LITTLE BY LITTLE ☆ SVT AGERE

1.0

hannie
myungho!!!! can you come to my place for food and drinks tomorrow night?
the whole crew is coming

hao
can't. working overnight.

hannie
it's always your job over yourself, myungho-yah
when are you going to come out with us?

hao
i can the night after, but tomorrow is booked
seungkwan and i have an agreement: no covering overnight shifts

hannie
that's no fun

hao
we're understaffed

hannie
and i'm lonely

hao
you're annoying is what you are
i think you forget the safety and wellbeing of like six people depends on me doing my job

hannie
it couldn't kill you to take a break

hao
if you want to make my job easier, why don't you work here?
come visit. see how you like being here.

hannie
bet

The lobby of Magnolia Home for Boys is quiet, but friendly.

There isn't a soul in sight, and the chairs lining the walls with magazine and children's books sitting on side tables make it look more like a doctor's office than a shelter. But the walls are friendly, painted with clouds and flowers in a style that is distinctly Minghao's.

The unoccupied front desk is bracketed by two doors. A silver bell sits on the counter along with a "ring for assistance" sign.

After a few incessant rings, Minghao appears from the left door, flattening his apron with his hands to appear more presentable. His eyes widen when he sees Jeonghan, but the quirk of his eyebrow says he isn't impressed with him showing up.

"You really came?"

Jeonghan shrugs. "I guess I'm curious."

This isn't a lie. He's wondered more than once what motivates Minghao to keep this job even though they overwork him. Jeonghan doesn't really know a lot about age regressors, either, not beyond Minghao's stories and the brief moments when he sees them in public.

What better way to understand them than to meet them? Minghao makes them out to be very cute, so Jeonghan doesn't see the problem with wanting to drop by and say hello.

That, and Jeonghan doesn't back down from personal dares.

"You're serious?" Minghao checks.

Jeonghan gasps, "Of course I am! I want to meet the little ones keeping you up at night."

Minghao lets out a ragged sigh. Jeonghan knows he won't refuse him. He has to fill out a form with his information, but within five minutes, he's trailing behind Minghao down the hall to meet "the kids."

They stop in front of a room with a frosted glass door that is not very soundproof. He can hear voices from behind it, some high pitched, one whining. The sign covered in crayon doodles says "Playroom 1." Before they enter, though, Minghao turns to Jeonghan and levels him with a hard stare.

"I tell everyone this. You are not in charge here. You're just a guest. Let them approach you and never touch them without asking first or having them initiate. Seungkwan or I will always be in the room. Understand?"

Jeonghan quickly nods. He understands how serious Minghao is based on his scary, protective aura. "Understood."

Minghao steps into the room first, excited little voices greeting him and asking him a million questions a minute.

"Where'd you go, hyung?"

"Is someone visiting?"

"Can you play with us now?"

And Minghao's voice cuts through the chatter when he announces, "Yes, someone has come to visit. Do you want to meet him?"

He's answered by a chorus of "yes," and it's then that he lets Jeonghan inside.

The room is certainly large enough to fit everyone and then some. The hard floor is covered with colorful rugs and cushions to sit on. The amount of pictures, drawings, and posters hanging up negate the fact that the wall is a neutral cream color. A basket of stuffed animals has been knocked over. A dozen clear plastic containers organized by toy fill one tall shelf, and another lower shelf overflows with books and art supplies. A TV hangs above it.

And when Jeonghan steps inside, seven pairs of eyes turn to him.

There are two groups of littles. The first is a group of three sitting with who Jeonghan recognizes to be Seungkwan, the younger caretaker supervising them play with a set of matchbox cars.

The second group is closer and clamoring for Jeonghan's attention. The loudest of them cries, "Hi! What's your name?" His hair is a dark brown; a cat stuffie is strangled by the fierce grip of his hands.

"Are you gonna play with us?" another adds before Jeonghan can answer. His hair is wavy and overgrown, a soft light brown.

"Wanna play!" the obviously youngest between them cries loudly.

Jeonghan coos, "Of course I'll play with you."

He settles down with them at a low table full of little animal figurines. They're playing with some kind of jungle set; there's a mat of the forest floor, a tree, and a waterfall that opens to reveal a cave.

It's harder than Jeonghan thought it would be to play with them. They've already begun an intricate and nonsensical plot line that's hard to follow from the middle. Still, he tries his best, playing his alligator character to the best of his ability.

Eventually, he learns their names: Jun, Joshua, and Seokmin.

Jun is a little... eccentric in his play. He slurs his words, too, to the point where Jeonghan just has to nod and pretend to understand what he says even when he doesn't.

Joshua, though, is an absolute darling. Everything about him is soft, from his doe eyes to his long hair to his voice. Unlike Jun, he takes extra care in pronouncing his words, a little slow in his effort to be understood. Jeonghan finds him endlessly endearing.

So is Seokmin, who tells him that he's three, which makes him a "big kid" like the others, obviously. The toddler is more inclined to play by himself, but Jeonghan's alligator toy still visits him to ask what he's up to. His amused giggle makes it worth it every time.

Jeonghan's attention attracts the others to their table. A boy who doesn't look fully Korean saddles up to them, asking if he can join their game.

"Of course, Vernonie!" Jun says as he hands the boy a goat figurine.

They keep playing until they get bored and decide to color. And then they color together, Seokmin unknowingly leaning against Jeonghan and Joshua nearly mirroring him on his other side.

Joshua colors carefully within the lines of his coloring page and Seokmin doodles random shapes and stick figures, giggling happily at whatever his imagination is telling him to draw. Jun is drawing yet another cat while Vernon— the newest member of their little group— experiments with ways to draw cars.

They enjoy it so much that they don't realize how much time has passed until Seokmin lays his head on Jeonghan's shoulder, eyes heavy with sleep.

Jeonghan looks up at the other littles— who he was disappointed didn't come join them— and finds them in a similar position. However, the bigger one is serving Seungkwan with a bitter glare, arm wrapped around the little one falling asleep against him.

They're cute and obviously overprotective of one another. Seungcheol would love them.

Apparently, it means it's nap time for the toddlers. While Minghao talks to the two further away from their table, Seungkwan hauls Seokmin up and onto his back.

Jeonghan watches them leave with a smile until Joshua paws at his arm for his attention again.