AN: First, I apologize that this chapter took so long. I've been working despite school being out for the summer. Second, I will like to say that this chapter is not based on a real situation that Shinhwa has shared, but just pure fiction. Again, I would like to say that this has not been proofread by anyone. Not even myself so there may be some gramatical mistakes. 

Not long after we settled in to our first official dorm did we have our first visitor. Despite it being a nice day out all six of us stayed in the dorms on our free day. We watched television and dreamed of our debuts as we lazed around. We had just woke up when the door had rang. All of us stayed put, we were all too exhausted and some were still quite hungover. The door bell rang again, “Minwoo, get the door,” Eric had said.

“Dongwan, get the door,” Minwoo repeated.

Dongwan stared at Pil Gyo. Pil Gyo gave a bewildered look and protested, “Choong Jae you should get the door.”

Annoyed, I stood up before Choong Jae could answer, “I’ll get the door.” Being the maknae was so tasking, I was thankful that Eric tried to lessen my load but everything boiled down to, ‘Jason will do it.’ I fixed my clothes and dragged myself to the door. Knowing better than to open the door to a stranger I checked the peephole. That’s when I saw two women, I looked back at the hyungs. 

“What is it?” Dongwan snapped. I assumed he must have drank too much the night before, poor thing. 

I told them that there were two unknown woman at the door and didn’t know if I should open it. We had been told that we needed to keep secret and not let strangers in, they could be paparazzi trying to get their scoop on the up and coming boy band that would top the success of H.O.T. The hyungs looked worried as they all stood up to see if it was safe to open the door. The bell rang again, the women were getting impatient.

Eric looked through the peephole and shook his head. Next was Minwoo, who screamed, “It’s my mother!” Minwoo looked again, “and my older sister!” 

Eric and I shivered in fear. Both having experienced the tyranny of the combined power of mothers and sisters we knew that this was not going to be a joyful occasion. On the other hand Dongwan, Pil Gyo and Choong Jae remained neutral. Actually not, Dongwan had happily exclaimed, “well, let’s let them in quickly!” Dongwan hyung moved towards the door and was about to open it.

“Not so quick! This is an emergency. Clean the house a little first. I’ll give you 30 seconds, take the Soju bottles away! Return to your positions and I’ll open the door.” Eric had barked his orders.

We went straight in to action as we cleaned out the Soju bottles and hid them under the sink. Minwoo went to hide the pack of cigarettes and ashtray in Eric’s closet. I took out some books and put them on the table. Pil Gyo hyung who seemed to grasp the situation a little turned off the T.V and pretended to read. Once we were all seated, Eric opened the door.

Minwoo turned to look at the women coming in as Eric exchanged formalities and feigned ignorance of their identities. “Mom, Noona!” Minwoo exclaimed as he ran up like the beaming son giving his mother a hug. I took that as a cue for us to all stand and make our way to greet our esteemed guests.

After getting the two women seated and formalities exchanged, the other members finally got their taste of women in a household. “Minwoo, you’ve gotten too skinny,” Minwoo’s mother had nagged. “Have you been bullying him,” Minwoo’s mother had stared at Eric. Round 1: the well being of the members is the responsibility of the eldest. 

Before Eric could dig a grave for himself, knowing that no answer will be accepted by a mother Minwoo had came to the rescue. Next was the noona, she checked the state of the room and rubbed her finger against the lounge table. Dust came flying off the desk, I knew it was my turn. “Doesn’t the maknae help clean the house?”

This time Dongwan dug up my grave for me, “we all help out. It’s not just Jason’s responsibility.” I nearly wanted to cry, Dongwan has had a sad life his parents were divorced and he had devoted himself to his mother. As much as I was sympathetic for Dongwan’s situation, I couldn’t help but think he was too sheltered. He had no older siblings, no older sister to enhance the power of his mother. His mother became everything to him, and he was everything to his mother. But when there are sisters, son’s only become tools to mothers. Daughters are always highly treasured by mothers, and mothers often stick up for them more than their sons.

Noona looked at me, “you make your hyungs clean the house? Minwoo you cleaned the house? Why didn’t you do anything? You’re the hyung, cleaning the house should be his responsibility.” The mother nodded back with approval, the two were definitely on the same side. Minwoo was precious in their eyes, the youngest son far away from home.

Minwoo apologized and tried to explain our living situation, such as saying that I’m still in school and such. That was when Minwoo got his share of scolding, the two women caught his breath and started their tyranny. Hiding the evidence could do nothing to save him, the smell of alcohol and cigarettes were not easy to miss.

“You smoked? When did you learn to smoke? Did you learn it from them?” Minwoo’s mother had said. To be honest Minwoo hyung smoked in high school an offence at high school. His parents probably had no idea of his lesser than great side. Though I doubt they were too concerned with his smoking and drinking but rather that he just graduated from high school. We were not the origins to this habit and he was most likely the origin to our smoking habits. 

“The high schoolers don’t smoke do they?” Minwoo’s noona automatically stared at me and Choong Jae. While it would be legal for the hyungs to be smoking we had no such excuse. We did participate in a home party last night that involved alcohol and cigarettes, and Choong Jae had become extremely fond of the expensive habit ever since he was introduced.

Choong Jae and I stared at the ground in shame. That was when Dongwan redeemed his last blunder and took up the responsibility for the smoking habit. Dongwan had been smoking through high school as well and it would be no surprise if he did introduce the habit to Minwoo. Pil Gyo stood up and said he was the one in charge for the alcohol this morning. He had said some nonsense about using alcohol to cure hangovers, as the reason for getting Minwoo to drink since morning. 

As the noona and mother ate up the confessions given by the members they looked happier. But Minwoo couldn’t take it any longer, the boys were all ruining their image for him. Minwoo knelt down and cried his sins out, he confessed to smoking and drinking all through high school. He told the story that a senior at school gave him a cigarette one day and he took a liking to it. Minwoo confessed in shame that he had stole money from his not so well off family to buy cigarettes. 

Eric had knelt down beside Minwoo as well, confessing the same sins. One by one the hyungs knelt as they cried for forgiveness. Choong Jae and I knelt and promised to kick the habit until we graduated high school. Minwoo’s mom with a smile on her face had said, “I was just surprised, there’s no need to apologize. Well you two need to keep your promise, but how can I tell my 19 year old sons to not to smoke. They wouldn’t listen anyway.” 

Pil Gyo and Minwoo hyung seem to be the first to digest the information as they perked up with shining eyes. The rest of us slowly recovered as we stood up and thanked Minwoo’s mother. We were relieved, the visit with the Lee women may have been a little frightful but most of all we had their acceptance. The day ended nicely as Minwoo’s mom had prepared a meal for us and wished us good luck. Minwoo’s noona told us not to over exert ourselves and to limit the cigarettes and alcohol. 

As time passed we met all the members parents and before we knew it we had 6 moms and 5 dads. As Minwoo says, “my thoughts and your thoughts are the same.” So on that note, “My mom is your mom.” 

AN:Thanks to all the new readers, especially those who ahve commented.