The Odd Doctor Out | A Drama | S. 1

145 🩺 Family Time

'Mom!'

Wooyoung wasn't much of a runner, but in that moment, he wanted to sprint.

To his disappointment however, a slow walk was the best he could manage.

'Eoma,' he choked, tears immediately stinging in his eyes. 'I missed you so much, mama...'

Turning to to his brother, Wooyoung held out a hand towards Yeosang like a child grasping for a teddy bear. 'Sangie... she really came...'

Walking over, a smiling Yeosang wrapped his arms around Wooyoung before they were both encased in their mother's arms.

'My darling boys. Momma missed both of you so much. Where is Hongjoong?'

'Just here.' Walking out from down the hall, Hongjoong came over. 'Eomoni,' he said kindly, smiling as he did.

'Aww baby. When are you going to stop calling me so formally? Come here honey.' And as Mrs. Kang opened her arms, Wooyoung and Yeosang giggled as Hongjoong somewhat awkwardly slotted into the hug.

'Anyone would think that boys outgrow hugs once they hit puberty,' Mrs. Kang scoffed, kissing each of them on the head.

'Where's dad?' Yeosang asked, letting his head rest against Wooyoung's. Both resting against  their mother's chest, Yeosang relaxed.

'Parking,' she replied, before leaning back and pinching each of their cheeks. 'My little boys aren't so little anymore. What did you three do with my cute little babies?' she said, feigning concern.

'We're still little,' Wooyoung cooed, smiling at Yeosang and his mother. 'But Joong is a grandpa.'

Hongjoong's face immediately registered with horror as he immediately doused him in an attack of tickles and kisses. 'I can't wait until you're my age, and I can tell you that right back to your face.'

'And IIII can't wait till all of you are my age, and you can see how silly you look thinking you're all old at your ages. What I wouldn't give to be in my twenties again, when I was younger and more beautiful.'

'But you are beautiful,' both Yeosang and Wooyoung countered at the same time in the exact same tone of voice. They looked at each other for a moment, shocked, before giggling.

'I wasn't aware I had twins,' Mrs. Kang joked as she planted a kiss on each of her sons' foreheads. 'You both even have blonde hair now. Do you even know what those chemicals do to your head?'

The boys groaned, but just as Hongjoong had thought that he'd gotten away with it, Mrs. Kang turned her attention to him too. 'Last time I saw you, your hair was blue. Hongjoong darling you go through hair colours like changes of underwear.'

Wooyoung laughed, poking his tongue out at his Hyung. 'She's right. What colour are you going to do next?'

Glaring, Hongjoong feigned a sulking fit. 'Well I won't tell you when I decide, because clearly you don't support me. All you want to do is laugh at me.'

Reaching for his Hyung, Wooyoung's heart melted a little as Hongjoong pretended to avoid him, before letting him catch his wrist and hug him. 'You'll tell me first, right? Let me do it?' He batted his eyelashes the way he'd learned to do growing up to get his way.

Rolling his eyes, Hongjoong groaned. 'Fine. But only if you don't tease me.'

'I won't~.'

Just then, a voice carrying from the door distracted them all, causing them to turn around. 'I thought you three would be tearing each other's throats out by now.'

'Dadda bear!' Wooyoung felt like a three year old, but he didn't even care. As the youngest in the family, he reserved his right to be immature. He hadn't seen his parents in months, and after multiple nights plagued by nightmares of them being torn from his life in multiple horrific incidents like his biological parents, and then almost dying himself, nothing could stop him from showing his affection.

Putting a plastic bag on the table that smelled amazing, Mr. Kang walked over to the family reunion. 'How are my boys?' Giving both of them a father-to-son hug, he stepped back and shook Hongjoong's hand. 'I see you're all getting along.'

'We are~' Wooyoung replied. He elbowed Yeosang to follow suit.

But he had other plans. 'Hongjoong stole my chocolate the other night and I'm still salty. I don't care if I'm twenty four. He's been doing it my whole life and I'm mad.'

Laughter rang, followed by an immediate comeback from Hongjoong. 'I said I was sorry!'

'And yet you keep doing it.'

'Alright, alright, boys. Well it's a good thing I came baring gifts. Come, we brought lunch.'

'I'm starving,' Yeosang moaned, and Wooyoung and Hongjoong chuckled since they had been waiting to have lunch with Mr. and Mrs. Kang for hours and almost every five minutes, Yeosang had announced to the world that he was hungry.

'Please dear lord feed that boy,' Wooyoung groaned, letting his mother slip her arm around his as they walked to the table. 'He's been complaining for hours and I have his whinging ringing in my ears.'

And as Yeosang immediately turned to bicker back, Wooyoung glanced up to see his mom looking across at him. A small smile on her lips, she brushed his fringe for a moment before kissing his head.

'I'm sorry I wasn't here...' she whispered, and it broke Wooyoung's heart.

'It's okay, mom... You're here now. And I'm really, really happy.'

~~~