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A sliver of early morning sunshine fell on his face from the window by his bed. He crinkled his face at the perception and drew in a deep long breath before he finally opened his eyes.

He sat up slowly and yawned. His eyes fell on his sleeping ten year old brother, Taemin on another bed by him. Taemin’s small body half covered by a blanket with it’s other half hanging off the bed. His brother’s slow and muffled snores coming steadily like the steady ticking of the clock. He glanced at the clock.

He didn’t need to be up this early but he was too excited to get back to sleep. It was the very first day of the summer vacation. The mere thought of all the things he could do in this month long gap from tedious educational endeavors of Junior school 7th Grade excited him ten folds.

He got out of the bed as noiselessly as he could, tiptoed over to his younger brother’s bed and extracted the hanging blanket carefully with his small stubby hands without waking Taemin. Having successfully done so, he softly covered Taemin properly with the blanket again and tiptoed out of the room.

Once outside in the hall, he spread his arms and took a deep breath of the fresh air while basking in the soft sunshine that streamed through the large open windows. His mother saw him as she crossed the hall, busy with preparations before she and her husband left for work.

“Why are you up so early, Jinki? I thought you didn’t have school today.” She said to him.

“I couldn’t sleep in. I can’t wait to meet up with Minho and the others. He said he’d let me play at his new tree house!”

A soft smile passed his mother’s face and vanished subtly. “I see. Is Taemin up too?” she asked him.

“No, I was careful not to wake him. He’s still sleeping.”

“Good boy.” She replied. “I’m going to make the breakfast now so make sure you both eat it before doing other things. What do you boys want for lunch today?”

“Auntie Choi has asked us to have lunch at Minho’s today so you don’t have to worry about making our lunch, Mother.” He replied obediently.

After he had washed up, he came to help his mother prepare their breakfast. As he laid the table, his younger brother walked into the room rubbing his eyes. “Why didn’t you wake me up, Hyung? I thought you went to Minho to play without telling me!” Taemin whined.

“It’s Minho ‘hyung’ for you.” Jinki corrected him.

“Hmph I call him what I want.”, replied Taemin and stuck out a tongue as he sat down on one side of the table for breakfast, with Jinki settling down next to him.

After the family had finished breakfast and the parents left for work and they waved them goodbye, it was half past ten already. Taemin ran back into the house excitedly. “Let’s go to Minho right now!” He bawled.

“Minho ‘hyung’.” While walking back inside the house, Jinki corrected him again without thinking about it, as if it was something he was used to do out of habit.

“Let’s go let’s go let’s go” Taemin said in one breath.

Jinki giggled softly with such endearment as if he wasn’t a twelve year old, but rather an eighty year old adoring his jumpy grandchild.

“Okay, fine. You go on ahead. Mother told me to get some tomatoes and oranges from the small store in the 6th street. So I’ll do that and join you all a little later.” He said. “Make sure to bike on the slower side of the road okay?” he added doggedly.

“Yes I will, Hyung.