Colourful hot air balloons were everywhere.

Well, of course, they were in a hot air balloon festival.

A particular kid was clapping his hands gleefully as he watched in amazement.

That 3-year-old kid was Kim Jongin, Kai.

“Luhan-hyung, let’s ride that one!” Kai excitedly clapped.

Three-year-old Luhan continued his choco-mint ice cream, but nodded a little anyway.

Kai cheerfully jumped up and down. “YEY, APPA, OMMA! LULU AND I WILL RIDE THOSE FLYING BUBBLEGUMS!” He ran to his parents and announced.

Luhan quietly trailed behind his jumping cousin while quietly enjoying the sweet in his own little world.

Both of their parents laughed at Kai’s announcement.

Kai’s father told Kai to come over. He obeyed his father. The man placed his son in his lap.

“Son, do you really want to ride that…?” He questioned carefully.

Kai did not hesitate and nodded up and down. “When you grow up…”

Kai didn’t let his father finish his sentence because he knows what will come next. “NO! I want to ride it right now!”

He didn’t stop whining, and little Luhan added the whining, wanting another cone of ice cream.

“Stop it.” Luhan’s mother spoke up. Her voice quieted down the two children; she was always scary for them.

“When we said you can’t, you can’t, okay? Don’t they teach that in school? Obey your parents.” Just when the nag was about to grow longer, a voice spoke up.

“Noona, are you nagging again?”

Everyone looked at the new visitor.

Taemin.

“TAEMIN HYUNG!!!” The two boys ran to their uncle’s arms. It was their uncle, but they call him hyung because Taemin doesn’t want to sound old.

Taemin was Kai’s father and Luhan’s mother’s youngest brother. He was about to finish medicine in the next year. He was living a good life alone, dating once in a while. He was a good young man who loves his nephews like it was his own sons.

Kai and Luhan pouted deeply at Taemin. Taemin chuckled, knowing they wanted something their parents wouldn’t allow them have.

“Hyung, I want ice cream…” Luhan spoke first.

“Hyung, I want to ride those bubble gums.” Kai spoke second.

Taemin smiled and looked at the kids’ parents. “Mind if I kidnap them for a while…?”

Taemin was stubborn as the kids. He will do whatever his heart tells him to do. That's why the kids love him because everything they want, their Uncle Taemin would give it to them.

They bought their ice creams first and went to choose which beautiful balloons to ride.

“Which balloon do you like, Jongin-ah?” Taemin asked the little boy who was having a silent argument inside him. *Which balloon to choose… hmm…*

“Hyung! How about that one!” Luhan pointed to the owl-balloon.

Kai cutely glared at his cousin. “NO!”

Taemin suggestively pointed at the turtle-balloon. “How about that?”

Kai immediately shook his head and looked around the vicinity, and there was the balloon that attracted his eyes.

Humpty-Dumpty balloon, it is.

Taemin also told the kids that if they wanted to ride more, they could try all the balloons present.

So there they went, up, up and away.

For the whole minutes they were in there, all of them had fun, not knowing that the balloon they’re in is the last balloon they’ll ever ride. The least expected happened at that time.

Their balloon went falling down after hitting an electrical wire the staff was talking about. Taemin didn’t know how to control the balloon and just allowed the balloon to fall, like Humpty Dumpty falling from a wall. He hugged his two nephews who were screaming and crying loudly. Taemin didn’t care if he’ll be badly injured or whatever, all he wants is his nephews’ safety.

He prayed for all the best. Kai already passed out, not able to take it any longer. Luhan’s cries were faint through the falling of the balloon, but for Taemin, it was loud and sickening. He hated it when his nephews are in pain or in sorrow.

Now, down, down they went, when a while ago they were going up, up away.

How ironic!

When Kai opened his eyes… he was in this bright white-walled room. He slowly sat up, his head hurts, his whole body felt like a bruise. *What’s happening? Was it just a dream…? Where’s Lulu and Taemin hyung?* He wondered. He looked beside him. It was his dear cousin, Luhan, with a mask of oxygen above his mouth. His eyes were closed and his breathing is unusually slow.

Kai’s parents and Luhan’s parents stopped talking to each other when they heard a small cough from behind.

It was Kai.

“Appa… what’s going on…?” He carefully asked.

Kai’s father was supposed to be mad at his own child for wanting things going on his way, but instead, he hugged his child and sobbed. Miraculously, they all didn’t get mad at Kai.

Luhan woke up after 3 weeks, but unlike Kai, he suffered retrogra