Chapter 7: A Flashback To (1/2)

<tt>Chapter 7: A Flashback To The Past</tt>

<tt>"Donghae.." Sungmin wailed into his cell phone.

"Do you have any idea just how awkward having lunch with Kyuhyun was?!"

Donghae giggled, "But Sungmin, I've never known you even as remotely awkward. So is it just with Kyuhyun-shi? "

Sungmin chewed on his bottom lip thoughtfully, "I dont know, Donghae.. But why the hell is he any different!"

Donghae answered teasingly, "That's because he's your soulmate.."

"Soul ma... Fuck you. I hate you." Sungmin huffed irritatingly.</tt>

<tt>"Im sorry. Im sorry! Calm down." Donghae mumbled hurriedly.

"The entire Cho family is coming over for dinner and just how am I gonna handle all of them?!"

Donghae cooed softly, "You'll be fine Sungminnie.  Just feed them some of your pastries and muffins. They'll love you!"</tt>

<tt>"Hyung! It's been ten minutes. " Sungjin called out from the couch.

Sungmin covered the mouth piece of the phone and yelled back,"Got it Jin-ah.."</tt>

<tt>"Donghae, I need to go. The blueberry pie is gonna burn. I’ll see you tomorrow,alright?” Sungmin mumbled hastily.

Donghae agreed,”Just get me a piece of that pie!”

After bidding Donghae goodbye, Sungmin rushed into the kitchen and tugged on his mittens. He gently brought the scrumptious pie from the oven and placed it onto the kitchen counter for it to cool down.</tt>

<tt>Sungjin automatically popped out of practically nowhere and chirped,”Hi hyung! You know I love you,right Sungminnie hyung?”

Sungmin rolled his eyes knowing exactly what his baby brother wanted. </tt> <tt>That greedy.</tt>

<tt>“No Jinnie-ah. This is strictly for the dinner tonight. You’re not getting any tidbits now.”

Sungjin pouted childishly and hit his elder brother’s back with his fingers curled into fists.

“Hyung!”He whined.

Sungmin chuckled and put out his tongue teasingly.

“If you’ll finish your english homework, I shall give you the biggest piece at dinner.”

Sungjin mumbled something under his breath before rushing to his backpack and taking out his assignments.

Just like that.</tt><tt>So easy to convince Sungjin to do his homework. A little bit of coaxing and bribing and that’s all.

“Sungmin honey,are you done?”Sunhee called out from the laundry room while adding detergent into the washing machine along with the soiled clothes.

“Yes,Mom. I just have a tiny part left.”Sungmin answered while spreading some fresh blueberries and powdered sugar.

“As soon as you’re done, let me know. I have to start cooking for tonight,Sungmin-ah.”</tt>

<tt>~~~~~~~</tt>

<tt>“Umma. Donghae said that he got a stomach ache. I have to go.”Sungmin tried while looking at the clock glued to the wall.

Sunhee simply brushed him away,”Donghae has Hyukjae to take care of him,Sungmin. You arent going anywhere. The Cho’s will be here soon.”</tt>

<tt>Sungmin sighed miserably and glared at Sungjin who giggled at his crestfallen appearance,”What are you laughing at,brat?! No blueberry pie for you,Sungjin.”

The amused grin on Sungjin’s face disappeared in a flash only to be replaced by pure panic, much to Sungmin’s delight.

“Hyung.”He whined while launching himself over Sungmin’s broad shoulders.

Sunhee scolded,”Now you two. Behave and stop fighting..”</tt>

<tt>She smacked both of her boy’s back and sent them scuttling upstairs to change into suitable clothes while she set down the porcelain plates and cutlery.</tt>

<tt>Sunhee hoped to goodness that this dinner meeting would turn out to be perfect. And she wanted to see the progress between Sungmin and Kyuhyun.</tt>

<tt>She had been skeptical when Sungmin had told her about his meeting up with Kyuhyun. She knew her son was too smart for his own good. Sunhee wanted to interrogate Sungmin but Hannah had prevented her from doing so.</tt>

<tt>Let them be as they are.I know they are just pretending to get along well and maybe who knows? They might just end up falling in love with each other all by themselves. We just need to give them little pushes here and there.

And Sunhee had readily agreed to her Unnie’s words. If they interfered, they might just loose all chances of seeing their babies together and in love. So let time take its own course, they decided.</tt>

<tt>Cutting her thoughts,the bell rang. Sunhee dusted the blue dress she was wearing from invisible dirt and rushed to the door while pressing her hair behind her ear neatly.

“Hannah! You’re here.” She cried delightfully welcoming Hannah with a warm embrace.

“Come in. Come in.” Chunhwa ushered in the guests with a bright smile.

Kyuhyun stepped into the house and glanced curiously around the interiors.

Sunhee asked him teasingly,”Are you looking for my son, Kyuhyun-ah?”

Kyuhyun’s eyes widened and he spluttered with frown,”What?! I was..”

Ahra wacked her baby brother’s shoulder with her purse and hissed,”Behave Kyubaby.”

Kyuhyun mumbled helplessly,”What did I do?”

“Hyung-nim come out from the bathroom..Hurry up, Sungmin hyung! I need to go too..” Sungjin’s loud voice could be heard from upstairs.

Sunhee laughed embarrassingly, and glanced at her husband. Chunhwa smiled and immediately asked,”YoungHwan-shi, long time no see!”

“You kids can go upstairs and call my boys down,okay?”Sunhee beamed at Kyuhyun and Ahra who looked at each other in hesitation.

“Come on, dont be shy! Ahra darling. Go on ahead and take your brother with you.”Hannah assured her two children. She winked secretly at Ahra who immediately smirked.

“Come on Kyubaby. Stop gawking at me like that!” With that Ahra tugged Kyuhyun upstairs with her fingers enclosing around her baby brother’s wrist tightly.

“Ahra Noona. No need to drag me.”Kyuhyun protested trying to loosen Ahra’s grip.

“Hush, Kyubaby.” Ahra put out her tongue cheekily before climbing up the stairs.

Ahra stopped abruptly and gaped at the picture of a forest glimmering in its greenery. That was a massive piece of perfection. Amazing capture.

She squeaked in surprise as someone rushed past her and banged on the door of the bathroom loudly,”Sungmin hyung.. Come on hyung. I need to go.”

Ahra eyed the kid skeptically and exclaimed,”You must be Sungjin..?”

Sungjin’s eyes widened at the sight of the two strangers and he screamed,”Who are you?!”

Kyuhyun mumbled,”Here we go.”

Ahra chirped,”You can call me Ahra Noona and this brat here is my darling brother,Kyuhyun.”

Sungjin’s eyes narrowed into a glare and he muttered,”Kyuhyun,huh?”

Much to Ahra’s amusement, Sungjin immediately raised his fingers to an I-have-my-eyes-on-you motion.

“Hyung!”

The door of the bathroom swung open and Sungmin’s form poked out, he exclaimed gently,”What’s with all the screaming,Jinnie-ah?”

Sungjin simply pushed his brother aside forcefully and scuttled into the bathroom. And Sungmin flew straight into Kyuhyun’s form,his nose colliding against the taller man’s chest.

Kyuhyun wound his arms around Sungmin’s waist preventing the man from falling and mumbled awkwardly.

”Umm... Hi?”

Sungmin widened his eyes in embarrassment and immediately pushed Kyuhyun’s arms away as though the touch burned him and stood beside Kyuhyun stiffly.

Ahra giggled in delight,”You must be Sungmin?”</tt>

<tt>Sungmin cleared his throat softly after nodding slightly and blurted out with hues of pink dusting across his cheeks,”Let’s just go downstairs.”

With that Sungmin proceeded to march downstairs mechanically followed closely by the Cho siblings.</tt>

<tt>“There they are!”, Sunhee exclaimed fondly seeing Sungmin and Kyuhyun standing together. </tt>  <tt>She had dreamt of the day when her baby would grow up and finally get along with her best friend’s son...only the fact remains they were still awkward and stiff in each other’s presence but it wasnt something that couldnt be fixed. Right?</tt>

<tt>“Good evening,Mr. and Mrs. Cho” Sungmin wished softly with a small polite bow.</tt>

<tt>“No need to be so formal,Sungmin-ah. I’ve practically seen you when you were in your diapers.”Hannah assured Sungmin while clapping her hand over Sungmin’s shoulders gently.

Kyuhyun’s eyes widened in surprise. Umma had seen Sungmin before? But how did he not remember him at all? Sungmin’s name seemed so unfamiliar to his ears until a few weeks ago.</tt>

<tt>“Kyuhyun?”</tt>

<tt>“What are you thinking about,Kyubaby?”Ahra hissed into Kyuhyun’s ears successfully breaking his train of thoughts.

“I umm.. I’m sorry what was that?” Kyuhyun asked sheepishly.

“Son. I asked you about going to the dining hall?” Younghwan explained patiently much to Ahra’s amusement. Kyubaby seemed so out of it today.

“Another helping of chicken curry, Hannah?” Sunhee smiled warmly while coaxing her best friend to eat more.

“Oh no, I can’t Sunhee.” Hannah chuckled while patting her lips with the napkin.

“How about you, Younghwan?”