“Are you sure you’re not coming with us?”

A head with cotton candy hair popped up by the threshold, shocking him who’s standing by the toilet bowl.

“Dude!! Can you not?”

Taemin quickly finished his business before his little brother could invade his privacy further more.

“Stop poking your head to my bathroom!!”

“Then lock your door, .”

“Why do I need to lock my ensuite? This whole room belongs to me!”

Mark shrugs and walks away, he throws himself on Taemin’s bed, only to roll under his blanket, “Intruder is everywhere, Lee Taemin. Do not make this some kind of special incident.”

“Everywhere but here—in this house—, Lee Minhyeong. Well, unless you’re around. Apparently.”

He lifted the blanket that covering his head in flash, “It’s Mark.”

“You are not in Toronto.”

“Toronto or Japan or Brazil or Seoul, you gotta get used to it, my dear brother,” he tosses a pillow to Taemin, which the latter dodged it easily before he lounged by the couch busy scrolling his phone, “I see you still have a phone in your hand.”

“School is off. Less jumping from here and there. I won’t buy a new one until the end of next month. Well, at least.”

“Next month?”

“School starts by then.”

“That late?”

“That’s frigging normal. It’s yours that’s weird. Who starts school that early?!”

“That’s being said, you should go with us,” understand it’s not getting him anything, Mark sits up and pointed to himself, “With me!”

It does get him Taemin’s attention, though.

“I’ve been to France six times already this year, four of them being in Paris for various reasons. How did I always end up there? Anyway. Point is, I’d rather be somewhere else.”

Mark snickers to the sounded pretentious words, “You mean home?”

“Yes. One hundred percent yes,” Taemin reaches a box of Reese Puff laying around by the table and rummaging what’s left inside, “Still have no idea why Mom and Dad chose that place for summer holiday. No offense, France is amazing but lots of beautiful countries out there, you know.”

“It’s because the old man has some business to take care there and Mom suddenly got this idea to conduct some research on this promising skin care product company. They seriously need to stop working during holiday.”

Gikwang emerges from the door and told Mark to scoot over so he can join him on the bed.

“Seriously?! Why nobody in this house aware of boundaries?”

“It wasn’t locked.”

“Hear, hear,” Mark singsongs happily, easily turned up Taemin’s boiling point.

“Still trying to kidnap Lee Taemin?”

Mark shifts to prop his head better, “Dude has no heart. I’ll return to Canada in less than three weeks and this is what he did to me. We don’t need a brother with no loyalty like him, do we?”

Taemin’s hand stops middle box when he heard the sour tone, “Do you even listen to yourself? I said I don’t mind join you all if it’s not for Paris. Aren’t you bored as well?”

“A bit,” Gikwang takes another cushion to support his back, “However, I’m only staying for one night. I will be hopping around Germany for the rest of holiday.”

“Well, that sounds interesting. I’m thinking about beer hopping.”

“Oh, please. You are eighteen, Taem.”

The reality smacked Mark rather hard, he almost whacked Gikwang’s head out of frustration.

“Why I only know this now?”

“I thought Mom told you?”

“She clearly didn’t.”

“Well, now you know,” he moves to Taemin’s side knowing the youngest would actually harass him if he’s within his reach, “So you really staying?”

“I guess so,” eyes are not leaving his phone, “I’m not living abroad like Mark but I’m practically living away. I don’t get to enjoy the house as much as you do. For once, I want the house for myself. You know.”

He grins so widely at the end, and Mark is not having it at all. If it was in a comic book, everyone would see some smokes fuming out from his nose and ears.

“Just make sure you don’t set the house on fire. That’s my only request,” Hyukjae stands by the door with a carry on behind him, “What are you all doing here? Dad has been screaming since half an hour ago.”

“Jesus Christ! Where do I sign for a little bit privacy in this house?”

Hyukjae doesn’t see the reason why Taemin made a fuss about it, “It wasn’t locked.”

Gikwang slaps Taemin’s arm, “See that?! I’m not the crazy one!”

“No. But I see you slapping my arm and that hurts. You know what? I am so installing some automatic lock when you all away.”

“Promise me you’ll get somebody to do that. I know you are now able to cook some egg pancake that actually edible but your hands are still not advance in other house chores.”

“It’s souffle omelet, for God’s sake!! Why don’t you get a little bit more cultural in France?”

“Anything for my little brother,” Hyukjae makes sure he got in Taemin’s nerves before they left, “Come on, guys. I love hanging around here and annoy Taemin further but seriously, we need to go now before the old man sends his thunder.”

“You think this is some Hercules or what?”

“Dibs on Hades!” Gikwang drags Mark from the bed and pushes him towards the door, “Stay away from trouble, Taem. And do not eat cereal only. Get some real food, okay?”

“I eat better than you, you know that?”

Taemin scoops more puffs from the box, deliberately berating his brothers.

“And that shows me otherwise. Care to explain why on earth are you still not moving your from the couch, my dear brother?”

Taemin rolled his eyes—for the nth this morning—before get back together with his cereal box, “I’m not going, remember?”

“Yeah, but not bid goodbye to your parents? Grandma would be so pissed. Should I call her on the way?”

Taemin believes he’s their grandma’s favorite grandson. And the old lady doesn’t seem like denying the assumption, making his sibling using it as their last source of ace.

“You .”

Hyukjae’s ready to take Taemin in his arm when the younger raised from his throne, “That’s my Taemin, you ’s brother.”

“Shut up.”

“Oh, you will be so missed, dear brother.”