FAMILY | on hold

nine✔

"Taeyoung-ah?" Seokjin calls out from the bedroom.

"Yes, appa?" Taeyoung responds, his mouth filled with butter chicken.

"[Kor] Can you please come here?"

Taeyoung carries his chopsticks and the takeaway container of saffron rice and butter chicken to the bedroom. Seokjin's folding the clothes but he stops for a while to sit down and speak to Taeyoung. He pats the spot beside him and Taeyoung sits down.

"What did you want to talk about, appa?" Taeyoung asks, and continues eating.

"[Kor] Did you say that Mr Kim is handsome and that he smells good?" Seokjin asks.

Taeyoung freezes for a split second but continues eating. His brothers must have said something.

"[Kor] Taeyoungie, appa asked you a question," Seokjin says.

"Did Jaemin hyung and Eunho hyung tell you?" Taeyoung mumbles, annoyed.

"No. Mr Kim did."

Taeyoung's eyes widen in horror. "Mr Kim understands Korean?!"

"[Kor] I don't know?" Seokjin says, confused.

Taeyoung suddenly gets up and runs to the living room, leaving his food on the bed. "Yah! Mr Kim understands Korean!" he shouts to his brothers.

"So?" Jaemin says.

"What do you mean 'so'?! He understood what I said about him!"

"How do you know? He didn't even say anything," Eunho says.

"HE TOLD APPA WHAT I SAID!" Taeyoung screams.

Jaemin and Eunho look at each other and burst out laughing.

"Now he knows I have a crush on him," Taeyoung whines.

Seokjin gently smacks Taeyoung on the back of the head. "[Kor] Yah! Don't say such things! He's your principal!"

"But he's so handsome, appa! Have you seen his face?! He's the most handsome man I have ever seen!" Taeyoung gushes about his principal with the most evident heart eyes.

Seokjin pouts playfully. "I thought I'm the handsomest man you've ever seen."

"You're the third handsomest man," Taeyoung says.

"Who's number two?" Seokjin asks curiously.

Taeyoung grins. "Me."

"Excuse me! I gave you that handsome face!"

Taeyoung giggles and nuzzles up to his dad. "You're the most beautiful person, appa," he murmurs.

Seokjin smiles the broadest smile and holds his baby close. "I know, because you and your brothers make me feel like the most beautiful person in the world," he says, stroking Taeyoung's hair.

"Appa, you're so cute," Eunho coos. He gets up and pinches his dad's cheeks which, sadly, only Taeyoung was lucky enough to inherit.

"Yah! Stop that! I'm a grown man!" Seokjin whines, his ears reddening and face heating up.

Jaemin grins and joins in on babying his dad. Seokjin's standing there with a pout as his boys squish his cheeks, play with his hair, and poke his tummy. This happens every once in a while so he's used to it. And even though he acts annoyed, he absolutely loves it.

"Wait," Eunho suddenly says, withdrawing his hand as a realisation pops in his head. "Appa, did you say that Mr Kim told you about Taeyoung calling him handsome?"