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Changes had never been Sunghoon's favorite part of life. He had always hated change. Mostly because his family was constantly changing.

He hated having to wake up early to spend hours and hours trapped in a completely dull and uneventful car ride with his parents. The songs playing through his headphones no longer held his attention; they had become nothing more than the soundtrack to this journey toward the coast.

The coast of Harvey, a dream destination for every small-town teenager who worked more than they studied. Park Sunghoon was one of them.

Raised with good manners and taught to be an exemplary son, he didn't even know how to say no. At eighteen years old, Sunghoon accepted things without fighting back. He had been taught from a young age that "an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind," so he never truly paid much attention to cruel people.

He had a heart far too gentle and pure to mix with the wicked boys from the city. The kind he heard stories about and saw in movies. Disgusting, rude, rebellious boys who skipped class just to smoke. Sunghoon grimaced at the thought.

Park wasn't excited at all about leaving his beloved hometown to move to the coast. The countryside was all he had ever known, and now that he was grown, he had no idea how he was supposed to act around those awful people.

The car came to a sudden stop, causing Sunghoon's body to jerk forward before falling back against the seat. The movement startled him, but he quickly composed himself.

"Sorry," Mr. Park said with a faint smile, glancing at his wife and son to make sure they were alright. "Sorry, Hoon. We're here, okay? Let's get out."

Sunghoon simply nodded. He didn't really feel like speaking at the moment. He had been completely nonverbal for the last few hours.

He turned off the music on his phone and tucked his headphones into the backpack resting on his lap. Opening the car door, he stepped outside and immediately squinted against the brightness of the gray afternoon sky.

Sliding the straps of his backpack onto his shoulders, he finally looked up and saw the house that would now be their home.

It was larger than the one they had back in the countryside, though not by much. Their family couldn't afford anything extravagant. Unlike their old home, however, this one looked more modern.

Okay. I think I could get used to this.

Sunghoon sighed and walked ahead of his parents.

"New home. How do you feel?" his father asked, pulling the keys from his pocket and heading for the front door.

Mrs. Park looked delighted. "Finally free from that tiny town!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around her husband.

The couple laughed together and shared a quick kiss before Mr. Park finally unlocked the door.

Sunghoon lowered his head with a sigh. Apparently, he was the only one who loved their old home enough to return in a heartbeat.

"Come on, sweetie. Don't sulk. It'll be wonderful living here! We're even close to Aunt Hye!" Mrs. Park said excitedly, tugging him by the arm.

Sunghoon forced a small smile.

Don't disappoint Mom.

[•••]

The teenager sat in his room tossing a tennis ball into the air and catching it over and over again. He had been doing that for nearly half an hour out of sheer boredom. With an irritated huff, Sunghoon tossed the ball aside and sat down on his bed.