A/N: Here’s the second chapter of the double update for today! ;)

Book 3: The (Crazier) Toddler Years

Chapter 9: Failure

One day, Kyuhyun picked Minhyun up after school, as usual. As they walked home, Kyuhyun proudly told his son about his latest “improvement” planned for the town. Taking inspiration from the monster trucks that he did for the farmers, Kyuhyun was now planning to “update” the technology in the senior retirement home. To make the elderly feel more “alive and rejuvenated.” The evil maknae would love to see the look on his hyung’s when he tells him about this improvement. Kekeke.

Kyuhyun telling Minhyun about his work was another usual thing, of course.

However, Minhyun’s silence was something that was not usual.

The little boy just kept quiet as he walked beside his mother, his eyes trained on the ground and seemingly watching his little feet as they take steps.

One block away from their apartment building, Kyuhyun was starting to get seriously concerned. Why was his little dumpling so quiet today? Was something wrong? Kyuhyun sure hopes not.

“So, how was school today, Minhyunnie?” Kyuhyun asked in a cheerful tone, trying to get his son to talk.

Kyuhyun just became more worried when Minhyun just shrugged his shoulders. Since when did his son know how to shrug, anyway?

By the time that they into their home and Minhyun was settled in front of the TV (still just watching cartoons with a blank expression), the evil maknae was at his wit’s end.

He planted himself in between Minhyun and the television, getting the little boy’s attention.

Well, if you can call the quick glance at his mother’s face before looking down again that Minhyun did as “getting attention.”

“Cho Minhyun, you will tell me what is going on right now,” Kyuhyun said firmly. He usually didn’t have to act like a strict parent to Minhyun, with the little evil minion always being eager to please Kyuhyun. This time, though, Kyuhyun had to maintain some firmness. He needed clear answers before he became insane from Minhyun’s silence!

“Minhyunnie can’t, umma,” was all that the little boy said, still not meeting Kyuhyun’s eyes.

“Why not? Are you feeling sick? Are you hungry? Is everything alright at school? Is someone being mean to you? Does umma need to kill someone for you?”

Okay, maybe the last question is a bit extreme, but this is the evil maknae that we’re talking about, after all.

“I can’t tell you, umma,” Minhyun just said again.

“But why not?”

“‘Cause I’m afwaid umma will get mad at me...” Minhyun said, bowing his head even lower. “Or disappointed... Or both...”

Mad? Disappointed? Kyuhyun was really confused by now. He’d never truly been angry at Minhyun. And he most certainly had never been disappointed, and he was sure as well that he never would be. Why would he be disappointed? His little evil minion always made him so proud, even when Minhyun was just a baby and until now!

Kyuhyun couldn’t see where Minhyun’s talk of him being mad and disappointed was co