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Seungmin is squealing, almost busting my eardrums at the sight of Jeongin in the distance, licking a cone of strawberry gelato.
He's found a new hobby: annoying Jeongin. Who knows when he found it, but he said that he loves the boy's reaction and that it's very cute.
Seungmin lets go of my hand before skipping over to Jeongin, engulfing him in a bear hug. Jeongin frowns at the older boy and tells him he almost dropped his gelato in disappointment. Seungmin laughs and walks with him hand in hand to me.
"Please get this disgusting monster off me," Jeongin sighs, licking his gelato once more.
Seungmin gasps as if taking offence. "Monster?" he says a bit dramatically.
"I'm talking about you," the younger one informs him while giving him a side eye.
"Please don't cheat on me, Seungmin," I sigh in a disappointed tone, "what a loyal husband."
"Pssh please!" Seungmin blows a raspberry, "he's our son! Why would I cheat on you?"
"He's my cousin..?"
Seungmin hugs Jeongin possessively, ignoring my cousin's yelp and desperate calls to be let go. "I don't care," Seungmin declares, "he's still my son. Ignore him all you want, he's staying with us. Isn't that right you baby..." Seungmin trails into muttering incoherent nonsense and pinches Jeongin's cheeks in adoration.
"God, save me," I hear him mumble and I stifle a laugh.
Seungmin has agreed to come with me to go window shopping and we somehow bumped into Jeongin who was on his way home from school. Seungmin was - of course - overjoyed, he has someone to mess around with while hearing me complain about how I wouldn't be able to buy that nice Cartier ring even in fifty years time - I'm that hopeless.
Jeongin is still tightly clutched by Seungmin as we walk the streets, complaining how the older is squeezing his arm a little too tight but Seungmin pretends he doesn't hear it and instead talks about something else.
"Hyung," Jeongin finally says, almost at point to give up, "please."
Seungmin pouts, "shut up."
Jeongin looks at me with desperation and I shrug, smirking. "You're his son," I tell him, taking Seugmin's side in which he welcomes me warmly. "There's no way you could escape him," I add.
Jeongin kicks my shin. "Yuri!"
Laughing, both Seungmin and I ruffle Jeongin's hair - as Felix would say, we 'uwu'ed at the little boy's little frown, scrunching up his nose and licks his gelato in an almost miserable way.
Ah, cute.
Even though Jeongin looks like he's having the worst time of his life being annoyed by Seungminnie, by the looks of his facial expression, he's actually having fun.
"Hyung!" he cries, jumping up and down, "let's go bowling!"
Seungmin and I exchange glances when Jeongin points to the bowling place, but Seungmin's weak spot is my cousin so they happily walk hand in hand with me following close behind, thinking about how much money Seungmin is planning to spend on the boy.
"Yuri-yah, do you mind if you wait outside for a moment?" Seungmin asks once we've booked a lane, stuffing his wallet back in his pocket and is about to head in with Jeongin.
"Why?" I ask, "I'm bowling too, aren't I?"
Seungmin rolls his eyes, "well yeah, but Hyunjin wants to come! I can't let him hang around outside!"
I'm taken aback. "What?"
"I know you're silently screaming in happiness inside," he shrugs nonchalantly, making me whack him on the back of his neck. "Ow!" he winces, squinting his eyes at me, "but hey, I'm gonna go ahead!"
Without letting me say anything, he and Jeongin skip in, waving their hands teasingly at me as they walk in.
With a huff, I cross my arms and turn around to face the outside of the bowling alley, looking and waiting patiently for the boy we call Hyunjin.
As much as I want him to hurry up, I also don't want him to show up. What he said last night, what he did, is still lingering at the back of my mind and I'm not sure if I can face him again. Okay, okay, okay, call me over-reacting; it's not a big deal or whatever; maybe some other person would have done this and felt this a million times before.
But Hyunjin is different, okay? There's just this weird "un je ne sais quoi" about him that I want to know more about.
The clock ticks by. Seconds turn into minutes and still no sign of the dark-haired boy. Maybe, he wont come after all, maybe I can breathe my sigh of relief, glad that I won't be facing him today.
"Yuri, wait!" I hear a familiar voice call me as I am about to turn around and head inside to join Seungmin and Jeongin.
Hyunjin is there, running towards my direction with a widespread grin on his face. His bag slung lazily behind his back and his hair looks like as if he's combed his hand through it a million times. His bright yellow school blazer is showing through his dark coloured long puffy jacket.
"How long have you waited?" he asks, falling in step next to me.
"Long enough to get sick of waiting," I simply answer, and walk back inside to join the other two boys inside.
Hyunjin chuckles and whispers a quiet 'I'm sorry' underneath his breath, making me smile a little.
"Come on, hurry up," I tell him, dragging the boy by his wrist, "Seungmin and Jeongin are inside already, let's go before they have too much fun."
I swear, I swear it's my mind playing tricks on me and it's my heart sending its hopes too high. But I can't help but maybe, possibly, heard Hyunjin say 'cute' with a hint of smile in his tone. You know how some people write s-k-j-s-k-j-s-k-s-k-s-j-k-s-j-k-s in text messages to express their frustration, fluster and excitement and embarrassment? Imagine that and me trying to say it in real life.
When we get inside, Seungmin is already having his turn, Jeongin cheering him on by recording the older on his phone, squealing excitedly.
"Hyunjin hyung! Yuri! Come!" the boy welcomes us excitedly, patting on the seats next to him, "we got some snacks too!"
Jeongin points at the instant ramyun set on the table, making me grin and thank God in my mind.
"Thanks, Innie," I say gratefully, plonking myself down on a seat and start eating.
"Jeonginnie!" Hyunjin calls, lifting his hand up in the air, preparing to do a handshake. "What is up my du ―"
"― Don't touch him!" Seungmin's voice shouts from near the lane, making Hyunjin jerk back his hands to the side of his head.
"He's my son."
•
woop woop woopp... update! ugh, i feel like my schedule is messed up now ... *sigh* ... i have a lot of homework and projects and i'm a bit stressed, but i'm just glad that i make it back from school alive every time. and bowling? psshh, mainstream i know but i'm kinda tired of thinking so here it is! it's currently half past 8 at night where i am right now and i've been laying in bed all day but somehow i'm really tired and sleepy.
where are your dream vacation spots? i really want to go to norway (marcus and martinus hmu HAHAHA) and romania (my sister from a different mother - georgie - is romanian and lives there sjkjsjsk)
