o n e

"I still don't understand why I'm supposed to a-co-pany you two to watch a kids' movie," a young male's voice said, making himself sound as whiny as possible as he pouted. The lady merely shook her head with a laugh as she glanced down at six-year-old Baekhyun, who had puffed up his cheeks, making him look like a chipmunk.

"The word you're looking for is accompany, sweetie," Lee Minah corrected his vocabulary pleasantly as they walked, before sighing softly. "And to be fair, Baekhyun, you are a kid, too."

"Whatever, Mom. I have matured! So, I don't think I should really be expected to watch an animated panda doing martial arts. That's something babies like him watch," he said, unconsciously swinging his hand that was enclosed in his mother's bigger one, while pointing his free hand at his little brother, who had held her other hand.

"To be fair, you're just two years older than Sehun. But if you really insist on not watching Kung Fu Panda 3, then..." Minah trailed off as she came to a stop, making a show of thinking deeply, the two boys staring up at her. "I guess I could drop you back home."

There was an instant grin on Baekhyun's face, and his mother peeked a glance at him before shrugging. "And then Sehun and I will watch the movie and go out to have a nice lunch, and maybe even eat ice cream." She watched, grinning triumphantly as her older son's shoulders slumped forward, the smile leaving his face as he stared at her sullenly. At her other side, the younger kid giggled softly, no doubt enjoying the torture his brother was going through.

"You will really eat ice cream without me?" Baekhyun asked, his voice shaking.

"Yes Mama, yes!" Sehun piped up, waving his hand about excitedly, the one that was not in Minah's grasp. "We will play in the park, too!" Of course, Sehun knew that the park was one of his older brother's favourite places to go to, and he was having way too much fun as he added insult to injury.

Before she could say anything in response, Baekhyun yelled out.

"No, stop it!" Minah shushed little Sehun, asking him not to upset the other boy any further as the two of them peered at him, amused. "I wanna watch the movie," he mumbled under his breath, but loud enough that his mother could hear.

"That's what I thought," she said smugly, before tugging at both the boys' hands, ushering them ahead. "Now come on, we'll buy snacks."

"Butter popcorn, Mama."

"Yes, Sehunnie, we will get buttered popcorn just for you," Minah agreed with a nod, stopping in front of the snacks counter, and after asking Baekhyun to keep an eye on Sehun, she paid for the food.

The woman and her two sons entered the darkened theatre room, easing themselves into their designated seats. There were still ten minutes until the movie began, which gave Minah some time to get comfortable in her seat, her sitting in between both the children. They had settled down, and she was about to lean back into the soft chair, when she heard the whisper of one of the boys.

"Mama, have to go to the bathroom."

Minah sighed, tipping her head back as her gaze swept heavenward, then turned to look at the kid. "Right now, Sehun?" She asked, preparing to stand up as he nodded. From her other side, however, Baekhyun placed his small hand on her arm.

"I'll take him, Mom, so you can relax." Oh, but Minah could do anything but relax. She did trust her sons not to run off to any unknown places, but that didn't stop her from getting worried.

"It's not a problem, Baekhyun, I'll go." She inhaled deeply when her older son adamantly shook his head, his lips set in a thin line.

"I'm a grown up boy, I can take care of my baby brother just fine."

Minah wondered sometimes where her sons got their stubbornness from, especially at the wrong time. This was not something they had to argue about, she would have just told Baekhyun to sit still and not trouble anyone while she took Sehun to the toilet. Usually, Baekhyun never failed to prank and make fun of his brother -- which wasn't all that successful; Sehun loved all the attention he could get from the other kid -- but this was one of the rare moments when the older boy really wanted to do something for Sehun.

The younger kid swiftly got down from his seat, bounding over to where Baekhyun was, and latched onto him. "Go with Baekkie," Sehun declared, and their mother had no choice but to comply.

"All right, go. But promise me you'll be extra careful."

Baekhyun grinned widely, his eyes seemingly sparkling even in the dim lighting. "I promise, Mom. Don't worry, just sit back and relax."

Once the two of them ran off, Minah had a moment to think, smiling to herself at how caring and thoughtful her sons could be. While Sehun didn't really understand too much at his age, he was a bit less demanding on some days, and Baekhyun even helped her sometimes with the household chores. Her job kept her busy till the evening, but once she was home with her sons, they made sure to not burden her too much.

Her train of thought was broken as a small form collided into her legs, and a muffled grunt along with a wave of giggles could be heard as she turned to look at the source. A little boy, around Baekhyun's age was staring up at her, his tiny, chubby hands resting on her lap as he steadied himself from having dived head on into her.

"Oops," he giggled once again, "I'm sorry, lady."

"It's fine dear, no harm-" Minah was interrupted by a masculine voice, the loud tone making her flinch involuntarily.

"Chanyeol, get back here!" It was obvious that the guy had ended up scaring the kid, as the look in his eyes shifted from an apologetic glance to a terrified cower.

"Yes Dad," he murmured before slinking back, and Minah looked to her right to see a man sitting a couple seats away from her, in the same row. She didn't need any bright lights to spot the glare in his gaze as he grabbed his son tightly by the arm, the action making her wince.

"For heaven's sake, how many times do I have to tell you to behave when we're outside?" He glowered at the poor kid, who meekly sat in between two more boys on the other side. Now usually, Minah stuck to her own business, not bothering to snoop into someone's private matters. But she found this behaviour of the man towards the boy extremely unacceptable, and before she could stop herself, she spoke up.

"He's just a kid, sir, you don't have to be so harsh on him." She accompanied the sentence with a small smile, hoping to put the other guy at ease. However, that just resulted in him shifting his anger towards her.

"He is my son, and I know perfectly well how to deal with him. I don't need any advice from a college girl, thank you very much." His tone sounded anything but grateful, though, and Minah arched an eyebrow at his comment about her age. Sure, most people told her she looked a good three or four years younger than she was, but being called a college girl when she was twenty-eight?

She scoffed to herself, not bothering to correct the man, and instead, focused her attention on Baekhyun and Sehun who came back from the toilet at that moment.

"So, Baekhyun, did this beat sitting at home?" Minah asked, standing up and stretching her arms as the end credits began rolling, to which the boy in question gave her an energetic nod.

"I loved it!" He exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air, and the lady laughed, shaking her head.

"I loved it, too. A lot!" Sehun said as loud as he could over the constant babble of the others in the theatre, most of them kids chattering about the movie.

"I'm glad, boys. Now let's go get that ice cream, as promised." She winked at them as she held them by a hand each, making their way to the exit, chuckling again as they cheered.

Once they were out of the theatre and in the corridor, she blinked, catching sight of a face that seemed a bit familiar. She realised it was the same man who had scolded that kid called Chanyeol, and smirked lightly; how could he assume her to be a younger girl, when he barely looked like an adult himself? As Baekhyun and Sehun began talking animatedly amongst themselves about the movie, Minah found herself taking in the features of the man.

His slightly thick lips were pursed together in apparent annoyance, a short but straight nose, and cat-like upturned eyes that would have otherwise made him look handsome, if not for the fact that there was a permanent scowl painted on his face. His chocolate brown hair hung messily -- though it looked purposely styled that way -- over his forehead, hiding his eyebrows as he tried to make the three boys from earlier listen to him. He was dressed in what people liked to call 'smart casuals', a plain white collared T-shirt neatly tucked inside a pair of dark jeans.

"Oh, hi Chanyeol!" Minah looked down at Baekhyun, who was staring ahead with a huge grin plastered on his face, and before she knew it, the other boy had run back to her son, beaming at him.

"Fancy meeting you here, Baek," he commented, to which Baekhyun giggled, glancing up at Minah as he pointed at Chanyeol.

"Mom, meet Chanyeol, he is my friend from school," he said, and Minah crouched down slightly, smiling warmly at the little guy.

"Hello young man, it's nice to formally meet you," she winked, which resulted into Chanyeol bursting into a fit of giggles. Always fond of children, Minah prided herself upon being able to make almost any kid feel at ease around her. She was about to introduce her younger son to the new boy, but sighed as she was interrupted yet again.

"Kim Chanyeol, if you make me wait for even a second longer, I will leave you behind."

Once again, she could see the fear in the kid's eyes as he reluctantly backed away, obeying his father. With a loud huff, she straightened herself, gazing evenly at the man, catching his attention.

"What?" He asked impatiently. "Is there something on my face?"

"You know, you could be a little kinder towards them. They are just kids, and sometimes, you need to be patient with them."

He scoffed, planting a hand over his hip as he stared at her defiantly, they corridor now empty save for a few people lingering behind. "Oh look, now a random stranger is going to give me tips on parenting," he began, his voice laced with sarcasm, a humourless smile on his face that was quick to vanish. "Listen, little lady, be a parent first, then try and teach me, all right?"

"I still don't understand why you think I'm, like, fifteen, mister," she countered, already beginning to develop a strong hatred towards this man who looked like a freshman straight out of high school himself. "These two," she said, gesturing to Baekhyun and Sehun, who were watching the exchange with half surprise and half interest, "are my sons. I am their mother."

Minah had the pleasure of being able to watch as the man's composure slipped for a second, before he put on his mask once again. "That doesn't change the fact that I don't need any lessons on parenting from someone like you," he hissed through gritted teeth, making her blink in surprise and confusion.

"What do you mean by 'someone like me'?" She asked, her eyes narrowed till they formed tiny slits above her nose, unconsciously taking a step ahead. She was vaguely aware of her two sons tugging lightly at her hands, but there was just something about the man in front of her that set her on edge.

He smirked before shrugging, which was enough to almost make her blood boil at the sight, and waved towards her. "You know, a woman." The way he uttered that word made a tiny shiver run up Minah's spine, and she could hear his voice dripping with venom. "Women have no idea how difficult it is to raise three rowdy boys, they don't understand that you have to be strict while dealing with them."

Minah couldn't believe her ears. After having had firsthand experience at raising two babies on her own, she more than understood the obstacles one had to face while raising children, as well as making sure they were on their good behaviour. She firmly believed -- and had been told by friends and relatives, too -- that she had given her everything for the upbringing of her sons, and no way was she going to let an arrogant stranger make her think otherwise.

Noticing her silence, the guy continued. "I guess you should have left the upbringing to your husband, and kept yourself limited to the kitchen. Maybe then they would have grown to be braver, not like right now." He nodded towards the two boys before walking off, dragging his three sons along with him.

Minah felt as if someone had just emptied a bucket of ice cold water on her. That little encounter with the stranger stung her a lot more than she had imagined it would, especially when he had mentioned her 'husband'. It took her a minute to realise that Sehun was sobbing loudly in the now deserted corridor, while Baekhyun was on the verge of tears, sniffling every few seconds, no doubt scared at having seen their mother so angry. She was instantly down on her knees, bringing her sons close to her as she wrapped them up in a hasty hug. She whispered soothing words in their ears, trying to make both of them stop crying as she patted their backs softly.

"Why were you fighting with him, Mom?" Baekhyun asked weakly as he wiggled himself out of her arms, wide eyes staring deeply into his mother's.

"We weren't fighting, Baekhyunnie, it's just... sometimes, adults tend to disagree on certain things. This was a disagreement, too. Like the ones I had with your Mummy, remember?"

Her older son frowned, shaking his head. "You mean Aunty," he corrected, a sour expression on his face, the sadness now forgotten. Sighing, Minah stood up, nodding after a bit of hesitation.

As she began to lead her sons outside, she thought of how adamant Baekhyun was when it came to the other woman, Minah's ex-fiancée. The girl whom Minah had come this close to marrying, before the wedding had been called off. She had, after all this time, forgiven the other girl, but the sheer amount of hatred her son harboured towards her ex-fiancée surprised Minah. Sehun had been too young at the time she had left to remember her, but Baekhyun could never forget how broken his mother had been when the other woman had suddenly left her. As for Minah, the talk with the man left her feeling numb, and she couldn't understand the reason behind his apparent loathing of women.

Author's Note:

I apologise for the huge amount of suspense, right in the first chapter itself, but all of it will be revealed soon. I'm also aware that this chapter ends quite abruptly, but I was kinda out of ideas on how to end it haha.

I think it's clear who that rude man is, though, right?

As stated earlier, updates for this story will be on Sundays. ^_^