He's not quite sure how to react to the company. Joonmyun's only experience living with other people was when he stayed over at his grandfather's, and living in the same house as eleven boys is an entirely different ballpark.

His mind is too frazzled to even bother trying to go back to memorizing the attendee list for the upcoming charity event, so Joonmyun decides to help clean up as thanks to Kyungsoo for making breakfast. Thankfully, his grandfather had taught him some basic household skills during his frequent visits, although some he was better at than others. Sehun and Zitao are washing the dishes while he's clearing the plates, and he's a little cautious of getting too close to Zitao after the incident in the morning. 

 He doesn't talk much to either of them, not sure what to say, though he ends up teaching them how to use a dishwasher, and both of their faces light up at the fact that they have less work than they originally did. 

When they're done with clean up duty Joonmyun decides for once to exit the mansion and wander in the garden. He's not usually one to look at flowers, and the only times he ever did was when he was with his grandfather, who seemed to enjoy gardening. Joonmyun would try to help out occasionally but the labor didn't suit him, and he often ended up doing more bad than good. Nonetheless, he had listened intently as his grandfather told him the name for each and every type of plant that grew in his garden, and Joonmyun still remembers exactly where everything is.

Joonmyun is walking by the rose bushes when he spots Xiumin and Luhan together with shears in their hands, t away at the overgrown plants. It's not shocking that they already know where everything is, as they said they lived here before, though Joonmyun makes a note to show them how to use the more modern equipment later on. He doesn't know much about them himself, but he figures he can at least find the manuals for them. 

Purposefully making his presence known by making his footsteps a little louder, Joonmyun waves at the two. Xiumin greets him with a smile but Luhan still has that unreadable look on his face when he sees him.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you two at your work," Joonmyun says. 

"It's no problem. Did you need anything?" 

"No, not really. I just thought that this would be a lot to do by yourselves. Do you want me to hire some gardeners to help you?"

Minseok shakes his head. "I think we'll be fine. What about you though? Do you garden as well? I noticed this place is still pretty well maintained."

"No, I was terrible at it. Grandfather always took care of this place by himself when he could though, I'm glad to see someone who cares about this place as much as he did," Joonmyun responds, although he immediately regrets it as Luhan immediately stiffens at his words. 

"Excuse me, I'm going to work over there," he says, and walks away before Minseok can even respond. 

As soon as Luhan is out of hearing distance, Minseok turns to Joonmyun. "I'm sorry about him, you'll have to excuse his behavior. He isn't taking this very well. It used to be the three of us that worked in this garden together, Woosung and us two."

Oh. Joonmyun winces at his carelessness. He didn't mean to approach a touchy subject. His grandfather has been dead for a little while by now, and he's had time to accept it, but the others went to sleep one day and woke up the next hearing their best friend was dead. "I'm sorry, I didn't think..."

"It's not your fault. Luhan's just confused right now. And sad. He'll be better with time. Until then you'll have to forgive his attitude."

"I really didn't mean to say anything hurtful," Joonmyun insists, but Minseok shakes his head.

"It doesn't matter what you say, he'll still be hurt. Just give him some time."

"You're taking this awfully well," Joonmyun notes, "How do you do it?" 

Minseok looks at Joonmyun in seriousness, his eyes unwavering. His mouth is drawn in a straight line, but there's nothing on his face to indicate anything but composure. "I wonder."

Luhan's reaction is still fresh in Joonmyun's mind when he reenters the mansion. He really hadn't been thinking when he carelessly brought up the subject of his grandfather. He should have known better, knowing their situations. Joonmyun wonders how any of them can be acting so normally.  Granted, Joonmyun didn't let anyone see anything but his calm self when his grandfather died, but that was just him.

"Joonmyun, there you are!" 

His turns around to look behind him to see Chanyeol and Baekhyun waving him over excitedly. He does them the favor and retracts back a few steps. When he gets closer to them he sees Chanyeol holding his laptop, but chooses not to comment on the fact that they had to have broken into his office in order to acquire it. 

"What is this thing?" Baekhyun asks, and Joonmyun is once again reminded that their knowledge on modern technology is seriously lacking. He sits them down to explain to them what it is and how to use it, and he's patient as he teaches them the most basic of commands. Oddly enough, they take more quickly to the games he shows them than the other features, even the more simple ones. Joonmyun remembers that his game consoles should be coming in today along with his other possessions, and he knows he hasn't used them in years. Maybe it would be a good idea to give it to them. 

He also shows them how to use a cellphone, and once again they are quick to learn. They take a liking to instant messaging, and Joonmyun promises to buy everyone their own phones later when he has the time.

"You don't have to do that," Kyungsoo says. He had joined the three of them to observe the lesson a while ago. Baekhyun and Chanyeol are too occupied with their new games to pay attention to their conversation. "It's not like we ever leave this place. We don't need them."

Joonmyun knows that, but it won't hurt to anyways, would it?

For the first time since he's met him, Joonmyun sees Kyungsoo smile. "You know, you're not so different from Woosung."

When Joonmyun enters the livng room, he sees that Sehun has already made himself comfortable in an armchair, focusing on whatever is showing on the television with the remote held loosely in his hand. He has to remind himself that to everyone else, the last time they were in the mansion felt like only a day ago. The only person who felt odd about their new living situation is him. 

Joonmyun takes a seat in the adjacent couch, and Sehun says nothing. It's awkward being in a room with someone who seems to refuse to acknowledge his existence, but Joonmyun figures that the poker face Sehun always has on may be his default expression. He decides against initiating a conversation, and chooses to absorb himself in the program that's showing. 

Not long after a sleepy looking Jongin enters the living room. His eyes are slightly swollen, and for someone who's just woken up from a sixty year slumber he looks rather tired. Sehun is taking up the only armchair in the room and Joonmyun figures Jongin will probably occupy the opposite end of the large couch, only to be proven wrong when Jongin lies across the length of the entire sofa. His long legs stretch all the way to the other end and he places his head on Joonmyun's lap like it's second nature.

All the training in the world wouldn't have prepared Joonmyun for this. He has no idea how to react when Jongin resumes his rest, wordlessly falling asleep before Joonmyun can get in a comment. It's obvious that Jongin doesn't mind, and he doesn't want to be the only person to be bothered. Unsure of what else to do, Joonmyun's body stills, trying not to disturb the sleeping person who decided to make Joonmyun's legs his own personal pillow. Sehun glances at the two of them briefly, but he doesn't say anything. He turns back to the TV, but Joonmyun thinks he hears him let out a noise akin to that of a snort, and he realizes that Sehun is amused at their situation. 

Now it's impossible for Joonmyun to focus on the show, what with a stranger sleeping on him like it was an everyday occurrence. He's not usually one to feel skittish about people invading his personal space, but it perplexes Joonmyun how someone who's only met him this morning can feel so at ease with him. 

Joonmyun takes the opportunity to get a good look at the person lying on him. Jongin stated that he's already in his early twenties, and his body makes that fact evident. His hard muscles and developed body have no place on a child. However, in his state of sleep, Joonmyun sees something softer in his face. Jongin is attractive either way, but seeing him like this, he looks younger, almost like a teenager, and he looks much more innocent than the persona he put on display during breakfast. Joonmyun feels a pull to Jongin, but not one that's necessarily out of attraction. He feels like wants to take care of him. 

He goes to brush the hair out of Jongin's face, and then, instinctively, Joonmyun finds himself gently patting his head. Jongin lets out a content hum, and his body relaxes even more into the couch they share.

Joonmyun's never had a younger sibling, but he wonders if this is what it's like.

Yixing comes by later to tell them that dinner is ready, but Jongin still hasn't woken up. Joonmyun tries to gently shake him awake but he doesn't respond, and even some rougher movement doesn't seem to do the trick. Sehun is less gentle and shocks Joonmyun when he socks  Jongin in the arm, which does get them a response in the form of a tired groan, but Jongin refuses to move from his spot.

Things only change when Joonmyun says that it's time to eat, and Jongin's entire demeanor changes in seconds. Joonmyun had expected him to still be groggy with sleep, but Jongin gets up rather suddenly, moving immediately off of Joonmyun's body in an almost panicked manner.  

Joonmyun reaches out to Jongin to tell him to calm down, but Jongin shocks Joonmyun when he slaps his arm away before practically jumping off the couch and scampering out the room. 

Joonmyun is confused to the point that he can't move. Jongin's sudden shift in attitude a complete surprise, but Sehun seems unfazed and decides to finally comment.

"It's because you spoke," the youngest says.

While Joonmyun knows he has a rather distinct voice, never in his life had anyone reacted so violently to hearing it. Surely it wasn't so hideous to garner such a dramatic reaction?

Sehun elaborates. "You look exactly like Woosung, but your voices are different. Even some of the things you do are the same. He used to pat Jongin's head like that too." 

Joonmyun looks at his own hands. He hadn't realized it earlier, but he was mimicking an action that his grandfather did for him when he was younger. Nonetheless, he's not sure where Sehun is getting at. When it's clear that Joonmyun doesn't make the connection, Sehun sighs.

"It's easy to forget that you're not Woosung when you don't talk."

Joonmyun can feel himself deflating. Now he understands why Jongin had been so affectionate with him before. And it was no wonder he was so shocked when he heard Joonmyun's voice. His almost perfect likeness to his grandfather is not something he can help. 

"But I'm not though."

"I know. He knows that too."

Dinner the night before had been alright. It was somewhat loud, especially because he's so unused to having so many people surrounding him. Some were noisier than others, but the main people Joonmyun had noticed were Jongin, who couldn't look him in the eye, and Luhan, who was noticeably absent from the table.

Although Joonmyun appreciates the fact his grandfather had been thinking of him even in his deathbed, he can never feel at ease with so many people around him, not when he's used to living alone. He's looking for some time alone, and even though the mansion is huge, it seems like every room he enters is already occupied. Joonmyun saw Minseok and Luhan inside the manor earlier, so he figures the garden will be empty by now. 

He's not even in the garden yet when he sees that  Jongdae is already there, sitting alone in the gazebo. He doesn't notice Joonmyun at first, intently looking at several picked flowers in his hands. Although Joonmyun's grandfather took great care of the garden, he never minded anyone picking the flowers, so long as they were careful. Joonmyun still has scars on his hands from when he tried picking roses without taking care to notice the thorns.

Joonmyun recognizes Jongdae as one of the people who had caused more of a commotion during dinner last night. He expected Jongdae to be the kind of person who thrived when he was surrounded by people. He had never seen Jongdae without another person by his side, and his eyes practically shone when he was talking to others. He didn't see Jongdae as the type who would appreciate alone time.

Despite their distance however, Jongdae does eventually realize Joonmyun's presence and shoots him a smile. He waves him over, and Joonmyun can't bring himself to refuse, so he steps into the gazebo and revels in the shade. It's particularly warm that day, even though it is still relatively early.

"I didn't think you'd be the type to enjoy looking at flowers," Joonmyun comments as he sits down, eyeing the assortment of flowers that lie in a pile on Jongdae's lap. 

"I wasn't originally, not until Woosung got me into it. I'm not into the gardening stuff like Xiumin and Luhan though." Jongdae picks up a yellow rose from the pile and twirls it in his fingers. Joonmyun is slightly relieved to see that the thorns have already been removed.

"Here, hold still."

Joonmyun obeys as Jongdae tucks the flower behind his ear. Once again he finds himself confused. The way everyone is so comfortable with each other never fails to baffle Joonmyun. It's the first time he's been so close with the other, and Jongdae seems to be oblivious to his rigidness at their proximity. He entirely focuses on positioning the rose.

"There," Jongdae says, finally moving. "It suits you." 

He can't help but feel that he looks silly. He's too old to be putting flowers in his hair, nonetheless by another man, but he figures he can indulge Jongdae. In a way, it's sweet, and there's no harm in keeping it on. A bout of nostalgia hits Joonmyun as he recalls making daisy chains with his grandfather when he was a child. A rose is quite different from a daisy, but the airy feeling he gets is the same.

Joonmyun observes Jongdae as he picks out a sprig of rosemary and holds it to his nose. "What troubles you? You seem worried," he muses, and Joonmyun remembers the reason why he came to the garden in the first place.

He mulls over the thought of lying, but he sees the sharp look in Jongdae's eyes and realizes it would be pointless. So instead, he says nothing, choosing silence over lies, and Jongdae thankfully doesn't push it. Instead he changes the topic and adds more flowers to Joonmyun's hair, pansies and lavender and baby's breath, until Joonmyun practically has a crown of flowers resting on his head. 

Jongdae relays stories of the past, how Woosung used to take care of them all and got them out of trouble, how they always used to worry about him because he was always working so hard and spread out too thin. He explains the garden was something Luhan came up with, something he will always deny, and it started out as something so tiny but grew into the massive accomplishment it is now thanks to Xiumin who had wheedled everyone into helping. He talks about Wufan's artist phase and despite the fact he was terrible at it Woosung kept all his paintings and hung them up for display, and the time Kyungsoo originally combined spaghetti and kimchi in a meal as punishment for them all but it turned out to be delicious and they asked for more. He tells of happy memories in the winter when everyone would get together to play in the snow and how afterwards they would all bundle up together in the living room to stay warm. Jongdae has so many things to tell, and Joonmyun has so much to learn about everyone.

There are many things about them that Joonmyun doesn't know, but what he does know is that they were happy. He wonders how on earth his grandfather could have ever left them when it was so clear that they brought him so much joy in his life. 

He can understand why Jongin and Luhan feel so uncomfortable with him, how even Minseok seems somewhat wary with his words around him. It must be so heartbreaking to wake up to hear that one of your closest friends is dead, and in his place is someone who bears his exact resemblance but doesn't share any of the memories you made together. He wonders how people like Chanyeol and Baekhyun and Sehun can be so unaffected, but then he reminds himself that he wouldn't know, that he doesn't see them or talk to them often enough to really know their true thoughts.

His grandfather left him a grave responsibility, tasking him with a impossible request and leaving all of them in such an unfortunate situation. No matter what, Joonmyun is not Woosung, and he cannot be the person that everyone wants him to be. How could he possibly take care of everyone, when he was obscured by his grandfather's ridiculously large shadow?

Jongdae must have read his thoughts, or at least is able to notice Joonmyun's concerns. He places a hand on Joonmyun's shoulder, and the gesture is reassuring. The comfort that Jongdae exudes is completely natural, and Joonmyun wonders how a practical stranger can seem so familiar. Perhaps it was the loss that united them, the death of a loved one that allowed them to be so close. 

They stay like that in silence for a while, but there's a question in Joonmyun's mind that's been bothering him all this time. He was too afraid of asking before lest he step on a landmine, but he thinks that Jongdae would understand.

"Do you ever wonder why Woosung left you guys?"

It seems so odd to him, that someone like his grandfather would make such an extraneous request, and then leave his friends, no, his family, alone for sixty years without ever explaining to them why. It didn't sound like him at all.

Jongdae gives him a small smile, but there's a forlornness that about it that reveals his true feelings. 

"All the time." 

He doesn't regret bringing the question up, but Joonmyun feels sorry for being the cause behind Jongdae's sadness.

In an attempt to comfort the other, Joonmyun grabs a white flower from the pile and sticks it in Jongdae's hair. He fumbles and his hands are clumsy, so the movement doesn't go nearly as smoothly as he hoped it would be, but he manages to keep the thing in place without too much incident. Now they both look silly, Joonmyun with his rose and Jongdae with his poppies. It's a rather pathetic and unhelpful attempt, but Joonmyun has never been good at comforting others. 

Jongdae looks at Joonmyun's choice of flower curiously. "You wouldn't happen to know the language of flowers would you?" he asks. Joonmyun shakes his head.

This time, Jongdae's smile is more genuine. "It's funny you would pick that actually," he says, and doesn't add anything more.

A/N: Here it is everybody! Aghhhh my laptop is still broken, so I had to use my mom's computer to upload this. Sorry this is a little late, I know I said I'd put it up last week but it seems that my technician had difficulties getting the right replacement pieces. My laptop still isn't fixed yet QAQ Anyways, this chapter! Character interactions! Exposition! And finally some Suchen! LOL I know it still isn't much yet, but like I said it'll take a little while for them. But yeah not everything is so OT12 yet haha, sorry about that. I'm sorry if plot is taking too long to develop for you, but a lot will be happening with this story and there's a lot to cover.