The Wolf and the Beauty

TWATB #15

Kim Hyunjoo threw his head back as he closed the book in front of him with a long frustrated sigh. Who invented studying? He pondered with a groan. "Hyun?" he heard his mother call out, "Come have some snacks and continue studying."

With a happy smile, the ten-year-old got to his feet, "Coming, mom." As he walked out his room, the boy failed to watch the floor. Before he could comprehend, he slipped and fell on his arse. Hearing the loud thud, a pair of doe eyes looked up in surprise. 

Hyunjoo heard the pitter-patter of feet on the hardwood floor and moved his hand to see what caused him to fall. Marbles. A chuckle left his lips when his little brother stared at him, "Hyungie."

The elder sat up rubbing his back and handed the marble to his brother, "What did I tell you, little monkey?" The boy held his bottom lip between his teeth, "Not to leave it on the floor," he shyly answered looking at the floor.

The elder nodded patting his head, "Someone could slip and fall down and that might really be dangerous, okay?" The little boy nodded, "Hoonie is sorry, Hyungie." The boy nodded before taking his hand and going down to have their snacks. 

But once they went into the kitchen, he felt his brother run behind him and peek from behind. "Did you fall down again because of that little brat?" he heard their father's stern deep voice and gulped tightening the hold on his little brother's hand as if assuring him. 

"No, father."

"Are you lying to your father, Kim Hyunjoo?" the eldest of the two boys shook his head, "I tripped over my feet and fell down. That was it, father." The man put down his glass of beer, "Kim Jihoon." 

The little boy shivered in fear. "Kim Jihoon!" came the voice again and this time more distinct and louder. The five-year-old stood beside his brother desperately clutching the fabric of the elder's sweatpants. 

"Did your brother fall because of you?" Hyunjoo wanted to send his brother away since he knew the little boy could never lie and always ended up stuttering when he tried to. The man got up and the little boy widened his eyes. 

He knew why their father hated his little brother. He was an illegitimate child. The younger's father was their next door neighbour who his mother was involved with when her husband was away for enlistment. Nonetheless, the ten-year-old loved his little sibling unconditionally.

"Answer me!"

The poor little boy nodded opening his small fist to show the small marble in his hand. The man snatched it away from him before flinging it out the window. He turned to the little boy, "Play with those one more time and I'll chop off your hand!"

Hyunjoo felt his feet getting wet and saw the wet patch forming on his brother's pants. The little boy was trembling in fear as he stared at his father with wide doe welling with unshed tears. Their father hated seeing boys cry more than anything and thus he held it in. 

The man turned to his wife and grabbed her hair, "I need to talk to you, whore!" Jihoon and Hyunjoo watched as the man pulled their mother into the bedroom. Jihoon began wailing and the elder grabbed a rag before cleaning up the floor and led the little boy to his room to help him change into new clothes.

The eyes... the dimple... the ears...

Junmyeon woke up with tears down his cheeks. Yiixing sensing movements beside him sat up and looked at his boyfriend, "Everything okay? Bad dream?" The detective shook his head, "It was the dream I needed so bad, Xing."

"Then close your eyes," he made him lay down and pulled up the blanket, "and dream longer, okay?" Junmyeon chuckled turning to Yixing and burying his face in his boyfriend's arm before slowly slipping off to dreamland.