Chapter Text
“So what are you going to buy?”
Yunmin shrugs, “I don’t know.”
“I saw a book about Mountains! I think I will get that one!”
He tilts his head to the side, “Mountains?”
”Yeah! Like my Daddy’s name, you see? I really think he will like reading it with me!”
Humming small, Yunmin nods his head. He supposes that does make sense. Now that the subject of their families has been brought up:
Hajoon asks, “is Minnie feeling better yet?”
”No,” a light frown, “he’s all icky still.”
”Oh, that’s not good.”
“Daddy and Papa have to take turns sleeping on his bedroom floor.”
”That doesn’t sound comfy.”
Yunmin shrugs, “they don’t complain, so-”
Hajoon hums. “Well I’m going to get my book now, I will see you here?”
The slightly older nods. Hajoon smiles at him. They watch each other for a moment, not quite ready to drop their gazes, and then Hajoon spins on his heel and rushes to the other side of the school hall.
Yunmin sighs quietly, watching him go and already missing him even if they’ve only been apart merely seconds. He turns around too, and once again takes in the many shelves of books surrounding him.
It’s all a bit overwhelming, just how much stuff there is to buy. Books, posters, bookmarks, and there is a station to design your own cartoon character. He and Hajoon have already done that alongside fellow pack pups Aera and Aiden.
He doesn’t know where his Uncle Jongho and Uncle Yeosang’s twins are now, though, they disappeared a while ago.
Yunmin doesn’t know what to buy. He has everything he needs at home so he did not ask his parents for money, but they gave him some anyway. Maybe he can buy them something as a thank you? There are lots of books about music here, or maybe-
His kind, hazel eyes light up as an idea swiftly enters his mind. He could buy something for Minho to cheer him up! His brother has been poorly for a few days now and he shows no sign of getting better any time soon, so maybe a new book or something like that will help him to start getting better?
Yunmin misses playing with Minho a lot, and he also misses seeing his older brother smiling. Minho is sad at the moment, like all the time. Yunmin would love to be the reason he smiles, especially since Minho is always making him smile.
There are a lot of things his brother likes, and as he thinks about them, the loud, excited chattering of his classmates fades into muffled quiet.
What does Minho like? A messily written list appears within his mind. He closes his eyes and focuses on it.
Things Minho Likes:
- dinosaurs
- cars (and that sport about fast cars)
- superhero’s (mostly spider-man)
- princesses & princes (sleeping beauty and moana are his favourites)
- football
- puppies
- crackers
Yunmin giggles, he doubts there will be a book about crackers here.
- balloons
There probably won’t be a book about those, either.
- music
- arts and craft
- frogs (for some reason)
- chicken nuggets
He shakes his head, trying to fight the urge to really want chicken nuggets right now- it doesn’t work.
Just as he’s about to go over the list one more time…
A loud, ”BOO!”
His eyes fly open as his heart races behind his chest. He barely has time to register who scared him before he starts to cry.
”Oh, no,” Hajoon frowns deeply, abandoning his book to the cold floor in favour of cuddling his best friend close, “don’t be sad!”
Yunmin holds on to Hajoon, recognising him as safe even through the betrayal. Hajoon knows already he gets scared very easily! Why would he be so mean to him?
”I’m so sorry, Yunnie,” the mini version of Wooyoung holds him even closer, “I didn’t mean to scare you so bad!”
Sobbing quietly, Yunmin buries his face into his fated mates neck- not that they know just how important their bond is at the moment. To them, their marks of fate are simply just matching tattoos.
“Yunnie,” the younger whines, feeling his own tears form, “I’m so sorry!”
Yunmin sniffles softly, his heart slowly calming to its standard beating level.
”I love you, Yunnie. Didn’t mean to make you sad.”
A whisper, “I don’t l-like being sc-scared.”
”I know,” Hajoon feels his own face dampen, “that wasn’t good of me to scare you.”
”N-no,” Yunmin shakes his head while he pulls back, “not one bit.”
Hajoon cradles Yunmin’s face, “I’m so sorry.”
Another sniffle, “it’s okay-”
”No,” Hajoon shakes his head, “I was bad.”
”Not bad,” Yunmin tells him, “just loud too quickly.”
Guilt is eating him alive. “I’m so sorry.”
”Just please d-don’t do it again?”
”I won’t,” Hajoon then kisses the centre of Yunmin’s forehead, “promise.”
Yunmin hums, Hajoon uses his thumbs to wipe away his tears. He sees his Daddy and Papa do it for each other all the time! The action brings Yunmin a lot of comfort, all of the remaining tension in his shoulders disappears.
A feminine voice, “is everything okay?”
”Yeah,” Hajoon nods, “I scared Yunnie but I said sorry.”
”Okay,” Mrs. Hwang slowly crouches down to their height, “Yunmin, sweetheart, are you alright?”
A short nod.
”You’re certain?”
”Y-yeah, Hajoon told me sorry.”
“And you have forgiven him?”
Another short nod.
”Do you need another hug?”
Yunmin nods and falls into her arms with ease. She squeezes him tightly, and then opens her other arm for a still-teary Hajoon to join in. He does.
”You’re such good boys,” she praises, “figuring it out all on your own. That’s very good, well done.”
When the two of them started school, their marks of fate became a main topic of conversation within the staff room.
Fated pairings get rarer as each decade passes, and that’s mostly because they’re only ever born into the same pack. Also, some people still hunt them down to run many tests on them- some cruel people wish to learn exactly how fated mates come to be and all of them don’t care what happens to the pairs in the process.
It’s death, usually, for one if not both.
Once their hug is complete, Mrs. Hwang asks, “have you two picked your books yet?”
Hajoon nods while he turns to retrieve his book from the floor. He proudly shows it off, “this one!”
”Ah,” her eyes sparkle, “Mountains?”
”Like my Daddy’s name. Daddy is San, remember?”
”I remember,” she smiles, and then looks at Yunmin, “what about you, Yun?”
”I’m getting something for Minnie.”
”Oh? Your brother?”
”Yeah,” Yunmin nods.
”He’s still poorly?”
Because at the start of the week, Yunmin had to be gently guided into his classroom by both Mrs. Hwang and Yunho as he didn’t want to leave Minho behind.
A nod of confirmation.
”Oh, honey, I’m so sorry.”
He shrugs.
”How about I leave you two to get your books? And then you can come to find me when you’re done? We can go to the corner and maybe make something for Minho?”
”Okay, Mrs. Hwang,” Hajoon nods as he slots his left hand into Yunmin’s right one.
”You two will look after each other, yes? I think some more children will be in here soon.”
”We will,” Hajoon states firmly, “we always look after each other.”
Yunmin smiles small in agreement.
Mrs. Hwang’s heart warms. She wishes nothing but the best for these two. “Good.”
She leaves them be after that, sending them both a last warm smile before she tends to the others in her class. Hajoon looks over at Yunmin:
”Are you sure you forgive me?”
”I do,” Yunmin nods, “and I love you too.”
Hajoon smiles, “I love you more, though.”
Yunmin shakes his head, “not possible.”
”It is!”
”Isn’t!”
”It is!”
”Isn’t!”
”It is!”
Yunmin giggles, “maybe we just love each other the same?”
”Loads and loads?”
”Loads and loads!”
Hajoon grins. “So what are we getting for Minnie?”
The both of them are feeling a lot of things, most of which their five-year-old minds cannot properly comprehend.
”Can you come with me to look?”
”Of course!”
Before Yunmin can even think of thanking him:
Hajoon drags Yunmin over to the books. “There are animal ones here.”
But that doesn’t feel right. “No.”
”Okay,” Hajoon guides him quickly to the next shelf, “this one has Princess and Princes. Like us, yeah?”
As of their sleepover a few weeks ago, Hajoon is a Prince and Yunmin is his declared Princess, which he is more than fine with.
But still, these books don’t feel right either.
Somehow, Hajoon knows exactly how the other boy is feeling without even needing to be told. He guides him to the next area, which is a station full of many different types of posters.
That’s when Yunmin sees it hidden away in the back, and he smiles. He points at it, “this.”
”What is it?”
”Spider-Man,” he says, “Minnie has been looking at posters for his bedroom door! He can have that one, it will be perfect!”
Hajoon has been in Minho’s bedroom plenty of times, and so he’s inclined to agree. “Okay,” he nods, “let’s go ask!”
Yunmin is the one to pull Hajoon up to the lady who is selling the posters. Hajoon is so very proud of his confidence, Yunmin doesn’t usually have much of it due to bad bullying at the start of the school year.
It had gone on for months before Yunmin had finally worked up the courage to tell his parents the proper reason as to why he didn’t want to go to his school anymore. They’d been heartbroken, and he’d heard them both crying in the middle of the night.
While Yunmin was telling them of all the cruel things three particular pups would say to him when nobody else was around, and all the mean things they’d do to him too, well they kept it together the best they could- but the moment Yunho had shut their room’s door over after the boys were tucked into the same bed, Mingi burst into tears and, wrapping the Omega in his arms, Yunho did too.
Their main question was why? Why would someone, three pups, hurt Yunmin? Their sweet Yunmin who gives all the ants in their garden names and creates little leaf umbrellas for them whenever it rains. Their baby, who wouldn’t ever even think to hurt anyone else let alone act on it.
Minho had tightened his hold on his little brother, the two of them sharing the older’s bed, promising that it wasn’t his fault they were sad. The next morning, Yunmin didn’t go to school and Mingi explained over the phone to Wooyoung the reason why. Wooyoung told San, and Hajoon overheard.
To say he wasn’t pleased was an understatement. He walked into their classroom that day with a mission, a mission to defend Yunmin.
What did Hajoon do to defend him? Well he bit the mean three pups and got suspended from school for two weeks. He had got told off for biting, but deep down he still believes it was worth it. He didn’t like that someone hurt his Yunmin, and he was going to make sure people knew that.
One of the mean pups no longer attends the school, the other two have been moved to a different class. That was good news! The two pups moved into their class had been Aera and Aiden.
”Excuse me, Miss,” Yunmin begins, catching the girls attention and she is a lot younger than what they’d thought she was, “can I ask you something please?”
The girl looks at their joined hands, then back up at their faces. “Of course.”
”Can I buy from you?”
”You can,” she nods, “that’s literally why I’m here.”
Most pups are too young to properly understand her playfulness, she forgets that sometimes.
”Oh,” Yunmin isn’t sure he likes her tone, “um-”
Hajoon decides to help him, “my friend and his big brother really like Spider-Man.”
She nods.
”His big brother is poorly,” Hajoon explains, “so he-”
”I want to get him something to help him feel better! He makes me happy all the time so I want to make him happy too. Can I- can I please get your Spider-Man poster? The one in the back?”
She is silent for a few seconds, and then she grins, “you’re adorable.”
”Oh,” Yunmin blinks, feeling his face get a bit warm, “thank you. I look like my Papa.”
”I know you do,” she says, and then she stands up and disappears.
Hajoon and Yunmin look at each other, well and truly puzzled by the comment. She comes back with the Spider-Man poster in her hands.
”This one?”
His eyes shine, and he nods at her. Daddy and Papa gave him enough money to get one of everything, it was very kind of them! He is not going to use it all, though, he doesn’t want to.
“That’ll be 7,000 won, please.”
Yunmin gets go of Hajoon’s hand in order to get the little wallet from the pocket of his school trousers. He opens it and then frowns.
“Need some help?”
He nods, placing the wallet on to the table. She rolls the poster up and places it down too.
”This is 1,000 won, yes?”
Yunmin nods, because he knows that to be true.
”And this,” she shows him another note, “is a 5,000 won.”
”I need another 1,000!”
She nods, “good job, kid!”
Yunmin smiles, Hajoon feels his heart warm.
“How about you take a look in here and find 1,000 all on your own?”
”Okay!”
Yunmin takes his wallet with an appreciative bow of his head and digs through the notes, and coins, to find another 1,000. He hands it over.
”Well done!”
”Thanks, Miss!”
She places the money into the pocket of the dark red apron she’s wearing. She then seals the poster in a layer of protective wrapping.
”Here you go,” she says, and adds, “you’ve got great manners, by the way. It seems to be not often pups of your Youth have them.”
The way she said Youth was a little strange. Yunmin takes his poster, uncertain. “Thanks?”
Hajoon interrupts, “I have a Mountain book!”
She looks at him, “you like Mountains?”
”I do!”
While they talk, Yunmin zones out a bit and catches a glimpse of the bracelet the girl is wearing- more specifically, the keyring.
”Hey,” he smiles, pointing at it, “it’s my Papa!”
She flushes red, “uh-”
A giggle, ”that’s BByongMING!”
”It is,” she nods, “my Mama made them when she was younger.”
”Your Mama like Ateez?”
”Yeah! She even went to a concert!”
”That’s so cool! Was my Papa her favourite?”
”He was, yes.”
Coming to his parents’ defence, Hajoon asks, ”why not San or Wooyoung?”
”Oh, she loved them too!”
”Are you sure?”
”I’m sure,” she nods with a fond smile, “she made bracelets for all of them.”
”Even for Uncle Joong?”
”Yes.”
”And Uncle Sangie?”
”Of course.”
Hajoon hums, “okay.”
Yunmin asks, “have you seen Aera and Aiden?”
”I have,” she nods eagerly, “they’re very polite pups, just like the two of you!”
Hajoon tells her, “thank you for saying that! All our pack pups are nice!”
She quickly pulls the conversation back around, “did you two want to look at any other posters?”
Yunmin shakes his head, ”no, Miss.”
”Oh, my name is Byeol.”
Hajoon grins, “like the stars!”
”Exactly like the stars!”
Yunmin smiles, “how old are you?”
She doesn’t mind the question. “Eighteen.”
”Wow! That’s a teenager!”
”It is,” she nods, “I finish school soon.”
”What you doing after?”
”Music, hopefully.”
Two energetic, “good luck!”
She chuckles, “thank you, that’s so kind.”
Yunmin put his wallet away after doing it up. He puts his poster in his other hand and holds Hajoon’s with his now free right one again.
”Byeol, do you listen to Ateez?”
”I do.”
”Which song is your favourite?”
”Um,” she considers, “I like Eternal Sunshine.”
Hajoon nods, “that’s a good choice.”
”I also like Sagittarius.”
”Oh? Which one is that?”
She chuckles while Yunmin looks at him with a fond smile.
Hajoon looks between them, confused, “what?”
”It’s Uncle Wooyoungie’s song,” Yunmin explains to him.
The youngest of the three blushes, remembering the song he’s listened to plenty of times, “I’m so silly!”
She giggles as she spots approaching students from the corner of her eye. “Well it was lovely to meet you both.”
Hajoon’s voice, ”you too! I do hope we can listen to your music one day!”
Yunmin adds, ”I hope that too.”
”You’re very sweet,” her heart is beyond full, “thank you.”
With that, the two boys wave with their joined hands before leaving her to tend to other children. The new class is in the hall now, it is time they go find Mrs. Hwang.
But first-
“I still feel bad about scaring you.”
”I know.”
Hajoon asks, “how’d you know?”
”Because I just do.”
”Okay.”
Neither speak for a moment.
“I’m really sorry.”
Yunmin squeezes his hand, “it’s alright.”
”It’s not-”
”It is,” Yunmin nods, “you said that you’re sorry and promised you would not do it again. I believe that promise.”
Hajoon doesn’t take his gaze off the wooden floor, “I know you do.”
It’s the older’s turn to ask, “how do you know?”
A shrug, “because I just do.”
Hajoon turns to look at Yunmin at the same time the other turns to look at him. They smile at each other. Both feel a slight burning sensation on their upper arm, right where their matching marks of fate lie, but neither mention it.
Yunmin turns away first, Hajoon’s gaze lingers for a moment.
”Yunnie,” he begins, “do you ever wonder why no other pups have matching tattoos?”
The older boy shrugs.
”I think it’s weird.”
”Oh-”
”Not that we have them,” he clarifies very quickly, “but that nobody else does. It’s cool, but weird too.”
Yunmin doesn’t say anything.
Hajoon hums. “I like having a tattoo with you.”
Yunmin smiles small, the honest words making his heart sing. “I like having a tattoo with you too.”
The two fall into a comfortable quiet until a group of students barge right into Hajoon’s shoulder as they pass by. Yunmin frowns deeply at them, seemingly more upset than the actual pup who got accidentally hit.
Hajoon tells him that it’s okay, basically dragging his taller friend towards their teacher. Yunmin still stares at the group of pups, feeling suddenly protective of Hajoon, until:
”Did you two get everything you wanted to?”
”Yeah! I just got my Mountain book.”
”And Yunmin?”
The boy turns his head to look at her. He nods.
”Okay,” she smiles sweetly at them, “Miss. Cheng is in the classroom, would you like to go back and see her? Or shall we make our craft for Minho? We have our free time this afternoon, remember? Just before home time.”
Hajoon suggests, ”we can do it then?”
”Is that alright with you, Yunmin?”
”Yeah,” Yunmin says, “we just can’t forget.”
”We won’t,” Hajoon promises him.
Mrs. Hwang smiles, “I’ll be back in ten minutes, can the two of you tell Miss. Cheng for me? Please?”
They both nod.
”And what did you end up buying for Minho?”
Yunmin grins, moving his left hand, the one holding the poster, forward, “Spider-Man!”
”Ah, amazing! He’ll love that, I’m sure.”
“Yeah! He can put it on the door in his bedroom.”
“A wonderful plan indeed,” she claps both her hands together, “now walk on back to class, okay? Straight from here back to the classroom, no stops along the way.”
”Well what if I need to use the bathroom?”
She raises her eyebrows, “do you need to use it?”
Hajoon giggles as he shakes his head, “no.”
Mrs. Hwang smiles, huffing playfully as she places her hands on to her hips.
Hajoon giggles, “you’re so silly!”
A gasp, ”silly? Me?”
”Yeah!”
The two laugh together, and Yunmin smiles at them both. Mrs. Hwang really is the best teacher in the whole school! Miss. Cheng, their teaching assistant, is very lucky to be learning from her too.
Hajoon asks, ”we see you soon?”
”You will,” the teacher confirms.
A new voice, ”can we walk with you?”
Hajoon and Yunmin turn to see Aera and Aiden. Aera who has her hair pulled back into the most beautiful braids with bows that match their uniform colour at the end of them, and Aiden whose hair is not at all out of place.
Hajoon finds it very impressive, how tidy the twins seem to stay throughout the day. His hair is messy by the car journey there, his uniform is stained with juice, pen, or paint, or something barely an hour into each day.
”Of course,” Yunmin tells them.
Aera and Aiden look like Uncle Yeosang. Aiden has a birthmark around his left eye. They think it’s really cool, but he has been teased by a bigger pup about it before.
Their teacher bids them a farewell, and four of the youngest pack pups wander towards their classroom together. Hajoon lets go of Yunmin’s hand in favour of slotting his arm through Aiden’s one. Yunmin tries not to let it bother him, but it doesn’t work.
So he looks away from the two of them, turning his gaze downward so that he can look at the rolled up poster in his small hand. He smiles at it.
He can’t wait to give it to Minho! He really hopes he will be able to make his big brother feel better, even if it’s only just for a little while. He’s missed Minho’s happiness so much, and so he desperately hopes to see and hear it again when he shows him what he brought.
When all four pups get back to the classroom, Miss. Cheng puts the poster in the storage cupboard for safe keeping. They write a note together to ensure they don’t forget that it’s there.
Not that Yunmin would forget- he spends the rest of the day watching the ticking clock in anticipation for the moment he can finally be reunited with his older brother.
Little does he know, Minho lies awake all day with an aching chest and head, keenly awaiting their reunion as well.