180408                                      Happy 6th Anniversary!

Han: HELP

Han: GUYS HELP

Minseok: What is it?

Han: My fam jyst came from China to visit Korea and come here on s vacation

Han: just* a*

Tao: ???

Tao: So what?

Han: And they suddenly

Han: brought

Han: a bunch of

Han: freaking KIDS with them

Han: Theyre gonna fukin throw fkn TWELVE KIDS AT ME TO LOOK AFTER

Han: GUYS HELP

Kris: When will they be coming?

Yi Xing: I can help!

Han: next week

Han: PLS HELP LOOK AFTER ON WEEKEND #prayeremoticon#

Yi Xing: Actually … nvm … sorry ge I got dance

Han: that’s ok!

Han: anyone else?????

Kris: sure no prob

Kris: @Kim Joonmyun

Han: where is everyone

Chen: I CAN DO IT NO PROBS #happyemoticon#

Tao: wondering what the heck happened because you’re finally talking in group chats

Minseok: Haha

Han: *slaps Tao*

Tao: wtf

Chen: Calling Chen recruits!!!

Chen: @Byun Baekhyun

Chen: @Do Kyungsoo

Chen: @Park Chanyeol

Chen: @Kim Jongin

Chen: @Oh Sehun

Han: Thanks bae #heartemoticon#

his phone, Baekhyun waits until Chanyeol returns from his class, and then shows him the group chat once the taller does.

“Huh? Take care of kids?” His boyfriend exclaims, blinking with his uniquely large eyes. “Baek, are you sure we can handle this?”

Of course you can. Baekhyun wants to say. The problem is whether –

“Of course I can.” Chanyeol cuts in. “The problem is whether you can.”

“Yeah. That.” Baekhyun mumbles, then glares at the taller.

“And that’s because you’ve never really interacted with them much, no worries.” Chanyeol continues positively. “I’m sure you’ll be able to do really well.”

“I’m going to drop them and they will break.”

“… Baek, these are kids we’re talking about. They’re not babies. They will fall and cry and get over it.”

“Chanyeol, I do not know how to change diapers.”

“… Baek, these are kids. They can go to the toilet.”

“What if I turn away for one second and the next second they break their arm?”

“… Baek, these are kids. They’re not fighting fish and they’re not at war.”

“… Well, you know what? If they can take care of themselves so well, why is hyung even asking for our help then?”

“Because they’re kids!” Chanyeol is looking at Baekhyun like he’s the biggest idiot he’s met. “They need to be looked after.”

“Okay, so are you up for it then?” Sighing, Baekhyun gives up trying to argue his point because he knows at this rate he’s going to lose.

“Of course! I love kiddies~” Chanyeol grins hard, taking Baekhyun’s phone to type a response to the group chat. “But why are you doing it?”

“Support hyung.”

“Aw, Baek, you’re such a cutie~” Chanyeol teases, peeking from Baekhyun’s phone that’s in his face. Then he continues to tap on the screen to type.

“I see you’re already very excited.” The smaller mutters.

“It’s ‘cause kids are the cutest!”

“Are you sure it’s not because you’re a kid yourself …”

“Baek, don’t call yourself a e.”

“…”

“Thanks so much for helping, guys. It means a lot.” Lu Han says as he drives them towards his own house.

“No problem.” Chanyeol, Baekhyun, Chen and Minseok chirp in the car.

“No problem!” Kris echoes on Chanyeol’s phone.

“Can you watch your driving?” Joonmyun nags, voice a little more distant.

“We’re gonna crash, I just know it.” Tao moans.

“It’s sad Jongin and Soo couldn’t come. They love kids.” Chen sighs. “I mean, Soo just recently started volunteering at a childcare centre … Jongin is now learning Primary Education now that he can’t perform with that leg anymore … And then there’s Baekhyun.”

“What are you trying to say?” Baekhyun mutters, eyes narrowed.

“I’ve never seen you with a kid before! You’ve never even talked about them.”

“So what? You talk like I’m not with this idiot every day.” Baekhyun fires back, thumb pointing to the guy next to him.

“Hey!” Chanyeol splutters. “Don’t drag me into your immature squabbles. Bastard.”

“It’s mad enough that you wanna roast Baek, but don’t insult me!” Annoyed, Chen whines.

“Look, if you haven’t started this in the first place …”

“It was a bad idea putting the three of them on the back seat.” Minseok sighs at the passenger seat, watching as Lu Han’s usually naturally pouty lips turn down into a small frown.

“I hope it won’t be the kids that will take care of them instead.”

Arriving at his house, Lu Han and the others get off his car, watching as Joonmyun’s car pulls over as well and Kris steps out of the driver’s seat. Grabbing their bags, the friends enter the large mansion, and is met immediately with the excited voices of children and the exasperated voices of the parents.

Baekhyun watches as the adults rush over to Lu Han, speaking in fast Chinese and nodding at the rest of them exasperatedly. Those tired smiles immediately turn to smiles of relief and excitement as they grab their bags and head towards the door, mostly talking to Lu Han and some talking to Tao and Kris.

Baekhyun can hear the sound of children but he can’t seem to spot them anywhere. Even though he can only hear them, it’s enough to make him feel dizzy – after all, he hasn’t really been in the presence of so many children for a long time … maybe the last time he was with them was when he was a child himself.

“They’re in the living room.” Lu Han says, a little rushed. “Go there first. I’ll join later.” Then he is pulled into the swarm of adults, the sound of Chinese ringing in the air. At a loss on what to do, Baekhyun stands in his place until Chanyeol talks the lead, walking in the front to search for the children and the room. Tao rushes forward too, as if really keen, whereas Kris stays behind with Lu Han to talk to his relatives.

Maybe I’ll just take their bags in instead. Baekhyun thinks to himself, turning to grab some bags. Joonmyun is hurrying to catch up to long legs and Chen helps Baekhyun carry the rest of the bags.

“Man, I’d love to watch you die here.” Chen jokes, smiling his signature smile. Rolling his eyes, Baekhyun immediately pushes him with his shoulder, watching as the younger stumbles a little and almost falls, and then his whines sound in the air to join the children’s voices.

Somehow feeling a little nervous to meet the children, Baekhyun attempts to avoid the situation.

“Hey, I’ll be putting the bags upstairs where the rooms are.” Baekhyun says softly, but Chen seems to pay him no attention as he strives off and away to join the others. Taking that as a sign that he can do whatever he wants, Baekhyun carries himself and the things upstairs and then decides to assign the rooms to the others himself according to their interests and preferences. After that, he closes the last door, sighing internally as he realises that he’s going to have to go back downstairs and meet his fate.

But then an idea pops into his mind and he searches the entire house for paper and pen and tape. Finding paper, he then strives to search for a pen to write down the names of the people that he had assigned rooms to. However, there is no tape anywhere and Baekhyun has half a mind to go out and get some. In the end, though, he decides to stay and places the paper at each doorstep instead, so his friends would know where to sleep for the night.

Then he remembers there are more bags downstairs that Chen had carried, and bounds downstairs to get them. Thankfully they are resting outside closed doors, and Baekhyun picks it up before placing it inside the remaining rooms once more. Just as he’s about to finally accept his fate, he receives a text.

Chanyeol: buy sum KFC

Baekhyun: How much?

Chanyeol: 20 boxes!!!!

Oh , isn’t that a lot? Baekhyun thinks to himself, but shrugs eventually as he heads towards the door and grabs Lu Han’s keys.

Then he remembers: He can’t drive.

Baekhyun: yeol, come with me

10 minutes later, there is no reply.

Sighing once more, Baekhyun pulls out his phone and taps one of the numbers he sees on the screen.

“Hey?”

“Can you drive me to get KFC?” Baekhyun says. “I’m already at the door.”

“Okay.” The call ends quickly but Baekhyun can still hear the children’s voices as it echoes not only in real life but also from the call. Baekhyun forgot that children are this loud. After all, he was never truly this rowdy when he was younger.

Baekhyun watches as his hyung walks out of the room and closes the door behind him with a small but charming smile.

“Ready?”

Nodding, Baekhyun follows the smaller outside and the both of them get into Lu Han’s car. Baekhyun swipes out the location of the nearest branch while Minseok drives out.

“Why aren’t you inside with us?” The older asks, his youthful eyes blinking cutely as he scans the road.

“I’m just not used to many of them around.” Baekhyun replies, wondering if that’s a weird thing to feel. “They sound lively and loud.”

“Seems like you were around adults too much, huh.”

“Yeah, I guess.” A little distant, Baekhyun stares out the window and watches as daily life passes before him as the car speeds. Strange, now that it’s spoken aloud, because Baekhyun had never really thought about it.

When he tries to think back to the childhood he once had, he realises he can’t remember anything that had to do with being around children his own age, except for Chen and Jongin. Sometimes his childhood memories consisted of playing games at Chen’s house, and a few of him playing pranks on the staff at his mansion, but most of his memories were of the big old mansion, his parents’ arguments, lonely days and nights, and sitting in front of his favourite painting.

Onto his teenage years until now – he can’t remember any youthful thing he did with children his age. His life consisted constantly of and alcohol, occasionally smoking and drugs. Yes, he had smoked but he stopped. And yes, he had done drugs before, but he’s thankful it had never gotten bigger than what it was.

Then it was trying to catch up with friends, catch up with sleep, catch up with work. Nights, if it weren’t completely blank, would be nightmares of what had happened, and sometimes nightmares of his parents abandoning him before he woke up and realised that it was the terrible reality.

Strange, because Baekhyun probably hadn’t even touched a kid since he was a kid.

He wonders how it might feel if he was really just an average child in an average home. And even all the high school dramas that people have been talking about recently – the ones the consist of cute unrequited crushes, running away from teasing the girls, playing with friends and getting into fights with other stupid boys, getting scolded by teachers and forced to do squats around the oval, studying hard with friends and napping in intervals between studies, grabbing food and spending late nights watching soccer or baseball games, maybe even sneaking on girls at night if he lived in a dorm … How would that feel like?

Would it be fun?

“They might be annoying at first, but you’ll grow to love them.” Minseok says cheerfully, cutting Baekhyun’s thoughts off.

“Oh.” Baekhyun answers, not knowing what else to say. After all, he doesn’t even know what to expect. Children are like aliens to him.

After buying the boxes of chicken, they head back and Baekhyun convinces the older to go inside to help the others out, and that he will unload the boxes himself. Eventually, Minseok caves and he parks the car, throws the keys to Baekhyun, and then strides off inside.

Baekhyun takes his time, sliding the keys to his pockets as he takes the chicken over to the kitchen. Once he’s done, he realises that the chicken is all cold now.

Now here comes another thing Baekhyun can’t do: cook.

Baekhyun: yeol can you come to kitchen

Still no reply after 10 minutes. Sighing to himself, Baekhyun ultimately decides that Park Chanyeol is unreliable when he’s around children. Pulling out his phone to call someone and hoping that person will answer, Baekhyun leans against the marble countertop, listening to the phone ring.

“Hello?”

“Hey Kyungsoo-yah, do you have a few minutes?”

“Yep.”

“Can you teach me?” Baekhyun leans the phone between his cheek and shoulder as he moves over to grab the chicken out of the boxes. “How to heat up a lot of food at once.”

“Baek says it’s lunch time!” Chen announces to the adults before moving onto the children, speaking in Chinese that he learnt. “Is everyone hungry?”

“Yes!”

“Come with Uncle Chen~” Chen stands straight and stares at all of them strictly. “Remember, be quiet and nice and you will get more chicken. Let’s go!” Then he marches out of the room, with those kids obediently following him.

“Why didn’t Baekhyun contact me first?” Chanyeol complains, shoving his hands into his pockets as he follows along after the children. “This is some serious betrayal.”

“There he goes again…” Tao mutters. “Complaining to himself.” Chanyeol lifts his arm, pretending to hit Tao, and the younger shies away to Joonmyun.

“You’re such a bully.” Tao whines, sticking out his tongue.

“Can you not follow Sehun?!” Chanyeol shoots back, annoyed.

“You guys are enough of children for me …” Minseok sighs. Arriving at the kitchen, Chanyeol watches as the children fly towards the dining table, everyone taking their seats at the velvet high chairs and eager to dig their hands into the chicken. Everyone else is rushing over to help settle them down whereas Chanyeol stays back a bit, this time looking for his very own little one.

Shut up … that was so cringe … Chanyeol thinks to himself, lips moving and exercising to hide his embarrassment. Closing his eyes, he takes a deep breath, lets it out and then turns around to look for the smaller.

Baekhyun is in the cornerest corner of the kitchen, flattening the KFC boxes and putting them in the bin carefully. There’s an apron around him, and his ear is pressed towards his shoulder, with a phone in between.

“Mm, everyone’s having fun here.” Baekhyun is speaking gently, preoccupied as he continues to place the boxes into the bin. “Mm, can you hear them right now?” Chuckle. “It’s a bit busy … seems like they’re a handful.”

Not wanting to disturb the smaller, Chanyeol watches.

“No … I haven’t really gotten the chance to yet.” Baekhyun continues. “… Should’ve been you that’s here, not me. I don’t know anything about them … I don’t think I’ve seen this many of them since primary school.”

Chanyeol chuckles at that.

“Yes, you. You volunteer at a childcare centre now … you’ve been volunteering at several childcares and kindergartens for years now, Soo … Why aren’t you here instead?” Baekhyun has  finished putting the boxes in the bin and stares at his hands for a bit, as if at a loss on what to do. Then, he moves over to the sink to wash them.

“Oh … you have to go now? Okay then, bye bye.” Baekhyun moves over to wipe his hands on a towel. “Mm, I will. You too.”

“Boo.” Chanyeol whispers behind Baekhyun, hands immediately sliding towards the smaller’s waist. Baekhyun jumps ever so slightly, turning around to find a grinning Chanyeol.

“You’re alive.” The smaller deadpans as he slides the phone back into his pocket.

“What? Stop bullying me.” Backing away to give Baekhyun some space, Chanyeol whines. “So you can call Soo to help you cook and tell Chen that the food’s ready but not ask me? For anything?”

“I asked Minseok-hyung to drive me too …” Baekhyun mutters.

“And you asked hyung to drive you? And not me?” Pretending to be annoyed, Chanyeol leans backwards, thinking that there’s a counter behind him, but then he stumbles a little upon having miscalculated the distance between him and the counter.

So much for being cool… Reddening with embarrassment, Chanyeol crosses his arms. “I can drive too, remember?”

“If you’d check your phone and at least pretended you haven’t forgotten about me, then maybe you’d stop complaining.” Baekhyun’s not smiling, even when Chanyeol had nearly fallen. Wow, he just wants so bad to win the argument, doesn’t he?

“Check your phone, , and don’t talk about me.”

“The ? I ain’t talking . I haven’t even said !” Wow this er thinks he knows everything –

“Say that in your head again.”

“Okay, okay.” Surrendering, Chanyeol slides his hand into his pocket to take out his phone, sighing in the process and wishing Baekhyun would stop understanding him so well, so much that he would know exactly what he’s thinking. Clicking the home button, Chanyeol’s eyes widen in surprise when he sees many missed calls and messages from Baekhyun.

“… Wow, Baek.”

“Yep.” There’s that smirk on Baekhyun’s face, like he knows he’s won the argument. God, why does this Baekhyun have to be so insufferable … insufferably cute? This competitive side to him is actually so adorable and Chanyeol has to hide his chuckle.

“… Wow, Baek, I didn’t know you were so clingy.” Okay, there’s no holding back his laughter now. The smirk is wiped off and the smaller glares at him, picking up the soap and looking like he’s ready to throw it at Chanyeol. Laughing, the taller moves back a bit, hands out to defend himself, still laughing when his boyfriend sets down the soap and wipes his hand on the apron, looking as if he’s ready to accept the loss.

“You’re such a bastard.” Baekhyun complains.

“Hehe, just joking.” Chanyeol moves closer to Baekhyun again. “Come to the table with me! I’m starving.”

“Maybe later.” Watching the smaller disappear out, Chanyeol follows, and then finds the smaller lying down on the couch in one of the rooms. “I’m tired.”

“Stop avoiding the kids and come.”

“Later.” Now, Baekhyun is pulling out his phone. Sighing, Chanyeol mutters something about leaving him some chicken and then leaves the room.

Everyone files back into the room again about an hour later, and Baekhyun stands up immediately, feeling a little lost at how lively the children are as the air fills with chatter and laughter. His friends look very preoccupied, some even stressed as they rush to follow the children.

“Baek, can you help?” Lu Han bounds over with tissues. “Can you clean up the kitchen and table? We kinda didn’t have time to …”

“Yeah.” Baekhyun nods, watches as Lu Han hurries over to the children and the others and passing tissues so they can wipe the childrens’ faces and hands.

Baekhyun leaves to clean up the mess in the kitchen.

“I can’t believe you’re doing this by yourself.” Just as he’s about halfway through cleaning up, Baekhyun turns around and finds Chen along with Chanyeol.

“It’s fine, I have nothing else to do anyway.”

“I’ll get the others.” Chen says, turning to walk out of the room.

“No –” Too late, Chen is already gone.

“Take a break.” His boyfriend says as he pulls all the chairs away from the table. “You’re not a servant.”

“I very well know that, idiot.” The smaller can hear the skidding of the chairs as the taller pulls them away one by one. “I’m just trying to help.”

“You’re doing all the work!” Chanyeol exclaims, rushing over to grab Baekhyun’s arm and stop him from wiping the table. “Don’t be stubborn.” Immediately, Chanyeol grabs at the cloth in Baekhyun’s hand, but Baekhyun had already predicted this so he holds on tightly. Glaring at each other, they try to pull onto the cloth.

“You’re not the boss of me –”

“Let us take over –”

“Baek, take a rest!” A new voice says, and Baekhyun and Chanyeol look up, and find that Chen is back with Lu Han and Tao.

“Sorry, that was a jerk move of me.” Lu Han apologises as they bound over to help. “I wasn’t thinking when I told you to clean up.”

“Yeah, don’t be a jerk to Baek.” Chanyeol mutters protectively, loosening his hold on the cloth slowly until Baekhyun has full possession again.

“You should take a rest. Sorry for putting that on you.” Lu Han says again as he takes the cloth from Baekhyun quite easily. Blinking, Baekhyun stands there, hands by his side as his friends push him away from the table and usher him to leave.

“It’s … really okay. I’m not tired.” Baekhyun says truthfully. Just as he’s about to move forward and push them away so he can enjoy cleaning by himself, he yelps in surprise when someone grabs him from behind, arms winding around his waist securely and tightly.

“Yes, take him away!” The others hiss as Baekhyun is being dragged by someone with immense strength. And he’s being dragged so easily, as if this is no difficult feat.

When he’s brought back into the room, this time quiet room, the arms loosen around him and he turns around to find Minseok grinning at him.

“Shh.” The oldest places a finger to his lips, chipmunk eyes looking youthful. “The kids are taking a nap.” Turning around, Baekhyun finds Joonmyun and Kris watching over the children, who are sleeping soundly either on the richly carpeted floors or the comfortable velvet couches.

“…” Sighing, Baekhyun moves to walk back out to clean up, but then the older holds him back with an outstretched arm blocking Baekhyun’s upper chest. Baekhyun pushes forward, but he doesn’t budge. When he turns to stare at the older, Minseok’s eyes are blinking at him innocently. Realising that he is no match for the strongest man out of their group, Baekhyun’s shoulders slump and he slides down on the closest couch. Pulling out his phone, Baekhyun decides to message Chanyeol and hopes he can see it this time.

Baekhyun: we bought too much chicken, there are spares on the counter

Chanyeol: ok!!!!!

After scrolling through the feed of his several social media platforms, Baekhyun’s eyes feel sore and so he closes them for a while, holding the phone loosely in his hand. Gradually, fatigue starts to take over him.

He doesn’t realise that he’s fallen asleep until someone prods him on the shoulder lightly. Waking up, Baekhyun finds Minseok above him, passing a bowl of warm food to him – KFC.

“?” Baekhyun blinks the sleepiness out of his system, moving into a sitting position.

“You haven’t eaten.” Minseok whispers. At first, Baekhyun’s instinct tells him to reject because he had always felt guilty whenever someone goes out of their way to do something just for him, but now that the deed is done, it will be rude to reject so Baekhyun takes the bowl in his hands. Taking the chopsticks off Minseok’s hand, a little touched that the older remembered his eating habits, Baekhyun begins eating.

While he’s eating, the children wake up one by one, gradually, and slowly but surely, the room comes back alive.

Just as he’s on his last two pieces, one of the children run up to him, eyes bright.

“Can I have some?” He asks, pointing to the chicken that Baekhyun isn’t eating. Baekhyun freezes in his place to stare at the younger, then at his bare finger and then at the chicken.

“You have to get gloves, plate and knives first.” Baekhyun replies simply.
“And sit at a table.”

“You’re so mean!” The boy shouts, annoyed as he runs off. Shrugging, Baekhyun picks up the chicken with his chopsticks again and takes another bite.

A few minutes later, the boy returns with a drumstick in his now oily hand, running around and eating at the same time, oil all over his face. Baekhyun’s nose scrunches a little – he would never have been allowed to do that when he was younger … Are they actually being taken care of? Properly?

“He should probably wash his hands and fingers and clothes before he gets scolded by his parents.” Baekhyun points out, nudging with his chin towards the boy. Tao, who had returned from the kitchen, laughs.

“Why? That’s what everyone did when they were younger, I mean I still do that.”

“Really …” Baekhyun mutters to himself, wondering why his only memories of eating fried chicken was strictly at the table, no moving unless it’s his mouth, and wiping his face with the serviette every time he takes a bite. Did he even eat fried chicken?

Of course, such etiquette still hasn’t shaped him to become a clean man – in fact, that probably made him resent it.

Baekhyun thought that his freedoms only came after he grew up, but it seems that the children have always been this carefree.

Setting the bone down onto his bowl, Baekhyun leaves to return to the kitchen, and finds some of his friends eating the rest of the chicken quite contently on the dinner table, while laughing and talking about life.

About to just wash his bowl, he is stopped by all of them, who beckon him over and tell him to set his bowl down along with their other dirty bowls. Just before he settles himself next to the space that Chanyeol had made for him, one of the boys run over for more chicken – the same boy that Baekhyun had lectured earlier.

Staring at Baekhyun for a while with a frown, the boy then turns to Chanyeol with a wide smile on his face, his greasy fingers stretching for more. Baekhyun watches as the taller reaches in with his long arm to take a chicken in his (also) greasy fingers, and then passing it to the boy with a giant smile on his face.

“Remember the chicken is for eating, not for hitting.” Chanyeol warns kindly, then watches the boy run off.

Okay, so Baekhyun had always seen Chanyeol as some weird form between an adult and a child, but not quite a teenager, and that’s why he never cared much if the taller ate chicken with his fingers or didn’t place a napkin on his lap (just as he’s sure Chanyeol would if his mother was watching), yet now watching Chanyeol present himself messily in front of a child is surprising, because Baekhyun had never been brought up that way. Of course, he’s seen other children eat like Chanyeol does, and he had only regarded that as normal because he assumed the children’s parents weren’t there to strictly enforce table manners, like his mother had when he was younger.

Looking around, it seems like no one really seems to be bothered or surprised by this, and that it’s just him.

“They’ve all woken up now, I think you should go back and help the others.” Baekhyun says to the ones sitting at the table. “I can –”

“Rock paper scissors!” The others shout, startling Baekhyun. Blinking, he watches as his friencs totally ignore him and continue to play that game until there is one sure loss – which is Chen.

“WHY?” Chen whines as the others snicker and leave the table, all except Chen. Confused, Baekhyun tries to catch his friend’s eye, but then a hand sneaks down to grab his and then he is being pulled away.

“Move, I’m going to the kitchen.” Baekhyun says, trying to pull away, but then his boyfriend holds on tighter, squeezing.

“Let him clean up himself – we agreed on this.”

“It’s time to let the lazy do the job anyway.”

“About time Chen stopped avoiding dishwashing.”

“Look after the little ones with me.” Chanyeol whispers, smiling goofily as he pulls Baekhyun all the way back inside the rowdy room again. Baekhyun watches as the children crowd around Chanyeol, pulling at him constantly. Chanyeol is all grins and smiles as he bends down a little, hands outstretched to meet the little fingers. A mischievous boy jumps on his back and a girl climbs into his arms. Eventually, Chanyeol loses balance and falls until he disappears among the children.

When Baekhyun walks forward until he’s close enough, he can see the children palming Chanyeol’s hair and touching his face. Chanyeol is suffocating.

“Stop right now!” Baekhyun says sternly as he takes a step forward. His voice rings in the air and the children stop, turning to stare up at him. Upon finding an unfamiliar face, they quieten down immediately, blinking innocently up at him.

“Stand in a line. Now.” Baekhyun scolds, pointing to a spot. Maybe they don’t understand him … “Three … two …” The kids begin scrambling to stand in a line. Maybe they do, from his gestures.

“Apologise.” Baekhyun says in Chinese, using his very limited knowledge.

“Baek…” Baekhyun pulls out his phone then pulls out one of the translating apps.

“… Sorry, Mr Chanyeol.”

“Pull your ears and squat down. Don’t talk unless I tell you to.” Baekhyun says into the app, then the translation plays out to them. He examines every one of them closely, speaking into the app again. “Do it now.” Immediately the children do so.

“Hey, Baek, it’s okay …”

Baekhyun thinks he’s done a very good job for someone who hasn’t interacted with children for years, but then one of the children bursts into tears. At that one outburst, the others begin crying one by one, until all of them are wailing and sobbing.

Blinking in confusion, Baekhyun now tries to reminisce what his mother and maids had told him to do to stop him from crying.

“Stop whining or I will take all your toys away.” At that, the little ones cry even louder whereas the older ones try to stop. At this point, the others have already stepped closer to the children, bending down to cheer them up and coo at them. Chanyeol grabs him by the arm to stop him, and Baekhyun looks up at him, blinking.

“Baekhyun-ah, stop.” Chanyeol whispers as cries fill the air. “That’s not how you talk to them.” Before Baekhyun can respond, the taller had moved towards the children to cheer them up.

Standing in his spot, he watches as Chanyeol kneels down on one knee and captures a boy in his arms, hugging him tightly.

“Aigoo … Chenle, don’t cry …” Chanyeol coos warmly, squeezing the little boy. “Uncle Chanyeol will buy you lots of sweets!”

“Gege …” The boy cries harder, maybe because he doesn’t understand what Chanyeol is saying.

“Gege? Oh, Chanyeol gege will take care of you … Don’t cry …” When the boy has calmed down, Chanyeol grabs his cheeks and squishes it playfully, then ruffling his hair, then planting kisses all over the boy’s small cheeks, and then embracing him once more, letting the boy hold onto him tightly. Even after the boy’s cheered up, with tear-stains on his cheeks, the taller still has that protective arm winded around the boy’s tiny body, as if ready to grab him and comfort him again if need be.

Baekhyun closes his eyes. Somehow, this scene has sparked a little memory inside him. He remembers being treated like that, maybe once or twice, when he was really, really, really, young. Maybe back then when everything was okay. So young that he’s not sure if it’s a memory or just a dream.

Aside from that tiny spark, everything else is unfamiliar.

Is that really how you’re supposed to treat children? Or are they supposed to be treated how Baekhyun was treated?

“If you do that … they’ll just grow up and become brats.” Baekhyun mumbles, because he remembers that’s what his guardians have told him – his maids, butlers, and parents.

“No, Baek, you’re supposed to spoil them.” Chanyeol says, chuckling as he continues making faces to make the boy happy.

Spoil them …

Baekhyun wonders how that feels for a child.

But watching pure happiness show on the boy’s youthful features, Baekhyun finds that maybe that’s enough for him to understand.

Happy birthday to Mel for March 23rd~