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Whenever I tried to get close to you

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He watched his hyung tap a pen on the notebook as the elder pondered the problems over. Jongin couldn't help but marvel at how Kyungsoo's forehead creased in confusion, couldn't help his lips lifting up into a small smile at how cute his cousin looked. And at that moment, he silently thanked the heavens for having a cousin like Kyungsoo. But, of course, he wouldn't let him know that just yet. He just... liked his hyung too much.

"Hmm. We already went over this one," he heard the elder grumble under his breath, "right?"

Jongin peeked at the worksheet on Kyungsoo's lap, the wind blowing some of the sheets over. He smiled at him timidly, hiding his fluttering eyes behind his bangs as he bent a little.

"Yup. And I know you can do that. I believe in you," he replied at the elder, grinning.

Kyungsoo just stared at him for a second, but rolled his eyes as he hunched down to chuckle.

The boy didn't miss the blush on his hyung's face which he thought was adorable.

"You're so cute hyung." He scooted closer to Kyungsoo and lifted his hands to the elder's face to poke his cheeks, laughing loudly.

"Hey, what the fu— w-what are you d-doing?"

His cousin just stared at him with flushed cheeks, nose slightly twitching.

"Nothing. Just touching your cheeks."

"Now why are you doing that?"

"You're just too cute is all."

His hyung flinched a bit which didn't go unnoticed by Jongin.

"Stop flirting with me," Kyungsoo huffed, staring right at the younger's soul.

"But I'm not, I swear!" Jongin lifted his palm in the air as if to make a sign of promise.

"Whatever you say, kid. By the way, I'm done."

He grabbed the notebook from his hyung's hand in excitement, Kyungsoo shaking his head in disbelief. Jongin checked all the answers and smirked as he saw that the elder had them all correct.

"Impressive," was all he said, lifting his face up to send Kyungsoo a cheeky grin. "You got all correct."

His hyung just smiled so wide his mouth could tear any minute now.

"Really?"

Jongin found his breath halting for a second as he watched his cousin smiling.

It looked good on the elder. The smile that made creases on his cheeks and near his eyes, that showcased a set of pearly white teeth that could outshine the sun, that turned his eyes into crescents; it suited Kyungsoo.

"You should always do that, hyung," Jongin beamed.

"Sure. I've always wanted to do this; answering all the problems right. It feels good," the elder said, still smiling wide.

"Not that. I mean, yes, that, too. But that one." Jongin pointed his forefinger at Kyungsoo's lips, at his smile.

His hyung blinked twice, slowly frowning as he realized what the younger had meant.

"No, no, no. Smile, hyung. It looks good on your face!" he tried to convince Kyungsoo, but the elder only shook his head.

"No. I have no time for jokes now, Jongin."

"But, hyung—"

"I said, enough!"

Jongin's mouth gaped, but he closed it a second later. The elder just ran a hand through his orange hair, getting to his feet, grabbing his things.

"We're done, right? I should go."

The young boy just shrugged, but looked up at the towering elder to send him a smile.

"Yes. I'll see you tomorrow then? Same time, same place?"

Kyungsoo nodded and turned his back on Jongin, leaving the younger on the grass alone.

Jongin just stared at his hyung's retreating figure. He hastily pulled his backpack to his lap and fumbled with the zippers to open it. Successfully opening his bag, he fished for his small blue notebook and his pen. He stared at a photo that was stuck onto the first page and chuckled lightly. He then wrote down into a new page of the things that had happened to him that day, never forgetting to include his cousin's name for at least five times.

--

He and Jongdae were at the elder's house for another group study. It was only the two of them in the living room and they were tired already of waiting for the others so Jongdae had distracted himself of eating anything that his mother had put on the coffee table for them to munch while they did their studying.

"What are you smiling at, Nini?" Jongdae asked while stuffing two large pieces of fries into his big mouth, munching them after.

Jongin flinched and hurriedly closed his phone, darting his eyes to the elder.

"N-nothing," he stuttered, mentally smacking himself for doing so, steadying his body on the couch.

His hyung just shrugged at him and continued to gobble his food.

Jongin let out a sigh he didn't know he was holding, pulling his phone again and punching his password in.

A stolen photo of Kyungsoo, hunched over his notebook, sat on the grass, his bangs covering his eyes, flashed on the screen as soon as Jongin opened his phone.

His mouth automatically lifted its corners into an amused smile.

"Wow."

He instantly jolted in his seat, head whipping behind him only to see his other cousin, Xiumin, smiling at him, amused.

"Hyung," Jongin started, gulping. "G-good evening, Min-hyung. You're here. H-hi. How was your day?"

He internally groaned at his words. His hyung might think that he was a total idiot, sputtering and all that.

Xiumin's smile never faded and it even became bigger instead, the younger recoiling back in embarrassment.

His hyung had seen him looking at Kyungsoo's picture in his phone.

"Good evening, too, Nini," his hyung replied in a teasing tone, arching an eyebrow at him. "My day went good. How did yours go... with Kyungsoo?"

The elder's smirk was shamelessly showing on his face for Jongin to see.

The younger waved a hand in the air dismissively, rolling his large eyes.

"It seems that the both of you have gotten closer everyday," the elder remarked, slumping his body on the couch next to Jongin, gesturing to the boy's phone.

"Yeah? We're supposed to be anyway because I'm his tutor. And his cousin," he replied with a shrug, glancing at Jongdae if he was listening to their conversation and sighing as he saw that Jongdae wasn't.

"Is that really the reason?" Xiumin leaned closer and batted his eyelashes at him.

Jongin just pushed his hyung's face away playfully and laughed.

"Of course, hyung. What else would it be?"

"I see."

He was going to say something but a loud yell from someone, who he could only guess was Baekhyun's, echoed throughout the room, immediately cutting him off. Xiumin shot him a look which he couldn't understand so he only shrugged it off.

He wiped the sweat that had been already forming on his forehead without him even noticing it had.

--

To: Kyungie
Sent: 7:40 p.m.
Good evening, Kyungsoo-hyung.

The boy couldn't help but giggle to himself as he sent the message to his cousin.

Jongin was now in his room, lying carelessly on his bed with his socked feet dangling to the side.

His phone beeped, causing him to perk and glance at the new message.

From: Kyungie
Sent: 7:42 p.m.
Good evening too

He typed on his phone, smiling as he imagined his hyung bent over the phone, replying to him.

To: Kyungie
Sent: 7:43 p.m.
Where are you, hyung?

From: Kyungie
Sent: 7:45 p.m.
None of ur business

From: Kyungie
Sent: 7:45 p.m.
Pls dont talk to me

Jongin blinked at his phone, eyelashes fluttering as he thought of a mistake he had done for Kyungsoo to be acting this way to him.

He couldn't think of any so he just smacked his forehead.

Maybe his hyung was just upset over something he wasn't included.

Maybe, he thought.

He was already typing a good night message to Kyungsoo, but deleted it after.

Kyungsoo didn't want Jongin to talk to him right now.

And so the younger didn't.

But after what seemed like ten minutes of him just laying on his bed, his phone beeped again. Snatching it quickly to see if Kyungsoo had changed his mind about not talking to him, Jongin only frowned as he saw that it wasn't from his cousin.

It was a message from his dad, telling him to go to the hospital real quick.

Jongin gulped, feeling his palms already start to become wet.

He stared at the screen.

From: Dad
Sent: 7:55 p.m.
Come to the hospital right now. Dr. Park has something to say.


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you always broke