Change in seating arrangement. All were listening now. What could be the change? 

Papa: Hmm, better yet all of you come to my office now. You can prepare right after. It's just going to be a quick meeting. All of you come here now.

All: Yes papa.

And he hung up. We all trooped to papa's office. Once inside, he immediately briefed us of the new arrangement.

Papa: Okay, the seating arrangement was originally by families, but by a sudden turn of events, it has been changed. Xiumin, Lu Han, Kris, Suho, Lay you will be seated with us. Baekhyun, Chen, Chanyeol, Kyungsoo you sit together with the older sons. And you Tao, Kai, Sehun and Xiao Yi, you will be seated with the younger children.

Kris: Understood papa. But...

Papa: But what?

Kris: Uhm...will there be a chaperone for them?

Papa: Oh, you mean the younger children? Yes, there will be. The reason for this change in the seating arrangement is that, my boss specifically requested to have you, my oldest sons, to sit with us at the VIP table. I think he is interested in knowing more about you, and possibly thinking about having one of you enter one of his businesses in the future. Or maybe even all of you

Xiumin: But what if... uhm... ehehe, nothing papa.

Papa: But what exactly?

Xiumin: Just a thought...uhm..what if we don't...uhm...like... I mean, enter his business?

Papa: You will continue our business of course.

Xiumin: Oh, okay.

Kris: Pa, do you really think he will want us to...?

Papa: I have no doubts about it. As long as you all do what is expected.

Kris: Errrmm... right. Yes papa.

Papa: Any more questions? Lu Han? Suho? Lay?

All 3: No papa.

Papa: Okay then, boys. You go and prepare for the party. Remember to be in your best behavior.

All: Yes papa. 

Actually, we had a million more questions, but we decided not to ask. We were afraid- rather, anxious about the whole business thing. So we just trooped outside again, and went on our way preparing for the party. Since there were many of  us, we needed more than one hour to prepare. I went with mama to dress for the party, and the boys attended to themselves.

It was almost dusk when we were all ready. Mama and I went back up to the suite and waited for papa and the boys, before we went down to the party. We approximately had an hour  before the party started. Papa paced in his office, and still on his phone. Sehun and Kris were still charging their phones, Tao and Kai were slouched on the couch, Xiumin kept flipping through TV channels. Suho, Lay and Soo were sitting solemnly on the couch watching the TV as it changed channels. Chen, Baek, and Chan were playing snap and chuckling to themselves  - probably feeling stupid because they made faces at each other. And Lu Han was busy tapping his phonescreen. Mama sat at the kitchen table, laptop open. And I was observing everyone, flicking my gaze to each one of them, with a hand on my chin, elbow resting on the coffee table.

Time seemed to pass by slowly, because when papa went out of his office, dinner jacket slung on his arm, I checked the time from my phone, and only 15 minutes passed since I last checked it. Papa went over to where mama was and sat on the other chair at the table. They spoke in low voices as they talked. I shifted my attention to the three prankster brothers, Chen, Baek and Chan. They stopped playing and now slouched on the couch with Tao and Kai. Lu Han suddenly looked up from his phone and reprimanded them for creasing their suits. The boys straightened up and struggled to sit properly. They were fidgety. Lu Han didn't take his eyes off them after that.

Thirty minutes before the party,  papa and mama herded us out the suite and down to the lobby. Lu Han held my hand and Yeol my other hand. Papa was talking to Kris and Xiumin oppa while Mama was fussing over Tao and Sehun. The boys all looked very regal in black suit and tie, as we walked to the ballroom. We were ushered to our seats. Before papa and the older boys went to their seats, they lingered for a few minutes with us. Baekhyun, Chen, Yeol and Soo went to their table and started to chat with the other guests seated there. After seeing us settled, mama was escorted by papa to their seats, as the older boys followed them.

I was left with three of my brothers, and we stared before our parents and older brothers as they walked to their table. Tao shook his head when he saw more people coming in wearing suits and gowns. Sehun and Kai stared. I snapped my fingers in front of them.

Me: Gege! Stop staring. It's rude.

Kai: Heyyyy... I wasn't staring. *He waved my hand away*

Sehun: I was staring. Hahahah.

Me: I know we don't get to see people like them back at home, but it's really rude to stare. And they're businessmen and women. * I rolled my eyes*

Tao: Boring people.

Kai: I know, right?

Sehun: So papa is boring?

Tao: He is. Duh?

Kai: And soon, Lu Han and the others will be boring.

Tao: Lu Han is already boring now, how much more boring can he get?

Sehun: Gege...Lu Han gege. Duh?

Tao: He's not here anyway.

Me: Shuuuuuuuuuuusshhhh... people are already staring at us. Timbuktu, remember?

And the boys stopped the instant Timbuktu was mentioned. There wasn't much to do but to stare and ogle at the people coming in. We weren't really used to parties this big, so all we did was smile, wave and say "Hi" to people who greeted us. It turned out that most of the guests knew who we were already. They gestured to our parents at the VIP table when they talked to us. I could see that papa and mama were constantly glancing at our direction and the other boys' table. The older boys who were seated at the VIP table looked as if they were enjoying whatever conversation was happening. 

Tao gege nudged my arm and pointed at Baek gege's table. They were also looking at us and waving. We waved back at them. I saw Chen took his phone out and typed something, then pointed at it. We took out our phones and checked. He sent us each a message. The same message.

"The person beside me has bad breath. Hahahaha. I wonder who is his businessman father."

We snorted aloud at the message and quickly typed each reply and sent to him.

My reply: "The one on your right or your left? 'Cause the one on your right is your brother. LOL"

Tao's reply: "Better go and get a gas mask."

Kai's reply: "How bad does it smell? LMAO"

Sehun's reply: "Does it smell like your armpit?" 

We looked at Chen oppa and waited for him to check his phone. When he did, he almost fell down his chair. Yeol took his phone from him and read. Soo and Baek gege peeked at the message and they started giggling. Yeol oppa started typing something. Chen was trying to hold his laughter, he gripped the edge of the table. Then he pretended to lean to his left side and took a deep breath. That did it. Tao, Kai, Sehun and I burst out laughing. It was sort of a good thing that we were seated with the younger kids of the guests, for they were also busy giggling at something. The table on the other side, Chen's table, also was busy with chatter. Yeol oppa pointed to his phone, as he handed Chen's back to him. We understood it as he sent a new message. We checked our phones.

Yeol's message: "Damn you dongsaengs. I'm the one on the right. My breath smells like mint. It's the guy on the left. I think his toothbrush fell in the toilet bowl. LMAO. BTW, I sent this as a group text, so all of us should receive this. Even Lu Han and the rest. PMSL"

We couldn't help but snort and giggle at the message. We glanced at the VIP table and saw that Kris gege took out his phone. Possibly because it vibrated too. The others didn't notice because they probably had their phones just on silent mode. Papa was now talking to two gentlemen. We waited for Kris gege's reaction. Then we saw it. He hid a giggle, and nudged Xiumin oppa, who was on his right. Xiumin oppa was busy talking to an elderly gentleman on his other side and we saw him excuse himself. Kris gege tapped his phone, but didn't show the message. Then he looked at Yeol's table and narrowed his eyes. Yeol raised his hand and saluted. We were snorting and giggling so much that we didn't notice mama eyeing us.......warningly. Until another beep made us glance at our phones. It was mama who sent the message.

Mama's message: "Boys. Boys... Behave."

Okay, so I was still one of the boys. LOL. I didn't mind actually. Not this time. But we all replied "Yes, mama."

So mama was checking up on us every now and then. We tried so hard to contain our laughter, so she wouldn't get mad. Mama was scarier than papa when mad, actually. But while we were straining to stop ourselves from laughing so hard, there was another beep on our phones. I automatically glanced at Chen's table, but they too took their phones out again and checked. So who...?

Xiumin: "You....you....PMSL. Damn you. Hahahaha. Shut up. You're lucky you are away from papa. Hahahaha. Go buy that guy a new toothbrush."

Kris: "Chen, how did you...smell it? PMSL. Kindly elaborate."

Messages from Kris and Xiumin oppa. LOL. So he didn't see Chen's reenactment earlier. And we started giggling again. This time, we were cautious, and glanced at the VIP table. Lu Han, Suho and Lay were on the other side of the table. I saw Kris gege mouthing something at Lu Han who took out his phone to check his messages. I nudged Tao gege, and he nudged Sehun and Kai. We waited. After what seemed like 5 minutes, Lu Han turned toward Chen's table and narrowed his eyes, too. But it was clear he was fighting a giggle. He stood up and motioned for Kris and Xiumin to follow him. He bowed to papa and the guests, possibly asking permission to excuse them. Then they went out of the ballroom.

I pinched Tao gege's arm since he was the one beside me, and pointed at the retreating backs of the three oldest brothers. Sehun and Kai oppa also watched them and wondered aloud.

Kai: Where are those three going?

Sehun: Where are they going? What are they doing?

Kai: I thought they were going to scold us. But thanks they went outside instead.

We instinctively looked over Chen's table. All of my brothers there were also looking at the door of the ballroom. They saw the three walk out too, then Baek gege made a questioning glance at us. We just shrugged. Then a few minutes later, there was another beep on our phones. We checked the message and were quite amused and shocked at what we read.

Lu Han: "Oh dear god. You cows. LMAO. Oh god. I can't stop laughing my off. You know why we went out? PMSL. It's Yeol's message. LMAO."

Then another beep.

Xiumin: "We look like mental escapees here, laughing our asses off." 

Then another beep.

Yeol: "Who has money? Someone buy him a new toothbrush."

Another beep.

Chen: "I'm the one dying here. Please. Can I change my birth order? I want to transfer tables."

Laughter from both tables. It was timely, because most of the people were chattering loudly now, the program was about to start, and the emcees were greeting everyone.

Another beep.

Suho: "Why is everyone laughing? No, don't answer that. LOL. I cannot contain myself. Please, have mercy on us here."

Then a series of beeps after that followed. A text conversation among siblings ensued, undetected by our parents. Well, we hoped they didn't notice. The three oldest brothers went back to their table looking like nothing happened, but they constantly checked their phones and replied if they could.

Another beep.

Mama: "BOYS?!?! The program is starting."

And everyone stopped texting, sat up straight, and fixed our eyes to the stage........yawning.

Mianhaeyo. I didn't update in ages. I am very busy these days. *facepalm* I'm so sorry really. LOL. I hope you are still following this story. xD

Lu Han is shocked that I haven't updated this story. Hahaha. I don't wanna upset him, so I'll try my best to follow this chapter ASAP. LOL, I hope you liked this update. I wanted it to be a light moment at the party, so I just wrote whatever funny thought I came up with. TBH, I was laughing myself. It that I wasn't able to write the new chapter right away and I'm truly sorry for that. Again, sorry everyone. Hahaha. Thank you also for subscribing.