*I missed updating one of my stories here so here's another one-shot to fill up our needs...

*The days to come would be busier since I'm a graduating student so let's spend our free time wisely, okay?

#7- N.A.P.

“Would you be a kind brother that I believe you are and help the newly-opened babysitting club with me?”

Hearing these words, Minsoo pretended to fall asleep all of a sudden, but it was short-lived when he felt his head smacked, how his older sister could be this strong anyways he wonders, making him bolt up sitting straighter than a military officer during lunch.

“Don’t you try using that pretend sleep on your big sister, especially in times of emergencies like this!”

“But noona, you know I could never be of great help as a babysitter. Why don’t you accept any of those who passed their application letters to you? What was the purpose of that announcement that caused you a pile of folders from prospective applicants when you’ll just end up asking your own brother, huh?!”

“You dare raise your voice on me?!”

“No sis, I’m just trying to loosen my voice since it’s still early in the morning and- ouch!”

Another smack on the head, a little stronger this time, paired with a strong aura of authority surrounding her making him feel like cowering from his own sister.

“Well, I’m turning them all down because they’re all either trying to hit on me or doing it for the simple reason of getting some incentive while being a member, so no, I’m not choosing one of those guys.”

A snort, and when he was about to retort his sister beat him to it.

“It’s final. You’ll show your face letter in the babysitting clubroom during your vacant class or I’ll tell mom and dad that you keep on falling asleep during class because of those online rpg you’re addicted to since you started high school. I’ll make sure to make them confiscate your laptop and cellphone if you don’t come later.”

A loud gasp came from Minsoo’s mouth, and if glaring could kill, his sister Minah should be pulverized and thrown into the sea right now. With his irritated expression, the high school music teacher on the same school where his brother’s currently a senior student knows she had won.

 It’s not that he hates kids. It’s more like, kids would never feel safe around him. He’s got eyes like that of a hunter hawk always watching his prey, and he tends to sleep anywhere, in anytime of the day, with or without enough sleep the night before. What could he do? Maybe he’s a demigod who’s a son of Somnus and he just haven’t discovered it yet.

Yeah right, he shouldn’t have poured his free time reading Percy Jackson series, ‘cause it had become his new addiction. At least it was better than his basketball buddy Chunji’s addiction for anything related to Hello Kitty. He wonder why the pretty boy even shows off his collection like his pink and black Hello Kitty cellphone case even to his fellow varsity players while still in the court. And he wonders how Chunji considers himself manly and could get any girl he wanted to date when his things looks more girly than his changing girlfriends every week.

He was pulled out of his reverie when he heard a familiar voice calling him as it approached, sitting in front of him and flicking his forehead in the process.

“Hey what was that for?! Why do you people love hitting me today?”

“I just saw your sister smiling evilly while walking away after talking to you, apparently, and could I tell you how much I find your sister too attractive as a teacher?”

“Don’t you dare try to make a pass on me. I’m not letting you hit on her, and you two are not even compatible. He finds Hello Kitty boring.”

“What?! Boring? How could you say that? Who finds Hello Kitty boring, tell me!”

“I just told you Chunji, now stop whining and let’s just go to class.”

And he suffered the remaining few minutes of walk to their trigonometry class with a never-ending monologue of his best friend about how cool and awesome Hello Kitty is and that no one could ever resist her.

The next two classes pass by like a hurricane turning his brain into a mush of words and numbers until he heard the bell, signaling the start of his vacant time, and the start of his journey towards being a babysitter.

-

He was quietly brewing a plan on his mind, yes, he could think of smart things if he wants to, on how to escape this dilemma thrown at his feet by his own sister. And he was about to execute his brilliant plan as he opened the baby blue door of the clubroom, as he believes it is, when he caught a glimpse of an adorable ball of fluffiness, lips smeared with pink liquid which he guessed as the ice cream the kid is eating sloppily at the moment.

He cooed at the sight and was about to carry the little boy in his arms, and maybe pinch his cheeks while cuddling him but her sister chose to block the endearing view with her own scary grin,  but Minsoo was too engrossed with the living epitome of cuteness that he couldn’t bear to be angry at her.

“Hi noona! Should I start today? I’ll be so much willing to help you!”

Seeing the wide and genuine smile on his younger brother’s face made her think that maybe he actually love kids like she does and was just too shy to admit it, being a sports enthusiast and all those-

“But let me ask, could we adopt that kid right now? Maybe his parents could see how much we-”

“Minsoo? What have you eaten before coming here?”

“I’m totally perfectly normal! Now let me see that kid again.”

As he walked past her and squatted in front of the expressionless and blinking boy with thick lips and wide glistening eyes, Minah knew asking Minsoo to be part of the club would turn into a disaster.

“Minsoo?! Stop pinching those cheeks! Aish!?”

---

With only the two of them inside the clubroom now abandoned, save by a few traces of the ruckus the kids made earlier, Minsoo felt terrorized by the glare his sister has been giving him for minutes now. What adds more to the feeling of  dread was that she wasn’t saying anything and she’s been standing on the same spot, doing the same pose of arms crossed, and Minsoo couldn’t even remember the last time Minah blinked.

‘’Aish! Let’s stop this staring game seriously. What have I done wrong this time huh?’’

‘’You’re asking me what’s your mistake… you’re asking me what did you do wrong?!’’

Scowl painted all over her face, Minsoo thought that her sister might be a reincarnation of an ancient predator dragon, or maybe she’s a demigod who’s a daughter of Ares. He couldn’t decide what fits her better.

‘’You practically picked a fight on with a four-year old kid and managed to scold another one loudly just for the sole reason that they have broke Niel’s crayons and tear his drawings to pieces , which he doesn’t even care at all… do you know what that means?! I can already hear the coming complaints that would make my phone busy tomorrow and you’re asking me what have you done this time to give me this headache?!’’

Right.

Well, it seriously pained him to see the sad eyes and pout on Niel’s face that he wasn’t able to control his self during his babysitting work hours. It’s not that he hates the other kids, it’s just that he felt it was his natural instinct to favor Niel more.

And when he discovered that the little ball of adorableness was one of Chunji’s beloved cousin, he told his self that he’ll raise the kid well to avoid him being like his evil best friend.

But thinking about what he had actually done to accomplish this, he might have taken things a little more serious when it was simply misunderstanding within the group of children, which of course, he doesn’t belong to.

‘’I’ve decided, I’m not letting you participate with any of the club’s activities anymore. Your first week in the job was more of a disaster than taking off some load from my work here, so no, you’re not coming here anymore for the next days. Do you understand?’’

‘’But noona-

‘’No buts. Now go home, I’ve still got a lot of work to do here. And pray that no parent would hunt you down for your childishness this morning. I hate to admit it, but you’re right. You’re such a horrible babysitter.’’

Seeing the discouraged look on his brother’s face was hard for Minah as well, and she thought that maybe what she said were a little too harsh for him, since she’s the one who asked for Minsoo to do the job to make her feel at ease. She thought of what dessert to buy for the younger one to appease him being down, but she doesn’t know that the kicked puppy look forming on Minsoo’s dejected face was not caused by any of his scolding or angry tone, it was more because of a little piece of sunshine he wouldn’t be able to see for as long as he stays in the school.

Being banned from the clubroom felt more harder to take in than being grounded in his own room.

---

What adds to the pain was that he’s the one assigned to do the grocery for a week, which he hasn’t even tried to do since the day he understood the words coming from the people around him. The most task he has done when it comes to buying goods is when he goes to a convenience store and buys snacks for his late movie nights with his family.

He felt like pushing the trolley harder than he should, just to pass some pain to other buyer who’s at the end of the aisle for canned goods, whistling and acting as if he just had the best day of his life yesterday.

That’s when he saw a lump of blue clothes and red scarf coming his way, and squinting his eyes to make it clear, he felt like jumping on the approaching kid. If Santa was real, he would have hugged him there and then, volunteer to be his assistant, so he could recruit the boy he missed so much as one of the elves. He internally squealed with how that cuteness could break his built-in cute-o-meter.

‘’Niel-ah!’’

Hugging him tightly, he decided to carry him as well, the list of what to buy long forgotten. Then he realized that Niel would not be able to reach the grocery store on his own, thus, he gently placed the blank-faced boy on his own cart, and looked for any sign of a person who’s looking for something, or in this case, someone.

‘’How could someone let loose their hold on you, when you’re Niel and that anyone could be attacked by your cuteness and just take you away?’’

‘’Hyung..’’ the kid now kneeling on the cart beside packs and cans, looked at him with his wide eyes, his head tilted at one side, and pouting makes Minsoo hold on tight to his self-control to avoid pinching Niel’s cheeks or take him into a bone-crushing hug or any form of affection that might hurt his precious Niel.

That’s when he saw a running figure coming towards them and pulling Niel into an almost choking hug.

‘’Daniel! How many times have I told you not to wander off on your own when I’m busy looking at- oh. Wait, aren’t you Bang Minsoo, the younger brother of Minah?’’

Seeing the woman in front of him, he now knows where Niel got his bright aura, and he seemed shock since he wasn’t introduced to any of the kid’s parents.

‘’Haha! My son here keeps on telling stories about his kind hyung who defends him from anyone who tried hurting him, so I might have imagined how you look like with the way he described you and the drawings he said he’ll give to you as a present. Nice to meet you, I’m Niel’s mother, Andi.’’

Hearing all those good things, he never felt his self smiling this much that it seems his lips would be ripped anytime soon. And now that he had formed some connection with Niel’s family, he imagined all those times that they could spend bonding and get much closer. He would even apply as a personal babysitter when given the chance.

He’ll try not to think of facing his sister’s wrath once she finds about this encounter.

---

It has been almost a month and Minsoo was able to return to his job as a babysitter for the club founded by his sister. The parents of the two kids he had fought with, Ricky and Changjo, even thanked him for disciplining them since they were such pranksters even at a young age.

Everything felt so right at the moment.

And he’ll add this hour to his personal photobook of Niel, the two of them eating strawberry ice cream, as how Niel wanted it to be. The other kids enjoying their parents warmth for those family who attended, and Minah’s company for the busy ones, while searching for the best ride for them at the amusement park. 

The two of them though, decided to settle on a nearby bench, with him acting as Niel’s guardian since Andi entrusted the boy to him whenever he’s not around. After the last bite of the cone, he felt surprised feeling chills on his own lips, the same scent of the sweet he just ate invading his nostrils again.

‘’Hyung, say aaah!’’

The sweetness, not of the ice cream, but of Niel made his brain go into a haywire, and he felt teary-eyed after biting from the cone of his precious Niel. But after seeing the kid slurping the part where he had bitten, he felt his cheeks heat up.

Wait, he thought, he’s feeling shy and embarrassed because of a kid?

‘’Niel.’’

‘’Yes hyung?’’

‘’Drink a lot of milk and grow up quickly, okay? But looking at you right now, maybe you could never reach my height.’’

‘’I’ll drink a lot of milk and grow taller than you hyung!’’

‘’Alright, we’ll see.’’

Seeing Niel huff in annoyance, he decided to carry him and place him on his lap, biting another chunk from the kid’s ice cream.

I’ll wait until then, so grow up fast. I’ll be patient and I’ll never let you out of my sight.

*Who likes the special participation of other artists? Anyways, I've been such an awkward person so please do understand if sometimes (I'm guessing most of the times) I type some nonsense here.

*Adios dear readers. And Niel as a kid would give me nosebleed so I'll stop imagining now...

*I'll post an update whenever I can!

#to.teen.top.with.love