Six Against One

~Chapter 5 (Part I)~

They all watched as Seong-hwa served himself and Jongho. Even after that they still didn't move their sore muscles reminding them not to test any limits.

Hongjoong just shook his head and nod letting them know it was fine to serve themselves now, which they all did quietly and didn't fight over anything. No one wanted to give Hongjoong an excuse for them to join Yunho in washing dishes.

For the first time in never Seong-hwa felt like they had a normal family dinner Hongjoong asked about his day and when he started talking about what he did some of the kids would interrupt and ask what a word meant or some would comment on thing he said which showed that they were actually listening to what he was saying. It warmed his heart and for once he felt like maybe just maybe his family could be the way he always imagined it to be...

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(Everything throughout the story that is bolded means it was signed to the person being spoken to)

*edited for the second time*

Hongjoong POV:

Last night Seong-hwa and I finally got to talk, and I found out a little bit more about him. About how much stress he has going on at work, along with the stress he has at home. He works anywhere between 8-15 hours, somedays having to deal with the fact he lost a patient. Then he come home having to dealing with his five children, who are rely solely on him. It isn't like the older ones do anything to help either, in fact from what Seong-hwa said they can add to the stress. They sneak out and often get into trouble, leaving the other's to their own mischief as well. This was, of course, after they got kicked out of school. So when he wasn't work, wasn't tracking down his sons, wasn't breaking up a fight, or wasn't cleaning up some mess, he was up looking for schools the boys hadn't been black-listed from. Which unless they moved out of South Korea there was none. So then came the search for a nanny/tutor...which went as horrible as he expected. Despite all of this Seong-hwa sat and talked longer about his love for his sons, and how unique each one of them were. He understood that losing each of their mothers for different reason had a big impacted on them. He didn't blame them for responding the way they did....but what he was upset about was that they lost their respect for him...they think despite what he does for them, that he doesn't love them. As a parent, who is trying to do their best for their children, it hurts when they seem to lose any respect they had for you or believe you don't love them. Then he expressed to me something that made my heart sink...something I feel that no hard working, single father, should ever feel. He felt like a failer, that San and Wooyoung's mom and his parents may have had the right idea. She was going to put them up for adoption, if it wasn't for the system wanting to keep the boys with their family he may have never known he had two more boys. Shortly after getting the two boy his parents came to him with adoption papers telling him they found a family who would love to adopt all five boys, and that if he wanted to keep growing in his career this would allow him to do so. They said the boys were holding him back and taking everything from him. He almost signed them but he couldn't. For him everything was and still is his boys...because of that and many more reasons he cut his parents off. I listened to him as he started to cry saying "Maybe if I sign those papers my boys would be happy...they would be cared for properly...they would feel loved....". Shortly after this Seong-hwa fell asleep, but I didn't...I stayed up all night thinking about what he said. I know it's not true, whether they show it or not I know those boys know how much Seong-hwa loves them...so why did they seem to hate him..There had to be more there and I, Hongjoong, am going to find out what. 

NEXT MORNING

I look over at the time to see it's 6:30 an hour before Seong-hwa needs to be at work, so I go to wake him up. I get out of my own bed and knock on his door before slowly entering. "Seong-hwa? Hyung?" I ask to see if he's awake. When I don't see him move I shake him gently...it doesn't work...all it did was move him over just enough for me to see another body in the bed, next to Seong-hwa. It was much smaller than him and upon closer inspection I finds it to be San. I don't know what else to do so I pick up a forgotten pillow, that was laying on the floor, and hit him with it. He groans before sitting up.

"What the fricky-frack do you want in the morning, Mingi?" Seong-hwa spoke with his eyes closed still "How many times to I have to tell you to not hit me with a pillow! It hurts! Do I come into your room every morning and wack you with-" In the middle of his sentence he finally opened his eyes "Shot! Sorry Hongjoong! I just assu-..."

I bust out laughing..maybe a little to loud seeing as San stirs a bit. "Sorry, hyung! I couldn't get you to wake up! I just wanted to make sure you weren't late. You're suppose to be at work in an hour."

Seong-hwa eyes widen "An hour?! Thank you so much Hongjoong!" he spoke as he got out of the bed only to be stopped by a San who rolled over and grabbed his father's arm pulling him back into the bed. "San, come on baby..I don't have time for this, this morning." He spoke softly stroking the boys hair, before moving it out of his face. "I have work..."

San let out a disappointed sigh before letting go. "You always have work..." He mumbled before turning back over and grabbed a small dog plushie cuddling it instead.

Seong-hwa stood there for a moment with that same sad look in his eyes from last night...the one that pulled on my heart strings, making me want to tell him everything was alright...that no matter how it seemed the kids, I'm sure, loved him and would one day understood the importance of his work and the sacrifice he's making. 

"I'll go start breakfast." I told him before going downstairs to find Yeongsan walking in the front door. My arms cross over my chest...just last night Seong-hwa was talking about how they snuck out but I didn't think they would test their limits with me so soon. "We'll talk later...straight to that kitchen, your going to learn how to make breakfast." I didn't want to stress Seong-hwa out right before he went into work so I decided to wait, but after last night seems like I need to sit down with all of them, separately.