chapter three: fathom

"do you want to go with me to the store?" hyerin asked her younger brother as she hastily wore her jacket to protect her from the cold weather.

jaehyun's eyes lit up from her sister words and he immediately rushed to his room to grab his jacket.

"can i buy something?" he asked, looking up to his cousin with pleading eyes.

but i don't really have enough money right now, "of course you can, but just pick one okay?" with eyes lit up, jaehyun nodded eagerly.

-

"have you picked one already?" hyerin asked jaehyun, hands full with food enough to last for a week.

"i can't pick one, should i buy strawberry or cola?" jaehyun whined as he showed two lollipops to his cousin.

"you decide, jaehyunie." hyerin went closer to her cousin, reaching out a few bills, "here, if you have already decided, go and pay for it yeah? i'll just be at the other isle."

hyerin went to the other isles, trying to find more food to buy that could be enough for the rest of the money that was left.

"hyerin?" a voice suddenly came out of nowhere, saying her name, "it's me jimin." a guy stood in front of her.

"oh hey, such a coincidence we met again." hyerin smiled.

"do you need help with those?" jimin pointed out to the food hyerin was holding in her arms, hyerin shook her head.

"nah, i'm good." hyerin was about to say something when a little jaehyun came running to her.

"noona! can't i just buy two? i can't choose!" hyerin bent a bit to reach her cousin's height.

"i told you to just buy one, didn't i? can't we buy the other one next time?" hyerin faintly smiled while jaehyun pouted.

"but noona—" jaehyun protested but was cut off by hyerin.

"we agreed already, choose one." jaehyun nodded slowly before heading to the isle to put back the other lollipop, head bent down.

it wasn't that she didn't want him to buy two, she just thought it was nice for jaehyun to learn to be practical with money at a young age.

"your brother?" please be her brother, don't tell me she's married, jimin internally pleaded.

"my cousin actually, he's jaehyun." hyerin smiled.

jimin didn't know why he suddenly felt relieved to know he's just her cousin, "i thought he was your son." he mumbled.

"what did you say? i didn't quite catch that." hyerin asked but jimin just shook his head saying it was nothing.

"jiminie, let's pay and go home." jin appeared, hands both holding two basketful of foods, "oh you're with a girl." he smiled at hyerin.

"hello, i'm jin. and you are?" jin wanted to shake hands with her but his hands are just too full to let him do it.

"hyerin, nice to meet you." she smiled and looked at jimin.

"ah hyung, i met her here yesterday." jimin smiled and slightly pointed at hyerin.

"so that's why you're so excited to come here." jin whispered to jimin, making jimin slightly blush because of his hyung's words.

"noona, I've already paid for my lollipop." a pout was still evident in jaehyun's face but soon lightened up when he saw his noona.

"okay then, i'll just pay for this yeah?" hyerin smiled at the two boys before heading to the counter, jin and jimin trailing behind her.

she paid for the food and went to get her cousin who was amazed by the colorful candies in front of him, "c'mon jaehyunie, let's go." she held the hand of his brother and proceeded to say goodbye to the boys.

"we'll get going now, it was nice meeting the both of you." hyerin smiled and was about to go when jimin came catching up to her.

"hey, here. it's for your cousin, i thought maybe i could get it for him. he just looks really upset." jimin knelt down to reach jaehyun's height and reached out the lollipop.

jaehyun immediately went in for hug, "thank you, hyung." he smiled and jimin hugged him back, his heart internally dying from the kid's cuteness.

"no worries." jimin stood up from his kneeling position and met eyes with hyerin, "i'm sorry if i got it for him when you clearly said to just get one." jimin closed his eyes afraid that maybe hyerin got mad at him.

"jimin-ssi, its fine." hyerin smiled.

"jimin, let's go now. jungkook has been spamming me for his snack, that kid." jin came out of nowhere and smiled at hyerin, "we'll get going now." he bid his goodbye and bowed slightly.

hyerin bowed at the two as a common courtesy and went out of the store with a happy jaehyun in hand, "you look happy." she smiled as she looked at her younger cousin.

the boy just nodded happily and both made their way home, both with smiles on their faces but only with different reasons.

-

"i knew it was a girl!" jin shouted as they entered their dorm, jimin immediately putting a hand over the jin's mouth, jin then still tried to mumble but he gave the look to jimin that says 'i'm still older than you, kid.'

"what girl? there's a girl? someone's dating someone?" a confused hoseok sat at the couch, eyebrows furrowed with an unexplainable expression on his face.

"nothing, hyung." jimin shook his head while smiling suspiciously, he dragged jin to the kitchen, "hyung, please don't tell them, they'll just tease me about it." he pleaded quite desperately.

"but i thought you're just friends with her? don't tell me you actually like her?" jin's eyes widened at the sudden realization and turned to look at jimin, "i thought you just met her? yah! i didn't raise you to just fall in love with a girl you just met." jin continued to glare at jimin.

"it's not like that, you know them. they'll not stop annoying me with her, especially jungkook." jimin could just imagine the six others annoying the hell out of him with the information they got from the older member.

"arasseo," jin went back to arranging his food when he suddenly stopped and looked at jimin once again, "but, you have to update me with you and hyerin." jin shrugged and smiled a bit before diverting all of his attention to the foods and snacks.

"we just met-" jimin groaned, frustrated with just almost everything, "you know what, i'll just go to my room now." he forced out a smile and stormed his way to his room.

"jimin-hyung, do you mind letting me borrow," jungkook was cut of by jimin's slamming of his door harshly, "well, i'll take that as a no." jungkook said before going to yoongi to borrow headphones.