Chapter 03: Rubber Duckies

 

 

“I’m being serious.”

 

“You’re joking.”

 

“Why the hell would I joke around about this, Kai?”

 

Jongin had sent Jonghun and Jaehyun out to their designated playroom next to his office with his assistant, Jihoon, watching over them. Jonghun and Jaehyun had burst into tears when they heard Jongin’s elevated voice, instinctively thinking it was them that caused their father to raise his voice and bubbled up in tears when they see the angered eyes of their father.

 

Jonghun and Jaehyun were two mischievous little kids, but they were always scared of their father. As much as Jongin likes it when they are disciplined, the drawbacks were how his kids wouldn’t even come near him for days after that. He remembers when they created a ruckus in his office, and Jongin scolded the boys and he could never forget the look on his boys’ faces and he swore to never ever raise his voice ever again. He didn’t want his own kids to fear him, that was the last thing he wanted.

 

Thankfully, Jonghun and Jaehyun understood when Jongin told them that he wasn’t angry, that he was just frustrated and it wasn’t their fault. It took them some time because he remembers Sehun leaving for a photo shoot for 2 hours and when he came back, Jongin was still cuddling his two boys against him on the couch of his office, the small family of 3 calming themselves down in the warmth of one another.

 

His boys reluctantly moved towards their own playroom with his assistant, Lee Jihoon, watching over them carefully and intently. Now, Jongin hears his sons playing wildly from next door (courtesy of making the walls not so sound proofed), and he could listen to the soft “shh! Be quiet, Jae, you’re a ninja and ninjas don’t make noises!” and the “but Hunnie’s yelling!” followed by a shriek and a “master Jihoon captured us! We’re dead!”

 

“What exactly did she say?” Jongin resumes the conversation halted before with his best friend, who sat down across his high table where his paperwork was all over the place. “Has she gone mad? Why is she asking me to find a fiancée? It’s so sudden!”

 

“You’re almost thirty, Kai.” Sehun spats, feeling defensive of Jongin’s mother whom he treated as his own after his mother died years ago. “The kids are growing up and you can’t expect you’ll do fine raising them. It’s going to get tougher for you, you can’t do this alone.”

 

“I told you, I can do it.” Jongin stresses, for the nth time of his entire life. Why is it so hard for people to trust him and his decisions? He was Kim Jongin, second heir to the prestigious company his father had built from scraps towards the top of the social ladder. He had stood by his father’s side bringing what they built and making their company one of the top largest companies in the world. If he could have easily gone through the manipulative business deals, the rats lurking around the company to bring him and his father down, the sleepless nights, everything.

 

Kim Jongin was capable of anything.

 

“You can, can you?” Sehun’s voice sounds threatening, and Jongin swallows the thick lump on his throat as he croaks out a small ‘yes’. Sehun steps closer, his eyes dangerously shooting daggers at his best friend, and for the first time ever, Jongin sees the genuine worry and concern shown for him from those dull brown eyes of his best friend’s.

 

“Two years ago, when Jaehyun had that chicken pox and desperately needed you back home,” Jongin’s eyes scattered around, looking for a stable object he could stare at because he knows where his best friend was going. “Where were you? You were at the conference in China and asked me to look after him. Imagine how miserable he’d been knowing he was sick and his father wouldn’t even race back for him.”

 

“Sehun.”

 

“When they started school, I was the one who dropped them off on their first day. I was there when they mumbled their first word. I was there when Jonghun kicked his first goal for football. Jongin, I was always there but they never once asked me where their father was.” Sehun’s voice trailed off, his eyes in pain. “I love them will all my heart, but they love you even more, Kai. You’re their father and you need to be there for him.”

 

“I’m trying, Sehun.”

 

“Try harder.” Sehun stresses, his voice laced in concern and worry, and then Jongin sees it.

 

If Sehun could read Jongin from the back of his hand, then Jongin could pretty much do the same with his best friend.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“Nothing.”

 

“Liar.”

 

“I’m moving to China.”

 

Jongin pauses.

 

“What?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Hurry up, will you?”

 

“Baek, I can’t see any rubber ducks here!” Kyungsoo throws his head backwards, his hand clutching on the phone latched onto his right ear while the other hand gripped tightly on the trolley cart handle. “Can we just get them some other time? I got your ice cream and peanut butter.”

 

Kyungsoo had ran all the way to the nearest supermarket just to get his best friend some muscle relief patches and some food he’s been craving for the week: ice cream and peanut butter. Kyungsoo had always known Baekhyun to have very weird taste in food, but Kyungsoo never judges because Baekhyun was the only person for him to go to when he needs someone to try his cooking: because he isn’t picky.

 

But then he recembers going grocery shopping for Baekhyun is tiresome. Baekhyun was normally a very high maintenance person, and it was a miracle how he got married to a very patient and rich person to listen and go through his every request with ease. But that was Chanyeol. This was Kyungsoo – as nice as he is, at some point or another, he might blow up because Baekhyun is really demanding.

 

Now that Baekhyun is pregnant, it’s worse.

 

Because Kyungsoo has been standing in the toiletries aisle for a solid 45 minutes looking for a packet of yellow rubber ducks that Baekhyun desperately needs for his bath time with the kids. Kyungsoo knows how much of a tradition it’s been for the Park family, and he respects it very much but he would really like it if Baekhyun would just let Kyungsoo buy them at a different store.

 

But no. Baekhyun wants it from this store.

 

“It’s supposed to be there! It’s a big aisle, Kyungsoo.”

 

“Park Baekhyun.” Kyungsoo inhales deeply, his eyes shut closed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Listen to me, I told you. I’ve been walking back and forth from the start of this aisle to the end and I can’t find any rubbe–”

 

“Appa appa! I got the last packet of rubber duckies!!”

 

Kyungsoo freezes when he hears rushed pit-pats behind him, and turns around slowly, only to see a little boy staring at him with wide eyes. Not just any little boy.

 

“What’s that? Someone beat you to the rubber ducks? Kyungsoo!!”

 

Kyungsoo hangs up suddenly, and shoves his phone inside his pockets.

 

“Jaehyun?”

 

“Kyungsoo-ssem?”

 

He stares with his mouth slightly agape, but then Kyungsoo’s heart-shaped lips stretches into a wide smile. Instantly, the smaller male’s eyes brightened as Kyungsoo approaches and gets down on his eye level. “Surprised to see you here, Jae.”

 

“Hehe, hi Kyungsoo-ssem!” Jaehyun blushes, his ears beet red as he held onto the packet of sour gummy bears as if his life depended on it. Kyungsoo sees his small light pink flannel and furrowed his eyebrows when the sight of his buttons mismatching. Always the coordinated person he is, he pokes onto the boy’s stomach jokingly. “Why is your shirt like that, hm? Who are you here with?”

 

Jaehyun looks down at his wrongly buttoned flannel shirt, and frowned. “Aish, appa! He’s never paying attention!” He groans and gives Kyungsoo the packet of gummy bears to hold onto, and s the shirt, revealing his pale skin underneath but sparing no time for Kyungsoo to stop him as he interjects. “I’m here with appa and Hunnie. We’re here to get rubber duckies!”

 

“Rubber duckies?”

 

“Mm.” Jaehyun nods, smiling brightly when he sees his now perfectly buttoned flannel shirt, triumphantly looking up at Kyungsoo who gives back his candy packet. “We’re going to take a bath! Yes!”

 

“Oh really– that’s so cute, where’s your ap–”

 

“Jae!”

 

Kyungsoo turns around quickly when he hears two loud voices shouting for the small boy in front of him, and what he sees is the cutest thing ever.

 

He catches the sight of the Kim Jongin, wearing the similar flannel shirt Jaehyun was wearing but of a black colour, his hand holding onto the shopping basket, his other free hand holding Jonghun’s hand, who wore a green flannel shirt instead.

They were wearing matching shirts.

 

Kyungsoo doesn’t know particularly why, but he swears he feels his cheeks flushed, something calming filling up his insides when he sees the tanned male making his way towards him. Yes, Kim Jongin was one of the most richest men known in Asia, so Kyungsoo could never deny how amazingly attractive he is.

 

As much as Kyungsoo feels Jongin is at his best look using formal work clothes, it was nothing compared to the boyish look he was wearing now. Kyungsoo admits Jongin is handsome in his work clothes, but seeing Jongin in dark blue jeans and a black flannel shirt that matches with his sons and a blue snapback to top it off, it made Kyungsoo feel something, at least.

 

Kyungsoo would never admit but after meeting the tanned male, he found himself reading articles about the man: searching up everything he can about him. He wasn’t a creep, he just felt like he should know the information of his students’ parents, especially when they were the sons of a famous CEO of one of the most prestigious companies. So knowing Kim Jongin’s favourite color and the name of his pet dogs were completely of professionalism.

 

Kyungsoo fixes his gaze to Jonghun when he sees Jongin locking eyes with him, and he stands up on his feet as he flashes a smile towards the smaller male, ignoring the tanned male next to him holding onto his hand. “Jonghun.”

 

Jonghun gasps and lets go of his hold on Jongin’s hand and stands in front of Kyungsoo, who held his hand out immediately as they did their handshake, one Kyungsoo taught to everyone in one of the classes he held, just for fun. Jonghun laughs as they did so, and high-fives Kyungsoo.

 

“Hi, Kyungsoo-ssem!”

 

“Hunnie!”

 

Jonghun looks at his younger brother and he frowned. “Jae! Me and appa were looking for you. Where did you go? I thought someone kidnapped you! I was ready to fight people for Jae!”

 

Jaehyun huffs. “Hunnie was too fast for Jae!”

 

They started bickering for a while when suddenly Jongin clears his throat, stopping the two from fighting instantly. Kyungsoo gazes upwards to their father, who had been staring at Kyungsoo.

 

“Hello, Mr Kim,” Kyungsoo bows his head politely, mentally holding onto himself so he wouldn’t make any embarrassing mistakes. “Fancy seeing you here.”

 

“Hey.” Jongin seemed breathless, but Kyungsoo kept oblivious. “You too. How are you?”

 

“I’m great, thanks for asking! Yourself?”

“Tired,” Jongin relaxes when he sees the smile being directed towards him, but he fidgets a bit every once in a while. “The kids are making me go out today, when it’s one of my off-days.”

 

“Aw,” Kyungsoo coos, and Jongin bubbles a soft laugh. “It’s my first time seeing you without work clothes. I almost didn’t recognize you.”

 

“Same as you.” Jongin scans him quickly, his eyes directed back towards Kyungsoo’s bright ones. “What are you looking for?”

 

“Oh, I’m grocery shopping for my friend. He couldn’t get out of the house.” The doe-eyed male looks around the aisle once more, before his eyes travelled to the packet of rubber ducks on Jongin’s backet. “He’s looking for rubber ducks.”

 

“Rubber duckies!” Jonghun and Jaehyun pipes up, thinking they were included in the conversation.

 

Jongin ruffles his sons’ hairs, smiling softly as he finally relaxes completely. Suddenly feeling comfortable even with the presence of Do Kyungsoo. “They want to take a bath together, but I’m a bit busy with work juggling up at home.” He sheepishly answers. “You can take them from me, though. It’s fine.”

 

“APPA!”

 

“Shh– Kyungsoo-ssem needs it and–”

 

“Ah, it’s fine!” Kyungsoo shakes his head intensely and interjects Jongin’s sentence immediately, turning his back onto Jongin’s before reversing the shopping cart backwards, and facing Jongin once more when he finally turns his cart around. “Just take them, and don’t make them wait, yeah? Get some time to cool off from work.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I mean, spend time with them. I know the heavy workload, but an hour or two with the kids won’t hurt.” Kyungsoo flashes that beatific smile once more, and then looks back towards the twins, who mirrors his smile afterwards. “Trust me, it’s been a few months for me working at the kindergarten, and I still feel amazed by how kids grow up so fast and hurts me knowing I only have limited time with them.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“I’ll see you.” Kyungsoo waves, but not after bowing his head politely. He then waves his hand towards the twins, who yells out a bye for him. “Have fun bathing!”

 

Jongin stood still, stunned because what Kyungsoo said did make sense for him, surprisingly. Before he knows it, Kyungsoo is walking away from him and he turns in realization.

 

“Kyungsoo! Wait!”

 

Kyungsoo halts and turns around, and sees Jongin staring at him with wide, unreadable eyes. He looks perplexed, and in a battle, with what or who, Kyungsoo doesn’t know. He opens his mouth and says something, but Kyungsoo doesn’t catch it.

 

“Excuse me?”

 

Kyungsoo furrows his eyebrows in confusion, because Jongin wasn’t saying anything.

 

“Mr Kim?”

 

“See…you.” Jongin finally says, his voice distant and flashes Kyungsoo an insincere smile. “I’ll see you around.”

 

The doe-eyed male didn’t expect anything, so he nods and turns around once more, walking away towards the counter leaving Jongin behind to think of what of a dork he was being.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That Same Night

 

Jongin doesn’t know how it happened.

 

He didn’t expect this at all and to how he came to this point made him beyond confused because he doesn’t know how on earth did he end up with rubber ducks floating around him, and his two sons sitting on his lap as they giggled, splashing around in the tub full of water.

 

He stares at Jaehyun, who had bubble soap on his cheek, laughing at Jonghun who had it above his lips, making it seem like he has a moustache.

 

“Appa, do I look good!” Jonghun proudly asks, and Jongin could care less.

 

Kyungsoo was right. He needed this.

 

“Here, let me do your hair so you’ll look even more handsome.”

 

“Appa, me too! Me too!”

 

And he has never been so close to his sons than he was right now.

 

It was all thanks to Do Kyungsoo.

 

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hello! so like... here's the next chapter. i'm basically screaming rn because seventeen is coming back soon and i'm just i i cant even !!!!!!!!!!! anyways, hello readers! i didnt get the time to reply your comments but here i am replying you guys with another update! i also made a bit of a gist in this chapter a little about sehun since hes one of the major charactors in this ff. keep up with the loving comments YOU GUYS ARE SO CUTE i'll try to update more for you guys <3 :')