Someone to stay || minsung

13

Chapter 13: The chiken and the cats.

"One day I will find the right words and they will be simple"
Jack Kerouac—

A dream.

A nightmare.

I wake up feeling more exhausted than when I went to sleep.

Noona isn't with me. It's late in the afternoon so she's probably gone to help around with the kids. It's time for them to start bathing and getting ready for bed.

I sit up and realize I had a blanket over me, so I carefully fold it and leave it on the armrest of the couch before walking out of the room to look for Aera.

As soon as I step outside, Soonbok and Nari playing tag pass next to me, running like little devils. Nari hides behind my legs.

She screams when Soonbok tries to get her and I just realize their hair is dripping wet and they're half naked. I sigh, they were probably supposed to be with their pajamas on already, warm and cozy before going to bed, not making messes and waking up all the half asleep kids around them.

But this girls are a bit difficult and just listen to Noona and me, so I get that whoever was taking care of them must be going crazy right now.

"Nari, you're cheating! You can't hide behind Minmin!" Soonbok complains, throwing a fit.

I scoop her in my arms and start blowing kisses everywhere I can, just to make her laugh as I make fart sounds in her stomach, something that really tickles kids for some reason.

"No! The kissy monster!" she laughs, trying to get me away.

Nari pouts. "My turn! It's my turn!"

Panting, a boy comes down the hallway. He's the new kid, the one making some money by taking care of this little devils whenever he has some free time. I try to remember his name, but it vanished from my head.

"Sorry!" he apologizes. "They— they were with me and then suddenly weren't and I panicked and—"

I place Soonbok in his arms. "It's okay."

He looks relieved. The girls are quiet now for some reason.

With that little devil still in his arms, he deeply bows. "Thank you, Minho!" he exclaims. Now I feel a little bad for not remembering his name.

I feel Nari tugging at my t-shirt and I pick her up in my arms.

"Girls, you can't be running off without telling anyone!" I scold. They apologize with small smiles on their lips that show how they really aren't sorry at all.

"We're sorry, Jeonginnie!"

Ah, Jeongin, that's his name. 

The guy looks exhausted, honestly. He has eyebags that reach the floor. "You can go home, I'll take care of them." He shakes his head and now I remember seeing him through the hallways at school.  He's a year behind me, if I remember right. Always alone. "At least let me help you with these little maniacs."