Chapter Seven: Bond

 

 

 

 

 

A few days have passed. Still, nothing new happened. The three would wake up early, they'll have breakfast, EXO guys will wake up late, they'll eat breakfast, dress up, leave, come back really late then sleep. 

Yeah...

That's how much their days always went.

Nothing new really happened.

As always, the three were left in the dormitory, watching T.V, surfing the net, or sometimes, just slouching on the bed or couch staring at the ceiling.

Though they were adopted, they really didn't actually feel that they had a family. They really didn't feel that "warmth" they often heard and expected. EXO says they are their "fathers" now, right? Aren't fathers supposed to stay with their kids, not go out and leave them alone in their house? 

Well, what would they expect?

Their "fathers" are idols. The guys who adopted them are idols. EXO is an idol group. 

They are expected to be VERY busy, especially that their "comeback" is coming. As what their "appas" told them, their beloved fans have been waiting for ages for this awaited comeback. The three understands this. They understand it well...

But, what's the use of being adopted if you can't feel that family love?

For shelter?

For food?

Clothes?

Money?

No...

That's not what the three wanted...

A feeling of acceptance and love...

That's what they wanted...

So, another day arrived. As usual, the three woke up early, prepared breakfast and so on. "Good morning." Sehun greeted with a yawn as he saw the kids.

"Good morning." they all greeted in unison with a faint smile on their face.

"I really don't know how, but three kids preparing our breakfast seems amazing." Chanyeol smiled as he sat on his place. "But still, thanks."

"It's somewhat a symbol of our gratitude for adopting us." Hyerin smiled as she combed Hui Ying's black hair. "Well, cooking breakfast still isn't actually an appropriate sign of gratitude for adopting us. It's still not enough."

"Aish, it's nothing." Suho laughed. "It's our own free will."

"And besides, three kids out wandering in Seoul?" Kai chuckled. "That's wrong."

The three simply eyed the twelve. They exactly knew how this day would go. It was like any other day. They'll leave, they'll come back then sleep. That cycle always repeats, it never changes...

Soon, EXO began to dress up. As expected. Several members were dressed in hoodies. Some wore caps and masks. Some wore sleeveless tops while some decided to wear sweaters. But, they all had the same thing...

Sweatpants. Black sweatpants...

"We're leaving." Kris said as he and the other members walked out.

"Do well." the three smiled.

"Baba!" Hui Ying called out. "Be back early, okay? I want to have more time with our baba!"

Hearing the young girl's words made the three smile. Hearing that she wanted more time with them made their hearts melt. "We'll try." Tao smiled.

"Don't try." Hui Ying pouted. "You must. It's no fun when the kids are left alone and their fathers are out. I want to feel how a real family is."

"Don't mind her." Hyerin smiled as she tugged the young girl back. "Do well again."

"We will." they all nodded as they left. Unknown to the three, Hui Ying's words echoed in their heads. I want to feel how a real family is. Being orphans, they never felt that feeling of course. Now that they are adopted, sure, they have a family, but do they feel that "family"? No. 

They never did...

Hours later, EXO are already practicing. Well, still practicing actually. They have been practicing for hours! But something was wrong...

It can't be easily seen... but something is wrong.

Their dances were sharp, but somehow, it lacked feelings. Kai, EXO-K's lead dancer, lacked feelings in the dance. It wasn't just right...

"Let's take a break first, yeah?" Suho suggested, which the members quickly agreed to. They all plopped down on the floor, panting...

But somewhat, it wasn't tiredness that forced Suho to stop... but some weird feeling..

Some weird thought.

The words Hui Ying said hours ago...

It still echoed their minds...

And though they didn't tell it, they all know that her words troubled her.

"I feel bad for the kids." Sehun sighed as he closed his eyes. 

"Same." the others nodded.

"For days, I never realized that, until Hui Ying said so." Kai mumbled. "I mean, sure, they're adopted. We adopted them and we gave them a family. We are their family now, but that feeling of family-"

"They never felt it." D.O finished. "We never made them feel it."

"Well, we are idols, Kyungsoo." Xiumin said. "Being fathers and idols is hard. We either tend to them and totally loose control of our careers or by idols and sacrifice our father role to them."

"Why can't we do both, hyung?" Chen asked.

"Not that easy." Chanyeol frowned. "It's easier said than done."

"Exactly." Baekhyun nodded.

The twelve felt guilt. The three were always left alone in the dormitory. They have a family, but the love they wanted was never given. It felt nothing different than being back at the orphanage. But, what do they expect? Idol daddies? They'll be busy, of course. That's their career. That's their living.

"I feel guilt." Tao mumbled.

"Hm? Kris asked as he heard Tao mumbling.

"I feel guilt." Tao repeated as he stood up. "I'm going back to the dorm."

"What?" they all exclaimed as they saw the third youngest stand up and head out of the practice room. "Yah! Huang Zitao!"

"Hey, come back here!" Kris called out as he placed his arm on the younger's shoulder. "Aish, where on earth are you going?"

"Back at the dorm." Tao answered boldly.

"Why?"

"To tend of the kids, what else?"

"Aish, we can't just leave!" Kris explained. "Our comeback needs to be perfect and as much as possible, we need to polish every move, every scene, everything. We need to make everything perfect, Tao."

"But, Kris-gege. I can't stand there practicing and being haunted by this guilt." Tao insisted. "I can't stand thinking about those kids. We're their dads, right? It's our duty to be with them."

Kris simply looked at Tao. Despite being EXO-M's maknae, Tao actually acted really mature. He really isn't fitting for the maknae image, well, ignoring the fact that he can melt hearts with his aegyo. Tao is cute, everyone knows that. He's cute and cool at the same time, especially when he does Wushu. He's the cute Kung Fu Panda Tao. "Look, I'm going back to the dorm, ge, whether you like it or not." Tao said as he swatted Kris' hand away.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on Tao. Later, Kai followed Tao and faced the hyungs. "I guess giving up one day for the kids isn't going to hurt, right?" Kai smiled as he followed the older guy. Everyone exchanged looks and finally coming up with a decision, they followed the two. 

"Yah! Kids! Wait up!" D.O cried as he chased the two, along with the other members.

Back at the dorm, footsteps were heard by the three, alerting them. "What the what was that?" Jonathan cried in shock.

"Don't know." Hyerin shrugged.

"It seems to be going this way." Hui Ying trembled as she hid behind her older siblings. Jonathan decided to stay close Hyerin. Soon, the three heard three knocks on the door. They didn't bothered on asking who it was and once Hyerin turned the doorknob, she quickly grabbed who ever was on the other side of the door by the arm and flipped him. Literally.

"Appayo..." Kai mumbled as he fell on the floor after being flipped by Hyerin.

"Omo! Kai-oppa!" Hyerin cried as she recognized that it was Kai she flipped. The other EXO members were simply dumbfounded by the young girl's strength. "Mianhe! I thought it was some sicko or something!"

"You could've just asked who it was before opening the door." Kai whined as he tried standing up with Jonathan's help.

"Mianhe, won't happen again." Hyerin laughed.

"It shouldn't." Suho sighed. "Or else the whole EXO might break their bones. By the sound of it, Kai's definitely hurt."

"Not really." Kai corrected.

"Mianhe. I really won't do that again. It was just... my reflexes."

"Arraseo, arraseo."

"What are you doing here at this time?" Jonathan asked. "It's just 1:00 p.m. to be exact. You usually don't come home before 10 or 11."

"Is something wrong?" Hui Ying asked.

"Can't we simply go home to tend over our children?" Xiumin asked as he carried Hui Ying. "Aigoo, our little kids!"

Surprised by the guys' actions, Hyerin let out a small gasp, enough for everyone to hear. "Did you... leave work?" she asked.

"Something like that." D.O nodded. "Well, it's not really work. More of like... career? I don't know."

"Whatever it is, you left that? To tend over us?" 

"Well, yes." Baekhyun nodded. "What else? Go home, greet you then go?"

"Um... yes?" 

"Aish, what kind of father is that?!" Chanyeol exclaimed as he ruffled Jonathan's hair. "Look, we're staying here for today, okay? We barely got to know you three yet!"

"Yeah." Chen nodded. "Why not tell more of yourselves?" 

The three then just exchanged looks, still astonished by the guys' actions. But since EXO was back home, they can and will have a family bonding! They can finally feel that "family" they craved for years . The three gathered in the living room and waited for EXO to dress up, changing their sweaty clothes with more decent house clothes. Afterwards, they all sat on the floor, the kids on the sofa along with the three maknaes. Tao craddled Hui Ying on his lap while Jonathan and Hyerin sat on the couch, in between Kai and Sehun.

"So... anything you'd like to share with us?" Suho asked, earning innocent blinks and gestures from the three. Well, they really had nothing to share. Pasts? Well, they are clueless kids unknown of their pasts, what can they share? Likes and dislikes, eh, too classy. 

"Like what?" Jonathan asked, blinking a few times.

"Dunno." Suho shrugged. "Anything you want to tell?"

"What?" Hyerin blinked. "You mean, likes? Dislikes? Something like that?"

"Er.. yes?"

The three exchanged looks. They never really had a favorite thing or what so ever. They liked everything and almost, hated nothing. The three then shrugged. "Aish, this is going to be harder than what I thought." Luhan smiled.

"We've got nothing to say actually." Hyerin said.

"All we wanted is that you give some time for us." Hui Ying corrected. "You don't need to know this and that about us. All we want is some family bonding, that's it."

"For an eight years old, you speak better than Hyerin." Lay smiled. 

"Thank you?"

"You're welcome."

Again, there was awkward silence. EXO really had no idea how to deal with them. Hyerin is just a few years younger than their maknae. 

"Okay... this is awkward." Suho mumbled as he looked around. 

"What do you want to do?" Tao asked as he eyed Hui Ying. The young girl simply looked at Tao, one of her brows raised.

"No idea." she softly replied.

"Let's play games." Kai whispered to the others. "I watched SHINee-sunbaenims' Hello Baby. I got some tips on how to raise children or something there."

"Yah, they are not children!" D.O whispered back.

"Eh, let's just give it a try!"

"After you then, Jongin." Suho softly said.

"Arraseo." Kai nodded. "Let's play some games, yeah?"

"Nae!"

And though the members didn't want to believe, Kai was able to tend the children quickly, well, along with Sehun and Tao.

"Closest to their ages... the maknae's rising days are here..." Kris softly said, which the members agreed to.

Night finally came. EXO, for the first time, was the one to prepare dinner for them. When dinner is finally served, everyone ran to the dinning table and began to eat dinner. Hui Ying is obviously growing VERY close with everyone, especially the Chinese members. 

Jonathan got close quickly with the Korean members of course. He, as a boy himself, can easily relate with his "appas".

But Hyerin?

She wasn't close to anyone...

She stood alone. She wasn't close with anyone...

But still, the three maknaes strive to get closer to her, namely as Tao, Kai and Sehun. But it seems like the young lassie is unaffected.

Soon, the whole group were done. Two EXO members worked together with the dishes while the others watched T.V, surfed the net or simply just played some video games. Unfortunately, Hui Ying fell asleep already. "Aw, kyeopta." Sehun smiled as he the young girl's hair.

"I should put her to her bed." Hyerin said as she carried Hui Ying carefully. "Where does she sleep at often times?"

"Beside me." Tao answered. "I'll carry her to bed."

"Okay." she nodded and carefully handed the young girl to the taller guy, not wanting to wake her up. Tao carefully placed the young girl on his bed and after, went back to the living room.

Soon, the night grew deeper. 

Almost everyone is fast asleep, well except for three...

Kai, Tao and Hyerin. The three can't actually sleep. Not yet.

"Jonathan's asleep." Kai softly smiled as he pointed at Jonathan, who is peacefully sleeping on Hyerin's lap.

"Well, he is." Hyerin smiled as she carefully carried her younger brother. "I'll just place him in his room. You two should sleep soon too."

"Nae, we will. Are you?"

"Nae, after I place Jonathan in his bed. Good night."

"Good night."

After Hyerin placed her brother in his respective room, she walked towards hers, but before that, faced her oppas. "Oh, oppa, thanks for bonding with us even for just a day. We appreciate it. Good night." she smiled.

"Good night and you're welcome." Tao and Kai smiled back.