"How come you two look fresh and energetic?" Xiumin asked, collasping against the table with his dark eye circles deeply embedded on his fair skin. "I didn't even get to sleep all night." he whined.

Tao collapsed next to his hyung. "Please. At least you didn't get a call at 3am at night squealing for help when Mavin pooed in his pants." he complained. "Hyung. I'm the maknae. Sleep is important for me."

"What about me?" Lay collapsed next to them, cradelling Mavin in his arms and looking completely haggard. "I live the furthest from you two and I had to rush all the way as well. Xiumin hyung, can't you even handle a kid?"

"What?" Xiumin protested. "This kid is so difficult to handle."

Haejung and Luhan laughed as Mason eyed Mavin curiously. He clambered off Luhan's lap and crawled over to Mavin. The younger Mavin blinked at Mason, just as curious.

Chen and Kris soon arrived at the cafe together with their kid. Theirs was the youngest, called Maden. They especially chose the youngest kid in the orphanage because they thought it'd be easy to take care of a young one.

And apparently it didn't work with those dark circles evident on their faces.

Kris looked absolutely horrified to see another two children and he shuddered. His hair was in disarray and he didn't bother combing his hair, even.

Chen looked the most composed out of the EXO-M boys but he too looked tired. "Hyungs." he sighed as he sat down. He placed Maden together with Masen and Mavin and the three boys looked at each other curiously.

"I don't think I want to be a father in the future." Chen declared. He glanced at Kris and snorted. "At least not with a wife like Kris hyung."

"Hey!" Kris pouted. "I stayed over at your house especially to take care of him okay?" he complained. "I'm doing enough!"

"Yeah?" Chen retorted. "If you're doing enough you wouldn't be snoring your way through the night when Maden woke up in the middle of the night and decided to take a poo on his pants and I had to clean it up myself."

Kris looked guilty and sheepish as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Ahehe..."

They looked worn out just one day after the kids went to stay with them. "I can't wait for these kids to go back to the orphanage tonight, honestly." Lay shook his head. "I'm drained."

"It's not that bad." Luhan picked Masen up and put him on his lap again. He picked up Mavin and placed him on his other leg. The two boys giggled heartily as Luhan jerked his leg up and down and they bounced merrily.

Haejung cradled Maden in her arms as the little one fell asleep. She giggled lightly, amused.

"I think I might like being a father." Luhan admitted, playing with Masen and Mavin, folding a broshure and pretending that it was a plane. "As long as Jungie's my wife!" he grinned at her.

Haejung made a face and rolled her eyes.

"How did you two manage?" Xiumin asked incredulously. "You two look like you're coping so well. I can't even imagine." he shook his head in disbelief. "Didn't you need wake up in the middle of the night or something?"

"No." Luhan shook his head. "No. The first night Masen slept very well with me, and yesterday he slept really well with Jungie. Too bad we three couldn't fit in one be-"

Haejung elbowed him hard and he jerked. Mavin and Masen who were on his lap squeaked in surprise. They looked at each other and laughed merrily.

He gulped as the other EXO-M boys looked at him in suspicion. "The three of you couldn't fit in one....?" Tao blinked.

"One room together." Luhan cleared his throat. "Because we live really far from each other, you see." he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "So uh...Masen stayed one night with me and one night with her." he explained.

Masen scratched his head. "Huh? But I stayed with Umma and-"

"AHAHAHA Masen you're so cute!" Haejung cut in anxiously. She shook her head at Masen as she pulled him off Luhan's lap. "You were missing Luhan when you're with me yesterday right? That's why you hallucinated. Aigoo."

"Ayeee..." Lay rolled his eyes. "I thought something suspicious happened." he laid on the sofa and sighed, putting his hands over his eyes. "I'm so tired oh man. Can't you guys take care of the kids for a bit while I go buy something to eat? Man I haven't even got a chance to eat my fill."

He stood up and found the rest of the EXO-M boys standing as well. "We want to go too." Tao, Xiumin and Kris complained.

They eyed Chen Luhan and Haejung who shrugged. "Fine, just go." Chen nodded. "I think I can handle it with Luhan hyung and Haejung." he assured. "Come back quickly."

The four EXO-M boys suddenly looked as if they woke up and they bounced out of the cafe. "Thanks! You'll be great fathers next time!" Tao waved as he ran off with his hyungs.

Chen leaned heavily against the sofa and shook his head. "I don't think I can be a father in the future." he sighed. "The kids are so difficult to handle." he complained. He looked at Maden and poked his cheek. "Oh Maden?"

"Ahehe?" Maden scratched his head and looked at Chen confusedly.

Haejung laughed and played with Mavin. Mason clambered onto her lap to gain her attention again and pushed Mavin away. "Umma." Mason hugged her arm. "I want to eat ice cream."

"Ice cream?" Haejung looked over at Luhan.

Luhan nodded. "Arraso. I'll go get six ice creams and be back soon okay?" he beamed at Chen and Haejung. "Can you two handle with three kids?"

"No probs." Haejung nodded. "Arraso." Luhan waved at Masen. "Mason~ Appa will be back with ice cream arraji?" he beamed and disappeared from the cafe, running to find an ice cream store.

That left Haejung and Chen together with the three kids.

Chen watched as Haejung smiled and laughed with the three boys, telling them a story of the three bears. The three boys listened in interest, even Maden whom Chen had no way whatsoever in getting the boy to listen to him.

He watched as Haejung smiled as she continued her story, her eyes twinkling as she explained the story to them. And at that moment, he couldn't help but feel that she looked cute.

Not cute in the ulzzang manner. Or the SNSD idol manner.

No, not in the physical aspect.

Haejung was cute because she didn't bother hiding her ownself or being someone that she wasn't. She was cute because he could see that even when she hadn't been completely comfortable with the kids at first, she tried to get as close to the kids as possible and in the end they loved her.

She was cute in her own way, the way that radiated from her inner heart and not her outer image.

And that sort of cuteness would last for a long long time even when the physical Haejung aged.

"Yah. Why are you staring blankly into space?" Haejung waved her hands in front of his face. "Stop zoning out, Chen. Don't you dare fall asleep on me like Maden did."

Chen blinked and saw that Maden had already fallen asleep on her shoulder and was drooling on her shirt. He quickly used a napkin to put it under Maden's cheek so that his drool wouldn't stain Haejung's shirt.

Mavin and Mason blinked curiously at Chen. "Umma, do you have another story?" Masen asked. "Mavin wants to hear one about elephants."

Haejung blinked. "Elephants?" she scratched her head. "Uhh..."

Chen chuckled. That confused face was cute too. Despite the hair and the glasses, her actions were endearing and adorable.

"Chen hyung has one." he offered. "Once upon a time, there was an elephant...." he started.

....

"I can't believe all of them fell asleep on us." Haejung whispered as she patted Masen's head, resting on her lap. Chen nodded. After his story, the boys felt sleepy and actually fell asleep on them.

"I think my story was too boring." Chen whispered.

Haejung laughed softly. She looked around. "I wonder why Luhan isn't back  yet." she murmured.

And only then did Chen remember his hyung. And something in him made him wish Luhan wasn't coming back.