“So who do we choose to be ‘it’?” Hyukjae asks as his eyes rove from one face to another surrounding him.

 

“I don’t care,” Heechul announced as he admires himself in the little new pocket mirror he bought the day before with some of his piggy bank content. “As long as it’s not me. I don’t want to dirty my new strawberry shortcake t-shirt.”

 

“….”

 

“I don’t know how to count backwards.” Shindong mutters with a shrug as he continues eating his cake.

 

“Neither can us.” Donghae admit a little shyly.

 

Their eyes fell on their brother squatting by a rain puddle trying to feed his baby turtle water.

 

“Naaaaaw…” all of them remarked unanimously.

 

“Changminnie can’t count yet.” Siwon spoke up for their cousin who is only a few days older than Kyuhyun and visiting them over the weekend. The little boy with dark skin and big goldfish eyes nodded eagerly without really understanding.

 

“I guess that leaves…” Sungmin spoke up uncertainly.

 

“Kyu.” Siwon offers a bit more bravely.

 

The little toddler being named heard his name being brought up and put down the book he was reading with a long-suffering sigh. He had started reading his new book when his brothers began the difficult task of assigning roles for the game and he was just getting to the best part.

 

With a stoic expression on his baby face, Kyuhyun pushes himself off the porch steps and approach his brothers and cousin. They are staring expectantly at him, holding their breath. The maknae frequently finds himself singled out whenever counting backwards is involved. With a roll of his eyes, he glared at all his hyungs.

 

“Get ready.” He said simply and 8 boys released happily the stale breath they were holding for not a short time.

 

 

“……7…...6……5…….” Kyuhyun murmurs slowly and steadily with his head resting on a propped up arm across the coarse tree trunk. He could hear a lot of rustling noises around him but he is not tempted to sneak looks at where everyone is hiding. He locates every single one of them every single time without fail; he’s too smart or his hyungs are too dumb.

 

“…1…..Ready or not….here I come!” He announces loudly before turning to a supposedly empty garden. A slow rove around him showed him Shindong hyung’s shoe peeking out from under a bush, Siwon hyung’s white t-shirt sleeve showing through a patch of sparse tree branches and Hyukjae hyung and Donghae hyung whispering urgently behind the same tree he was just standing counting.

 

“GOTCHA!” Kyuhyun shouts loudly as he steps around the tree trunk. Hyukjae and Donghae are still whispering in loud hisses when the loud shout stopped them short. Hyukjae’s jaw dropped in surprise before he turned to glare at Donghae for giving their hiding spot away. Donghae’s bulging eyes and open mouth remind Kyuhyun of his hyung’s favorite fish plushy and that sent the toddler into an uncontrollable giggle fit.

 

“Cheater!” Hyukjae said smacking his maknae on the back of the head for revenge as he pass the little boy on his way to the porch steps to take his place as 1^st place losers, closely followed by a downcast Donghae.

 

“OWW!!!” Kyuhyun whined angrily as he rubs his head. “I’m gonna tell umma on you!” He shot back which Hyukjae answered by sticking out his tongue.

 

For the next half hour Kyuhyun systematically expose his hyungs’ hiding places. He pulled Sungmin and Ryeowook out from under a large rock sculpture they managed to stuff themselves under; lured Shindong out with promise of more cake, shouted “snake!” at Siwon which sent the lanky boy shrieking and running away a mile a minute; and threatening loudly to throw Yesung’s pet turtle into the toilet. Heechul walked out of his hiding place simply because he was bored with waiting to be found.

 

‘Where’s Changminnie?” Sungmin asks when all 9 brothers gathered at last. Everyone looked at everyone, shaking their heads and shrugging their narrow shoulders.

 

“Wasn’t he with you?” Ryeowook asks Siwon who brought both hands up in defence while shaking his head fervently.

 

“I thought he followed us but then he disappeared.” Hyukjae adds.

 

“Changminnie! Changminnie!” The boys start shouting.

 

“It’s no use. He thought the game isn’t over. He won’t come out.” Kyuhyun admonish his brothers with an angry stamp of his little foot.

 

“Come out Minnie! The game’s over!” Siwon tries in vain.

 

“He won’t believe you!” Heechul chortles evilly.

 

Siwon’s face scrunched up angrily. “Why not?”  He demands hotly at his hysterically giggling brother.

 

“Cos you are dumb!” Heechul shot back with a smirk.

 

“I’m not dumb! Don’t call me dumb! Umma said it’s rude to call someone dumb!” Siwon fought back.

 

Kyuhyun rolls his eyes at the childish bickering. All his brothers are taking sides now and a full scale war is in the making. Choosing to leave, he turned and in the same moment he heard a soft squeak above his head. Curiously, he looked up.

 

“Minnie!” Kyuhyun gasps at the boy perched on a branch of the tree. His cousin is swinging his chubby legs gleefully looking absolutely pleased with himself.

 

“Minnie! How did you get up there? Come down! It’s dangerous!” Kyuhyun shouts attracting his quarrelling siblings’ attention. Very quickly they are crowding the foot of the tree shouting up at their cousin to come down.

 

“I’m tired.” Donghae mutters as he lowers his head with a grimace.

 

“Me too…” Sungmin agrees.

 

“I’m going in, I don’t want to miss tea.” Shindong told them as he moves towards their house.

 

“Come down this very minute or we will never play with you again!” Kyuhyun threatens crossly but his cousin wouldn’t budge, choosing instead to taunt them by sticking out his tongue.

 

“Fine! Stay there! Don’t come down!” Kyuhyun said as he stomps away to get his new storybook.

 

“Come on, Changminnie ~” Siwon tries again patiently.

 

 

Just then the door opened and Lee Teuk appears on the stoop. “Boys! Tea time! Come in now!” He calls.

 

“Yes umma!” Donghae replied dutifully as they start bounding towards the house all excited about the promise of food.

 

The little boy stuck up in the tree watched downheartedly as his cousins left him one by one without hesitation. Tears well up in his eyes as he felt neglected and forgotten.

 

“H-hyung! W-wait for me! Wait!” He cried as he scrambles down the tree in a great hurry. “Ahhhh!”

 

Kyuhyun was the last one to reach his door when he heard the loud screaming. Turning, he was in time to see his cousin fall off the tree and hitting the ground. Picking up his chubby legs, he ran back to the tree and stare down at the motionless body lying across a large piece of sharply protruding tree root on the ground.

 

The little toddler brows on Kyuhyun’s smooth forehead furrow as he observes Changmin for signs of life. Deciding that there is none, he turned and runs back into the house.

 

The kitchen table is crowded with 8 ravenous boys dipping toast in their runny eggs and slurping glasses of cold milk, shouting and yelling at each other too. Lee Teuk was busy stopping physical fights and refilling rapidly emptied glasses but he still managed to notice his baby climbing into his seat looking pretty subdued.

 

Lee Teuk frowned then something strikes him. “Where’s Changminnie?” He asks out loud.

 

The din around the table died down instantly as 8 pairs of eyes exchanged nervous looks. Lee Teuk’s frown deepens but before he could speak again, Kyuhyun looked up with his big doe eyes all misty.

 

“Changminnie is lying dead outside.” The little tot answered sincerely.

 

Lee Teuk never ran so fast in his entire life as he dashed out of the door.

 

@

 

“Thanks.” Lee Teuk said dryly as he took the ice pack from his husband who is looking anything but pleased.

 

“Does it still hurt?” Kangin asks grimacing at the red swollen mess that was his spouse’s ankle.

 

“It’s just a bad twist. It will heal in a few days.”

 

“I’d never seen you this careless.” Kangin remarks as he sat down on the bed next to Lee Teuk with his ankle propped high up on a stack of pillows.

 

“My heart nearly stopped when babykyu said Changminnie is lying dead outside.” Lee Teuk shudders at the memory.

 

“That kid of yours is too smart for his own good.” Kangin growled.

 

“So he’s not yours hmmm?” Lee Teuk asks scathingly and his husband immediately blushed with ferocity.

 

“I never said that.” Kangin mutters begrudgingly. “If only I did not take those pills ~”

 

“Babykyu will not end up so smart.” Lee Teuk finishes the sentence for him. “You know there are no studies to show that boosts brainpower of fetus.”

 

Kangin blushed even deeper. How was he to know that Lee Teuk was already 3 weeks’ pregnant with their youngest? He was just trying to spice up their life by taking the little blue pill because Lee Teuk was reacting so lethargically in bed.

 

Lee Teuk could only thump his husband’s back empathetically.