Yeonderella Yeonbin Cinderella AU HIATUS

╰☆☆ Prologue ☆☆╮

Yeonjun can confidently say that up until his 8th year, he had a great childhood. 

He had a nice house, good friends and a loving family he could rely on. He didn't have any siblings but his two best friends Beomgyu and Taehyun were more than enough. He couldn't ask for anything else. In Yeonjun's eyes everything was more than perfect. 

However, just a few weeks before his 8th birthday, things started to take a turn in the wrong direction. His mother was diagnosed with lung cancer. They didn't tell Yeonjun much, all he knew was that it had spread to both her lungs, and she was going to need chemotherapy. Tragically, she didn't make it through chemo and passed away hours later. 

All Yeonjun had to remember her by was a locket and her last few words to him before she went in for chemo, "Yeonjun, no matter what happens, I want you to remember to always be strong, stay kind, and no matter what happens, I'll always be there for you. Even if I'm not there physically, I'm there." Sometimes he would wonder if his mom knew she was going to die and wanted to reassure him that everything would be okay once she's gone. 

Regardless of whether she knew or not, Yeonjun lived by his mother’s last words. 

For years following, Yeonjun and his father, Daehyun, had no one but their few close friends and each other. 

Daehyun wouldn't be home as often as he used to, and whenever he did get home, he was clearly exhausted, but despite that he was still every bit of the amazing and supportive dad he was before. Yeonjun knew this and he was very grateful to have such an amazing dad, but he felt like he had to help his dad somehow. He wanted to help his dad. So, he worked hard to do things on his own and tried to avoid asking his dad for help too often. He knows he's a busy man. 

Yeonjun learned independence and responsibility early on in his life. 

꧁LINE BREAK꧂

Daehyun noticed how much Yeonjun has matured since his mother's passing and while a part of him was proud of his son, another part was a bit dismayed that Yeonjun was forced to grow up so fast. 

It's been almost four years since Jisoo passed away and Daehyun thinks it's time for him to move on, for Yeonjun's sake. The boy needs a mother figure in his life, and while Daehyun tries his best, he still feels like it isn't enough. Yeonjun spends most of his time home alone and that's not healthy for any child, especially not one as young or as social as Yeonjun. 

These thoughts have been plaguing him for a while now. He didn't feel like he needed a new woman in his life, but Yeonjun needed a mother figure, he deserved one after all he's been through. 

He'd been seeing someone for a few months now, and she seemed nice, but the memory of his wife always stopped him from really developing an interest in anyone. After all, no one could replace his beloved Jisoo. But seeing Yeonjun growing so fast finally pushed him to do it. He wanted Yeonjun to at least get some of his childhood back. 

꧁LINE BREAK꧂

A week after Yeonjun's 12th birthday, Daehyun sat Yeonjun down and told him something that turned Yeonjun’s whole world upside down. 

"And, she's an excellent mother. She has two sons of her own, you'd have brothers. Isn't that great! You've always wanted siblings." 

"Yeah…" No. 

Yeonjun knew his dad meant well and he didn't want him to be unhappy, but something inside him screamed in protest. No one could replace his mom. 

As if his dad could read his mind, he put a hand on Yeonjun's shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile. 

"Yeonjun. You know no one will ever replace your mom. Jisoo is one of a kind and no one could ever replace her, but Haewon is a good person and I know she'll be a good mother figure for you." 

Yeonjun didn't want a new mother figure, he was happy with the way things were with just him and his dad. He didn't say this to his dad, of course. His dad has done so much for him already, if this Haewon lady makes him happy, then he could try to get along with them all. So Yeonjun put his feelings aside and instead of whining protests like he so desperately wanted to, he smiled warmly at his dad and consented, congratulating him on finding someone as amazing as Haewon sounded to be. 

꧁LINE BREAK꧂

She only sounded amazing. Yeonjun learned that fairly quickly. 

His new stepmother, Haewon was it? Who cares. She arrived at their home only a few weeks after their wedding. Yeonjun didn't have the chance to meet her during the wedding, not that he tried. However, he did get the displeasure of meeting his new step brothers at the dessert table. Needless to say he didn't like them. 

He had only officially met Haewon once she moved in, and from the few interactions they've had, he can tell she doesn't care for him. She was beautiful, as his father had said, and so were her sons, as much as he'd hate to admit, but that beauty was only the surface. 

He had only known them for a few short weeks, but in that short time, it was apparent that she was a conceited and greedy person with a sour attitude, and her sons were just like her. He doubts they ever worked a day in their lives. 

He'll give them one thing though, they were excellent actors. Always on their best behavior when his father was around. They reminded him of sour patches, sour one second and sweet the next. Of course it was all fake. 

Haewon herself had never actually done anything to Yeonjun, but there was something so cold and almost emotionless in her eyes that made Yeonjun a little uneasy. They were nothing like the kind and soft eyes of his mother. Looking at her, Yeonjun couldn't help but wonder what his father saw in such a cold and sharp looking woman.  

It wasn't long before they were making changes to everything in Yeonjun's house. New curtains, new rugs, new furniture, new everything. They were never satisfied. Yeonjun wanted nothing more but to scream and kick them out of his house, but instead he held his tongue and showed them respect and kindness, like his mother would have wanted. It was challenging, but he was doing it for his parents. At least he wasn't totally alone, he still had his dad with him. They had less time to spend together, but they cherished every moment they had with each other. 

꧁LINE BREAK꧂

That time was cut shorter than expected, because just two years after his remarriage Daehyun died in a car accident on his way to work. They had just seen each other earlier in the day, his father had woken up Yeonjun, who had slept through his alarm like every morning and told him to get moving, patting his butt and earning a whine in protest. It was normal. It was routine. It was a constant Yeonjun has always had in his life. 

He wasn't supposed to get called to the office. He wasn't supposed to see the police there waiting for him along with his weeping stepmother and brooding step brothers. None of this should have happened. He was going to go home and wait for him in his study. Like he always did. That was routine. That was normal. 

But this time when he went home to sit in his father's study, he wouldn’t be coming home. 

The realization that settled in shattered Yeonjun's whole world to pieces.

A/N: 
Thank you for reading!

Slow updates. 

Please vote and comment. ♡