The streets were silent, save for the light rustling of tree leaves. One could hear the faint din of street vendors setting their stalls up in the neighbourhood, the chatter of housewives as they exchanged dull fascinations, maybe even a stray cat mewling in the distance. It was all too normal. Kim Jongdae kicked a stone, swinging both his hands carelessly. When he finally reached Kim Eunji, his sister's house, he offered the stone a silent farewell and invited himself into the house. 

"You could get mugged one day if you continue to leave your front door unlocked, y'know," he called out and shook his head. 

"Yeah, well... sue me," Eunji retorted, digging into a pack of salted chips. Her twin flopped down on the couch and grabbed the packet from her, munching on some himself. 

"Hey!"

"Hay is for horses," he chastised and popped a chip into his mouth. 

"So much for twin-day."

 

Yes, twin-day. The Kim siblings had kept this concept alive ever since it was conceived - it was a Wednesday wherein they'd catch up, bond, hang out, do whatever twins would do. It happened once every month, and they religiously kept this practice in their schedules no matter what. It was their personal way of showing love for each other. 

 

"I thought you had a project at the production house this week."

"Yeah, well... sue me. I put Yixing on the job - good work experience. He'll get out of internship in no time."

"He's talented, that guy," Eunji agreed, not once peeling her eyes off the romcom playing before them. 

 

 

 

 

"Ugh, she's so desperate."

"Ugh, I know, right! Like, have some self-respect, lead actress."

"With a side-dish of dignity."

"And maybe even a dash of sense," Eunji finished. The twins high-fived and continued to stuff themselves with salty chips. Eunji's phone rang as a mismatched piece of background music to the lead actress' ugly howls. She clapped her hands over a plate nearby to dust off the salt and took the phone gingerly, pressing it to her ear. 

 

"Hello?"

"Eunji, Yixing here. I'm really sorry to ask you of this, but on your way to picking Baekhyun up, could you please also take the boys? I'm kinda full here with the recording, and Junmyeon's stuck with a hard case back at the lawfirm."

Eunji grimaced and pulled the handset away from her ear, having accidentally pressed the 'loud speaker' button. Jongdae had inevitably heard everything and spoke into the phone. 

"Hey! How're you holding up...? Anyway, I'm jobless right now, so I'll pick everyone up," he offered. Eunji opened to protest, but shut up when Jongdae pointed at her ankle and raised an eyebrow, causing her to hide it under her long skirt. 

"O... okay... but---"

"Cool. Catch ya' later, alligator!" Jongdae sang in English and cut the call, tossing the phone to his sister. 

"You told me your ankle had healed."

"It had!"

"You fell real bad down the stairs," he shook his head. 

"But---"

Jongdae shook his head and grabbed Eunji's car keys. 

"Borrowing your bae. See you laster this evening!" he waved and left the house. 

"Ugh, that boy... still overprotective," Eunji laughed. She traced a picture of herself and Yejoon on her phone - it was taken on the day he proposed to her once more. 

"Things will be fine," she reassured herself with a growing smile. 

 

 

 

"Ayy, where's mom?" Baekhyun's shrill voice rang out over the excited shrieks of children running to their parents. 

"Uncle Jongdae's taking you, Lulu and Hunnie out for fun today."

"Baba can't come today?" Sehun pulled at his knee and pouted. 

"Aww, it'll be fun! I'll buy you ice-cream."

"Pick me up," Luhan threw his hands up and stared at his father with big eyes. Jongdae complied. 

"So all three of us will go together?" Baekhyun confirmed. Luhan was a fast learner and easily understood what his cousin had asked. 

"Hunnie's coming, too?" he asked in Chinese. 

"Yep."

"Put me down!" the boy struggled and grabbed the younger boy's warm hands the moment he was set down. 

"We'll have fun, Hunnie!" 

"Let's go!"

 

 

Soon enough, Jongdae brought the three children to a park and watched them play on the swings. They tottered toward him, slightly dull in the face. 

"We're hungry," Luhan whined. 

"Let's eat!" Baekhyun poked the adult's knee. Sehun just blinked and nodded, contorting his face when Jongdae looked at him. 

"'Kay, then."

"But we don't want to walk!" Luhan jumped