LITTLE ONES || NA JAEMIN

*CHAPTER 41

"Jisung, say AAAA," Renjun extended his arm, a spoon in hand, as he tried to feed his brother. He had a bright smile plastered on his face, and he bounced his head up and down, waiting for the next opportunity to get the spoon inside the toddler's mouth.

Jisung turned his head to the side, rejecting the incoming spoonful of the horrible breakfast. His eyes flickered with horror and disgust, the grotesque cubes of the green vegetables making him queasy.

"Hyuck, eat your food. Ji won't eat it unless you eat yours." Renjun sighed slowly. Exhaustion swirled through his veins, drowning the five-year-old in a feeling of an endless loop of tiredness.

Donghyuck sat beside Jisung in his high chair, poking at his food like it was a toxic potion made by a witch. His face contorted into one of distress, and he intently glared at the food as if challenging it for a duel.

"Ji, if you eat your food, I will give you a cookie." Renjun painted a smile on his face and extended his arms again, trying to feed the toddler his portion. "Okay?"

"Okay," Jisung smiled and bounced up and down in his high chair in sheer happiness. He moved his arms sideways as he bopped his head up and down, dancing to the beat of anticipation. He hurriedly gulped down the content, chewing occasionally. The food was awful, but the reward at the end was thrilling.

After completion of his terrible breakfast, Jisung raised his arms, asking for his cookie. He slightly tilted his head as his lips protruded into a small pout. "Cookie?"

Renjun smiled warmly at his innocent gesture and handed him a plate full of cookies. "Don't drop it, okay."

"Thank you."
Jisung did a little celebratory dance, the sight of the cookies making him happy. He cheerfully bounced up and down with the plate in hand. Hurriedly skipping towards the couch, he munched on his delicacy with a big smile plastered on his face.

But even before his mind could register, the plate slipped out of his hands, making a clattering sound as it hit the ground. The sound of glass breaking rented the air, the shards of the plate dismantled on the floor, coloring it white.

Renjun and Donghyuck jumped on their feet and scuttered towards the scene. Fear swirled through their veins, faces as white as chalk in terror at the sight of the broken glass pieces.

"Hyung," Jisung mumbled with his quivering lips. Tears pooled in his black orbs, and he slowly waddled towards his brothers, afraid of the consequence.

"It's okay. Hyung will take care of it. Don't cry." Renjun ran the pad of his thumb over Jisung's cheeks as his lips played a reassuring smile.

The sound of angry footsteps resonated through the house, followed by a harsh yell. Jinhee loudly stomped down the stairs, making the brothers tremble in fear.

"Who did this?" She yelled, knuckles white from clenching her fist too tight. Her face was red in anger, and she huffed loudly, shooting daggers through her wide-open eyes. "I asked you something."

Renjun, Donghyuck, and Jisung flinched at the sudden roar, eyes welling up with tears. Trepidation coursed through their bodies, and Donghyuk and Jisung stepped closer to Renjun, tightly clutching onto the fabric of his shirt.

Jinhee squinted her eyes as she scanned the three, looking for the culprit of the mess. The few crumbs of cookies on Jisung's shirt caught her attention, and she growled in anger, pointing her fingers towards the scared toddler.

"You! It was you! How dare you break my precious plate?" She unclenched her fist and raised her hand to hit the toddler- all blinded by rage.

Jisung raised his tiny hands over his face, desperately trying to shield himself from the fury. Tears streamed down his cheeks, and he wailed loudly, unable to contain his fright.

Donghyuck pulled Jisung closer and encircled his arms around his body protectively. "It was only a plate." He yelled, glaring at the woman. "You don't have to hurt Ji."

"You stupid morons. I guess I'll have to discipline you again." Jinhee seethed, gritting her teeth as she threateningly walked towards the brothers, all sanity lost.

"Please don't hurt them. It was my fault. I shouldn't have given Jisung the plate." Renjun jumped in front of Donghyuck and Jisung, shielding them from her wrath. "Please."

"If I don't punish them, who should I punish then?" Jinhee's lips upturned into a sinister smile as she eyed the three cowering children. She rubbed her palms together, her body flooding with adrenaline at the thought of hurting one of them.

"Me," Renjun whispered, casting his gaze downward. "Don't hurt them, please. You can hurt me instead."

"Fair enough," Jinhee laughed, taking one more step closer to the trio. Her hunched-over form exuded an ominous aura- black like a pit full of evil souls.

"Hyuck, take Jisung to the room and shut the door." Renjun smiled, patting his brother's shoulder. He ushered the two to leave the place, pushing them towards the stairs.

"Hyung," Donghyuck whispered, despair written all over his face. He held on to Renjun's hand, not wanting to leave his side.

"It's going to be fine. I promise." Renjun's face held a certain kind of serenity, as if immune to such cruelty.

But that wasn't close to how he felt. Extreme fear crawled underneath his skin, but he couldn't show it to his brothers so he switched it off, momentarily.

As soon as they left, his smile dropped, and terror replaced his twinkles. He gulped at the sight of Jinhee's sickening smile, terrified out of his mind. His fingers grazed back and forth over the newly healed scar in his arms, scraping it over and over again. 

No matter how much he tried to act fearless, appear mature, at the end of the day, he was only five.

Renjun felt his legs go wobbly as all blood drained from his face at the recollection of the previous "discipline sessions," leaving him completely pale.

But he had to do it. He couldn't let his brothers get hurt, face the orge's wrath. The memory of their scared faces sparked strength within him, letting him go on a little longer even if he himself was afraid.

Tears swelled in Renjun's eyes, and he pressed his quivering lips together to prevent any sound from coming out. He knew better than to make any noise because one whimper and Jinhee would skin his brothers alive.

Jinhee harshly pushed the boy to the ground, making him scrape his arms and knees. She crouched down, laughing loudly at his terrified form. Hurting the children gave her satisfaction, and quenched her thirst for dominance.

Her menacing eyes blazed red, and she raised her arms, aiming her fist towards the boy when someone held her by her hands and pinned her to the floor.

Not gonna lie. As I was writing the chapter, I wanted nothing but to kill this terrible excuse of a mother.