small words || jeongcheol

33: preoccupied.

"Is she really leaving?" Seungkwan questioned, sitting down beside Jeonghan on the sofa later that week.

"Apparently," Jeonghan replied, playing with a lock of long hair. "Oh. I earned my weekend privileges."

"Lucky," the shorter muttered darkly, "Hansol still has to come here to see me."

Jeonghan shrugged. "I don't know what to do with the privilege, to be honest. There's not really anywhere I want to go..." Other than maybe that cafe Seungcheol had taken him to last weekend.

Or anywhere with Seungcheol, for that matter.

"Then they're wasted on you," Seungkwan sighed. He got up, brushing crumbs off his sweater from breakfast. "Josh wanted me to do dishes this morning. Wanna help?"

Jeonghan gave a snort. "No, thanks."

"Whatever," Seungkwan replied, flapping a hand and heading to the kitchen.

Chan had been playing quietly with his teddy, and enjoying the colouring books Sowon had given him, Josh having bought crayons to avoid mess. The boy was sixteen years old, but was very childlike, always clinging to that teddy bear. He also threw tantrums when he didn't get what he wanted.

"Hey, Chan," said Wonwoo, entering the room with a new stack of origami paper, Mingyu trailing behind him.

"Hi, hyung!" Chan replied, smiling at him. "Who is that?"

"This is Mingyu, my..." Wonwoo trailed off.

"Boyfriend," Mingyu said with a grin. "You must be new around here!"

Chan nodded, a small frown on his face as he decided whether or not he liked this 'Mingyu, Wonwoo's boyfriend' guy.

"Does noona like him?" Chan asked with a pout.

"I've been summoned," the dark haired girl remarked, entering the room, her black boots loud on the floor.

"Noona!"

"Yes, you big baby?" she replied, sitting down on the floor beside him.

"Do you like that guy?" Chan repeated, pointing a chubby finger.

Sowon looked over and raised an eyebrow. Mingyu looked confused, and Wonwoo gave Sowon a pleading look.

"He's nice, Channie, don't worry," she replied, throwing Wonwoo a sly look.

"Okay, then I like him," the younger boy said simply, going back to his colouring of a duck, the yellow crayon scribbling outside the lines.

"Good boy," said Sowon, ruffling his hair. "Mingyu usually comes every Thursday."

"To play with Wonwoo-hyung?"

Sowon smirked at the couple, who both looked equally embarrassed. Wonwoo tugged at Mingyu's wrist to get him to follow him outside into the garden.

"Yeah, to play," Sowon agreed. "Maybe later your Mingyu-hyung can read you a storybook? And if you like it, he can read you one every Thursday."

Chan's face lit up. "Really, hyung?"

Mingyu paused and looked back. "Uh, sure," he said, grinning, "If you want to."

"I'll tell you later when I want a story," Chan said decidedly. "Thank you, hyung! Have fun with Wonwoo-hyung."

"No problem, buddy," the tall boy said, coming over to ruffle Chan's hair playfully. "Have fun colouring."

Chan smiled and Mingyu went outside with Wonwoo.