“Luhan hyung….”

“No, Jongdae” His older brother snatched, eyes were still on his sport magazine, laying on his chest with his right hand prompting his chin, showing his back to Jongdae who stood on the end of his bed.

“wow you didn’t even hear me yet” Jongdae pouted. “It hurts a bit”

“You’re about to serve me your idea you thought was brilliant when in fact it’ll actually kill you, don’t you?” Luhan turned the page “I’m just saving your life. You’re welcome”

“I want Minseok hyung then…”

“He’s at the coffeeshop with your Suho hyung and Lay was in his dance lesson. You got only two hyungs to watch your back at the moment” Sternly, he said. “Besides, I supposed Kyungsoo and you were taking care of Kai and Sehun. Now where are they?”

“On theback garden with Tao. They are fine.” Jongdae retorted, waving his hand on the air. “and I thought you were doing something meaningful to help this nation grow but here you are laying lazily on your bed”

“Mind you, sir”

“See? We should just talk about it to Kris hyung. At least he’s easy to deal with” Kyungsoo’s voice was heard.

Kris was caught in his disbelief.  He was 187 cm, the tallest in the family, really tall and big enough to be visible when he just stood there in front of Luhan’s closet which faced the door, in the same room with them. He stopped rummaging Luhan’s closet, he was trying to find his shirt Luhan borrowed few weeks ago without his permission, showing his irritated face to his younger brothers “It’s like I’m not in this room”

His brothers ignored his frustration, just like usual.

When Kyungsoo said something or did something, it must be really important. Luhan had his full trust on Kyungsoo. The boy would not be really careless to join the wild baby baboons club’s business, unless it was a good deed. He was well aware that the four brothers of his currently went through their puberties and Lay just finally done dealing with it after had been a living walking statue in the house for years. His brothers dealt with their hormones in their own way; Baekhyun being a diva and trying to argue with everyone, Chanyeol by experimenting and pulling too much pranks to attract others’ attention, Jongdae couldn’t stay still since having too much energies in him and the last Kyungsoo by being silent as if everyone in this world would never understand him. Thus, Kyungsoo opening his mouth should call for a celebration; Luhan sat his back, showed his full attention. “Listening….”

“Well ugh…” Jongdae fumbled something behind his back while trying to find a word with Kyungsoo stood still next to him along his very own expression of as if he had to live the life he hated as usual. “you know, everyone has their own after school activity…or extracurricular activity? Yeah whatever. Kai has his ballet lesson, Sehun and Lay hyung with his dancing lesson, Tao Wushu, Chanyeol acting and guitar lessons, Baekhyun doing his Hapkido. Baekhyun and Chanyeol have their own band, too, you know. In fact they are currently practicing with their own band as we speak. Ah Kris hyung has his basketball. And you and Minseok hyung… what… oh right, doing business and football sometimes. Well Kris hyung also has his modeling job too of course, d’oh how can I forget. Then Lay hyung with his equipments trying to make songs with Chanyeol also count as an afterschool activity I guess. While Suho hyung with his afterschool lessons full with Math, Physics, Biology, Chemic,….”

“Focus Jongdae….” Luhan cut him.

“…trying to be the first in school again…Oh yeah. I mean, you got my point, right? Everyone besides us has their own after school activity. We want to do something, too. And today I…” He gave Luhan a paper that he had been hiding behind his back all this time. “saw this on the street. It’s a vocal training you know. I want to learn to sing better. And Kyungsoo, he…” Jongdae nudged Kyungsoo’s rib with his elbow, pulling him from his thoughts. The younger one gave Luhan a brochure.

“I want to get a vocal training like him, too. And that is a cooking class I’d also like to join”

Luhan scanned his younger brothers. They looked really serious about it. “You can handle this? You know the rule right? You can only have an afterschool activity if you can handle your academic first.”

Nodded, both of them did.

The three older brothers had the right to make a call regarding this matter after their parents gone. They took the role their parents once had. Discussing it first was mandatory before making the decision and Kris knew he was needed without Luhan even had to ask. Kris stretched his hand to Luhan, asking for the brochures Jongdae and Kyungsoo had handed and studied them. It was the first time both of them ever asked for an afterschool activity like this and turning them down was the last thing hewanted to do.

“Do you really want to go to this place? Not considering other places first?” Kris asked when he heard Tao’s startling scream from the back garden. Few moments, and all of them were on the run to check on their little brothers. Kris was the first to reach them, flying from Luhan’s window from the second floor, only to found Tao, Sehun and Kai stood surrounding a big white dog, all giggling.

Kris immediately snatched Tao and turned the little one to face him, checking on him.

“… uh… what are you doing?” Tao questioned, right when Luhan, Jongdae and Kyungsoo reached the back garden.

Instead of Kris answering him, Luhan asked, “Are you all right?”

“Perfectly fine” The little one replied. Jongdae and Kyungsoo joined Kris, checking on Kai and Sehun who appeared to have no scratches either.

“Why did you scream then?” Kris inquired.

Too baffled to talked, Tao stretched his hand and pointed to the dog. “Can’t I scream just because he’s so cute? We found him in the bushes there”

Should I be angry or relieve, though? Kris thought while he sighed. Tao had that tendency to lose himself in front of cute things on him. He did scream when he was mad, or scared. So did when looking at cute stuff. 

However Luhan appeared so red, really mad of them from making him worried before.

“I’m so worried! I thought something bad was happened to you! Don’t do that anymore!”

“I’m sorry but he’s just so cute!” Tao didn’t look sorry at all, though.

“You can’t scream as if it’s the end of the world like that anymore!”

While his hyungs were bickering, the curious Sehun gave his bottle of milk he had been drinking to the dog, trying to feed it. The dog might be quite huge, as big as 5 years old Sehun, but the fur was long and so white and clean with eyes that gave the impression of being friendly.  It looked quite healthy and extremely fluffy and that was probably why Sehun and Tao, especially, who was afraid of mostly everything, appeared didn’t scared of him at all.

“No!” Kyungsoo grabbed the 5 year old’s hand while Kai got back to cuddle the dog, what he had done before his hyungs came and made a fuss.

“Why? I want to share!”

“He can’t drink from a bottle like you” Kris decided to scoop and cradle him. It was easier to control him that way, the little one couldn’t move in his embrace and Sehun loved to be in it. Luhan then picked Kai on his arms.

“I want to keep it!” Tao announced, linking his hands around the dog’s neck. The dog his small face, cracking the little one to laughter.

“Wow, stop right there young man! Is he even free from rabies? This dog must have an owner and we can’t kidnap it. Besides, your Chanyeol hyung has an allergy of fur we can’t keep it…..Ouch! Kai!”

“I want to keep it!” Kai threw a fit, hitting Luhan with his small punch, eyes were full of beads and he could be burst in any minute.

“What’s allergy?” Sehun asked to Kris and Kris couldn’t come to a decision on what to settle first.

“Your Chanyeol hyung shall get sick if he got near a dog or a cat. He’ll sneeze uncontrollably.” Finally, Kris answered him.

“Chanyeol hyung can’t be sick the dog should not go near Chanyeol hyung.” The boy in Kris’ embrace was definitely 5 years old but at some moments he acted and spoke like an adult. “But can’t we play with the dog?” Sehun asked Kris again and Kris didn’t even hear him because of what was happening in front of him needed his attention more. He answered his younger brother with a nod he didn’t even know what for.

“But he really is cute”

“Not you Kyungso…”

“Can’t we just keep him on the back garden, hyung?”

“Jongdae, first of all we didn’t know whether he has an owner or not. We can’t just keep it, what if the owner is looking for it? That's it, stop punching me Kai or you’ll get your five minutes on the thinking chair”

“I want to keep it!” Both of Tao and Kai yelled their lungs off.

“He didn’t have a necklace. So no owner I guess” Everyone in this house was doomed to have a brother as smart as Kyungsoo sometimes.

“AND…..!” Luhan massaged his temple a cue for Kris to take Kai from his hand. Now he got Kai and Sehun both in his embrace. Luhan then sat on his heels, trying to match his younger brothers’ eyes level. “Chanyeol, your brother who also lives in this house, has an allergy of fur”

“We can keep the dog and get Chanyeol out” Kyungsoo retorted again nonchalantly which responded with Luhan’s glare. Where’s Minseok’s coldness and Suho’s nag when you need them? Luhan thought.

Luhan’s glare was different with Kris’ glare. Jogdae could deal with Kris’ glare all year but not with Luhans’. Kris definitely looked more charismatic and scarier than Luhan when he glared with his hawk eyes, according to the eyes of stranger. To his brothers, Luhan’s glare was a warning that he was about to explode and Luhan exploding was the last thing on the list you would want to have. While Kris’ glare was only a “stop it” cue which could be dealt with a joke because hey to them Kris was always looked funny with his tall body and awkward move and gummy smile.  Thus, by that time, Jongdae knew he had to make a move on the other hyung he had. That was one of the advantages of having so many older brothers, he figured at one point. “Hyung….”Jongdae pleaded to Kris, the much easier one. They really only came to him when they needed him then tramped on him when they didn’t.

The dog was a Great Pyrenees breed. Kris knew it as his friend once had one. It was really big but at the same time didn’t look intimidating instead fluffy and adorable. Apart of him, also wanted to take the dog in but he knew they couldn’t because of Chanyeol.

He squatted, “Your Luhan hyung was right, this dog, even thought has no necklace could have an owner and the owner might be looking for it. Think about what would you feel if you lost one and the owner should feel the same way too now. So, we should try to find the owner first....” Kai punched his chest. It wasn’t hurt though Kris took a mental note to deal with Kai’s habit of hitting when he was mad later on. “….but in the mean time, I guess they are a bit right, Luhan. We can’t let the dog go just like this. I mean it will not hurt to take care of it while we’re looking for the owner, I suppose. We’ll keep him in the backyard. What do you think?”

Now 6 faces full of plea were looking at Luhan. He nodded in defeat.

“But it means I can’t go to the garden, right? Where do I can pet my Phoenix other than there? How can you guys do that? I also live in this house in case you forget!”

“That’s why I suggested you to get out so we can take the dog in”

Once Chanyeol was mad, and he rarely got mad, he was a man of action instead of words. He stomped his way to Kyungsoo who sat on the sofa across the end of the stair where he had been standing, about to beat him with all his might when Lay captured him and calming him.

“Kyungsoo please apologize to your brother now” firm but softly, Suho spoke. Although he already knew that Kyungsoo was only picking a fun of Chanyeol. Chanyeol always thought that he had his upper hand on Kyungsoo in their relationship when actually sometimes Kyungsoo had his own way to step on his older brother.

“Sorry” again, that afternoon, someone had said sorry without looking sorry at all.

“And you have to help Minseok hyung tomorrow for one more hour for that. I’m sorry, No but, no compromise” He paused. “Chanyeol please calm your self and take a sit” Suho continued.

 All 12 of them were in the living room, attending the family meeting Luhan had called. The living room itself was designed with a huge arched two story glass window connected with the end of the hall upstairs. The window was facing a small garden with a small waterfall and pond, all man-made. Dark wood floor with red rug set the setting for the contemporary furniture, white and red color scheme all set around a tall fireplace made by raw bricks. The upper level of the house was comprised of a long hall with bedrooms beside it, all now inhabited by them. The walls of the corridor upstairs were designed with their drawings and hand-crafts made by themselves when they were still a group of innocence kids. Their house was mostly made by woods and glasses. It was small and so intimate in settings, especially for the living room. Too comfy, too cozy.

“We want to keep it!” Tao again, determinedly declared it, holding Kai’s hand to make clear of whom he was referring as we.

“Tao, I love dogs too but we can’t…. I can’t!”

“When you keep a dog, you have to make him a house, feed him, bath him, clean his poo, and take care of him. Can you really do that?”

“His poo? Eeeewwwww” Tao made a face.

“Am I invisible hello? Why are we talking as if we are really going to take him in?”

“Let me finish it first, Chanyeol.” Minseok requested in his cold tone again, minded for being cut.

 “I want him in too, though” Baekhyun said, munching on his snack. “I do, too” this time it was Jongdae. Chanyeol looked at his baboons club’s member, wounded.

“Is he even free from rabies or other illness? Of course he was so cute but we should be careful.” Suho mentioned his concern.

“My thought exactly!” Luhan buzzed.

Lay finally spoke, “Why don’t we take a vote?”

“NO WE’RE NOT GOING TO KEEP IT AND THAT’S FINAL WHY ARE YOU EVEN CONSIDERING IT!” Chanyeol cried. He was standing and his body was shaken a little, both hands made fists. “I thought you care for me. I have an allergy of fur. I can’t have him around!”

“I WANT TO KEEP IT!” Kai yelp.

“Order!!” Luhan boomed.

Sehun knew his brothers sometimes got excited a lot and he didn’t mind that usually. But tonight, he was drained and having everyone around him yelling, screaming and crying made him irritated. He was about to burst in tears when Suho scooped him and gave him to Lay who then embraced him. This older brother of him always succeeded on making everyone calm and Sehun didn’t understand how and why. Few minutes, Sehun fell asleep.

“I’m going to name him Candy” Tao said amidst the chaos as if his own opinion only was counted. His brothers were too fed up to even respond to him.

“Chanyeol, I guess Luhan called this meeting just to inform you that we’ll have him around for few days while we find the owner of the dog. It won’t be long” Minseok decided but got silenced when he glanced on Luhan who shook his head slowly. Kris didn’t miss it, either.

“…..or maybe we can talk about it again tomorrow….?” Minseok said. “I think all of you are worn out now, get to your bed. We’ll talk again” He concluded, playing the role of the oldest of the troop again perfectly, just like what he always did ever since he moved into the house. Minseok was 6 years old at that time, he got adopted in China and his name was Xiumin there. He decided to use his Korean name again when he stepped into this house. At that time there were only Kris, Suho, Lay and Luhan in the house. Their parents had figured that Suho needed a Korean brother as he had troubled communicating with the three Chinese siblings of his.

Everyone moved in ambled as cued. Marching to the second floor to get to the room each of them had with Chanyeol on the lead with his long and loud footstep.

“Brush your teeth and wash your face and feet before going to bed everyone” Suho nagged, again, holding Tao and Kai, walking side to side. Luhan, Minseok and Kris walked behind them, while Suho carefully and patiently explaining about how Kai and Tao couldn’t sleep with the dog for the night, couldn’t invite him to home and finally allowed them to give their blankets to the dog, which would sleep at the veranda. It seemed like the dog’s name had been finalized as Candy, as Tao had succeeded to persuade Kai agreed on it.

“What was that?” Minseok prompted, as soon as Kris, Luhan and he entered Kris’ room, the one placed the nearest to the stair.

“We can’t take another mouth to be fed at the moment” Luhan answered, plopped his back to the chair in the room. He turned to face Minseok who stood by the door and Kris who sat on the edge of the bed. “I just checked our bank account this afternoon. We’ll be able to live with this lifestyle only for this month. The cafe isn’t doing really well like before. We need to cut some spending”

Luhan only stated the truth and Minseok realized it well. He knew that recently they didn’t get costumers as many as when their parents were around.

“That’s why I didn’t say yes to Jongdae and Kyungsoo before. We can’t afford it right, now”

Silence filled the room for a moment.

“Should we just sell our cars?”

“We need them, Kris”

“We can sell them and buy the cheaper ones, Luhan”

“Don’t we have another option?” Minseok asked.

“What? Let Kris be a model?”

“I am so damn fine about the idea you all better be ready for a mass nosebleed of fangirls coming” Kris spat to Luhan, chuckled a little under his breath. He really grateful they could pick a joke here and there under bad situation like this. It gave him believe that they would go through everything finely. 

At times like this, when they could laugh freely, Minseok got to be reminded of his self. That he was an 18 years old, who loved to play soccer with his brother sometimes, pull some jokes, played play station and hanging out, few things he couldn’t do because of the lack of times in his hands nowadays. He needed to remind himself who he really was from time to time in order not to lost himself, he figured.

“But seriously we need to consider, no, grant Jongdae and Kyungsoo’s requests. It’s their first time for asking one anyway. I also thought it would be good for them.” Kris continued.

“Yeah, I do agree on that. I have some savings in my account we could use it for them.”

“Put it under our debt. We’re going to pay it back” Luhan said to Minseok, followed by Kris’ nod. Minseok didn’t even try to negotiate as he knew really well they’d do it anyway whatever he said. All of them were stubborn enough.

“We should not let this kind of things trouble them so I guess it’s best to hide it”

 “I’ll try to find another modeling job. I haven’t looked for one recently”

“I’ll also look at our coffee shop and try to find spending we could lessen” Luhan spoke after Kris did.

Silence again ate the room.

“So…. No for dog? Chanyeol seems pretty upset.” Kris cracked the atmosphere, making Luhan glanced at Minseok. The latter one sighed.

“We need money right now and Chanyeol can’t have one around. I guess we have to find the owner and even if we can’t, we better put him to adoption. We can’t have it…..OUCH!! Kai?!”

Kris really needed to remind himself to talk about Kai’s hitting and biting issue to his brothers given that again for the umpteenth times today, Kai beat his older brother with his small punch. Maybe It caused he loved to take them playing military and Kai modeled him from that. The 6 years old was blabbering. “I WANT TO KEEP THE DOG!” and Kris swore he already heard too many of that sentence from Kai for today.

Luhan and Kris were taken a back for a moment before Kris made a move to hold Kai in his embrace, trying to settle things by making him helpless in his chest again.

Minseok knew they had been overheard. He knew there were his brothers behind the door now or perhaps they had scattered away since Kai had teleported and now was captured. How could they always get overheard in this awkward guy’s room? Perhaps he could consider making Kris’ room soundproofed.

He opened the door to find Tao in Suho’s embrace, weeping silently, a cry he did when he was really upset. His body was shaken in his hiccups. Tao was an 8 year old, obviously old enough to be cradled. His height almost reached Suho’s chest. Those facts didn’t prevent him to be embraced in order to be calm when he was sick or cried, paying no attention to struggle of the one who had to pick him, who in this situation was Suho. Again, Tao was a crybaby, a giant one.

Jongdae, Baekhyun and Kyungsoo were there, too. Minseok deducted that Lay was still in Sehun’s room, putting him to sleep while Chanyeol was locking himself in his room, lamenting because of the meeting.

“We were about to put the blankets on the dog” Suho explained himself.

“I knew it there was something wrong” Baekhyun trailed, snapping his finger. “Are we really that broke? How much money you need?” he didn’t sound obnoxious but Luhan really wanted to smack his head for what he just said.

“We’re living in a welfare thank you for your concern sir now get back to your room” Luhan managed to say the sentence in a breath.

Suho shook his head slowly. “We heard everything” His hands caressed his little brother’s back. “Like everything.”

“We noticed something was going on down there before so we followed you and eavesdrop on you.” Baekhyun decided it was best for them to bare the truth anyway. “I know I’m still young…” When Baekhyun said it, he sounded like he was mocking his brothers for being old. “…but I guess I’m big enough to handle the harsh truths of life. So tell me.”

“I said, we’re fine” Luhan insisted.

“I want to keep the dog!”

“Kai, please stop hitting me”

“My Candy….”

“Ssshhh… it’s all right Tao”

A pandemonium stage was the only way to describe the situation in front of Kris’ room.

“So I can’t have the class?” Jongdae asked, carefully. He knew that he should have had not thought about himself at times like this, he knew he should not felt saddened, but he couldn’t help it. His face showed it all.

Kyungsoo took a step back, stride his way to his room with his head hang low, totally paid no heed to Suho’s call. What was the point anyway, he would not have it. He knew that it wasn’t his brothers’ fault but he felt helpless and mad because of that. He knew it from the very beginning; he should have had not request it.

“D’oh Kyungsoo stop being a drama queen. I have my money, too! I can survive two months without pocket money with that! You can get to those lessons” Baekhyun scampered over to him, jerked his body off, and almost dragged him to Kris’ room again while the younger one was too stunned to react. “Besides, weren’t you all listening? Tsk be a good eavesdropper shall you? Minseok hyung will pay for it”

“What do you mean you have money?”

“That’s why I asked you how much money we need and you kept insisted saying we were fine” He mimicked Luhan who really felt the need to smack him his hands itched.

“Elaborate” Minseok spoke.

“Ugh, remember when I said Chanyeol’s band and mine are going to represent the school for a band competition on a regional level, two months ago around our Parents’ accident? Yeah we won it, today and the prize money was pretty big”

“WHAT?”

“Yeah. I also got the best vocalist title and Chanyeol got a best drummer title” He continued causally. “That’s why Chanyeol was so upset! You all really think he shall be that mad just because of a dog? It was a bad day for him. I won a first place while he won the second place. He lost to me. In addition, you all didn’t even come to the competition, in this kind of special day and when we got back the first thing you said was hey we’re going to adopt a dog” Again, he mimicked Luhan.

“YOU DIDN’T SAY TODAY WAS THE DAY! We could have come!” Suho’s face was reddening. He should have had remembered that kind of important day. How could he forget? Though he knew the answer was simple, he was too preoccupied with his emotion to care about others around his parents’ tragedy.

“D’oh easy. I didn’t want all of you to be around so I made Chanyeol kept his mouth shut.” Baekhyun knew he would get nervous having to sing in front of his family. “We will go to the national level. You can come at that time” He rubbed his left ear. “Beside, Chanyeol and Lay hyung are currently trying to make some money out of the songs they had created, last time I heard they are about to sign a contract. Don’t they say something?”

“NO!” Luhan and Suho snapped.

“Okay so…wait….” Minseok felt the need of times to process everything.

“Nggg…, since we are on the subject, I also have an offer to be a private tutor. The money was fine” Suho said. “I'm planning to take it”

“Ah! Lay hyung also said he got an offer to be a piano tutor for a five year old and that’s why he had been asking you to cut his hour in the coffee shop. It turns out that he actually knows how to play one! Cool right? He can’t even read a note sheet though.” Baekhyun mused.

Luhan’s eyes were widened in shock, Minseok had his mouth half open in annoyance, and Kris’ face was looked as if someone had just told him gibberish.

“You should have told us when we face a problem. We can solve it together like this, isn’t it nice?” Suho was beaming.

“Hold on….How could you know all of these when we don’t?” it was shocking to Luhan to hear about it from Baekhyun’s mouth. He knew Baekhyun was always been bright, but he didn’t know that that kind of side of him would bring other people to open their selves to Baekhyun. For all he knew, Suho might be the one because that boy loved to put his nose on others’ business but he guessed he was wrong.

“I simply spend my time talking with them what else. You were too busy trying to control everything you didn’t pay attention you know” Bluntly, being true to his personality, Baekhyun answered casually. Perhaps he was right, Suho was trying to keep the house under control, Minseok with the cofee shop and Luhan with the financial problem, while Kris took care of the three youngest who he felt need the most attention they forgot they had the others. Sometimes, Kris, Minseok and Luhan forgot that Suho and Lay in their 16 and other brothers of theirs were on their teens, they also needed life and affections.

“So can we keep the dog?” Tao asked in his hiccups.

OMG I'm sorry I'm such a bad author :""(

I needed 5 days to finally finish this chapter this time. It took me quite a lot of effort and time because I feel the urge to give 12 of them stronger characters to live them up (did I make it?). Also, I actually have two stories running in my mind at this moment. When I wrote this one I thought about of combining both stories into one. The other one was more of fantasy and action but it still needed some times to finish what I want to do with that story so I took times to think about it and finally come with this decision, I'll separate them . This one will go with the everyday life. And... that's why I removed the fantasy tag hehe

Thank you for upvoting and subscribing and comment on this story :)

ps: Are there any of you who actually read this author note? Lol