Daeho stared at the older male with his big, brown eyes. He was curious as to why there was a man in his house with his sister. His curiosity got the best of him as he kept peering at the male with interest. After he came inside the apartment when Aejin opened the door, he was greeted with a hug from his sister and the curious eyes of Jongin. 

After changing into a new set of clothes to lounge in, Daeho came out and sat beside him by the island. “Who are you and what are you doing inside of our house?” The two of them are sitting at the island near Aejin.

Jongin turned his head to look at the boy and was met with eyes so similar to Aejin. “I’m a friend of your sister and Sehun,” he told him. “You can call me Jongin or hyung… whichever one you want.” Jongin saw his eyes light up as he looked at his older sister who was still cooking. A smile formed and Jongin had to admit that he was adorable. 

“Are you noona’s boyfriend?” The excitement in his voice was evident as he began getting giddy from the idea of his sister with a boyfriend. He looked between his sister and Jongin and was excited at the idea of his sister having a love interest. 

“I’m--” 

“Dae,” Aejin raised her voice and arched a brow. “Don’t say that to Jongin.” 

“But--” Daeho looked up at his sister pouting his lips at her. “Fine.” 

“Do you want to show me your toys?” Jongin asked, looking at him. Daeho turned to look at the older male and nodded his head with joy. He jumped off the stool and ran to the living room to show Jongin his toys and tent. 

“Thanks, Jongin,” Aejin said, smiling at the male. Jongin gave her a smile. 

“No problems, Aejin.” 

Jongin made his way to the living room and saw Daeho displaying his cars and dinosaurs he had. He had his legos sprawled around him. When he looked up, he saw Jongin walking towards him. “Come on Jongin hyung! Let me show you my new toys that I got!” Jongin sat across from Daeho who was showing him his collection of dinosaurs and telling him how to build the legos to fit into his game. “Ae noona just bought me these dinosaurs and she bought me these legos after I told her about the ones at school.” He was proud and he was excited as he kept taking the toys out of the bin for Jongin to see. 

“Wow!” Jongin exclaimed. “These are so cool! Do you know the names of all of these dinosaurs?” 

“Tyrannosaurus Rex, velociraptor, apatosaurus, stegosaurus, and triceratops,” he named, pointing at all of the dinosaurs he had displayed in front of the two of them. 

“You’re so good at remembering them,” Jongin praised with a wide smile on his lips. “How did you remember them all?” 

“We learned them in school and then Ae noona bought me books about them when I asked her.” He was smiling at the older male with a proud smile. “Are you dating Aejin noona?” He asked quietly so his sister wouldn’t hear him and scold him for asking the question. 

“Uhm,” Jongin let out a small laugh, unsure of what to say to the younger boy. “I’m not dating your noona,” he whispered to the boy. “But I do think that your sister is very pretty. Do you think she’ll date me?”

“My noona would probably date you,” Daeho told him with a giggle. “I know that you would be a cool boyfriend to my noona since you’re in our house.” 

“Are you guys hungry?” Aejin said, interrupting their conversation. The two turned their heads towards her and saw her with a smile on her face. “The food is ready. Dae, put your toys back and go wash your hands.” 

“Can we leave these out since Jongin hyung and I are going to play again after dinner?” Daeho looked up to his sister who was contemplating if she should let the toys sit out. “I’ll clean it up before I get ready for bed. I promise!” He told her with his right hand up. 

“Okay,” Aejin caved. “Let's eat dinner and Jongin can play with you if he wants to after dinner. Then you have to get ready for bed since you have school tomorrow.” 

Daeho yelled out a thank you as he jumped up from the ground and made his way to the bathroom. He was overjoyed with the idea of playing with Jongin after they were done with dinner. He was excited with the idea of having someone else to play with who was not his sister on a sunday night. 

“Come eat, Jongin,” she smiled at him before returning to the kitchen to set up for dinner. 

Jongin walked into the kitchen and saw Aejin scooping rice into bowls she had lined on the counter top. She was trying to make sure they were enough for everyone to eat. Jongin thought she looked adorable getting things ready for dinner. He felt like he was at home with the scent of the stew and the laughter of Daeho as he came running through the kitchen with a happy smile on his face. He felt at peace and he felt warm. Jongin helped Aejin bring the food to the table before the three ate dinner together. They were sharing jokes and laughter as they got to know one another. Jongin kept stealing glances at Aejin who was taking care of Daeho during dinner, telling him to be careful. 

“Jongin hyung,” Daeho called out. “Are you coming over for dinner everyday now?” He was looking at him with wide eyes, hopeful to hear him answer yes. 

“I don’t think everyday,” Jongin said, “I have to go back to my home and make sure it feels warm there too. Your Aejin noona can bring you to come eat my house sometimes.” He gave a wink towards Aejin and saw her blush as she continued to eat her dinner. 

“Can we really come over to your house?” Daeho was wide eyed and overly excited at this point. 

“Bring some of your toys over and we can play at my house and I can cook a yummy dinner for you guys. Have your Aejin noona call me and I’ll make sure to have things ready for you guys.” Aejin looked at him and he had a kind smile on his face. One that was genuine and sincere as he spoke to her brother. The corner of her lips curled up in a small smile as the two made plans to hang out soon. 

After dinner, Jongin and Daeho played together for a bit before Aejin told Daeho to get ready for bed. She went to get him situated and ready for a shower while Jongin sat in the living room, eating some snacks that Aejin took out for him in case he was hungry or wanted to munch on something. 

“Thanks for joining us for dinner,” Aejin said as she appeared in the living room. She sat next to Jongin on the sofa, her body turned towards him. Jongin notices that she has on a pair of glasses and thinks she looks ten folds cuter (if that was possible). “And thanks for playing with Dae tonight.” Aejin tucks a strand of hair behind her ear as a shy, thankful smile appears on her face. 

“No problem.” Jongin said, “Thank you for inviting me over, Aejin.” His voice was soft as he spoke to her, as if speaking louder would interrupt their conversation and the peace around them. Aejin couldn’t help but look at his brown eyes. There was something that kept pulling her to him for an unknown reason. The two sat on the sofa looking at each other with the T.V. playing in the background.

“You were saying some things to Daeho earlier and I hope you keep those plans.” 

“Of course,” Jongin kept looking at her face, scared to look away and miss something. “Come over whenever you want to. My home is always open for Daeho and you.” Aejin turned her attention to the T.V., looking away from Jongin. An awkward cough came out as he looked at the screen before he reached in his pocket and took out his phone. “Do you mind if I have your phone number so we can set up a day for you guys to come over?” 

“Of course,” Aejin said, grabbing his phone and putting her number in and sending a text message to herself from Jongin before returning it to him. “Sehun isn’t coming over tonight, but you’re more than free to stay longer if you want.” 

Jongin looked at the time and it was almost nine. He pressed his lips together for a moment as he debated on taking up her offer or to go home. It was a sunday night and she had work tomorrow. He didn’t want to hold her too long before she got tired. 

“I’ll get going before I stay too long,” he said, getting up from the sofa and putting his jacket on. Aejin stood up and disappeared into the kitchen and returned with his bags of grocery and a container of the stew. 

“I packed you some dinner since I made too much for just Daeho and I,” she told him as she watched him put on his shoes. “So here is some dinner or lunch for you to eat over the next day or two.” 

Jongin straightened himself and took the bags and container from Aejin with a big smile. “Thank you for dinner tonight. I had a lot of fun with you and Daeho. Take care, Aejin,” he sent a wink at her and went out of her apartment. 

Aejin stood with a smile on her face and her cheeks as she watched the door close after he left. She turned around and saw Daeho in the hallway looking at her with a smile. “What are you doing out of bed?” She asked, surprised to see her brother standing there. 

“You’re going to date him,” he said before running back to his room. 

*

In the middle of the week, Sehun texted Aejin to let her know that the guys were meeting at his apartment on Saturday night to cook and drink with Jongin for his return. Sehun told them that they could spend the night if Daeho was sleeping or if Aejin drank a bit. Aejin told Sehun that she would be there early with Daeho to help him out before they started. 

Saturday rolled by faster and Daeho was happy to be leaving the apartment with his sister to go to Sehun’s. He loved his apartment for some reason. Maybe it’s because he always makes sure to have snacks and juice for him-- or that he gives him all of the sweets he wants from his cafe. Whatever his reason, he enjoyed going to Sehun’s apartment. 

“Pack all of the things you’re going to need to keep you entertained, Dae,” Aejin told him as she walked from her room to the living room where Daeho was. “Have your tablet, your toys you might want to play with, some snacks in case Sehun doesn’t have snacks you like.” She went into the kitchen and grabbed some snacks and a small juice box for him. 

“I am!” Daeho said, stuffing his things into a small, dinosaur backpack. “Should I bring my blanket, too, Ae?” He asked her, seeing her come into the living room. 

Aejin kneeled on the ground and helped him fit his toys in the backpack. “Do you think you’ll be okay if you don’t have it?” 

“I think so?” Daeho looked at his sister for a moment before getting up to run to his room. He came out with his small, light yellow blanket. “I’ll bring it just in case,” he said with a sheepish laugh. 

“Are you all packed now? Aejin looked over to him after she zipped up his bag. Daeho nodded his head. “Put your jacket and shoes on then we can leave and help Sehun out.” 

Aejin and Daeho left their apartment and began to make their way to Sehun’s apartment which wasn’t too far from them. Daehol was holding onto Aejin’s hand as they walked. He looked up to his sister and asked, “Is Jongin hyung going to be there too?” 

Aejin looked at him and nodded her head. “This party is for him. That’s why we’re going to Sehun’s house.” 

“Oh,” Daeho said. “A party for Jongin hyung? Why is he having a party? Is it his birthday?” 

“Not his birthday. He’s back home after a while. So all of his friends are having a party for him coming home,” Aejin explained to him. She wasn’t sure how to say it in a way he might fully understand, but she thought it was enough. When she looked down at him again, she noticed he had a big smile on his face. “Are you that excited to see him again?” 

“Yes I am!” Daeho yelled to voice out his excitement. “I’m happy to see him again! He was so fun to play with and I really like him already! I should have brought more dinosaurs for us to play with.” His lips formed a pout as he mumbled to himself about not bringing enough things to play with. 

For the rest of the walk, Daeho was talking about an episode of a kids show he was watching earlier in the day and what he learned from the songs that he kept singing over and over again until they reached Sehun’s building.  The two made their way up to his apartment and rang the doorbell. They were let in and Daeho gave Sehun a big hug after not seeing him for a week. 

“I haven’t seen you in a week and you’re so big already!” Sehun exclaimed, helping Daeho take off his coat. 

“I’m going to be big and tall like you and Jongin hyung one day!” He took his backpack from Aejin and made his way to the living room and took out his toys to keep him entertained. 

Sehun helped Aejin by taking her coat and hanging it up on his coat rack along with Daeho’s jacket. “What do you need help with?” Aejin asked, tying her hair into a low ponytail. She looked at Sehun who was watching Daeho play in the living room already. 

“The guys are bringing some food over for us to cook in the living room, so I’m just waiting for them to come. Jongin is going to come in a bit, but the rest aren’t going to be here for another hour or so,” Sehun explained. “I didn’t make rice yet, and I have to wash some vegetables that I bought, so we can do that before they get here.” Sehun and Aejin went to the kitchen and the two caught up with what happened throughout the week. Aejin told Sehun of her work and how Daeho has been doing in school so far while Sehun told her how the cafe was and how much more business he was getting in the few months that he was debating on opening another location in the future. 

“That sounds like a great plan to do, Sehun,” she told him. She was happy for her friend’s success in his small business. She knew he put in a lot of time and effort into it after he was finished with college. Sehun had found the company life not something that he enjoyed and wanted to do something fun and new. When he proposed opening a cafe, she was one of his first supporters of his business, and she never told him that it wasn’t possible. 

The doorbell rang and Sehun left Aejin by herself as he went to answer the door. Daeho came running into the kitchen and asked Aejin if he could have a snack since he was getting hungry. Aejin told him he could as long as he cleaned up after himself and to throw away any trash he had. 

Daeho agreed and went towards the living room but stopped upon seeing who was at the doorway. His eyes lit up and he went towards the male. “Jongin hyung!” He exclaimed with a big smile as he ran towards him, his big smile was cheeky and his eyes were filled with excitement. Jongin bent down and hugged the younger boy, a laugh came out as Daeho wrapped his small arms around his neck. “Aejin noona is in the kitchen helping Sehun hyung,” he whispered into his ears before he stepped away from him. 

“Thanks for telling me, Daeho,” Jongin told him, ruffling his hair before standing up with a dumb smile on his face. Jongin looked at Sehuun who had an amused smile on his face as he was watching the two talk. “I told you I met him over dinner when you didn’t show up,” he shrugged, as he walked towards the kitchen where Aejin was with Sehun walking towards the sink where Aejin was almost done rinsing the vegetables. “Hi, Aejin,” Jongin greeted, walking closer towards the female. 

Aejin turned around and smiled when she saw him. “Hello, Jongin. So nice to see you,” she told him.

Sehun watched the two interact, and he swore he saw something flickering in her eyes as she saw Jongin. He swallowed a small lump in his throat, but pushed his negative thoughts away-- happy to see his friends getting along already. “We’re just going to make some rice and I’m going to wait until the rest of the guys get here to start making drinks,” Sehun was taking the bowl from the rice cooker towards his container of rice. “So you can sit in the living room and play with Daeho while Aejin and I just start on cutting the vegetables. This party is for you. So go and relax.” Sehun was trying to make sure that his friend didn’t do anything tonight since it was for his return. 

Jongin nodded his head and went to the living room. He sat across from Daeho and began playing with his dinosaurs and ate some snacks that Daeho offered him. The two were spending time as Sehun and Aejin continued their work in their kitchen. 

By the time the rest of the guys got there, Chanyeol, Baekhyun and Jongin were busy watching a video with Daeho on his tablet while Kyungsoo was helping Aejin and Sehun in the kitchen. The boys were watching the video and eating all of Daeho’s snacks. Daeho was sitting on Jongin’s lap with Chanyeol and Baekhyun sitting beside him on the sofa.

“Help us out here,” Sehun kicked Baekhyun and Chanyeol’s legs as he pushed the table towards the middle of the living room. Baekhyun and Chanyeol groaned, but stood up and helped them set up the table and bring out the food and alcohol to put onto the table. 

“Let’s put your tablet away and get ready for dinner,” Jongin turned off the tablet and gave it to Daeho after he climbed off of his lap. Daeho did as told and followed Jongin to the bathroom where the two washed their hands before running towards the living room where the others were already getting started on cooking. 

Aejin sat on the ground beside Daeho who insisted on sitting next to Jongin. The group began drinking and catching up, while hearing the stories Jongin had from his time in the States. They laughed and ate and drank and did it all on repeat. Daeho ate whatever Jongin ate and drank his juice whenever Jongin drank his liquor. Aejin was laughing at her brother who was copying his newly beloved friend. 

When Daeho was done eating, he was on his tablet watching Youtube again on the sofa with his yellow blanket. Aejin made sure he was full before he went to do his own thing, as she continued to eat and drink with them. 

Jongin moved closer to Aejin, his arms almost touching her. He would steal glances at her as they all talked, and the two met eyes a few times to which they shared shy smiles, but continued to eat and drink. There were moments where their arms would brush against one another. Aejin felt her cheeks flaring up, maybe it was the alcohol, or how warm she was getting from the heat of the cooking and the bodies near one another. 

Jongin leaned into Aejin’s ear and whispered to her, “You look very pretty today, Aejin.” He wasn’t looking at the guys around them and it was as if Aejin and him were the only two people on earth. “I’m not drunk,” he smiled, “but you seem to be one of my favorite things to see whenever you are here.” He moved closer to Aejin, his breath tickling her cheeks as he spoke. Aejin’s eyes went wide and her heart was beating fast in her chest. She didn’t turn her head, but she knew he was close. 

“Why are you so close to her?” Chanyeol yelled from across the table, pointing a finger at the two who were off in their own world. Jongin snapped his head up and looked at the male with squinted eyes, but a laugh left his lips as he shook his head. Aejin, on the other hand, was mortified by the idea of her people seeing how close Jongin and her were for a moment.

“Why do you care?” Jongin stuck his tongue out at his friend, laughter ensuing afterwards. 

“He’s going to be my sister’s boyfriend soon!” Daeho piped in. Jongin and Aejin looked away embarrassed by what Daeho said, but Baekhyun, Chanyeol, and Kyungsoo were laughing too hard to care. Sehun looked at the two and smiled before he took a shot of alcohol. 

Aejin glanced at Sehun who was on the other side of the table. She felt bad for enjoying Jongin’s company. She felt as though she was betraying him and all the time that it took for her to be here. Sehun was someone that she thought would be with her for a while, but now that Jongin returned and they were all together, she felt out of place for a moment. Sehun met eyes with her and gave her an encouraging smile, as if telling her it was okay-- like it wasn’t the end of the world. She smiled back and continued eating her food, as the group began playing games. 

Daeho came to Aejin a little while after, telling her that he was getting tired. She looked at the clock and realized that it was half past nine. She stood up and took him to Sehun’s bedroom and tucked him into bed. Aejin stayed with Daeho for a while to make sure he was asleep before she made her way back to the guys. 

“Is he sleeping?” Sehun asked her. 

“Yeah he just fell asleep,” she replied with a sigh at the end. 

As the night went on, they played more games and drank more alcohol and ate more food. Chanyeol, Baekhyun and Sehun were drunk by the time it was eleven, the group now sitting watching a movie while munching on food. Sehun and Baekhyun were sitting on the sofa while Chanyeol and Kyungsoo sat beside each other, and Aejin and Jongin were in the kitchen cleaning up a bit (albeit rather tipsy, but still productive). 

“Thanks for helping clean up, Jongin,” Aejin said, packing the last of the  food into containers to put away. She washed her hands and made her way towards the island, looking out at the guys in the living room. 

“Don’t worry. You guys did a lot already tonight, the least I can do is help put away some things Chanyeol isn’t wanting to eat,” he laughed, glancing at her as she took her hair out of her ponytail. She moved her hair in front of her shoulder. Jongin took a step towards her, unable to help himself. He always felt a pull towards her-- even back in college, he found himself making his way towards her, but would stop himself. 

Aejin turned around and saw how close Jongin was to her. She looked at his eyes and saw them looking at her-- they were searching for something and she wasn’t sure what for, but she did the same. “You have very pretty eyes,” she said, looking at him with so much interest and admiration. Aejin saw as his eyes widened in surprise from hearing her compliment before they softened and continued to look at her.

Jongin lifted his fingers to move a strand of hair out of her face. Aejin blinked and her pink lips curled up into a shy smile. “You are still the same from college,” he was soft and quiet as he spoke. 

“We didn’t really talk or hangout,” she was shy-- a schoolgirl type of shy. One where she felt that she was shy and couldn’t look at his face. 

“It doesn’t mean I didn’t see you,” his fingers made their way down to hers, brushing against them. “You were-- and still are-- very bright.”