Eli was helping Jun to dry his body after bathing with a big towel. He smiled all the time at the little boy and sometimes tickled him during drying his body that made Jun laugh. Eli wanted to make the little boy comfortable being in his house, but it seemed to be different with what he wanted.

“Uncle Kevin doesn’t like me, does he?” Jun asked in a sudden when Eli put a pair of pajamas on the little boy’s body.

Eli frowned in surprise to hear the unexpected question coming out from Jun’s lips. He bent down his body to the little boy’s height and looked at him lovingly. Jun was bending his face down and pouted and it made Eli sad to see that kind of expression. It must be the way Kevin treated him during dinner, he thought then he sighed heavily as he held and rubbed Jun’s shoulder. “Of course he does like you,” Eli said. Then he lifted the little boy’s chin and looked into his eyes. “It’s just he doesn’t know you well, so… please, bear with him, okay?” he saw Jun nod weakly in response and it made Eli feel relief. “That’s my boy!” Eli ruffled Jun’s hair that was still half-dried.

Jun smiled then he hugged Eli tightly. “You’re so kind, Uncle Eli,” he said as he snuggled onto the older one’s neck. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Junie yah,” Eli said as he caressed Jun’s back. And then, he carried the little boy in his arms in a sudden that made Jun gasp in surprise.

“Woaaahh… Uncle, put me down!!!” Jun screamed as he hid his face onto Eli’s chest. “It’s scary!!! Put me down, Uncle!!!” he began to sob when the older one swung his body in the air.

Eli just wanted to play around with Jun, but he never expected that the little boy would be scared with what he had done. So, he put Jun on the bed and wiped the tears on his cheeks. “I-I’m so sorry, Junie…” said Eli in guilty. “I didn’t mean to make you scared. I’m so sorry…”

Jun sniffed as he looked at Eli with his wet eyes. “J-just don’t… don’t do that again…” he stuttered in reply. “I’m scared of height, remember?”

Eli nodded weakly. “I’ll remember that for the rest of my life and I won’t do that again,” he said then he leaned his body closer to Jun and gave him a light peck on his lips. “Feeling better?”

Jun nodded then he covered his body with the blanket. “I’m ready to go to sleep,” he said then yawned.

“You better be. You have to go to school in the morning and Uncle Kevin will take you…”

“Why won’t you?” cut Jun with annoyed tone. “I want you to take me there,” he pouted.

“He needs to know you bit by bit, Junie, and you too. So, you guys can get along well,” Eli said. “Don’t worry! Uncle Kevin is a good guy.”

***

“Why don’t you?!” Kevin asked in annoyed tone after Eli told him to take Jun to his school tomorrow morning. “You can take him there before going to work, can’t you?”

“I can,” Eli said as he took off his shirt and wore sleeveless only. “But you two need to know each other, so you can get along well.” He walked towards Kevin, who was sitting on the bed in their room, then laid his body next to him. “Don’t be rude at Jun, Kev. He’s still a kid which means he’s sensitive with whatever we do at him. We need to take care of him well, okay?”

“But I’m not ready, Eli yah,” Kevin pouted.

“It’s okay. You can get ready bit by bit after this,” Eli said as he closed his eyes. “Just be nice at him, Kev. Jun is an easy boy once you get to know him better.”

Kevin looked at Eli, who seemed like he was already sleeping, and then he sighed heavily. I don’t know, Eli yah… he thought. I don’t like kids.

***

On the next day…

Jun was tidy and ready to go to school then he walked out his room to the dinning room and he only found Kevin eating his breakfast silently. Suddenly, the little boy felt uneasy. “Morning, Uncle Kevin,” he greeted Kevin as cheerful as he could and then he only got a murmur ‘morning’ from the older one. Jun sighed sadly with the response as he climbed on the chair. “Where is Uncle Eli?” he asked.

“He’s off to work,” Kevin replied with a cold tone. “Go eat your breakfast and I’ll take you to school.”

Jun nodded weakly in response. “Uncle…”

“Just eat your breakfast!” cut Kevin with annoyed tone which surprised Jun.

Jun nodded again as he held up his urge to cry. He did not know what he did wrong and he wondered why Kevin seemed like not to like his presence. I wanna be with Appa… he thought sadly as he ate his breakfast in silence.

***

No one talked during their way to Jun’s school. Jun was so scared to say a word and Kevin was so lazy to talk with the little boy. It was boring for Kevin who did not like silence and it made him upset, but bit by bit he remember what Eli had told him last night, for being nice at Jun. He sighed. Eli was right, he thought. Jun has no fault on me and I shouldn’t hate him, but still…

“Uncle,” Jun’s voice snapped Kevin out off his train of thought.

“What?” asked Kevin as he glared at Jun, but when he saw the little boy’s body slump down the seat, the older one softened his look. “Why?”

“Y-you passed my school already,” Jun stuttered in reply.

Kevin started to look around and then he cursed himself for being stupid. He turned his car back to the other way. Shortly after that, they arrived at the parking area of Jun’s school. “Junie yah,” he called Jun before he got off the car.

“Yes, Uncle?”

“I can’t pick you up because I have a lot of things to do. Can you get home by yourself?”

Jun nodded. “I’ll get home with Yulhee then,” he said.

“Who’s Yulhee?” Kevin asked curiously.

“My friend.”

“Okay then. Just don’t talk with stranger when you’re on your way home, okay?” said Kevin and then nodded by Jun. “Wait!” he stopped the little boy for coming out of the car. Kevin looked for something on the dashboard and then he gave it to Jun. It was a name card. “That’s my number,” Kevin said after Jun took it. “In case you’ll get lost or else. Just call me when you need me.”

***

“Hi, Junie!” someone patted Jun’s shoulder when the little boy sat alone on the bench of the school park at the break time.

Jun looked at the person and smiled widely. “Hello, Yulhee,” he greeted then he moved a bit to give a space for the girl to sit.

“What are you doing here?” Yulhee asked after she took a seat next to Jun. “Why don’t you play with the others?”

Jun sighed heavily then he shook his head weakly in response. “I don’t feel like to play today,” he said in a low tone then he looked at the name card in his hand.

Yulhee followed his action and peeked in on the letters in the card. “Who’s Kevin?” she asked.

“Friend of my appa’s friend,” Jun answered. “He and Uncle Eli took care of me since my appa left.”

“Your appa left? To where?” Yulhee’s eyes widened in surprise. “And why don’t you go with your appa?”

“He’s in New York now, doing some business with Uncle Jaeseop and I can’t go with him because I can’t take the airplane,” Jun replied. He saw Yulhee frowned confusedly at his words then he chuckled. “I’m scared of heightt,” he admitted as he rubbed his nape.

Yulhee’s mouth made an O shape in response as she nodded. “How are Uncle Kevin and Uncle Eli then? Are they nice to you?”

“Yes, if you ask about Uncle Eli, but Uncle Kevin…” Jun was silent for a moment, could not complete his sentence. Then he sighed heavily again. “He acts cold to me. I don’t know why. I don’t even make any mistake.”

“Maybe I know that kind of adults,” Yulhee said as she puffed her cheeks in upset but cute way. “That kind of adults who like to ditch kids out because they think we would bring trouble to them.”

“Do you think so?” asked Jun.

Yulhee nodded. “My aunt was like that, but now she’s a new person since she’s so kind to me,” she said. “Maybe Uncle Kevin needs to know you well, so he wouldn’t be like that again to you.”

“Yeah, maybe…” Jun said. “By the way, can we walk home together after school? Uncle Kevin won’t pick me up because he has a lot of things to do. Can we?”

***

It was three in the afternoon when Kevin got home. He just finished doing some interviews to get a job. Yes, he was a jobless guy, but he was lucky enough to live with Eli who let him stay in his house and take care of him well. It was not Kevin being picky when it came to look for a job, but he was not lucky to get one even though he had tried as much as he could.

Kevin laid his body on the couch as he covered his eyes with one of his hands. He felt so tired and was about to sleep before his stomach made a noise, which was a sign that he was starving. With weak steps, he went into the kitchen and made a ramyun for him. In the midst of eating his late lunch, suddenly he remembered that he was not supposed to be alone at the time. Where’s Jun? He wondered. Why is the house so silent? After he finished his lunch, he went to Jun’s room and he was surprised not to find the little boy. Where is he? Didn’t Eli say that the school ends at the midday?

When Kevin was in worried state, the bell door rang. He rushed to there and hoped it would be Jun and then he sighed in relief that his wish came true. “Where have you been?!” he exclaimed in annoyed tone after the little boy came into the house.

“I-I just played at Yulhee’s house,” Jun asnwered, did not dare to see Kevin because he was so scared of him.

“And why didn’t you call me? You’ve got my card! Did you loose it?”

Jun shook his head in response. He could not hold his feelingg anymore as he started to sob. “I-I’m sorry…” he said in a hoarse tone. “I forgot to…”

“Did you know I was worried you a lot?” cut Kevin in anger, did not care with Jun’s sob. “What if you were kidnapped by stranger? What if you got lost? Eli would blame me if you were in trouble and I don’t want it! At least, try to be useful and stop crying!”

Jun sniffed as his body trembled so hard. He wiped the tears on his cheeks with the back of his hands and then he looked at him with his wet eyes. “Why do you not like me?” he asked with trembled voice.

Kevin frowned confusedly at the question. “What?”

Now, it’s enough… Jun thought. “No,” he said weakly before walking to his own room. He hurts me so bad and I want to take revenge!

***

sorry for the late reply... and, ugh... meanie Kevin and poor Junie... ;__;

too much drama here, right?? kekeke... heoll...

I hope you like the update ^_^)v