It became a routine for Jongin to follow Yunho around. He taught him the important things he needed to know while Yunho shared his planet with him. He felt like an infant once again, while his father was in lead. It was how he felt, Yunho was his father. He showed him how to put on his seat belt and what buttons in the car were used to lock the car door and lower/raise the window whenever he wanted to feel the wind and smell the earth. That was something both planets shared, the heavenly smell of nature. Jongin closed his eyes while engulfed in the beautiful scent. He pictured his home, his parents, and his friends. He even missed his teacher, Mr. Choi, who always got mad at him whenever he fell asleep during his lectures. Something about mathematics put him to sleep, never fails. Yunho picked up on the young man’s somber mood and asked, “have you ever had coffee?” He asked to get his mind off of the reason for his non-happiness. “Coffee?” It was unfamiliar to him. “No? I know this place that makes the best coffee in town, hell, the best in the country. The special ingredient, love. When you add love in things it’s amazing. You can literally taste the difference.” Jongin nodded his head silently. “I’ll try some” he told the man. Yunho looked surprised, “really?” He nodded. “Okay, we’ll start off with a small for now. Sound good to you?” The young man nodded once again.

⛛

The moment the two men walked into the prescient at twelve in the afternoon, all the occupants looked at them. Some wondering if Jongin was someone getting booked. Yunho bought a pair of brown contacts in the nearby drug store while the young man waited in the car with the doors locked. Yunho put each in but he felt that they can see past them. The older man looked over at him, “be calm” he told him. Jongin nodded and followed him to his desk. “Jung!” a balding middle-aged man standing at five-foot-six dressed in all brown tones shouted by the coffee machine. “My superior” Yunho whispered to him, “sit here and wait for me” he pointed at his chair. Jongin did just what he was told and sat down. Yunho walked to the angry man. Jongin kept his eyes down focusing on the design of his coffee cup. He could hear the others whispering their curiosities to another.
     Who is that?
     Why did Yunho bring a kid in with him?
     Is he getting booked?
     What charges are being pressed against him?
     Boss is pissed off with him.
     Jongin hoped he didn’t get Yunho in trouble.
     “Who is that?’ asked his boss.
     “Him? Oh, he’s my nephew” he answered in a calm tone.
     “Why is he here?”
     “He doesn’t know anyone in town so I didn’t want to leave him alone. He’s visiting for the month. I didn’t think it was going to be a big deal if I brought him in with me.”
     “It’s not. My problem is that you’re late.”
     “He just came in this morning. I was waiting for him, I did call sir.”
     “I know you did but you’re still late.”
     “Won’t happen again.”
     “It better not,” he let out a heavy sigh, “what’s his name?”
     Yunho was silent for a moment then said, “Kai.”
     “Kai,” he repeated. “How old is?”
     “Eighteen.”
     “Shouldn’t he be in school?”
     “He’s homeschooled.”
     They talked a little more then Yunho came back to his desk. Jongin looked up at him, worried but Yunho just smiled at him. “Are you in trouble?” the boy asked him worriedly. “He loves me, I’m safe” he laughed ruffling his hair. That friendly action warmed his heart. Jongin knew it was too early for him to feel family-like feelings for this man. He knew it was forbidden for him to feel this way for a human but, he couldn’t help it.
How am I supposed to feel for someone showing so much kindness?
Jongin sat with Yunho while he filed out paperwork, walked with him to refill his coffee cup. “Crap coffee,” he muttered to him "not like the one we got before we got here." He was with him during their brief in the back. A human work day was a very tiring experience for him. Nothing like it was at home.

⛛

Kyungsoo was home by the time they arrived. He sat at the kitchen table doing work, he looked up when they entered the kitchen. “I love when you’re working” Yunho said. “You’re late,” Kyungsoo said. “I love when you’re working because you’re silent, please remain that way.” Kyungsoo rolled his eyes at him then looked at Jongin. “How long is he staying with us?” he asked curiously. Yunho gestured for the young man to follow him to the refrigerator. “He’s staying for a month" he answered. "Why a month?" the boy asked. "That's the time for his parents to sort out their issues.” The lies came very natural to him. Jongin worried if he could stick to them. “Would you want me to make you something to eat, order or should we go out to eat?” he asked him. “Whichever you prefer” Jongin answered. “Hm,” he put a finger on his chin and thought for a moment. “We should go to halmoni’s place” kyungsoo offered. “Good idea,” he clapped “halmoni it is. First, let’s get washed up then head over there.”

⛛

Halmoni was a restaurant ran inside a large green plastic tent by a road. It was isolated but there were a lot of clients there eating. The owners were an old married couple of fifty years. Yunho told him the place was named Halmoni because the restaurant was originally ran by the wife, Lee Go-Eun, since she was in her early thirties, her husband began working with her after he lost his job at the bank.
     “This is the best place to come to after a night of heavy drinking” Yunho told her as he stuffed beef in his mouth. The tent smelt like all kinds of different foods mixed with alcohol and cigarettes. Jongin caught Kyungsoo staring at him. It wasn’t done in a bad way it was more out curiosity. A normal behavior due to someone strange staying in your home. “Here comes the soup” Yunho announced, oblivious to the boys staring. The boy looked away when he saw Jongin staring back at him. Lee Go-eun approached their table with their big bowl of gamjatang (pork bone soup.) Yunho put his spoon down and watched her set it in the center of the table in a trance. She wiped her hands on her apron and smiled at them. “Yah, I think I’ve died and gone to heaven, halmoni” he said. Go-eun playfully smacking his arm, “you’re too much” she laughed. “I’m serious,” he looked at her “between you and umma, you two have the best cooking. God has truly blessed you.” Kyungsoo ignored his uncle’s embarrassing behavior, grabbed his bowl, and served himself soup. Jongin hesitated to serve himself, the boy saw this and motioned for him to hand over the bowl. Jongin handed him the bowl and Kyungsoo served him.
     “Gamsahamnida” he said nervously with a head bow.
     Kyungsoo smiled at him, “cheonmaneyo (you're welcome.)  You can serve yourself if you want. My uncle isn’t one for formalities.”
     “Who is this handsome young man?” Go-eun said putting one hand on her hip.
     “A friend's son, he’s staying with us for a while” Yunho secretly winked at him.
     “Where are you visiting from?”
     “Seoul” Yunho answered for him. He then told her the same lie about his parents as he did to Kyungsoo.
     “You poor thing,” she touched his cheek. Jongin didn’t know how to react to this stranger so he remained still. “You can hang out with Kyungsoo and his friends.”
     “What?” Kyungsoo said with a mouth full of rice.
     “Where are your manners?” she scolded. “You’re all the same age. He doesn’t know anyone in town.”
     The boy swallowed his food then spoke. “It’s not that, it’s just all my friends aren't really into getting to know new people since it’s our senior year. We only hang out with the people in our circle” the boy explained.
     "That's nonsense, my grandson loves making new friends."
     “It’s only for a month” Yunho said. “Plus, I was thinking it’ll do him some good to enroll him for the time being.”
     Jongin was now the one caught by surprise, “what?”
     “My Taemin could show you around town, he knows all the places you kids like to go to. Jal-meoggo (eat well,)” Go-eun gave his cheek a soft squeeze then walked back to the kitchen.
     “School?” Jongin said.
     “It’s only a thought” Yunho assured him, “think it over.”
     “I’m so sure about the thought. I’m not comfortable.”
     “Whats the point, it’ll be for a month, isn’t he only visiting?” Kyungsoo said.
     “I don’t want him just sitting at the house alone and bored.”
     “Samchun, no one goes to school to have fun” he said in a low voice.
     “I said it was only a thought. You can choose whether or not you want to go. 
     Jongin nodded.
     Yunho picked up his chopsticks saying, “mukja.”

* Yunho taught me that the hyung is the one who buys the meal and that it was ok for me to call him hyung, even if it was only temporary. I feel something inside me changing and I’m not sure what it is andI’m scared.* 

A/N: I use Kai's real name as the name he's called on his planet and Kai will be the name used on this planet (EARTH.) Halmoni = grandmother. Samchun = uncle. Mukja = let's eat. And I'm sure you all already know that hyung means but to those who don't, it means older brother. It's used by males often on those who they are close to and older than them. There is a little more interaction between Jongin and Kyungsoo, I promise you there will be more. Stay with me you guys!