he's already hit snooze once and when the alarm goes off again, his body reacts first.  minseok's eyes aren't even open yet, but his hands are removing the blanket from his body and his legs are swinging over the side of the bed, ready to stand.  he wobbles over to the attached bathroom in his bedroom to brush his teeth because he'll be damned if he's going to do anything before getting rid of morning breath.

after some water splashed on his face, he makes his way over to the next bedroom.  he raises a hand to knock, but there's already some rustling going on inside that minseok can hear.  bypassing junmyeon's room, he makes his way over to jongdae's.  minseok knocks and hears a pretty loud bang! and some cursing, but minseok's too sleepy to laugh.

instead, minseok yells "language!" through jongdae's door and doesn't even wait for the "ah, hyung!" before moving on to the next door.

if this were a video game, minseok would be at the boss level, the hardest level.  because this is jongin's room and jongin needs special skill to wake.  minseok doesn't even bother knocking.  opening the door, minseok's welcomed by a blast of warm, musty air.  it makes minseok stop in his tracks, right at the doorway.  before minseok can enter further, junmyeon emerges from his room half dressed in a suit jacket, pressed shirt, and tie.  on the bottom, junmyeon's still in his boxers.

"hyung, have you seen my-"

"in the coat closet, i picked them up yesterday."

"thank you!" junmyeon calls, shuffling out into the living area.

minseok turns back to his last brother's bed.  jongin is a big lump of comforter and sheets on top of his bed.  somehow, jongin has made himself a coccoon of cotton and underneath he's except for his boxers.  minseok looks to the right corner of the room and sees a bursting laundry bag, but that's not the problem right this second.

"kim jongin" minseok calls out.  "you're going to be late for school!"

"nughhhh"

"you've got ten minutes."

"liar."

"i'm going to count to three and then it's sheets off."

"buh"

"one."

"five more minutes."

"two."

"hyuuungggg"

"three."

minseok tugs on the corner of the sheet and jongin goes rolling.  there's a dull thud as jongin lands on the floor.  jongdae's cackle passes them by the doorway as jongdae makes his way into the kitchen for breakfast.  

"hyung!" jongin protests.  "i could have died!"

"stop being so dramatic and wash up" minseok scolds.

still, minseok helps jongin up from the ground.  dragging him by the elbow, minseok escorts jongin into the bathroom in the hallway.  shoving jongin in, minseok closes the door.

"you've got ten minutes!" minseok adds.

when minseok steps into the kitchen, junmyeon's wearing a canvas apron that has a drawing of a girl in a bikini on it, over his suit.  without looking up, junmyeon asks, "spam or kimchi?"

"spam" jongdae says, sitting at the kitchen table and organizing his backpack contents.

"i'll take kimchi" minseok replies, maneuvering around junmyeon to reach for the utensils.

the frying pan sizzles as both spam and kimchi are added with scrambled eggs.  after laying out four sets of utensils, minseok opens the rice cooker where there's left over rice from yesterday night.  he scoops out four bowls and passes one by one to junmyeon who tops each bowl with the contents of the frying pan.  the kimchi and egg bowl is done first.  minseok passes it to jongdae who places it on minseok's placemat.  

jongin steps out of the bathroom, steam from his shower following him out into the hallway.

"spam or kimchi, jongin?" junmyeon shouts to a still half asleep jongin.

"mmfm" jongin responds.

"what?!" 

"he means both" minseok translates.

jongdae's spam and egg bowl is done next and minseok passes it to jongdae, who complains that there's red chilli flakes on his spam from the kimchi.

"just eat it, you brat!" junmyeon shouts, one hand on his hip.

minseok snorts into his cup of water.

jongin comes out after junmyeon has taken his apron off.  junmyeon's half way done eating his spam and egg bowl when jongin finally sits down at the table.

"it's all cold now!" junmyeon scolds jongin, who grunts with a shrug.

"i'm off.  i'm eating dinner with friends tonight, so don't wait up!" jongdae announces, swinging on his backpack and rushing toward the door.

minseok's not finished with his bowl, but he jumps up too, watching jongdae put his sneakers on.

"don't drink too much" minseok tells jongdae.

"ah, hyung!" jongdae whines.  "it's a friday!  everyone stays out late drinking on fridays!"

"still, don't drink too much" minseok advises.

jongdae pouts.

"whatever" he says before running out the door.  "don't wait up!"

all four of the brothers know that minseok will definitely wait up.

minseok makes his way back to the kitchen table where junmyeon is getting ready to leave as well.  he opens the refrigerator door and curses under his breath.

"damnit jongdae forgot his lunch."

junmyeon grabs his own packed lunch and jongdae's.  he hastily shoves his feet into his dress shoes and waves at minseok.

"bye hyung. i'll call if i'm late!"

"be careful!" minseok calls out, but junmyeon's already running down the apartment stairwell to catch up to jongdae's elevator.

the door closes behind junmyeon and finally, minseok sits back down at the table.

jongin's slouched over his kimchi spam and egg bowl, which is almost twice as big as everyone else's.  minseok's done with his bowl in three more spoonfuls.  he gets up and collects all the bowls and utensils that junmyeon and jongdae have left behind.  he deposits them into the sink and starts to do the dishes.  while he's doing the dishes, he glances at the clock hanging near the fridge.

"you should get going too" minseok tells jongin.

"mmhm" jongin replies.

jongin gobbles up the last of his rice bowl and takes his bowl and utensils over to minseok at the sink.  leaning in close, nearly towering over his oldest hyung, jongin bends down to kiss minseok on the cheek.

"i'm off, hyung" jongin says.

minseok turns the water off and wipes the moisture on his pajama pants.  he walks with jongin to the door, carding his fingers through jongin's bed hair.

"don't fall asleep during class."

"i'll try" jongin says, smirking.

the door closes behind the last of his brothers and minseok lets out a little satisfied sigh.  after he finishes up with the dishes, most of his morning work is done.