Helping Hands

Hyuk, Jin Goo, and In Guk were sitting at an outdoor table outside a convenience store.

Hyuk heavily chomped on the corndog he was holding, his face twisted in annoyance.

"Hey, calm down. Are you trying to eat the stick too?" Jin Goo frowned, admonishing his friend.

"What's all of these?" In Guk asked curiously as he picked up the discarded pieces of paper on the table. Hyuk had thrown them onto the table furiously, as if he was extremely irritated.

"Apartments for rent?" In Guk asked, reading out the header of the articles. A few properties were listed on it, stating the address, characteristics, and pricing. A few of them had been crossed out. "Are you moving out of that house?"

"Yeah," Hyuk replied after swallowing a bite of his snack. 

"That's good. It's high time that you left that place. Are you moving out alone?"

"No," Hyuk's frown deepened. "I took Yeo Ri with me. And Gun, that little b*stard, too, I guess."

"You took Yeo Ri with you?" Jin Goo raised an eyebrow at his words. "To where? Why? Since you're looking for a place, where are you staying right now?"

Hyuk huffed, replying, "we're staying at some motel. I was in a hurry so I didn't look into it much. I'm looking for an apartment, but it's taking up more time than I thought."

"A motel?!" Both Jin Goo and In Guk exclaimed incredulously.

"What were you thinking?!" Jin Goo frowned. How could Hyuk take a young girl to a motel, of all places. Putting aside of how wrong it sounded, a motel was not a very safe place to stay. The security at those kinds of places were abysmal. A young girl like Yeo Ri could easily fall prey to some bad guy at any moment.

"I know, but we were in a hurry." Hyuk rubbed his face roughly in frustration. "You guys didn't see how bad it got. I couldn't let Yeo Ri stay there anymore. I had to bring her out," he sighed tiredly.

It was the first time in a long while that the two had seen Hyuk look so vulnerable.

"Aren't you afraid that your old man might lodge a report? Saying that she ran away or you kidnapped her or something," In Guk rubbed his chin in a thinking manner.

"He can go right f*cking ahead, if he dares," Hyuk grinned coldly, a sharp glint in his eyes. "After all that he's done to Yeo Ri, does he think he can get away scot-free? Great! We can settle everything in jail."

"...Well, he'd probably be suspected of neglect and abuse if he did," Jin Goo nodded in understanding and agreement. Hyuk and Gun often received beatings from him, and there was plenty of evidence that pointed out their abuse. If Lee Do Joon decided to go to the police, then he would be the one at risk.

"Forget it. Let's talk about something else!" In Guk interjected. Talking about Hyuk's dad always made the air so stuffy and frustrating.

"That's right. How long do you plan to stay at the motel?"

"Until I find a place, obviously. But there's not many good offers."

"That's to be expected. The price you quoted is too low. If you want a good place, you'll have to raise your budget," In Guk sighed. "But according to this list, I would suggest you check out #5, #7 and #8. I've been to that neighbourhood before. It's pretty safe. Also, #5 is close to a bus stop. The deposit is higher than your quoted budget, but it's better to be safe than sorry."

"Wow, as expected of the son of a real estate tycoon," Jin Goo whistled. In Guk was a pretty smart guy when he gets serious, but because he was raised to be an indolent and spoiled young master, it was rare to see him showcase his abilities.

"Thanks," Hyuk muttered. "I'll give the realtor a call and schedule a visit to the place today."

"Hey, get out of that motel. I'll let you guys stay at my house, at least until you find somewhere to rent," Jin Goo offered.

A complicated look crossed Hyuk's face as he frowned. "No thanks. I don't need your charity."

Jin Goo frowned, scrunching his eyebrows. "It's not charity. Besides, I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing this for Yeo Ri. Letting her stay at such a dangerous place is making me worried!"

"...Fine." Hyuk thought for a long time before agreeing. He felt rather conflicted by the offer, but ultimately, he decided to forego his ego and accept it. He'd be able to save money and let Yeo Ri rest in comfort as well, so it was a win-win situation.

"Thanks, Jin Goo," Hyuk looked away, hiding his embarrassment. It was nice to know that he had friends like Jin Goo to rely on.

"What are friends for?" In Guk answered on behalf of Jin Goo, smiling crookedly.

Hyuk cleared his throat, hurriedly finishing up his food and drink. He didn't want to spend another moment basking in the bromance due to the embarrassment, so he excused himself, saying that he needed to prepare some things.