VI

LEGO HOUSE

“He’s not a stranger, silly~ I’ll introduce him to you later. Don’t worry, I’ll protect you from him.”

“GOOOOOD MOOOORNING!

TIME FOR BREAKFAAAAAST!”

Jongdae suddenly burst into the room.

He flinched when he saw Chan Yeol and Kyungsoo under the covers; Chan Yeol still on top of the smaller.

“Oh… I didn’t know I was disturbing something~” A devious smirk appeared.

“Wait, what?” Chan Yeol blushed. “No.”

Jongdae snickered. “Yeol, I didn’t know you could be so aggressive. Just make sure you take it slow on the guy. He might not be able to handle your energy.”

Chan Yeol started throwing pillows at him. “Get out, you troll!”

“Ok, ok! Just get up soon because breakfast is ready. Unless of course, you already had each other for breakfast…”

“GEEEEEETTT OOOOUUUUTTT!!!” Chan Yeol yelled.

Jongdae finally went on his merry way.

“Hyung, what was he talking about?” Kyungsoo asked, innocently.

“Nothing. He’s crazy. Rather than avoiding strangers, you should be avoiding trolls like him.”

“Quit being lethargic and get up!”

Baekhyun was struggling to pull Jong In out of bed.

“Hyung, please. I was crying at three in the morning over Kyungsoo hyung! I was pathetic! I think I want to stay in bed.”

“But you can’t! You’re in charge of him today!”

“I can’t face him… Let Chan Yeol hyung handle him.” Jong In pouted against the pillows. “He seems to be more comfortable with that guy anyway.”

Baekhyun grinned. “Kim Jong In—Kim Kai—are you jealous?”

“Of course not! And I’m not blushing!”

“I never said anything about you blushing.”

“…”

“Anyways, you want to make up with Kyungie, right?”

“…right…”

“You want to apologize for being mean to him?”

“Yeah…”

“You want to tell him that you missed him. And only annoyed him because you couldn’t get his attention?”

“Yeah.”

“Tell him you love him?”

“That’s a little embarrassing…”

“Oh, for goodness’ sakes” Baekhyun ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. “You know, you’re going to have to say it some time.”

“… I never said I wouldn’t say it.” Jong In blushed.

Breakfast had begun.

While Kyungsoo was seated on the table ahead of the rest, Baekhyun had informed everyone that Jong In was sorry for treating Kyungsoo badly. The younger promised to be better to Kyungsoo. Everyone found this news great. Joonmyeon and Kris were especially happy to hear this and wished Jong In well. Chan Yeol wasn’t as quick to forgive though—he asked to speak with Jong In privately.

The others headed inside the kitchen.

“Hey.” The taller said, with his arms crossed at his chest.

“Hey.” Jong In replied.

“So you’ve really reflected on your behavior yesterday?”

“… Yeah. Sorry… for being an and all. I’ve had a talk with Baek hyung… And well, I’ve come to realize what’s wrong with me. I promise to make it up to Kyungsoo hyung today. I’ll be better.

Thank you for being there for Kyungsoo hyung when I was being a bastard. I’m sorry for causing so much trouble. I hope you can forgive me hyung.”

Chan Yeol’s face softened, and he smiled at Jong In. The younger seemed genuinely sincere. “Apology accepted. Come here, you~”

Chan Yeol hugged Jong In tightly, rubbing his back affectionately. “Good to hear that you’ve come to your senses. By the way, we’re going out to buy lego at the mall later. I told Kyungsoo you’d be coming along. And it turns out, you’re a stranger.”

Jong In looked at him confusedly. “I’m a stranger?”

“In other words, he doesn’t know you—never met you, has never seen you, and also thinks you’re dangerous, because strangers apparently steal your stuff and kill you afterwards.”

“O-oh…” Jong In bit his lower lip. “Something tells me it’s going to be hard to warm up to him.”

“Well, we can try, right? Sit next to us during breakfast.”

And that’s how Kyungsoo was seated between Chan Yeol and Jong In. Chan Yeol introduced the tanned male to the shorter.

“Soo, this is Jong In.”

Jong In gave Kyungsoo a shy smile. Kyungsoo clung onto Chan Yeol’s arm tightly.

“H-hi…” Kyungsoo replied.

“Remember when I told you Jong In should come live with us in the lego house?”

Kyungsoo nodded.

“That’s because he’s supposed to take care of you today. He’s supposed to be your guardian.”

“O-oh…” Kyungsoo rubbed his cheek on Chan Yeol’s arm. “I’m scared of him though…” he whispered to the taller, but Jong In caught it.

A bitter smile made its way on his face. Because the first time they met, Jong In was scared of Kyungsoo too. He remembered clearly how he didn’t want to eat with the guy. He didn’t know that they’d become best friends. What goes around comes around, huh?

“Kyungie, Jongie won’t do anything to hurt you. Be nice and make friends with him, ok?”

Kyungsoo whined and shook his face into Chan Yeol arm. A muffled “Nooooo, don’t waaaaannnaa” was heard.

Chan Yeol sighed. “This looks harder than I thought it would be.”

Breakfast was spent with poor Jong In doing his best to engage Kyungsoo in conversations. Stuff like:

“Kyungie hyung, do you want me to buy you a snack while we’re in the mall?”

“Hyung, I bet your lego house will be really pretty!”

“Soo hyung, do you want some more kimchi?”

He was promptly ignored the whole time, as if he wasn’t even seated next to Kyungsoo. Jong In visibly deflated.

The trio was getting ready to go to the mall now. Joonmyeon had given his credit card to Chan Yeol for buying Kyungsoo’s lego. Baekhyun, Minseok and Jongdae approached Jong In.

“You were very pitiful during the meal” Minseok had said in concern.

“Thanks hyung—that’s a lot of help” Jong In replied in sarcasm.

“Well, there’s no way you could win against Chan Yeol—what with him and Kyungsoo frolicking in the bed” Jongdae wiggled his brows.

Jong In pulled a disgusted face.

Baekhyun hit Jongdae. “Don’t mind this guy. Look, I know it’s hard but you’ve got to persevere. Think of different methods to draw his attention. You know him more than anyone else in this apartment. Surely, you can get to Kyungsoo—I know you can.”

Jong In smiled at that, and thanked Baekhyun. He prayed to calm his nerves—asking help for a way to end the day with a smile from Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo, Chan Yeol and Jong In arrived at the mall. Kyungsoo was still holding onto Chan Yeol’s arm—distancing himself from Jong In as much as possible. The toy store wasn’t until the fourth floor. The elevators were under repair, so they had to go through a long trek just to get there. Jong In set his plan in motion.

STEP 1, KYUNGSOO HYUNG AND ICE CREAM

Jong In knew Kyungsoo loved ice cream. Pistachio to be exact—but he also enjoyed vanilla, chocolate and cookies n cream. They saw an ice cream stall as they were on the first floor. Jong In informed Chan Yeol about his plan.

“Mmm~ Ice cream! You want some Kyungie?” Chan Yeol had asked the wide-eyed male.

Kyungsoo bounced up and down his heels in joy. “Gimme gimme!”

Chan Yeol fished out his wallet. He gasped and pretended nothing was inside. “Oh no. I don’t have money for your ice cream. All I have is Joonmyeon hyung’s credit card—but we can only use that to buy lego.”

Kyungsoo’s face instantly dropped upon hearing the devastating news. His lips wobbled. “No ice cream?”

“Sorry, no ice cream.” Chan Yeol had replied solemnly.

“Oh, but I have money,”

Jong In had said.b“Do you want ice cream hyung? I’ll buy it for you if you want.”

“That’s great Jong In!” Chan Yeol had supported.

Kyungsoo hugged Chan Yeol’s arm tightly, as he bit his bottom lip—obviously contemplating whether to give in to this stranger or not. In the end, it was a stubborn “I don’t want ice cream anymore”.

STEP 1 FAILED.

STEP 2, PORORO

Pororo was Jong In and Kyungsoo’s favorite past time. They enjoyed this kid’s cartoon more than they could ever appreciate the Discovery Channel. So when a store full of Pororo collectibles was in sight, Kyungsoo ran straight ahead and plastered his face onto the glass window. Pororo mugs. Pororo keychains. Pororo socks. Pororo plushies. What a beautiful wonderland, indeed.

Jong In thought this would nail it. He offered to get Kyungsoo whatever the guy wanted, but still he was rejected.

STEP 2 FAILED.

STEP 3, AEGYO

Ok, so if one’s thing for sure—Jong In’s aegyo didn’t, doesn’t, and never will work on anyone except Kyungsoo. In the maknae line, he’s probably the only maknae whose aegyo no one takes seriously (Of course, who in the world could beat Tao and Sehun? Over-sized babies). But there was always Kyungsoo to make him feel special every once in a while. The elder would give in to his midnight cravings of Kimchi Spaghetti just with a little pout, and a little puppy-dog-eyed stare. The elder would be willing to cook anything for him at any time, as long as he pulled out his best aegyo. This might not work, and he might totally embarrass himself, but Jong In was desperate.

“Kyungie hyung~” Jong In whined, as he moved closer to Kyungsoo. “Why are you only holding Yeol hyung’s hand? I also want to hold hands with you~ Pleeeaaassseee? With a cherry on top?”

He did his best to pout cutely. But then Kyungsoo held onto Chan Yeol more.

“Yeol hyung—Jong In’s being weird with his face! Tell him to stop it, it’s scaring me!”

And Chan Yeol totally laughed at Jong In’s pathetic attempt.

STEP 3 FAILED.

All in all, a total of one hundred and forty four failed attempts by the time they reached the toy store. Jong In was drained. They went inside to the lego section where Kyungsoo ogled at all the different colors and sizes. Jong In’s jealousy stirred up again. Kyungsoo had been so touchy-feely with Chan Yeol, but he pretended Jong In didn’t exist. This was totally unfair, and not to mention stressful. Then there’s also the two of them ‘frolicking in the bed’—what was that about? 

Jong In needed some time to calm down. Needed some time to chill. Suddenly, music played inside the toy store. He recognized it as EXO’s own song—Growl. It was pretty weird to hear it being played in a toy store full of kids, but he’s guessing the teenage staff had something to do with it. Nevertheless, he danced for a bit—just to relieve himself from stress. He closed his eyes and lost himself in the rhythm of the music. Pretty soon, kids had gathered to watch his performance. Such adorable little cuties, Jong In thought. The kids expressed their “Wows!”and “Oooohs!”ever so cutely. It urged Jong In to dance more, and to give the little tikes all his attention. He had forgotten about Kyungsoo.

Speaking of whom, was at the counter with Chan Yeol as the taller was paying for his lego. Now, Kyungsoo had been secretly staring at Jong In for a while. He looked at the kids in jealousy. Jong In was his guardian; not theirs. Why did Jong In suddenly stop paying attention to him? He didn’t really like Jong In at first… But now that Jong In was more concerned with someone else, he couldn’t help but feel possessive. Kyungsoo huffed and stomped his feet in annoyance. He was waaaaay cuter than any of those kids. Why would Jong In leave him for them?

Chan Yeol noticed the little tantrum. “What’s wrong Soo-yah?”

“Hyung, look! Jong In’s playing with the other kids! Isn’t he supposed to be playing with me? Scold him hyung!”

Chan Yeol snorted in amusement. Of all the steps in Jong In’s plan, they should’ve thought of jealousy.  “But I thought you don’t like Jong In because he’s a stranger. So maybe that’s why Jong In played with the other kids.”

Kyungsoo bit on his lower lip for the second time that day. The song currently playing was SHINee’s Everybody, and Jong In was giving the best performance ever. He danced—completely immersed in enjoyment and passion.

“He’s so cool!”

“Dancer hyung, you dance really good!”

“Wooow! He looks like the guys from tv!”

The kids applauded and cheered for Jong In. He showed his appreciation by scooping up some of the toddlers and letting them ride on his back. Pretty soon, all the kids were asking for Dancer Hyung/Oppa to give them a ride. That’s where Kyungsoo drew the line. Just when Jong In was about to pick up another kid, Kyungsoo swooped in and dragged Jong In out of the store. Chan Yeol was laughing as he followed them out.

“Hey!” Jong In snapped at Kyungsoo. “We were having fun!”

“Don’t have fun with them! Have fun with me!”Kyungsoo whined.

And Jong In was surprised. Ok, like—what was happening right now? Did he just hear correctly?

“But I thought you didn’t like me.”

Kyungsoo pouted and blushed. He scratched his head shyly. “But you looked cool… A-and your my guardian,” he said a little smugly. “Mine. Only mine. Don’t pay attention to anyone else, even when I ignore you.”

Well, that sounded a little unfair. But Jong In couldn’t care less and was blushing the shade of fresh roses, because Yes yes yes! He decided to push his luck.

“So does that mean I can hold your hand now, hyung?”

Kyungsoo nervously shuffled his feet. He looked up at Jong In, than back down at his shoes. This process went on for a while, as a pink tint colored his cheeks.

“No… I… I want a piggy-back ride like the kids did… Want to be lifted too…”

And Jong In lost it. He scrambled to Kyungsoo and trapped the little guy in an embrace with one of his arms. He used his free hand to tickle the smaller.

“NOOOOO! HAHAHAHAHAHA!” Kyungsoo laughed. “G-GUARDIAN MONSTER! CH-CHAN YEOL HYUNG! SAVE ME!” 

“It wouldn’t really make sense for me to save you from something you enjoy~”

The three headed off to eat lunch, with Kyungsoo squeaking every time Jong In pinched his cheeks. On the way home, Kyungsoo was no longer holding hands with Chan Yeol. He was proudly on Jong In’s back, making sure to flaunt that "My guardian is so cool~ He dances very well~ All mine. Only mine~ Mine, mine, mine~”

When they arrived back at the apartment, Kyungsoo had already fallen asleep on Jong In. All the members cooed at the sight. And of course, they were glad to see the two had made up. After Luhan took a picture of Kyungsoo and Jong In, Jong In went into his shared room with Kyungsoo and tucked the elder in. As he finished covering Kyungsoo with the blanket, he moved to leave. But Kyungsoo held one of his hands.

“Where are you going?” Kyungsoo asked, as his free hand rubbed at his eyes. “Don’t leave Jong Innie. Let’s play. Let’s make my lego house with Chan Yeol hyung.”

Jong Innie. It would be nice to hear that from normal Kyungsoo.

Jong In sat back down at the edge of the bed. He laced his fingers with Kyungsoo’s. “We’ll play after you take your nap. We’ll make your house nice and pretty. Then we’ll all live inside.”

Kyungsoo smiled his heart-shaped smile. Jong In felt a tug at his heart strings. Jong In missed him. So much. Jong In missed the normal Kyungsoo. He wished that the 12 days of 4D Irrationality were up, so he could properly apologize and reconcile with his hyung. He would give anything to hold him for real. He got a bit teary-eyed just thinking about it.

Kyungsoo noticed. He sat up. “What’s wrong Jong Innie?”

Jong In smiled bitterly. “You’re not well, hyung.”

“I’m not?”

“Yes. Five days ago, you hit your head and it made you a little cuckoo. In fact, even until now, you are still not back to normal. And it’s going to last for six more days. You see… We haven’t been friends for a long time. We argued a lot, and we stopped talking to each other too.”

“We did?”

“Yeah… You know, it was my fault. When work piled up on us, everyone got busy—and I blamed you when you stopped having time for me. I really missed you, but there was nothing I could do. No matter how many times I tried to ask you for some time, you never gave me some. And I got sad. Then I got mad. Then I annoyed you. I knew you didn’t like it when I left my clothes messy, so I did just that. Because I was in pain, I wanted you to feel some too. Our little arguments grew until we stopped caring. And I’m sorry that I caused it all. That wasn’t right for me to do.”

A tear had made its way down Jong In’s cheek. “I should’ve understood you more. Waited patiently even for just a bit more. For you. 

I’m sorry. A-and I want to be together again. With you. I miss you so much it hurts. My heart aches like this—and I’m wishing I could be with you sooner.  Because… you’re not you right now…”

“I’m not?” Kyungsoo frowned in confusion.

Jong In’s tears fell one after the other. He caressed one of Kyungsoo’s cheeks. “Yes. Not yet at least. And it’ ok—it’s ok not to understand. You’ll get there when all this is over. I promise to apologize all over again. Even a hundred times more. For you.

You know, If you were normal right now— there’s a song I would sing to you, no matter how out-of-tune I may sound.

I'm gonna pick up the pieces,

And build a Lego house

If things go wrong we can knock it down

My three words have two meanings,

There's one thing on my mind

It's all for you

And it's dark in a cold December,

but I've got you to keep me warm

If you're broken I will mend you

 and I'll keep you sheltered from the storm that's raging on

now

I'm out of touch, I'm out of love

I'll pick you up when you're getting down

And out of all these things I've done

I think I love you better now

I'm out of sight, I'm out of mind

I'll do it all for you in time

And out of all these things I've done

I think I love you better now”