Unfortunately, after the swim meet during the weekend, Jaeseok and her brother living with her – Nami had come home to guests. “I didn’t know you had guests over,” Jisoo mentioned as she entered the brunette’s home. “Neither did I,” she said while her head peeked through the front door of home. Jisoo and Nami had been busy getting the carnival together, securing the land and rides, assigning their coworkers to the booths they wanted to run, the rides they wanted to do, etc. With all of that done, Nami had decided to invite Jisoo home to help her finish the spreadsheet of where they were placing everyone. Besides, the carnival was two days out.

“I’m home,” the brunette called out to her family as she moved through the door swiftly, inviting her – now friend – coworker in. “Auntie!” Jaeseok called out while running to the brunette with arms wide open. She smiled, hugging her slightly as she took her shoes off. “Where’s your dad, bub?” “In the kitchen,” he called out while Jaeseok had scurried off. She and Jisoo followed the voice as she breathed in, “Hey, Jisoo’s here,” Nami called out to her brother when she stopped in her tracks. There sat Junmyeon on one of her island stools. “Hey,” she said in surprise. He smiled to her with a small wave. “Auntie!” A small girl’s voice called out as she came running out of the restroom. The brunette blinked with a smile on her lips, returning the little girl’s small hug.

“I hope you didn’t mind me inviting them over for dinner,” Chanyeol called out. The brunette looked up from Jooyeon and to her brother. “That’s fine, I was just going to let you know that Jisoo and I have some work we have to finish before the carnival in a few days. If you need help cooking, let me know.” Her brother nodded with a smile: “It’s fine, I just had Sehun run out to buy some more ingredients. Are you staying for dinner, Jisoo?” He asked the girl behind Nami. Jisoo beamed slightly while shyly nodding her head, “If that’s okay with you,” she said. “Of course! The more the merrier,” he replied.

With that, the girls excused themselves to the brunette’s home office to set up their spreadsheet. “Is that the guy you were talking about?” Jisoo asked once the door was fully closed. Nami looked up from her work files and sighed with a nod. Thankfully, she had the one coworker that she could share details with – not someone who was a guy like Baekhyun or Sehun. Someone who is a female. Jisoo and her have known each other since she started her office job several years ago, but they never really spent a lot of time hanging out outside of the office. Though, it did seem like all of that was changing rapidly especially in the amount of time that they’ve been spending together to get this event going. “He’s pretty cute,” she added while pulling out her own laptop. Nami laughed and sat down in her chair. “He’s also my doctor,” the brunette added and Jisoo gasped. “He’s that guy? Oh my god,” she exasperated dramatically.

“Talk about awkward,” Jisoo gasped, “how do you deal with it?”  

“It’s hard not to think about that appointment, Jisoo. It’s really hard.”

“I bet.”

“Auntie,” a tiny voice called out, peeping his head through the door as he investigated the room. Nami lifted her head while Jisoo turned hers. “Daddy says to come get you for dinner,” Jaeseok said while wandering into the room. He found his way to his aunt’s side, peeping at the very complicated work laying in front of her. He crawled onto her lap allowing her to laugh at his actions. She wrapped her arms around him instinctively while she saved the work on her laptop. “What are you doing?” He asked, also peering at Jisoo’s laptop. Jisoo grinned at the curious boy: “We’re putting people to work on the carnival so you can go have lots of fun,” she replied and Jaeseok stared at her mindlessly.

“You’re pretty,” he said and Nami laughed. Jisoo joining her friend. “Why, thank you,” she said. Jisoo and Nami had saved their progress on the laptop and stood up, Jaeseok clinging to his aunt like a little monkey. “Let’s go have dinner so auntie and finish her work with the pretty auntie.” Nami replied; the little boy nodding his head while they walked out of the room to the dining room. Sehun had already placed the bowls of rice for everyone around the table as Chanyeol carried out the cooked marinated beef and chicken soup. “Dinner’s ready,” he called out, “Jae, buddy, why don’t you and Jooyeon go wash your hands?” He asked while her nephew crawled out of her arms. The two children ran to the sink while Junmyeon hoisted his daughter up onto his leg for her to wash her hands then Jaeseok doing the same.

“Daddy, I want to sit with auntie,” Jooyeon called out; already coming towards Nami. Jaeseok ran to Jisoo, tugging at her hand: “Pretty auntie, sit with me!” He said while the girls glanced at once another with a laugh. “Don’t pull on her too hard, baby,” Junmyeon called out towards his daughter. Nami smiled, shaking her head. “It’s fine, really.” “No one wants to sit with uncle Sehun?” The male called out; arms spread out wide with a feigned hurt look on his face. “No!” They called out in unison, giggles echoing throughout the home. Nami had sat beside Jooyeon and her father on the other side of her while Jisoo was pulled to sit beside Sehun and Jaeseok while Chanyeol sat on the opposite side of his son.

Together, they enjoyed dinner with the children making them laugh with their discussions of the carnival and the cook out with the bouncy house at uncle Baekhyun’s home. “Jisoo, you should come to the cook out,” Sehun mentioned, glancing at her with curious eyes. The girl looked up with wide eyes while eyeing her friend for help. “Only if she wants to, Se,” Nami called out, looking down to Jooyeon – who had rice stuck to her cheek. Her hand instinctively reached down to wipe it off the little girl’s face before turning to Jisoo. “I’ll think about it, really. We’ve just got so much going on at work already, so…” They all nodded understandingly while Chanyeol glanced over to Sehun: “Why don’t you invite your girlfriend, Se?” He asked while Sehun huffed. “I don’t have a girlfriend anymore.”

“What?” hollered Chanyeol.

Nami sighed, eyes saddened for best friend. Of course, she knew about it. He told her about it during Jaeseok’s swim lessons – where Chanyeol sat on the edge of the pull after spending time watching his son from afar. “It’s a long story for another time, hyung,” it was hard to digest why she really broke up with her best friend. Sehun had told her that she broke up with him because he spent too much time with people who weren’t really his family – even if he considered them family because he was an only child, and they were the ones that he grew up with. It was, in Nami’s opinion, senseless and immature. To this day, this was the only family Sehun’s ever known and he wasn