Weddings are, for Jonghoon, the most stressful events in the world.

Don’t get him wrong; he loves to be with his family and meeting the other side for the first time, but it stresses him whenever he sees the frantic wedding coordinators, the staff running around to replace broken chairs or dirtied table cloths, and the videographer changing location even on the actual ceremony.

It was reception time and Jonghoon looks at the crowded dancefloor; the DJ has already set-up his equipment and the neon disco ball has been suspended on the ceiling for a long time. The lights would dim and everyone would be on club mode, even the bride and the groom. He’s not into those wild segments of a formal occasion and would rather excuse himself and retreat to his hotel room.

Today is Seungkwan’s mom and Seokmin’s dad’s wedding. Ever since Seungkwan’s dad passed away due to some lung complications, Seungkwan’s mom didn’t bother to look for love again — even though Uncle Boo willed Auntie Kim to get married again so Seungkwan would have a father-figure growing up and Auntie Kim wouldn’t be alone.

By Seungkwan’s insistence, Auntie Kim had set out to try falling in love again. She met Uncle Lee and the rest was history. Uncle Lee is also widowed and has a son, something that brought the two together. Seokmin was introduced to Seungkwan when he was 16, and the two were inseparable ever since.

Jonghoon finds Seokmin the same as Seungkwan, only a bit toned down. Probably because Seokmin has to act like a big brother to Seungkwan, despite having only a year difference. They only talked once, sharing a common love for plays and the weather. Their most outrageous conversation was about tornadoes and how Seokmin would want to become a tornado chaser, recruiting his hyung as his assistant.

“They earn a lot from that, hyung,” Seokmin mentioned while they were talking on the veranda of one of their relatives’ house. Jonghoon quirked an eyebrow, then suddenly reconsiders if he would trade medicine for chasing a deadly weather system.

When the reception hall dimmed and flashy neon lights appeared, Jonghoon takes that a signal to get out. He doesn’t spare a look around the wedding goers; his parents know that he’s not into these kinds of stuff and Sunggyu probably went ahead even before this started.

He makes his way to the elevator located at the far end of the corridor. There were a few people outside of the venue, most of the faces unfamiliar to Jonghoon. He removes his red tie then undoes the first few buttons of his dress shirt and his coat as he strides to the elevator. He presses the up button, the elevator doors opening before he enters the metal box. His hand then presses the 25th, and the doors close, starting to ascent the floors.

Jonghoon thinks of who would be staying at the afterparty: the eldest cousin would for sure be there, Seokjin probably would too. Wonshik’s not into those types of parties unless he’s with his close friends. Uncle Lee and Auntie Kim have probably whisked Seungkwan and Seokmin away even.

The elevator stops and he steps out, making his way to his room. Hotel hallways are extremely cold, and it’s sometimes hard to walk on those carpeted floors. His mother had a hard time walking due to her high heels getting caught on the fuzz a while ago.

Clear shouts and muffled talking start to reach his ears as he approaches his room. He shares a room with his younger brother Sunggyu, and it’s strategically located between the eldest Kim cousin’s and the second Kim siblings’ rooms. He passes by Kim siblings #2’s room then stops in front of his room. The muffled sounds were probably coming from the room beside his or the next room after.

He sticks his key into the knob but was surprised that it’s unlocked. Sunggyu is definitely back, he thinks as he pushes the door in. His eyes widen when he sees all of his cousins gathered, some lying on his bed while some seated in front of the television.

“I thought you guys are downstairs?” Jonghoon manages to ask over the noise.

Pilkyo decreases the volume of the television, “Nah. Seokmin’s family would be in charge of livening the mood there. I’m already tired because of those preparations. Can’t you believe Ms. Yoojin didn’t manage to hire a wedding MC so they got me instead?! I had to study the whole script in 30 minutes!”

“And you pulled it off well hyung! You should do that as a side hustle,” Seokjin counters as he grabs the remote, flipping through the hotel-provided cable.

Jonghoon removes his tuxedo and hangs it neatly by the closet. He removes his shoes and lies down, wiggling towards a free space beside Sunggyu, who was seated near the nightshade.

They were talking about some random conspiracy theories, thanks to a documentary that was shown on SBS. “Something about aliens and immortality,” Sunggyu tries to recall, “nothing important.”

“Sounds intriguing,” Jonghoon says as he folds his legs into a crisscross position. His eyes land back to the television showing a K-drama.

“I’m not going to watch that World of the Married,” Pilkyo comments as he focuses his attention, “too stressful!”

“It’s thought-provoking, hyung,” Wonshik’s deep voice filled the room. Jonghoon always forget how deep the 5th Kim’s voice is. “This week’s their final episodes. Can’t wait how it’ll turn out.”

Pilkyo makes a face, giving Wonshik’s reviews some thought before returning back his attention to the K-drama being shown.

It’s these kinds of moments that Jonghoon loves to be with his cousins. Every time there’s a family gathering, he would always make his way to them or to whoever arrives first. They practically grew up together due to Pilkyo’s insistence. He took each one under his wing, providing free tutoring and snacks whenever possible. Jonghoon partially thanks his hyung for his help as he, along with the others, managed to get into prestigious universities in Korea.

They finish the K-drama, which Pilkyo finds boring and the others agree.

“We should’ve started the episode,” Seokmin says as he turns around, back facing the television. They sat in a circle and began talking about their summers so far. Jonghoon enjoys listening to their stories; he always finds them fascinating as it never ceases to amaze him about how his cousins get their together.

“We’re planning to look for a dorm near our school,” Seungkwan opens up after they ended a random debate on food, “do you guys know any place? We need to move out so we could focus for the upcoming SATs.”

Pilkyo’s eyes suddenly sparkle, something that Jonghoon notices whenever he has an outrageous plan up in his sleeves. Most of his plans would require parental permission, so he lowkey feels like this one would also require permission.

“Speaking of dorms, Junghyuk’s parents gifted me with an apartment at the City Jungle Complex,” Pilkyo nonchalantly starts. The cousins’ eyes widen when they heard that 1) it was gifted by his boyfriend’s parents and 2) it’s at one of the most expensive apartment complexes in Gangnam.

“Are you casually flexing on us about your new apartment, hyung?” Sunggyu asks indifferently. Pilkyo gestures and shakes his head, “No! I would never to that to you guys! The reason why I brought it up because—”

Here he goes, Jonghoon thinks as he watches.

“—it’s huge. And I might’ve not dropped it on Junghyuk that I want to live with you guys.”

Everyone went silent, then erupts into questions and other incoherent noises altogether. Pilkyo closes his eyes and waves his hands in front of everyone, “Wait, wait! One at a time!”

“Who’s Junghyuk again?!”

Everyone turns to Seokmin, who was really confused with the name. The newest addition is still having a hard time identifying his step-cousins’ friends’ names; he only has to remember that his Pilkyo hyung and Seokjin hyung have boyfriends.

“My boyfriend, little Seokmin,” Pilkyo calmly reiterates. Seokmin nods slowly, forming an O when he remembers him.

Pilkyo snickers and focuses back to the others, “Now, any more questions?”

“Is that a proposition, hyung?” Sunggyu asks, who is now on his feet.

Pilkyo looks up, giving it a thought, “Maybe. Maybe not.”

The next morning, Pilkyo just straight-up told the elders about his proposition. Jonghoon coughed when he heard him discussing about the arrangements over the morning buffet. His only hyung is a frank person, and nobody gets into his way when he has an idea.

Jonghoon also expects that one of the elders would reject the idea, as most of Pilkyo’s plans were, but he is surprised when his parents approach him, actually giving it a chance.

“You’ll need to ride the subway or the bus,” his mother thinks over as she looks at the map of City Jungle’s location. Sunggyu is seated beside Jonghoon, who is deep in thought.

“The City Jungle is definitely a few minutes away from SNU, but it’s closer to KU,” his father enforces as he also checks the map, calculating the travel time, “but it’s still your choice.”

Jonghoon glances and nudges at Sunggyu, “Have you decided?”

Sunggyu slightly shakes his head, returning his senses before looking at their parents, “I think I’ll go with it. Seeing that I only need one bus ride.” Their parents then shift their attention to Jonghoon, who was still considering the offer, “How long’s the travel time?”

“20 minutes when you take the subway. Probably longer with the bus, depending on the traffic,” his father answers while scrolling through Naver Maps.

Well, Jonghoon has this only chance to live with his cousins. While he would miss the silence and the short walks to SNU, it’s better if he has someone to constantly talk to. He actually missed having late night conversations with Sunggyu, and phone calls don’t usually give justice to the length of their conversations.

These opportunities would come in rarely, so he accepts the proposition.

Before Jonghoon knew it, he is sitting at the back of the van while his cousins file inside a few days later. Pilkyo brought Seungkwan's and Seokmin's parents, as they need to see how far the place is from their school and if the apartment is "safe". It's also the first time Jonghoon and his cousins would visit the newly-bought apartment.

The apartment is located at the 30th floor and at the end of the corridor; Pilkyo mentioned that his boyfriend stays at the 35th floor. "Are you serious? Junghyuk hyung also lives there?" Seokjin incredulously asks when his ears pick up the fact. Pilkyo nods as he refocused his attention to the road once the stoplight turned green, "I wasn't aware, but Hyori mentioned that to me while explaining the information on the contract."

They arrive at the complex in no time. Pilkyo led the way, while the others marvel at the towering building mostly covered with tinted windows and uncertainty if there are people who even live there. They reached the elevator and all of them filed in, Pilkyo pushing the button once they are inside.

Jonghoon hasn’t heard to the other Kim siblings’ final decision, but he remembers that they set up rules for the others — most probably due to Wonshik’s flourishing Youtube career. Before they separated at the hotel, he heard Auntie and Uncle Kim immediately agreed as the complex is definitely closer to their universities. The siblings didn’t need any more persuasion.

They arrived at the floor and the unit was located at the far end of the corridor. Pilkyo punched in the security code and pushed the door open once it gave a faint click. Orange lights once the door swung open, and everyone gasped at the vast space in front of them. Three bedrooms were splayed in the unit: one behind the television's wall while two behind the black leather couches. A small kitchen with a long dining table were beside the bedroom, and two adjacent bathrooms were located next to it. At the farther end of the kitchen, another door leading to a laundry area was found. Uncle Lee and Auntie Boo were pleased, most especially when they saw the laundry area.

Huge windows were the best features of the unit. It showed the bright clear sky and the roads & streets of Gangnam. Pilkyo could see the N Seoul Tower at a distance and his workplace a few blocks away.

While Pilkyo was explaining to the youngsters' parents about the ropes in the apartment, Jonghoon explores the bedrooms. Each bedroom has a quirk: one has beds stuck on the wall, one also has a huge window, and one has three beds with individual cabinets and study desks. He notices a piece of paper on the bedrooms' nightstands, all coming from Junghyuk.

"Junghyuk hyung already assigned us our bedrooms!" Jonghoon calls out as he reads one note from the bedroom. It was written that the youngest Kims would stay at the bedroom with beds on the wall, Seokjin and Wonshik staying at the one with a huge window, and the three eldest would have the one with individual study desks.

Uncle Lee and Auntie Kim stayed a little longer, talking about how their system should ideally go. Pilkyo promised that he'll take good care of the kids and he'll drive them to their schools during the first few days of classes.

When Uncle and Auntie left, they were left alone to discuss about the system and the house rules. Wonshik also brought up his own rules, mostly related to his practice and filming his videos. The others didn’t have a problem; they needed music to fill the whole place anyway.

It was the night before the big move, and Jonghoon just couldn't decide whether he should continue or not. His bags were already packed, already ended his lease at a dorm near SNU, and his parents made sure to pack snacks and condiments for the new place. He stared outside of his room at nothing in particular. Neighbors were still awake due to multiple rooms with lights on. The street lights flickered, and he could see people jogging at a late time.

The world is still awake, even if it's past 10.

What if this was a wrong move? What if it just brought more problems not only for him but for the others? He didn't feel this kind of anxiety when he moved near SNU, but why is he making a mountain out of a mole hill?

"Overthinking doesn't suit you," a voice engulfs his whole room. Jonghoon turns around and sees Sunggyu by the door, his hand on the knob. "I'm not overthinking," Jonghoon lies, turning his head back to the window.

"Yeah you are. It's past your usual bedtime," Sunggyu notes as he shuffles inside, closing the door behind him and settling on Jonghoon's bed. Sunggyu is a good observer, the only thing that he retained from their childhood. His vibrant personality diminished when he started middle school, wherein he was already a reserved and intelligent young boy.

"The moon looks lovely tonight," Jonghoon changes the topic, staring again at the clear night sky. Sunggyu scoots closer to the window, looking up to see the moon hovering above them.

"The stars also look lovely," he comments as he settles his head on his elbows, admiring the visible stars scattered in the sky.

Jonghoon sighs softly. The comfortable silence encompassing the two siblings. Even without a single word, they knew what was going on in each other's minds. Jonghoon knows that Sunggyu may not be a hundred percent onboard with this moving thing, he still decides to come along. Does Sunggyu actually know what's inside his mind right now?

"Overthinking really doesn't suit you," Sunggyu mumbles again as he glances at his older brother. Jonghoon scoffs, "I told you I'm not."

"The stars probably think you are," his younger brother jokes as he looks up, staring at a faint flickering star near the moon, "What's on your mind?"

Jonghoon shrugs, his eyes landing on the trees in front of their home, "A lot of things. Most especially if this is a good idea."

Sunggyu chuckles and sits up straight, grabbing one of his brother's pillows and playing with the edges, "Is it because of the commute time?"

The elder's lips curls half-heartedly, then sighs inaudibly, "I'm just not really used to travelling several minutes to school. I still want to stay within the school's vicinity, but I also want to join you guys."

"No one's forcing you if you feel like this is a burden for med school," Sunggyu points out, hugging the pillow tightly. He's right: it'll still be up to Jonghoon if he would join them or not. While he could do an early start, he thinks about the travel time and the times he would have to adjust. It's hard if you already have a routine, but it's nice to change it up a little. It's still summer break, and he hasn't had his schedule yet. Might as well enjoy the summer with his goofy cousins.

Sunggyu notes the sudden shift in his brother's stature, signaling that he has probably changed his mind. He stands up and puts back the pillow, shuffling towards the bedroom door.

"Get some sleep now, hyung. I feel like you already made your mind," his younger brother tells him before he closes the door.

Jonghoon once thought that he wants to be around his cousins all the time. He finally got his opportunity. It’ll be a new experience, and he’ll be able to witness his favorite people growing and going through their lives. He’ll be there to support them, provide advice if necessary, or just listen to their ramblings.

What could possibly go wrong?

Chapter Notes: Ahhhh I posted it already! I wasn't supposed to upload it yet but here we are. Originally in this page is the first chapter, but I rewrote the whole thing into something... relatable? So expect slowburn and longueur paragraphs here! (I'm really sorry, I think that's how life goes xD) Anw, tell me what you think! I'll see you guys in the next update~