Party of Eight

Mean Hyung

                                  (Contains: Minho spanking Hyunjin.)

December 2021

Hyunjin laid in his bed that night feeling pretty shaken up.

Of course, he was fairly responsible in general, but he never felt like he was really responsible for anyone else in the same way that he did today.

Today he became protective. He didn't want Byron or Amelia to get hurt. He didn't want his brothers to get hurt.


Hyunjin's pov:

I wonder if this is how all grown ups feel. Or maybe this is a trait that runs in my family.
Appa was like this. Channie Hyung is like this. Minho Hyung is like this. Changbin Hyung is like this. Maybe I'm like this too. I just don't usually have to be.

I guess being protective isn't a bad thing, right?

But now I kinda feel bad, because I'm already 18 now, but Minho Hyung was only 14 or 15 when he had to become a "grown up".

I always thought he was mean too. But I guess he must've been really stressed out.  I wonder if Jeongin thinks I'M mean sometimes.

I can't imagine losing everything, and having to get up everyday and pretend to be fine.

Minho Hyung really did. He acted like everything was going to be fine. Even when Appa suddenly didn't come home.
We went to the government office. And Hyung talked to the workers. He was already like an adult.

And then next thing I remember, Hyung was packing some of our stuff, and we were selling everything else. A bunch of Eomma's friends from the neighborhood came. They brought us food sometimes, and helped pack stuff.

I guess the landlord must've taken our apartment because we couldn't pay for it.

I remember the social worker coming to our apartment a lot.

I remember them calling Hyung everyday.

I remember Hyung telling me about "Chan hyungnim," who lived in another country. And I remember Hyung saying we were getting sent there. I didn't have a choice. I wanted to stay and wait for Appa, I tried crying. I tried telling Hyung I wasn't going with him. That's when Hyung started being even more "mean" to me than he already was. I told him I was going to hate him forever. I feel bad about saying that now. He was just a kid too.


~~~Memory of October 2011~~~
AGES: MH 15 CB 11 HJ 8 JN 3

It was around 7 pm on a warm Sunday night in October.
Hyung was telling me I had to sleep now. But it was so early.
I told him I wasn't tired, but he said I had to go to sleep anyway, because we had to wake up early. Our apartment felt strange and empty.
Hyung spread a blanket on the floor in the living room and told me to lay down.
I don't like that he's always telling me what to do these days. He's a bad hyung.
Hyung picked me up and brought me to the corner. He told me to stand here until I'm tired enough to sleep. What a jerk. He's awful, and I'm not even big enough to fight back.

I wish Eomma was still here to make him stop being mean to me.
Every day I ask Changbin hyung if Appa is really not coming back, but he always says he doesn't know.

I hope Appa comes back.


It was the middle of the night.  I was sleeping on the blanket with Jeongin.
Hyung shook me awake.
He said we were leaving. He wouldn't tell me for how long, but I had a bad feeling about it.

"But Hyung, what if Appa comes back and we're gone?!" I asked.

"If he comes while we're gone, he'll call me. Don't worry."

"I'm not leaving without him!" I said determinedly. Even if my brothers were going to abandon Appa... I wasn't.

"We'll come back as soon as he does." Said Minho hyung.

There was a knock at our door.
Minho hyung ran to open it. The social worker came in. She said that a car was waiting for us downstairs.

Hyung rushed around gathering some bags.  Everything felt like it was in double speed. It felt so scary and everyone seemed so unsure.

I was still sitting on the blanket. I wasn't going to move. Minho hyung picked up Jeongin and brought him to the social worker. He was still sleeping as she carried him down to the car.

Then hyung came back to me and knelt down.

"It's time to go. Say goodbye to the house." He said.

"I'm not going anywhere with you! I hate you!" I said as tears filled my eyes.

Maybe if I cry, he won't take me from our home.

Hyung stood up. He reached out to grab me.
I jumped up and ran back.

Hyung followed me.

I ran into the bedroom that used to be ours and I hid in the closet. I'm staying here.

I heard his footsteps coming. They sounded angry.