challenged by the wolves.

It was Thursday morning, Kai is preparing to attend the university when suddenly, his mother busted his door open.

"Kai, how about I challenge that boyfriend of yours?" She says, sitting at the younger's bed. Kai looked at her suspiciously, mother Choi shot a glance back at him.

"Look, if he wins the challenge, me and your father will try to accept you." She said, calmly. Eyes looking somewhere. Kai raised his one eyebrow, he finds his mother's movement odd.

"I-I'll as-ask him th-then.." Kai stammered, scared that his mother might throw heels at him. Mother Choi stood up, and nodded.

"Then, be here before 5pm." Mother Choi noted, leaving Kai's room. Kai find this weird, after all those times, she'll offer a challenge?

"Isn't too late for that?"

Kai thought, scratching his nape. He grabbed his backpack, then placed all this things inside.

"But whatever the trick she has, I'll always come and save Hyunie."

He added, sternly looking himself at the mirror. If Taehyun won't fail him, then he should do the same.

"So, what did mom told you?" Asked Beomgyu, eating a pepero. It's been days ever since Kai and Taehyun started avoiding each other.

"She told me that she'll challenge Hyunie." He replied, holding his juice box. Yeonjun and Beomgyu nodded, that was too odd of mother Choi.

"Have you talked about it with Taehyun?" Yeonjun questioned, munching on his hamburger. Kai shakes his head as a reply.

"I'll get him for you!" Beomgyu beamed, leaving the box of his pepero, then running towards Taehyun who is talking to Soobin.

Kai was about to stop him, but his brother was already walking back at their table with Taehyun.

"There, Kai wants to talk about something with you." Beomgyu stated, pointing at his younger brother. Kai couldn't look at him, even at his eyes, not even a little bit.

Taehyun giggled at this kind of behavior, he knew Kai feels burdened about what happened last time.

"And, Soobin-hyung and Yeonjun-hyung needs to talk about something too. While I, I'll buy more pepero. See you my lovely brothers!" Beomgyu beamed, running to the shelves just to buy different flavors of pepero.

Kai stood up, dragging Taehyun gently at a small corner of the convenient store.

"What is it about, Hueningie?" Taehyun asked, running his fingers at Kai's hair. The younger didn't spoke for minutes, the sudden interaction makes his heart happy.

"Uhm, it's about mama. She told me that she wants to challenge you." Kai spoke, still feeling Taehyun's warm hands.

Taehyun thought for a while, then averted his gaze at Kai who has his eyes closed, feeling his hand over his head.

"Hmm.. sure. I should give it a try." Taehyun replied, although the whole challenge was suspicious, he wants to try for Kai. To prove something to his parents.

"Alright, she said we better be there before 5pm." Kai informed, burying his face at Taehyun's neck. As much as he want to hold back, his desires had already took over him.

Taehyun smiled, hugging Kai tightly.

"I missed you." Kai spoke, sniffling under his neck. The elder chuckled, pulling Kai. The younger was crying.

"It's only weeks, love." Taehyun stated, chuckling at Kai who's tears are nonstop flowing down his cheeks.

The elder wiped the younger's tears with his thumb, then pressing a kiss at Kai's cheek.

"Don't cry. I'm here." Taehyun consoled, drawing circles at Kai's back. The younger's sniffles stopped, and his breathing got stable.

Kai pulled from Taehyun, the elder was smiling at him dearly. The younger pressed a quick kiss at the elder's lips, making both of them giggle.

"I love you." Taehyun spoke, his and Kai's nose stuck together.

"I love you more." Kai replied, smiling. He couldn't explain how happy is he right now.

"Nah, I love YOU more." Taehyun retorted, pinching Kai's nose which made the younger wince in pain.

It was 4:45pm when Kai, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, and Taehyun went home. As they arrived at the Choi's residence, mother Choi was waiting for them, standing by the gate.

"Do you think it's kinda weird?" Beomgyu asks, his hands over his head. Yeonjun looked at him, "what's weird?" The eldest asked, which caught Taehyun and Kai's attention.

"Mom. She's been kind ever since this morning. Do you think she need something from us?" Beomgyu replies, looking at mother Choi from afar. Yeonjun and Kai looked at the same direction.

Arriving by the gate, mother Choi greeted them.

"Since you came, you accepted my challenge. Well then, come with me Taehyun." Mother Choi started, signaling Taehyun to come with him. Taehyun looked at Kai for a second, then smiled.

The elder followed Kai's mother, both of them went upstairs.

"While they're talking, what did you and Soobin-hyung talked about?" Beomgyu asked, making Kai chuckle. Yeonjun knitted his eyebrows.

"Why are you so nosey?" Yeonjun asked sarcastically, pinching Beomgyu's nose.

"Ouch! 'M sorry, let mhi go!!" Beomgyu cried, slapping Yeonjun's shoulder. The elder let go, his smile immediately disappeared.

"We broke up." Yeonjun revealed, making Kai and Beomgyu surprised. The elder was smiling bitterly, his eyes glistening in tears already.

"I love him, but he told me that the time isn't right yet. He said he wanted to finish his studies first, and if possible, he'll find me in the future." Yeonjun shared, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"I should have not asked, I'm sorry hyung." Beomgyu spoke, frowning.

"Yeah, you should have not asked." Yeonjun replied, pinching Beomgyu's nose again. Kai giggled when the two started bickering again.

"Kai knows everyone's secret here in the house." Mother Choi stated, sitting at Taehyun's opposite side. Taehyun nodded as an acknowledgment.

"He knows that Yeonjun, Beomgyu, and him aren't real brothers. He knows that Beomgyu and Yeonjun as has different fathers." Mother Choi confessed, feeling shame at her actions. This information made Taehyun shock, all his life, he knew that Beomgyu and Yeonjun are siblings, not half-siblings.

"He knew I grew up from a toxic household, that's why he was able to hold out from here." Mother Choi added, putting a large photo of a family on the table.

"Accept Kai as who he is. He was from a prestigious family, it was unfortunate that he lost his both parents." She says, putting a picture of a family.

"Love Kai as who he is, be with him. That's my challenge." She uttered, earning a nod and smile from Taehyun.

"I'm planning to talk to Soobin and apologize too, and then I'll leave here." She informed, making the other surprised.

"I don't want to stay here any longer, I've caused so much pain to them. The only thing I can do is leave Kai his money, and Sejeong's money to Beomgyu and Yeonjun." She paused, "I'll leave and let them live happily without me. All I did was to control them, just like what my parents did to me." She continued, standing from the chair.

"I'll take care of Kai, I promise," Taehyun smiled, "you can still be better, you need more time." He added, bowing. The younger left the lady inside the room.