jongin wakes up to the smell of spicy seasoned pork being cooked in the kitchen, but soon he grimaces because there are other noises coming from the living room. his eyelids are heavy and he can barely get them open, but there are strange voices being loud and laughing and...

"minseok hyung-nim! we really wanted to see you!" comes a voice.

jongin's eyelids fly open, faster than they ever have before. he scrambles up from his bed, tosses on a pair of sweats and a stretched out tank top from a drawer, and runs out into the living room.

the smell of pork is stronger now that jongin's out in the hallway and the strange voices are louder and...

"minseok hyung-nim, jongdae failed to mention how utterly handsome you are!" comes another voice - one different than the voice before.

the line between jongin's brows becomes deeper as he hears minseok actually giggling at the stranger's compliment.  jongin makes an effort to stomp as loud as he can as he marches over to the living room.  there, on the floor is the large folding table - the one they only use for special guests.  there's already lettuce, wrap sauce, and peppers out on the nice guest plates, on the table.  there are actual napkins set out instead of their usual toilet paper rolls.  and there are also three faces looking up at him, who are definitely not family.

his head clears enough to recognize kyungsoo, who gives a little wave to jongin from the far end of the couch.  jongdae hyung is fiddling with the television, trying to find a good channel to leave on during the meal.  and then there are the two foreign faces, who are crowded at the countertop adjoining the living room and the kitchen.  jongin supposes that these two had been looking at and talking to minseok hyung from there.

without a word, jongin makes his way into the kitchen.  minseok is at the stove, cooking the pork whilst humming some kind of weird song.  and jongin can't believe that minseok hasn't noticed that jongin had woken up, much less acknowledged him.  so jongin, eyes still glaring at the two strangers looking curiously at him, wraps his arms around minseok's waist from the back.  jongin tucks his chin into the crook of minseok's neck and shoulder.  and he proceeds to paste himself onto his hyung's back as he continues to eye the two strangers.

"hyung..." jongin mumbles into minseok's neck.

"oh jongin, you're awake!  good timing, we're just about to eat.  did you meet jongdae's friends?"

jongin tosses the strangers (jongdae's friends) another glare as he pouts.

"no."

minseok shifts in jongin's arms as minseok switches off the stove and turns to face jongin.  there's a small frown on minseok's face.

"now, that won't do.  introduce yourself properly okay?" minseok says, jongin's cheek.

minseok turns to the two strangers and to the general direction of jongdae, shouting, "kim jongdae!  introduce your friends to jongin!"

but the strangers - there's a tall one and a short one - file into the kitchen, staring with sparkling eyes at jongin as if he were some kind of spectacle at the zoo.

"so you're the youngest kim!" the short one says, looking up at jongin.

jongin tightens his grip on minseok's waist.

"jongdae's always saying 'my little brother can out dance all of you'" the big one says, mimicking jongdae hyung's higher pitched voice.  "is that true?"

jongin steps away, backwards, pulling minseok with him.

"kim jongin..." minseok says in his warning tone.  to jongdae's friends, minseok says, "sorry, jongin is a little shy, but he's a good kid, i promise."

"of course hyung-nim" the shorter stranger simpers.  "we believe you of course."

the taller one nods his head too furiously and jongin notices that both of them look at minseok with twinkling eyes and a stupid looking grin.  something inside of jongin screams, 'danger danger!', so without thinking he hides minseok behind his back.

"oof" minseok says, bumping into the cabinets behind him.  "kim jongin!"

but at the same time, jongin glares even harder, practically growling and says, "who are you?", not even caring that he's being informal with his speech.

jongin doesn't notice kyungsoo who is watching from the counter, snickering.  the two strangers (jongdae's friends) pause, surprised and they blink a couple of times in silence before jongdae finally comes into the kitchen.  in the background, 'running man' is on the television and there's some kind of game going on that makes everyone on the program laugh.

"kim jongin, behave will you?  these are my friends" says jongdae like it's no big deal.  "this one is byun baekhyun and this one is park chanyeol.  they're older than you, so have to call them 'hyung' okay?"

jongdae turns to his friends as jongin frowns.  minseok slips away, plating the pork onto a clean plate and making his way to the living room.  jongin feels a little defeated.

"this is kim jongin" jongdae tells his friends.  "my little brother."

the focus, all at once, is shifted from jongin to jongdae.

"haha!" baekhyun teases, pointing a finger at jongdae.  "your little brother is taller than you!"

"wow" chanyeol says, looking back and forth from jongin to jongdae, "you guys don't look alike at all!"

something in the air changes and both jongin and jongdae stiffen.  jongin's just glad that minseok isn't in the kitchen anymore.  but chanyeol and baekhyun must have realized it too because they're looking awkward as they look at jongdae searchingly.  kyungsoo, too, looks away, pretending he hasn't heard.

but just then, the front door opens and junmyeon walks in.

"ah, junmyeon-ah, you're home" comes minseok's voice, sounding a little relieved.  

junmyeon raises a big plastic bag in his hand.  "can't have a meat party without more meat and beer!"

everyone laughs at what junmyeon says and somehow, the previous awkward situation is forgotten.  minseok bustles into the kitchen with the plastic bags in hand.  he hands one to jongdae.

"jongdae, can you put the beer cans in the fridge?"

to chanyeol and baekhyun, minseok says, "go sit down with kyungsoo, okay?  the rest of the food will be right out."

"are you sure we can't help, hyung-nim?" chanyeol asks, peering into one of the plastic bags.  "there's a lot of meat."

"i'm really good with a knife!" baekhyun offers, but minseok shakes his head laughing.

"can't have the guests helping in the kitchen" minseok scolds.  "at least, not on the first visit."

jongin scowls and sulks, sitting down at the kitchen table.  watching the two friends leave the kitchen, jongin whispers to jongdae who's still in front of the fridge.

"why'd you bring them here?"

he wants to complain.  he wants to whine.  minseok hyung was supposed to take him shopping for new shoes today.  they were going to go eat lunch and dessert and come back home with a pizza dinner.  but now, their saturday plans are all ruined.

"it's not my fault!" jongdae squeaks.  "but at least we get to eat meat!"

jongdae doesn't seem to pick up on jongin's utter despair, so jongin buries his face in his arms.  he hears the clinking of utensils and junmyeon's voice as he asks each one of jongdae's friends what major they are.  there's the white noise of the television in the background and at one point, jongin hears kyungsoo hyung ask, "is jongin okay?"

"he's fine" comes jongdae's flippant reply.

and jongin wants to shout that he isn't fine.  in fact, he's feeling miserable.  minseok's too busy preparing the food and filling drinks.  jongdae's no help as he's talking spiritedly with his friends.  and junmyeon hyung had going straight to his room, saying he had to finish up some document for his internship. 

and he knows that he's being childish.  he knows that this isn't a big deal.  but he feels cheated.  he feels betrayed.  and there's no way to stop the hot heat coming from his eyeballs as he feels moisture pooling at his lower eyelid.

just then,

a hand.

a warm hand.

a comforting hand.

minseok's hand jongin's back and jongin can feel minseok leaning in close to his ear.

"jongin-ah, i'm sorry" minseok whispers.  "we'll go tomorrow.  i promise."

the moisture in his eyes recede.  jongin lifts his head from his arms and though he's always tried his best to be more mature, he finds himself always being such a child in front of his minseok hyung.

"what if jongdae hyung's friends come over again?" jongin asks accusingly.  "what if junmyeon hyung's friends come over?"

"even if the president of korea comes over i promise.  tomorrow will be our day, okay?"

minseok grins, massaging jongin's ear affectionately.

"okay" jongin says inevitably and stays still when minseok hugs him, rubbing his chin on the top of jongin's head.

"alright, now wash up and get dressed properly.  i made your favorite seasoned pork."

there's a reluctant smile as jongin walks back into the hallway, making his way to the bathroom.  behind him, jongin hears snippets of conversation.

"where's jongin going?" kyungsoo asks.

"washing up" minseok answers.

"is he okay?" chanyeol asks tentatively.

"he's gonna be" minseok says.  "he's just isn't a morning person."

"hyung, it's the afternoon now" jongdae deadpans.  "stop making excuses for him.  he's just acting spoiled."

and jongin can hear minseok's tinkling laugh.

"i spoil you too, you know" minseok tells jongdae.  

and even though jongin can't see, he knows jongdae is flushed red because minseok hyung is being mushy in front of his friends.

"ah hyung~!" comes jongdae's voice.

he hears everyone laughing.

"spoil me too hyung!" baekhyun shouts as jongin closes the bathroom door behind him.

this makes jongin concentrate on washing up as fast as he can.  he has to go outside quickly and protect minseok hyung from those hyenas. he has to be on his guard.

he takes a quick shower and styles his hair with wax.  he finds his favorite skinny jeans - the ones that make his legs look extra long and menacing - and pulls them on under an oversized sweater that makes his shoulders look wider.

he takes a look in the mirror and nods, satisfied with himself.

he looks older and more built.  those newcomers can't look down on him now.

when he steps outside with feigned cool and pomp, minseok is showing everyone his baby pictures.

chanyeol squeals. 

"oh my god! jongin is in this one!" shouts baekhyun.

jongin wants to disappear.