BROTHERS.
episode ten: moving on
ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢ: ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ. ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴡᴀʀɴᴇᴅ!
❀
❝even if you all came from different families, we are still one; never doubt that you don't belong with us.❞
FLASHBACK
9 ʏᴇᴀʀs ᴀɢᴏ..
it was a normal day in the life of kim eunhee. she had just come back from her elementary school and just arrived back home. her dad and seokjin was working at their bakery beside their house, while her mother went out to buy groceries. she quickly removed her shoes and went up to her room to change into more comfortable clothes.
she sat down on her bed, and sighed. she came to realize that her house was always quiet and lonely whenever she would come back home. ever since she was little she had no one to play or talk to with, except for seokjin and her parents. she started to feel lonely and unhappy since everyone she knew were always busy doing other things—she just wanted to feel loved and have someone's attention, just for a bit.
she got up and went to the kitchen to prepare that night's dinner for the entire family. she decided to make shrimp cooked in butter, with some mixed vegetables, along with rice. as she was cooking the shrimp, she ended up burning herself and shrieking.
"ah.. oppa can you get me a ba-" she looked up and realized jin-hyung wasn't with her.
'right.'
she took a damp towel and went over her burn before getting a bandage to cover it.
the entrance door opened and she was welcomed by the arms of her big brother, seokjin, who was currently fourteen years old.
"you're cooking shrimp for dinner?" she bent over to smell the tasty aroma from the butter, "i can't wait." he smiled at her.
he prepared the plates and eating utensils on top of each placemat in the dining table, as eunhee prepared the dish on a plate.
time passed by, and eunhee was beginning to feel worried. she nervously tapped her fingers on the dining table, "why hadn't mom and dad come home yet?"
"dad said he was going to do the closing today, instead of seunmin, so he's going to be there for another hour." jin petted his little sister's hair and ruffled it to annoy her.
"yah!" she smacked his hand away and looked at his silly smile. his smile becomes a thin line, as he starts questioning eunhee about school.
"it's fine.. i guess?" she bowed her head to look at nothing particular and pouted, "it's kind of boring though.. i don't really talk to anyone and school just feels repetitive—like a routine."
"are the other kids treating you right?" jin put his hand on her shoulder and kneeled down to meet her eyes, "are they excluding you from anything?"
she pondered at his question, "no.. i don't think so? i mean, i don't really care."
she looked at her big brother who frowned at her, "i don't really see why i need other people in life, especially when i've got you! and mom! and dad!" she cheered.
but inside, she felt really lonely.
she just didn't want her brother to worry about her.
she did, however, tell the truth. she didn't care what others thought of her since she was always alone in school—her lifestyle has taught her how to live independently and work efficiently as an eleven year-old girl.
she was surprised when her brother pulled her out of her chair and hugged her, "don't lie to me, because i know you better than anyone."
"i love you, okay?" he pulled her away while holding onto her shoulders and looked at her, straight into her brown-shimmering eyes, "and i will always love you and treat you like my little sister."
he kissed her forehead and continued hugging her. this made eunhee feel warm inside, because for once she was given the attention and the words she wanted from one of the only people she cared about. she started tearing up and sobbing into jin's baby pink sweater.
after what seemed like years of waiting, her dad returned with her mother at the door who was awaiting them with a wide grin, "eunhee! seokjin! come here!" she waved to them from the hallway.
eunhee and jin both ran towards the door and helped carry the groceries their mom had bought from the market.
when they were about to come back to carry another batch, they saw their mom smile and take a step to the side to reveal two young boys.
"kids, meet kim namjoon and min yoongi," their mom gestures her hands at the two boys who started becoming self-conscious, "your new adorable brothers."
both of the kim siblings observed the two orphans for the past few days.
namjoon was well-mannered and his composure reminded eunhee of her father. he had cute dimples whenever she gave them a smile, but they both could tell they were still uncomfortable living in a new environment. he was tall for his age, even though he was only a year younger than jin, and he definitely acted more mature than sassy-pink seokjin in certain ways.
yoongi, on the other hand, was really quiet. his facial features looked delicate but his expressions looked rough. he was a very contrasting person to eunhee, but it may just be because he still has trouble expressing himself. he was the same age as jin, they were both fourteen years old, but yoongi's height made him look a few years younger.
'maybe he didn't pass puberty yet..?'
and as the days passed, the two siblings began to learn more about their two new siblings; like their favorite types of food, what they like to do on their spare time, what sports they play, and personal questions like where they came from.
namjoon briefly explained that him and yoongi came from families that were stuck in debt. their parents had given them up in hopes for them to have a better future when they were about two to three years old. even if their parents had left them, they make sure to never forget where they came from.
–with that said, they all learned to trust one another more to the extent where they forgot they weren't blood related at all.
a month had passed, and eunhee didn't feel as lonely anymore. she had more people she could talk to, with yoongi and namjoon being a new addition to the kim family.
yoongi would spend time watching television with her for a few minutes, before he would fall asleep on her shoulders—it had become a habit for him to do this, so eunhee would always bring a blanket with her to cover him.
while, namjoon would like to take out eunhee to the park and eat ice cream from time to time. but of course, all of her brothers were occupied enough at school, so she made sure not to bother them.
yoongi would always be tired during that day, because he'd stay up to finish his homework after working at his part-time job and helping out at the bakery. then, namjoon would be busy studying and tutoring other kids to earn some money and help the family. seokjin would always be helping in the bakery as well.
in the end, eunhee was still lonely.
just.. not as much as before.
six months have passed, and their mother surprised them with another blessing, another brother.
his name was jung hoseok, he was an orphan who had been ditched by his mother while playing hide and seek at an amusement park. although his past seemed dark, his personality outshined it.
him and smile was as bright as the sun—he made the sun seem jobless.
he was a very jumpy kid, always playing games to entertain eunhee at home, and slacked a lot during school. he would rather play with eunhee than leave her alone in her room to do homework.
soon, eunhee was beginning to feel happier.
hoseok helped her become more socially active at school, he'd pick her up from her class and walk home together while buying food along the way.
months then turned into a year since the three new brothers have been adopted into the kim family, and the house became a lot lively. especially on the fateful day, that three more adorable kids arrived at their door.
a brunette boy wearing a white beret, blue shorts and a white sailor long sleeve raised his hand in front of him and smiled, "hi guys! my name is king taehyung, but you can call me tae!"
he was an interesting eleven year-old boy, turning twelve, whose knees and face were covered with various colored bandages. some of his teeth were chipped, but eunhee and the others were agaped at his unreal features—like he came from an anime or straight out of the television.
the other boy that was standing behind him, had an unusual hair colour—it was pink and fluffy. his lips were probably his most distinct feature, as they were plum like a baby and his bottom lip was slightly bigger than his top lip.
taehyung pointed behind his back with a proud smile, "this is my best friend, park jimin or chimchim!" he told them that his friend was kind of shy, but once he opens up he can be pretty crazy. jimin was twelve at the time, but he was born the same year as taehyung.
jimin looked at the five dazzled kids staring at the three of them shyly behind taehyung. the pink haired boy's hand was seen holding another hand behind taehyung, which trailed to a black haired boy who was fairly quiet as well.
"and this over here is our baby, jeon jungkook." the ten year-old boy gave a small wave and looked up a bit to take a glance at everyone, before taking his black hoodie and covering his face with it.
"alright kids, come over here in the dining room, your lovely older brother and sister prepared you dinner!" their mom announced, as everyone made their way to the dining table with their little stomps.
after that moment, the family was complete.
the house was always filled with memories, whether i'd be really special like having deep conversations with one another or really stupid like someone breaking the ceiling with a yoga ball.
from that moment and onwards, eunhee no longer felt lonely.
that's when she realized that she felt complete.
she too didn't care if they were not her real brothers, they already felt that way between one another.
eunhee thanked god for hearing her prayers and giving her such amazing blessings and miracles.
❀
five years have passed, and jungkook was about to turn fifteen on the day that everything changed for him.
on the day of his birthday, he started to become self-conscious about himself at school and at home.
when he was coming him from school, his friends teased him about how handsome and funny his brothers were, but how different he was compared to them. he never really thought about it, but he began to doubt himself.
'do i really belong in this family?'
he remembered walking home alone just thinking about how he never really stood out in the family. he just felt like another addition, just someone else to take care of. he had been to so many orphanage homes that he didn't feel anything special with his brothers.
to him, he was just an observer. like a side character who watches his older brothers and his sister bicker with one another, or watch their relationships grow. but to him, nothing occurs—nothing develops.
'i want to become closer with them..'
he admitted once that he always felt like he wore a mask whenever he was with other people, pretending to be happy, but that's because he was just so used to being alone. even though he seemed like he was just shy, that was never the real reason.
'what am i saying, i was always born an outcast..'
a girl stopped jungkook in his tracks while he walked the streets to go home. he looked up at the girl whose hands motioned him to stop where he was. he soon realized that the girl was eunhee, but he was shocked when he noticed she cut her hair.
she took her younger brother's arm and smiled, "let's go home, kook."
the gentle touch of her hands clinging onto his arms, and the warm smile that eunhee has given him was all he needed to reassure himself that he mattered to at least one person. her sweet scent reminded him of the flowers his mom would tend in their garden back in the days, and eunhee's personality comforted him enough that he felt like he didn't need to wear a mask.
his throat started to get dry on their way home, as his eyes accumulated tears. he tried his best to have his head down low enough so eunhee wouldn't grow suspicious or worried that he was crying. luckily, his bangs were long enough to block his eyes.
eunhee tried to make conversations with him here and there, but jungkook would reply very quick and brief to hide his dry throat.
the two of them finally got home, and after eunhee opened the door to their house, a group of six smiling boys surprised them from the inside saying, "happy birthday kookie!"
in an instant, jungkook's eyes streamed with tears—he couldn't hold it in anymore. he didn't care anymore, he wasn't strong enough anymore to hold the tears back, so instead he let it all out.
the other boys were worried and confused about their younger brother, "did we do something wrong?" hoseok asked, while holding the chocolate cake, with white candles and writing saying we love you! sincerely, your family ♡
namjoon made his way to reach his arms and hug jungkook into it, he pulled him away and asked if everything was okay.
he realized that whatever was bothering their little brother, they should ask him after his birthday since they didn't want to ruin his special day. so, namjoon and the others tried cheering jungkook up, and lead him inside their colorful and decorated house—filled with confetti, food, party banners, and lamb skewers (jungkook's favorite food).
that night, jungkook spent the entire night with his brothers, his sisters and his parents. they ate, laughed, and sang their hearts out when karaoke night started. their parents soon got exhausted and left their children alone to stay up for the rest of the night bonding.
it was during this time that namjoon brought the topic about jungkook, "why were you crying earlier?"
everyone sat down on the couch or on the floor around jungkook, and namjoon who sat on the floor and tuned into the conversation.
jungkook tried his best not to cry, but he can't help his emotions when he tries to talk.
"i was just..-doubting myself."
"d-do i really belong in this family?"
jungkook snuggled thought his tears and covered his face with his hands to muffle his sobbing. yoongi snickered, and hit jungkook on his head.
"are you dumb?" he laughed, and jungkook turned around him to see yoongi tearing up as well, "didn't you know that the majority of us here are adopted too?"
"we all come from different families, jungkook."
jimin stood up from his seat and hugged jungkook from the back and put his head on the crying boy's head, "but remember that we're all family no matter where we come from."
"even if you all came from different families, we are still one; never doubt that you don't belong with us." jin reassured jungkook by putting his hand on his shoulder and gave him a big brother hug after.
soon, everyone decided to join in and cry their hearts out together. hoseok tried to lighten the mood by starting up the karaoke again and singing poppy girl group songs, but while he danced happily he was singing with tears in his eyes.
that night, everyone learned the importance of family and how it didn't matter if they weren't born from the same blood line or who has been together longer with one another.
namjoon sang one last song before everyone decided to end the night.
little did they know that namjoon wasn't really singing any song in particular, but words of his own that went along with the rhythm.
"everyone's afraid of changes."
eunhee gripped her dress tighter as she heard him say those words. for most of her life, she had always been the same eunhee—reserved, strict, and independent. but ever since her brothers came into her life, she has changed into the girl who she's always wanted to be—crazy, loving, and beautiful. it was through the love from her brothers, they she learned to love herself. they have taught her so much since they've arrived at their house, and she was glad to always have them by her side.
"staying, moving on, staying, moving on."
they all lowered their heads as they remember their past. how most of them were never chosen or accepted into a family in any orphanage homes, or they'd keep switching from home to home.
"we're repeating the same things, again and again."
"i guess that's life, i'm afraid."
taehyung held eunhee's hand and brought her head to his shoulders.
"old or new, new or old—that isn't really important."
taehyung then took jimin's hand, whose other hand was already intertwined with jungkook. at this point, everyone was holding hands and enjoying their intimate moment together as a family; as one.
"what's important is, that we still breath and live in the same place.."
as namjoon breathed the last words to the song, he looked away from the screen, and turned to look at his new family and smile with tears in his eyes,
"so let's move on."
-
that song always gets me emotional
it makes me happy yet so sad just thinking about bangtan singing it during their last concert together
i am also sorry if i've made some of you cry, i probably should have put a warning to grab a couple of tissue boxes before reading—i thought this chapter would be necessary to understand the true bond and feelings within the characters before and how they are now progressing into the story
the next chapter will continue with the current situation though so stay tuned :)
now for some more questions / polls i'd like you guys to answer (since your opinions make a difference in my books) ☆彡 :
[1] what type of scenarios would you like to see more of?
(more fluff/comedy/day of interaction with a specific brother/a new love interest?/an interesting plot twist/etc.)
[2] where do you expect this story to go in terms of plot and character development?
[3] are you enjoying the book so far? is it fluffy or funny enough?
ɴᴇхᴛ ᴇᴘɪsᴏᴅᴇ ᴄᴏᴍɪɴɢ sᴏᴏɴ ... 40+ ᴠᴏᴛᴇs?