Chanyeol felt the need to smoke a stick, only he didn’t want to be rude to Kyungsoo’s mother, who was inviting him inside the house to warm up.

The chairwoman’s son reluctantly followed Kyungsoo and Mrs. Do inside their humble home, with Kyungsoo opening the front door wide as Chanyeol had to duck his head to avoid bumping into the low door frame.

Sometimes, he wondered if he was really too tall.

Chanyeol did make sure to wipe tracks of snow from his boots before taking them off, in respect for the matriarch of the house, as Kyungsoo had removed his sneakers quite easily (or maybe the smaller guy’s shoes were large for his feet). Chanyeol also took off his cap and his winter jacket, which Mrs. Do kindly hung for him at the small closet near the door.

He nodded and awkwardly walked into the house’s interior. It was... kind of old, but there was a certain warmth and cozy feeling to it. Kyungsoo motioned for him to sit on the couch, smiling at him a bit, while his mother signaled for Kyungsoo to get the kettle ready, to which the birthday boy nodded and hurried to the kitchen to do just that.

Chanyeol sat on the edge of an outdated couch, his eyes wandering over to the family pictures hanging in frames on one wall. A picture where Kyungsoo was smiling with a slighter older child was on the same black sofa he was sitting on right now.

Kyungsoo... was a very cute kid.

“Oh, is that Kyungsoo with his brother, eomeonim?”

Mrs. Do’s squishy cheeks blushed, tickled pink that this dashing young man was referring to her as mother. “Uh, de, Chanyeol-ssi. Seungsoo, my firstborn, is three years older than Kyungsoo.”

“Ah...” Chanyeol murmured. “My older sister is the same age as Kyungsoo’s hyung then.”

“That’s good that you also have a sibling. She must be very beautiful.”

Chanyeol only nodded, smiling shyly. Well, Yoora always had a long line of admirers so he guessed it must be true. Although, he and Yoora were often told to be the male and female version of each other, so... Chanyeol guessed he himself would be considered handsome?

The chairwoman’s son was looking at a picture of probably Seungsoo’s highschool graduation, along with a teenage Kyungsoo, looking tiny and pale, but nonetheless smiling brightly for the photo, when Kyungsoo asked if he would like to have coffee or tea.

“Uh... coffee?” Chanyeol croaked, wanting to refuse because he’d much rather have a cigarette but then Mrs. Do was looking at him so hopefully, that he didn’t want to let her down.

“Araseo,” Kyungsoo said and prepared him a brewed cup that was still piping hot.

“Kamsa-hamnida,” Chanyeol whispered as Kyungsoo and his mother sat opposite him.

Silence.

Chanyeol brought the cup to his lips, not looking either mother and son in the eye. He sipped carefully, couldn’t help but think how uneasy having an unexpected visitor must be for them as well.

“Seungsoo hyung should be arriving in less than half an hour. He has work on Saturdays as well, in the same office as our father, but on a different department,” Kyungsoo said softly, perhaps to fill in the dead air.

Chanyeol gave them a tight-lipped smile, his eyes looking past them and noticing the covered containers of food already set on the table. “Are you having a party?”

Kyungsoo and Mrs. Do turned around to see where the chairwoman’s son was staring.

Mrs. Do’s eyes crinkled. “Well, just a tiny one, since it’s my Kyungsoo’s birthday.” And with that, she squeezed her youngest son’s thigh affectionately, and Kyungsoo grinned at her in response.

“Omma would always cook enough food to feed a small town,” Kyungsoo joked, and then burst out laughing when his mother’s jaw dropped. “I mean it in a very good way, Omma,” he pacified, just before turning back to Chanyeol, his heart-shaped grin broadening. “She’s the best cook ever.”

“Oh, stop.” Mrs. Do’s blush couldn’t get more absurd. “I am just so thankful that Kyungsoo is getting healthier and is celebrating another birthday—”

“As we should all be thankful for the gift of life,” Kyungsoo gently interrupted, glancing at his mother rather nervously.

His mother looked confused for a moment, but then didn’t say anything when Kyungsoo asked their tall visitor, “Right, Chanyeol-ssi?”
 

“Uh... de,” was all Chanyeol could say.

Well... that was weird.

“Would you like to something to eat?” Mrs. Do offered, getting up from her seat.

Chanyeol was shaking his head, when Mrs. Do removed the covers of what appeared to be—and Chanyeol quickly counted them—TWELVE dishes. “S-Should we wait for Kyungsoo’s... brother and... Mr... Do?” he incited tentatively.

“We can do that, but if you’re already hungry...”

Chanyeol laughed awkwardly. “I’m still quite full from the ramen that Kyungsoo cooked from the soup kitchen.” He made sure to look Kyungsoo in the eye, who had been staring at him this entire time. “Which was topnotch, by the way. Probably the best ramen I’ve ever had.”

Now it was Kyungsoo’s turn to blush. The chairwoman’s son didn’t have to exaggerate that much. “That’s Omma’s recipe. She should get the credit.”

Chanyeol looked impressed. “Jinjjayo? My mother loves it so much.”

Mrs. Do gave out a warm, hearty laugh. “Well, it’s a good thing that I also made a pot of that for today.”

Just then, the front door creaked open, which brought Chanyeol automatically to his feet, almost spilling his coffee, but thankfully was able to balance the cup and saucer in his large palms.

“Saengil-chugkkah, Kyungsoo-yah!”

“Kamsa-hamnida, Appa!” Kyungsoo greeted happily, those big eyes turning into moon-shaped crescents.

Chanyeol couldn’t help smiling himself as father and son hugged at the door.

Another man entered the room, ruffling the birthday boy’s head affectionately while the maknae was still encased in their father’s arms, and met Chanyeol’s eyes immediately.

“You must be Park Chanyeol-ssi?”

“De, de,” Chanyeol confirmed instantly, setting his coffee cup on the living room table and bowing 90 degrees to both Kyungsoo’s brother and father. “Uh... annyeong-haseayo.”

Seungsoo and Mr. Do entered the living room after taking their shoes off, with the gray-haired, kindly-looking Mr. Do staring at the stranger in their house.

Kyungsoo introduced Chanyeol to them very quickly, and that cleared the confusion in their father’s face.

Mr. Do reached to shake Chanyeol’s hand, which the younger man took with both of his, in respect, still bowing his long body. “Welcome to our home.”

“Kamsa-hamnida,” Chanyeol said, growing shy and embarrassed, and feeling as though he was imposing.

“I’ll go and check your car,” Seungsoo said, about to do just that.

“Shouldn’t we at least give Kyungsoo his birthday cake first?” Mrs. Do pointed out, her eyes slightly crestfallen.

Kyungsoo appeared uncomfortable, perhaps because he was still very much treated like a baby by his omma in front of a guest... “Aniyo, Chanyeol-ssi’s car—”

Mr. Do sighed. “Maybe Seungsoo should get a bite first because his team leader had him supervise the construction in the Dangsan area the entire day and hadn’t been back until 4 p.m. today.”

“Please. It’s Kyungsoo’s birthday. Prioritize him,” Chanyeol said graciously. “Don’t mind me. It’s not... urgent. I mean, I can just have someone pick me up and I’ll just get my car maybe later tonight if...”

“Aniyo, Chanyeol-ssi,” Mrs. Do said. “Please join us. There’s so much food and Kyungsoo could use a friend.”

Behind her, Chanyeol could see Kyungsoo hitting his forehead with his palm, his whole face turning crimson at what her mother blurted out.

He made the mistake of meeting Chanyeol’s eyes at that moment.

While the chairwoman’s son did look at him with some semblance of sympathy now, Kyungsoo was still mortified.

“I’m sorry,” the birthday boy whispered soundlessly to him.

Chanyeol upturned his left cheek, revealing a deep dimple, which made Kyungsoo almost laugh.

Unbeknownst to each other, they both felt so much better.

Mr. Do was already heading for the fridge to get Kyungsoo’s mint chocolate cake. Seungsoo was about to video the whole thing with his phone when Chanyeol offered to do it for him.

He might as well make himself useful.

Seungsoo was surprised for a moment, and then breathlessly thanked him, as Kyungsoo shyly looked back at him.

Chanyeol gave him a genuine smile this time and gave him a thumbs-up.

“Is it recording?” Mr. Do asked, looking at Chanyeol.

Chanyeol had to laugh, as it had been capturing the scene for 24 seconds now, nodding.

“Wait, how is my hair?” Mrs. Do fussed, hurriedly smoothing out her bun as Seungsoo tried to light up the candles with his mother’s open flame igniter for the stove... only it didn’t work.

Perhaps the flame igniter ran out of gas too.

“Uh... you can...” Chanyeol hesitated as he reached into pocket for his lighter. “Use this.”

Kyungsoo only bit his lower lip as Mrs. Do looked at the lighter disapprovingly, as Seungsoo thanked their guest, using it to light up the 2 and 1 candles on the mint chocolate confectionary.

Chanyeol cleared his throat, could clearly feel Kyungsoo’s mother’s low-key disappointment, and aimed Seungsoo’s phone again at them.

A visibly flustered Kyungsoo was chuckling and giggling when his family began to fondly sing the birthday song for him, especially when Chanyeol was right there...

Kyungsoo’s big eyes grew even wide when Seungsoo went a little overboard and hit a stratospherical note on “Saranghaneun, Kyungsoo-yah!!!!”

Their parents’ could only laugh while Kyungsoo wanted to hide under a rock.

Chanyeol even joined the last line softly, “Saengil-chugkkah hamnida.” He couldn’t believe he was actually beginning to enjoy witnessing this celebration with this family.

So random.

He watched as Kyungsoo closed his eyes, clasping both of his hands together and silently made a wish. His expression was so serene that Chanyeol became fascinated by it for a few moments. And then, he observing his family’s expression, how their attention was solely focused on Kyungsoo, how their love for their youngest was so transparent and felt inside the room... even by him—an outsider.

Chanyeol wondered how he would ever get so lucky in his own life.

Afterwards, Mrs. Do started handing out plates, giving one to Chanyeol first, which the young man hope to mean that the lighter incident had been forgotten even if momentarily. Seungsoo discreetly handed Chanyeol back his lighter, signaling him to hide it as soon as possible.

Chanyeol discomfitedly sat next to Kyungsoo and opposite Seungsoo. Mr. Do was in the head chair, with Mrs. Do on his right and Kyungsoo on his left. There was so much food. There were stir-fried vegetables, braised chicken, jajangmyeon, kimchi spaghetti, pork belly, steamed fish, rice, crab, squid, bean sprouts, the ramen similar to what Kyungsoo had made earlier at the soup kitchen and spicy cucumber salad.

Kyungsoo offered to put some food in their guest’s plate, since the chairwoman’s son might feel overwhelmed with the choices so Kyungsoo gave him small portions of each, giving Chanyeol the option to try them first.

Chanyeol had to close his eyes, each of the dishes getting more and more delicious, if that was even possible. Mr. and Mrs. Do looked at each other in amusement, as the smile on their gues