Grandma explained that there would have to be paperwork filed and someone would have to come by and make sure that they could be trusted with another child, and the police might get involved since Kai was apparently abandoned. Even so, she said it probably wouldn’t be a problem for them to keep Kai, since the system didn’t want a wild child in their hair. Kris seemed pretty pissed off, but Sehun thought that it might have been because grandma made her decision so quickly and without talking to him about it.

Sehun didn’t care about what Kris thought though, he was too excited to care. He had a friend, a friend who was now living with him! It would be like a sleepover every night! They could stay up late talking, they could sneak downstairs for snacks and TV, they could do anything! Sehun told Kai all about it as he helped him get ready for bed, showing him how to brush his teeth and giving him pajamas. Kris finally told him to go to bed at 10, and Sehun decided it was best not to argue.

He pulled a sleeping bag out of the closet and dragged it to his room, putting it on the floor next to his bed.

“You sleep up there,” Sehun told Kai, pointing to the bed. Kai stared at him, arms folded around himself and tugging at the pajama shirt Sehun had given him. Sehun crawled into the sleeping bag and Kai slipped off the bed and laid down next to him.

“No, you sleep up there,” Sehun said, pointing. Kai grasped Sehun’s arm tightly and didn’t budge. Sehun huffed and brushed Kai’s hair out of his face. “What’s the matter? Do you not want to be alone?” He thought that must have been it, so he figured there was no use in having them both sleep on the floor. He wrestled his arm out of Kai’s grip and got in his bed, and Kai quickly followed him. Sehun fell asleep feeling happier than he had in a long time.

When he got up in the morning Kai was still asleep, so Sehun went downstairs alone—fully intending to make breakfast for Kai and bring it back upstairs. But when he got into the kitchen, he saw Kris sitting at the table holding his head in his hands, still wearing his clothes from yesterday.

“Kris?” He called softly. “Are you alright?”

Kris sniffed and rubbed his eyes. “When did you get up?” He asked hoarsely. Sehun’s blood ran cold. Kris’ eyes were red and he sounded like he’d been crying for a very long time. Sehun hadn’t seen him cry in three years.

“What happened?” Sehun asked timidly.

Kris shook his head. “It’s nothing you need to worry about. Just…your clothes fit Kai, right?”

“Yeah,” Sehun said.

Kris got up and stretched. He ruffled Sehun’s hair on his way out of the kitchen.

“Where are you going?” Sehun asked.

“Work.”

Sehun stood in the kitchen for a long time after Kris left. It wasn’t often that his brother cried, and he didn’t like seeing it. He knew they didn’t have a lot of money, they were supposed to get some after their mom and dad died but it was “tied up,” as Kris had said. Grandma got money from the government since she was hurt when she was young, but that was only enough to pay rent and water and stuff. Kris’ job paid for things like food and clothes. Sehun wondered if Kris was getting fired, maybe that was why he was so upset? But then Kai came sprinting downstairs and threw himself at Sehun, clinging to him tightly. Sehun instantly patted his head and hugged him.

“Did you think I left?” Sehun asked, petting Kai’s hair. Kai’s only response was to hold him tighter.

“Don’t worry, I won’t leave you,” Sehun promised. “I hate to be alone too.”

Sehun made rice and scrambled eggs for breakfast, feeding Kai before he fed himself. He spent the entire day playing with Kai, or rather teaching Kai how to play. By the end of the day Kai knew how to play tag, but that was mostly because he followed Sehun at all costs. Forget hide and seek, Sehun wasn’t even going to try that. The next day he tried to teach Kai how to count and write his name, but all Kai did was take the crayons Sehun gave him and color all over the papers.

On the third day since finding Kai, Sehun had to go to soccer practice. Kai didn’t want to leave the house, and grandma promised to keep him entertained. Sehun was distracted all through practice and raced home when it was over, not even bothering to change. When he got home, he found Kris kneeling in front of Kai with a camera.

“Please look up,” Kris was begging. “I’ll be done in a second…” Kai kept his eyes on the floor.

“What are you doing?” Sehun demanded, marching over. “Stop scaring him!”

“I just need a picture,” Kris snapped. “Can you make him look up?”

Sehun knelt next to Kai and tapped his shoulder lightly. Kai finally looked up and Kris quickly shoved the camera in front of him and snapped a picture.

“Finally,” he sighed. Then he turned to Sehun. “Has he been outside since you found him?”

“No,” Sehun said testily. “He doesn’t want to go.”

Kris stood up. “Well my boss is giving you and him free dinner on weekends, so if you want to eat nice food help him get used to it again.”

Sehun bit his lip. Kris worked as a waiter at a really cheesy luau-themed restaurant, but it had some of the best food on the island and Sehun loved eating there. Plus there was no way he was going to turn down free food. It was time to get Kai back outside.

It was a relatively easy thing to do, since all Sehun needed was to walk out the door holding candy. Kai loved the hard candies that grandma carried, and he also loved sugar cane, so when Sehun had both of those things Kai would do anything he wanted.

He started by taking Kai to visit Mister Hu’s goat. The trail to his house was fairly deserted of cars and people, so he thought it was a good way to get started. Kai was nervous the whole way there, but once he saw all of Mister Hu’s animals he cheered up quite a bit. Mister Hu even came out to say hello. Kai tried to hide from him and Sehun quickly explained that he was just shy.

“Shy, eh?” Mister Hu asked, puffing on his pipe. He went back into his house and came out with a couple of peaches.

“Never met a kid who could resist food,” he said, sitting on his steps and holding the peach out to Kai. Kai crept forward and snatched it up, allowing Mister Hu to pat his head. Mister Hu chuckled and gave the other peach to Sehun, but he was still watching Kai. “Auwe! He’s like puppy, that one. Where’d you find him?”

“Grandma’s adopting him,” Sehun said evasively. Mister Hu laughed.

“Oh is she? That’s just like Mahina, still taking care of everyone.” Then he pushed himself up and tipped his hat at the pair of them. “You tell your grandma I said aloha, you hear?”

“Yes sir!” Sehun called as Mister Hu went back inside. He and Sehun spent a few more minutes with the animals, and then they went back home. The next day Sehun took Kai to the beach, and after a few hours Kai seemed to be at ease around people, so he told Kris that they were okay to go to dinner the following night.

The second thing Sehun loved about going to work with Kris was getting to taunt his older brother about his crush. Chanyeol was the only boy on the island remotely close to Kris’ height, and he had a really deep voice which constantly shocked people when he spoke. He had a really big smile and he loved to laugh, and Sehun was constantly bugging Kris to date him.

Sometimes Chanyeol would entertain guests at the restaurant by spinning sticks that had been lit on fire, but that was only during weeknights. Every other day of the week he was a normal waiter. When Sehun brought Kai out the restaurant, the first thing he did was introduce him to Chanyeol.

“Chanyeol!” Sehun called, jumping up and down and waving. Chanyeol hurried over, grinning widely.

“This is my new friend,” Sehun said happily, pulling Kai out from where he was hiding behind his back. Chanyeol’s eyes widened.

“Auwe, so this is the boy Kris has been telling me about!” He knelt down and waved at Kai. “He’s a cute one, that’s for sure.”

Sehun grinned and turned to Kai. “Can you say thank you?”

Kai bit his nails and flicked his eyes up, but that was it.

“Ah well, he’s cute anyway,” Chanyeol said. “Now let’s get you to a table.”

Sehun ordered Ahi Poke for both of them, and while they waited for it to come he reminded Kai of how to eat.

“Use your fork like this,” He said, arranging Kai’s fingers on the utensil. “And only poke the food, got it?”

And this was the surprising part—Kai actually nodded. Sehun gasped and stared at him, up until now Kai had been totally unresponsive to everything Sehun said, but this nod meant that he did understand! Chanyeol came out with their drinks and Sehun snapped out of his daze to thank him.

“Oh Kris,” Chanyeol said excited. Kris was coming over with a basket of rolls and he nodded at Chanyeol, but he looked very rushed and like he wasn’t paying attention. That didn’t deter Chanyeol, though.

“Hey so there’s this new movie coming out,” Chanyeol said eagerly. “Want to go see it with me?”

Kris looked up and smiled tiredly. “I would like to but I really can’t, I have a lot on my plate right now.”

Sehun leaned over and poked Kris’ leg with his fork. Kris glared at him.

“Go have fun,” Sehun whined. “You never have fun anymore.”

“Maybe some other time,” Kris said to Chanyeol and Sehun before hurrying off.

Sehun gave Chanyeol a sympathetic look. “It’s okay, he really does like you.”

Chanyeol smiled and ruffled Sehun’s hair. “Of course he does, I’m irresistible.” But he looked a little sad as he walked off.

Sehun didn’t think much more about Kris or Chanyeol during dinner,  because his mind was buzzing with the knowledge that Kai could understand him. It had given him a really good idea.

The next day he went to the library, tugging Kai along with him, and got a puppy training manual. Mister Hu said that Kai reminded him of a puppy, so maybe if Sehun followed that kind of mentality, he could get Kai to respond to him.

The main thing that the book emphasized was positive reinforcement. If the puppy does something good, give him a reward. If the puppy does something bad, don’t punish by hitting. Instead, maybe use a squirt from a water bottle or a scolding.

Sehun took the book with him everywhere, even to soccer practice. He read it while he walked, and he ran into a few stop signs and almost got hit by a car but he didn’t care. He learned a lot, and he tried some of the things out on Kai. Things like “positive reinforcement,” which Sehun figured was the best option.

One night he led Kai into the bathroom, but rather than help Kai brush his teeth as he had done all week, he made Kai do it himself. “When you brush your teeth, I’ll brush your hair for you.”

Kai grabbed his toothbrush and eagerly shoved it in his mouth. He did a halfway decent job, so Sehun reward him with the hairbrush. Kai loved having his hair brushed and played with, Sehun found that out very quickly. The hair brush became Kai’s favorite reward, and in time it would get him to do almost anything by himself.

It's pretty short, but that scene with Kris crying in the kitchen? Remember that, it'll be important in chapter six. So is the bit about how they were supposed to get money after their parents died, that comes back in chapter six and the epilogue.

Oh yeah, this thing will be eight parts, seven chapters plus an epilogue. All the parts are pretty short though, sorry but I decided I was DONE writing huge chapters >< So actually we're at the halfway mark now!