When Park Sohee is forced to leave behind her childhood home, the familiar comforts of family, and all the memories she's spent years building, she's faced with the overwhelming challenge of starting fresh. With her younger brother Jisung by her sid...
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The next morning, Sohee was already deep into the chaos of packing up her life. She had her things, Jisung's, and even her mom's, neatly boxed up, ready for the move. But there was still a heaviness in the air. Their mom had been working nonstop lately, and she wasn't able to be there with them to help during the day. She'd promised she'd be home by midnight to help, but for now, Sohee and Jisung were on their own.
It wasn't just the move that made things harder. The whole situation felt like it had happened overnight. After Sohee caught her dad cheating on her mom, everything had spiraled. She'd been the one to tell her mom, the one to confront him. And just like that, her dad was gone, leaving behind a shattered family and a house they could no longer afford on their own. The financial strain and emotional weight of it all had forced them to move—start fresh in a new place.
But it still hurt.
Despite the pain, Sohee was determined not to let it weigh her down. She knew her friends would be there to help, just like they always had. So when they agreed to show up and help with the move, Sohee felt a bit of relief. It was a small comfort in the midst of everything changing.
True to their word, Jaemin and Mark arrived first, each in separate cars, ready to get the packing underway. Jaemin and Chenle came to assist with the boxes while Mark focused on the bigger furniture. The others—Jeno, Haechan, and Renjun—had promised to come later, when the bulk of the work was done.
"Alright, Sohee, you ready to move?" Jaemin's voice broke through the silence, his usual smile in place, even though Sohee could see the quiet concern in his eyes.
She nodded, forcing a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "As ready as I'll ever be."
Jaemin clapped his hands together, clearly trying to lighten the mood. "Don't worry, we've got you. We'll make this place feel like home in no time."
Chenle popped the trunk of the car, already organizing the boxes. "Yeah, I'm just here for the snacks," he added with a grin, trying to get a chuckle out of Sohee. It worked, if only a little.
"Thanks, guys," Sohee said quietly, genuinely grateful. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
Mark, who had been standing by the couch, finally spoke up. "Well, you won't have to figure it out on your own. We're here. You don't have to carry this all by yourself."
Sohee's heart squeezed at the kindness in Mark's voice. They'd been friends for so long, but it was moments like this—when everything felt uncertain—that made her realize how lucky she was to have people like them in her life.
"Let's get to work," she said, clearing her throat to steady herself. "We need to move this place, and fast."
The group got to work quickly, organizing boxes, loading up the cars with her things, and making the move smoother than Sohee had anticipated. Mark, as usual, was handling the heavy lifting with ease, while Jaemin and Chenle tackled the smaller boxes. The whole process felt less daunting with them around, the heavy silence of the house beginning to feel lighter, even if just for a moment.
