Eunha carefully stepped outside to the alluring garden. Every step closer, she noticed that the flowers were wilting. The vibrant colors fading away without the proper care.

They aren't loved...just like me

Eunha goes on her knees to inspect the lifeless flowers. They aren't the common ones you see every day at the flower shops. They were rare kinds, ones that needed special attention to keep them full of life. This was supposed to be a beautiful botanical garden.

Inspecting the flowers, out of the blue she hears low grumbles and swears thrown into the air. Quickly, she backs away from the lifeless garden and investigates where these grumbles are coming from. She quietly follows the voice until she reaches the worn down swing set in the middle of the garden.

Eric feels a presence behind him and immediately turns around, hiding his small notebook and pencil from sight. Both of them jump on cue and then quiet their inner minds when they see each other.

"It's just you," Eric mumbles loud enough for Eunha to hear.

Eunha acknowledges his presence and is a tad bit grateful he knows she's here too.

Eric pulls out his tiny notebook and proceeds to scribble random words. Curious, Eunha goes on her tippy toes to see what this cold man was up to. She came a little too close and topples over onto the white ruddy swing set. Her head falls onto Yoongi's lap and her legs flailing in the air.

"Oh my gosh, ahh sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to do that!" Eunha announces and tries to get up, except gravity and Eric had other plans.

Eric holds her left shoulder and gently pushes her down back to his lap, "Can we just stay like this for a moment?" All Eunha could do was a nod and gently placed herself back.

At that moment, Eunha's mind had been buzzing with scenarios of what he would do. Thoughts about him had changed right then and there. Her body was paralyzed under his touch, that same touch that soothed her when she spilled her tears. Her whole body was tinted pink now, and Eric loved it.

He loved every single bit of it. Although they had just met a couple of days ago, he can see something in her that he wished he had.

Perseverance

He knows she's hurt and is continuously hurting, he knows the feeling very well...

"Have fun at school Eric!", his mother yelled at the doorstep, waving enthusiastically at her son going to school.

"Mom! I'm not a little kid anymore.", he yelled back, scrunching his nose in the cutest way possible. His mother smiled back and shut the door behind her after Eric couldn't be seen in the distance.

His mother went back to the kitchen to finish preparing breakfast for her husband, who came down minutes later after Eric left.

"Did the stupid kid leave?", he said while tightening the watch on his wrist. His mother froze at the words, unable to say anything back. She hated the man, she didn't know why she married him, but all she knows is that she loves her son and has to leave.

"He's not stupid," she grips the knife handle harder murmuring the few words, "You're the stupid one."

Seconds later the man grips Eric's mother by the neck and squeezes the air out of her. He throws her onto the ground and begins kicking her stomach without any hesitation. Screams of help couldn't be heard by anyone. She was helpless.

The man squats down and grabs her face and forces her to look into his eyes. Blood was spurting out of her mouth as she was coughing, barely holding on for dear life.

"Listen here woman--," his mother was squirming herself out of his grip, "I will say whatever I want in this house--," he punched her face and forced her to face him again, "And I'll do anything I want to, so shut your mouth and do what you're told."

With that, he pushed her bloody face away and went to wash his hands. The thing neither parent knew was that Eric was there at the window, watching the scene play out in front of him. Tears were falling one after another, his fists clenched at the sight. He wanted to storm in there and beat the crap out of the man he's ashamed to call his father.

Eric came back home to retrieve his little notebook before he and his boys left to skip school. It was his birthday and they all decided to ditch the teachers and work for a celebration. His father was leaving and on cue, Eric hid in the shed behind the house.

He knew his father was horrible, he had the bruises and scars to prove it. He was okay with it, as long as it wasn't anyone he loved. This was his mother and he wasn't going to tolerate it any longer...

His tears fell onto Eunha's cheeks, who had fallen asleep on his lap. He smiled slightly at the sight and pushed a few strands of her hair behind her ear. He wiped his tears off of her soft skin and on his skin. The slight disturbance on her skin caused Eunha to wake up to the bright sunlight. Eric didn't pay attention to her eyes fluttering open, as he was scribbling more things into his little mint notebook.

Eunha noticed the tear streaks on Eric's face. She saw the real side of him and was happy she could. She didn't want him to be cold-hearted, she didn't want him to wear a mask. She wanted to see the real him.