Company |· Seongjoong ꪜ

01 | 𝐀𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐚 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲

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(A/N - This short story may have some triggering topics that are coming from me in my real life situations, I'll be putting warnings at the beginning. Anyways~ I hope you enjoy this short story love ya~ )

"Get up and pack your things" The words ringing in his head like many bells being hit all at once that the music he had playing in his earbuds doing nothing but adding to the noise, it gave the male a headache he knew he was never going to forget. I did everything I could... I paid for my rent and food... I even took care of my siblings taking on the parent roll... Seonghwa thought as he could feel his eyes burn as tears threaten to fall, crying like a baby wasn't really on his agenda but maybe letting it out now was better than bottling it up... And so he cried not caring of the passengers around him, all he wanted was to let it out even if it made the last hour or two of the 22 hour bus ride to Aurora city hell for those around him, they could always put in earbuds if it really bugged them.

"Good evening Greyhound bus riders, as we pull up into downtown Aurora please make sure all belongings are secure as we are not responsible for any lost items. Please remain seated as he pull in and unloaded the bus. Thank you for riding with Greyhound express have a wonderful day." Listening carefully Seonghwa took all his belongings he had out within his ride to the city putting them back into his carry-on before he patiently waited for the doors of the bus to open and when they did he made sure he was the first to be off.

"Thank you for riding with us and have a nice evening." The female assistant said as she stood by the doors of the bus giving her greetings and thanks to the passengers on board. With a deep breath of the somewhat fresh city air, Seonghwa made his way towards the back of the bus where everyone's bags sat nicely placed for passengers to come and pick up their luggage, with a few seconds of looking Seonghwa saw his grey under armour bag and took it.

Walking in the direction of the bus stop for local buses Seonghwa waited as he pulled out his phone looking up the city's bus times and fare it didn't take long for the bus station schedules to pop up so clicking on the top page Seonghwa found many bus numbers with colours of the routes they took. So this must be 1074? Ok? The bus is in 10 minutes. Seonghwa thought to himself before exiting the page and typing in his next question which was bus fare as the first time he did it didn't make it clear but now that he saw that bus fare was $3.25 he took out his change and waited patiently switching out his wireless earbuds for his wired ones instead.

The wait didn't seem as long as he thought but when he got on the bus the ride was long as he was a little ways from where he was heading and thanks to the driver he was told to get off at Court and Bay Street to which he did. The next bus he was getting on was in just a few minutes. Is there going to be any beds left by the time I get there? Seonghwa whispered as he looked up from his phone to see a few cars drive by before the bus finally pulled up in front of him. Now for another 10 minutes bus ride with a sigh leaving his mouth Seonghwa sat in a seat with two seats being free for his bag giving him a rest from carrying it on his shoulder thank god the bus is barley full.

Once off the bus Seonghwa walked in the direction of the building he was heading too, with the area he was in being a little sketchy he kept his guard up not being familiar with his surroundings he picked up speed in his walking before he finally came face to face with a building or should I say a house? The house on the outside gave off abandon but not years of a abandonment just enough to glance and continue on with your day, with a sharp breath Seonghwa opened the gate and walked up the steps before stopping placing his bag on the floor of the small balcony, bringing his hand to the bell Seonghwa pushed the button and not long after a much older female opened the door with a smile as she stepped aside allowing Seonghwa in.

"You must be Seonghwa? Am I right?"

"Uh, yeah." Seonghwa smiled hoping not to come off as rude but seeing how the female chuckled he knew he didn't.

"Well, if you could follow me I'll take you to the office." With a nod Seonghwa clinched his bag strap and followed the female before they arrived on the second floor at the end of the hall.

"Just place your bag here and we can get started." Doing as told Seonghwa placed his bag by the door and took a seat the female had pointed at for him to seat. It was an awkward silence before she started talking and was Seonghwa glad it didn't take any longer then it had.

"So, tell me. What happened? If you are comfortable that is." She smiled as she put her glasses on taking a folder out from her desk before she placed her hands on the keyboard to the computer in front of her. Seonghwa couldn't help but smile as she looked cute yet serious about her job.

"No it's fine it's just um... I didn't think I needed to explain what happened." Seonghwa spoke, he was taken back by the sudden question she had asked. When he looked this place up it said that everything was confidential and there was no need for explaining that is until he realized it was a totally different place he was thinking of. Ah~ here goes nothing.

"I was kicked out of my home by my father... he didn't say why and just told me to get up early this morning. I had afternoon classes but I had to drop out of them once again... I don't what or how I'm going to do this homeless, I thought that maybe this place was the best chance of getting where I want to be in life..." Seonghwa stopped as the burning feeling in his eyes came back as he held in his tears this time not wanting to worry the older but seeing how she held a face of worry he sighed before he spoke again.

"My father wasn't a good dad to me and my younger siblings he had his own problems and for my mother... she was there physically doing the best she can with house work and anything a mother could but she was never mentally there... it worried me as the oldest. I dropped out of high school in 9th grade and before that I was barely in classes somehow making in to graduate but ever since then I took care of my siblings as my own sometimes taking care of both mom and dad... it was just hell. There were times they'd pick arguments with me or even leave for days on end leaving me with 9-11 year olds."

By now the female looked at Seonghwa with nothing but pity for him as he was many of young adults who went through this. Seonghwa really hated being looked at like this but he couldn't do nothing about as it was what it seemed he just learnt how to live with it and move on.

"I'm sorry to hear. As you already know. We here at Time & Love we hope to help young homeless adults find their way back onto the path they want, and seeing how you wanted to get your high school diploma we can start with that and see where to go next, how does that sound?" The female smiled as she took her glasses off and smiled at Seonghwa who nodded with a small smile on his face.

"Great! Now let's get you settled in." Following her lead Seonghwa walked behind the female as she talked about the times for meals and when lights out were, she also talked about where he could clean his clothes and where to get clean towels for showers and so on.

"You'll be sharing a room with Mingi and San, they are our newest addition to the home so make yourself comfortable. The males are on the upper floor and the females are on the first. No funny business ok?" She said as she left Seonghwa alone in his new room he'd call his own until he moved out. Not bad? Seonghwa thought as he looked around the much spacious room with three beds up against the left wall and three dressers on the right and a closet on the wall with the entrance beside it. Probably for winter gear? As he walked into the room more Seonghwa could see that the two beds from the entrance to the last bed were taken leaving the one by the window free. Placing his bag on the bed Seonghwa sighed. I guess this is it? One day at a time.

- 𝐣𝐢𝐣𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐲𝐱