Responsibility | Jihancheol FF | Seventeen FF

30

The warm glow of the living room lights spills out onto them,  It’s late, but no one’s in a rush to call it a night. Empty ice cream tubs are scattered across the ground, and everyone’s got spoons in hand, scraping out the last bits of sweetness.

“Look, Daddy! I’m a snowman!” Seungkwan’s daughter, Haeun, shouts, laughing as she smears a bit of chocolate ice cream on her nose. The sight of her tiny face covered in chocolate brings a round of chuckles from the adults.

“More like a *choco-man*!” Seungkwan quips, grinning from ear to ear at his own joke. Joshua and Mingyu look at each other, shaking their heads with exaggerated disappointment.

“Ah, seriously? That’s what you’re going with?” Joshua says, giving Seungkwan a playful nudge. He turns to his son Jeongin, who’s still munching away. “See, buddy? This is why you’ve got to be careful with Dad jokes.”

Jeongin’s eyes widen, taking his dad’s words very seriously. “Daddy, can I be a choco-man too?”

“Of course you can!” Joshua replies, ruffling his son’s hair affectionately. “But you’ll have to eat a lot more chocolate ice cream first.”

Mingyu, holding  ice cream , perks up as if he’s just had a brilliant idea. “Hey, want to hear a joke?” he asks, mischief in his eyes.

“No,” Seungkwan and Joshua say in unison, but Mingyu’s already plowing ahead.

“What did the ice cream say to the unhappy topping?” Mingyu pauses dramatically, waiting for someone to bite.

Seokmin leans forward, clearly into it. “What did it say?”

Mingyu beams and delivers his punchline with gusto. “It said… *‘You’re nuts, but you make life sweeter!’*”

There’s a brief silence, and then the kids burst into giggles, probably more from the adults’ reaction than from actually understanding the joke. Seungkwan and Joshua share a look of disbelief.

“Hyung, that was so bad, it’s almost good,” Seungkwan mutters, shaking his head.

“Almost,” Joshua agrees, smirking. “Barely, though.”

“Please, I’ll have you know I’m the king of lame jokes,” Mingyu says, looking ridiculously proud.

“Then I must be the emperor,” Seungkwan retorts, leaning back in wall“Because my jokes are legendary.”

“Oh, really?” seokmin pipes up, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “Then you should sing the ‘Banana Song!’”

Seungkwan’s smile falters a bit, and he glances around at his friends. “Oh no, not the Banana Song…”

“Banana Song?” Jeongin echoes, curiosity piqued. “What’s the Banana Song?”

Before Seungkwan can protest, Joshua’s already egging him on. “Yes, yes, what is this Banana Song? I must know.”

“Yeah, Uncle Seungkwan!” Jeongin’s eyes are huge and hopeful now. Haeun’s joining in too, and soon both kids are chanting, “Banana Song, Banana Song!”

With a sigh of dramatic defeat, Seungkwan stands up, clearing his throat like he’s about to perform at a concert. “Fine, fine! Just don’t blame me if it’s stuck in your head forever.”

He launches into a hilariously goofy song about bananas dancing around and diving into ice cream bowls. His exaggerated movements and pitch changes have the kids in stitches, and even the adults are clutching their sides from laughing so hard.

Joshua’s practically doubled over. “Stop, stop! My stomach hurts!”

“Who knew Seungkwan was destined to be a kids’ entertainer?” Mingyu wheezes, wiping tears from his eyes.

“See, I told you my jokes are top-notch,” Seungkwan says proudly, dropping back into his seat.

Haeun’s still giggling as she looks up at her dad. “Daddy, funny.”

“Of course, I am, sweetie,” Seungkwan says, beaming at her. “But don’t let Uncle Seokmin or Uncle Mingyu hear you say that. They might get jealous.”

Seokmin rolls his eyes. “Yeah, right. You wish.”

A comfortable silence settles over them, the night’s cool breeze carrying the sound of cicadas chirping softly. Jeongin yawns, leaning into Joshua’s side, and Haeun snuggles up against Seungkwan, her eyelids drooping.

“Alright, I guess it’s almost time to wrap up,” Seokmin says softly, glancing at the sleepy kids. “But I still can’t believe we’re eating ice cream this late and not regretting it.”

“Who’s regretting anything?” Mingyu chimes in, his smile widening. “Remember, calories don’t count when you’re having a good time with family and friends.”

“Is that how it works?” Joshua asks, a skeptical eyebrow raised.He has family but this much happy over dinner table! He never remember feeling.

“Of course!” Seokmin insists, trying to keep a straight face. “Late-night snacks have their own set of rules.”

“Sounds like a Seokmin rule,” Seungkwan says, grinning.

Seokmin shrugs, looking thoughtful. “Hey, but want to know a rule that’s actually worth following?”

“What’s that?” Joshua asks, his tone quieter now.

Seokmin glances around, his gaze softening as he takes in his friends and their kids, all gathered around in this perfect little bubble of happiness. “Cherish nights like these. Because there’s no better way to spend your time.”

A wave of calm washes over the group as they let the words settle. The last few bites of ice cream are savored, not because they’re hungry, but because no one wants the moment to end just yet. Finally, with sleepy smiles and full hearts, they begin packing up, already looking forward to the next time they’ll share a night like this together.

“Same time next week?” Mingyu asks casually as they stand up.

“Definitely,” Seungkwan replies. “But next time, I’m bringing more chocolate.”

“And I’ll work on some new jokes,” Mingyu adds with a cheeky grin.

“Please don’t,” Joshua groans, but the warmth in his voice is undeniable.

They all laugh one last time before heading there home back, Joshua closing the door on a night he’ll remember long after the ice cream is gone.

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Always Enjoy the happiness till it lasts..