LITTLE ONES || NA JAEMIN

*CHAPTER 30

Amidst the sizzle and frizzle of the slices of bacon and the ting of the toaster, the clatter of utensils echoed through the silent kitchen as Jaemin hurriedly prepared breakfast.

Grease splatters decorated the granite counter while unrinsed dishes from last night laid untouched in the sink. Coffee-stained mugs and crumpled towels sat plopped on one corner of the slab, and the other corner held the raw vegetables for the dishes.

Upon the chopping board were offcut coriander leaves, bright green on faded brown. The kitchen knife rested idly atop, waiting to be assigned its work for the morning.

"Daddy!" The soft whisper of the little one seized his attention, and Jaemin turned his head to look at the muzzy child.

Donghyuck stood inertly by the kitchen door, vigorously rubbing his eyes to wipe off the remainders of sleep. He tottered up to the elder and hugged his leg. "Good Morning."

"Good Morning, Hyuck." He smiled, glancing at the kid before continuing on with his work. With a spatula in hand, he tossed more slices of bacon into the pan, his hunched-over form hiding most of the stove.

Donghyuck glanced around, his eyes moving left and right, searching for his number one person. Unable to find her, he fixed his gaze at the elder. "Daddy, where is mommy?"

"A-Ahhh, U-Ummm..." Jaemin stuttered, his mind rummaging for any excuse to provide the inquiring boy.

"She went to University." The words blurted out. A breathy chuckle escaped his lips, and he bopped his head up and down, pleased with his excuse. "Y-Yeah, she went there."

"When will she be back?" Donghyuck probed, his doe eyes curiously locked at Jaemin.

"Umm, soon." He tittered, averting his attention back to the food he was preparing. He ushered the kid to go wake his brothers up to distract his mind from Jia, and the latter obliged.

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Darkness came in the blink of an eye, and soon it was night. Jaemin spent the day attending to the kids and their numerous questions regarding the female's whereabouts. The infinite number of questions that came in an endless loop was giving him a headache. But what else could he do other than give lame excuses?

The happy giggles and loud chattering of the kids livened up the gloomy living room. Jaemin sat slumped on the floor, watching as the kids played amongst themselves.

Below the blue, yellow, and pink blankets sat the master builders of the tiny castle, playing pretend. The blanket fort was their kingdom where they made their own rules and determined the rights and the wrongs. The dragon-slaying, the princess rescuing, the exaggerated dramas, the kingdom saving- imaginations shaped the moments.

Renjun and Donghyuck swung their swords at the imaginary villain while Jisung sat inside the blanket castle, waiting to be rescued. And Jaemin laughed at their over-exaggerated antics and cheesy lines.

The little role-playing game came to an end, and the three hugged gleefully, happy at their reunion.

"Daddy," Donghyuck toddled up to Jaemin and tugged on his shirt sleeves. "When is mommy coming back?"

"Mommy?" Jisung smiled at the mention of his mother. He hurriedly dropped his toys on the floor and tottered up to Jaemin with his quizzical eyes.

"Soon," Jaemin muttered, averting his attention towards the running tv. He stole small glances at the little ones, praying that they would stop questioning Jia's whereabouts.

"Soon when?" Renjun inquired, joining the three. His curious orbs raked the male, looking for answers. "You have been saying that since morning."

"And she hasn't come home yet," Donghyuck added, "When is she coming back? Hyuck misses her so much."

Sweat glistened his gaunt features as he rummaged through his brain for more excuses once again. Jia was gone. She wasn't coming back because he had chased her away. How was he going to explain that to the kids?

"Soon. Mommy will be back soon." Jaemin tried to clear the situation with the kids, but they wouldn't listen. Donghyuck and Renjun thrashed around the room, throwing a fit. They wanted their mother.

Jaemin gritted his teeth as anger bubbled in his guts. He was overly stressed, and their tantrums weren't helping one bit. Face red, he tried to swallow the fury but failed. The anger seeped through his veins and finally erupted through his mouth like magma.

"Shut up," Jaemin raised his voice, his patience running low with each fit. He furiously eyed the twins, the anger engulfing him in a fierce flame. "She's gone. And she's not coming back."

"Your mommy is not coming back." He phrased out each word painfully slowly, ending their endless questions at once. All the rage came out like a volcano, destroying everything in its way. "Because she has abandoned you. And if you won't stop with your stupid questions right now, I'll leave you too."

Renjun and Donghyuck winched at his harsh words. Beads of fat tears rolled out of their eyes as they hugged each other in horror. Screaming sobs resounded through the room when the two broke out into a fit of shrill cry.

Jisung flinched at Jaemin's loud voice. His harsh words and angry yells sent a quiver down his spine, and he trembled in fear. A lone tear traced down his cheeks as he took a few steps back, hiding behind his brothers. The flood gates opened, and tears burst forth like a waterfall, trickling down his face.

Tears streamed down their cheeks as they faced away, screaming at the top of their lungs. Their shoulders shook with each sob, chest rising and falling as they gasped for air. Blood-curdling screams escaped their lips as they bawled their eyes out.

Their hysterical cries pierced through Jaemin's soul, the sheer force of their grief moving his angry heart. He wanted to cradle them in his arms, to calm them down. But he simply watched in sorrow as their loud, piercing screams resonated through the room.