Weekends

Chae-rim’s house

“Changmin-ah, I’m going to work now. Make sure you eat your breakfast, okay?”

She tells him while stuffing her bag with phone, wallet and other necessary thing.

“Nde, noona. Will you come back at lunch like always?” asked the 7 years old boy.

Changmin walk towards her and squat down a bit so their eyes are at the same level.

“I will come back to cook lunch for us, and we’ll eat together, ‘kay?”

The younger nods happily; sometimes his sister works too hard that she calls their neighbor to look out for Changmin and ask them to feed him for lunch. It’s not like he hated it, just that he prefer to eat with his only family members left in the world.

Chae-rim stand up, fixing herself when Changmin tug her jeans, “Wae?”

“Yunho asked me earlier if I could go to his house today…he bought a new video game and he would like to play with me…can I?”

Jung Yunho, best friend of Changmin whom sometimes Changmin call him as boy-next-door since he live there. His parents are like Chae-rim’s and Changmin’s parents.

They look after them after their grandmother’s death; much to the kids miserable.

The apartment, however, was the last gift from their grandmother who’s been saving money to at least provide her grand children a proper shelter. Not like her old dusty house before.

The apartment was not as big as people thought. It’s just consist of 3 bedrooms, one of it is master bed rooms, a living room, small store room, another toilet near the other two rooms and a kitchen.

Snapping out at her thought, Chae-rim feel another tug on her jeans, “Can I?”

She pinches Changmin’s cheeks resulting the other to yelp out of shock.

“Of course you can! Don’t forget to lock the door when you’re going out and give the key to aunty. I’ll head there during lunch break and pick you up. We’ll cook and eat together, okay?”

He nods happily, “Yaksok!” He held out his pinky.

Chae-rim lock her finger towards the cutie one, “Yaksok!”

Both of them laugh for awhile, before Chae-rim kissing Changmin’s forehead.

“I need to go to work now. Take a good care of yourself when I’m out, arasseo?”

“Arrasseo, noona.”

She pinches him on cheeks once more before heading out to work.

Clover Café

It’s weekend, means the café would always be busy with customer, in and out almost every minute, leaving them no time to rest…and a need of extra hand, which is why the twins and Minwoo are here.

“Order for table 17!” scream Jeongmin, wanted one of them to deliver the order as he rushes to make another with Hyunseong.

“Coming!” Kwangmin jog slightly to the small window that connect to the kitchen, taking the tray that waiting to be deliver and go back to the front to deliver them.

“Youngmin! Re-stock those cakes!” Donghyun told him while pointing his finger at the display rack.

Youngmin walk lazily to the big fridge and take out the cake that he needs to re-stock.

Hyunseong smirk, “Can’t you do any slower?”

The younger pout, he’s so tired; they’ve been working from 8 a.m. and now, lunch time…he thought that we would earn an hour or a few minutes will do for him to rest.

“Hyung~!! I’m tired~!!”

“Oh god! He’s starting to whine.” Jeongmin roll his eyes.

Kwangmin head pop inside the small window sticking his hand out with a paper; a new sheet of new order, “Hyung! Two macaroni and cheese!” he sticks the order at the table before disappearing to Minwoo; who’s helping Donghyun with the drinks.

“Work, work, work!” Jeongmin sing happily as he grab those order papers and start to heat up the pan.

“Youngmin! The cake!”

Youngmin heard Donghyun’s calling for him…the cake…actually.
He stand up, place back the remaining cake and then place the already-cut cake into the re-stock tray as fast as he can, afraid that Donghyun will scream at him again.

At a local convenient store

“Thank you ahjuhmma! I’ll be back at 2p.m. sharp!” she beamed to her boss.

The ahjuhmma smile; she always love this lovely girl. “Chae-rimmie-yah, it’s okay if you want to bring Changmin with you sometimes.”

“Jeongmal?”

The ahjuhmma nods, “As long as he doesn’t cause any trouble, I’m fine with that.”

Chae-rim bows right after she heard that. “Kamsahamnida!”

Packing all her things that she bought, she grip on her back and her plastic bag tighter before going out of the store; to pick Changmin up as she promised the boy earlier.

Chae-rim glance around, feeling so calm at the warm sight; a mother buying her child a big lollipop that her son has been crying for, a girl walking hand by hand with a boy that is taller than him, and a grandmother being help by a teenage girl…grandmother.

“Halmeonnie, I miss you…” she stops walking and look up to the sky, whispering to a thin air.

Her grandmother died 3 years ago, when she was only 13 and Changmin was 4. When she died, a man came up to her, revealing that he’s a lawyer that in charge of her grandmother’s will.

“She left you an apartment at XXX, an amount of money she’s been saving on an account under the name Shim Chae-rim, and…” 

Chae-rim didn’t even realize that her eyes squeeze out a tear.

She wiped it off and starts to smile softly. “Kamsahamnida, halmeonni.”

After 15 minutes of walk, she finally reaches the block to her apartment. The block consists of 5 floors with each floor having 15 apartments.

She rings the bell that is fixing next to the platname.

Less than 5 second, the door is open revealing the women around the age of 20 to 30, with Changmin and Yunho on her side.

“Noona~!” Changmin hug her.

“Changmin~!” She squat down and copy her brother’s tone.

Chae-rim release the hug as she allow Changmin to continue hugging her waist while she thanking aunty Jung. The young lady tucks her hand inside her apron and then take out a set of key. “Here’s your key.”

“Thank you for taking care of him, aunty!”

“You’re welcome! Would you like to have a lunch with us?” offer the lady.

Chae-rim shakes her head, “Maybe next time. I’ve promised Changmin that I’ll cook our lunch together. He like to cook nowadays and get mad at me if I cook without him assist me.”

Aunty Jung laugh. “Okay then. Take care, both of you.”

The Shim siblings bow down as Changmin bid his goodbye to Yunho, who told him to come right after lunch.

“What are we going to cook today, noona?” ask the boy as he help Chae-rim to hold the plastic bag as she unlock the door.

“Fried rice with kimchi!” Chae-rim tells him happily.

“Oooh~!”

She locks the door back before taking the plastic back from Changmin and both head to the kitchen happily to cook their lunch.

Three hours later: 4 p.m. customers flood out, leaving the boys in tidying the place a bit in their own pace

“Hyuuuuh~”

“I’m dead.” Wailed Youngmin as he slump down on the chair at one of the café’s table.

Minwoo smirk, “You’ve been saying that every time we come down to help here. How many times you’re death already?”

“Shut up!”

Hyunseong come to them with a tray of drinks, Donghyun follow closely behind him with another tray of food.

“Finally! We can have OUR lunch now!”

Youngmin shot his head up, “Where’s Jeongmin-hyung and Kwangie?”

Hyunseong title his head to his right, “In the kitchen. They’re checking things that running out to be note down so that hyung can buy to re-stock them.”

“Kwangmin is such a workaholic!” exclaim Minwoo, hand grabbing the icy-cold ice lemon tea before taking a sip of it.

The four of them nods, “Did you see how he was so into it while Youngmin whine like, almost every second?” added Hyunseong.

“Hey! I didn’t whine EVERY SECOND!”

“Every minute, then.” Teased Donghyun.

Youngmin pout and stand up, “Kwangmin-ah~!!!”, he call for his twins and left the other three to get him.

“Seeing him acting like that always make me wonder, who’s the real hyung between the two...”

Kitchen

“…tomato sauce, chili sauce, maple syrup and ice cream.” Jeongmin list out what have finished as Kwangmin note it down.

“It’s 4p.m. Do you think someone would come after this?” asked Kwangmin.

Jeongmin shake his shoulder, “Meolla…If we do, we should at least buy the last four things I mention before, since the rest we still-”

“Kwangmin-aaaaaaahhhhhh~~!!”

Kwangmin turn around, seeing Youngmin marching towards him.

“Wae?”

“Hyung is bullying me again!” he whines as he hug the younger from behind.

The youngest place the list on the nearest table, “What did they said this time?”

“They said that I’ve been whining throughout this day for being tired of doing work here!” he pouts at the end.

Kwangmin was about to say something when Jeongmin decide to , “You did whining a lot, you know.”

“Jeongminni-”

“I did not! Kwangie! Tell him!”

“He did not whining THAT much, Jeongminnie-hyung. If he is, it’s because he sleep late yesterday.”

The eldest laugh, putting his hand around Kwangmin’s shoulder, “I know! I’m just teasing him.”

“And why didn’t you fight back, Youngie?”

Youngmin shrug, “I don’t know…because I’m tired?”

“Or because you’re bored to death waiting for text from Mi-ra noo-” Youngmin immediately put his palm on Kwangmin’s mouth to prevent him from talking more.

“Shut up!”

“Mfft cnffft brfttt!!!”

“Youngmin! He can’t breathe!” Jeongmin scream when he catch what Kwangmin’s been muffle to Youngmin’s hand.

The elder of the twins quickly let go of his younger one, “S-Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Was the only response that comes out of Kwangmin’s mouth.

“Come on, let’s go to the front. They all will starve to death waiting for you guys to come out of the kitchen, you know.”

After lunch at Chae-rim’s house

“Noona, are you going back to work now?” he asks, glancing at his watch that showing 1:40 with p.m at the right corner of his watch.

“Sorry, Changmin-ah. You know that I work on weekend. I hope you understand.”

He nods but still feeling sad.

Chae-rim sigh, then smile back to him.

“Changmin-ah, want to follow me to work?”

The boy look up with his widen eye, “Can I?”

She nods and kneels down, “Ahjuhmma said I can bring you there whenever I want as long as you behave.”

Changmin bounce up and down; he always want to go there. He loves spending time with his sister.

On school day, his sister will go to work from 8p.m to 11p.m at a restaurant. Not as a waiter, she washes all the dirty plate and glass during night time. It’s strange how she work on that kind of shift but thanks to the ahjuhmma, her boss that open a convenient store near their house, she manage to negotiate the restaurant owner and the owner agree since ahjuhmma said she’s a great employee.

Then on weekend, she’ll work at the convenient store from 9 till lunch time, and then continue from 2p.m to 6p.m. The ahjuhmma didn’t allow her to work at the night shift as she’s a student and student need plenty of time to do homework or sleep. Seeing that his sister is working for their own sake, he try to understand her though it is impossible for a 7 years old to understand.

And luckily he did.

He tries to be with her almost all the time. He also tries to do anything that prevents him from causing trouble to his sister. When Chae-rim told him that he’s allow to follow her to work, he feel nothing more than happiness.

As Chae-rim wash the dishes, Changmin go to the phone to call Yunho, telling him that he’s following his sister to work; proudly, as Chae-rim observe when the other talk.

“Let’s go go go!!!” he cheers happily as her sister finishes washing all the dishes and is grabbing their apartment key.

Making sure she locks the door, she pull out the key and keep it inside her bag.

“Yay!! I’m working with noona~ I’m working with noona~” he sing it as he happily tugging her sister to start walking with him.

“Aish…this cute brother of mine.” She exclaim as she intertwined her hand with him, walking hand by hand with his beloved brother.

 Back at Clover Café

The three hyung just got out off their office; just finishing counting profit they got that day.

“Believe it or not, today’s profit is more than the other day before!” exclaim Donghyun while pumping his fist up in the air.

“And you told us today is your worst day.” Add Jeongmin, squishing himself in between the twins.

Youngmin pout, why does Jeongmin always teasing him by separating him from his twins?

“Yah, Jeongmin-hyung. There’s plenty more seat that unoccupied, why do you have to sit here?”

“Aww~ You sit with Kwangmin longer than I do! You even share a room, and you sit next to him at school too!”

Hyunseong come with a paper in his left hand, “Jeongmin, is this the list that you said before?”

Jeongmin take the list and read it one through, “Yup.”

“Go and buy these things.”

Jeongmin eyes twitch, “It’s your turn to buy those, you go.”

“I did it last time! It’s your turn!”

Both of them start to yell with Kwangmin stuck in between them; seriously, he’s been a yelling victim for this week.

First with Youngmin and second, Jeongmin and Hyunseong.

“Shut up!” he finally explode. All of them stop at what they’re doing. Including Minwoo who was about to take his last bite of his cake resulting the cake to fall off the spoon.

He snatches away the list, “Hyung, give me the money and I’ll buy.”

Donghyun shrug. The eldest go back to his office to get some cash as Jeongmin and Hyunseong both feel guilty and they start to argue again.

“It’s okay, Kwangmin-ah. I’ll go.” Start Hyunseong.

Jeongmin pout; mumbling that he’s just show off by being nice or something.

“Ani, I’ll go, Kwangmin-chu.”

And there they go again. Minwoo and Youngmin on the other side, watching them as if they’re watching a movie or a drama.

“It would be perfect if we got ourselves popcorn.” Said Youngmin.

Minwoo nods in response.

“Hey!” Donghyun scream, trying to get attention of the other.

“You guys clean up this place as Kwangmin and I go buy this things.”

“B-But-”

“No but! You heard me, finish those food and drinks of yours and clean this place up. Make sure you guys finish cleaning when we got back. Kwangmin, let’s go.”

The five of them blink when Donghyun left the café.

Kwangmin then back to his senses, run to catch up his hyung, leaving the other four, accusing each other with all of them saying “It’s all your fault!” pointing aimlessly at each other.

Convenient store

“Thanks for coming! Have a nice day!” Chae-rim said, thanking people who buy things in there.

Changmin who still wonders around at the big convenient store, stopped at a certain rack.

“Pokemon bread!” He squeal in delight as he take two of them to the counter where his sister currently at.

“Noona! Can you buy this for me?”

Chae-rim looks down at his hand and smile. “Of course! Let me scan that first, okay?”

He nods and watch eagerly when Chae-rim scans the first pack.

“Noona! Can I do like what you did on the second pack?” he asks towards his sister, hoping she’ll let him do so.

“Hmm…you’re interested in doing this?”

Changmin nods as he approach to her.

“I’ll teach you how to do it.” She carries Changmin’s up to the counter and put the price scanner on his hand.

“Okay, take this pack and search for the bar code.”

“What is bar code?”

Chae-rim searches the coded number and shows it to him, “This one.”

“Oooh~! These weird lines with number are a bar code! Okay, then what should I do with it? Type it?”

Chae-rim let out a chuckle, “I only type them if the scanner couldn’t detect the bare code due to the wet substance or something blocks it. You point the scanner to the bar code and press the button on the scanner.”

He did just like his sister told to. The machine let out a BEEP sound with the price of the item appear on the monitor.

“Great job, Changmin!” praises her sister while hugging the little one, not to forget putting the amount of money needed to pay those bread.

“Yay! Thanks for teaching me, noona!” he kiss her on cheek.

The ahjuhmma come out of the store, “Chae-rim-ah, help me to restock these things on that rack.”

“Coming, ahjuhmma!”

Changmin watch her sister disappear to the storage as the ahjuhmma approaching him.

“How’s the shop, little one?”

“It’s fun! Noona teach me to scan these Pokemon bread!”

The ahjuhmma nods, “Why don’t you try to greet the customer next?” she ask when she saw 2 person come out from a car, heading to her shop.

“Greet? Like, ‘Anneyounghaseyo~’?”

“Nde. Look, there’s two hyung coming into our shop! Let’s us greet them, okay?”

Changmin nods happily. Still sitting on the counter, he turn to face the door, “Anneyong-haseyo~”

Donghyun’s POV

“Anneyong-haseyo~”

The boy and the usual ahjuhmma greet us…wait, the boy? Is this the ahjumma grandchildren?

“Ah, anneyong-haseyo.” We reply back and then head to the dry section to get the thing on the list.

“Kwangmin-ah, go get the basket.” I told him to take one because we might need to carry those things to counter anyway.

I see Kwangmin glancing around the shop, “Where’s the basket, hyung?”

“There, near the frozen side.” I pointed the way to the frozen side where a girl is restocking the items there.

There are no people here other than the worker, ahjuhmma, the little boy, me and Kwangmin.

Probably because it’s late evening already.

'She seems familiar...AH~! No wonder I felt like I've seen her before! She work here! Aish! Pabo Donghyun!'

I stare at Kwangmin who probably didn't aware of the worker.

'Oh well, this will be his 3rd hang out place then...'

My dongsaeng go to get the basket as I stroll around, looking for big carton of sauces and maple syrup.

End of Donghyun’s POV

“Ah, here’s the basket.” He said to himself and takes one of it.

Kwangmin walk to Donghyun who already found chili and tomato sauce.

“Put it in here, hyung.”

“Chae-rim-ah, come here.” Called the ahjuhmma.

‘Chae-rim?’ thought Kwangmin.

“Coming!”

Her voice is so near to him that he turn around and saw Chae-rim walk towards the counter.

‘Does she work here?’

“Kwangmin, hello? Kwangmin? Jo Kwangmin!”

Kwangmin snap out of his trance and turn back to Donghyun.

“N-Nde, hyung?”

“We still need to find maple syrup and a big package of flour. I’ll get the car as you ask the ahjuhmma, saying that it’s the café’s owner usual flour.”

Donghyun left him to take his car nearer so that they won’t have to carry the heavy load of flour for a long distance.

The younger bring the basket to the counter. When he reaches there, the questions that pop out in his mind are answered.

“Noona~ There’s a hyung want to pay~!” said the little boy that still sitting on the counter.

Chae-rim appears, “Thank you. You can get down from the counter now, Changmin.”

“Okay, noona.” The boy jumps off the counter and sit on the chair there.

“Oh, Kwangmin-sshi?”

Kwangmin shrug, “What did I said about calling my name?”

“S-Sorry, Kwangmin-ah. Are you here alone?” she asks as she started to scan the items he picked.

“Ani, I came with my hyung. He’s taking his car near here…ah, right! He told me to ask the ahjuhmma about the flour he usually buys.”

“Oh! Right, your hyung is our regular customer! Jakkamman, I’ll go get ahjuhmma-”

“Noona, I’ll call her for you.”

He stands up and go to the small room behind the counter.

“He’s cute.”

Chae-rim nods, “Uh-uh! He’s my brother, Changmin.”

“No wonder he’s cute.”

Chae-rim blush towards his statement.

“Noona~ I brought ahjuhmma here~”

“Thank you, Changmin-ah. Ahjuhmma, he’s one of your regular customers.”

The ahjuhmma look up and down as if scanning him, “I’m sorry young man, I didn’t recognize you.”

“Oh! It wasn’t me whom always bought things here, it was my hyung.” Just as he finishes saying that, Donghyun walk in.

“Ahjuhmma, is the flour here?”

“Ah…It’s you. Of course, come here. At the back.”

Donghyun nods and ask Kwangmin to stay here.

“Ah, right. Changmin-ah, this is Kwangmin-hyung. He’s my friend.” Chae-rim introduces Kwangmin to her brother.

“Anneyong-haseyo, Shim Changmin imnida. I’m 7 years old and I’m the only brother of Shim Chae-rim noona.” He introduces himself cutely.

“Anneyong-haseyo, Jo Kwangmin imnida.”

Changmin look up the new hyung he just know, “Kwangmin-hyung, can I ask you a question?”

Kwangmin squat down; him being too tall causing the younger some difficulty on trying to look at his face.

“Sure, what is it?”

“Is it true that you have a twin? Another hyung that look just like you, with different uhm…attitude?”

Chae-rim pout; she did told him what happen at school as if Changmin is her diary. But she never thought that Changmin is the type who would ask people to confirm certain things.

“I guess you know that from your sister? And yes, I have a twin, his name is Youngmin.”

Changmin clap his hand, “Cool! I’ve never seen twins in my life!”

Kwangmin smile amusedly at Changmin; he started to like Changmin already.

“Changmin, am I right?” he ask, earning a nod from the younger one.

“I tell you what, next time I’ll drop by with my twins, okay?”

“Yay! You promise?”

The elder nods.

“Alright! But! Tell noona when you’re going to drop by because not every weekend I follow her to go to work.”

Kwangmin glance at her sweetly, “Okay.”

“OMO! Noona, it’s so cool! I get to see a pair of twins!” he squeal happily as he bounce up and down showing how happy he is over that what Kwangmin consider as small matter.

‘Now I got a reason to come here, and…to meet her…WAIT…what am I even thinking about?’

The ahjuhmma come back with Donghyun carrying a massive pack of flour.

“I’ll help you, hyung.”

He lend him a hand and carry those massive pack to the car, before coming back to pay for the flour and the rest of the item he took earlier.

“See you at school,” he turns to the shorter one, “…and you, see you soon, Changmin.”

“Bye bye, Kwangminnie-hyung~!”

On the way to café

Donghyun smirk seeing Kwangmin smiling like there’s not tomorrow for him.

“Like what you see just now?”

Kwangmin stop smiling and look at Donghyun.

“Excuse me?”

“If you think I didn’t notice her just now, you’re totally wrong, Kwangmin-chu~”

Kwangmin’s cheek turn red; like Pikachu..Just that Kwangmin is not yellow.

“You’re point is?”

Donghyun nudge him on his rib as the traffic light turns red.

“You’re lucky that it was me who watch all of that instead of Youngmin! Want me to tell him?”

Kwangmin hit his hand hard, “NO! I’ll tell him by my own seeing you’re always forgetting the details…”

“Hey!”

"It's true! You didn't even tell me that she works here!"

"Says the one who said he does not have a crush on Chae-rim."

Kwangmin's face turn into a shed of red.

“Hyung! It’s green now. Go go! Ppali!”

"Embarass enough?"

"Ppali!!"

Donghyun laugh, “Aish, this kid...”

Café

They just finished cleaning up the place as Kwangmin and Donghyun restock the items they bought.

“Next time, you stay. I’ll help hyung to buys those thing!” point Youngmin to his twins.

Kwangmin shrug as he place the last bottle of syrup inside of the cabinet.

“Youngmin, tell the rest that they can go home now, I’ll lock the café this time.”

He earn a nods and walk out of the storage to the front.

“Have you told him?”

The younger twins pout, “About Chae-rim-ah? No, not yet.”

Donghyun motion him to check all the door and window to make sure they are securely lock.

“Why not?”

“It’s just…I’ll tell him later.”

“Tell what to who?” popped Youngmin out of blue.

“Nothing!”

Youngmin eyed the younger; sense that he’s hiding something.

“Are you sure?”

Kwangmin casted his eyes away from Youngmin to the floor, “Y-yes…”

Donghyun knew he had to do something or these two will start to quarrel again.

“Kkaja…Let’s go back.”

Youngmin shrug it off before note himself to confront him later.

=e=e=e=e=e=e=