Breakfast done, we all trooped to the hotel lobby. Papa instructing Lu Han and Kris regarding the skateboarding rink/park that Baek spotted. It turned out that it was the Hong Kong Heritage Center. There's a big area where they can play/stroll or whatever. LOL. However, it was near the Kowloon Sports Center, so they'd be able to practice their skateboarding there. 

Mama went over to the concierge to check for messages. We waited for them to finish. We just stayed by the concierge each playing with his/her phone. When they finished, Papa escorted Lu Han, Kris and the 5 boys toward the hotel exit. Probably discussing some rules again. Hehehe. The rest of us went with mama up to their suite. I was to go with mama and Baekhyun-ge to the salon. Actually, all 4 maknaes, me, Se Hun, Tao, and Kai-gege. The older boys planned to lounge by the pool to kill time. When papa returned to the suite, he had an envelope with him. The official invitation.

Papa: The staff handed this to me just now. Tsk, tsk. I was expecting this yesterday.

Mama: Ah, let it pass. It's not their fault if they only received the invitation from your boss today.

Papa: Nevertheless...

Mama: Same story really.

Papa: As you say. 

Mama: I'm taking Tao, Kai, Se Hun, and Xiao Yi with me to the salon with Baek.

Papa: Okay. And the rest?

Mama: Down by the pool.

Papa: Oh. Fine. Okay.

And he went to the study room. Nobody disturbed him when he was in his study room/office. While we waited for Baek-gege and the rest, we watched a movie in the living room of the suite. We were still converged in our parents' suite. Xiumin-ge prepared sandwiches while Soo-oppa concocted vanilla shake. How he found ingredients, we didn't know, but we never doubted his abillity to come up with something delicious. Mama even asked for a second helping. LOL.

I was left with the middle children and Suho, and Xiumin-ge. The suite was peaceful except for the sound of the TV with the movie on. Mama was sitting with us, reading a book. She wasn't bothered by the noise of the TV. I guess she just misses us, so she sat with us. We were watching Rurouni Kenshin on DVD. We already watched it before, but we just loved the movie that we didn't mind if we watch it again.

I was sitting on the carpeted floor with Suho-ge and Soo-oppa. The others were on the couch, mama on the arm chair. We munched on the sandwiches and sipped our vanilla shake. Papa came out once to get his share of the snack and even sat for a few minutes on the other arm chair. He even made small talk about the movie.

Papa: You watched this already?

Xiumin: Yes, papa.

Papa: How can you watch this again?

Yixing: Pa, it’s one of the coolest movies we’ve watched.

Papa: Hmm..cool. I can’t even understand what they’re saying.

Xiumin: It’s Japanese, Pa. (he was rolling his eyes, confident that papa wasn’t looking at him)

Papa: Good. Your Japanese classes did pay off.

And with that, he got up and patted Xiumin-ge’s back . He went back to his study to work more. Xiumin-ge just nodded but didn’t bother to say anything. It was like that with papa. There was no need for more words than necessary. As long as you are able to answer his questions, he won’t require you to say more. But it didn’t mean that you can’t say anything more, though. It’s just we were used to this kind of dialogue with him. It was different with mama, in a sense that she would ask for explanation from you. Especially when you’ve done something wrong.

2 hours passed, the boys who went to scout the skateboard rink returned, headed by Kris and Yo-oppa. They looked really excited that even Soo and Yixing-ge, who almost always bail out on stuff like this, joined the group while they were in discussion.

Kris: The place is cool. It’s near the mall, too.

Baek: So we go tomorrow early morning.

Yeol: Wait, wait… how early is early?

Kai: Yeah, my may still be snoring at your definition of early.

Baek: *glares* I’m going to poke your sleeping , whatever my definition of early is.

Kai: Fine, you win.

Baek: No, idiot. We need to win, so we need to practice. We'll use as much free time we got.

Tao: Gege is right, Kai.

Kris: Yes, Kai. Maybe we'll go with you next time. Hahaha.

Kai: You always promise, gege. When will you really come and watch practice?

Lu Han: When the crows turn to white, Kai.

Se Hun: And that's next to impossible.

Baek: Well, I need to buy white paint then.

Kris/Lu Han: --- *blank flat faces*

Se Hun: That's an idea ge. Hahahaha. I'll go with you to buy paint?

Tao: Me too?

Baek: Whatever you two. If they don't come see us practice even just one time, I'll disown them.

Kris/Lu Han: --- *raised eyebrows*

Chan: *waves hand in front of Kris and Lu Han* Gege, if I were you, better come see us practice. Hahahah

Lu Han: Cut it out. Fine, we'll come with you next time. You know we're going with papa tomorrow, right?

Chan: Of course, ge. Then the day after tomorrow, then.

Kris: Fine. Fine. Fine.

This discussion continued until mama had to call us to get ready for the salon appointment. The older boys went down to the poolsite to relax, while the 4 of us youngest, with Baek and mama trooped to the lobby. Mama went to the concierge first to leave/get messages for and from papa. Papa was in his office checking for last minute preparations for the party later that night. Papa's company provided a van for us. We climbed the van and waited patiently til we arrived at the salon. Mama had her nails and hair done. While me, Se Hun, Tao and Kai just opted to have our hair done (mostly just shampoo for the boys). Baek gege had to have his hair dyed black again. All the while we were snickering and chuckling as we remembered papa's words: "I don't want my son to look like an eggplant at the party."

We went back to the hotel at around 11:30AM, and found that the older boys had been swimming like hell at the pool. Of course we couldn't join them as we already had our hair done, so we just lounged under the little umbrellas by the pool, along with mama. By 12 noon, mama herded us all to the restaurant outside the hotel to have our lunch. Papa couldn't come because of the last minute preparations for the night's party. Nobody really spoke about the party while we ate, but rather pulled pranks on each other by mixing drinks or stealing food from the plates. Mama wasn't bothered by this, and I think she just let us have our fun while papa wasn't around. And I think she honestly missed us, so she didn't mind us being noisy around her. LOL.

Baek: Who put orange in my coke?

Chen: Not me. 

Baek: I'm suddenly suspicious, Chen.

Chen: Na-uh. I didn't, promise ge.

Kris: I saw who put orange. Hahaha. But I'm not going to tell. You have to guess.

Baek: I'll dye your hair orange if I ever found out who. Remember that.

Kris: Me?

Baek: No, not you. The one who put orange in my coke.

Kris: Oh, I'm relieved. Xiexie ni Baek.

Lu Han suddenly spat his food and started giggling uncontrollably. Mama just eyed us all, but didn't say anything, instead just continued to eat. I hinted a smile on her face when she saw us laughing.

Baek: Gege, was it you? (He eyed Lu Han with a death glare)

Lu Han: Hey, I just laughed at the orange hair reference. Hahahaha. Peace bro.

Baek: It better be not you, or else.

Lay: Orange. Hahahahah. Your head will look like a basketball. Hahahahahaha.

And everyone laughed again. Then there were exchanges of orange-colored things over the next 30 minutes, almost forgetting our food. We only resumed eating properly when mama spoke.

Mama: Boys, your food.

All (including me): Yes mama.

It's funny how my parents sometimes forget that I'm a girl, rather, they had a daughter, because they always address all of us as "boys" and never hear "boys and Xiao Yi." Hahahah. But I don't really mind. To be one of the "boys" was fun. But then again, my doubts were always erased when papa or mama gave me special attention. Like the fact that they ask my older brothers to take care of me - to the point of babying me.

So I gathered all my courage to speak up, even if I was the youngest and had to wait to be spoken to before I spoke myself.

Me: Mama, I'm not a boy.

Mama: Of course you're not, qin'ai de. You are our Xiao Yi.

Boys: Mmmm-hmmm... (in chorus)

And that was all I got.  Well, everytime it was like that. Fine then. I was Xiao Yi, and not one of the Wu boys. LOL.