L

Myungsoo’s hand is raised, his finger hovers over the doorbell. He is dressed in a nice plaid shirt and jeans, his hair combed back and nails free of dirt. A tiny paper bag is hooked around the fingers of his other hand. He feels that he is prepared for the night ahead, but his heart thumps erratically in his chest.

He takes a deep breath, once, twice, and is about to press the bell when the automated gate swings open with a clang. The front door is pushed open, and Seohyun hurries out. Her eyes quickly search and lock onto his, and the two exchange nervous smiles. He meets her halfway up her front porch.

“Hey,” he says, bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet. She seems to be dressed more properly than usual, in a cream cotton one-piece with a peter pan collar. Her hair has been done up in a braid. Loose strands tickle her face, and he reaches out to tuck them behind her ear. Her lips are slightly pale.

“Ready?” She says, trying to sound positive. He nods, takes her hand, and the two set off towards her house, where her parents are waiting.

--

There is no doubt that her father has been chided into submission, for instead of fixing Myungsoo with the cold glare that the latter has prepared himself for, he gives a begrudging nod and disappears into the kitchen. Seohyun watches this exchange with wide eyes, her bottom lip between her teeth, and lets out a small sigh in relief when the greeting from her father is not one of outright hostility.

She tugs his hand, leading him to the kitchen as well. “Let’s go say hi.”

To Myungsoo’s relief, the kitchen is wide enough to accommodate four people, so he doesn’t have to stand nearer to her father than is comfortable. He greets her mother warmly, and she replies with kindness.

“I’ll be done soon,” she says, referring to the pot on the stove. A delicious scent wafts out from within. Myungsoo detects a the delectable aroma of soft meat mixed with a variety of spices and vegetables.

“We’ll set the table,” Myungsoo volunteers, to Seohyun’s surprise (and delight), and they go about taking out bowls and cutlery. He lays down the last chopstick as her mother comes out carrying dishes, followed closely by her father, who wields the pot with thick cotton mittens. They take their seats at the rectangular table, with her father at the end, her mother and Seohyun on either side of him, and Myungsoo to Seohyun’s right.

Despite not having enough time to cook on a daily basis, Seohyun’s mother stuns Myungsoo with the dinner. He finds himself savouring every bite, relishing in the softness of the stew or of the fragrance of the rice. Meals at the Home are often a simple affair, for they run on a low budget and do not have much time for cooking. Myungsoo preoccupies himself with inhaling his food before he realizes that he has to be polite and make conversation.

“This is wonderful, Mrs Seo.”

And he isn’t saying it so that she will like him more. His compliment comes from the bottom of his heart.

She beams, moving to ladle more food into his bowl. “Have more, then,” she says, and he nods his head in thanks and appreciation.

With the warm food in his stomach and Seohyun’s knee pressed comfortingly against his, the butterflies in Myungsoo’s stomach almost disappear. He begins to feel comfortable instead of awkward and self-conscious, until her father clears his throat.

“So, Myungsoo.” It is the first time her father has addressed him by name. Myungsoo sits up a bit straighter.

“Sir,” he lets out, hoping that his voice sounds strong.

“Tell us about yourself,” comes the command, and Myungsoo pauses for a moment. He has readied himself for such questions, going so far as to rehearse his answers in front of the bathroom mirror back at the Home, but under her father’s stern gaze, all his preparation seems to have been blurred out of his mind. He flounders around for the right words to start, finally finding strength to open his mouth when Seohyun’s hand grips his under the table.

“I am the same age as Seohyun,” he begins. “We met while I was selling ice cream. I go to school and work at night. I live in a boys’ Home. I-“

“Siblings?” Her father questions. “Parents?”

He hesitates briefly.

“No siblings. No father, and I haven’t seen my mother in years.”

Heavy silence permeates throughout the room, until Seohyun’s mother decides to salvage the conversation.

“Any career interests?” Myungsoo nods immediately at this question.

“Psychology,” he says confidently. “Child psychology.” Her mother nods, encouraging him silently to go on. “I want to understand children who come from broken families or who have unfavourable backgrounds, so that I can help them as much as the mentors of the Home have.”

Seohyun’s mother nods, proud of his answer. Even her father is silent from the passion of his answer. Myungsoo’s fingers curl around Seohyun’s in relief and triumph.

--

They clear the table to make way for dessert, which turns out to be cake and the ice cream that Myungsoo had seen churning in a machine before dinner began. Seohyun abstains from the ice cream, and has the tiniest slice of cake possible, not providing any explanation when Myungsoo shoots her a curious glance.

He helps bring the dishes to the kitchen, insisting to help with the washing even after her mother refuses. She chuckles, finally relenting, and moves out as Seohyun comes in with the last of the plates.

“Don’t forget your supplements, darling,” Mrs Seo calls after her daughter.

Supplements?

Seohyun only hums in agreement before joining Myungsoo at the sink, drying the dishes that he’d washed.

“Supplements?” He asks.

“Supplements,” she confirms. She doesn’t say more, only smiling up at him as she takes a plate from his hands. Her eyes crinkle with happiness and at the domesticity of the entire situation, and he knows, once again, that she is the most beautiful person to ever walk this earth.

--

LXIV

“Siblings? Parents?”

 “No siblings. No father, and I haven’t seen my mother in years.”

Seohyun bites the tip of her pen as her mind flashes back to the conversation almost two months before. She and Myungsoo lie sprawled on the floor of her bedroom, both trying to complete the homework given by their respective teachers. The door to her room is wide open, so that her father can walk by and peek in surreptitiously like how he has been every five minutes. He is writing an essay and she is struggling with math. The numbers swim across the page as she attempts to concentrate, but all she can think about is the conversation from a week before.

“Myungsoo,” she calls softly, and he lifts his head to flash her a small, peaceful smile. They two had come up with ways to make her parents more accepting of him, and studying together at her house was a top choice. Now, he comes over on weekends, and they pour over homework or revision under her father’s watchful eyes. They don’t mind, not really, for they get to spend time with each other, and that is all that matters. Still, she looks forward to going back to the Home with Myungsoo soon. She hasn’t seen Dasom in ages, and she misses the little girl like she were her own.

Seohyun’s attention is directed back to Myungsoo when he places a hand on her knee, tapping softly with his index finger.

“What’s up?” He asks, and, thinking that she needs help with homework, he moves her statistics book towards himself so that he may help her with her problems. The question he expects is one of a mathematical nature, and so the one that leaves her lips take him by surprise.

“Why haven’t we gone to meet your mom?”

He hesitates. The tip of the finger that has been tapping on her knee comes to an abrupt halt. “My mom’s in jail.”

“I know,” she says quietly. “But…” Her voice trails off hesitantly, and she peers at Myungsoo, unsure of how to continue.

“But what?” He asks, fingers going back to tapping on her knee, albeit less rhythmically than before. She bites her lip.

“Well… Can’t we see her?”

____________________________________

Ahh ;; Doing homework with a boyfriend has been a fantasy of mine since forever. That and taking selfies as well as kissing in the rain OKAY I shall stop here.

Thank you everyone for sticking with this story! I've started a new Exo fic featuring Kai/ Jongin, Please do check it out :)

Happy Chinese New Year to all who celebrate it <3