a/n: i've been slacking for far too long, and i am sorry...

so in the next 20 hours, expect at least 3 updates on this story..

it's not for apology, i just got nothing better to do.. :P

“Say, ahjussi, why did you do when you were alive that you get to be colored?” Chanyeol asked as he gulped a mouthful of food.

“You don’t look like you’re a particularly good person. So what did you do to keep your spirit colored?” Baekhyun tilted his head to the side curiously.

“I am not dead.” Sehun deadpanned. Are these kids for real? They don’t act like six year olds!

Baekhyun rolled his eyes, “Yeah right. And Chanyeol doesn’t wet his bed anymore.”

“Hey! I don’t!” Chanyeol protested loudly, spraying rice all over Tao who was sitting in front of him. Baekhyun gave Chanyeol the ‘look’. “It was the last time! And I was dreaming of the beach!” Chanyeol griped, face turning a light shade of pink.

Sehun changed his mind. Yep, they’re definitely six year olds. He turned to the youngest boy who was grudgingly wiping rice off his face, ignoring the other two kids who started arguing about random childish things like how Batman can clearly outdo Spiderman anytime. Poor kid.

“You missed some.” Sehun told Tao.

The boy snapped his head up and looked at Sehun. He looked scared, his big eyes apprehensive as he not-so-subtly scooted farther into his seat, away from Sehun.

“I’m not going to bite, kid.” Sehun tried to sound reassuring but he was never one to look that friendly on a daily basis. He mentally growled (is he really that intimidating?), plastering what he hoped was a kind smile on his face. “My name is Sehun. What’s yours?”

“Z-zitao. Huang Zitao.” the boy replied after a few unsure looks at Sehun. “But Mama calls me Tao.”

Sehun smiled even further. He’s not a smiley person but the kid is clearly intimidated. “Well, Tao, it’s nice to meet you. How old are you?”

“I’m five and a half.” Tao replied, slowly sitting up straighter on his chair. “How old are you, ahjussi?”

“I’m 19.” Sehun answered.

“OH! You’re the same age as Mama!” Chanyeol grinned widely.

“Kid, are you okay? Your eye is twitching.” Sehun asked.

Chanyeol suddenly pouted as Baekhyun started laughing loudly. Even Tao, who struck Sehun as a shy one, started giggling. Sehun slightly panicked as tears brimmed Chanyeol’s eyes.

“Yah, kid. Don’t cry! What did I say wrong?” Sehun asked confusedly. “Yah, tell him not to cry!” he told Baekhyun who promptly ignored him and kept snickering.

“Who’s crying?” Anya came into the dining hall, immediately noticing Chanyeol’s teary eyes and the somewhat guilty look on Sehun’s face. “What did you do to my kid, brat?”

“Nothing!” Sehun defended hotly. “I was just talking to them!”

Anya glowered at Sehun as she went to Chanyeol and asked him what was wrong. Chanyeol shook his head and sniffed once before making a straight face.

“It’s nothing, Mama. I’m fine.” Chanyeol said, digging up on his food once more.

Sehun didn’t miss how the curly-haired boy’s high spirits earlier has now disappeared.

“Yah, brat, remember the rules. Break them and you’re out, oath or not.” Anya warned. She went back to where Luhan was poring over some old books from their equally old (ancient) library.

“Hey, kid, I’m sorry, alright? Whatever I said  that you didn’t like, don’t take it to heart.” Sehun told Chanyeol.

“He’s going to be fine, ahjussi. He’s just a bit sensitive about his eye-twitch. He’s bullied at school for that.” Baekhyun explained, giving Chanyeol a pat on the shoulder. “Sorry I laughed, Yeol. I didn’t mean to make fun of you. Sorry.”

“Yeah, me too, gege.” Tao added. “I love you, you know?”

Chanyeol beamed at the two boys, giving them his ear-splitting grin, causing for his right eye to twitch again. Soon, the table was once again filled with childish chatters and noise. Even Tao was talking animatedly.

Sehun could see how close the three boys were to one another. He grew up as an only child so he never experienced such bond. The closest thing he got to a brother is Jongin, but the two of them just met a couple of years ago so they are not that close yet.

“Are you three brothers? Blood-related?” Sehun asked. “I mean, you called ghost girl, I mean Anya, ‘mama’. Is she your real mom?”

“Nope.” Baekhyun shook his head. “We’re orphans. Uncle Luhan is Tao’s real uncle though. But Mama is our mama.”

“I don’t get it. You said you are all orphans. Besides, ghos- Anya, she’s too young to have six year olds.” Sehun frowned.

“I adopted them. Well, technically, they’ve been legally my kids for just about a year. But they’ve been with me since they were babies.” Anya explained as she entered the dining hall once again. “Guys, finish up! It’s school tomorrow, you need to catch up with your homework.”

“I’m finished with mine.” Baekhyun beams proudly.

“What? I haven’t even started with mine!” Chanyeol whined.

Anya looked at Tao who had gone quiet again. “Hey, Taozi, what about you?”

“I… I can’t draw… my classmates make fun of my drawings.” Tao sniffed.

“Hey! I thought I told you to tell me if they’re bullying you again? Who was it this time, huh?” Baekhyun growled.

Sehun was amused at how haughty Baekhyun act all manly at the mention of bullies. The kid is smaller than Chanyeol and Tao, but he clearly seemed to be the one who acts the toughest.

“Hey! What did I say about fighting?” Anya reprimanded.

“But they’re bullying Tao!” Baekhyun whined.

“Fighting won’t solve anything. If something bad happens, you should inform the teachers. Baekhyun, I thought you knew that since you’re the oldest?”

Baekhyun pouted but didn’t make a retort.

“Now, kids. If the bullying doesn’t stop, tell me and I’ll talk to those bullies’ parents, understand?” Anya asked and was answered with nods from the sulking children. She then left again and went back to helping Luhan.

“You know…” Sehun trailed, a mischievous smirk appearing on his face. “I do know some tricks to deal with bullies.”

The kids, particularly Baekhyun and Chanyeol, looked at Sehun with eager faces.

“Oh no.” Tao gulped.

“Hey! What the heck?! Why can’t I go upstairs?!” Sehun asked begrudgingly as he nursed a sore forehead. He wanted to go talk to the three kids who were in their shared bedroom, grounded for a couple of weeks. Thanks to the Oh Sehun. Apparently, someone had put a ward that stops him from entering the second floor of the house, every time he tries he gets an electric shock.

“You’re lucky I didn’t ban you from the house, idiot! I warned you to act accordingly in front of my kids but there you went teaching them unruly behaviors!” Anya fumed.

“I only helped them stop the bullying! If no one stopped this now, they’ll be bullied for the rest of their school life!” Sehun retorted.

“Making them make their classmates believe that they’re able to cast spells and ghosts on people is not helping them stop the bullying!” Anya shrieked. “Don’t you understand? People like us suffer from public bullying everyday because of our abilities! To others, we are not normal! Here I am trying to protect them from those kind of people and you almost destroyed everything with your antics!”

Sehun was speechless. He didn’t really think about the effect of what he had done. Before he met the accident, he’s oblivious to these paranormal things. The thought of people like Anya, Luhan, and the kids; the daily life they were living, didn’t really cross his mind. When he told the kids to tell their classmates that they can see spirits and cast them to haunt people, he thought it was just kind of funny to see the scared looks on the bullies’ faces. Especially when Sehun helped in ‘exposing’ the bullies’ little secrets and make them believe that what the three kids were saying were true.

“Please. I’m trying so hard to help them grow as normal kids do. Don’t… Just don’t do this kind of thing again. I don’t want them going through what I’ve gone through. So just…please.” Anya sighed.

Sehun watched as Anya went upstairs with a tired look on her face. Truth to be told, Sehun does feel sorry for what he had done. He realized that it was so wrong and so childish. He’s a nineteen-year old adolescent but he’s acting like he’s younger than Tao.

“Hey, ahjussi.”

Sehun looked up and saw Tao standing on the bottom of the stairs. The kid gave him a sad smile.

“I’m sorry Mama yelled at you.” Tao said and took a seat at the first step.
Sehun briefly wondered how this kid could be five years old and talk as if he’s older than him. “No. It was my fault. I shouldn’t have egged you to do that stupid thing.” I’m sorry, he added inside his head. “Now, you’re grounded.”

“It’s okay. We’re used to staying inside the house. Other kids keep on telling us that we’re weird because we can see things that they don’t. So Mama doesn’t want us to go outside that much if we don’t have anyone else with.”

“Isn’t that boring? Don’t you want to play with other kids?”

“It is boring sometimes, but I have Bai Xian gege and Chanyeol gege to play with. And we do get to stroll around if we want to. But I guess we can’t now since we are grounded.”

“Yeah, about that. It’s my fault so I think I need to make up for it.” Sehun sighed.

“Well, you can tell us stories. Or play with us. Or help with our homework.” Tao suggested.

“But I can’t even go upstairs. Just how did your mama get to have me banned from entering the second floor?”

“She can’t. Uncle Luhan can. You see, ahjussi-”

“Stop calling me ahjussi. I’m not that old.” Sehun sighed. “How about hyung? Or that word you call Baekhyun and Chanyeol?”

“Gege?” Tao considered that thought for a few moments before smiling shyly, “Sure if you want me to, Xi Shun gege.”

Sehun gave Tao and encouraging smile and sat beside the kid.

“Well, as I was saying earlier, Uncle Luhan is the one who can cast spells. Mama can’t do those kinds of things, really. She can see spirits and all, just like us, but uncle is the one who help them cross over.”

“How come you know all of these things? You’re five.” Sehun mused.

“Mama adopted the geges because they were like her. You see, Mama’s parents and my grandparents were all friends. When Mama’s parents passed away, Uncle Luhan took care of her. Uncle told us that when Baixian and Chanyeol gege were babies, Mama took care of them. Their real moms and dads were caught in a fire and asked Mama to take care of them.” Tao narrated.

“How about your parents? Had they passed away too?”

Tao went silent. “No.” he answered after a few minutes. “They don’t like people like me and Uncle Luhan. My parents left me with uncle after Uncle Luhan told them that I‘ve got his abilities to see ghosts too. Even back then when I was still a baby, he already knew what I can do. My parents hated uncle so they left me with him and went back to China.”

Sehun’s chest clenched tightly at the broken voice of the kid. No wonder Tao speak as if he’s a sixty year old man, he had been through a lot even at a young age.

“Hey, if they don’t want you, then it’s their loss. They won’t see how good of a kid you are.” Sehun grinned.

Tao smiled. “I don’t really worry, I’ve got Mama, and uncle Luhan, and my geges. And now I’ve got you, Xi Shun gege.”

“I don’t think I’ll be around for long but as long as I’m here, I’ll be your gege.” Sehun promised.

“You won’t be staying for long? Why? Are Mama and uncle sending you to the other side?” Tao asked curiously.

“No.” Sehun replied, smiling when Tao gave him a confused look. “You see, I’m not dead. I’m just in a coma and your mama and uncle are trying to help me get back to my body. As soon as they find out the solution, I’d be going back to my body.” he explained.

“Oh…” Tao nodded in understanding. “If you get back to your body, will you come over and play with us?”

“Well… we will see about that. But if given the chance, I will definitely visit. But for now… let’s go get your homework done. I’ll help you out. I’ve got nothing to do.”

Tao leapt from the stairs excitedly and went to get his homework.

“Don’t promise anything, brat.” Anya’s soft voice sounded from the hallway. She was giving Sehun a tired look.

“What?”

“Tao had been through a lot. Unlike Baek and Yeol who are strong in nature, Tao is a shy boy with trust issues. Luhan and I didn’t keep their life stories from them. We wanted them to understand that there are things that we need to do because of our abilities. Tao is a very special boy and I don’t want him to get hurt. So don’t make promises you can’t keep. You’ll be gone in no time so please try to not be too attached. Or get them to be too attached.”

And with that, Anya left.

Sehun watched as the girl turned her back on him. How can a girl have so many sides to her? First is a broken-hearted girl who is still hoping that the boy who dumped her would come back, second is a feisty girl who can see spirits and ghosts and make them run for their money, and third is an overprotective mother to three kids whom she’s clearly not fit to be a mother to yet she does.

Every day that he stays in the house, he discovers little things about Anya. He doesn’t understand all of those things, but one thing he gets though. Jang Anya gives too much of herself to others that she forgets about her own.

a/n: so yeah..  tomorrow is XIUMIN's birthday, and it's also two of my cousins' birthdays, only my cousins were born on 91 and 92...

but let's not be concerned about my crazy cousins' birthdays...

the thing is... my birthday... is the same as BAP's leader's birthday! we're just two years apart! how awesome is that???

>>i'm going back to spazz some more, if you don;t mind! :P