[Neo Zone] Population: 23 Kids

Bonding Time

"Ji! Your Dad's here!" Jaehyun shouted down the stairs.

Chenle and Jisung shared an annoyed glance with each other before he got up. Chances were he was just popping into the cafe to say hi, but there was always the chance of him asking Jisung to come home or do something with him.

While Jisung understood why his Dad wanted to spend time with him, you know, being his Dad and all, that didn't mean he wanted to necessarily. It was fun the first few days when he had come back, but having to go home for dinner every night just to awkwardly sit there kind of ruined it.

He'd just grown up as the Suh's kid for too long. Not much was going to change that.

"If I'm not back in five minutes, come save me."

Chenle gave him a salute before Jisung went up the stairs and found his Dad talking with Mr. Suh over the counter. His Dad noticed as soon as Jisung appeared, smiling and motioning for him to come over.

"Hey, bud! What's up?"

"Not much."

His Dad nodded, almost as if he had forgotten he had been the one to ask for Jisung to come up. That happened sometimes.

"Oh, before you go, can you taste this?" Jaehyun handed Jisung a cup of something that smelled like it definitely had vanilla in it. Other than that he just knew it was liquid and it was hot.

"Isn't Jaemin your coffee taste tester?"

"It's French vanilla hot cocoa with cinnamon and ice cream instead of whipped cream. He won't drink it because it's not at least half caffeine."

Jisung chuckled before taking a sip to see if it was hot. When he discovered it was at the perfect drinking temperature (Jaehyun was always good at that), he took a bigger sip, immediately giving him a thumbs up.

"That's amazing."

"Well that's good because I've spent the past five hours getting it right. Now go have fun, kiddo." Jaehyun ruffled Jisung's hair, the younger tilting his head.

"Where am I going?"

"I thought we could hang out tonight. You know, Father son bonding time." Jisung's Dad spoke up.

Jaehyun gave him a discreet sympathetic smile, taking the mug back from Jisung when it was handed to him.

"I'll go tell Lele so he doesn't think I died."

Once Jisung was done gathering up what he would need for the night while slightly complaining to Chenle while also reassuring him he didn't need to be kidnapped, Jisung was ready to go. Not mentally, but he was physically ready to go.

Jisung's Dad was nice enough to take his bag for him, and the two of them awkwardly walked to the house. Well, it was awkward for Jisung. His Dad, however, had no problem recounting his day as an attempt to get closer to his son. You know, the one he left when he was five.

"So what would you like to do tonight? I can order a pizza, we could watch a movie, play a game, go do something. We could rent bikes and ride those around a park or something."

He was trying. Jisung had to give him that.

"I can't ride a bike."

"Then I'll teach you!" His Dad looked so excited Jisung almost let him. He was not in the mood to eat asphalt tonight, though, if his legs randomly decided to give out.

"No, I like can't ride a bike." He lifted up his pant leg to show just enough of one of his braces.

"Oh. I forgot. Sorry." Awkward silence then hit the room like a semi truck until his Dad's eyes lit up again. "We can still do something, though. What do you want to do?"

"I don't care."

"Well have you ate yet?"

Jisung had, but it had only been snacks. So if he mentioned it, he probably would be scolded for not properly eating a meal or something. Besides, if his Dad was going to try this hard to get closer, he might as well be nice.

"No."

Pizza was soon ordered and on its way, so now all that was left was to decided what to do. Though it was soon discovered there wasn't much to do around the house since the only games they actually had were from when Jisung was little. Besides, once you play a game with more people than you should, it's no fun to play it with just two.

So they just stood there and stared at each other until the pizza came, and then they turned on a movie to watch. Except Jisung's Dad for some reason couldn't remember Jisung was now eleven, so they watched one of the Mickey Mouse Club House movies.

It was going to take some serious forced time together for either of them to ever get close again.