“It's ok Sungyeol-shi.” Myungsoo father said and the said man let go of his brother collar so he could go explore.

“You mean when you decided to ditch us for a busy life in Seoul.” His mother complained.

“Hyung, come to our room!” Woohyun called and ran inside the house and Sunggyu promptly followed him as Myungsoo father proceeded to take his wife baggage to their room.

“Mom~, it was not like that. You know pretty well that was becoming too hard to go back and forth without a car and I was losing my time with Woohyun, not to mention he was gonna enter school so it was better if we lived in Seoul.” Myungsoo tried to justify himself.

“It's ok, dear, I was only teasing you.” She chuckled. “Go settle your stuff down and show the boys around, I have to find something for your friend.”

“Mom, if it is my embarrassing photos...” Myungsoo was ready to complain because aside from that he didn't know what possibly his mother wanted to show Sungyeol if she didn't even know him.

“Chill, will you?” She interrupted him to complain back. “I'll let you see it first.” She then scratched her hair, something that Myungsoo did whenever he was unsure and that even Woohyun copied. “But I have to find it first and I don't know where it is....”

“Whatever it is I can wait?” Sungyeol suggested and Myungsoo mother opened a big dimpled smile, Myungsoo looked like his father but his dimples came from somewhere else.

“Good.” She said before excusing herself and Myungsoo motioned Sungyeol to follow him.

They passed Moonsoo room and entered the one just before the master room: Myungsoo and Woohyun shared a room. On the way to Incheon Myungsoo had explained to Sungyeol that shortly after they got the news that Woohyun mom was pregnant they reformed part of the house so they could shrink Moonsoo room a bit and make his room bigger - so it could fit a big bed and Woohyun crib - and there was a lot of stuff they had to take out of his room and leave in the basement so Sungyeol was expecting it to be really cramped, but it wasn't.

The decoration was pretty much like Myungsoo decoration was in his apartment: plain boring but with a lot of pictures of father and son every corner, wall and shelve, and some drawings of Woohyun in the lower part of the wall, probably from the time when the boy was even smaller. There was a closet and of course the big bed was still there but Woohyun crib was gone and there was this small desk in one corner probably for Myungsoo to study but aside that there was enough space for the boys to lay on the floor with a bunch of pieces of puzzles while they tried to put it together.

“Ok, this is our room and where you'll sleep.” He said as he looked at the boys happily looking through the pieces of the puzzle.

“Where?” Sungyeol almost gasped. Myungsoo gave him a judging look and Sungyeol had to gulp down his saliva and avoid his eyes.

“I'll bring a mattress for us from Moonsoo room, I don't think he will come on the weekend, we sort of fought earlier today.” He sighed but forced a smile right after. “But don't worry about that, Moosoo has the softest heart, he doesn't get mad for long.” He said as he directed himself towards his now unused closet and pushed his and Woohyun bags inside. “Anyway, it's better if you leave your stuff here. He said and Sungyeol did the same then Myungsoo closed the closet.”

“Where are my boys doing?” Myungsoo father cheerful voice was heard soon after that and the boys perked up.

“Grandpa!” Sunggyu smiled. “We are solving my puzzle.”

“Grandpa, come help us!” Woohyun demanded.

“Alright, just a second.” The old man smiled then directed his words to his son. “Myungsoo, come here.” He demanded and Myungsoo left Sungyeol awkwardly standing on the side to go talk to his dad. “Your mom is currently messing up our room and I don't think she will stop to cook something later so... if you can go buy some stuff for us to eat later... you can take Sungyeol with you and show him around the city a bit, I'll stay with the kids. Oh! And maybe buy some meat? We can make a barbecue tomorrow, what do you think of it? Here it is my credit card and our car keys, please come back with your mission fulfilled.” He said in one go, patted Myungsoo on the back then went straight for the boys on the ground. “So how is this puzzle going?”

As they started to talk animatedly Myungsoo brain processed what his dad wanted while Sungyeol approached him. “Is everything ok?”

“Yes, just... dad asked me to go out and buy food for the weekend.” He explained as Sungyeol mouthed an 'oh'. “If you want to you can come with me, if not, you can stay with dad and the kids.”

Sungyeol thought for a brief moment, after he discovered he had not so much healthy feeling for his neighbor and the conversation that pretty much didn't go anywhere with his cousin and brother, he had decided that he would avoid being alone with Myungsoo if they weren't on their way to college or going back from there, but the other option was staying and solving the puzzle he bought to bribe Sunggyu into shutting up in case he heard everything (though he didn't think Sunggyu understood that puzzle was a bribery) and he would go crazy if he had to solve one more of those puzzles.

“I'll go with you.” He ended up saying.

The two young adults got their wallets and phones then headed out of the house to Myungsoo's dad car in a quiet silence that was torturing Sungyeol, so as soon as the door closed behind him Sungyeol directed his words to his neighbor.

“Myungsoo, can I ask you a question?” He asked and Myungsoo hummed for Sungyeol to proceed. “It seems that your family has money for it but why don't you have a car? Wouldn't be better to drive Woohyun around than to take buses and Subways with him?”

“That would be so practical.” Myungsoo chuckled to himself as they entered the garage. “My parent's wanted to give me one when I entered college but I said no.”

“Why you would do that?” Sungyeol asked confused because since he started to take care of Sunggyu a car was a must.

“It's just.. my parents did and do so much for me since Woohyun was born that I can't bring myself to ask for more you know. I want to be a good father for my son, but I feel so unreliable when I depend financially on my parents, this is why this year I decided to cut off their help completely.” He said as they entered the car, that seemed to make sense in Sungyeol head until...

“I have never seen you working.” He blinked and Myungsoo wanted to laugh as he adjusted his seat belt.

“I can't work officially because of my scholarship if someone finds out I'd have to pay my tuition from the day I entered college till now.”

“Then how do you do it?” Sungyeol asked in curiosity as Myungsoo started the engine.

“You're curious today.” Myungsoo pointed with a chuckle and Sungyeol was ready to apologize when Myungsoo explained. “My dad has a photographer friend, I help him during breaks and raise money to support us for the next months until I am able to work again next break.” Myungsoo started driving when he felt Sungyeol brain doing some math, apparently, he thought something didn't fit. “Of course money I raise in a month and a half isn't enough to support me and Woohyun during the next four months but the past years I saved some money for this and I just need to stick to this plan until I graduate and get a proper job.”

“Oh, I see.” Sungyeol said as that made sense in his head, but, now that satisfied his curiosity he had to find another topic for their conversation. “Do you know what the hell your mother wants to show me?” He growled in his head, today he was not smooth at all.

“I don't know.” He said as he maneuvered the car towards the street. “But I am seriously praying it is not my baby pictures because I was one hell of a weird kid.”

“I doubt you were weirder than me.” Sungyeol forced a laugh but when Myungsoo didn't comment about that Sungyeol forced himself to ask something else. “So... are you going to show me around?”

Myungsoo seemed surprised with the question. “Do you want me to?” Sungyeol shrugged his shoulders, it was not like they were in extreme hurry and the boys were safe at home so... why not? “OK.” Myungsoo said and stopped the car then drove back a bit to point to a house. “See this light blue house? He pointed and Sungyeol looked at it. My mom had a friend that lived there, when she moved an old couple lived there and they used to give Moonsoo and me cookies all the time, then Woohyun mom lived there for ten years. After he was born Kibummie moved there and became best friends with Woohyun until his parents decided to move out of the country. There's a young couple living there nowadays, they can't have kids so they got attached to Woohyun and helped me babysitting him a couple of times last year.”

“So Woohyun mom family....” Sungyeol couldn't help but try to ask, but Myungsoo did as he always did whenever someone asked too much about her and changed the subject as he drove forwards.

“I'll show you my school now, it is a couple of blocks from here.”

______________________________________________

Myungsoo showed his school, the park and the arcade where he used to play, a basketball court where he saw one of his past team mates playing and rolled down the windows to greet, his favorite restaurant, Woohyun favorite restaurant (that none of them were graded good by his mother) and even his dad workplace before he arrived at the market.

“So what are we supposed to buy?” Sungyeol asked as they took a market cart and pushed.

“Dad wants to do a barbecue tomorrow, so we want to buy things related to it.” He explained.

“Ok, but what are we eating today?”

“What about sushi, does Sunggyu eats sushi?” Myungsoo asked as they passed some vegetables stand.

“Are you kidding me? Sunggyu knows it is raw food, therefore he doesn't even look at it.” He explained then snorted. “He doesn't know what he is missing.”

“Yeah, sushi is good.” Myungsoo agreed.

“But Myungsoo are you thinking about getting take out?” Sungyeol complained.

“Well, Dad didn't specify or anything, but that would be practically no?” Myungsoo asked in a tone that seemed as what he was talking about was obvious.

“Yeah, but it's four and a half Myungsoo, the food would be weird after three hours and some reheating.” Sungyeol complained back using the same kind of tone.

“So what do you suggest?” Myungsoo suddenly stopped to ask.

“Well, we could buy some ingredients and I can cook.” Sungyeol shrugged.

“No way you are our guest.” Myungsoo strongly opposed.

“Myungsoo please, we went over this already, just let me thank you for your hospitality this way.” Sungyeol said tiredly. “Besides you know I don't mind cooking and I can make something simple and tasty.”

Myungsoo just nodded, Sungyeol easily won this argument every time, and just asked what was important. “Like what?”

“Hum.... What about Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Florentine Pasta?” Sungyeol suggested.

“What?” Myungsoo asked confused, that name was big and big names didn't match with easy to make food.

“You know what, forget the name, we just need the ingredients.” He said then turned the cart at the first corner he saw.

“Hyung, the different kinds of pasta are this way.” Myungsoo called only for Sungyeol to turn the cart completely back and come back a little embarrassed and flushed in the cheeks and both of them didn't say anything but Myungsoo thought Sungyeol was adorable like that.

They proceeded to collect the ingredients not only for the recipe Sungyeol wanted to make but for some pancakes Myungsoo said he would make in the morning and the things they needed for the barbecue in the afternoon until the only thing that was left was the kitchen and the meat that they were headed to collect before they went to the cashier.

Sungyeol thought this was ridiculous and very unfair from the universe as well. He knew Myungsoo was impossible but why did the universe insisted into throwing them on situations, domestic ones, where Sungyeol could dream high and fall more? The way Myungsoo went around the market complaining about the prices and kind of bickering with Sungyeol about the quality of the ingredients was so domestic that Sungyeol questioned why again he decided to come to Incheon not to mention he wanted to bang his head on the next wall, though he had to thank the lords that Myungsoo seemed completely oblivious to his inner turmoil and was just telling him some stories of his childhood.

“And there was this one time we had to go to Jeju to play against another school and I was trying to build up a bit so I smuggled chicken on the airplane but then I got caught up, I was so ashamed, my team mates made fun of me for about a month.” He was telling Sungyeol and laughing as it was the funniest thing in this world but Sungyeol just found it extremely dumb but he wouldn't complain that Myungsoo was talking about this, he should be thankful that his neighbor wasn't asking if Sungyeol had feelings for him.

When they got to the line of cashier Myungsoo asked Sungyeol about Hoya and Sungyeol started to tell him all about his hyung, when he was adopted, how hey met, how they didn't connect right away, and pretty much everything about his relationship with his cousin (that Myungsoo seemed very interested to) when a feminine voice was heard.

“Kim Myungsoo, is that you?” Myungsoo brows went up in puzzlement and both of him and Sungyeol turned around to look who was calling him. Myungsoo? The woman asked again.

“Ssaem?” He asked in surprise. “Ssaem, what a surprise! Hadn't you moved out of Incheon?” He asked and turned to Sungyeol. “Hyung, this is Park Younha, she was my middle school math teacher. Ssaem, this is Lee Sungyeol, my neighbor.” Myungsoo introduced and Sungyeol was suddenly very disappointed for not even being called a friend now when Myungsoo had told that they were friends, in the beginning, did Myungsoo noticed something and was keeping distance.

Sungyeol was kind of nervous with that thought but instead, he forced a smile. “Hi.”

“Hi, Sungyeol-shi.” She greeted but then ignored him completely to talk to her ex-student. “Yes I did, but I kind of wanted to move back, but wow, Myungsoo, look at you, you grew so much and into a fine young man too.” She praised and Myungsoo let out an embarrassed awkward smile. “Do you still live here in Incheon? What are you doing with your life?”

“No, it's been some months I moved, it was becoming too hard to commute. I got a scholarship in Seoul U because of basketball and I'm majoring arts in college with minoring in photography, right now I'm on my last year.” Myungsoo dutifully informed.

“What a waste of your math skills.” She complained with a pout.

“Ssaem wouldn't say this if you'd knew my high school grades.” He laughed and Sungyeol kind of felt like a fish out of the water as he watched their conversation.

“Nonsense.” She chuckled too and then changed the subject. “How about Jihyun? Is she ok?” She then gave him a knowing look. “Did you finally hit it off?”

Sungyeol closed his eyes in dread as he felt Myungsoo completely freeze beside him and, even when he dared to open an eye to watch Myungsoo reaction, he saw that his neighbor was opening and closing his mouth to talk.

“We..” He forced himself to say. “.. got married.”

“What? This young?” The teacher gasped. “You're what 24?”

“No, I'm 23 right now, but we married when we were fifteen.” He explained robotically and looked down at his feet. Sungyeol found that strange because Myungsoo always seemed very proud or protective whenever he talked about his late wife, but he seemed a bit ashamed right now. “Because...” He trailed before he made a curve over his abdomen so the woman could understand.

“Oh my god, you got her pregnant?” She gasped again. “Myungsoo, Oh, Myungsoo!” She said with that tone that seemed like she was pitying him for messing up two lives but when Myungsoo looked up with his head held high and an expression that seemed like everything in the world was ok she tried to ask something else. “So how did you two do? Did she finish school? Is she even in college?”

Myungsoo bit his lip and fought hard some tears. It had been some time that he talked about Jihyun, he was used to avoiding this kind of conversation for a million reasons and one of them was because he always got emotional, but this woman in front of him was one of those teachers that inexplicably got close and gave all the kinds of advice and were so nice that you couldn't help but like her so he decided to tell her.

“I guess you didn't hear right ssaem? Ji had some complications and... and she died two days after she gave birth.”

“Oh no.” Myungsoo teacher seemed genuinely sad and horrified. “Myungsoo, I didn't know ... I'm so, so sorry, it must have been so hard on you.”

“It was.” Myungsoo breathed in and out to collect himself. “It is, but thankfully Woohyun is a very good boy and behaves, he is with my father now.” He said now getting more proud than sad and the teacher tried to change the subject since she already messed up with him.

She forced a smile to him. “You're always have been quite handsome and Jihyun was a beauty as well, your kid must be so good looking.” She said and Myungsoo completely froze beside Sungyeol thing that was definitely the weirdest he has ever seen Myungsoo react. “Do you have a picture?”

“Yes, of course.” That was the answer Sungyeol was expecting to hear because Myungsoo was a photographer and addicted to taking photos of his son (and even his and Sunggyu's lately too), but instead, Myungsoo forced a very weird smile that he intended to be sheepish but it wasn't and answered completely different.

“Actually I don't. I was mugged last week and I lost all my photos.” Sungyeol wanted to ask his neighbor what he was talking about when it was very obvious that Myungsoo had a phone in his pocket when he felt the younger heel stepping on his toes lightly, clearly a threat. “My dad lets me borrow his phone today because I'm running an errand, but he doesn't have a picture of Woohyun because it's new.”

“Oh, it's ok, maybe I can see him other time.” She said and Myungsoo nodded relieved, he thought that his teacher would let it go and the conversation was going to end there but that wasn't what happened. “So, what's his age again?”

“He just turned seven a couple of months ago.” Myungsoo explained.

“I have a girl his age, do you want to arrange a play date?” She suggested and Sungyeol never saw Myungsoo so desperate before, it seemed like his neighbor wanted to disappear in a hole or something and his eyes begged for someone to come and rescue him. Albeit not knowing why Myungsoo was reacting this way, Sungyeol really wanted to help him because the neighbor was a huge help when he needed to ditch Sangwoo. He was this close of sending Myungsoo to get something that they supposedly forgot when somebody screamed next.

“Myungsoo, it's our turn now. We need to...” Sungyeol softly called and Myungsoo couldn't be more grateful for that.

“I need to go now ssaem, it was great meeting you again.” Myungsoo forced a smile to her and before she could even attempt on saying anything Myungsoo turned around and pushed the cart to the free cashier to pay.

Myungsoo seemed a bit nervous during all the process and Sungyeol stayed quiet but once they put the groceries on the trunks Sungyeol couldn't take anymore.

“Are you ok? “He asked and Myungsoo forced a smile.

“What are you talking about? I'm great.”

“If you don't want to talk about what just happened you just have to say so, you don't need to lie to me.” Sungyeol said serious and then circled the car to enter it and sit in the passenger seat. Myungsoo sighed then entered the car and sat in the driver seat only for Sungyeol to mumble. “I just wanted to help.”

“Hyung.” Myungsoo called softly. “I just... How do I say....”

“You don't need to force yourself.” Sungyeol said with tiredness in his voice.

“I kind of wanted.” Myungsoo said as he looked down to his lap. “It's not like I don't want to talk about certain things...” He said cautiously. “...it's not that I don't trust you either, it's just that I can't.” He said and waited for Sungyeol reaction that only sighed and leaned on the window, that absolutely explained nothing and Sungyeol just decided that he wouldn't lose a neuron overthinking about his crush life when he was sure that Myungsoo wouldn't appreciate this the way he wanted. “Usually this is where people back off.” Myungsoo said lowly and with such a fragile tone that Sungyeol turned to look at him in surprise.

“Huh?” Sungyeol asked in surprise.

“You probably know how this goes, there are things about ourselves we don't want to show other people so when they insist on knowing us, and we don't share, they give up on us and back off.” Sungyeol couldn't help but nod, he understood this is why he usually hid a thing or two about himself. “I'm kind of used.” Myungsoo smiled although very sadly before he became serious and looked right into Sungyeol's eyes. “Though I wished you were not one of those because I kind of like you a lot.”

And that was enough for Sungyeol heart transform from heavy to crazy. He gulped hard and could only hope that the weird happiness he was feeling wasn't showing. Yeah, you're a good friend. Sungyeol agreed awkwardly and Myungsoo half snorted and then sat straight on his seat to start the engine.

As they drove, Myungsoo just turned the radio on to fill the silence and stayed quiet while Sungyeol stayed all the way immersed in his own thoughts, actually torn between trying to contain his feelings and trying to solve Myungsoo's mysteries as if he was one of Sunggyu's puzzles.

_______________________________________________________

When they came back the kids were still playing animatedly on Myungsoo room with Bumsoo and Sonmi had moved from her room to the office and was messing everything around there in her searching quest, so Sungyeol and Myungsoo hadn't another choice than to cook dinner.

They fell into an awkward silence again only broken when Sungyeol gave his neighbor instructions to help him. Sungyeol was finished the last step of the recipe, and it was smelling delicious already, while Myungsoo was trying to tidy it up the kitchen a bit when the taller decided to let it out an apology, that after some time around Myungsoo wasn't that hard for him to say to the younger anymore.

“Sorry about earlier, I was just worried.” He said and Myungsoo stopped what he was doing to look at him, but he wasn't surprised or angry or anything.

“I'm sorry if I worried you then... It's just... You have noticed already I don't like to talk about Woohyun mom, not even with him.” Myungsoo says with a stretch of his lips.

“I noticed, this is why I don't ask, but that wasn't about your wife, it was about Woohyun and you became nervous so this was why....” Sungyeol trailed but didn't finish afraid of doing any more damage than what he did today.

“Woohyun is my son hyung, he is not an animal in a zoo, I don't have the obligation to show him to anyone of my past if I don't want to.” Myungsoo explained doing his best not to sound too defensive.

“Yeah, I guess.” He agreed but he didn't expect Myungsoo to continue.

“I really liked Younha songsaengnim as a teacher but I don't want her, not anyone else, butting in my life and choices, I don't want pity and I don't want them to think I've made a mistake because I didn't and, for that, I have a clear conscience.”

“I'm not accusing you of that.” Sungyeol simply took the pan from the cooker and placed on the counter before addressing his friend. “You changed my perception of you.” He admitted.

“That's great news”. Myungsoo opened a genuinely amused smile and Sungyeol playfully shoved him before he became serious again. “As long as you don't press me for details of my relationship with Jihyun, and if you wait and stay around, I can open more to you.” Myungsoo suggested and Sungyeol squinted his eyes, what was that even supposed to mean? Was Myungsoo up for wrecking his brain? Because he was sure his brain was failing him for the first time ever. Still, he couldn't help himself for blurting something without thinking.

“She must have been a great girl for you not get someone else and still love and mourn her after seven years.” He said as he avoided Myungsoo's gaze, cursing in his mind that he almost seemed jealous (which he kind of was) with that kind of speech.

“She was a great girl, yes, but you're wrong.” Myungsoo said surprisingly very calm and Sungyeol looked at him in puzzlement only to watch his neighbor looking back at him intently, as if inspecting all of his reactions. “Because I don't say the truth people usually think like that but this is not it. Jihyun will always have a special place in my heart, but I'm not 'still in love' with her even after her death.” He said as he made air quotes. “What I feel is guilt.”

Sungyeol unconsciously made the most confused expression he could because really he wasn't understanding a thing, just like Sunggyu's puzzles, there wasn't a way of solving them if he didn't have all of the pieces and Myungsoo was withholding some very important ones. He knew that he was being too curious and maybe invasive, but all about Myungsoo allured and enticed him and he couldn't help himself from trying to know more and more about the younger because he thought that was the only way to feel closer to him. Unfortunately, he couldn't take the chance that Myungsoo seemed to be prone to talking today because the kids came running into the kitchen.

“Hyuuuuuuung! This smell delicious.” Woohyun came running and both adults broke eye contact to look at them.

“Is it done?” Sunggyu asked excited but then just became depressed when he noticed the green parts over the pasta. “Oh no, there is spinach in it.”

“It is done, Woohyun, help me set the table.” Myungsoo ordered and Woohyun immediately ran to get things in a drawer as Myungsoo moved to get plated for them.

“Come on Sunggyu, I've put so much chicken and cheese that you won't even taste it.” Sungyeol reasoned.

“But I don't...” Sunggyu was ready to complain again but Myungsoo's dad entered the kitchen right then and somehow his presence worked some magic on the boy that immediately shut up. Maybe he thought Woohyun grandpa wouldn't like him too if he were to complain.

“What a delicious smell, gosh, it even looks good too. God, I can't wait to eat it.”

“Good, go call mom, I'm setting the table.” Myungsoo said as he and Woohyun passed his father to go towards the living room where there were was a large traditional Korean dinner table was waiting to be set.

Instead of going himself, Bumsoo ordered Sunggyu to call his wife, which the boy promptly set off to do so Bumsoo could help his boys finish setting the table and after another five minutes everyone was sitting around the table and preparing themselves to eat.

“Oh, it doesn't taste like spinach.” Sunggyu said surprised and then started to dig on it pretty much like his friend was doing since his finished his prayers to his mom.

Sungyeol started eating like did any other day of his life, he knew it was good but he didn't marvel on his own food like it was the eighth wonder of the modern world, but both Myungsoo and his dad looked anxious and waiting for some reaction out of Sonmi. On the other hand, the only woman there just had put pasta on and was currently chewing it and making a very thoughtful expression.

“So?” Bumsoo asked once she finished.

“I need more.” She said only for Sungyeol to from and Myungsoo e slightly disappointed when she placed more pasta in .

“He is a ten, isn't?” Myungsoo was the one asking as soon as she gulped down.

“No. 9,5.” She said and a definitive tone and both father and son jumped to defend Sungyeol although Sungyeol wasn't even caring and just eating quietly while he watched chaos insure.

“What? No, this boy can cook!” Bumsoo complained.

“He can, and better than a bunch of chefs out there and this is why I graded him so high.” She explained.

“Mom, you wouldn't give him a 9,5 if you have tasted his Kimchi Jiggae.” Myungsoo also reasoned.

“It is kind of suspicious of you to say that, you're addicted to kimchi jjigae.” She retorted and Sungyeol wanted to laugh, what a burn, instead he just chuckled.

“Why the fuss? I'm not even a chef, I work with books every day and none of them are about recipes, so chill.” He reasoned.

“But you're kinda good, you could have a career in the kitchen, you know that right?” Bumsoo reasoned.

“If it wasn't for Sunggyu, and him being so picky...” He eyed Sunggyu that was stuffing his mouth and pretending that he was a good kid that didn't about food every day before he continued. “… I wouldn't even be cooking almost every day, I just want to feed this boy and whoever is around us during our meals and this is enough for me, I don't have an interest in a career in the kitchen.” Sungyeol said as Myungsoo mother watched his every move intently.

“Don't you want to know, out of curiosity, why you were graded 9.5 instead of 10?” She asked.

“Oh, I want to know, because this is perfect.” Myungsoo said as he put his fork down and Sungyeol just shrugged.

“You modified the original recipe.” She said with a grave tone.

“Yes, I did, I just told you Sunggyu is picky, don't be fooled by his acts.” Sungyeol agreed as he pointed to Sunggyu with his fork. “Can you slow down? You're gonna choke.” He ended up scolding Sunggyu.

“Yes, but in the culinary arts every flavor has to be balanced, it has a bit too much of cheese.” She added and Sungyeol just inhaled and exhaled, he didn't want to roll his eyes at her and in be labeled as Myungsoo impolite friend so he just settled for shrugging.

“Sunggyu ate and liked, goal achieved.” He said simply and Sonmi smiled pleased.

“I knew it, I knew it, I knew it.” She said so happily that she clapped her hands together.

“Huh?” Myungsoo and Sungyeol and even Bumsoo ate together.

“Dad, can I have more?” Woohyun suddenly asked with twinkly puppy eyes.

“Me too!” Sunggyu did the same, asking Myungsoo to refill his plate instead of his own brother and suddenly Myungsoo felt as if he was a father of two, which he didn't mind.

“Sure.” He said as he placed more pasta on the boy's plates and right then his mother got up with her plate in hands.

“I'm sorry, I just need to find proof or no one will believe in me, please wait a little more Sungyeol-shi.” With that, she took her plate and disappeared in the direction of the basement.

“What's with her?” Woohyun asked as he received his plated back from his dad. “Why grandma is going to the basement?”

“I don't know, but you're staying here mister.” Myungsoo said and Woohyun immediately pouted.

“Sonmi is acting so weird today.” Bumsoo complained as he sighed. “Our room is a mess this big, then she made a mess out of the office and now she went to the basement, I only hope she remembers to put everything into place when she finished whatever she is doing.”

After that, the five males finished eating and Sungyeol set a movie on Netflix to watch with the boys because his neighbor insisted on doing the dishes alone while Bumsoo brought Sonmi plate back for his son to wash then moved towards his room to tidy it up a bit.

When Myungsoo finished it he went back to the living room only to notice Sungyeol and the boys intently looking at the screen – he didn't know that Sungyeol thoughts were far and only his body was present – so he sneakily went to the basement.

“Mom, I'm not helping you clean this up.” He said as he closed the door behind him and jumped through things on the ground to go towards a shelve.

“It's ok, your father will.” She said convinced and Myungsoo wanted to laugh, but then again his father was kind of whipped so... “What are you doing down here? Aren't you supposed to be up with the boys and avoiding Woohyun to enter here like always?”

“Hyung is with them.” Myungsoo said as tried to find a specific book on the shelve but didn't find it so he moved towards the side and tried opening a drawer of an old bed side table to look inside. “I'm looking for Jihyun diary.”

Suddenly his mother stopped what she was doing and asked in surprise. “Jihyun diary?”

“Yes, I promised to give Woohyun but I didn't have the time to come here to get it before so... Here it is!” He said cheerful then directed himself to sit beside his mom and opened the diary to look at some pages.

“Are you sure you want to give him this?” She asked cautiously. “It doesn't have any graphic description of what you do did together right?”

“Well, I wouldn't know, I never read her diary.” He said as he quickly passed through the pages. “I'm giving him the one she wrote during his pregnancy, I want him to know how much he was loved by her.” As soon as he finished saying that he ripped about twenty pages of her diary.

“Myungsoo!” His mother gasped in surprise. “Why would you do that? Didn't you just say...”

“As I told you, I want Woohyun to know he was loved by his mother.” He said as he folded those pages and put inside his pockets and Sonmi guessed there was something in there that Woohyun shouldn't see, he had a very idealized idea of what his mother was like, and, if she had bad thoughts about him before, that had surely changed during her pregnancy so he didn't need to know that, still she was curious.

“Wait a minute, Jihyun....” She was about to ask something but Myungsoo interrupted her and she got the hint he once more wouldn't want to talk about this.

“Mom, what do you want to show Sungyeol hyung? You're kind of behaving strangely since you met him earlier.” He said serious and his mother immediately went back to her search.

“Oh, you wouldn't believe.” She said getting excited and getting back to her quest as she looked at some old pictures in a box. “I mean, what's the odds?”

Myungsoo peaked at the pictures. “It isn't my baby pictures right?”

“No, Myungsoo. Hehehe. Though I'm tempted to show that one in which Woohyun is peeing on you while you tried to change his diaper.” She said amused.

“Mom, let me have some dignity.” Myungsoo whined. “I was sixteen and Woohyun was a tricky baby. Why Moonsoo took this photo? Why do you even keep it?” Myungsoo was half ranting half complaining when his mother eyes became wide and she screamed.

“FOUND IT! OH MY GOD I'VE FOUND IT FINALLY!” She then hit her son's arms. “Tell your father to stay with the kids and get your friend down here, you two need to see this.” Myungsoo stayed still for a couple of seconds until his mother hit him again. “What are you still doing here? Go call him!”

Myungsoo ended up running from his place to do what his mom told him to, leaving Jihyun diary behind. Sonmi wanted to look at it because despite never been curious now she was, but unfortunately, she knew that Myungsoo had ripped the juicy parts of it. She also wouldn't have too much time though because in less than two minutes Myungsoo was back in the basement with his tall friend in toll.

“Here we are.” Myungsoo announced when they entered the basement and the woman quickly motioned for them to jump through the mess that she made to get close and once they did she pushed a couple of pictures in Sungyeol.

On the first picture there were two girls in a park, probably doing a picnic and eating, One of them seemed in her early teenage years, she had a pointed chin and dimples but had an weird haircut that basically destroyed her appearance while the other seemed like she was in her late teens or early twenties and had a more oval-shaped face with small eyes, but was very pretty; and while Sungyeol seemed to be analyzing the pictures Myungsoo asked curiously.

“You wanted to show him those girls? Who they even are?”

“Yah! Don't you recognize your own mother?” She complained and Myungsoo just looked back and forth from the picture to her.

“Now I know why I was so weird during my early childhood.” He ended up mumbling and his mother came close and slapped his nape. “Ouch.” He complained.

“These were other times, people used to have other kinds of haircuts ok?” She tried to defend herself. "But I'm clearly the younger one here."

“Ok. I understood that already, but why would you want to show a picture of you with a friend to hyung?” He asked though his mother ignored him and he tried to look at the picture Sungyeol was holding and looking intently to try to discover when he heard Sungyeol gulp.

“Myungsoo, that's my mom.” Sungyeol breathed only for his friend to gasp.

“Yes, what are the odds?” She asked in glee.

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AN: Did Myungyeol awkwardly attempted to flirt or it was just me?