The soft crashing of the ocean waves took over him, giving the dark haired brunet a sense of calm and peaceful serenity as he watched the sandy shore that cloudy afternoon, watching a young six year old dig near the water so the incoming waves would fill his sand castle moat. Pushing his hair behind his ear, Baekhyun made a silent note to visit the old barber in the village for a haircut. Looking at the watch on his wrist, he counted that they’d been there for approximately already an hour. The beach was one of their favorite places to be, especially on an afternoon where the clouds gladly decorated the sky gray, but his son had a birthday party to attend, despite the little one’s soft mumbles about not wanting to attend.

Standing up from where he sat, Baekhyun wiped the sand off his shorts and shirt before cupping his mouth with both hands and hollering. “Kyungsoo! It’s time to go, baby.”

The distance between them wasn’t enough for the child’s disappointed grimace to be invisible to his father’s eyes. Grinning softly, Baekhyun walked across the sandy plane to help the boy put all of his sand building tools in his little red bucket. When they finished, he touched Kyungsoo on the head, moving his hair away from his face.

“Would you like for me to take a picture of this castle?”

Kyungsoo looked down at his work, but shook his head. Baekhyun only smiled. The boy never wanted any of his sand castles photographed, but Baekhyun always would anyways. It was a parent thing.

After putting his cell phone away, old and a little bulky in the back of his pants, Baekhyun held Kyungsoo’s hand and together, they walked off the beach. The bike that Baekhyun owned was faded in red paint, but very durable. His parents had given it to him when he moved back from Seoul. It was supposed to be a means of transportation for him temporarily, but he never got around to actually buying a used car, especially not with an unexpected pregnancy.

Picking up Kyungsoo by the waist, Baekhyun hoisted him on the back seat. Using one hand to hold onto the six year old, he snapped Kyungsoo’s helmet on his head. Ordering the boy to keep still, Baekhyun got on the bike and went on to tell him to hold on to his waist. After kicking the bike stand back into its rest position, the brunet turned his head back and smiled.

“We’re going back to the house to get you cleaned up for the party, okay?”

Kyungsoo never answered, only nodded understandingly.

He never talked much. At first, it was concerning to Baekhyun. He even had to borrow a bit of money from his parents in order to take Kyungsoo to a children’s doctor in a nearby town so she could evaluate him. It turned out that the boy was fine. Just uninterested in talking very much. It was unusual for a child, but it didn’t mean there was anything medically wrong.

Nodding, Baekhyun focused on the surrounding. After making sure there were no cars from behind, he began pedaling them home on the edge of the cracked and faded road by the shores of sea.

-

-

Kyungsoo was unexpected, but he was probably the best thing ever given to the twenty-five year old. Smiling as he dried the boy’s hair, Baekhyun hummed gentle songs, bobbing his head from side to side while his son watched him with blank eyes. Despite the differences in their personality, Baekhyun found that they were a perfect little family.

The greatest thing about Kyungsoo was that though his personality didn’t resemble Baekhyun’s, it never resembled his actual father’s either. Pursing his lips, the brunet gave the quiet boy a thumbs up before getting up from the floor.

“Alright, little sir. Go get your dressed. I put your outfit in your bed for you.”

As Kyungsoo padded out of the bathroom and headed to his own room, Baekhyun turned in the opposite direction, sliding the door to his room. It was small, significantly smaller than the little six year old’s. But there was a reason why Baekhyun gracefully gave his son the bigger room and that was because he was a growing kid. He’d need a big space to do all his homework amongst other things teens do. Him, on the other hand, it was a simple life. Wake up, cook, drop Kyungsoo off to school, go to work, pick Kyungsoo up from his parents’ home (since the little one had to walk there until Baekhyun’s job at the local market ended), cook dinner, put his son to sleep, shower, sleep, and repeat for the next day. He didn’t even have a bed. There wasn’t any room for one so he had to settle on a futon, which wasn’t as terrible as people often made it out to be.

Slipping off his shirt, he knelt down and pulled the top drawer of his small dresser cabinet and took out a clean piece. From the hallway, he could hear Kyungsoo walking out his room. After quickly changing, he turned his head and saw the half-dressed child standing by the doorway.

“Couldn’t get the buttons on your jumpers?”

Without shaking his head or saying a word, Kyungsoo entered the room and sat on the floor, right in front of his dad. Chuckling under his breath, Baekhyun cocked his head as he pulled the straps of jumper up from behind and clipped it on the the front. After repeating the process on the other, he held up a finger before getting up and grabbing a comb lying near the dresser.

“Don’t forget to take your present. Be on your best behavior, and make sure you at least try to eat the cake this time. Not all of it, but just try,” Baekhyun said as he combed the boy’s hair back. “You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to, but try and play nice with the others. You can do that, right?”

As always, Kyungsoo nodded. He had Baekhyun’s full faith in that the twenty-five year old was extremely sure the latter wouldn’t misbehave. When his dad put down the comb, Kyungsoo turned around and ran to his room only to return, holding a carefully wrapped red box.

“How long?”

Raising a brow, Baekhyun cocked his head. “How long what, baby?”

“Do I stay…”

Frowning, Baekhyun walked over to him and picked the boy up into his arms. “Until the party’s over like the good little guest you are.”

“I don’t like Jina,” Kyungsoo muttered against Baekhyun’s shoulder.

“Honey, please don’t say that at the party, which I know you won’t because you know better,” Baekhyun said sternly as he walked them out of his room and into the small living room where he sat down on a chair, setting the boy on his lap. “Also, even if you don’t like her, it’s rude to not show up, isn’t it? So, just go, eat her cake and I’ll pick you up in two hours. Promise.”

“Two?”

Nodding, Baekhyun smiled. “If I break my promise, we can stop by for ice cream at the market and sit by the ocean again.” The way Kyungsoo’s eyes lit up at the word made the twenty-five year old want to lean in and kiss him on the forehead. Which he did. “For now, we have to go if we’re gonna make it on time. Let’s start walking.”

-

-

The party was small, held at the only children’s park in the small rural community. When Baekhyun arrived with Kyungsoo, he saw all the parents standing by, saying their farewells before leaving. Some kids cried, not wanting to be left behind. Others playfully forgot about their parents and joined the party with ease. Beside him, he could feel Kyungsoo’s hold on his hand tighten, but decided not to comment.

Jina’s mother greeted them, bending down to compliment Kyungsoo’s appearance before gracefully taking the present from his hands when he offered it to her quietly.

“Still not talking?” she said to Baekhyun as soon as Kyungsoo began left him to socialize with the other kids--or try to. “Nothing’s changed much, has it?”

Smiling at her, Baekhyun shrugged. “He speaks more often now, but still not a lot. The doctor says he’s fine. Just shy.”

“I hope it’s just a phase.”

“Yeah, well… If that’s how it is, then I can’t do anything about that, can I?” Giving the woman a light pat on the back, he laughed. “So, I’ll be back in two hours. I trust that he won’t be a problem?”

“Kyungsoo? No, of course not. He may not talk much, but he’s certainly well-mannered.”

Compliments for Kyungsoo always made Baekhyun feel proud. Extremely proud. “Then I hope you have a great afternoon. Mind telling Jina happy birthday for me?”

“No,” she said, smiling. “Now go. You have errands to run, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then don’t let me keep you. I’ll keep an eye out on Kyungsoo, Baekhyun. You take care.”

“Thanks, Min!” Baekhyun said as he walked backwards in the direction of the market. “Like I said. Two hours. Two.”

-

-

The walk down to the market was a downhill stroll, which felt nice, but in the back of his mind, Baekhyun was well aware of the fact that he’d have to lug around bags of vegetables and spices up the hill to retrieve Kyungsoo and then repeat the process downhill all the way back to their little house at the edge of the tiny town. He took in a deep breath, at least grateful for the cool weather even though it looked like it’d take a rainy turn.

The actual market ground was busy. It was always busier during the weekends, but the man Baekhyun worked for was nice enough to let him have the weekends off for Kyungsoo’s sake. Greeting the familiar faces, Baekhyun carefully walked his way over to old man Lee’s stand with fresh Romaine lettuce and Spinach. He was the easiest man to bargain with, especially due to the fact that Baekhyun worked for him, so the man was lenient on the prices when it came to the single parent.

“Baekhyun, I had a feeling you’d be coming around today.”

Smiling at the man, Baekhyun nodded. “Kyungsoo had a birthday party to attend. I figured I might as well do some shopping.”

“Is he eating well?”

“Just as a six year old should, if not more.”

“How much do you want? Half off for you,” Lee said, laughing. He pointed at the box full of vegetables. “Just got these yesterday. Fresh tomatoes. Better than the ones you’ll get from Ms. Bing over there.”

Snickering, Baekhyun gestured at the plants and said, “I’ll take three of the Romaine and a pound of the small tomatoes.”

“None of the larger ones?”

“I’ll just get those from Ms. Bing… Don’t give me that look. Just because she’s your ex-wife--”

“She’s a shrew.”

Rolling his eyes, Baekhyun snorted as he took his purchases from the old man and exchanged him with money. As always, the man liked to talk trash about the woman in bitter taste. “She still needs to eat, Lee. Anyways, thanks again.”

“Yeah, yeah. Get out of here. I don’t want to see you on your day off when you could be with Kyungsoo.”

“Like I said, little’s guy’s at a birthday party.” He waved. “I’ll see you Monday.”

“Monday.”

After leaving the old man’s stand, Baekhyun turned with the intention of heading over to Ms. Bing’s tomato stand. If there was one thing Kyungsoo liked, it was certainly that for some reason, but the brunet wasn’t going to complain about anything that was healthy for a growing six year old.

As he walked his way to the other side, passing many vendors and other sellers, he noticed a familiar woman, hunching over a box of shrimp just caught off the bay that morning. Knowing that he had the time to swindle while Kyungsoo had to go through the insufferable events of childhood birthday parties, he walked over and put a hand on the woman’s shoulder.

Surprised, but immediately welcoming, she smiled at him. “Baekhyun!”

“Hello, Mrs. Park. Doing some extreme hauling today?” he teased when he saw the amount of bags she had around her. For a moment, he thought about offering his help. “Those look heavy… Is Mr. Park or Yoora here with you?”

“No, no. I’m here by myself,” she replied. “Doing some shopping.”

“Some… Seems like a lot?” Laughing, Baekhyun crouched down beside her. “What’s the occasion? Probably nothing that has to do with Yoora. I know she doesn’t like shrimp, and Sehun picked up that habit.”

For a while, she did not answer him, seemingly trying to word her response carefully in her head before verbally giving it. Then, as if giving up, she sighed and looked to Baekhyun, happy and yet concerned. “My only son will be coming home in a few days. I thought that I should prepare his favorite meals for when he returns.”

Baekhyun froze, staring at her as if she had just released a bomb on him--though it did feel like he was just hit with something big. “I’m sorry, but you said that--”

“Chanyeol,” Mrs. Park said, bluntly clarifying once and for all. “Chanyeol will be coming home and staying with us for two weeks for his vacation this year.”

“Oh… Is that right?” Baekhyun drew his eyes away from her, staring at the seafood instead. He attempted to smile and tried to seem happy, but he knew that she wouldn’t buy it to begin with. “You and Mr. Park must be very excited. Yoora, too. I don’t think he’s seen Sehun since the time you all visited him that one summer, but the boy was only about three and… Well, I’m just rambling now, but really. You must be happy.”

“We are. We’ve very excited…” she said softly. Then, she put a hand on his arm. “Baekhyun, dear, I know that you’ve spent all this time hiding it, but…don’t you think it’s time you tell my son? He deserves to know about Kyungsoo, honey.”

“Mrs. Park, we’ve talked about this,” Baekhyun replied gently. He understood where she was coming from. As a grandmother who enjoyed all of her grandchildren, it must’ve hurt her watching Kyungsoo grow up knowing who he was to her, but also knowing that Kyungsoo will never know who she was to him. “I don’t think it’ll do any good.”

“What if he’s changed? He can be a father.”

Shaking his head, Baekhyun gave her a smile that held no promises or hope. “I understand, but things are too difficult now. However… I promise that if the time ever comes when I have no other choice but to tell him, then he’ll know. But I won’t force us on him. I won’t do that to him or to Kyungsoo.”

-

-

“This has been an interesting night.”

“But glad that our callers called in to let us know about what they think about the new bands we played tonight. We’re going to play one last song before Park and I go off air.”

“Turn up the music, but don’t drink and drive!”

“And with that, enjoy your night, kids.”

The green light turned off, signalling the end of broadcast. Taking off his headphones, Jongdae turned to his broadcasting mate, hitting him softly on the shoulder. “So have you made up your mind yet about going out tonight? The crew’s going drinking,” he said, trying to coax the other. “It’s on the producer--Isn’t it, Junmyeon!?”

From beyond the broadcasting glass, the young producer rolled his eyes, nodding.

Smirking, Chanyeol set aside his headphones and leaned back in his seat. He was tired, neck aching from terrible nights of failed attempts to sleep, but he was hungry and a drink or two didn’t sound so bad. He didn’t have any plans of being entirely dead drunk, but it was a Friday night and it was his last show for a while. Celebration called for alcohol.

“How wasted will I be if I say yes?”

“ing wasted.” Jongdae grinned. “And if you turn on the charms and smile the way you do when you’re out to get something a little sweet and wet, you might even get a good before shipping yourself back to your hometown full of the old and the dying. Hardly the place for a rough and tumble bachelor like yourself.”

Throwing his head back, Chanyeol burst out in a fit of laughter before containing himself enough to get out of his seat and start walking back to the studio. “Whatever. Sign me up. Are you leaving right now because I gotta go take a piss.”

“By all means, piss away,” Jongdae said, bending over as if to mimic a curtsy. “I gotta stop by the lounge and get my things. Meet you down in the lobby.”

“Sounds great.” Stretching his arms in the air, Chanyeol yawned before noticing his producer walking over to him. Cocking his head to the right, he crossed his arms. “So, ready to pull out that black card of yours?”

“Least I can do for the ratings you give this station.” Junmyeon rubbed the back of his neck. “Got anything to get before we let the next team take over?”

“Nothing,” Chanyeol replied. “Didn’t bring anything but my keys and wallet today.”

“Practical. Headed off to the restroom?”

“Yep.”

They began walking out the room, briefly greeting and saying good-bye to the staff getting ready to host the next show. Normal people would’ve been tired and exhausted, but the people who worked in that building were practically nocturnal. Work by night, sleep by day, and Chanyeol was no exception.

“What’s this deal with your sister? Heard you’re doing her a little favor.”

Chanyeol shrugged. “Little favor my . She’s been bugging me to visit the village this year for my time off,” he said, sounding more annoyed than he intended. “Family, you know. They want to see me.”

“Ever told them that they’re more than welcome to visit you here? Somewhere where there’s, I don’t know, civilization?”

Snorting, Chanyeol laughed. “They say they don’t like it here, which is bull. What’s not to like?”

“Exactly.”

“I just call them every now and then, but that’s it. They still send me letters and get their pictures developed like it’s not the twenty-first century already.”

“It sounds like the stone age,” Junmyeon muttered. “If you need any help down there, give me a call and I’ll pull some strings to get back here where there's electricity and running water.”

“Thanks for the offer, but I think I can survive two weeks without dying--hopefully.”

“Well, you never know what could happen.”

“I’ll just pray the time goes by quick and easy all the way there,” Chanyeol said, sighing when he saw the restroom sign. “See you downstairs? Don’t be s and leave without me.”

“Why would we leave without you? Tonight is all about Park Chanyeol.”

-

-

Baekhyun woke up at five-thirty to the sound of his blaring alarm. He was tired, exhausted, but not physically as much as he was mentally, mulling over the fact that his ex-boyfriend might be rolling into town that particular day. Pushing himself up from the bed, he rubbed the back of his neck before he stopped and plopped back on the futon groaning.

It had been seven years since they last saw each other, even talked. Despite the older man’s life in Seoul and his quiet life in their home village, the world wasn’t small enough for them to never meet again, accidentally or not.

The second he realized he was dreading too much on the issue, he sat back up again, pushing aside his blankets. There were things that needed to be done. He needed to take a shower, start cooking, wake Kyungsoo up and get him ready for school. Baekhyun had all the time in the world to think about bumping into his ex-boyfriend, though he knew this wasn’t exactly true since he probably had less than twenty-four hours to get himself ready.

Walking from his room and straight into the small kitchen, Baekhyun the lights and the small radio he kept near the edge of what little counter space he had to work with. Though the music that played had little bits of static noise to it, it was part of his morning routine to listen to old music, often classical.

It didn’t take long to cook the eggs and the rice. Being a single parent for six years also taught Baekhyun how to make soup in just half the time it used to take him back in the day. There was still kimchi leftover from when his mother stopped by the small house to visit them and drop off some food. The woman worried too much over her son and grandson’s health despite knowing how well-provided both were, especially with Baekhyun well-acquainted with people at the market who would often give him things on discount or for absolutely nothing at all.

Waking up Kyungsoo was Baekhyun’s favorite part of the day. To walk in the boy’s tiny room and see him peacefully sleeping with the full knowledge that the boy was his baby alone, it brought a sentimental feeling to the brunet’s chest every time.

Knocking on the wall twice before turning on the lights, Baekhyun put him his usual grin as he knelt down by the side of Kyungsoo’s bed, gently whispering things to the boy as he softly grazed his hand across his cheek. “Wake up, sleepy head. We have to eat and get you to school. It’s looking a little cloudy today so it might rain.”

Kyungsoo slowly woke, his eyes fluttering tiredly as he did so. He lied still for a few seconds before Baekhyun put his hand underneath his body and began to gently push him up into a sitting position.

“If you don’t get up now, your breakfast will get cold,” Baekhyun said in a song-like tone as he helped the six year old stand. When he was sure that the boy could follow him ten steps into the kitchen without toppling over, he turned his back and led the way. “Grab a seat, baby. I have something to tell you today.”

Baekhyun waited while Kyungsoo nodded, padding his feet over to their table and pulled out a chair, crawling on it before sitting down. Multitasking, the brunet grabbed the bowls of rice and the kimchi bowls to put on the table. “Today, I’ll be working a little bit later. One of the fishing boats is coming back tonight and a senior at the market asked if I could help. I said yes since it’s very easy money to unload things. But this means you’ll have to stay at Grandma and Grandpa’s after dark. I won’t be able to pick you up at six o’clock like I always do. Nod if you understand, okay?”

Promptly, Kyungsoo did as he was told and nodded.

Smiling, Baekhyun went back to the kitchen counters to get the rest of the food. “You’re so smart. Have I ever told you how lucky I am to have you?”

Then, for a brief second between getting the dishes and turning back around to the table, Baekhyun could’ve sworn on his life that he witnessed Kyungsoo smile to himself briefly before stabbing one of his eggs with a fork.

-

-

Everything looked the same way it did since he last came, almost eight years ago. It wasn’t difficult to note. Even with the bus moving extremely fast on bumpy old and broken roads, he could still see everything clearly. The old candy shop he used to frequent was still there, though it had withered a bit. The sky was gray, but that wasn’t unusual. The weather there was fifty-fifty on the overcast.

The bus passed by the market, which, again, didn’t look all that different. Chanyeol already found himself a little bored at the idea of being there for two weeks, but he couldn’t turn back anymore. At least, not so suddenly.

Getting up, he took his duffle bag from overhead the second the bus began to near the only station in the small community. As it pulled up, he saw the broken, unfixed concrete, not really surprised at the lack of fixed features. The village was so small, no one felt the need to make a change. The village itself was like a time capsule, one that Chanyeol never had the intention of acknowledging ever again until then.

Getting off the bus, he immediately saw his parents at the waiting station, sitting down and speaking with one another, completely oblivious to him for a minute before his mother looked up and saw him wave. Dressed in simple clothing, they made him look too extravagant despite looking in the mirror that early morning, judging himself to be plain.

“Chanyeol! You’re here! We thought you’d never arrive!”

Chanyeol smiled as his mother hugged him. He recognized her scent. Being gone made no difference with his memory. “I forgot how long it took to get here. Nearly five hours.”

“The bus wasn’t too rough?”

“The bus ride was fine. The only thing that was bad about it was the road over here. When’s the local government going to fix all the potholes and cracks?” He sounded more annoyed than he really was, but Chanyeol made no apologies. “It’s been years. The last time they did anything to it was when I was in grade school.”

“It takes a long time for change to come around this part of the country.”

“No kidding…”

“Is that all you brought?” his father asked, looking at his bag. “No gifts?”

“I didn’t know you wanted gifts… I bought some candy for Sehun and a bottle of soju for us later, but nothing too fancy.”

They held conversations on the walk to the house not too far from the station, Chanyeol gave them brief details about his life and current job, along with his future projects in mind. He had been fiddling with the idea of returning to the music industry as a producer for newer artists, but that demanded his full time and attention, and he liked his job enough to be hesitant on leaving it. His parents, in turn, talked about the weather and the current fishing season, on how well that was going. Chanyeol tuned in, listening, but it seemed like an overplayed song since the last time he visited, they had talked about the very same things, almost to the exact detail.

When they arrived at the house, Chanyeol saw his childhood home, still a little unappealing in comparison to the glass skyscrapers of Seoul, but that was where he was born and raised. Paint peels and all.

As his father unlocked the gate to their small yard, he looked to his left, watching a familiar house in silence. Still old and rough as he remembered it. Then, with the sound of his name breaking his thoughts, Chanyeol ducked his head and entered the home.

“Your room is ready for you upstairs,” his mother said after witnessing her son almost ram his head on the door frame. “Watch your step.”

Grunting, Chanyeol looked up the dark brown stairs and sighed. He put one hand on the railing and stepped on the first step. Upon hearing the noise that ensued, he turned he to his parents and said, “The boards still creak.”

“They’ve been creaking before you were born,” his father replied. “Some things we can’t fix.”

“Good floors shouldn’t creak at all. I’ll try to get someone to look into this…” Chanyeol muttered. Nonetheless, he went on his way upstairs, familiar with the small setting, well aware of where to turn and where to enter.

His old room was just that. Old. Posters of old bands that he used to glorify were still taped to the walls, faded but existing. There were frames for pictures with no pictures to show on top of his dresser, and it had been so long that Chanyeol couldn’t remember what used to fill the empty squares and why he felt the need to put it on something where he’d see it every day, first thing in the morning.

Tearing his attention away from his room, he tossed his bags off to the side and threw himself on the bed. The fabric of the covers his mother used was nothing compared to the ones he had back in Seoul. It was rough and slightly uncomfortable. Nothing like silk at all. However, it was bearable. At least for two weeks, he hoped.

The house was filled with silence aside from the fact that Chanyeol could hear his parents arguing over food and dinner preparations, but then after five minutes of pretending as though he was unpacking or doing something productive, he heard the front door open and the voice of his older sister ringing through the house.

“Sehun! Come in here. You can play with Kyungsoo later! Let him be with his grandparents for a while.”

Frowning, Chanyeol sat up before eventually walking out of his room and peering over the railing to see his sister standing by the door. A boy no more than seven dragged his feet into the house after being ordered by his mother, and Chanyeol caught himself being surprised at how big his nephew had gotten. The last time they had seen each other, Sehun was very… small.

“Mom, did Chanyeol get here yet?” Yoora asked, voice resonating around the house. She closed the door behind her and raised her head when Chanyeol whistled, giving her a small two-finger salute. “Wow, you actually came home for once!”

“Only because you practically begged me to.”

“Well, it worked anyhow,” she said, smiling as he walked down the stairs.

They hugged for a short while of time, though Yoora made it a point to hug him even tighter when her younger brother was ready to let go. When she finally released him from her hold, she called over Sehun and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Sehun, do you remember who this is?”

The boy blinked, but quietly nodded. “Uncle.”

It was weird being called uncle of all things. It made the twenty-six year old feel a little ancient.

Grinning, Chanyeol put his hands on his knees and got on the boy’s eye level. “You grew a lot since the last time I saw you… Well, anyways, I have some things up for you upstairs. Stopped by the toy store and thought you might like them.”

Sehun’s eyes lit, but before he could say anything, Yoora turned him in the direction of the kitchen and told the boy to wash up and help his grandparents if he wanted the gifts uncle Chanyeol bought for him.

Then, alone together in the living room, Yoora turned to her brother, teasing grin plastered on her face. “Oh, you’re so good with children. So kind. When are you going to settle down and have some of your own, Mr. Park? I don’t doubt that you’re short on men and women wanting to bear your kids, let alone marry you.”

Rolling his eyes, Chanyeol scoffed. “Listen, motherhood’s been great for you and Sehun’s my favorite nephew by default, but kids aren’t on the agenda. Neither is marriage at this point. I’ve got too many things going on with the radio hosting and the music producing scene. I’m only twenty-six. I don’t want to be held down by all of this domestic crap--ah. Sorry. Not crap, but you know what I mean.”

Sighing, Yoora crossed her arms, loosely shrugging. “Well, fine. I guess that’s how all men feel at your age, especially boys who come from the city. You’re all too materialistic sometimes.”

“Right,” Chanyeol muttered, ignoring her negative implications about his characters. “Anyways, where’s your husband? Still out at sea?”

“Actually, he’ll be coming home tonight, but not until much later. Sehun and I are here to have dinner before we head back home and get things ready for his dad.”

“So after tonight, should I expect another niece or nephew?”

Scowling at her brother, Yoora jabbed him with her elbow. “Disgusting.”

Chanyeol laughed, ready to follow his red-faced sister into the kitchen where the rest of his family were preparing the food and the table when he heard soft knocking at the front door. He looked back for a second before glancing to see if Yoora had heard it too. When his sister continued walking away, Chanyeol was left with no choice but to open the door himself.

At first he thought it was a joke. The second he pulled the front open, he saw nothing but the road and the sea in the dear distant. Then something told him to look down, and there he was a boy with his eyes wide, cheeks slightly puffed, holding a plastic container. Judging from the container’s lid, the food inside was warm.

“Um, hello,” Chanyeol awkwardly said. He looked around to see if the boy was with anyone else. When there was no one else in sight, he smiled, trying his best to appear friendly since Yoora once told him that he frightened children due to his height. “What’s your name?”

The boy didn’t answer and only continued to stare back at Chanyeol blankly. Confused and curious at the same time, Chanyeol straightened himself and turned his head back. “Mom!”

“Yes?” she said loudly from the kitchen.

“There’s a kid here.”

“Who is it?”

“I don’t know. He won’t tell me his name,” Chanyeol responded, glancing back at the kid. “Um, he has black hair, dark brown eyes… Uh, he’s cute? I don’t know--”

At that time, his mother had raced to the living room as soon as she heard Chanyeol’s description. Chanyeol couldn’t explain what it was, but his mother looked petrified the second she saw him standing tall and gigantic next to the kid who couldn’t have been than a little bit above his knee. But after a few seconds passed, she put a hand on her chest and looked as if she was going to cry. Before Chanyeol could comment on it, she shook her head and quickly walked to the boy with the large container.

“Hello, Kyungsoo, dear,” she said in a soft voice, almost too endearing. “What do you have there?”

“My grandma said to bring this.”

“Oh? What is it?”

“Clams.”

“Clams?”

Chanyeol couldn’t figure out why his mother was acting so… motherly. He watched as the boy, Kyungsoo, nodded. His mother then took the container from him and cupped his cheek with one of her hands.

“Thank you so much, honey. Tell… Tell your grandparents that we said thank you.”

“They said it was for someone special.” Kyungsoo glanced up at Chanyeol and met eyes with the giant before looking back at Mrs. Park.

Smiling, Chanyeol’s mother nodded. “I see. Well, that special someone will enjoy this very much. Thank you, dear. Be careful going back home, alright?”

Kyungsoo neither nodded nor said a good-bye. He walked down the steps, but broke out into a small jog. Chanyeol expected the boy to run to the left, headed to where most of the neighboring houses were located, but instead, he watched the boy run from his house and right next door.

When he realized that Kyungsoo hadn’t made a mistake, Chanyeol furrowed his brows, confused. As the small boy walked the steps to the house, he didn’t need to knock or wait to be invited in. He merely opened the door and disappeared inside.

His mother mentioned to the boy to tell his grandparents thank you… That meant that Kyungsoo’s grandparents were the ones living next door to them. Chanyeol looked back at his mother and after seeing the look on her face, he knew that she was well aware of what he was pondering on.

“Did the Byuns move?” he asked. When his mother shook her head, Chanyeol looked back out the door and stared at their neighbor’s home.

“Some things have changed, Chanyeol… but no. They still live there.”

“They only have one kid.” His mother said nothing. “That means--”

Shaking her head, she pulled her son back into the house and closed the door slowly behind them. Gently guiding him to the dining area where everyone else sat waiting for them, she softly said, “Let’s just sit down and eat. I’m sure you’re very tired and hungry…”

Chanyeol was, but that wasn’t enough to distract him from thinking about the child next door.