Household With Eight

Chapter 1

[Minho's POV]

10:59 pm

One more minute until my shift is over, and also one more minute until my parents will freak out.

I'm at the checkout, giving someone their order. "Have a good day," I say to the costumer, being exhausted from working.

I got the duty to lock everything off at the cafe, so now I'm cleaning the area.

Once I'm done, I lock the door and walk through the streets. The street lanterns are on and light comes out of some houses, people being inside enjoying each other's company. While I'm here outside in the freezing cold.

I take my phone out and check the time. 11:20 pm. My parents are already going to yell at me, so I can go around the convenience store, right?

I see the light of the store still on some miles away from me and I walk towards it. I open the door and step in, being greeted by the worker who turns out to be one of my friends.

"Hey Changbin, late night shift?" I ask my friend, who is half asleep behind the checkout. "Well you know, I need some money. Still haven't payed the bills for over a month now."

I walk around the store and get some snacks and drinks. I get back to the checkout to pay for my snacks. "Hope this will also give you some money. And keep the change." He smiles brightly at me and takes the cash. "Thanks man, I'll see you around."

I stand before the door of my house. Fuck, they so are going to hate me. I sigh, unlock the door with my keys, and step inside, hoping not to make a lot of noise.

I hang up my coat and put my shoes away. I walk up the stairs, but a light switches on from the living room.

"Where have you been out this late?"

Fuck.

Both my mother and father are looking at me, furiously. If looks could kill, I wouldn't even have made it to high school.

"Uhm, I had a shift and it lasted a little longer than expected," I answer. Well, it's not far from the truth.

"We had a deal, Lee Minho." I walk off the stairs, getting back on the floor. "I know."

"You say that a lot, don't you? But yet, almost every goddamn night, you come home after ten. I wouldn't be surprised if you would go out to parties every weekend and get drunk and high. I'm tired of this behavior, Minho," my mother hisses at me. I roll my eyes, having heard this a million times already. And she's right, I do go out to parties in the weekends.

"Your mother and I made a deal with you. You have to be home at eleven and if that doesn't work out for you, you have to find a way to make it work. And since you're old enough to live on your own, I think it's time for you to find a place to stay."

My jaw drops. On one hand, I'm furious about my parents making these ridiculous rules and not allowing me things although I'm 24. But on the other hand, I'm actually glad to leave the house.

"You have a week to find another place or we will take your cats with us." My eyes open as wide as they are able to and my jaw drops once again.

They didn't just-

"That's impossible! I can't possibly find a place to stay in a week, that will take at least a month!" I try to convince my parents, but it's probably no use.

"The deal stays. I hope you can make this deal work, not like the other ones you seem not to care about." And with that, they walk away, back into the kitchen.

Now how am I going to find a place to live in, which also allows three cats?

[Changbin's POV]

I'm so tired I can just fall asleep in this chair, but I can't. I shouldn't. I have costumers to help out.

I'm finally done with my shift and I go home as fast as I can, practicality running through the streets.

It's okay, no one's here anyways.

I finally arrive at my house and walk inside. My parents are already asleep upstairs, so I try to stay quiet. I walk to the kitchen and see the bills I still have to pay.

God, how many shifts are that?

I hear some stumbling upstairs and a person walking down the stairs. My dad walks in the kitchen and sees me.

"Oh it's you, kiddo. How was your shift?" I sigh and try not to sound angry. "Awful, I worked for 6 hours straight, in the night."

I'm actually the only one really putting the effort in to pay those bills, but my parents seem to think they can lay back because I will take care of it.

"Well, at least we could pay one of these envelops, right?"

And that's when I snapped. "Why am I the only one putting effort in making money? I'm working three different jobs at the same time, getting no free time. While you two are thinking one job is enough for you. I'm done, I can't possibly live like this and pay off the debts, mostly yours."

My dad sighs and takes a step towards me, while I take one back as well. "Changbin, you know your mom and I are trying really hard to give you what you want."

My mom walks in the kitchen as well, being awoken from us talking.

"See, you don't do that. You know what? I'm leaving. You can take care of this mess on your own. I think I've done enough for you and now you can take care of it yourself. Take care."

I run up the stairs, going to my room. I hear my mom saying something but I can't tell what. I shut the door loudly and start packing all my stuff, which isn't a lot.

Once I'm done, I walk back downstairs with my suitcase and see my parents waiting for me at the end of the stairs.

"You can't stop me. I'll hear from you when you have your life on track again."

I walk past my parents and storm out of the house. I walk through the streets, hoping to be far enough and my parents won't follow me.

But now, where do I need to go?

Then, I come up with the only option I think I have and start walking to an oh so familiar house, hoping my friend will let me in.