not what you think

vii: n-9

His compact hands stretch for the stout cookie jar in top shelf, far from his own height, to embezzle a smatter for him and his brother, and camp for the night to his shared cubicle, both wide awake in the arctic nocturne, hollow of any asteroid and the hovering spherical body.

"Joonki? Psst, mom is about to come out soon for her medicines, we need to hurry," Yeosang, an eighteen years old male whispers vociferously from across the joint kitchen and dining room, ushering the younger to hasten.

"I can't reach it!", the younger voices in desperation.

"Goodness, let me come and fetch," the older slinks his way to the younger.

He stows the jar on the counter with ease, gingerly handing two to the younger and tutelages a pair for himself.

"Let's go back to our room and eat?"

Joonki bobs his head in an enlivening way, "Hmm. Thank you hyungie, I owe you one."

"Brothers don't owe anything to each other. There's no pressure from me, Ki-ah. As your hyung, I will do this much."

Joonki allows a cheshire smile.

"Mhm, alright hyung!"

"Joonki, quiet, we can't wake up Jungmi up. She's going to bark everyone up," Yeosang regards the family golden retriever, being as compact inside the pen made of liaison for the tall, four legged animal.

Joonki stows a finger on his mouth.

"Oops. Sorry," Joonki asserts while beholding the artless scenery of his room, the door latched by the older.

"It's okay now, you can be as loud as you want, unless you hear mom walking outside your room," Yeosang permits while champing at the cookies.

"Okay hyung!" Joonki initiates champing on his own in mammoth amounts.

Both culminate the remnants of chocolate delight in soundlessness.

Amidst their caucus, they fail to cognize the petite figure standing at the rear, viewing them with charmed eyes than anguish any other parent would unleash at the sight.

Their mother relishes these stolen moments of the brothers. What keeps her heart permeated with warmth, even in teeth chattering cold in late December.

"Did you like them? I kept them for ten days, but there are two people who are impatient."

The both of them peers at each other through their artlessly herculean lashes, blood running cold at the pastel voice of their mother.

"It was hyung's idea! Not mine!" Joonki speaks in his defense.

Yeosang can only aid himself with a facepalm.

"The crumbs around your mouth tell me you two enjoyed it enough. Just tell me next time so I can bake more," their mother implies in a gleaming tune.

"You aren't angry at us?", the older asks in dubiety, completely incognizant of the endearment at the rear of their mother's tune.

"No, I'm not. Now come hug me before you two go to sleep. It's getting a bit cold in here," she feigns a mock icy cold rubbing of her hands.

Both the boys run to their sanctuary, to unfurl mellowness of theirs to their mother.

One both of them are heedful of their entire world, the world they can't fathom without her.

"There you go, my beautiful boys," their mother hugs them.

"Mom, I can't live if you're gonna crush me into a hug like this," Yeosang muffles into the hug.

"I'll leave you two to sleep," she squeezes them one last time before laxing.