"Oh-Oh! Let me carry that-" Hongjoong grabbed the stack of plates from Yunho. "I'm happy that you want to help so eagerly but please don't break the plates... Papa will break me then" he added and placed the plates safely on the long table in their garden. They had carried out their dinning table, the table on their terrace and the folding table in their basement for the kids. It would be a little Tricky fitting everyone but it would work out. So they hoped.
"Joong!" Seonghwa yelled from the kitchen "Yonghwan wants to bring his girlfriend!"
"Huh?" Hongjoong came back to the kitchen where Seonghwa had his phone squeezed between ear and shoulder, his hands busy seasoning the beef. "Ah... Yes! Bring her! I want to finally meet her!" he cheered loud enough so his mentor could hear him through the phone.
"Oh it would be lovely to finally get to know her"
"She's just a little... Shy. Don't scare her off with all your questions, ah?"
"Of course not!" Seonghwa tipped his lips "who would do that to her...? It's cruel to get asked too many questions on a family gathering... I'm hurt that you think I would do that"
Hongjoong held back his laugh. "Be sure, she will be in good hands here!"
After laying off, Seonghwa rolled his eyes "Tsk, I would never do that.."
"Bomb her with questions like aunties on a wedding to check if she fits the family?" Hongjoong replied "Let me remind you of all the partners you have scared off-"
"Tsk, that was not my fault that she didn't know Yonghwan has a thing for cats" Seonghwa gave back and put the prepared beef in the refrigerator for later. "Do we have enough chairs? We should have some in the basement as spare..?"
"Yeah, I checked. Everything is prepared and fine"
"Ugh... I'm hungry. Can't we eat already?" Mingi came in whining and clinged to Hongjoong's leg. "I'm starving!"
"Just a little" Hongjoong grabbed an apple "Hm, what about something light?"
Mingi eyed the fruit. "there is chicken in the fridge-" he pouted and gave up. He wanted to start the barbecue already, he had been excited all week. "Uhg... When did Chan say they would come over?" he asked as he joined his brothers in the garden.
"Mhm... Around six?" Yunho replied and shrugged his shoulders.
"That's so long" the younger whined.
"Mingi, you can't even read the clock. 6pm is in twenty minutes..." Yeosang commented and shoved Wooyoung from his lap. "And you stop sitting in my lap! You're getting heavy"
Wooyoung pouted his lips upset. "Mhn! Then I will go to Sannie!" he said and marched over to the other twin, that was waiting with open arms already. "Sangie is mean to me again..."
"But I love you, ah! Let Yeosang be mean, we can cuddle too" San closed his short arms around his younger sibling and hugged him tight. San was the one who was always up to hugs and cuddles, while Yeosang rejected him when the others where around. The twins had their little fights but they were much closer to each other than to the others. And sometimes, Yeosang let San cuddle him.
"Me too! Me too!" Mingi let himself drop on the two siblings cuddling.
"See, Jongie?" Yeosang marked by and pointed to the three across of them. "This is how you can tell who's more like Dad and who more like Papa"
Yunho stood behind the Yeosang and Jongho while they judged Mingi, San and Wooyoung rolling around in the grass. "I want cuddles too!" he said and caged both of them in his arms, more of less willingly.
"No- Jongie don't like- no~"
"Yuyu you're crush me-!"
"Ahh... No♡"
~
One by one the house and garden started to fill until the guest was the last missing.
"Ah, here let me help you with that" Jeonghan said and grabbed one of the two bowls of salad. "You shouldn't have put so much work into it, this looks like you were standing in the kitchen for hours"
"Ah? No, no it's nothing! I had a lot of help, no worries" Seonghwa gave back and set the table.
As night would fall soon, Hongjoong put up some lights around the garden, with much help of his manager and team. Then, finally, the door rang.
"I'll get it!" Yunho yelled and ran inside. He knew it must be his uncle. When he opened the door, Yonghwan was standing in the frame. "Uncle!" the boy greeted the elder with a heartful hug, then noticed the woman behind him. Yunho got all shy, and tried to hide behind Yonghwan's legs.
"Ah, Yunho" Yonghwan chuckled and lifted the boy up. "This is Chaewon, she's my girlfriend, ah?"
Yunho looked at the woman a little closer. She was pretty, young and had a little basket with presents in her hands. "... Hey, Chaewon! I'm Yunho!" he then said and waved at her with his little hand.
Chaewon replied with a bright smile. "Nice to meet you, Yunho"
"Ah, Yunho, why do you take so lo-" Hongjoong reached the door and also noticed Yonghwan and his companion. "Ah, great that you're finally here!" he greeted and eyed the basket in her hands "Oh my, that wouldn't have been necessary!"
"Oh no, I felt like I crushed a family gathering here. So I brought at least something to add to it!" she replied and gave the basket over to Hongjoong.
From the corner of his eyes, he looked her up and down. He knew his mentor quite well by now, meaning he knew his 'type' also. Hongjoong had been allowed to only know her name and had seen three pictures of her, but he could already tell Yonghwan had changed his scheme.
As Hongjoong directed them into the house and back to the garden, Chaewon couldn't let go of her nervousness. "I feel like I shouldn't have come... I told you this was a bad idea" she whispered over to her boyfriend of nine months.
"Ah... It's fine, they are all loose and all, I wouldn't have invited you if it wasn't fine" Yonghwan replied and entered the full garden with Chaewon. "There are so many people here, you won't fall out at all. And at least, look Seungyoun is here too. We can sit next to him and jn the worst case you won't be alone. Not that I'm going to leave you alone anyway"
"Ah... If you say so"
-
Ahaha... Heeeyyy
Look it's yo local I am sick but I can't explain what's wrong but something wrong with my body for sure😗✌️✨
Meaning, I called in sick today and tomorrow's gonna be twice as hard as today would have been because I have an addictional period💀
So my slow ass found colored pictures of Seonghwa's cover of the story never ends and I am obsessed
Yk like
This is my emotional support kpop boi
Yet, there is also no man that has hurt me more I cannot-
Whoever did this, thanks, you've successfully killed another atiny😌✊
I'm dying quite often lately😗
Well anyway, I wanted to check in and thank every one of you. This book and you reading it gives me a type of comfort I need and I am so thankful for that. I can't put it in the right words, nor do I know if they even exist, but thank you. For being here, breathing.
I appreciate that you're here, and I always will. Thank you.
Please stay healthy and safe
-gulkurusubb