Chapter text

Jongin was good at playing with kids. And Kyo Jin easily got on well with the tanned boy too, it seemed.

But every good thing had its own flaws behinds.

One: The fact that Jongin loved playing with kids was all fine, but that Jongin also loved playing kids' equipments was worth concerning.

More than one time, the tanned boy got warned by a middle-aged security guard of the playground for climbing up the slide. And more times than Kyungsoo could count, he tried to fling himself from bar to bar of a climber that suddenly looked so small compared to his height—he even had to huddle himself so his legs wouldn't touch the ground. But that might be the only thing that Jongin could play—it looked ridiculous nonetheless.

Kyo Jin was the one who stood aside and looked up at Jongin in admiration and clapped his hands like a seal.

Kyungsoo leaned backwards on his palms, relishing in the feelings of cool soft grass against his skin. He watched Kyo Jin lead Jongin with sulky face back to where he was lounging. It was a rare warm day of the winter. Kyungsoo even had to squint his eyes against the sunlight as he looked up at his son and the babysitter, who looked like a god with only a thin undershirt, the hoodie being pulled off earlier due to perspiration.

And two: Girls gonna gather themself around an adorable kid and a handsome boy.

They barely reached him. A group of high school girls still in uniform approached the two when they were few feet away from Kyungsoo.

"Aw," one of the girl cooed, already bending to pinch at Kyo Jin's cheek, which Kyungsoo disliked because God knows if others' hands wouldn't affect his son's sensitive skin. "Is this your little brother? He looks so cute."

Before Kyungsoo could stand up and get his son from further touches, the girl batted her lashes at Jongin, who was inexplicably taking a step back from the girl, and laughed easily. "Like you."

Kyungsoo almost threw up at the pickup line, and the fact that that girl used his son for flirting intention made his blood boil. Or that he was getting upset because this girl was hitting on Jongin? No, absolutely not.

After that was a chant of how good looking Jongin was, how his tanned skin turned golden under sunlight, how his biceps showed his manliness when they flexed, how he looked y with sweat and matted hair, how kissable his lips looked when he turned to face Kyungsoo with his pouting mouth—wait, no, the last part seemed to be only on Kyungsoo's head. the sun, playing trick to his mind.

The girls kept chitchatting as if Kyungsoo just wasn't sitting right there and shooting daggers at them with his eyes. And it seemed more females gathered around them, the more Kyo Jin looked like on the verge of tears.

Kyungsoo dodged himself through the wall of girls before he reached out to his son. That was when he noticed his hands were trembling. , he hadn't eaten anything for half a day and now his body was screaming for attention. He should—he needed to get home soon before his legs gave in as well.

Jongin seemed to notice this too. There was an expression of worry in his eyes that Kyungsoo somewhat found familiar, as if he had caught this look somewhere before. Jongin immediately detached himself from a hand beginning to touch his bicep to get a hold of Kyungsoo's shoulder.

"You look pale. You alright?" Jongin asked as he picked up Kyo Jin into his arms before Kyungsoo could.

"Just—" Kyungsoo puffed out a short breath. "Go home."

Jongin nodded wordlessly before bidding a polite goodbye to people around them.

"Aren't you supposed to be heading to Sehun's place now?" Kyungoo asked as they headed to the bus station nearby. At this point, he really wanted to diminish Jongin. Not that Jongin annoyed him. Perhaps he did to some extent, but again, who didn't annoy Kyungsoo? But the reason this time he wanted to be left alone was that he didn't want to embarrass himself by a hastily cooked meal and a grumble stomach, or even worse, him fainting on the street. And he had been through that situation before, Kyungsoo was not letting it happen again.

Jongin blinked at that. "You really want me to go, don't you? You asked this question twice just in one morning."

"I—" Kyungsoo trailed off. For some reason, Jongin did look hurt. And for some other reason—probably that Kyungsoo see the hurt look in the taller's eyes, Kyungsoo found the need to explain himself—something that he never did to anyone before. "Just thought he would be worried."

"Sehun's fine. Even if he didn't hear anything of me for months, he'd still know that I'm fine. I've managed to be fine for all my life."

"You're giving more information than necessary again, Jongin."

"I know," Jongin somehow seemed frustrated. "But I'm trying to tell you that even a boy like me can take care of myself, and you, a father yourself, don't seem to know how to do it. If you think that only Kyo Jin needs to be healthy, you're wrong. Because if you get down with an ill, who will—"

"Who are you to judge me?" Kyungsoo yelled. He had had enough. He was tired, and hungry, and being preached by someone who knew nothing about him didn't help, at all. And the fact that Kyo Jin began to look confused at his father raising voice and his lower lips trembled made Kyungsoo just want to get home now. "And as I recall, you're the one who ate my cake earlier." Kyungsoo knew he was unreasonable because he was the one offering, but he didn't ing care at this point. Being taught about how to be a parent by just a greenish boy shook him to the core.

"I—" There was a hesitance in Jongin's voice, and after that there was a look that gave Kyungsoo an impression that maybe Jongin did know him. A look of someone that had been knowing him for longer than he thought. Jongin just shook his head. "Right. It's just—"

"No. You don't have to explain yourself. Just leave." He said, deadpan, and took Kyo Jin to his arms from Jongin. At Jongin's panicked and widened eyes, he added. "And come back at half pass six tomorrow. I'll go to work at seven, so please be punctual."

When the bus came, Jongin wordlessly got on it with them. Kyungsoo just thought Sehun's place was in the same direction with his and took a window seat. Jongin sat next to him, occasionally nudging his knee with his own one to get Kyungsoo's attention, but he ignored him.

Jongin got off the bus with them.

Kyungsoo gave him a sided glance as he walked up to his house some blocks away. "Why are you still following us?"

"Do you have chicken at home?" was all Jongin replied instead of an answer.

"What?"

"I just learned a really cool recipe on the television yesterday. I could cook for you since it looks like even walking is difficult for you right now."

There had never been someone offer to cook for Kyungsoo before. He was truly moved. But only for a second.

"According to the contract, I only supply one meal per day," Kyungsoo tried to reason, but he himself found it weak. And Kyo Jin just mumbled to his ear that "Jinni want chicken". .

"Just deduct from the salary," Jongin said bluntly as he helped Kyungsoo hold Kyo Jin as the shorter found his keys to the house.

Despite Kyo Jin refusing to eat soup because he wanted the chicken, Kyungsoo found the need to feed him his appropriate and nutritious meal first nonetheless. As he fed Kyo Jin, he stole some glances at the tanned boy. Jongin was seasoning all the stuff into a large bowl without even measuring. At some points, Jongin ruffled his light brown hair out of frustration, clearly not knowing what to do. And Kyungsoo was absolutely sure that Jongin didn't remember a thing from the recipe he had seen. Kyungsoo already regretted his decision to let him cook.

"That's not a pan for frying, Jongin," Kyungsoo informed him as Jongin took out a shallow pan.

"Trust me on this one, Kyungsoo-sii." Jongin waved him off, turning on the gas. "I know what I am doing."

"What the world is this?" Kyungsoo stared skeptically at the thing in front of him an hour later—it would take you a lot of time to fry something in a way too shallow pan, really. The thing looked half like fried chicken, half like chicken sauce, half like just fresh chicken. Kyungsoo wondered how it was even possible.

Jongin grinned at him, gesturing with a nod of his chin for Kyungsoo to take a bite.

"So," Jongin drawled the word, looking at him in anticipation from across the dining table. "How was it?"

"I don't know how you've managed to be fine your whole life as you said. But this is gross as ," Kyungsoo even wasn't able to control his profane. His face wrinkled in disgust as he tried to spit out the morsel. Really. Say him rude and ungrateful, but this chicken should be banned in 195 countries in the world. And Kyungsoo felt like he had just thrown four pounds of fresh chicken into a trash bin.

"You are too picky," Jongin whined. "It can't be that bad. Just give Kyo Jin a bite and hear what him say about it. Children don't lie."

"No . Jinni will not eat this." Kyungsoo pushed the plate away before Kyo Jin could reach for it.

Jongin huffed and crossed his arms, turning his face away in a sulky manner.

"Really, Jongin? Or are you trying to get revenge on me because I got angry at you earlier?"

This made Jongin jerk his head back to look at him right away. "No," he screeched. "Why would I do that? I didn't even know you were mad at me until now that you say it. I just thought you were tired and hungry so you don't want to face anyone and yelled to relieve stress."

Kyungsoo opened his mouth in mild surprise. He didn't know that Kyungsoo had been so upset and offended earlier?

"Just—" Kyungsoo sighed. He didn't know what to reply. "Just take an eye on Kyo Jin. I'll fix us something to eat."

"What about the chicken?" Jongin asked, voice cracking.

"Wrap it up and bring it to Sehun and his boyfriend Luhan to see if they will praise your talent or kill you." Kyungsoo's words were harsh, but his voice teasing. He got a brief glance and saw that Jongin was pouting and smiling at the same time. Stupid idiot.

"You trouble," Kyungsoo scoffed as he scrubbed at the pan. "Thanks to your stupid cooking, now I have to wash the pan to cook my own food."

Kyungsoo was such a grouch. But he looked adorable when he grizzled.

"This is the second best thing that I've ever tasted," Jongin spoke around a mouthful of kimchi spaghetti.

Out of boredom and just a little bit curiosity, Kyungsoo asked, "So what is the best?"

Jongin halted at his track of bringing more food into his mouth and looked up at Kyungsoo, who had finished his dish. Not that he ate fast, but Jongin just helped himself a second dish.

"You want to hear about it?" Jongin looked troubled.

"Sure," Kyungsoo nodded as he pushed a stray lock of hair out of Kyo Jin's forehead. The boy was deeply asleep in his arms. He had had an exciting yet exhausting morning at the playground. "Why did you ask that though?"

"Because I'm afraid I'd give too much information again, and that you don't want to hear." Jongin ducked his head to look at the unfinished food, fork twirling the spaghetti.

Something in Kyungsoo's stomach dropped, and he felt guilty. He cleared his throat and schooled his expression. "This time I ask you to tell, so that means I want to listen to you. So do tell." Kyungsoo felt strange came back to the polite boy he once had been few years ago when his parents had been still there to teach him how to be a gentleman.

"So, uh," Jongin spoke up after a stretched moment. "There had been a woman who adopted me before. I really loved her, I still do, so I called her Omoni. Omoni was a wealthy widowed woman. She inherited a lot from her husband but she had no children. After some time she felt lonely so she adopted me when I was twelve. She cooked the best seaweed soup." Jongin finished his story with a small and sad smile, eyes fixing at a point absently.

Kyungsoo just hummed to show that he was listening until he noticed something. "You used past tense. What happened?"

Jongin's eyes were a bit red at the edges. "Things all stumbled down when Omoni lost all after a risky investment. We lived on raw rice and water. She said sorry to me all the time but I couldn't find it in myself to think any of that was her fault. You know how people are when they lose everything they had? That was how she broke down and couldn't get up to her feet again. She was down to skin and bones. And she got down with a flu. It couldn't kill a person, but her physics at that time was bad enough. She refused to eat just so I could have more to myself. After that I knew she had been trying to save a little left of money, just so she could—" Jongin choked, palms flinging up to hide his watery eyes. Kyungsoo felt something stuck in his throat. "It was my fourteenth birthday that I ate her seaweed soup the last time."

"I'm sorry," Kyungsoo reached out his hand to touch Jongin's one, but he retreated it halfway. They were not that close after all. But he did feel like he should comfort Jongin, he just didn't know how to.

Jongin shook his head, using the back if his hands to wipe off the tears flowing out of his eyes, and forced a smile. "I didn't mean to be this sensitive and emotional. It's just—It's the first time I tell someone about this."

Kyungsoo found his eyes widen in surprise. "No one else before?"

"Yeah," Jongin's smile was more genuine now. "I just didn't have enough courage to recall it out loud before. And crying in front of anyone is just plainly embarrassing."

"Are you embarrassed now?"

Jongin choked out a laugh. "No. I'm feeling relieved now."

Kyungsoo didn't know how to reply to that, again.

"Uhm, is that why you scolded me for skipping meal earlier?"

Jongin looked into his eyes then. He nodded slowly. There was something more to it, but Kyungsoo thought he shouldn't dwell into it if Jongin didn't want to.

They ended up bidding goodbye after Kyungsoo took Kyo Jin to his crib and Jongin washed the dishes.

"So I will come back tomorrow?" Jongin asked as they stood on the threshold, hands stuffed into Chanyeol's colorful hoodie's pockets.

"It's your job. Don't ask stupid questions like that." Kyungsoo rolled his eyes, but his voice teasing.

Jongin smiled at him and seemed to be out his ing mind that he withdrew his hands from the pockets to pull Kyungsoo into his arms and hugged him so tight that he felt the air knocked out of his lungs.

"Thank you for hiring me," Jongin squeaked against the top of his head. Before Kyungsoo could punch him in the guts Jongin had already pulled himself back and hastily ran down towards the sweet, not daring look at him again.

Kyungsoo watched him go, all bouncing hair and clumsy feet, and felt his face still warm from the heat of Jongin's chest and the beats of Jongin's heart. Was that Kyungsoo was suffering from arrhythmia now?