Fears

*****

‘You’re unique and one of a kind. But how do I not notice it from the beginning… Your presence is like a gift to me.’

“Yunho-ah, wait!”

A teenage boy that was about to walk out from the school gate turned around upon heard his friend called out to him.

“What’s up? Don’t you have to stay back for your English club’s meeting?” Yunho asked once Yoochun reached him after the other came running to him from their school block.

“Oh, it got canceled. So, let’s walk home together.” Yoochun said between his heavy breaths.

The two boys started walking back on the same street that they used to take. Along the way home they were laughing, joking around about the funny things that happened during their previous basketball tournament. Yoochun was still kept talking about the foolish things until both of them walked past the nearby nursery school, his eyes caught a scene that made him stopped in his track abruptly.

“What are those kids doing? Bullying?” Yoochun asked as his eyes starred at a bunch of kids amongst six years old in the playground outside of the nursery school building. That bunch of kids was huddled around another kid who looked smaller than them. The kid was kneeled down on the ground with a bleeding knee.

“Huh, what’s wrong?” Yunho also stopped in his track, looking at Yoochun in confused before he followed to look in the same direction. It just took a second before his eyes widened as he caught the scene.

 ‘Jaejoong…’ He immediately noticed who the poor kid that was being bullied at the moment. He knew that his step mother, Tae Hee had always send Jaejoong to the nearer childcare when there was nobody at home to taking care the kid when the parents off to work. Also, his father had forbid Jaejoong to be left under Yunho’s care ever since that incident during Yunho’s school break happened, which caused the little boy burned his arm.

Yunho’s fists clenched at his sides as he saw the little Kim Jaejoong was being pushed harshly when each time he tried to get up. A con of vanilla ice cream in the poor boy’s hand fell to the dirty ground by the last hard push he received from the kid that was twice the size of him.

“Even in that age there is a kid who already knows to bully others? Aish, those kids really need a lesson.” Yoochun gritted his teeth and was about to walk up to help the poor boy. That unpleasant sight really annoyed him.

“Yah, that’s not our problem. Let them be...” Yunho pulled back Yoochun by his shoulder, stopping his friend’s from intruding.

“But…that poor-”

“It’s okay. See…there is a teacher who will take care of it.” Yunho said while mouth pointed back to the scene. There was a teacher already came rushing out and stopped that bunch of kids from bullying the one who stumbled on the ground.

“Aish, if the one that got bullied is my little brother, Yoohwan, I will really give a hard smack on those kids’ heads.” Yoochun huffed.

Both of them resumed their walk and this time Yunho was silent as his mood turned jumbled after what he had witnessed. That poor kid who was being bullied was his stepbrother, but he did nothing to help. Call him worse, but he knew better for not showing any sign of getting close to the boy, since he had determined to not pay any attention on his new family members, and the best choice was to ignore the things that involved the others.

***

From the distance, Yunho could hear a murmuring voice of his parents which had just got home. He was at his study desk, trying to finish his homework when he caught the voice of his father seemed nagging on something. Then he heard someone was sobbing, and he knew well it came from none other than the little Kim Jaejoong. A few seconds later the door of his room that he shared with the little boy was opened, and Tae Hee walked in. Jaejoong tagged along behind his mother with a small sobs escaped his lips. Yunho pretended to focus on his homework; didn’t even bother to turn around to acknowledge the other presence in his room.

“Don’t cry Joongie. Appa is not mad at you. He is just mad at your teacher who doesn’t do her job well.” He heard Tae Hee soft voice cooing the little boy who was still sobbing non-stop.

“It’s not the teacher’s fault. It… it’s Joongie’s fault!” The boy said between his sobs.

“Okay…okay. Now, let me see your knee. Does it still hurt?” Tae Hee asked in her motherly soft voice.

“No…it doesn’t hurt anymore…”

“Joongie…” Tae Hee sighed. “Tell me the true, how did you get this big wound on your knee?”

“I already said it…I…I fell when I was playing alone in the playground.” Jaejoong uttered, tears still running down his bubbly cheeks.

Tae Hee patted her boy’s head softly. “If that’s the true, then later be careful and don’t play alone when there’s no adult around to watch over you, okay.” Tae Hee said before she got up and walked out of the room to prepare dinner, but not before reprimanded her son to take a bath beforehand.

Yunho remained silent, making himself invisible in the room, eyes only focusing on his workbook, but the sound of Jaejoong sobbing that still not stop just irritated him. He turned around, finally, facing the little boy who was leaning on the edge of his bed.

“Hey, could you stop crying. You’re disturbing me. I’m trying to study here.” He spitted out with an annoyed face.

Jaejoong peered up his face from his folded hand on the bed, looking at the elder with his big-doe like eyes pooled with tears and swollen red. His lips trembled as he tried to suppress his sobs, and the cries ceased automatically.

Yunho rolled his eyes before turned back to resume his work. ‘So easy...’ he mumbled to himself as one order from him was able to make the little boy quiet down. But then the sound of small hiccups filled the room.

Yunho grumbled under his breath as he got up from his seat and walked over to Jaejoong, who still in the same posture; seating down at the edge of his single bed with face buried on the mattress.

“Hey…” Yunho nudged the boy on his shoulder.

Jaejoong brought his snotty face looked up again, those big-rounded eyes staring up at his brother face innocently.

“Go take a bath, your body is full of dirt? Don’t you dare to get on the bed before you clean yourself up, understand?” Yunho said with a strict face.

Jaejoong dropped his face and pouted. “I don’t want to take a bath…”

“What is this? Start to show your stubbornness? Get up!” Yunho pulled the little boy by his arm to stand up, and the kid winced and whimpered in pain, which made him realized the wound on the boy’s knee.

“Joongie don’t want to take a bath… the water will hurt Joongie’s knee…” The boy started crying again.

“Aish, could you stop being a crybaby!” Yunho scowled.

“Yunho, don’t bully your little brother. Why don’t you get Jaejoong to bath now?” Mr. Jung’s voice could be heard from the living room. It sounded like an order and Yunho knew better not to argue back when his old man had used that kind of tone.

Yunho grunted before he scooted closer to the sobbing boy. “I’ll give you a bath and stop crying.” He said through gritted teeth, but then sighed at the thought of using a strict tone wasn’t work on the boy.

“I will not get your wound under water.” He said again, this time softened his tone a bit.

Jaejoong stopped crying and turned towards the elder. He blinking his teary eyes once before wiped his snotty nose and smiled. “Really?”

Yunho brows furrowed. ‘How could this kid really buy my word so easily?’ he wondered inwardly.

Seeing those big, innocent eyes seemed threw him a trusting look, Yunho felt a bit defeated. And despite feeling annoyed, he stood up and walked toward his study desk, grabbing a tap and plastic bag from the top drawer. He put the plastic on Jaejoong’s wound in knee before tapped it. “Here, water won’t touch your wound.” He said and was about to lead the boy to bathroom when Jaejoong suddenly stretched up his hand upwards.

“What?” Yunho frowned, looking down at the boy with confused look.

“Help… take off Joongie’s shirt.” The kid muttered.

“What, you don’t know how to take