A Boy Named Kookie

Soup for the Seoul

Why is the teacher man sitting in the living room? He shouldn't be here at the apartment, Jin probably knows, but I need to be sure. I tiptoe to Eomma's room to see if he has in fact returned from the station. I don't even know what time it is, after passing out from the effects of the whiskey I hadn't looked at my phone. I'm pretty sure it is still in the playpen, but I don't want to go back in there with the teacher man walking about. I slowly enter the bedroom and see that Eomma is fast asleep, his limbs sprawled about and little snores leaving his parted lips. He looks so peaceful that I decide not to interrupt him as lately sleep has been elusive for the older man.

The teacher man is bustling around the kitchen as I leave Jin's room. I try to quietly make my way towards the playpen to retrieve my phone when the tall man approaches. "Yoonie, is hyung still sleeping?" I scowl as the teacher man tries to coax me into acknowledging him. Moving past him I continue on my path and once again situate myself within comfy confines. Not realizing my silence means to go away, he lumbers after me and stands to look down at me. "I am going to ask again. Is hyung still asleep, Yoonie? I am here to help and I can't do that if you're being difficult." His no-nonsense tone stops me from sticking my tongue out at the younger man. I am taken back by his dominating presence and feel myself begin to slump, giving into the obviously in control adult.

"Eomma, sleep sleep. Yoonie no want trouble. Yoonie will listen to teacher man." At my quiet tone, his features soften and he nods his head. I am surprised that he doesn't question Yoonie but simply goes along as though he isn't my professor's assistant who knows big Yoongi. "You have eat?" I ask the unfamiliar man.

"Yes, I am making dinner. Do you want a snack? I saw some cookies earlier if you want them." At the mention of food, my stomach growls and I scramble to get up. He holds a hand out to help steady my toppling form and I shyly put my smaller hand in his as I step over the enclosure. "Follow me, my name is Namjoon by the way, but you can call me whatever makes you comfortable." I simply nod and head to the kitchen behind his long stride. He heads towards one of the cupboards and I sit on the counter where I always do when Eomma makes coffee in the mornings. The man, Namjoon, turns with a little pink bowl full of animal shaped cookies and I gladly accept them. "Do you want a drink?" I nod once again and begin to munch on the yummy snack as he walks to the living room, but before I can remember what I had done, Joonie returns with my orange cup.

His face scrunches as the stench of alcohol emits from the sippy cup as he twists the lid off. Without commenting he simply rinses the cup but reaches for a different one to give me. No words exchange as he digs in the refrigerator and finds the apple juice to pour into the new cup. "Joonie, you nice. Did Eomma bring you here?" I look up at him as he turns and hands me the filled cup. He simply goes back to the arrangement of foods he has set about the counter next to my right hip to begin what I assume is dinner.

As he begins to chop vegetables he once again strikes up a conversation. "I came to help Jin hyung study for the Midterm tomorrow. He happened to arrive at the same time I did and asked if I could stay awhile to help with dinner as he wasn't feeling well. It seems both you boys had a rough day, right Yoonie?" I nod my head quickly as he gives me a reassuring smile. "I was surprised to see you Yoonie. Hyung said you might be home later, but you were here all along." He sets down the knife and looks into my eyes which I quickly turn away from. "If you need to talk about anything I am here to listen, I know that I am not super close to you or Hyung, but I would like to be, at least to the best of my abilities." His calm strength brings peace of mind to my whirlwind emotions. A mess of tears rush forward to my lashes, but I try to blink them away.

"Yoonie is sad, Joonie. His friend had to go bye bye and Yoonie doesn't think he will come back. You came at an unhappy time. Eomma cries too. You bring happy, a little bit." I hop off the counter and give the teacher man a side hug. He chuckles but returns the embrace nonetheless. "You gave Yoonie a snack so you can't be bad guy. Yoonie still not sure about teacher man. But you make Eomma sad, Yoongi will make sure you pay." I let go and shuffle over to the kitchen table with snack in hand so I can watch the tall figure make dinner. He expertly moves about like he is in his element, kind of like Eomma. I remember looking at a similar scene except boisterous laughter and a baby sling decorated the moment, not a somewhat tipsy little and an unfamiliar teacher man.