poster made by: CASHMONEY GRAPHICS

 

 

 

FIRST STORY: (That’s the last straw)

meaning: my patience has run out

 

It’s summer! I should be enjoying the sun; going to the beach, chilling out with friends, lazing out in bed, and be busy doing nothing. It’s vacation day and I should be happy.

 

But no! NOOOOO!

 

Hi, my name is Sandara Park, 19 years old turning 29. Yep, I skipped ten years of age because I feel like my life span keep on decreasing because of this kid of a demon in front of me.

 

“Noona, catch!”, I whipped my head up from the clothes I am cleaning and I don’t even have a time to react as I saw a flying ball going to hit my face. IT WILL HIT ME!

 

*BLAG

 

 A boisterous laugh filled the room as the ball hit me directly on the face. I closed my eyes firmly and balled my fist, trying to control my temper.

 

“Here’s another one”

 

*BLAG

 

Another ball hit my face and this time, it successfully knocked me down to the ground.

 

“KWON JIYONG!!!”, I screamed on top of my lungs as I stood up and started chasing his . He was laughing while running away that made me even madder. I ran as fast as I can while spatting words that may hopefully strike him to death.

 

“Noona, ssshhhh”, he momentarily stopped and spun on his heels to interject me. His forefinger is pressed on his lips as he jogged backward. I halted my steps to turn my head at the sleeping baby in the crib located at the living room. I quickly covered my mouth and stopped screaming.

 

You see, I am a babysitter. I know this is a complicated task for me but I love babies and I am good with children. WITH CHILDREN.

 

I thought that Kwon Mino, the cute little 16 month old baby, will give me a hard time but he is amazingly a quiet baby and so sweet. He is not those typical crying babies that will cause their babysitter to lose their hairs. I instantly liked him at my first day. I was liking my job. WAS!

 

Not until, Kwon Jiyong, Mino’s big brother came in the picture. He is absolutely a pain in the ! He acts like a damn 7 year old kid with ADHD (I don’t have anything against people with ADHD as long as that is not Kwon Jiyong) I mean, he is just the same age as me. I’m just a month older than him but he acts like a freaking kid possessed by a demon. It feels like he is the one I am babysitting and not his baby brother.

 

How do I end up in here? I am just badly in need of money. So one night, I looked up for a temporary job I could get online and saw one website that in search of babysitters. I took the opportunity. Why not? It’s just for the whole summer vacation and as I said, I am good at children. I grabbed it!

 

My first day at work went well. The parents are kind and treat me nicely, as if I am not a stranger to them. All I need is to look after Mino, give him milk, change his diapers, and put him to sleep then my day will be fine.

 

One more thing, since I need to work full time for the whole summer, I am living at the same roof as the Kwon temporarily. Their parents are in an out of the city business trip right now that will take more than a month and I agreed. I was too confident that no harm will happen. I thought everything will be fine. But no. NO!!

 

I hope everything is just a nightmare but...

 

“Hey!”, a flick on my cheek made me realized that I am living the nightmare.  I saw Jiyong stuck his tongue out at me before running in full speed. I shut my eyes firmly in an attempt to calm myself. I badly needed to remind myself that I am here to work and not to strangle someone.

 

I chose not to run after him and just made my way to the crib to check Mino. I smiled sweetly seeing him sleeping soundly. I just hope this little kid grew up as a gentleman, unlike his brother. I don’t even want to imagine the unfortunate events Jiyong’s babysitter had to face before when he was a kid.

 

It was quite funny for me too as I remembered the first time I saw him. On my second day on staying at the Kwons, they told me that their older son will come back home from a session he needs to attend to. I was happy and struck in awe the first time I saw him, he is a handsome guy and could not lie in that matter. I smiled at him and thought that we might go well since we are just on the same age but he took me by surprise. He approached me with an unreadable expression on his face before he stopped in front of me. I blinked at him and was about to introduce myself when he furiously grabbed some strands of my hair and pulled it downward before scampering away.

 

There, my first impression never changes as he keeps on showing me day by day how childish he is. I just shook my head at the thought. With my few weeks of staying with the Kwons, I mostly suffered into prank injuries because of him. Though it’s just light scars or bumps and nothing serious but he is always testing my patience.

 

I looked down at baby Mino again when a hand suddenly covered my eyes and I don’t even need to guess hard to know whom it is. I gritted my teeth as I tried to peel his hands off but he only tighten his hold onto my eyes making me flinched.

 

“Ouch!”, I exclaimed and he instantly let go. I was rubbing my eyes when he suddenly spun me around to face him. I’m still shutting my eyes tightly to have it adjusted before I open it but I felt his hands slowly touching my chin before lifting it up. My eyes snapped open but my vision is still blurry, unable to see him clearly. But I could sense that his face is somehow hovering over mine making me reclined a bit.

 

“Get off me. You’re too close”, I said as I pushed away his face with my palm. I got no response from him and instead grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me with him.

 

“Jiyong, wait! I am not going to play with you”, I called out while trying to wiggle my hand off him. He suddenly pushed me down in a sit before making his way to the fridge. I didn’t realize he had brought me to the kitchen counter. I watched him as he busied himself with something by going back in forth from the fridge to the counter looking like he is going to build a bomb.

 

“What are you doing? Do you want me to watch you making your another deadly weapon to prank me with?”, I asked sarcastically as I saw him putting some ice in an ice pack. Okay, what is that for? Is he going to throw that to me also?  That will hurt! I suddenly stood up to get away from him in fear of being hurt. But before I could even take a step, he stood in front of me and gently put the ice pack on the side of my left eye.

 

I frowned at him and leaned my face away from the ice pack but he clicked his tongue and placed the pack again.

 

“Jiyong, what is this now?”,  I asked, confused.

 

“You got a bruise”, he simply said. It took me a few seconds to understand what he is saying. I scoffed as I snatched the pack from his hold to do it myself.

 

“Well, whose blame is that? You are the only one here throwing things at me”, I harrumphed.

 

“Are you always getting bruises?”

 

“You are always hitting me with anything and I have sensitive skin. What do you think will happen, my body will lit up neon lights once hit?”, I sarcastically returned. What kind of question is that? My body reacts like a normal person does when hit and he throws like a real men. I sometimes got surprised with myself on how far I am tolerating him whenever he is doing that. Good thing he is not yet throwing me dead bodies because that will be the last of me.

 

I saw him furrowing his eyebrows while looking at me as if he discovered something he should realize a long time ago. I yelped in surprise when he suddenly grabbed my right arm and rolled up the sleeves. I watched his expression goes from confused to concern and into… I don’t know.

 

“You got bruise here, too”, he said in low tone more like talking to himself. I frowned and looked at my arm to see a fading bruise. I remembered I got it when he suddenly hurled the remote control at me but I missed to catch it, hitting my arm. He even laughed at me that time when he saw me flinched a little.

 

“It’s your fault, too. I wonder what solid thing you are going to hurl at me next time”, I rolled my eyes at him.

 

“Does it hurt?”

 

I snapped at him with furrowed eyebrows but it only got deepened when I saw him looking at the bruise with serious expression. I think this is the first time I ever saw him being serious and it got me wonder.

 

“How many bruises do you have?”, he asked.

 

“I have bruises and scars and I don’t count them”

 

“Where?”

 

“Why are you even asking? Is acting concern also part of your next prank, huh?”, I replied a little bit cold at him. I honestly don’t understand him right now. He should be aware that I would be having these bruises with all of the pranks he pulled on me. Unless he didn’t know that this is a normal thing to happen when hard solid things made a force contact on someone’s body which is of course possible. He is childish but I bet he is not dumb, right?

 

I continue to stare at him with questioning eyes and I saw him gritted his teeth before sighing.

 

“Ointment and some foundations are on the cupboard on the left”, he said before letting go of my arm and walked away. I followed him with my gaze before twitching my lips in annoyance. What is really wrong with him, seriously?

 

I removed the ice pack from my face and frowned at it. It has not been a minute past the moment Jiyong left me here when I heard a loud crashing sound coming from the living room followed by a playful ‘Ooooppss’ and a baby cry.

 

*sigh

 

I guess it is not only Mino I am going to babysit in this house.

 

 

It was almost sunset when I finished cleaning the mess that kid Jiyong did. It is beyond my comprehension how he managed to break the wall mirror just by tapping it. I am so close to being convinced he is made to hurt any living and non-living things here on earth.

 

I glanced at baby Mino happily laughing while playing his squishy toy. This baby is enough to give me another round of energy and forgot my annoyance to Jiyong. That guy didn’t even dare to help me clean the mess he did and just scampered away and locked himself in his room. I signed as a babysitter, not a nanny. That big kid, seriously!

 

It’s time for me to make dinner. The thing is, I am freely to move inside the Kwon’s property as they fully entrusted me with everything. So, I decided to make baby cereal for Mino. Now, what should I cook for myself and Jiyong? As much as I want to starve him to just get back at him, it’s still inappropriate to fail to think about him. Maybe I should just go to conclusion that he is an adult with special needs so that I won’t get irritated at him time to time.

 

I made my way to pick up Mino before putting him in the baby chair situated at the kitchen and that’s when I noticed Jiyong facing the stove. When did he even get here? I didn’t sight him getting out of his room earlier.

 

“Oh. Hello, noona”, he chirped at me upon sensing my presence. I returned him a scrutinizing eyes because that lively voice his using is old news to me.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“I’m cooking”, he replied while lifting up the spatula he’s holding.

 

“I can see that”, I bit out. I’m currently contemplating if I will continue to allow him to use the stove. I want to be careful now since I don’t want to end up running outside the house with our faces full of ashes.

 

“I’m making a soup”, he explained as he grabbed a jar and scoop a spoonful of yellow powder before pouring it in the pot. I blinked twice as I watched him do it. I don’t even know what he put in there but I am pretty sure that amount is unhealthy even for a poultry animals.

 

“Are you making an edible food?”

 

“Of course, noona. I just need to wait for it to boil and I’m almost done”

 

I just nodded stiffly at him and let him do his play cook on his own. I did my own task on preparing Mino’s food. I bet the baby is already hungry since he stopped playing and gazed up at me.

 

“Alright, baby. I’m going to cook your food”, I gently rubbed the back of my palm on his cheek and he giggled cutely. Aigoo!!!

 

I was busy preparing the food to feed Mino when I felt a presence behind me. I turned around to see Jiyong smiling widely at me while holding a bowl. I arched my eyebrows at him and he smiled wider if that’s even possible. I can almost hear my brain screaming to just ignore him if I don’t want to experience any mishap at this very second.

 

“Noona, try my soup. Here”, he lifted the bowl to line of vision and I took a step back upon seeing the content. I gawked incredulously at the bowl of pee. It’s yellow, pure yellow. It’s even steaming hot and the smell is making me lost consciousness. I could already feel the impending different level of diarrhea teeming in the air.

 

“W-wha-“

 

I couldn’t even speak because I can inhale the contaminated air caused by it.

 

“It’s pepper soup”, he said.

 

“Why is it yellow?”

 

“Because I made a yellow pepper soup”, he explained calmly as if it would justify the fact that it looks like a freaking pee. “Try it”, he already had a soup spoon in his hand and scooping an ample amount of the mysterious dish he made before I could even react.

 

“Wait”, I tried to lean my face away from the yellow water and blinked at it several times. He sighed impatiently as I looked back at him.

 

“I don’t put any poison on it, noona”, he childishly whined. Of course, he wouldn’t. That, itself, is already a poison.

 

“Bu-“

 

“Look, baby Mino! Dara noona don’t like to taste your hyung’s soup. I’m hurt!”, he dramatically said as he turned to Mino. The baby squealed while tapping the spoon he clumsily holding on the table. “You heard the baby”, he continued to press on while smirking victoriously at me.

 

I slowly looked down at the soup spoon his holding and mindlessly gulp. I started praying for my life because I am not even sure if I will be staying alive after tasting it. I slowly opened my mouth while he mildly pushed the soup into my mouth. I took a careful sip and stuff the content inside my mouth. I can feel mist already forming on my eyes as I tried to press my lips together while trying not to breathe. I saw Jiyong nodding his head eagerly, urging me to swallow it. I tearfully gulped down the soup and … AACCCkkkkKKK

 

“AAAHHH!! IT’S SPICY!!!!”, I shrieked and started coughing loudly. I hurriedly went to the sink and stuck my tongue out to the running water to deplete the burning sensation. I think my throat burst into flames as the soup trickled down. I probably might be blind after this. I was frantically fanning my tongue when I saw Jiyong rolling on the floor while laughing.

 

“Arrgghhh. You are going to get it from me, Jiyong!”, I screamed while trying to melt him with my glare. I also heard Mino laughing along while pointing his finger at me. The baby is already adopting his brother’s craziness.

 

I strode towards Jiyong and was about to step on his shin but he held his hands up to stop me. I am so FURIOUS!!

 

“W-wa—Nooonnaaa.. HAHAHA”, he cannot even form a decent word from too much laughing. I groaned in annoyance and just stomped my feet. I whipped my head to Mino who is also shrieking gleefully on my misfortune.

 

Minutes passed by and Jiyong already get rid of the horrid soup he cooked. I think he just experiment different kinds of chili powder on it to prank me out! Tch. I am already developing a serial killer mind as I remembered all of his prank he’d done on me. I need to be baptized with holy water again after my work here.

 

My eyebrows were smashed together in irritation while I was feeding Mino, the baby keep on smiling at me after every spoon of food I gave him making me forget my annoyance. Aigoo.

 

“You are really cute, baby Mino. Don’t be like your brother, okay? I don’t even understand how I can stand him. I badly wanted to hit him! He is so annoying. Please, just don’t be like him if you don’t want people on hating you”, I affirmed as if I am talking to someone my age and wiped the smudge on his lips when a bowl of ramyeon suddenly materialized in front of my desk. I looked up to see Jiyong settling himself into a seat at the corner of the table with his own bowl of noodles.

 

“Eat up”, he said in low tone without looking at me. I watched him eat his food with confusion crossing my face. “Don’t worry, I don’t put any more chili in it. You’re safe”, he seriously added, still not looking at me.

 

I diverted my eyes at the food in front of me before grabbing my soup spoon and tried it. I cannot fully trust him with his words after what happened. True indeed, the food is a normal ramyeon.

 

“You really having your life by pranking me, aren’t you”, I commented afterwards while chewing on the noodles, hinting a tone of irritation. I saw him shrugged as his reply. I could only sigh and shook my head before proceeding on eating my food and feeding Mino simultaneously.

 

The dinner was oddly silence but I don’t give any comment anymore. At least, I finally had a quiet moment within Jiyong’s close proximity. I finished my food just the same time Jiyong his and stood up. I subconsciously watched his movement as he headed towards me and get the empty bowl in front of me without saying words. I got a glimpsed of his impassive face, different from his usual mischievous expression. I just scoffed at the thought of having a notice of it. I don’t care!

 

I heard the water slashed at the sink and saw him doing the dishes. I frowned and took Mino with me to cradle and walked towards him.

 

“Leave that, I’ll do it later”, I said.

 

“No. Let me do it. Just wash Mino and tuck him to bed”, he flatly said without looking at me. He seems so serious. I was about to protest but he already bit me to it my sprinkle some bubble soap in my face making me shrieked in surprise.

 

Why am I thinking of him being serious? HE WOULD NEVER! I groaned at him like an angry lion and stomped my feet away from him with Mino waving goodbye to his brother. I don’t hear any laugh from him but the soap on my face is enough to tell me that he is always on for pranking me at any moment he likes.

 

You’ll get it from me one of these days, you childish Jiyong.

 

 

It’s weekend. I opened one of the cupboard and clicked my tongue before opening another one. I rest my hands on my waist and sighed. It’s time for grocery shopping.

 

I looked for Mino and saw him watching his favorite ‘Phineas and Ferb’ TV series. He would laugh in due course at some scenes. I’m not sure if he understands the lines or the story from the show but at least he is preoccupied with something.

 

“Baby Mino, I need to dress you up. We are going to the grocery”, I said as I gently picked him up.

 

“YEHEY! Grocery timeeee!!!!”, I heard Jiyong yelled in a sing sang tone, he was in front of his room’s door. “Can I come, noona”, he beamed at me.

 

I looked at him suspiciously and turned my eyes into tiny slits. I need to weigh my decision for this. I can already see the future of me chasing Jiyong with a cucumber on my hand if he ever pull any playful prank on me again.

 

“I promise I will behave”, he said before flashing me an innocent smile. I rolled my eyes at this but nodded my head afterwards. I saw him punch his fist in the air before hopping in excitement at his place like a kid that he is. I cringed at this. He really doesn’t act like a teenager.

 

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