How ironic, I thought as I looked down on my palms under the table, fighting the urge to cringe, I even thought of babysitting them!

The whole table is drop-dead silent as we patiently—except me, of course; this situation feels nerve-racking—wait for the remaining three brothers who aren’t here yet. Apparently, with how many they already are seated around me, they aren’t still complete yet. Three more, I swallowed. All the while I kept my gaze on my hands folded in my lap, not wanting to meet anyone’s eyes.

While I keep myself preoccupied with my thoughts, on the other hand, I couldn’t quite ignore the eyes that have been almost drilling holes onto my skull with how intense they were. As a way to distract myself from being bothered more by it than I already am, I recall each of the faces of those that I have already met. It’s ironic again because they are just merely a few meters surrounding me and I can’t even bring myself to peek at their faces for the second time. I assume some of them are just my age, like Kyungsoo’s—I reckoned that that’s his name after one of them asked if we perhaps know each other. This brings me to the question if they go to my school too.

Still, I couldn’t believe all of these. I can’t wrap my head around this reality yet, and deep within my chest, the disbelief towards Mr. Kim not informing me of these beforehand is turning more negative the longer I sit here—clueless and feeling like a prey to these guys I had never known in my whole life.

Suddenly, someone cleared their throat, making me almost startled. I heard a chuckle that made me embarrassed, until he cleared his throat again as if he thought that it was disrespectful of him to laugh, making me realize that it was just the same person. Slowly, I lifted my head. The moment I met those crinkled eyes, he spoke through his goofy grin, “You know,” he began, his grin intentionally or may be unintentionally widening when glares and curious looks darted his way. “You kind of look familiar.” he told me, his smile vanishing. Smiling or not, his pretty face looks unrivaled. Now that the distance is closer, I can see his beauty that I thought I had already seen back in the kitchen when he appeared.

Frowning thoughtfully, I tilted my head to the side, not breaking our eye contact. “You do, too.” I answered and suddenly he seems flustered. He probably didn’t expect that I would answer him.

But then, the tall guy—who is strangely still wearing his cap even at the dining table—who strongly accused me a while ago scoffed, butting in, “Stop acting close when it’s so obvious already that you are after our father’s fortune.” Unable to hold my expression, I furrowed my brows at this, displeased.

Is that what they really think of me? Getting an abrupt surge of confidence, I bravely met his eyes, trying to convey through my eyes my response to his words. That’s plainly stupid and childish.

The tension rising, I can almost feel it slowly suffocate me until it was broken by a voice that asked, “Who is after Dad’s fortune?” Blinking and tearing my eyes off those intense orbs, I turned my head and was astonished when I saw a really pretty guy enter into the dining hall. Curly-haired and baby-faced, he’s dashing but pretty feels a better fit to describe his beauty. He must be younger than me… I thought, unbeknownst to myself that I’m following him with my gaze until his eyes found mine. The second our eyes met, a tingle ran down my spine. I know I should have looked away then, but I felt more lured in when I saw that his eyes didn’t flash with animosity. As if figuring what’s going on, he nodded his head. “I see my brothers are being childish again.” He sat at the left vacant chair beside me and all the while I just kept staring at him. The lights of the humungous chandelier hung above our heads reflected the faded color of his ashy locks, emphasizing his plump cheeks and bright eyes. With my thoughts blank, all that filled my cloudy head then was that he is so pretty. Amusement shining in his eyes, he offered me a small smile. I thought that he will take the side of his brothers.

“Since when are they not?” Turning my head again, another guy appeared by the entrance of the room, clad in a fitted long-sleeved shirt that enunciated his figure. I was, yet again, entranced by a beauty that is far better than mine. However, rather than beautiful, he looks to be more on the cute side instead—with those red cheeks and cat-like eyes. He didn’t seem surprised when he saw me, and my eyes visibly widened when he took the seat on my right. Giggling, he turned to me with crow’s feet in the corner of his eyes, surprising me. “Hi! My name’s Kim Minseok. Xiumin oppa is alright for me,” He beamed at me, flashing me his rows of perfect and straight white teeth. A frown almost slipped on my lips when I heard the name he wanted me to call him, but I wouldn’t deny that I was glad that he is nice to me, and so I bit my lips instead and attentively stared at him. “I’m the oldest amongst all of us brothers, anyway.”

…what? I did a double-take at his face. He rather looks the youngest instead!

Upon seeing my reaction, he threw his head back and laughed. The guy on my left shook his head, though a smile was evident in his also pretty lips. “I always get that!” he said between his mirthful laughter, unmindful of the tense silence the rest of the people on the table emit.

Losing my guard upon the appearance of the presence of these two charming brothers, I wasn’t able to notice another brother appearing, so when I heard the marbled floor screech as a chair was dragged backward, I jumped in my seat. Xiumin’s laughter, if possible, increased in volume. It isn’t annoying but pleasant to the ears instead and somehow, it suddenly sounded closer to me. Before I could even look, a deep voice with a small distinguishable accent echoed in the room, “The name’s Kim Kris, little sis. My pleasure to finally meet you.”

With Xiumin’s chuckles fading in my ears, I followed the direction of the enticing voice. His shiny black shoes were what seemed to catch my attention first, up to the long legs covered in equally dark slacks that seemed endless, and to the crisp nice suit snug to his long and lean torso. When I saw his face, I knew then that he got the most striking face amongst all these brothers. He looks the tallest too—if there are no more brothers to come that is.

I felt a chill ran down my spine when his dark eyes collided with mine. I stilled. Why does it feel like… My hands formed into small fists. Looking away first, I focused my eyes again on my hands. Now that they are complete, it feels more suffocating than ever. The silence became more deafening. My breaths shortened and fastened. It feels like the four walls of the room are closing in on me.

I feel inferior, and I feel like I don’t belong here. And I really don’t.

The silence stretching on, when I peered up my eyes, I saw everyone just staring at one another. Someone clicked their fingers and as if I’m in some kind of movie, immediately people appeared in the kitchen all carrying different types of mouth-watering and foreign dishes I never thought I would see before my eyes. It was Kris who called them, and when all of the food is planted on the table already, he spoke again, “Sorry, I’m starving already.”

I patiently waited until all of them finished taking their own foods, thinking that it’s not right to feel comfortable yet, though my growling stomach is urging me otherwise. When the hands reaching around lessened and the sound of cutlery hitting the plates resonated, that was when I tried reaching out to the dish I had been eyeing since it was laid before me. However, someone beat me to it. The brother at my left side was putting steak on my plate. I was flabbergasted, my hands falling limply back to my sides. My eyebrows are raised at him, and the people at the table have the same reactions as well.

He met my confused eyes and smiled cutely, sheepish. He rubbed his nape shyly when I only remained staring at him with wide eyes. With that bashful smile on his face, he appeared younger. “I’m sorry,” he apologized, even cutting the meat for me using his own knife and fork. “I have been willing to do this if the time comes that I would have a sister younger than me. You know, simple things like this,” He jerked his head to my plate, while my thought was that I’m younger than him? “My name’s Luhan, by the way.” he added, sliding his fork out of the meat and turning back to his own plate.

He returned to eating while his brothers and I only continued staring at him.

“Luhan is the next oldest after me.” Xiumin told me, shooting me a small smile with his mouth closed. I couldn’t call him ‘oppa’. The mere thought of hearing myself say it makes me… uncomfortable already. It sounds intimate.

I glanced back to Luhan, studying his very pretty features. So he’s really older than me?

“Luhan hyung, Xiumin hyung,” A brother called out, and when I saw him, I recognized him as the first brother that I had met. The one who wished his sister to be ‘young and hot’. He’s already quite unforgettable, and unpredictable too. The two guys on each of my sides turned to him. “You are both too nice to that already.” He beckoned his head in my direction, rolling his eyes when we had brief eye contact.

I held the urge to roll my eyes back to him. He’s so childish.

Xiumin stopped chewing and arched a brow. “Is talking too nice already for you, Baekhyun-ah?”

Baekhyun? The name rang familiar to my ears. Where did I hear that name before?

Before Baekhyun could even answer, the intimidating brother who also wears a suit cut in, “Kim Baekhyun, shut it.” He gave his brother a reprimanding look to which the latter bowed down his head to. I slowly ate my food, the discomfort doubling. This brother hasn’t shown me any dislike since the first time we met, but nor he had shown me his likeness towards me either. When he faced me, I couldn’t read his expression. “My apologies for their attitudes. I hope you like our chef’s dishes. The best one is the roast beef from Italy.”

My eyes widened in disbelief. Italy?

Keeping in my surprise and astonishment, I nodded my