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"But you know I'm loyal!"

“Oh, does that include Victoria as well?” Taecyeon pecked, “You guys certainly had something between you two even you’d say it was only for the show!”

It was new day again. Sun shined, but Taecyeon stormed. He wanted to know why Khun now had gone without leaving a message, even he had always left such before. Khun admitted he had forgotten that, but it wasn’t enough for Taecyeon. He had noticed Khun’s wet hair and clothes, so he assumed Khun lied when he said he was searching for Wooyoung.

“Taecyeon” Nichkhun said staring the other in serious way, because he wasn’t kidding, “I never lie. You know there was that one time, and it was enough. After that I have never lied again. I haven’t changed my mind here. Why would I?”

”Well, you tell me.”

“Yah” brothers heard Chansung’s voice, before he popped out from kitchen. He came to these two, guessing what was this about.

“We have enough things to cope to, right?”

Nichkhun glared towards Taecyeon and left out banging door loud. He wouldn’t humble on that low level to fight with Taecyeon.

”Okay ladies, here comes the lunch!”

Junho entered to cage with seeds, worms and some greenies. As he threw food all over cage, chickens started noisy cackling running around catching their lunches. Brothers had often laughed how blissful it could be if their own food would rain from the sky like that.

In the middle of feeding his only female friends in this world (actually they didn’t know the gender) Junho heard how byre’s side door banged. He got as far as thinking who would it be and why, until he saw how one of the chickens cackled while running outside of cage. Junho had to ran after it, closing the gate carefully behind him.

“Damn lady, you’re fast!” Junho shouted running after chicken. He’d never had guessed those cacklers would be so quick in running. They had their way over the yard, then right towards the sea, little bit at the forest line,  the back towards gate, sudden turn towards the house -

“Got’cha!”

Chicken floundered in strong but gentle hold of Junho’s hands.

“Madam, you have to do the dishes since you didn’t pay your lunch!” Junho joked for chicken. It didn’t cackle him back.

”I understand you’re mad at me. But don’t worry, you are now at home”, Junho said while he let chicken go back to the cage. Junho sighed, then went towards the side door of byre.

At the back of the byre itself was a room which had separated from byre with wall, done by bros. This room was both storage and place for handicrafts, like making clothes or fix them. All the fur they got from sheeps was placed here, and then made to yarn. Brothers had even found old-styled sewing machine, which worked by stamping pedal. Now Junho found Nichkhun purring fur to yarn.

”Hi”, Junho greeted him.

Nichkhun raised his gaze, ”Oh hi” he said but didn’t stop his work.

Junho looked how Thai worked.

”Are you angry about something?” he had to ask. It seemed to Junho that Khun’s working had an cranky accent.

”Taecyeon wanted to play leader again.”

“Ah”, Junho didn’t know what else would he say. Khun’s answer didn’t surprise him. Actually Junho had guessed this yesterday already. Taec wouldn’t overlook anything unusual. Junho understood his cause for that, but sometimes he was too harsh.

“Do you want me to help you with that?” Smiley-eye asked after little silence, because he thought it was good way to continue the conversation.

“Do you want me to help you in byre?” Nichkhun asked instead. To be honest, he didn’t know if they already had enough yarn, but this seemed good way to be alone and calm down. Fishing wasn’t good now, since they had made a deal to go to fish with boat at some night. They wanted to salt and smoke fish for becoming meals and eat vegetarian stuff until then. 

“No, there isn’t much to do anymore. But I think our rugs and carpets are still waiting for washing.”

“Didn’t Minjun say he wanted to get washed too?”

“Oh yeah” Junho remembered, “I could do it next. Also, I can ask Chansung to come to help you.”

“Thanks, bro.”

“Anytime.”

Junho left back to byre. He was happy that he had got Nichkhun to feel better. Now he just had to fill  goat stalls with hay before going to Minjun’s.

We could get goats outside soon, it’d be nice for them too, Junho thought while working. That would be kinda long project, because they had three goats and they could row to sheep island only with one goat at the time. Junho decided to talk about it for others later.

Some time later Junho was ready. On the way to Minjun’s he would drop digging fork to its place to greenhouse. Round closed, because he had started from there. He had been on tune today. Junho blinked his eyes first once, then twice, then -

Stop. Blur. Silence.

....

”Eh”, Junho startled. He was leaning to byre’s doorjamb. Sun shined beautifully, seagulls flew past screaming. Junho felt weird. What the hell was that? he wondered confused, shaking his head to get his brains clear. He made it while going back to house. He decided not to talk about this. He just had to be tired.

“You’ve progressed hugely!” Junho praised Minjun holding him tight on lockstep. Minjun had wanted to try walking yesterday, and he made it slowly but steady for short times. Now Taecyeon had carried him down stairs and porch: Junho would continue from this on. Minjun was all smile, even unable to talk from joy. Junho walked him with Minjun’s pace.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” Junho asked.

”Let’s stop. I want to look around”, Minjun wished. On the move he was only able to watch his legs. They stopped, and Minjun felt like whole world would open in front of him, both physically and mentally.

“Can we now use wheelbarrow?” he asked after little moment.

“Okay, I’ll shout now. Hold on tight” Junho said, then shouted loudly: ”CHAN!”

Almost immedialy Chansung ran towards them with wheelbarrow, then brothers started to organize Minjun to sit down there.

“Lean back!”

“You’re risking my life - and my knee!”

“Granpa, there’s no first class seats available anymore”

“Slow me down as I lean!”

“You’re too heavy and my arms are too short!”

“Yah! Chansung, why are you shaking this!”

“What else I can do if you guys wiggle there!”

 Situation was so comical that it ended with loud laugh. At the end they succeeded and so Chansung pushed Minjun to bath cottage and carried him inside.  Junho placed plastic chair and did preparations for wash. Then Chanuneo helped Minjun to undress. Chansung went to continue his jobs while Junho washed Minjun with water, mix of boiled & frozen; rags, soap and joy. Minjun’s wide warm smile was on hold just when they had to move him. When washing was ready, Junho covered dried Minjun with towel and went out to croack Chan back.

Minjun wanted to sit outside, so boys carried him to the bench on the porch of bath cottage. Temperature was naturally at heat level, so he didn’t freeze.

“You’d want to have painkillers, right?”

“Ne, it started to even hurt now” Minjun replied, ”But this is absolutely worth it.”

“I can sit here with you. Let’s grab something to eat”, Junho said.

“I’ll come after I’m ready”, Chansung promised and left.

Junho got new ideas continously: “Let’s go get Khun with us too!” he said.

“Where is he? I haven’t seen him today”, Minjun asked.

“Taecyeon got him angry so he has been - damn, I forgot to...”

Junho ran out from porch.

It seems he has learned to bustle just like I tend to, Jun.K laughed himself.

“Yah! Khun!” Junho shouted while we ran towards water line. Khun stood in water next to dock they had built and washed rugs and carpets with big brush. Some carpets floated in water rinsing. Now Nichkhun turned towards noise coming from house’s direction. Junho stopped at waterline.

”Do you need help?” he asked now with normal voice.

“Actually yeah.”

”Minjun’s there sitting at the bench. Take a break and come with us” Junho said, “I was just going to get some snacks.”

“Why not. These can dry on the sun or wait for their turn” Khun said, “Help me to get these up.”

Bit later Khunho went together back to Minjun’s. Taec and Chan had arrived there too. Khun startled little bit when he saw Taecyeon, but he decided to act like nothing would’ve happened. There was perky athmospere at the porch.

“You were going to have something to eat?” Taecyeon asked Junho.

“ I’m starting to be hungry, to be honest”, Chansung said.

”Well that didn’t surprise!” Minjun chuckled and got brothers laugh together. Suddenly he realized how much he had missed this kind of light, funny, sunny brother time. They had had hard time for too long.

 Accidentally Nichkhun’s gaze met Taecyeon’s, and Khun was relieved when Taecyeon smiled for him, and Taec was relieved when Khun smiled back. In that moment both knew that battle axes were now buried. Taecyeon was now free to enjoy about this moment without worry about Nichkhun’s anger. He wouldn’t want to do same mistake twice.

Taecyeon and Khun were now enough brave to sit next to Minjun, on both sides of him.

“I’m so happy for you huyng!” Taecyeon smiled. He wasn’t able to describe with words how he felt now.

“We still have hope!” Khun half-joked, and while chuckling he remembered how he said that to the camera when they had had their first press conference in Japan for a long, long time ago.

“Does your leg hurt much after all this?” Taecyeon asked being unable to stop smiling.

“I had to take medicine, so it aches only little bit anymore. You know how strong this medicine is; so if I say it’s aching little bit, it means that without medicine pain would be lot worse”, Minjun replied. Taeckhun nodded.

“Naturally” Khun said, “We have to watch out little bit. No too much strain.”

”That’s right.”

”Here comes the afternoon snack!” Chansung announced smiling. He had peas, peanuts, banana, berries and cookies. Junho brought lemonade.

“Wow, you made these well”, Minjun praised Taecyeon while munching cookie.

“I just did what you told me to do.”

“But instructing and doing have difference.”

“But -“

“Just accept my praises!” Jun.K laughed. Even tough he had sit yesterday in kitchen and instructed carefully what Taec would do (for him), it was still Taec who did all the work. Huyng’s general mood had became better when he was finally able to even help in kitchen while sitting there.

“Okay, Minjun can be the judge!”

“Good afternoon wiewers, this is grand football game between Old boys and Young boys! I’m your host, Kim Minjun. Let’s start” Minjun started hosting. Players came in with clever introductions one at the time and game got glorious begin.

“Because it’s 2 vs. 2, we have no goal keepers today! Here it goes..!” Minjun reported. Goals were plastic chair that had been carried out to dry, and two snack trays that had placed goal-like near main porch. Chansung did bombastic starting kick and so the game was on. For the first couple minutes game was really fast-paced. Minjun felt like he’d want to have helmet.

“Guys! Wait!”

Everybody froze, even Minjun.

”How long we are supposed to play?” Nichkhun shouted. It was difficult question, since they didn’t have notion called “clock” in this world.

“Would it be good if game ends or goes on hold once someone scores?” Chansung suggested. Suggestion was accepted. Game continued.

”YEEEEAAAH!” Chanuneo screamed when ball hit main door loud marking scores for them.

“2-1 for Chansung and Junho!” Minjun shouted.

“Aah.. damn!” Taecyeon exclaimed while he walked towards others. He panted.

“Should we have a break or end the match?” Jun.K the judge wanted to know.

”Let’s play until someone scores once more and then we can quit, right?” Taecyeon suggested and kicked the ball powerfully over others, making ball fly to forest.

“Yah!”

”Jesus!”

”Yah, you human!”

Taecyeon grinned like always. ”Make way, I’ll dive”, he warned smiling.

But before he got as far as diving down to sit with others, all of sudden, the ball rebounded back from forest flying far, near bath cottage.

”Yah, do you welcome people like this nowadays?”

Brothers couldn’t believe their eyes or ears. Taecyeon froze completely. Others turned their heads.

Then - he just stood there. Their brother Wooyoung.

 “I - I missed you guys. I wanted to come h-home.”