The Difference

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Jaemin awakes to the sound of his phone ringing loudly on his bedside table. Groaning and sitting up, Jaemin picks up his phone. The contact says "Dad". He answers.

"Dad? What is it? It's like 4 am..." He says, eyes barely even open to look out his window.

"I'm calling to say that Corporate wants me to stay here for another two weeks."

"Ok? What else is new." Jaemin sighs.

"Jaemin.." His father's tone is warning, making sure to keep Jaemin in his place.

"Sorry. Continue."

"I sent some money to your account but I'm counting on you to continue work. Don't slack off and take care of the house."

"Eye-eye captain." Although a playful saying, Jaemin's voice comes out dry and flat.

"Right. I will be home in two weeks. Don't call or text unless there's an emergency. Bye."

"Bye-" but his dad already hung up. Jaemin takes his phone away from his ear, staring at the black screen in his hand. "Not even an 'I love you'. Geez, dad of the year everyone." He yawns and rubs his face. He puts his phone back on the bedside table and curls back up under the covers, hoping to just fall back asleep.

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"Yah! Stop messing up my work hyung! Do you want a fucking cake or not?" Jaemin waves his wooden spoon around, bits of cake batter hitting the counter. Yuta continues laughing even though he's shielding himself in his arms.

"Yes yes, I want the cake!" He laughs again at Jaemin's angry face. He pinches the boy's cheeks. "Awww you're so cute when you're angry. Cute Nana."

Jaemin grumbles a curse under his breath before shouting to Yuta's boyfriend. "Sicheng hyung! Come get your mans!"

"No!"

"Hyung!" Yuta laughs at his boyfriend's response to Jaemin's plea. The honey-haired boy turns back to the Japanese man, annoyed. "Oh shut up!" But Yuta only laughs harder.

"Na Jaemin." Another worker, Jungwoo, comes into the kitchen. "We have a large order." He waves a fairly long receipt in the air.

Jaemin sighs and shoves the leech– Yuta off of his back. "Lemme see it." He reaches and grabs the piece of paper. By the looks of it, Jaemin guessed a large group of friends had come in. He reads the list quietly to himself. "Half a dozen mixed macaroons. Two slices of carrot cake. A dozen mixed sugar cookies...a slice of chocolate truffle cake. And two slices of apple fritter pie." He hands Yuta the receipt, telling the older to take care of the order while he goes back to making the cakes.

"But Nana~~"

"I am not afraid to whack you hyung."

The Japanese man gulps. "Noted. I'll be back later." Yuta scurries off to prepare the orders. Jaemin hums in response completely focused on mixing the cake batter before him.

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Jeno sits on the grass with Renjun, a box of Pocky between them. They were relaxing at the top of a hill, an old Oak Tree towering above them. Its branches reach out in all directions, making a spider web of shadows on the earth below.