Baby Love

"Whatchudoin?"

Jonghoon looked down from skimming the book titles on the bookshelf. Little Yongyong was staring at him, all squeaky clean from his bath and now wearing his pajamas.

"Hi Yongyong. I'm just waiting for Hyunnie noona, I'm borrowing something for school. Aren't you supposed to be in bed?" Jonghoon fought the urge to ruffle the little boy's hair. He didn't seem to like it.

"She's not your noona. She's MY Hyunnie noona," the little boy said with a frown.

"Of course she is Yongyong, of course she is," Jonghoon reassured the little boy with a smile.

"You can't call her noona."

Jonghoon tried to hide a grin. Yongyong seemed to be marking his territory.

"Oh, I wouldn't dare call her that, Yongyong. She's you're noona," he reassured the little boy again.

"And you can't play with her. She only plays with ME," the kid said as he jabbed a chubby thumb on his chest.

Jonghoon put a solemn look on his face and marked an X over his heart. "I won't play with her, I promise," he said as he held out a pinky finger.

Yongyong looked at his hand suspiciously, his eyebrows knitting together.

"Here are the notes, Oppa," Hyunnie said breathlessly as if she'd just ran from her bedroom upstairs.

"Thanks Hyunnie. I'll return them tomorrow, promise," Jonghoom said with a special smile just for her.

"It's okay oppa. Good night," she said shyly. "Say good night, Yongyong."

"Good night oppa," Yongyong said. Hyunnie gasped in surprise and giggled at Yongyong's words. Jonghoon grinned and knelt down in front of the little boy.

"Good night Yongyong. But you have to call me hyung, coz you're a boy. Only girls can call me oppa. Got that?"

"I'm a boy!" the kid said proudly.

"Good night Hoonie. Tell your mom to come over tomorrow, okay?" Seohyun said as she came in to pick up her youngest.

"Good night Auntie. Yes, I'll tell her. And thanks for dinner again," Jonghoon said with a courteous bow before nodding to Hyunnie and leaving.

"So, will he be here every night to borrow your notes from now on?" Seohyun asked her daughter with a knowing grin. Hyunnie blushed in turn.

"Eommaaaa~~~"

Seohyun laughed and tickled her baby boy. "Let's go Yongyong, let's bother Appa and ask him what an oppa and a hyung are," she said as she gave her eldest a wink.

*-*-*-*-*-*

Hyunnie laid quietly in bed as she waited for the household sounds to die down. Looking at the clock, she noted the glow-in-the-dark hands pointing to a couple of minutes before 10 pm. She should be asleep, but something kept fluttering in her tummy and making somersaults in her chest.

She sat up in bed with a sigh, her eyes drawn to an upstairs window from across the street. Its lights were still on.

What are you doing?

As if he had heard her, he came into view, spinning a basketball on the tip of a finger. He also seemed to be dancing to some sort of music, looking all cool and y...

She gasped and covered with a hand. You're not supposed to be thinking such thoughts Hyunnie, she told herself as she squeezed her eyes shut. Mom wouldn't approve of it. She averted her line of vision and quietly took out her diary from under her pillow, and a flashlight from the bedside table. 

Hiding deep in her bedcovers, she her flashlight and started writing...

Dear Diary,

Dinner was close to being a disaster, but today still has got to be the best day ever!!!

Hoonie... Jonghoonie oppa asked me to the school dance today...

I'm so happy! I almost cried but I didn't (yey!), or else I'd look stupid crying in front of the house. And when I got home, all the aunties were here, especially Auntie Yoona *blush* They were all excited for me, and Mom was pretty thrilled.

I don't know what I'm feeling right now, I just feel so giddy and happy and excited everytime I think of him...

I think I like him. Well, I've always liked him as an oppa, but...

I think I LIKE like him.

Do I love him?

I'm turning 16 next month, I have to be able to know these stuff by now.

Mrs. Lee.

Mrs. Hyun Ae Lee.

Mrs. Lee Hyun Ae.

Just practicing... just in case ^^

Dad's probably going to die of shock... He once said he already has a boot camp prepared for any boy who wants to date his daughters. I hope he's just kidding...

I'm not making sense, am I? It's just a dance... and it's next month still... I'm just excited, and I just wanted you to know.

till next time,

Jung Hyun Ae (keeping myself in check)
xoxo

*-*-*-*-*-*

"I can't marry you!?"

Hyunnie crossed her arms across her chest and stared as haughtily as a four-year-old could at her playmate.

"And why not?!" five-year-old Hoonie retorted as he stood toe-to-toe with Hyunnie.

"You don't have a white horse," Hyunnie answered matter-of-factly with a flip of her hair. "As a princess, I can only marry a prince, and real princes are supposed to have horses. WHITE ONES," she emphasized with rounded eyes.

"Hmp, my Appa will buy me a horse! I just need to ask him," Hoonie replied haughtily as well as he got on his tricycle.

"I'll only agree to marry you WHEN you already have a horse!" Hyunnie called out as Hoonie began cycling back towards his house.

"I WILL GET THAT HORSE!!!" Hoonie called back as he crossed the street to his house on his tricycle.

*-*-*-*-*-*

"Why can't you be more careful, Hyunnie? You'll always get hurt if you keep this up," sixth-grader Hoonie scolded Hyunnie as he wiped off dirt from her knees. He had to get those scrapes clean before applying medicine.

"I was just reading something, oppa," Hyunnie explained, pushing her glasses up her nose. A book lay on the ground beside her, her bookbag on a lower step of the stairs.

Hoonie sighed as he prepared the medicine. "You do realize you have to read while sitting down... don't you?"

"I'm sorry oppa... I'll be more careful next time..." Hyunnie whispered, biting her lower lip as oppa applied the medication and band aid on her scraped knees.

"There's a good girl," Hoonie said, tugging on Hyunnie's hair playfully. He then sat down on the lower step of the stairs.

"Alright, get on then, I'll carry you home."

Hyunnie got on his back for a piggyback ride. She carried his basketball as they walked home.

*-*-*-*-*-*

"Hey Hyunnie, what are you doing here?!"

Hyunnie turned in her seat to see Jonghoon oppa in the seat behind her.

"Oppa! Ummm... I got into an advanced class..." Hyunnie murmured, keeping her eyes down. She'd always been shy about being smart, and now that she's with older classmates, she felt intimidated.

"Wow, seriously?! And you didn't mention this to me because-?"

"I didn't know we'd be in the same class," Hyunnie answered back. She could feel some eyes on her now, and she started to squirm.

"Hey guys, looks like we've got some fresh meat!" a boy suddenly said from somewhere on her right. "You're that nerd from the lower year right? I hear you've got some brains on ya." Hyunnie kept her head down.

She saw Jonghoon oppa stand up and walk over towards where the voice came from.

"What did you just call her, huh, punk?"

Hyunnie looked up and saw Jonghoon pushing the guy against the whiteboard, a menacing look on his face. The room had grown quiet, and she could feel eyes shifting from her to the pair in front and back.

The other boy started to squirm and stutter. "I'm s-sorry man, I-I d-didn't know she w-was with you. I-I take back what I said!"

"You'd better! You have no idea who her father is, so you'd better be careful," he warned, cracking his knuckles in front of the other guy's face.

The cornered guy visibly gulped and nodded his head. He turned towards her and said, "I'm sorry, it won't happen again."

Hyunnie nodded at him slowly, causing Jonghoon to release the guy. The bell for first period soon rang and everyone went to their places. Jonghoon headed over to his seat, clapping his hands together as if removing dirt.

"You saw what I did there? Anyone bothers you, just tell me, okay?" he said with a wink.

Hyunnie took out a book from her back. "I now know something new about you, oppa."

"What? That I'm pretty cool?" Jonghoon asked excitedly.

"That you're a bully," Hyunnie whispered as the teacher entered the room. She hid a smirk from him with her book, leaving him with an incredulous look on his face.

*-*-*-*-*-*

"Whatchudoin?"

Jonghoon looked down as he paused from ringing the doorbell. Little Yongyong was staring at him, hugging a muddy puppy that he knew was supposed to be white and fluffy. He couldn't help himself from grinning.

"Hi Yongyong, I was looking for your Hyunnie noona. What have you got there?" he asked, bending his knees and getting at eye level with the boy.

Yongyong held up the puppy.

"I borrowed Dubu from Mr. Kim," he said proudly.

"I see. Hmmm... Does Mr. Kim know that you borrowed Dubu?"

Little Yongyong hugged the now whining puppy close to his chest. "I'll tell him when he gets back. Dubu was all alone and crying in the yard, so I took him."

"Oppa, what ar-- oh no Yongyongie what are you doing?!"

Both boys look up at a shocked Hyunnie standing at the doorway.

"Noona, I got me a puppy!" the little boy said proudly, showing his dog to his noona.

"Hi Hyunnie, I was going to borrow some notes, but I think you'll need my help first," Jonghoon said with a grin as he winked in Yongyong's direction. His smile made Hyunnie want to run around the house and flail, but her baby brother was her priority right now.

"Ahh, it's okay oppa, can you just come back later? I-"

"Just bring out some towels, okay? I'll take care of it," Jonghoon said, holding out a hand to Yongyong. "Come on kiddo, let's give Dubu a bath first, he smells yucky," he said to the little boy. Yongyong placed his little hand in his and followed him.

Hyunnie was speechless. First, because it was rare that her baby brother would cooperate like this peacefully, and secondly... well, Oppa was just too nice. She clamped on the urge to run through the house and scream. She hurried to get some towels and headed to the backyard.

*-*-*-*-*-*

"What's going on?" Yonghwa said as he heard shrieks coming from the backyard. He'd gone grocery shopping with the wife that morning, since it was the weekend and she'd roped him into it.

"The kids must be playing in the pool," Seohyun answered as she took some shopping bags from the trunk.

"In this weather?" Yonghwa shivered as he felt a chill in the air.

"Hmmm... let's check them out. Bring the rest of the bags inside, please?" Seohyun said as she headed off for the kitchen. Yonghwa heard another shriek and decided to go straight to the backyard.

He turned the corner and was met with a blast of cold water in the face.

"Appa!" a shocked voice gasped. It was Hyunnie.

"Appa, appa you're home!" Yongyong ran to him and gave him a big, wet hug around his legs.

Yonghwa sputtered out the water he had caught in his mouth and wiped off his face with his coat sleeve. "What is going on here?!"

Jonghoon spoke up this time.

"Annyeonghaseyo samchon. I was just washing off Dubu. Yongyong kind of... borrowed him from Mr. Kim," the teenager explained as he tried to hold onto the squirming puppy in his hands.

"Oh no, not again Yongyong?!" Seohyun cried out from the backdoor. She ran out and got the towel hanging by the bench to quickly wrap up the wet little boy.

"He was actually just helping me Appa," Hyunnie explained as well, covering herself with another towel. "Yongyong got hold of the hose and sprayed us."

Yonghwa held a hand to his forehead, feeling a headache coming on. "We've got to get that boy his own dog, or he'll just keep borrowing Dubu," he muttered.

"I want Dubu! I don't want any other dog appa, I just want Dubu!" Yongyong shouted from just inside the backdoor.

"But he's already got an owner, sweetheart, you can't have him," Seohyun explained.

"Nooooo!" Yongyong screamed, escaping from the towel and running towards Jonghoon, who was now drying off the puppy.

Yonghwa ran over to grab his kid, but the boy was hanging onto Jonghoon.

"Don't take Dubu away please hyung, no please no~~~" the boy wailed.

"Oh for crying out loud, Appa will get you a puppy later, how's that?" Yonghwa said to soothe his youngest.

Jonghoon handed the puppy to Hyunnie and pulled Yongyong from behind him. "Why don't I try talking to Mr. Kim about Dubu?  Maybe Dubu has a sibling."

"Can you do that dear?" Seohyun asked as she picked up Yongyong in her arms.

"I'll try my best Auntie, if it's the only thing I can do," Jonghoon answered, looking at Hyunnie's Appa. "I'll figure something out, Samchon."

Yonghwa pat him on the shoulder. "I'll go with you. It's about time we end his dognapping days," he said with a sigh.

*-*-*-*-*-*

"Oh Yo~ng~yo~ong~~~, Appa's home~~~"

Seohyun came out of the kitchen wiping her hands on her apron.

"So?" she asked in a whisper.

"You won't believe it, that boy-"

A high-pitched bark came out from inside his coat.

"DUBU!!!" little footsteps ran down the stairs and were in front of Yonghwa in a moment.

"It's Dubu right Appa?! Gimme gimme gimme!!!" the little boy jumped up and down excitedly, his arms reaching up for the puppy.

"Jajan!" Yonghwa announced as he brought out the puppy from his jacket. Yongyong shouted in excitement as he hugged the puppy. "I'm showing him to my noonas! Yahoo thank you Appa!" He ran off upstairs then as fast as he could.

"How'd you do it?" Seohyun asked her husband in amazement.

Yonghwa shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know either, but that kid, Jonghoon, must have some great convincing powers. He just went up and convinced Mr.Kim to give Dubu to Yongyong, for free!"

He was still quite in awe himself, ever since Jonghoon returned from talking to Mr. Kim. He had insisted on going inside alone, and returned successful.

"That kid has as much charm as his parents combined," Yonghwa said, shaking his head as he got out of his coat. "I'm afraid he's gonna be a real charmer when he gets older," he added as he followed his wife into the kitchen.

A huge clatter exploded as utensils spilled onto the floor.

"I'm sorry, must've slipped," Seohyun explained nervously as she kneeled down to picked them all up.

"What's up with this house? Utensils always dropping... Do we have more gravity here or something?" Yonghwa joked as he helped his wife. She only laughed in reply.

The telephone in the living room suddenly rang.

"I'll get it!" Hyunnie called out as she ran down the stairs.

Yonghwa took the utensils from his wife and turned to wash them in the sink.

"Uhmm.. Yeobo, I was thinking of getting Hyunnie her own cellphone," Seohyun started to say as she turned to prepare food for the dining table.

"What?! She's just fifteen. We didn't have cellphones when we were fifteen," Yonghwa answered while washing up.

"She'll be sixteen next month. Besides, I did. Well, maybe coz my parents trusted me..."

"My parents trusted me, too. I just didn't like having cellphones," Yonghwa explained.

"I still think it's time we got her-"

"Sshhh... do you hear that?

Seohyun stopped speaking and listened. Yonghwa pointed his head towards the living room and took his wife's hand. Telling her to keep silent, the husband and wife tiptoed quietly towards the living room doorway and listened. It was Yongyong speaking on the phone loudly.

"Whatchudoin now?"

"Uh-huh."

"I showed Dubu to all my noonas. They love him."

"He'll sleep with me in my bed."

"Yongyong, noona has to talk to Jonghoon oppa," they heard Hyunnie say to her baby brother.

"Okay, Hyunnie noona says she has to talk to you. Thank you for Dubu!"

"Bye-bye hyung!"

Yonghwa and Seohyun looked at each other in surprise.

"What just happened?" Yonghwa asked slowly, like he still couldn't believe what was happening.

"Eomma~~~"

Seohyun looked down at little Yongyong who was tugging on her apron.

"Yes sweetie?"

"Can Jonghoon hyung come for dinner?"

Amazing.