Author’s POV:

“Kyungie, you have to eat your veggies so you can be healthy.” Kyungmi placed the greens onto Kyungsan’s plate.

Just as expected, Kyungsan’s nose scrunched up, making Jessica smile. Kyungie never liked his veggies ever since he could eat solid foods. Just like any other kid, he never wanted to touch the healthy foods.

“Kyungie~” Jessica called out. “Eat your veggies.” She tried to encourage him, only to have him shake his head at her. “Then you’ll be just as tall as Kris.”

The last comment made Kyungsan interested and directed his eyes to Kris, who was picking at his plate with little interest. Kris’s head shot up, looking at Jessica with a frown.

Glancing down at his plate, Jessica realized that there was fish. No matter how much she tried persuading Kyungmi not to put fish into the lunch meal, she still did, as Kyungsan loved fish. She let out a sigh.

“You two are so picky.” Jessica spoke aloud, glancing back at the two boys who were endlessly poking their plate of food, not wanting to eat. “One doesn’t like veggies, the other doesn’t like fish.”

Kyungsan pouted his lip. “Umma~” he called out. “Kyungie doesn’t like veggies.”

As Kyungmi handled her son, Jessica turned to my right to handle her own baby as well. Kris’s dislike for fish was unlimited. Not once has she seen him try to eat it and she knew how much he hated the dish. She wasn’t going to complain, but he can’t be picky forever. He was already becoming an influence on Kyungsan. 

“There’s fish~” Kris dragged out with a repulsed tone, looking like he was going to throw up any second. “I think I’m going to puke.” He over exaggerated.

“Oppa,” Jessica crossed her arms. “You can’t run away from fish all your life.” She gave him an amused look.

Kris pushed the plate away from him. “I know this is impolite, but I just can’t force myself to eat it.” he whispered in my ear, fully aware how rude this was, considering table manners.

Taking the fork in my hand, she jabbed it into a piece of fish before placing it up towards Kris’s lips. “Ah~” she tried to make him eat at least a small piece, wanting Kyungsan to learn as well. “Oppa, is doing so well! Kyungie should learn from him!” she emphasized my last comment with a smile on my face.

Kris’s eyes immediately opened up as wide as saucers in shock, but his mouth failed to drop. He was not letting her feed him his most hated food that easily.

“If Oppa can do it, Kyungie can do it too!” Jessica beamed at Kyungsan who was now all eyes and ears for Kris’s actions, watching to see if he was really going to eat it.

Turning back to Kris, Jessica saw that he had glanced over at Kyungsan, taking in that the little boy (that is easily influenced) was watching him. Blinking up at him, she gave him the most pleading look she could give him. Her back was facing Kyungsan, preventing him from seeing anything or figuring out that Kris was actually unwilling to eat it, despite how old and mature he was.

Seeing Kris’s uneasy face and his adams apple slide up and down his throat with a gulp, told Jessica that he was very against this and that she might have to make it up to him later. An awkward smile adjusted itself on Kris’s lips, trying his very best to hide any form of disgusted expressions on face.

Kris’s mouth opened ever so slowly as he kept his eyes in contact with Kyungsan. Inching his face forward, he finally had the piece of fish in between his teeth. Taking this chance, Jessica slid the fork out of his mouth, making the fish trapped in his mouth.

“See?” Jessica perked up as she talked to Kyungsan, making it seem as if nothing was wrong. “Kris can do it and so can you! Kyungie has to eat veggies to grow up just as tall as Kris.”

Kyungsan blinked his big eyes at Kris before nodding his head. That was enough for him to say yes to his denial for veggies.

“Kyungie will eat veggies and be like Hyung!” Kyungsan raised his spoon up in the air with a bright expression.

Looking up forward, Jessica saw Kyungmi silently thank Kris for changing her son’s mind about vegetables and finally got him to start eating better. Turning her head to get a look at Kris’s reaction, she only saw Kris’s lips curl upward in the most awkward smile yet. It seems that he couldn’t bring himself to swallow the small piece of cooked salmon she had put in his mouth.

Handing him a cup of water, Jessica thought it’d make it easier for him to swallow. He seemed to shake his head and just wait. Just seconds later, she saw in the corner of her eye that he was wiping his mouth with the napkin and gave a sigh of relief afterwards. She couldn’t help but giggle. Kris really has a huge dislike for fish.

After the lunch meal finished, Kyungmi had brought out some fruits so they could sit around and talk in the living room. Starting up some conversations and getting to know Kris more, Kyungmi felt comfortable and much more glad that her younger cousin has actually found someone that made her happy. Of course, Kyungmi envied Jessica for that, but she just had to deal with it, there was no way of changing the present and it was also impossible to go back to the past.

Seeing how much Kyungsan had gotten along with Kris made Kyungmi give a thankful smile as she watched her son play with Kris on the floor, trying their very best to build a pirate ship out of brick blocks. She was glad that Jessica had brought Kris along with her to visit. She was glad that Kyungsan got to meet Kris and got along with another male. Kyungmi was grateful that Kyungsan had finally opened up to someone else other than his mother or Jessica.

“Umma~” Kyungsan grabbed Kyungmi’s attention. “Kyungie has to potty~!” the little boy stood up and obediently told his mother that he was going to go to the restroom.

Nodding her head, Kyungmi watched as her little boy ran his way to the bathroom. Turning her attention back into the room, she saw how Jessica and Kris interacted so comfortably and lovingly.

“Oppa, is this supposed to go here?” Jessica asked as she fiddled with the little brick pieces as she sat on Kris’s lap.

“Move it one space over.” Kris instructed as he hugged onto Jessica’s waist, propping his chin on her shoulder. “And then keep stacking.”

Jessica did as she was told and held it up for him to see. “Like this?”

Receiving a nod from Kris, Jessica continued stacking until Kris told her to stop and place it in another form and pattern. Seeing that the pieces were stacked in a slant, Kris told Jessica to stack the next pieces gently and carefully or else it’ll break. Keeping that in mind, Jessica tried to place the next piece lightly, but it wouldn’t be held in tightly with the other piece so she pressed down on it harshly, causing the whole piece to break in half, the small pieces of plastic bricks flew out of place, flying everywhere. A couple of them hitting Kris’s face.

Jessica glanced over at Kris with wide eyes before giggling. “Sorry, Oppa~” she couldn’t help but laugh, knowing that she messed up the piece and also hurt Kris at the same time.

Kris’s eyebrows furrowed. “It’s not that funny~” he chuckled.

Being in a happy mood, Jessica just continued laughing and when she met his eyes, she only broke out laughing even more.

“You think it’s that funny?” Kris asked in an amused voice as he watched her giggle to her hearts content.

Taking that as a yes, Kris just proceeded to hug onto her tighter and lay her down on the floor, only to begin tickling her even more. Jessica’s laughter got louder and non-stop as Kris began to endlessly tickle her sides. Finally gathering her strength, Jessica grabbed a hold of his wrists, stopping his movements as she tried to catch her breath.

Kris chuckled and planted his lips onto hers. “You owe me for the fish…” he then muttered after he pulled away.

Jessica huffed a breath before pouting her lips. “I know…”

Smirking at her actions, Kris pecked her pouted lips generously and repeatedly. His butterfly kisses made Jessica giggle again, bringing her beautiful smile back onto her lips, replacing the pout that was there just a second again.

“Ahem~” Kyungmi cleared