A pair of innocent small eyes who belong to small boy with black hair peeks from behind the wooden door, watching two figures that he loves arguing over something that he doesn’t really understand. He hears his mother saying ‘tired’ and ‘hurt’, two words that he doesn’t really like since the meaning of those words are not good. He knows the feeling of tired, it’s when he plays with his brother too much or when he just gets back from school after long day. Maybe his father and mother needs a good rest so they won’t feel tired anymore, he will tell them later. Hurt, the word is also familiar for him since two days ago he fell from his bike and scratched his left knee, it hurt so much that he was crying all the way home but now it doesn’t hurt anymore since his older brother put a cute pikachu band-aid on his wounded knee. He will ask his brother for more band-aids for their mother so she won’t feel hurt anymore.

The argument is getting louder and the small boy is starting to feel scared. His father is raising his voice and her mother is crying. He knows that his father is angry, because his father only raises his voice when he makes him angry, like when he disturbs his brother who is studying or when he doesn’t brush his teeth after eating candies. He understands why his mother is crying, he always cries when his father is angry anyway. He still watches silently behind the wooden door, praying that his mother will apologize so his father won’t be angry anymore.

“Mom? Dad?”

The small boy’s eyes lit up when he sees his older brother at the front door. A frown is visible on his face and the adults stop arguing instantly. He can see that his mother stands up from her seat and caressing his brother’s hair.

“Kibumie, go to your room and change your clothes now, okay?”

“Mom, why are you crying?” The boy shifts his gaze at his father who looks away. “Did you have fight with Dad?”

His mother only smiles as she wipes the tears on her cheeks and takes his brother’s hand, gently dragging him into his room. The small boy steps back when he sees both of them walking towards his direction. Before he can go back to bed and pretend to sleep, the door opens. Like a deer caught in the headlights, the small boy stands still as his older brother and mother stare at him.

“Yesungie, you are awake?” His mother looks surprised when she realizes that his youngest son isn’t sleeping. Yesung usually takes a nap after coming back from school but today he couldn’t sleep and decided to watch his parents arguing instead.

“I am not sleepy.” Yesung fidgets in his position, he can’t lie to his mother after all.

“I see.” His mother sighed and shifts her gaze at Kibum. “Mom will prepare for dinner. Kibum, Do you have homework? If you don’t, play with Yesungie until dinner is ready, okay?”

Kibum nods his head without expression. For an eight years old, Kim Kibum is really a serious kid. Blessed with genius brain and mature way of thinking, the boy doesn’t really have many friends and only likes to stay home, reading book or doing his homework. People keep saying Kibum is a cold kid but Yesung knows better that his brother isn’t cold, even though sometime he teases him until he cries; Kibum will always apologize and shower him with kisses. People keep saying Kibum is awkward and not friendly but Yesung knows better that his brother is just hard at expressing himself but when he smiles, it can light the world up. For Yesung, Kibum is the best brother in the world. He always teaches Yesung when he doesn’t understand homework from Mrs. Jung. He never gets angry when Yesung forces him to play lego while he is busy studying. Kibum always has time for Yesung.

“Hyung?” Yesung finally speaks up when his mother leaves the room. Kibum drops his bag on the carpeted floor and turns around to face his little brother.

“Bad boy, why are you not sleeping?” Yesung looks frightened and Kibum can’t help to smile at his baby brother’s reaction. They are only two years apart but Kibum always finds that Yesung is adorable. His squishy apple-like cheeks is his favorite feature because he always pinches them.

“I am sorry, Hyung. I can’t sleep… beside Mom and Dad are talking very loud.” Yesung then remembers something. “Hyung, do you have more band-aids?”

Kibum raises an eyebrow. “I do. What for? Are you hurt anywhere? Did you fall again?” Kibum inspects every inch of Yesung’s body with his hands.

“No, it’s for mom. She said her heart hurts.”

Yesung can see a frown forms on his brother’s face.

“What do you mean?”

“I saw Dad and Mom were talking. Mom said her heart hurts and she is tired then Dad was raising his voice. I think Dad is angry at Mom because Mom is crying.” Yesung walks closer to his brother and wraps his short arms around his brother’s waist. “It was scary because they were screaming at each other. I am glad that Hyung is back.”

Kibum doesn’t say anything. He might be young but he understands what’s going on. Their parents just had a fight. He looks down at the bundle of messy black hair and hugs his brother back. Yesung feels the warm radiates. He loves his brother so much and he wishes that they can stay like this forever.

**

“I am sorry, Kibum.. Yesung…”

Nothing lasts forever. That’s what Yesung learns as six years old. His mother just says that she and his father don’t love each other anymore and decides to part ways. Yesung is confused. How can they not love each other anymore? Is it possible? Does it mean that maybe in the future they won’t love him anymore? The thought really makes him scared but Kibum Hyung says that he will always love Yesung.

“From now, Yesungie and Kibumie will stay with Mom, okay? Dad will stay here.”

They are now at their house and his mother has packed their stuff. His mother says that they will leave the house and live in another city without his father. He asks his older brother why they should move out of this house and leave their father and Kibum Hyung says it’s because Mom and Dad got divorced. Yesung never heard the word before but he mentally adds that word to the list of word with bad meaning.

“You will stay here alone?” Yesung tilts his head to the side. He can see that his father’s eyes become teary. “I don’t want you to be alone.”

“Yesung, we should leave now. You can visit your father again every weekend.” His mother his back gently. Yesung looks up to stare at his mother and then shifts his gaze at his father.

“But.. Dad will be alone during weekdays.”

“It’s okay sweetie. I will be okay.” His father is now crying but a smile plastered on his face. He looks really sad as he says those words.

Yesung frowns and feels like hot tears form on his eyes. He doesn’t want to leave his father alone. He doesn’t like the idea. “No. I don’t want to leave Dad alone. I will stay with Dad.” He looks around then his eyes meet with Kibum. “How… how if I am with Dad and Kibum Hyung with Mom? So no one is going to be alone?”

His mother raised her eyebrows in surprise and for once Kibum looks flustered like he just heard something bad. Yesung walks towards his father and tug on his pants, asking him to crouch down; when he does, Yesung immediately hugs him. “You have me Dad, so you won’t be alone.”

The young man is crying now as he hugs his youngest son. The mother covers , trying to stop her sobs. Kibum can only stare at his little brother as the tears slowly fall on his cheeks.

“Okay, Yesungie will stay with Dad. And Kibumie will stay with Mom.” His mother finally speaks up. She honestly feels sad but her son’s innocent thought of his father really touches her heart. The man may be her ex-husband but there is no such a thing of ex-father and she won’t force him to choose between their parents.

Yesung nods his head excitedly. He feels happy to know that no one is going to be alone. He releases himself from his father’s embrace and walks towards his older brother.

“Hyung, you should take care of Mom, okay?”

Kibum feels really sad right now but he can’t help but chuckle at his brother’s words. He acts like he is the oldest now, telling him to take care of their mother.

“Of course. You too, should take care of Dad, promise?” Kibum raises his pinky finger.

Yesung smiles cutely and makes a pinky promise with his brother.

“Yesungie, Mom and Hyung will visit you every weekend, okay? Don’t be naughty kid.”

Yesung makes a salute pose, drawing a chuckle from the people in the room. His father helps his mother to carry the boxes with their stuff in it outside, leaving the kids alone at the living room. Yesung doesn’t say anything and slowly hugs his older brother.

“Hyung will always love me right? Don’t divorce with me, Hyung.”

Kibum laughed and kisses the top of his brother’s head. “I won’t. I promise.”

                Things are well even after the divorce. Every weekend their mother always drops Kibum to visit their father and Yesung. They will always spend time together, playing lego, watching movie and Kibum will help him to finish his homework. It isn’t so bad after all even though Kibum and his mother don’t live with him anymore but he can still meet them. Sometime he misses his mother and brother too much and ends up crying in his room but his father will always comfort him with a cup of hot chocolate with marshmellow. He says that he also misses them but because Yesung is here with him, he doesn’t feel too sad. That calms Yesung for sure. He doesn’t want to be a cry baby because if he cries then his father will be sad so he promises that he will be strong like a superman.

It is weekend and Kibum is staying at his father’s house. The brothers are playing at the park near their house now, Kibum as usual, reading a book on the bench while Yesung is playing with a swing like excited child.

BUGH!

Yesung fell from the swing and Kibum rushes towards his direction to help his baby brother. Yesung frowns and grits his teeth, trying to stop the tears.

“Yesungie! Are you okay? Does it hurt somewhere?” Kibum crouch down to check on his brother but confused when he sees that Yesung is frowning like angry bird.

“It hurts so much, Hyung. I want to cry.” Yesung grit his teeth harder.

Kibum is confused. “Then, you can cry.”

“No, I don’t want to cry.