small words || jeongcheol

36: got it?

Chan was crying.

"Aw, baby," Sowon said quietly, hugging him gently, "I'll come and visit loads, okay?"

"B-but, noona," Chan sniffled, "you're my favourite."

Sowon sighed, her tough image already having been shattered by how Chan would cling to her and ask her to colour with him. She would miss the kid a lot, and knew she would struggle to keep her promise once she left.

"Channie, you still have your Mingyu hyung and Wonwoo hyung," she told him, ruffling his hair, "You'll be having too much fun to miss me."

Chan wore a big pout, tears running down his face as he hugged his teddy. He didn't want his noona to leave, in the short time he had been at the house, he had become reliant on her and liked her more than even Josh or Mingyu.

"Don't cry, baby," she cooed, wiping his tears with her sleeve. "I'll be back to visit before you know it."

"Promise?" he sniffed.

"Promise," she replied, holding out her pinkie. Chan linked his chubby pinkie with hers, sealing the promise.

There was a knock at the door.

"Go and play with Wonwoo, okay?" said sowon, taking Chan's hand and leading him over to the dark-haired boy who stood in the living room doorway. The rest of the housemates were gathered in the hallway to see Sowon off. Josh's eyes were red but he said nothing.

"That'll be your uncle," said Seungcheol, moving from his spot on the stairs beside Jeonghan to answer the door. A tall man in a paint-splattered sweatshirt and jeans entered, his warm eyes finding Sowon and giving a grin.

"Uncle Chanyeol," she said, smiling and going to hug him.

"Hey, Wonnie," he said, hugging her and ruffling her hair. "Have you got everything?"

"Yeah, it's all in here," she replied, patting a battered suitcase.

"I'll put it in the car," Chanyeol offered, "Minseok is waiting for us at home."

"I can't wait to see him," she said with a nod.

"I'll let you finish saying goodbye," her uncle said, offering a brief smile to Seungcheol and Josh before he went outside.

Chan was clinging to Wonwoo's side, silently watching the interaction his favourite noona was having with the strange man.

"Noona, who is that?" he asked, his lower lip threatening to tremble again.

"That's my uncle," she explained, bending to re-tie the laces on her black doc martens. "He's really nice, don't worry, Channie. I'm going to live with him from now on. Remember me telling you that?" She went to him, crouching a little so she could meet his eye level.

Chan nodded. "You have to visit," he said.

"I will, I promised," she told him, cupping his cheek for a moment before straightening up. "Well, it's been an eventful eight months with you losers."

"Hey," Josh protested weakly.

"I'll miss you and your weirdness, Yuju. I hope you get a good roommate, or they'll have to answer to me," she said simply, the younger girl smiling shyly. "I could go on... you're a bunch of crackheads, to be honest."

"Sowon," Seungcheol said, though he smiled.

"I'll be back, sooner than you want, hopefully," she said with a shrug, straightening her black leather jacket. She slowly walked up to Josh, who blinked like a deer in the headlights as she stopped just inches in front of him. "I made your life hell, Josh," she remarked.