Jongin stared at the man that was his ex-coach and -if possible- ex-dad. The incident at the supermarket flashed through his mind.

He hadn't paid much attention the face of the man who had picked his wallet up. Now that he had been addressed by an old nickname, he recognized him right away.

Choi Hyukjae was standing at the back of the court with his hands in his pocket.

The basketball began bouncing away, the sounds become fainter and fainter as it rolled away.

He swallowed hard and tried to look away. How did he find me?

“You still haven't lost your touch.” Hyukjae remarked.

Jongin looked away and said coldly, “I don't need your input.”

Hyukjae smiled a tiny bit, “Seems like that's the case now, doesn't it?”

Jongin turned around to walk the other way.

“Look Jongin, about the past, it's behind us now-” Hyukjae began.

“Yeah, it's behind us. Which means none of it will be moving forward with me.” Jongin said in a hard voice.

“When did you become so stubborn and unwilling to listen?” Hyukjae asked.

“I picked it up from somewhere. I wonder where.” Jongin said sarcastically.

Hyukjae sighed, “Your sister didn't listen to me at all that day at the store either. Let's go talk somewhere else.”

“Let's not.” Jongin clenched his fists and walked away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jongin slammed the door when he entered the house.

Ms. Kim popped her head out of the kitchen, “Oh! Jongin, where were you?”

“Out on a walk.” He muttered.

“Make sure you tell me next time you go out in the evening.” Ms. Kim reminded.

Jongin nodded, “Sorry.” He apologized before heading upstairs.

Taemin was tormenting Eunmi in her room.

“Leave! I have to finish my homework.” Eunmi pushed Taemin off her bed.

Jongin stepped into her doorway as Taemin stood up.

“Oh, hey kid. Where'd you go?” Taemin asked.

“Why didn't you tell me?” Jongin ignored his question and asked his own to both of them.

“Huh?” They looked at him, confused.

“At the grocery store the other day.” Jongin gritted his teeth. “Why didn't you tell me the man who picked my ID up was him?”

Taemin and Eunmi both froze.

Taemin tried to slip out of the situation, “Eunmi…… why don't you take this one?”

“I-well. Wait, how do you know that was him now?” Eunmi asked.

“I saw him right now. I went to the basketball court, made a basket and he called me BallMonster.” Jongin explained, not in the nicest tone.

Eunmi and Taemin looked at each other and then at Jongin.

It was Taemin who broke the silence by saying, “You picked a ball up and made a basket? You da man!”

Jongin's expression didn't change.

“Why didn't you tell me you met him and that he was the one I had just said thanks to?” Jongin asked again.

“Why don’t you take this one again, Eunmi?” Taemin tried to walk out but Jongin put his arm in the doorway.

“Jongin, I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. And since you didn’t recognize him I didn’t really think too much of it….” Eunmi trailed off.

“What did he say to you?”

Eunmi shrugged, “He just asked me to listen. I said no. Me and Taemin left.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Jongin turned to Taemin.

Taemin nervously smiled and punched Jongin’s muscular arm, “You know me, buddy. I just told the man off coolly and walked away.”

“What if I see him again?” Jongin asked.

“We’ll just have to deal with it as best as we can.” Eunmi said. “Sorry about not telling you, Jongin. I didn’t want to worry you….”

Jongin sighed, he could never stay mad at someone for long (with the exception of one particular coach).

“It’s okay.” He said, his resentment dying down.

“Don’t tell umma.” Eunmi told him. “Let’s just keep this to ourselves.”

“I know, I won’t.” Jongin mumbled. He put his arm down and walked to his room. He sat down on his bed and was about to go down his memory lane when-

“Jongin oppa!” Taeyeon smiled at him as she entered his room.

Jongin softly smiled and ruffled her hair lightly, “Hey, Yeon.”

She climbed onto his bed and sat down beside him, “Where did you go, oppa?” she asked.

“I went for a walk.” He replied.

“With who?”

“I went by myself.” He told her.

“Why oppa?!” she exclaimed. “It’s dangerous to go out by yourself! Next time, I’ll go with you. I can protect you oppa!” she did a superwoman pose standing on the bed.

Jongin burst into laughter and pulled her into his lap, “Okay, Yeon. I’ll take you next time.”

Taeyeon beamed and began playing ‘This Little Piggy’ with Jongin’s long fingers.

Jongin began tickling her and she struggled to get out of his grasp.

“HAHAHA- OPPA, LET GO- HAHA!” she rolled of the bed.

Jongin gasped, “You okay?”

She stood up and looked at him with a big grin on her face, “Bye-bye!” she ran out of his room.

Jongin smiled as he watched her leave, which was the same time Ms. Kim called everyone down for dinner.

When he got out of his room, he saw Taemin pushing Eunmi out of the way so he could go down the stairs.

“Hey! I almost fell!” Eunmi yelled, walking towards the stairs.

“Don’t care!” Taemin called back.

She spotted Jongin, “Oh, Jongin! My favourite little brother.”

“I’m your only little brother.” He pointed out.

“Yeah, yeah. Why don’t you give noona a lift down the stairs?” she smiled sweetly.

Jongin sighed and bent down in front of her, “Get on.”

“Yay!” she jumped onto his back and held onto his neck as Jongin stood up.

He walked down the stairs with Eunmi on his back.

“You’ve gained weight noona.” Jongin joked.

“You’ve lost muscle.” She stuck her tongue out. “I hope you’re not still mad at me.”

“I’m not, it’s fine.” Jongin said. “I was just a little off because he appeared like that.  It took me by surprise and I didn’t know what to feel, I’m good now though.” The last part wasn’t a complete lie, but he didn’t want to worry anyone.

“Good.” Eunmi ruffled his hair as they reached the bottom of the stairs.

“Get off now.”

“To the kitchen!” Eunmi pointed.

Jongin shook his head and adjusted her once again before going into the kitchen.

Taemin was already devouring his food, Ms. Kim and Taeyeon were eating as well, and Hyunki followed in behind Jongin and Eunmi.

“Do you want me to put you on your chair too?”

“Well-” before Eunmi could finish her sentence Jongin let go of her legs and she forced herself to land in a steady way.

“Hey! You’re mean!” she took a chair out beside Taeyeon and sat down.

“You probably gave the kid back pains 60 years too early.” Taemin said as Hyunki and Jongin sat down as well.

“Shut up.” Eunmi said as she put rice in her plate. “Have you finished your physics assignment?”

“Yaaaa, did you?”

“Long time ago.” Eunmi said.

“Of course.” Taemin rolled his eyes. “You’re such a nerd.”

“I don’t like leaving things to the last minute.” Eunmi said shortly.

“So you do it the first minute?” he laughed loudly at his joke.

“That was not funny.” Eunmi shook her head.

“Yes it was.” Taemin laughed and high fived Jongin who unsurely held his hand up.

When dinner finished, Jongin piggybacked Taeyeon to bed. It seemed like he was the piggybacking everyone that day.

Ms. Kim said she would clear the table and Hyunki went upstairs to put Taeyeon to sleep.

As Taemin walked to the stairs, Eunmi jumped onto his back.

“Take me upstairs!” she pointed to the stairs as Taemin staggered forward.

He balanced himself as Eunmi wrapped her legs around him and made sure she was safe.

“YAH! WHO SAID YOU CAN JUMP ON MY BACK?!” Taemin yelled furiously. He tried to shake her off, “Get off me, FatMuffin!”

“Piggyback, piggyback, piggyback.” Eunmi sang.

Taemin tried to get her off of him but nothing would work, she just held on tighter.

“Fine, I’ll give you a piggyback.” Taemin smirked and put his arms under Eunmi’s legs.

He raced around the living room at top speed and then jumped up the stairs, holding onto Eunmi weakly.

“HEY! YAH! IM GOING TO FALL! SLOW DOWN! LEE TAEMIN!” Eunmi screamed as he almost dropped her down an entire flight of stairs.

“You wanted a piggyback. This is an extreme piggyback by yours truly.” Taemin laughed evilly and ran around the upstairs. He ran into his room and ran over his bed. Eunmi was bobbing up and down because Taemin wasn't holding on tightly enough. He jumped onto his desk chair and then off of it.

He ran out of his room and abruptly stopped in front of Eunmi’s. He dropped her immediately by surprise.

“Ah!” she fell flat on her back with her legs spread out everywhere.

“Hope you enjoyed the ride.” Taemin winked before stepping over her, deliberately stepping on her hair, and going to his room.

“I hate you!” Eunmi yelled from the floor.

“Noona, what are you doing on the floor?” Jongin stepped out of his room to finally face the damage Eunmi and Taemin had created.

“He dropped me.” Eunmi mumbled as she took the hand Jongin held out for her. She stood up and fixed her shirt and hair.

“I’m going to sleep. Good night.” Jongin shook his head as he went back to his room.

“Sleep well!” Eunmi called as she went to the washroom to change her clothes before going to bed.

Taemin walked into Jongin’s room. He was sitting on his bed playing a game on his phone.

“Did you really play?”

Jongin looked up and shrugged, “I just bounced the ball around the court and made a basket.”

Taemin grinned, “So you do want to play.”

Jongin shook his head, “Nope. I don’t want to anymore.”

“Keep telling yourself that.” Taemin nodded. “What did he say that made you like this?”

“He didn’t.”

“Just tell me.”

 “When I was on my basketball team a couple of years ago, everyone called me BallMonster. That's what he called me today and that's what made me recognize him.”

“What's so bad about the nickname?”

Jongin didn’t answer right away, there was a brief silence.

“It's everything I never was and never will be.” He whispered.

“Dude, you know you're the one that decides that?” Taemin crossed his arms.

“I know.” Jongin said quietly.

“Well, great talk. We'll start training soon.” Taemin said, turning around.

“Huh? Training for what?” Jongin scrunched his eyebrows.

Taemin turned around, “When I train you to train me on basketball. Duh.”

Jongin raised an eyebrow as Taemin left for his room. Jongin smiled and shook his head as he lay down.

Meanwhile, when Eunmi finished changing she went into Taemin’s room.

“I hope you’re happy you broke my back and took out half of my hair.” She said sourly.

“I am.” He smiled from his bed, putting his magazine down.

“I hope you have nightmares!” she stuck her tongue out before walking out.

“I will if you’re in them!” he shot back.

“Shut up!” Eunmi called, going into her room and putting cream over her arms.

“I was already being quiet!”

“No you weren’t!” Eunmi rolled her eyes and put her cream away.

“Yes, I was!”

“No, you weren’t!” Eunmi climbed into bed.

“Why don’t you go stuff your face with a muffin?”

“Why don’t you?”

“Shut up and sleep!”

“I will!” Eunmi yelled one last time.

“Done your nightly fight?” Ms. Kim asked as she came up the stairs.

“Yeah!” both Eunmi and Taemin called from their rooms.

Ms. Kim smiled amusedly and went to all the kids’ rooms to make sure they were in bed.

In her room, Eunmi smiled as she remembered Taemin and Jongin’s piggyback rides.

There’s never a normal day in this house.

But she didn’t mind that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jongin lay in bed as he thought about his day.

Seeing his father for the first time after so long had definitely shaken him up.

Now that he thought about it, seeing his dad had woken him up too. He knew what he wanted to do, the problem was that he didn’t want to do it at the same time. There were just too many bad memories.

But he knew he wasn’t alone. There was Taemin who was trying to help him and Eunmi would support him no matter what.

 But he wasn't sure he would take their help at the moment.

Nonetheless, he was grateful for having them with him.

Smiling softly, he drifted off to sleep with good dreams and peaceful thoughts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Taemin threw his magazine on the floor and lay down in a comfortable position.

He was glad that Jongin had picked a basketball up that day, even if it hadn’t been with him. 

He was going to help Jongin, it was his mission now. Once Lee Taemin set his mind on something, he would always succeed. No matter what.

Taemin held back a laugh as he thought about the extreme piggyback ride. 

I think I’ll make it super extreme by jumping down stairs.

Then his mind wandered to his life before the Kim’s had moved in. It had been much less lively than it was now. Most of the time, only one or two people would be at home back then. Their little family felt incomplete.

Taemin's eyes drooped as he had a last thought before going to sleep.

Life isn't so bad with them, I'm glad they're with us.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The singer, the dancer, and the so-called jerk slept exceptionally well that night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Heeeyyy

I was supposed to update Saturday but I forgot...

Then yesterday I wasn't home all day and I came home late super tired.

But I updated today so that's all that matters. Let's just scratch out that schedule I came up with.... I'll update when I can :D

I made tumblr. Guess what it's called.

 

 

NOT ilovelays D:

That url was taken :'(

I really love my lays.

Well bye~! :D Do leave a comment~ (: