gave a light knock on the see-through door separating the two mediums. Minho came and slid open the door, his shock mirroring the one Seungmin definitely had.

     “... Min?”

     Seungmin felt a smile tug at his face without even willing it. “Minho hyung, hi!”

     Minho put his finger up to shush Seungmin. The two stood in silence for a moment until the slamming of the front door could be heard and the motor of a car leaving the driveway slowly faded away.

     “Okay, my parents are gone. Come in.” Minho said it almost a bit formally. Seungmin inwardly cringed at the tone but knew he probably should have expected it. Five years with minimum contact was a lot.

     Awkwardly, Minho led Seungmin up to his bedroom even though Seungmin could still recall the entire layout of the house perfectly. He let himself be distracted by trying to find any possible changes in every placement. But he could no longer escape when Minho closed his bedroom door and the two were truly alone.

     “Are you here on vacation?” Minho asked, immediately breaking the silence.

     “In a way…” Seungmin began.

     “Or are you here to ask what your parents told me many years ago?”

     Seungmin had been leaning against Minho’s drawing and almost toppled over. “I-uh, But I-”

     “Or am I just that great that you finally decided you couldn’t stay away and decided to visit after all those years?” Minho's voice was sombre, refusing to look Seungmin in the eye.

     Seungmin scanned Minho’s face, recognizing a challenge when it was thrown at him. That’s how it usually worked with Minho. He’d give you a test in the form of a joke or a statement. Your reaction gauged what direction the conversation would go. Seungmin used to be able to pass the test the minute Minho gave one. This time, it took him five whole seconds.

     He laughed. “Yes, that too, hyung. You missed me?”

     Minho smiled in relief at Seungmin for picking up the joke. “Maybe… do I get a hug?”

     This time, Seungmin gave the answer without thinking. Minho let out a surprised “oof” as Seungmin ran into his arms. “I missed you too, Minho hyung. I should have tried to stay in contact better.”

     “You’re grown…” Minho said. “Physically, that is. I doubt I can apply the same statement to your mind.”

     “Oh, shut up!” Seungmin said with a slap. He then stepped away, lingering. “So… you’re not mad at me?”

     Minho arched a brow. “What for?”

     Seungmin didn’t respond, knowing he would look like the biggest idiot if he did. But Minho could already read him.

     Minho burst out laughing. “You’re still hung over the sled thing!?”

     “No…” Seungmin could feel his face turn pink.

     “Forget it. I had fun that day.” Seungmin scanned Minho again to look for the joke, but he looked completely serious. “Besides, I’m just glad it wasn’t you or Hyunjin who got hurt."

     “But I was the one who made you sled with us-”

     “And it was my parents who threw a temper tantrum and started another world war over it,” Minho said, his face darkening. “Hyunjin moved away because of it all. I’m still pissed off about that.”

     A sombre mood went over the room. With a touch of relief. The final confirmation from Minho made Seungmin feel like he could get rid of the last sliver of guilt he still held inside of him.

     “So I can guess you’re still putting off on disowning us?” Seungmin joked. “After the numerous times you’ve threatened me and Hyunjin, I assumed a broken arm was the final straw.”

     “It was. I have the papers filled out. I just need you and Hyunjin’s final signature for the process to be completed.”

     “Signature denied.”

     “Damn it, guess that means I’m stuck with you guys.”

     Seungmin grinned and sat down on Minho’s bed. The room was spick and span, a bookshelf covering one wall (filled with mostly textbooks), an empty desk across the bed and the bed neatly made. It was more like a hotel room than a bedroom.

     Then, Minho went to reorganize his room. It was always a pleasure to watch. First, he pulled down the hangings taped to his walls, rolling down multiple anime posters. He pulled aside a crack in his mirror, revealing a whole new bookshelf with adventure and dystopian novels. Finally, he took a tiny remote under his pillow and pressed a button. The room was instantaneously filled with multiple LED lights, compliments to the disco ball at the side of the room masquerading as a geographic globe.

      Now the room looked like someone actually lived in it. Minho would be a great top-class spy with all the undercover activities taking place in this space away from his parents’ watchful eyes.

     A hiss was heard from the door of the room. Seungmin looked down to see none other than Sooni, one of Minho’s cats, entering the room. His disapproving eyes and hissing sounds were directly at Seungmin.

     “Oh, I hate you too, you little-”

     “Language,” Minho interrupted. He picked Sooni up lovingly and stroked her fur, the latter letting out a relieved pur. “Sooni is sensitive.”

     “Sensitive.” Sooni looked at Seungmin with an almost smug look. Seungmin gave a mock scowl. He and Minho’s cats were not the best of friends, to put it lightly.

     “Okay, that’s done,” Minho said, putting Sooni down, without batting an eye at his room’s transformation. He sat down next to Seungmin. “So tell me about Canada.”

     “Not yet,” Seungmin said, waggling a finger. “First you need to tell me what my parents told you.”

     Minho made a face of mock betrayal. “So that was the only reason you came!?”

     “No. It’s just, I have a strange feeling about where the next hint will lead me to. I want to save my stories until then,’ Seungmin said.

     “Hint?”

     Seungmin groaned and explained everything once again. “And now you’re part of this all. Feel honoured.”

     “I was always wondering why your parents had been so strange that day.”

     “What happened?” Seungmin asked.

     “I was still in the hospital…” Minho began. “Then, your parents came in. My parents had allowed them to come but were watching them like a hawk. So they didn’t say much. They just said they wanted to sign my cast so I let them. They wrote something quick and then said something like ‘tell Seungmin this the next time he comes to visit you’. Then they just left. You moved not so long after that so you were never able to visit. But I’d sometimes get calls from your parents to keep their message in mind. Now it all makes sense.”

     “What did they write?” Seungmin asked.

     Minho chuckled and shook his head. “They wrote that they knew about my secret floorboard!”

     “Seriously!” Seungmin leaned forward. “How!?”

     “Your guess is as good as mine. But props to them for not ratting me out.”

     “So that means… they put my next hint in your floorboard, right?” Seungmin said.

     “They did,” Minho said with certainty, to Seungmin’s surprise. “I looked and found an envelope. A sticky note was attached to it, telling me not to give it to you until you asked for it.”

     “Show it!” Seungmin said, leaping off the bed.

     Minho smirked. “Okay. Just saying, I changed floorboards, so if you tell anyone which one, I might just have to kill you.”

     “Dually noted.”

     Minho kneeled down and felt around his floor until wedging his nails into the cracks of a certain rectangle. He lifted it up to reveal a hollowed-out space packed with comic books and manga.

     Yup, Minho was all about secrets. Seungmin wouldn’t have been surprised if he had a gaming room connected to a tile in his ceiling.

     Minho rummaged around his secret stash until pulling out an envelope folded very unevenly in half. “Yeah, I didn’t take care of it well…”

     “Gimme!” After a few seconds of chase, Minho handed the letter over to Seungmin. Seungmin opened it and smirked. “Yup, my suspicions were correct.”

      Your friend is a sneaky one, Seungmin. Luckily, that meant he had the best hiding spots for your next hint ;) Hopefully, this means you’ve cleaned up this entire mess that originated from nothing. We had always wanted you to resolve everything you had left behind in Korea. Mission accomplished.

     Hint: Did you really think the floorboard was the only secret we knew of your friends? How about the times you and Hyunjin would fool around and draw on your school textbooks? Don’t think we never noticed that! In fact, I’m pretty sure we “borrowed” Hyunjin’s Grade 10 textbook around the time you guys were studying biology…

      Seungmin looked at Minho. “Are you and Hyunjin still close?”

     Minho shrugged. “Not for a few years but we go to the same university right now, so we try to hang out as much as my parents will let me.”

     “Great. So if I told you I need a ride to his new address, what would you say?”

     Minho grinned. “I’d tell you I’m sure as hell coming along, but you better buckle up. I cannot promise no fatal injuries or death will occur on the drive there.”

     “I thought you were joking!”

     “Really? I’m disappointed in you, Min.”

     Seungmin was visibly shaken, stumbling out of the car. “You can’t drive! How did you get your license!?”

     “Unimportant details. Anyway, this is Hyunjin’s new street. Come on.”

     “Give me a minute… Think I’m going to throw up from all the swerving you did.”

     “Oh, shut up and come!”

     Soon, they were in front of the house. Minho must have picked up Seungmin’s loud breaths.

     “You nervous?”

     “Not really,” Seungmin said truthfully. “I was the most nervous at your house. I’ve kept in good contact with Hyunjin.”

     Before Minho could make a snarky remark at that, Seungmin went and rang the doorbell. The door opened, revealing a tall boy, his long dark hair in a ponytail save for the few strands falling in front of his eyes. However, they were very visible with how wide they grew.

     “Seungminnie!?”

     “In the flesh, Jinnie,” Seungmin said, happiness overtaking him.

     In a flash, he was being crushed to death by Hyunjin’s arms.

     “I’ve missed you so much! We were separated for so long and alas, I thought our paths would never cross again! I was settling for us growing old and sparing a glance at each other when we finally see each other again-”

     “Calm down, Jinnie!” Seungmin said. “Dramatic as always.”

     “Let him breathe, Hyunjin." Minho finally spoke. 

     Hyunjin let go of Seungmin and pouted. “Seungmin saw you first before me?”

     “Blame his parents for that,” Minho said with a shrug.

     “Parents?”

     Seungmin rolled his eyes. “I need a break before explaining again. Meanwhile, show me your new house.”

     “Right this way! Your guide, Hwang Hyunjin, will lead the way!”

     Seungmin oohed and ahhed at the new surroundings, followed by Minho who showed mock surprise at everything he had already seen before. It got annoying to the point where Hyunjin attempted to put Minho in a headlock, only to be shoved aside like nothing.

     The two exchanged death glares while Seungmin opened the door to Hyunjin’s room. A chill draft came from the windows.  “Do you happen to still have your Grade 10 textbook?”

     “Yeah, why?”

     “Show it to me."

     Hyunjin frowned but got it out anyway. “I would have thrown it away, but your parents told me to keep it for future use. I haven’t used it ever so I don’t know what they were on about.”

     That confirmed Seungmin’s suspicions. He opened the textbook, Minho peeking from behind. “Jinnie, your textbook is a mess of drawings! Did you actually do any, you know, studying with this?”

      Seungmin, however, was unimpressed. “This is all you did, Jinnie? My textbook is way messier.”

     “What!” Minho exclaimed. Seungmin and Hyunjin shared a knowing smile. 

     It was a habit that had started out around the end of middle school for them. Hyunjin and Seungmin had been sitting together during a monotonous photosynthesis lecture. Hyunjin, bored out of his mind from the teacher’s droning, had leaned over to Seungmin’s desk and scribbled a little doodle in the margins of Seungmin’s textbook. It hadn’t been much, a series of abstract scribbles, but Seungmin had looked at it quizzically and then leaned over to Hyunjin’s desk with his pencil. He probably drew a duck or something, he couldn’t remember. But it didn’t matter what it had been. Before they knew it, the two of them were exchanging drawings between their books, in an unspoken competition to see who could draw something the craziest. Neither of them were artists but ever since then, using their textbooks as sketchbooks had been stress revealing and a special activity only they shared. 

     They had always wondered how they had gotten away with it. Turns out they hadn’t. Seungmin’s parents had most definitely figured it out.

     “Then you need to show me your textbook,” Hyunjin told Seungmin.

     Seungmin nodded, still turning the pages until he reached the biology section. He skimmed everything until he saw it. Scrunched writing beginning at the top right of the page and bunching together into the corner. “Damn…”

     “What is it?” Hyunjin noticed the writing and gasped. “I never did that!”

     “But apparently, my parents got a hold of your textbook,” Seungmin said with a snicker.

      Geez kiddo, if anyone else had discovered all the things we had, you and your friends would be behind bars. Be grateful it was us and instead of punishing you, we send you on a scavenger hunt!

     Hint: You’ve never been outside of Seoul when we lived in Korea, right? We’ve heard Busan is also nice. We’ve heard there’s a great arcade in Yongso-ro. You will enjoy it there for sure :) Go and stay there for a while!

      “Uh, Min? Are you breathing?” Minho asked.

     “They- but- what the- how-” Seungmin sputtered. “I think my parents are sending me to Busan.”

     “Really? Why?” Hyunjin asked. “Why did they put a letter in my textbook?”

     Seungmin explained. Hyunjin’s jaw dropped.

     “That’s so cool! You’re on a grand adventure- not sure when you’ll see the sun again, but persevering day after day, knowing that at the end is a prize which you’re not sure you’ll ever reach, but- ow!”

     “Cut the dramatics!” Minho said, hitting Hyunjin on the back of his head.

     “But what’s in Busan!?” Seungmin exclaimed.

     “Not sure. Send letters,” Minho said, not a hint of worry in his voice.

     “Screw you,” Seungmin muttered. “Guess I’ll worry about that later. Anyways, you guys want to know about Canada?”

     “Ooh, do tell!” Hyunjin said, grabbing Seungmin’s arm and pulling him close, ready for gossip. The two looked up at Minho with puppy eyes.

     “Okay, Seungmin, start talking,” Minho said with a smile, sitting on the other side of Seungmin. “You went to the other side of the world. Then what?”

     They spent the entire evening talking.

     “No Mom, it’s all work,” Minho argued, on the phone with his parents that night. “Well… if you wanted me home for dinner, then you shouldn’t have pushed me to major in computer science! … Why is me getting drunk the first conclusion you reach!? … I’m sober, safe, and studying, okay? … Yeah, yeah, bye!”

     Minho hung up with a heavy sigh. “Okay, my parents won’t expect me until morning. I can sleep over.”

     “Yesss!” Hyunjin cheered. “Just like our old days!”

     The room felt warmer, the three of them in it together. Just like the old days.

     Crazy to think that all Seungmin needed was a step in the right direction to get those days back. The scavenger hunt had pushed him to it. That made it so much more than a crazy adventure.

     It made it a return back home. Whether it was in Canada or Korea, the hunt had taken Seungmin back to the days he had smiled the most.

     The following week, Chan’s family told Seungmin that going to Busan would be a wonderful idea. There was a lot to see and definitely surprises to expect.

     “You sure you don’t want me to come along?” Chan asked.

     Seungmin shook his head. “I have a feeling that this is the final stretch I need to complete on my own. I’ll be fine, I promise.”

     Chan, being the angel he was, lent Seungmin his car. Seungmin spent two more weeks with him before deciding it was time to put himself into the unknown. He was all packed and ready. A quick hug goodbye and he was off.

     There was only one place Seungmin knew he was going. The arcade mentioned in the letter. If he had ever had even a sliver of an idea where this hunt was going, this was the point where he officially had no clue.

     Seungmin had been to arcades a few times in his life. He had always had a blast and his friends called him a “natural” Maybe this whole scavenger hunt aside, he could just enjoy himself. That had become his theme of the trip so far.

     Seungmin didn’t bother looking for a place to stay. He parked the car in the arcade parking lot and headed inside. A few minutes later and he was ready to tackle the mini-basketball game.

     He played against himself for a while, trying to score as many points as possible, which would result in tickets to buy prizes. He was on a roll until he heard a voice next to him.

     “Hey, do you want to do multiplayer?”

     Seungmin turned around. The person talking to him was a short man with chains hanging from his pants and a backward baseball camp. He was pulling off the edgy teenager look pretty well if you could ignore the fact that he was probably around Seungmin’s age.

     “Uh… sure?”

     “Really? Your winning streak would be shattered.”

     Seungmin raised an eyebrow. “Is that… a challenge?”

     The man gave a smug look. “I’m a regular at this place. No one can beat me in any game here.”

     Seungmin stood at eye level with the man. “Then I assume you don’t get many newcomers here.”

     The man chuckled, a childish excitement in his eyes. “So is that a challenge accepted?”

     “Loser gives up their tickets to the winner.”

     “You’re on.”

     Seungmin didn’t know where his cockiness had come from. Something about arcades brought out his competitive side.

     “What's your name?” Seungmin asked, inserting a coin into the machine to begin a new game.

     “I only give my name to winners.”

     The game began.

     That statement fired Seungmin up. The man wanted a winner? He’d give him a winner.

     The five minutes timer ended and Seungmin fist-pumped at the one-point lead he had. “Let’s go!” He looked at the man with a smug look. “Who’s a winner now?”

     However, it looked like the man hadn't even heard him, his eyes glued to the scoreboard. “How- how is such a thing possible!?”

     “If you want a name to go with this impossibility, it would be Kim Seungmin,” Seungmin said, putting a hand out. “Good game.”

     The man stared at Seungmin for a few seconds before reluctantly also putting his arm out for a handshake. “Good game,” he grumbled.

     “So, do I get a name for my win?”

     “Seo Changbin. Do you want my tickets or not?”

     “Nah,” Seungmin said. “I understand the pain of losing all my tickets. Would never want to impose it on someone else.”

     “It’s fine, I could win them back at the other games.”

     “Is that another challenge?”

     “Geez, is everything a challenge to you?”

     Challenge accepted. The two competed in more games. Despite Seungmin’s confidence streak, Changbin did end up winning quite a few games. His experience in this place was clear.

     “Great, we’re tied,” Seungmin said after the arcade's closure for the day. “What were we even betting on?”

     “How about since we’re both winners and losers, I buy you dinner and you buy me dinner. Have you eaten?” Changbin asked.

     Seungmin snorted. “You’re proposing we go for dinner and just pay for our own meals ?”

     “No, we pay for each others. There’s a difference.”

     “Whatever you say, Changbin.”

     “Hey, what’s your birth year!?”

     “2000…”

     “Then that’s hyung to you!”

     “Nah…”

     “Punk.”

     So as a wacky turn of events would have it, Seungmin had arrived in Busan alone but was now sharing its evening with another individual. And his dinner was being paid for!

     “Is this a thing of yours, randomly treating competition to dinner?” Seungmin joked.

     “Yes, you’re the fifth one this week,” Changbin deadpanned.

     “So what makes me special?”

     Changbin shrugged. “I just don’t see many newcomers at the arcade, so you had me intrigued. Where are you from?”

     “Seoul,” Seungmin immediately answered before catching himself. “No, I mean- I’m from Canada, but my friends and family live in Seoul and I used to live there, but I don’t now, and-”

     “Complicated history, huh?” Changbin said with a laugh.

     “If only you knew half of it.”

     “So what brings you to Busan?” Changbin asked.

     Seungmin hesitated for a second. But he eventually resolved that he probably couldn't have expected to keep it to himself anyways. He’d need the help he could get. Changbin listened intently as he explained.

     “Wow, your family is something else!” Changbin said. “They just keep on giving you hints?”

     “They just don’t know how to give up.”

     “So that must be where you get your competitiveness from,” Changbin said.

     “If adoptive parents can pass on genes, then maybe,” Seungmin said. “Though believe me, I’m usually not that stubborn.”

     But the following sarcastic remark Seungmin had expected to follow did not come. Instead, Changbin was struck speechless.

     “Oh… adoptive… sorry.”

     Right, Seungmin had just dropped that information without giving it a second thought. “No, no, it’s fine! It’s more of a ‘raised by them since birth’ kind of thing. You didn’t say anything wrong.”

     “Okay…” But Changbin seemed to bounce back quickly. “Do you have a place to stay while you’re on this wild goose chase?”

     Seungmin shook his head and Changbin brightened up. “Then you can stay with my family!”

     Seungmin was quick to protest. “No, I couldn’t! I’d feel bad, doing it for free!”

     “Oh please, my parents love guests,” Changbin said. “Why else would they be running a Bed & Breakfast?”

     “Huh, really?”

     “Yup,” Changbin said, grinning. “So believe me, it’s literally their job to give people food and a place to stay.”

     “Then I should pay-”

     “Seungmin, their prices are definitely over your price range. B&Bs cost way more than a regular hotel.”

     “Oh…” As much as Seungmin wanted to give some sort of payment, he had no idea how long he would be in Busan. He couldn't afford to spend money he didn’t have.

     “Okay, fine. Lead the way, Changbin hyung. Thank you.”

     “No problem!.”

     Changbin told Seungmin a bit about himself on the way to his house. He was taking a literature major in university but his classes were currently on hold due to his professor being on maternity and being unable to find a substitute. His best friend was in his first year of university and was staying in a dorm, so Changbin just had a lot of time to kill at the arcade. Seungmin told him about Park’s Happiness and how he was also taking a break from university.

     Changbin’s house was beautiful. As expected of a B&B. And his parents were even more pleasant.

     “We always told you you need to find some new friends while you’re on break, Changbin!” his mother gushed, ignoring Changbin’s red face. “Of course he can stay!”

     “I don’t feel right doing that,” Seungmin said. “If you give me a job to do or something, I could make it up.”

     Changbin’s father actually seemed to be considering it. “You said you live in Canada, don’t you?”

     “5 years now.”

     “That’s great! You can teach Changbin some English. We always tried to get him to agree to a tutor but he always refused. Since he actually likes you, he’ll have to agree.”

     “Dad!”

     Seungmin looked at Changbin now glaring at his parents and smirked. “I’d be delighted to help. Thank you!”

     So that was how things got settled. That night, Seungmin crept downstairs to the kitchen for a glass of water. He ran into Changbin’s father. He had been hoping for that. A question had come into his mind and he was nagging to ask it.

     “My parents are also business owners,” Seungmin said. “They own a coffee shop.”

     “That must be nice.”

     “What’s it like?” Seungmin asked. “Owning a business.”

     Weeks passed. Living in the Seo household, Seungmin became extremely close to Changbin. They went to the arcade very often (Seungmin managed to beat Changbin more times) and Changbin showed Seungmin his favourite places in the area. Seungmin also taught Changbin English regularly, the latter being less than willing. Seungmin had to hit him with a textbook more times than he could count. They also found another coffee shop, where Seungmin tried the drinks very pickily.

      I could do better, he found himself subconsciously thinking.

     Seungmin still couldn’t find any hints in this place. But he didn’t care. Making a new friend and staying in a new part of the country was enough of an adventure for him to almost completely forget the scavenger hunt. 

     That was until one day, it all hit him at once.

     It was the first snow of the year. Waking up to it outside his window, Seungmin couldn’t help notice how his parents had left for their travels in late February, when it had also been snowing. Now, the snow had melted, the sun had come out, and the snow was back again, yet his parents were still not here. It gave Seungmin an ache he couldn’t get rid of.

     The Seo family was as pleasant as ever. But this time, Seungmin felt out of place, sitting in a chair that wasn't his own, in a house that he didn’t live in, being served food by parents that weren’t his.

     He and Changbin went walking outside, hoping to get their hands on some hot chocolate to celebrate the first snow.  “I can’t believe it’s already November,” Changbin said. “Soon, it will be Christmas, then New Years, and- sorry, seeing snow always makes me speed ahead.”

     But Changbin’s words had already burned into Seungmin’s head.

      Christmas would soon come. Would Seungmin get to celebrate it with his parents? Or would they decide that the snow was more beautiful on the other side of the world?

     Would Seungmin get to see the New Year with them? Or would they be counting down the seconds in a place where they were happier?

     When Seungmin finally decided what he wanted to major in, would his parents be there to cheer him on? Or would Seungmin have to tell them through a bad connection extension call?

     When would they come back? When would they decide that they had had the time of their lives and it was time to return to their son? 

     Or… was the time of their life always going to be away from him?

      “Seungmin, what’s wrong?”

     Seungmin’s face felt wet. Frozen even. Like tears freezing in the chilly air. Seungmin touched his face, realizing that he was crying.

     “I… need to sit down,” Seungmin said softly, his voice cracking. “Please.”

     Changbin only nodded, leading Seungmin to a nearby bench. “Take your time…” A series of snowflakes landed on his face.

      Beautiful… the snow was beautiful. Too beautiful to be experiencing away from the people he loved.

      “Changbin hyung… I miss them!” Seungmin could hardly see straight, his vision being blurred by snow and tears. His body felt cold, and it wasn’t just because of the minus weather.

     “Your parents?” 

     “They’ve been gone for so long! I want to see their faces again, I want to hear their voices!” Seungmin’s voice got louder with each word, near a complete breakdown.

     “Shhh, it’s okay…” Changbin put a glove on Seungmin’s face, wiping away his tears. Seungmin fell into his arms, letting full sobs escape him. His breathing came hard, resulting in puffs of frozen air that would be lifted away by the heavy breeze.

     “I’m- sorry!”

     “It’s okay. It must be hard to be away from them for so long,” Changbin said, his voice soothing.

     “I’m afraid they’re going to leave me!”

     Seungmin shocked himself by that statement. He hadn’t meant to say it like that. Did it play in his mind a couple of times? Probably. But did he ever feel scared enough to voice it out loud? Never in his 15 years of being adopted.

     “They’ll never leave you,” Changbin said. “You’re their son.”

     “Not their real son!” Seungmin said. His surroundings went silent, almost as if it wanted those words to echo throughout the city.

     “Seungmin, do you want to talk?” Changbin asked. “You seem to have a lot on your mind.”

     Seungmin found himself nodding. It’s what he hated about these feelings. They’d leave him alone for so long and one day, they’d all come crashing down onto him, not letting him breathe anymore. He wanted them gone.

     “I don’t usually worry about any of this…” Seungmin said. “But once in a while, it occurs to me. My parents are risk-takers. They don’t worry about what the end of a path would look like. They just pick the one that looks the best to them and then mold its direction to go the way they want it to. I admire them for that, I really do. But, there are times where…”

     “I’m so, so scared that one day, the path they choose won’t include me in it! And they won’t think twice before going on their way!”

     Getting left behind. It was something that Seungmin had always felt coming in the distant future. Most of the time, it seemed so distant that he wouldn’t even give it a second thought. Now, the dreaded moment felt like it would happen the very next day.

     “But you speak of your adoptive parents like they’re your very own, Seungmin,” Changbin said. “That means they see you as their real son.”

     “I know they do…” Seungmin said. “It’s an irrational fear. But it’s still a fear that can keep me awake at night.”

     Hyunjin moving away after the accident. Jeongin leaving without saying goodbye. His parents going on a trip for who knows how long. Every time people went farther away, Seungmin got a bitter taste in his mouth, clinging to shadows that could fade away at any moment.

     “Does this all stem from someplace?” Changbin asked.

     Now, it was really quiet. Too quiet. Quiet enough for Seungmin to be able to hear the beeping of a hospital monitor, someplace in his distant memories. It wanted out.

     “My birth parents left me,” Seungmin said, opening the closet of his skeletons all the way. “My parents never say so and nobody has ever told me, but I know. They didn’t want me. That was why I got adopted.”

     “You still remember that when you were that young?”

     “Not exactly,” Seungmin admitted. “It’s bits and pieces, but they all fit together. I remember being in the house most of the time with some stranger. They were probably a babysitter, but they’re in more of my memories than my own parents, which is pretty sad. I also remember this one time staying back really late at my preschool because nobody ever came to pick me up. I still don’t remember if anyone ever came. I lived with my parents yet they were completely absent from my life. And then…”

     Changbin waited patiently, Seungmin mentally coaching himself to let out the final part of his memory that would be engraved in stone forever, no matter how young he had been.

     “One day, I found myself in the hospital. I don’t know why I was there, I just knew that I was bored and was wandering around. I turned the corner and…”

      They really don’t want me.

      “And I saw…” Seungmin continued, shaking out his inner voices. “There was a boy, around my age, sleeping in a hospital bed. And I saw my parents, huddling around him, giving him hugs and kisses. They never gave me any of those, not even once. They were talking about… how they’d come back tomorrow. And the next day. They would never stop coming back.”

     The snow on Seungmin’s face was gone, melted by his hot tears. “The next day, I was no longer with them. I was with my parents that I have now. I don’t know whether my birth parents had seen me that day in the hospital, but it’s the last thing I saw. They… left me all alone for a boy that wasn’t even theirs. Sometimes, I wonder what I did so wrong for them to see another boy as their son. But I always hit a blank.”

     “Seungmin, don’t reach conclusions,” Changbin said, mustering a smile. “Maybe they worked there.”

     “No,” Seungmin said immediately. “They worked in insurance, that was what my real parents told me.” Birth parents, adoptive parents, REAL parents. All Seungmin was asking for was the certainty that one of them was real. 

     “Come here.” Changbin pulled Seungmin towards him, his head resting on his shoulder. His grip didn’t loosen and Seungmin allowed himself to calm down, like a burning stove finally simmering down. Changbin offered no word of reconciliation but that wasn’t what Seungmin wanted. It was the closeness that helped him, kept him safe.

     “I spoke to that boy,” Seungmin found himself saying. “I waited until my birth parents left and walked to his bedside. He was still sleeping. But I remember saying something to him.”

     “What was it?” Changbin asked. There was a peak of interest in his voice. It was comforting.

     “I’m not sure if that’s exactly what I said. I think I said something like…”

     ‘Maybe we can be friends. Then Mommy and Daddy can care about the both of us’

     Saying it out loud, Seungmin realized how embarrassing that sounded. “Yeah, I was really young, so-”

     Suddenly, Changbin sat up straight, causing Seungmin to almost fall forward from his shoulder moving away. Changbin looked like he had seen a ghost. “Changbin hyung, what’s wrong?”

     “My friend heard the same thing!”

     Seungmin blinked twice. “Huh?”

     “The friend I told you about, in his first year of university. He practically lived in the hospital when he was a little kid. He told me about this time in his memory when he had been waking up and he heard a kid’s voice next to him telling him something. And… it’s really similar to your words!”

     “Really… that’s a coincidence.” Seungmin didn’t know the appropriate response to this.

     “No, listen,” Changbin said, becoming scarily serious. “I never told you this, but a week before you arrived here, I met a man. He was frequenting the arcade and he just came up and talked to me. He told me to keep an eye out for any newcomers in the arcade. When I asked him if I’d know the person, he said no. But…”

     “He said that this newcomer would have a similar story to my friends. He left before I could ask anything.”

     Seungmin’s breath caught in his throat. “So the reason you approached me was…”

     “I didn’t exactly take his words seriously,” Changbin assured. “But they were on the back of my mind and I thought it couldn’t hurt to listen. I never thought he’d actually be telling the truth!”

      So Changbin’s friend… was the boy Seungmin had seen in the hospital being cared for by his birth parents?

      “Changbin hyung, what’s your friend's name?” Seungmin asked.

     “Oh, I never told you?” Changbin said.

     “It’s Kim Jeongin.”

     The wind stopped raging. It was like everything except the snow still falling had stopped moving, leaving Seungmin in a haunting space where too many things were making sense.

      Jeongin had been sick as a kid.

     Seungmin had seen a kid in the hospital.

     Jeongin had apparently heard words from a kid near his bedside.

     Seungmin had uttered those very words near a bedside.

     Seungmin’s birth parents had seemed to love Jeongin… almost as their own son.

     Jeongin was looking for his brother in Canada. He had been told to go to Lakeshore for his search.

      “Oh my gosh…” Seungmin put his hand on his mouth, unsure if he was dreaming

     “Seungmin, what is it?”

     “I need to see Jeongin!” Seungmin said, on his feet. “He’s the next destination of this scavenger hunt! My parents are leading me to him!”

     Changbin didn’t ask any questions. He simply took out his phone and made a call. “Innie… yeah, sorry for never calling!... so you can get a day off!?... There’s someone I need you to meet. I think you know him… Kim Seungmin… TOMORROW!?... We’ll come to your house tomorrow! Love you, Innie!”

     “He’s coming?” Seungmin asked.

     Changbin laughed. “I said your name and he was willing to throw everything away to see you. You two must have really hit it off when he came to Canada.”

     “We really did…” 

     “So what’s the connection? Why would your parents lead you to him?” 

     Seungmin struggled to get the words out. It was impossible. But too possible at the same time.

     “I… think he’s my brother.”

     Seungmin had never had a brother. He had never even known he had a brother. He always thought that would be some crucial information that would be let known to him way earlier on in his life. But apparently not.

     The next day, Changbin had to practically hold Seungmin upright in front of Jeongin’s house with how badly his legs wanted to give out. He had never felt so nervous in his entire life. He remembered back when his biggest problem had been talking to Minho again.

     That had absolutely nothing on confronting a possible family member.

     Changbin rang the doorbell. Excruciating seconds passed and soon, the door opened to reveal a very familiar face. A familiar face that brightened up with a smile. “Seungmin!”

     “Jeongin…” Oh, what the heck, crazy family revelation aside, Seungmin was ecstatic to see him again. The two hugged like long-lost friends (which was… technically true.)

     “What am I, chopped liver?” Changbin muttered.

     “I have enough love to go around,” Jeongin joked. “Come in, guys!”

     “No, there’s something serious I have to ask you first,” Seungmin said, immediately feeling bad for ruining the mood.

     Jeongin’s face fell. “What is it?”

     “It’s… kind of personal.”

     “You can ask me anything, Seungmin hyung.”

     “When you were sick…” Seungmin began. “Did you ever have a stranger say something to you? When you were supposed to be asleep?”

     Jeongin arched a confused brow. “Something like that happened…”

     “What did they say?”

     Jeongin scrunched his forehead. “I was really young and tired, but… it was something about being friends, about having caring parents. In fact, that was the memory I said was the only one I had of my ‘supposed’ brother. I almost thought it was a dream, but after discovering I had a brother, I always assumed he was the one who said that.”

      Oh… my… god. Seungmin still didn’t want to come to a conclusion. “And who were the people who would always be around you and take care of you?”

     Now, Jeongin really looked confused. But the words he said next confirmed everything.

     “My parents. Who else?”

     Seungmin forgot how to breathe. This was really happening… the impossible was true.

     “Seungmin hyung, are you okay?” Jeongin asked hesitantly.

     But Seungmin didn’t get the chance to answer. A call came from inside the house. “Jeongin, who came!?”

     “Changbin hyung!” Jeongin said. “And the friend I said I made from Canada. Kim Seungmin!”

     Suddenly, footsteps came thundering through the house. They stopped just behind Jeongin and Seungmin forced himself to look up.

     Jeongin’s parents looked very, very pale.

     “Mom, Dad, what’s wrong?” Jeongin asked. But his parents didn’t respond, their eyes locked on Seungmin.

     Seungmin’s throat felt very dry but he forced himself to speak.

     “You… are my parents, aren’t you?”

     Silence. Until Jeongin’s mom, Ms. Kim, gave a very small nod.

     “I… need to sit down," Seungmin said, his head beginning to spin. The silence was deafening, he couldn’t take it.

     “What’s going on? What do you mean they’re your parents, hyung!?” Jeongin asked, looking back and forth.

     “Hyung is right, Jeongin,” Seungmin said with a small smile. “You came to Canada looking for someone. You found them without even knowing it.”

     That was when the realization dawned on Jeongin. “You…”

     “I think I should leave now,” Changbin said. “I’ll leave you guys alone.”

     Seungmin didn’t protest. His gut told him that this was the final hurdle of the scavenger hunt before he reached the finish line. He had to do this alone. “Thank you, Changbin hyung. I never would have gotten here if it weren’t for you.”

     “No problem, Seungmin. It was really great meeting you.”

     And so soon, Seungmin was alone, confronting a family he never knew he had.

     Jeongin’s dad, Mr. Kim, cleared his throat. “We need to… talk.”

     Seungmin didn’t want to talk. He didn’t want to even bring himself to look at these people again. It was only when Jeongin took his hand that he allowed himself to be led to the family room.

     Jeongin (bless him) sat down next to Seungmin while his parents (Seungmin’s... parents?) sat at the opposite end. He started everything off. “Mom… Dad… you’re telling me Seungmin hyung is…”

     “Yes, Jeongin, he’s your brother.”

     Jeongin let out a squeak of surprise. Seungmin kept his head down.

     “Did you two meet in Canada?”

     “Yes, we did.” Seungmin was very thankful that Jeongin was answering all the questions for him. He didn’t think he’d be able to even if he tried.

     “Seungmin… how are you doing?”

     Actually, maybe Seungmin could say a word or two.

     “It doesn’t matter,” Seungmin said, lifting his head up. “I don’t know what I’m doing here, except that my parents sent me here. My real parents. The ones who actually wanted me and didn’t neglect me. The ones who would actually try to find me if they ever lost me. Jeongin told me all about how you didn’t even tell him he had a brother and didn’t give him my name. I’m trying to think about anything I could have done to deserve that type of treatment but I’m coming up short. So why would you want to know how I’m doing? I know you don’t care and I don’t need you to care. The one regret I have is not being able to know Jeongin sooner but aside from that, I’m very content with the people you gave me away to.”

     “Hyung…” Jeongin looked absolutely devastated, looking at Seungmin sombrely with concern. At least he cared.

     “Seungmin… it’s not like that,” Ms. Kim said, tears coming to her eyes.

     “I expected you would say that,” Seungmin said, the ice in his voice melting just a little. “So why ?”

     Mr. Kim sighed. “As Jeongin probably told you, he was really sick as a child. The age difference between you two is small, only a year. Your mother had not been expecting another child and it was very uncertain that Jeongin would even survive.” Now, it was Jeongin’s turn to keep his head down as his father continued.

     “But he did. You were still a baby then, Seungmin, and now your mother and I had two kids to look after, one of which was at death’s door for years after he was born. If the world was perfect, we could have loved the both of you equally, but Jeongin had to be our priority.”

     “But why did I never know I had a brother?” Seungmin asked.

     “We never told you,” Ms. Kim said. “At first, because you obviously were too young to understand, but as you grew a bit older, we feared that you'd become attached to your brother. And… if the worst came to worst, we didn’t want you to have to experience the grief of losing a loved one.”

     Seungmin didn’t know how Jeongin was sitting through all of this with a brave face. Maybe he was already far used to hearing of the difficulties he had gone through when he was younger. Seungmin gave his hand an encouraging squeeze.

     “When it became clear that the amount of time we were spending at the hospital compared to the time we were spending with you was becoming extremely neglectful, we knew we couldn't keep you,” the parents continued. “The Park family had always been acquaintances of ours and had been wanting to adopt for a long time. We knew they would take care of you, Seungmin, and give you a better life than what you had.”

     “But then why didn’t my parents tell me about this?” Seungmin couldn't stop the hurt from pulling at his question.

     “We told them not to. It’s the same reason why we told Jeongin nothing. We were crushed with guilt about how we had treated you, Seungmin. We didn’t think we deserved to see you again, that you were in better hands with the Park family. They moved to Seoul and eventually Canada, and we wanted to let you go and live your life. And unfortunately, because of that, we kept you away from Jeongin. None of what we decided had been the best choice. But in our emotional states, it’s the only one we felt we could take.”

     Of course. It all made sense. Seungmin had known there had to be some logic behind all the montages in his memories. That none of it was as grim as it seemed. But that didn’t mean Seungmin could accept the love of these people when all he saw were strangers.      

     The conversation got interrupted by a ring of a doorbell. Mr. Kim went to get it. Seungmin could hear a solemn “Come in.”

     Seungmin’s eyes widened when he saw the two people come in.

     “Mom! Dad!” He launched himself off the couch and ran into their arms. In his peripheral vision, he could see Jeongin’s parents’ shoulders slump at the scene. But he couldn’t bring himself to care. Everything felt so much more okay right now.

     “Where have you been?” Seungmin asked, betrayal seeping into his voice. “What was this whole scavenger hunt for? Why did you bring me here? What’s going on!?”

     Ms. Park chuckled. “We have a lot to explain, don’t we? I see you have met Jeongin.” She looked directly at him.

     Jeongin gasped. “You’re the lady who told me to go to Lakeshore!”

     “But it was only a chance of events that you met Seungmin,” Ms. Park said. “I just wanted to test you, to see how much you wanted to know a brother you never knew you had.”

     “Then…” Seungmin began. “Dad, you’re the one who talked to Changbin.”

     “Guilty as charged.”

     Seungmin crossed his arms. “Start talking. Now.”

     Mr. Park sighed. “To make things simple, your mother and I had always believed, from the minute we adopted you, that you should eventually be able to see your birth family again. They may say their guilt prevents them from doing so, but they love you, Seungmin. It hurt them to let you go and I’m sure not a day goes by where they don’t miss you.”

     “We would have told you so much earlier,” Ms. Park said. “But your parents begged us not to and we had to agree. But we couldn't keep this family broken, we just couldn’t. So we planned the scavenger hunt. It was in the making for years and on your birthday, we launched it.”

     “Why… all those hints? They took me all over the place,” Seungmin said.

     Ms. Park smiled sadly. “Because we felt bad. We got you so absorbed with Park’s Happiness that you were slowly growing apart from Felix and Jisung. So we created hints so you could go and relive those old days again. When we left Korea, we knew you had to fix things with your school friends. The hunt was also able to fix that. And as luck would have it, when we sent Jeongin to Canada, you two became close. Jisung’s parents and Chan’s parents gave us updates along the way.”

     “So… what now?” Jeongin’s soft voice piped up.

     He was right. Seungmin’s adoptive parents had set off a plan and it had worked. Seungmin now had a brother, he had found his birth family. He had rediscovered the ‘old part’ of his life, spending time with Jisung and Felix, seeing Chan again, fixing things with Hyunjin and Minho. Meeting Changbin and seeing Jeongin again was something new. He had found it. But… where would he go from there?

     Mr. Park put his hand on Seungmin’s shoulder. “Kiddo, there’s a reason your mother and I had to travel so much. Park’s Happiness is going to be expanding into a chain store, first in Canada and then in other countries. We had to set that all up. And once things go into motion… we will have to travel a lot to check up on stores and do paperwork. It’s a hectic lifestyle that we would never drag you into without your permission. So… your final task in this scavenger hunt is a choice.”

     Seungmin gulped. He didn’t like where this was going.

     “You can stay with us, Seungmin. We would love you to. You are our son and nothing will change that,” Ms. Park said. “It’s going to be different. Your father and I would be absent more but we will always be there to support you. Or…”

     “You can stay here with your birth family. Get to know your new brother, your birth parents more. They do love you, you have to believe that.”

     “But… that means I’d have to leave you guys!” Seungmin said, choking on the words.

     “You… leave us? Hah, never! We would visit and call so much, you’d get sick of us! We’re never going to leave you behind.”

     Never going to leave him behind… no matter what Seungmin chose, that was an unbreakable truth. A truth he had wanted for so long.

     Seungmin looked back at the Kims. They smiled at him, standing a little taller. Surprisingly, Seungmin felt no more resentment. He just saw a family at the end of their rope, having to make a drastic choice so that they wouldn’t have to let go.

     And Jeongin… if he had been against anyone else, Seungmin could have chosen him in a heartbeat.

     “So you guys… did this all for me?” Seungmin asked softly, looking back toward his parents. For people who chose a direction and just began walking towards it without hesitation, they had put so much planning into Seungmin’s path, making sure it would lead to the best for him. All for him. None of the experiences he had would have happened if it weren’t for them.

     “Anything for you, Seungmin.”

     Seungmin burst into tears, smothering his parents with another hug. So many surprises in one day yet somehow, he knew everything would turn out okay in the end. As long as the loving arms consoling him would always be there, nothing could go wrong.

     “I… need some time to think about it,” Seungmin said.

     “Of course, take your time.”

     Seungmin wiped away his tears and looked at Jeongin. “Let’s go for a walk.”

     Jeongin smiled. “I’m in.”

     “I feel bad,” Jeongin said outside.

     “What for?”

     “If you look at it, I was kind of the one who broke our family apart.” Jeongin’s voice halted on the “our”, still evidently getting used to the merging of their two worlds.

     Seungmin stopped in his tracks. “I really hope you don’t seriously think that.”

     “It’s just so stupid,” Jeongin said. “Everything could have gone perfectly if I had been born healthy.”

     “You didn’t choose that, Jeongin,” Seungmin said. “Besides, there is so much I got to experience because I got adopted. There are friends and memories I've made that I wouldn't trade for anything. Nothing was ever broken.”

     Jeongin nodded absently, meeting the remark with silence but not opposing it either. The two walked in that silence for a few more minutes, their footsteps crunching the snow.

     “My parents- well, yours too, are pretty great, you know,” Jeongin said. “I mean, I’m obligated to say that as their son, but they’ll treat you well. You may not ever be able to see them as parental figures, but they will see you as their son. Yes, they’re crazy overprotective, but they care .”

     Seungmin didn’t respond, taking that in.

     “I’m just selfish,” Jeongin chuckled. “I’d love for you to stay. We can definitely be friends. Mom and Dad would care about the both of us.”

     Seungmin’s words from so long ago. Words that had connected the two for longer than they had expected. Maybe they could ring true.

     “Then why didn’t you say goodbye?” Seungmin suddenly asked. He didn’t mean to sound accusing but he couldn’t just pretend nothing had ever happened.

     Jeongin flinched. “The exchange family I was staying with had a family emergency. I couldn’t stay with them longer and since I had no other accommodations, I had to leave right away. I felt so guilty that I never said goodbye. I wish I did.”

     “It’s fine,” Seungmin said, waving it aside. Of course, he had just been overthinking. It had been a sensible reason all this time. “You know, Jeongin…”

     “I may not be able to see your- our parents as my own. But I don't think I’ll have a problem seeing you as a brother. I’m really glad I got to see you again.”

     “Gosh, all that time in Canada, I had been talking to family!” Jeongin exclaimed. “I mean, we don’t even look alike!”

     “Crazy, huh?” Seungmin grinned. Seeing Jeongin’s face giddy with happiness and feeling so much... belonging from the younger, Seungmin felt closer to his decision.

     “We could have grown up together…” Seungmin said wistfully. “We’ve lost a lot of time. I… feel like taking it all back. I want to get to know you better.”

     “Same here, hyung,” Jeongin said, his fox eyes lighting up in a smile. “I’m glad that I found you.”

     Seungmin put his arms out and Jeongin gladly came forward for a hug. Seungmin felt snowflakes on his cheeks.

     “It’s snowing again,” Seungmin said.

     “Great! Let’s walk more. Tell me more about yourself, Seungmin hyung,” Jeongin said, holding his hand out to Seungmin.

     Seungmin gladly took it. It was warm. He remembered those same hands holding a steaming mug of hot chocolate that Seungmin had brought as a surprise.

     That was all it had been supposed to be. A treat to make the new customer come back. And all the scavenger hunt had been supposed to be was a random game, a welcome distraction, curious to see the end prize. And yes, Seungmin had made the customer come back. He had gotten the prize.

     He just never imagined they would both turn out to be the same thing in the end.

     A beautiful story had unfolded and it was up to Seungmin to decide the ending.

     He linked his arm to Jeongin’s. 

     “Gladly. Now come along.”

     Seungmin was sure his ears would be blown off by the screams in the hallway.

     He was also excited for Christmas break, a welcoming rest from the rigorous university life. But break would be no fun if his hearing got screwed over before it could even begin.

     “SEUNGMIN!”

     “Not you too,” Seungmin groaned. He yelped as Hyunjin jumped behind Seungmin, hugging him from behind.

     “I’m just excited!”

     “Really? Couldn’t tell.”

     Hyunjin looked around. “Where’s Minho hyung?”

     “Not here.” The older boy emerged from the other hallway. “I hate the end-of-semester rushes.”

     “I’ll join the club,” Seungmin said gloomily.

     “So, you liking university so far?” Hyunjin asked.

     Seungmin shrugged. “It’s been interesting. This place is great though.”

     “Of course it is, we’re here,” Minho said with a smirk.

     “Amen to that,” Hyunjin cheered.

     Seungmin laughed. He had applied to several universities in Seoul and was beyond happy that he had gotten an acceptance for the business major he wanted. Talking to Changbin’s parents about running a business had engraved the idea into his head. Maybe he’d be able to open his own Park’s Happiness. Starting something from the ground, evolving it into something that makes others happy. Seungmin was liking the idea.

     The university also happened to be the same one where Hyunjin and Minho were studying, a perfect cherry on top. Seungmin wished he could share a dorm with one of them, but unfortunately, he was years behind his fellow classmates. But that didn’t stop the three from studying together, going out for food and movies, and skipping class occasionally.

     “You guys are coming over, right?” Hyunjin said.

     On cue, Seungmin’s phone rang. “Definitely! Just give me a second.”

     Seungmin isolated himself in an empty hallway and answered the video call.

     “MINNIE!!!”

     “Geez, everyone is yelling today. Isn’t it like 1 am for you guys?” Seungmin said, no bite in his words.

     Felix and Jisung were on the screen, all smiles. 

     “We’re visiting Seoul soon!” Felix said. “We have to meet!”

     “We miss you, Minnie!” Jisung said.

     Seungmin smiled sadly. “Yeah, I do too.”

     It had been a year. A year since Seungmin had decided to move back to Korea. A year since he had decided to take the first step into a family that was supposed to be his. It had been difficult and there were many sacrifices he had had to make. He missed his twins in Canada.

     “Aw Minnie, are you crying?”

     “No, shut up!” Seungmin said with a scoff. “Just… hurry up and come visit. Maybe one day… when my parents visit Park’s Happiness in Canada, I can come with them.”

     “Yes, do that!”

     “Jisung is killing me, Minnie!”

     “No, Felix is killing me!”

     The triplets spent a few more minutes chatting. Seungmin eventually hung up, promising to video call later that night. Jisung and Felix promised that they would wake up at any time for him. Though the three always tried their best to schedule calls at convenient times for all of them.

     Maybe someday, the three of them could open up their own cafe together. Now that Seungmin was working towards his business degree, that mere dream was becoming a solid outline of a possibility. Maybe all they had to do was point towards a path and walk it.

     Seungmin’s heavy heart got lighter, seeing Hyunjin and Minho again.

     “Come on!” Hyunjin said, grabbing Seungmin’s arm. “We’re going to the club first!”

     “Drag me along guys. I’ll follow you anywhere,” Seungmin said dramatically.

     “You’ll regret that,” Minho said.

     “We’ll see about that.” They were back to challenges and high-class humour. Seungmin loved it.

     He loved being here. There was so much he had had to give up but a lot that he had also gained.

     The three school- now university friends pulled an all-nighter that night, going to the club, watching movies at home and talking about everything.

     It was a blast that first week. Chan proudly showed Seungmin his very first song as a new producer. And when the next week rolled around, Seungmin was on a bus to Busan, to visit home. Seungmin had a hard time seeing it as a home at first. But then again, Seoul was also his home. So was Canada. Home was the place where Seungmin smiled the most. With every smile in Busan, came the chance for it to become more of a home.

     Seungmin’s phone rang again on the bus. Seungmin excitedly opened it.

     “Mom! Dad!”

     Seujngmin’s adoptive parents were on screen this time.

     “Hi, sweetie! How’s university treating you?”

     “It’s difficult. But I’m doing well enough," Seungmin said, his smile widening.

     “Good grades?”

     “Dad!”

     “What? You might not live with us anymore, Seungmin, but we have every right to ask you about your education! It’s your future!”

     Seungmin rolled his eyes. “Yes, I’m studying well, I’m getting good grades. Happy?”

     “Whoa Seungmin, calm down on the enthusiasm. We can’t take it.”

     Another eye roll. “Anyway, are you guys going to Canada anytime soon? I want to see Jisung and Felix.”

     “And us, right?”

     “And you.”

     “We’ll tell you in advance and you can make it work, okay? That’s a great idea!”

     “Thanks, I miss you guys,” Seungmin said.

     “Same here, kiddo. Say hello to Jeongin and your parents for us!”

     Two sets of parents. It was completely bizarre but a fact that Seungmin had grown used to.

     “I will! Bus is leaving. Love you guys, bye!”

     “Love you, Seungmin!”

     Seungmin put down his phone and looked out the window. He had talked with his Canada and Seoul friends. Now, it was time for the remaining few. But every single one of them meant everything to Seungmin.

     “Seungmin, over here!” Changbin said. He took Seungmin’s bag for him as he exited the bus.

     “Changbin hyung!” Seungmin greeted him with a hug. “Did Innie not show up?”

     “Nope. He’s still mad at you for taking the last pint of ice cream.”

     “But… that was all the way in August!”

     “But you had left for Seoul for university by the time he found out, so he didn’t get to yell at you. Hey, I don’t make the rules,” Changbin said with a shrug.

     Seungmin groaned. It was one thing to have Jeongin as a friend. It was something completely different to have him as a brother. Seungmin used to laugh at Felix and Jisung for their sibling rivalry. Now, he sympathized. Siblings were annoying.

     Especially Jeongin. That boy held grudges like there was no tomorrow and still used the stupid ‘I’m the youngest’ excuse with their parents, despite being only a year younger. His stupid little fox eyes got that little devil whatever he wanted and Seungmin often wanted to punch him in the face. And then hug him immediately after. Damn it, siblings were confusing.

     Changbin drove Seungmin home. “Bring Jeongin at 6 and meet at my house. I have plans.”

     “Ooh, I’m intrigued,” Seungmin teased. “Thanks, hyung. See ya!”

     Changbin drove off with a grin. A night out with him was always fun. Seungmin and Jeongin would take turns bullying him, then make him pay for all the food at the end of the night. Changbin had to be the most patient person Seungmin had ever met. They always had the time of their life.

     Seungmin opened the door of the house with his key. “I’m home!”

     “Seungmin, how was the trip back!?” Ms. Kim came to greet him with a hug. Seungmin found himself returning it stiffly.

     “It was great… mom.” The name felt awkward on his lips but not completely out of place. Seungmin had only started calling his birth parents by endearments just a few months ago. He had decided it was a second step he was willing to take and everyone happily agreed.

     These people who were now his parents had been a lot to get used to. But on the journey, slowly ascending from being formal, to holding casual chatter, to joking around, to showing signs of affection, Seungmin had eventually been able to understand the love his parents had for him. He still had a long way to go, but he'd be lying if he didn’t say that these people had been nothing but amazing ever since he had moved in.

     “Where’s Innie?”

     “Upstairs in his room, saying that he’s never talking to you as long as he lives.” Ms. Kim chuckled. “Next time, save some ice cream for him.”

     “Yeah, yeah,” Seungmin said, laughing. He put his suitcase down and went upstairs.

     “I'm coming in,” Seungmin said, opening the door to Jeongin’s room.

     Jeongin was sitting on his bed. He glared at Seungmin. “You didn’t knock!”

     Seungmin smirked and sat down next to Jeongin, patting his head. “Is my baby brother still mad about that final pint of Tropic Surprise?”

     “I’m a freaking year younger than you, not a baby,” Jeongin snapped.

     “Oh yeah? I’m telling Mom and Dad that the next time you say you’re ‘too young to get a job.’”

     “I hate you.”

     “Really?” Seungmin teased. “I study away from home and that’s the first thing you say when I come back for Christmas break?”

     “Yes, and it’s staying that way until you buy me more ice cream, you jerk.”

     “Moron,” Seungmin retorted back. “Okay, fine, come on.”

     “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

     “Fine, then I’ll go out for ice cream myself.”

     In seconds, Jeongin had his boots and jacket on and was waiting by the door. “Let's go!”

     Seungmin shook his head in disbelief. “I swear, you’re five.”

     “And you’re a pushover,” Jeongin said, his tongue stuck out. “I want two scoops.”

     So there the two were, walking to the ice cream shop. Halfway through, snowflakes fell from the sky, melting on their hair.

     “It’s boring without you around,” Jeongin said. “Who told you to go study in Seoul?”

     “Aw, you miss me?” Seungmin joked. “You know I’ll always come back, Innie.”

     “You better always come back.” But the words held no bite. Nothing would ever stop Seungmin from coming back.

     Seungmin used to nervously wait, hoping that the people he cared about would return to him. The scavenger hunt had forced him to stop waiting, to search for that trust, to know that no matter where he was in the world, he had people waiting for him. People that made him smile and... vice versa.

     “Come on, let’s get that ice cream,” Seungmin said. Jeongin responded with a grin showing all teeth. Seungmin had definitely made him happy.

     After all, his parents were right. Give someone a smile, show them that you care, and they will always come back.