He watched the car's headlights get farther and farther away until they disappeared from his sight. He wanted to cry, but he had to remain strong just a little longer. He looked down at his four year old brother, who grasped his hand tightly, silently sniffling as he watched their baby brother disappear from sight, and gave a small smile.
"Come on," he said softly.
They entered a hotel that, despite the late hour, was still fairly busy with people coming and going that no one took notice of the two small boys as they crossed the lobby to the elevators. A short ride later, the bell dinged and the doors slid open to the fifth floor.
The older boy led the younger down the hall to room 520. He looked at the younger one more time with a smile before knocking on the door. A woman of middle years opened the door, a gentle smile on her face as she ushered them in. A man rose from his seat upon the bed and stood beside the woman.
The boy looked to his brother with a smile before addressing the adults in the room, "Ms. Lee, Mr. Park, this is my brother Jimin."
"Hello sweetheart, your hyung has told us so many wonderful things about you." The woman's smile was gentle and kind, her voice soft and sweet.
The older boy lowered his eyes back to his brother, "Jimin, this is Ms. Lee and Mr. Park, your new eomma and appa."
Jimin's eyes widened and teared up as he stepped back, shaking his head, "N-no, I stay with hyung," he clung to the older, eyes shining with tears and voice hitched, "Please don't leave me hyung."
The couple watched with sad eyes as the older boy fought not to cry as his little brother begged him to let him stay by his side, before taking a deep breath and putting a false happy smile on his face, "I'm not leaving you silly," he laughed lightly as he wiped his brothers tears away.
"You're not?"
"Of course not, we're just playing hide and seek."
"Hide and seek?"
"Uh-huh, you, me, and baby Kookie. Kookie's new eomma and appa took him to hide, and now it's your turn. You will go with your new eomma and appa and hide, I will seek. We will play til your eighteenth birthday. If I find you before then, I win and you have to give me your dessert for a whole year," the older said, dragging out the word whole and opening his arms wide, "but if you win, I'll buy you your favorite chocolate."
Jimin looked at his brother with such love and trust, that it hurt the older boy's heart to lie. "You promise you'll find us?" He held his little pinky out.
The older boy smiled as he linked his pinky with his brothers, "I promise."
Jimin looked back at the couple in the room before turning to his brother again, who gave him an encouraging smile. He slowly approached the couple and took the hand of his new mother.
His brother covered his eyes with his hands and began to count.
"1, 2, 3, 4, 5..."
Jimin looked at his "mother", who smiled down at him, putting her finger to her lips before she led him to the door of the room.
Jimin stopped by his brother's side, hugging him tightly one more time, "Remember, you promised," he whispered, before taking the woman's hand again and walking out the door.
The boy felt his brother hug him, heard the whispered words, and heard the closing of the door, but he didn't stop counting. If he did he'd cry, and he couldn't, not yet...
"30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35..."
Jimin entered the elevator, wiping at his eyes as the doors slid closed.
40...
41...
42...
43...
44...
45...
The bell dinged and the elevator doors slipped open to the bottom floor.
50...
51...
52...
53...
54...
55...
The couple led their new son across the lobby and out the hotel doors.
60...
61...
62...
63...
64...
65...
The new parents settled their son into the backseat, Ms. Lee squeezed the boy's hand, "I know it's hard to leave your hyung behind, but if you let us, we'd like to be good parents to you."
Jimin wiped his eyes and nodded.
80...
81...
82...
83...
84...
85...
She hugged him comfortingly, "You will see him again, honey."
91...
92...
93...
94...
95...
96...
97...
Jimin looked up at the hotel with sad eyes as his new family drove off into the night.
"98...99...100..." In a fifth floor hotel room, a young boy fell to his knees and finally cried.
