Reptile House

            “yah, why are you two buying more of these things? Isn’t your house full of creepy crawlies yet?” JeungMin asked staring at an aquarium with a large yellow frog inside.

            “because we like it, hyung.” JongJae said tapping an aquarium with a leopard gecko in it with a wide smile full of awe.

            “and we want to try breeding!” YoonJae finished her brother’s sentence motioning to the store assistant to get the huge tarantula.

            “and why would you want to breed it? didn’t JongWoon appa forbid you from buying anything poisonous?” SiHwan said raising his eyebrows from beside YoonJae.

            “he did, oppa, but-“

            “we’re are not buying anything poisonous.” JongJae said walking towards the other 2 with the huge yellow frog in his hands.

            “don’t tell me you’re buying that?” JeungMin said looking disgusted. “that thing just ate a whole chick.”

            “of course not, oppa. We’re here-“ YoonJae started smiling at JeungMin.

            “to buy beardies!” JongJae finished his sister’s sentence.

            “to buy what??” JeungMin and SiHwan asked in unison.

The twins gave them a look of shock as if it should be everyone’s knowledge to be informed what beardies are.

            “beardies, hyung!” the 2 older boys shook their heads at JongJae with confusion written all over their faces.

            “this!” YoonJae said.

            “GAH!” SiHwan yelled in shock. YoonJae had the foot-long, reddish-orange lizard towards SiHwan’s face.

            “THAT looks…” JeungMin pointed at the lizard searching for a good enough word to describe it.

            “cute?” YoonJae suggested.

            “awesome?” JoonJae chided.

JeungMin tilted his head to look at the lizard properly a finger still pointing at the animal.

            “dragon-ish.” He finished.

            “of course it would.” JoonJae laughed returning the frog in its tank.

            “it’s a bearded dragon!” YoonJae said and made baby faces at the lizard.

JeungMin and SiHwan just looked at each other unable to believe what they’re seeing. Both sighed exasperatedly.

            “at least my Mexican iguana looks cool. That thing looks mean.” JeungMin whispered to his bestfriend who chuckled.

            “better not let those two hear you say that or we’ll be subjected to a lecture about these mustached lizard or whatever the hell it’s called.” SiHwan said glancing up the two who was at the counter paying for a pair of their new cold-blooded friends.

            “we’re done we can go now, oppadeul!” YoonJae said excitedly with a box in hand.

            “unless you want to treat us something to eat?” JongJae said wriggling his brows.

            “we’re ok with some fish cakes outside.” YoonJae, again, finished her brother’s sentence.

Random people who usually hear them finishing their sentences like that think it’s cute and some irritating, but to their extended brothers and sisters, it ‘s perfectly normal. But most are wondering what’ll happen to the duo when JongJae debuts.

H. Kim Residence

            “umma, we’re home!” SaeHee shouted cheerfully but got no answer. Then she saw the note by the entrance left by Zee saying she’ll be at the pet hotel. SaeHee took the note and threw it at the bin beside the table where she saw the note.

            “is umma home?” the groggy voice of JaeHee echoed from behind SaeHee.

            “nope, she’s at the hotel.” She replied looking back at her dead tired brother and sprinted to the stairs after changing her shoes.

JaeHee being subjected to running from one end of the campus to the other by his overly excited sister collapsed on the living room couch then dozed off for a well-deserved nap.

SaeHee bounced all the way towards her room clutching a brown envelop containing all her enrollment documents. She only needs to go back tomorrow to finalize her subject and she’s good to go.

After a long day, she just wanted to flop on her bed and stretch while watching her favorite drama on her tv, but as soon as she opened her door she frowned.

Her bed was currently occupied by someone who lazed about and with both arms behind his head.

            “hey there, ms. Banshee!” MinHyun said obviously trolling.

            “yah, how did you get in here?” SaeHee shouted slapping his feet off her bed but it didn’t budge.

            “through the door.” He said pointing at the way she just went through.

            “oh ha ha. Now get off I want to watch my drama.” Sae Hee said switching her TV on but MinHyun just crossed his arms and didn’t move.

            “don’t wanna. Anyway congrats on getting in to Kyunghee.” He grinned and poked SaeHee’s sides.

The drama she wanted to watch didn’t start yet so she turned to her bestfriend.

            “thank you.” She said still not smiling, still very irked that MinHyun wont get off her bed.

            “yah, stop frowning.” MinHyun said then pushed his index finger on SaeHee’s forehead very hard that a red dot appeared.

SaeHee grimaced from the pain and glared at the boy in front of her.

            “Yah! That hurts!” she shouted but MinHyun just laughed rolling on the bed pointing on the red dot on her forehead. “Get off! NOW!!!” SaeHee shouted after she saw how red it really was from the mirror on her vanity.

She gripped her bed cover and kicked MinHyun repeatedly but as the latter was bigger that her, not to mention stronger, her kicking didn’t do much. With one last heave she succeded…

            “BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!” MInHyun roared with laughter at SaeHee as she succeeded…succeeded at letting herself fall on the floor.

            “stop laughing!” she shouted as she stood up rubbing her aching bottom.

With deep breaths MinHyun calmed himself and wiped the tears from his eyes.

            “sorry, can’t help it. you’re so clumsy at times.” He panted. His face still red from all the laughing he did.

SaeHee sat on her bed again but turned her back on her bestfriend. MinHyun slowly crawled towards SaeHee and whispered in her ear.

            “don’t you need to ask for my help in something?” he said a bit creepily. A sharp intake of breath told him he just scared the daylights out of SaeHee.

He tried not to laugh at the look on her face.

            “stop doing that!” she yelled and his his squarely in the face with a pillow. “and why would I need your help?”

MinHyun made a few pouty faces to stretch his nose after being hit before he answered.

            “well, you are going off to college…” he said in a matter-of-factly voice.

            “so?” she said raising an eyebrow.

            “you do know your dad will make some sort of deal with your brother on how to keep your way boys-free, right?”

            “I do, again, so what?”

            “Kim SaeHee, do you really think that your brother won’t do anything embarrassing on your part in order to achieve that?” MinHyun finished flicking SaeHee’s forehead, which caused the latter to scream in pain again and MinHyun to suffer another pillow to the face.

            “you’re right! MinHyun-ah! Help!” SaeHee said and tackled her bestfriend off the bed and on the floor.

            “yah, yah, get off! What have you been eating these days? You’re freaking heavy!” MinHyun said shoving SaeHee off him but the latter was hugging him and not letting go. This action was cutting down on the boy’s air supply.

            “yah I’m not heavy!” she said finally letting go and punched his stomach making him slightly winded. “and to answer you question, you sister’s napoleons.” She harrumphed and laid her head on MinHyun’s stomach.

            “tch! If you keep eating those Heechul appa wont need your brother’s help in warding off boys.” MinHyun said a hint of a grin now trying to appear on his face.

            “oh shut up!” she said elbowing MinHyun’s side. The hit wasn’t all that painful but he rubbed it still out of reflex. “speaking of your twin, where is she?” She asked turning her head towards MinHyun who had his arms behind his head again eyes fixed on the ceiling.

            “at Kibum appa’s place.” He shrugged.

            “still trying to teach Gayoon how to cook?” SaeHee giggled.

            “yep!” he replied with a pop. “but if you ask me I think it’s a lost cause. Gayoon has no cooking skills at all, can’t even fry an egg without burning the house down.”

            “just like you?” SaeHee laughed.

            “yah, at least I admit it. anyway, how about your brother? I thought you two went out together?” he said with a soft flick to the side of SaeHee’s head.

            “oh he crashed on the couch.” She replied offhandedly.

            “you really need to stop torturing your brother like that.” MinHyun said yawning and grabbed a pillow from the bed to put behind his head.

            “why not?” SaeHee turned and started making marching pokes on MinHyun’s stomach. “he’s tortured me enough when we’re out embarrassing me with his clinginess and all that. I think after all that I deserve to do this to him.”

MinHyun just rolled his eyes. He knew his bestfriend from head to foot, stubborn and bratty to name a few characteristics. A bit naïve at times but she can definitely handle herself…ahem…sometimes. MinHyun knew if he didn’t grow up with SaeHee, Heechul would’ve already cut his balls or something.

            “whatever, Sae. By the way, aren’t you ever going to take those down? What are you? Still 10 or something?” MinHyun said pointing to the ceiling.

SaeHee looked up at the glow-in-the-dark constellation set that MinHyun gave her for her 10^th birthday.

            “nope, 1 I’m too lazy to do it and 2 my bestfriend gave it to me and helped me put it up together, so no it’s staying up there.” SaeHee stuck her tongue out and MinHyun just shook his head in defeat.

Just then 2 squealing voices issued from downstairs then the thunder of loud footsteps.

            “JIE!!!” SaeHee’s cousin Shane and ZhouMi appa’s daughter XiLin came running to SaeHee’s room and hugged her from the floor.

            “omo! Shane! XiLin!!!” the 3 girl squealed in delight and started jumping up and down.

MinHyun stood up rubbing his ears.

            “I think my eardrums just burst.” He shook his head and blinked.

            “GE!!!” the other two ran and hugged MinHyun who just laughed and hugged them back.

            “how was your trip?” he asked.

            “oh good! We bought lots!” XiLin said her eyes almost twinkling. MinHyun caught SaeHee’s eyes and both sighed with a slight smile.

XiLin would of course, like her dad a passion for shopping.

            “YAH! You two! Help me with these bags!” they heard XiaQin’s voice from downstairs, immediately followed by her apology to JaeHee who she had not notice from the couch.

            “oops! We forgot!” Shane said and rushed out the door.

SaeHee and MinHyun looked at each other with a kind of nervousness. If you let those three run wild with their dad’s credit cards you are sure to be in for something crazy.

And true enough when the 3 girls came into the room, they were all carrying heaps of shopping bags, from make up, to clothes, to shoes and to just anything random that they find cute in stores.

            “ah! MinHyun-ah, I knew you’d be here.” XiaQin said shoving about 7 paper bags on MinHyun who tumbled clumsily backwards.

            “Jie, what is all this?” he asked raising the bags.

            “they’re for you and your sister, duh!” Xia Qin rolled her eyes as if it was already obvious. “and tell her I want to see her wear that dress during the company party next week.” She finished with a command.

MinHyun was just left to mumble something unintelligible from under his breath before placing the bags down. XiLin and Shane, on the other hand, already bombarded SaeHee with new clothes and shoes.

            “I think this is my cue to leave.” MinHyun said clearing his throat as the girls were already trying to push SaeHee to try them all on. “Jie, thanks for these.” He finished before going out. Xia Qin just waved him with a hand before he closed the door.

As he climbed down the stairs, a slightly disgruntled JaeHee greeted him.

            “aish! this is why I don’t want those 3 together on vacation!” he said through gritted teeth with muffled thumps after each word.

Apparently, the 2 girls had dumped their presents to JaeHee on him.

            “need help, hyung?” MinHyun chuckeld.

            “oh, MinHyun-ah, I had an inkling you were here. Anyway no thanks I got this.” He said while rubbing his forehead.

Minhyun walked towards the couch and sat on the armrest.

            “your forehead is red, hyung.” he said.

            “aish! that XiaQin, he threw this at me when she saw I was here.” JaeHee raised a box of his favorite perfume. MinHyun laughed.

            “you know how she is when she gets excited.”

            “yeah, I do. I just keep forgetting getting out of her way whenever she just completed a shopping trip.” JaeHee said filing every present he got in a corner stood up and stretched.

            “you think you’ve got problems?” MinHyun said raising the bags in his hands. “judging by the weight, there’s not just one item in each bag.”

JaeHee grimaced.

            “I obviously got off easy then, but I really am looking forward to see Uncle Henry’s reaction when he sees the bill.” JaeHee threw his head back laughing hard only to wince again as one of XiaQin’s present hit his head.

            “not to mention HanKyung appa’s.” MinHyun laughed with his hyung.

            “speaking of my dad’s bestfriend, I think you need to go. Appa just got in and mom’s not here. He’s just in his study if he finds you here-“ JaeHee let his sentence trail.

MinHyun already knew what would happen to him. He’ll be subjected to Heechul’s silent glares and undeserved accusations. And since Zee isn’t home there’ll be no one to stop him from torturing MinHyun.

            “right, later, hyung!” MinHyun said almost running towards the door.

Good thing their house was just right next door so it wasn’t that far of a walk.

Before he could grasp the doorknob he heard a muffled explosion and a few screams he glance to the direction it came from. It was just 2 houses up from his.

Kibum’s place.

He ran towards the house dropping the bags on the porch. He knew his sister was there with Gayoon and he wanted to make sure they are both safe.

Smoke was issuing from the kitchen window; he ran to the door and pulled it open. The house stank of smoke. MinHyun coughed and put a hand over his mouth and nose, whole waving the other to fan the smoke away.

            “MinAh-ah! GaYoon-ah!”

            “MinHyun-ah!” he heard his sister’s voice from the kitchen.

He started towards it to be greeted by two girls with black soot and flour all over their faces. It took MinHyun all his will power not to laugh.

            “what happened here?” MinHyun asked coughing from all the smoke. He walked over to the other 2 kitchen windows and flung it open.

            “Gayoon forgot to take the sausages out of the can before she put it in the microwave so it exploded, the can fell into the bowl with the flour so, you see.” Min-Ah explained and pouted.

            “aish! you two, jinjja.” MinHyun shook his head and took a clean towel and started wiping his sister and Gayoon’s faces.

            “I really at cooking! I quit!” Gayoon shouted stomping her foot.

            “stop being so negative.” MinHyun flicked Gayoon’s forehead.

            “MinHyun-ah, don’t do that!” his sister said slapping his hand. “but he’s right, Gayoon-ah, if this is something you really like to do then go for it.”

            “but I keep screwing things up! I just can’t cook as good as you, unnie!”

            “yah, you need to crawl before you can run, kiddo.” MinHyun said rubbing flour and soot off of Gayoon’s face.

            “actually you already have potential, your only problem is that you almost always panic when you try to remember something and that leads to…this!” Min-Ah said gesturing to the mess all around the kitchen.

            “I’ll try to remember that, unnie.” She said quietly and sniffed.

            “now let’s clean this mess up before your parents get here. We only have an hour two.” Min-Ah said then glanced at her twin.

            “what?”

            “you will help us, won’t you?” she asked rounding her eyes. MinHyun sighed and nodded.

            “fine. Both of you try to clean this place, I’ll try to find something that’ll get rid of this smell.”

MinHyun walked towards the cupboard under the stairs and took out 2 stand fans and used it to blow the remaining smoke away from the house. He took 2 cans of air freshener and started spraying the living room before the smell sticks to the furniture.

He was about to start wiping the furniture when the unmistakable screeching sound of a motorcycle made him freeze from where he stood. The two girls ran out from the kitchen.

            “DongWoon oppa is back!!!” all 3 of them said excitedly at the same time and forgetting about what they were supposed to do, they all ran out of the house.

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chap 2 is up! i know theres not much happening yet i hope you'll stick with me i'm still trying to establish each characters' personalities..hihi

who will you want to see in the next chap? ;)

ps. still unedited and i do apologize for any typos and grammatical errors..:)