"Hey hey, what's black, white and read all over?" Jaewhan asked. Everyone around him let out a long sigh. They were supposed to be napping but with Luna out of the room, the blonde had taken it on himself to entertain the bored babies.

            "I don't know Kennie," Hakyeon replied knowing no one else would. He had his head stuffed into Taekwoon's shoulder and so the sentence came out a little muffled, but to Jaewhan it was an answer to reply to.

            "A newspaper!" Only one laugh, the one of the person who told the joke, resounded through the room whilst the others looked at the blonde boy with unamused expressions. Jaewhan's laugh came to a slow halt as he looked around with wide eyes. Slightly offended, he  brushed the silence off his shoulder before plastering a smile on his face and trying again.

            "Ok, I have another one .... what's black, white and red all o-"

            "Hyung, Hyukkie's sleeping. Can you be quiet?" Hongbin asked, though it sounded more like a demand, as he cradled the youngest child in his arms. Murmurs of agreement ran through the crowd so with a pout on his lips and a scowl on his face, Jaewhan flopped down onto his green mat and rolled over to sulk. He didn't notice a little Wonshik crawling closer to him to comfort his hyung as by this time, he was out and in dreamland.

(v.v)

Jaewhan was a confident boy who had an outgoing nature. He tried his hardest to be funny, to bring laughs to the others and suddenly he felt like maybe he didn't have what it took anymore. He was trying to bring a little sunshine to his hyungs and dongsaengs but instead, they had looked as though he was wasting their time and it made the little boy want to cry.

Recently it felt like he wasn't good enough. Chanyeol, Jongdae and Baekhyun were funnier than him. It was only earlier that morning that he'd seen Taekwoon .... yes Taekwoon, laughing at something the giant happy virus had said where as he could barely pull a smile from his silent hyung.

So now Jaewhan was sitting amongst the other children, snacking on carrot sticks and pouting at the table surface. To the others, it was as though a deathly silence had taken over the daycare. Baekhyun and Chanyeol weren’t in today as they were off together to visit the zoo, with Yifan as well, and Jongdae was off sick. So when there was no noise from the blonde in the corner, worry started to arise in the older hyungs.

            “What’s wrong with Ken?” He heard a whispers travel through the group around him but he pretended as though he hadn’t heard them. “Does he miss the others?”

(TT_TT)

Lunch time went quickly and soon everyone was back to their usual playing. Along with Hakyeon, Taekwoon (a given since he followed his best friend like a puppy) and Wonshik, Jaewhan sat in the sandpit building castles with a bucket and JCB toy he found at the bottom of the toy box. His tower was growing by the bucket load but around the little boy was a silence that he didn’t feel comfortable in.

            “Hyung?” He looked up to see Wonshik prodding at his castle with a spade. Ken didn’t appreciate the grooves the younger was making in his sculpture so he scowled as he spoke:

            “Yeah?”

            “Did Gomlee dies?” Jaewhan was about to answer the question about his fish (named Gomlee as it, apparently, sounded cool and, seemed to, fit perfectly with the grumpy goldfish he’d won at the fair) when Hakyeon corrected the younger.

            “Ravi-ah it’s ‘did Gomlee die?’ not ‘dies’.” Nodding towards his eldest hyung, Wonshik returned his stare to the blonde boy in front of him.

            “Oh ... um no. He’s still alive.”

            “Why you not smiling then?”

            “Ravi-ah don’t forget to say ‘why ar-“ Hakyeon was cut of this time by an annoyed looking Taekwoon spitting out a sharp but quiet “he’ll learn” and putting an end to the interrupting boy.

            “Yeah shhhhhhh,” Wonshik had added cutely, faking an angry expression before turning back to Jaewhan, “why not smile?” Jaewhan watched as Hakyeon winced but with a nudge from Taekwoon, didn’t say a word.

            “Um .... I’m not funny and I don’t know how to make people laugh. I don’t know what to say!” Jaewhan almost cried as the younger boy took in what the older was saying. He wasn’t aware of the alarmed look on the faces of the other two children still sat in the sand with them. Without saying a word, Wonshik dug in the pocket of his little dungarees and pulled out a small piece of paper. Shoving it into Jaewhan’s hand he smiled:

            “This make hyungs laugh,” he smiled cheekily before running away from the pit and leaving a dazed blonde boy behind.

(*-*)

Later, during circle time, Jaewhan decided to try out what was on the piece of paper Wonshik had handed him earlier.

            “Has anyone else anything to share with us?” Deciding that this was his moment, Jaewhan’s hand shot into the air and he wanted impatiently, wiggling on his bum, as he tried to get Luna’s attention.

            “Ken!” Even the teachers had taken to calling Jaewhan by his nickname.

            “Uh ...,” Jaewhan stuttered as he fumbled with the paper. Taking a deep breath he read out loud, “What’s black, white and red all over?” Even looked at him blankley and waited for him to continue. “A sun burnt penguin!” At that most of the children burst out laughing, only the youngest looking confused due to the lack of understanding. Jaewhan grinned like a Chesire-cat and sent a thumbs-up towards Wonshik as he felt like he belonged again. He could make them laugh again! 

(^_^)

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