“Jongin says he wants to attend college,” Junmyeon suddenly announced during dinner making Kai nearly drop his chopsticks.

Both he and his father look up from their food towards him. Both equally shocked.

“Really?” His father was the first one to recover. He turned towards him now making Kai silently curse. “And what do you plan to take up?”

“Uh…” He frantically look over to his brother for help. He seriously knew nothing about this.

“Apparently he is still very puzzled with what to take right now,” Junmyeon butts in again saving him. Kai lets out a small sigh of relief.

“Well what is your goal?” His father turns towards him again. “I do hope it is not something silly like suddenly wanting to become a singer. Your brother went through that phase once.”

“Dad!” Junmyeon suddenly whines in embarrassment, his hands covering his face.

Kai gaped at his brother, eyes wide at what he just heard. That thing actually happened? He couldn’t help but smile at the revelation. Even their father was laughing.

This was the warmest meal they had ever had, aside from those far away times, almost some lifetimes away dinners with their mother. His smiles slowly dissolve thinking how happy his mother might be if she were here and that they were mending their relationship slowly.

His father clears his throat, as though he also noticed how the situation suddenly was.

Then he smiled sadly and Kai couldn’t believe his father also