The sound of something hitting the hardwood floor made him jerk awake, his body already on high alert as he sat up straight in bed. Still blinking away sleep, Kang looked around the dark room, trying to find the source of the sound. He needed to see if it should be something to be concerned about.
Yet, he didn't see anything that explained the sound that woke him up. Though now that he thought about it, he didn't see the blankets either or the pillows the kid usually used on his side of the bed. Or Squirt.
Considering the fact that it was almost three in the morning, along with the fact that his kid wouldn't have done something like this, Kang had a good idea of what caused the noise.
Finally connecting the dots, Kang crawled to the other side of the bed, residual body heat under his palms and knees. "You okay?" his voice was rough with sleep. Peaking over the edge of the bed, he could see the rough outline of the kid on the floor.
The room was too dark for him to make out details, but Kang could hear that the kid was still panting for breath, his breath slightly shaky. "I'm fine. "Yet, somehow he still had the audacity to say that, as if it was normal for someone to tumble out of their bed because of a nightmare. Even his attempt to sound unfazed failed, which only emphasized how the teenager was feeling.
Kang almost huffed to himself. One of these days, he was finally going to get through the kid's thick head that admitting one's feelings was not a sign of weakness. If anything, it was a sign of strength, because emotions was something that was truly hard to express and Kang did not want his kid to follow the trend of men holding in their emotions. (Though it is something he needs to work on if he wants to lead by example but that was something for another time)
But, he knew the kid well enough to know that any persistence would just make Squirt dig in his heels. So, as much as Kang wanted to ask him if he was fine and try to comfort him, he was going to have to settle for extending a hand toward him. "Come on." His voice was gentle, "Let's try and get some more sleep." It was still early enough for them to get a few more hours of sleep before they had to wake up for the day.
Squirt took his hand, the teenager's hand being clammy and cold, and pulled himself up back into the bed. "Sorry." The kid still sounded exhausted and considering the fact that he had a nightmare severe enough to make him tumble out of bed, Kang didn't blame him.
The soldier hummed, helping fix the blanket. "It's okay." And it really was. Kang would rather the kid wake him up than struggle with his nightmares by himself. That was the whole point of them sleeping in the same room.
The silence that followed showed that the kid didn't believe him, but it was way too late to try and convince the kid. Kang was going to have to prove it through his actions and they were going to have far more weight than simple words.
But again, it was far too late for him to be thinking of such things, so with a simple exchange of goodnights, they were ready to go back to sleep.
Well, at least Kang was.
Based on the tossing and turning, it was obvious that Squirt was not going to go to sleep anytime soon, not after the nightmare he had. After about the third time in two minutes his kid tried to get comfortable, Kang sighed. How was either one of them supposed to get sleep when he kept on moving like that?
"Squirt?"
He stopped moving. "Yes?"
Well, he didn't want to verge into this territory. It was too early, and the last thing he wanted to do was to make the kid too uncomfortable to sleep. But he just had to ask.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Somehow, that single question was enough to make the air tense. Because it was so quiet in the room, Kang could hear the moment when the kid sucked in a breath and held it, as if he needed to prepare himself for something.
There was something tight in his voice, "I'm fine." Even though the kid didn't say it out loud, his tone alone was enough to portray the 'leave me alone' that threatened to follow. Again, Kang found himself pursing his lips at the way Squirt insisted that he was okay.
Still, he persisted. "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure, "Squirt repeated, but just as Kang thought it was the end of the conversation, his kid sighed. "I just can't sleep." Well, it was probably because he's only been trying for about five minutes or less, but Kang wasn't going to point that out.
Although, if the kid wasn't going to let him help with whatever was going on in his head, he was at least going to help the kid sleep.
"Think about all the dishes that use egg as an ingredient."
"Sir?" He could hear the confusion in the kid's voice and it was a weird request. Kang knew that it was. But he also knew that if he told the kid to start counting sheep, he knew that the kid wouldn't get the saying at all and really would start counting imaginary sheep instead of listing something menial to help him fall asleep.
"Just do it. "
"Okay…food made with eggs?" The tone in Squirt's voice let Kang know that the teen found his request to be exceedingly weird, but that was fair.
"Food made with eggs." Kang parroted back.
Squirt made another confused noise, but at last, ceded to his request. "Omelets. Cake." Okay, he didn't mean for the kid to list them out loud, but whatever. As long as it took his mind off whatever made him wake up like that.
"Custard?" Kang hummed in confirmation. "Custard. Pancakes…" Not that he was surprised, but it didn't take long before squirt was coming to the end of his list. His lack of experience in civilian life was showing at the moment.
"Crepes." Kang helpfully supplied when Squirt couldn't think of anything else.
Slowly but surely, his kid listed everything he could think of that had eggs, Kang giving the occasional answer to keep him on track. The pauses between answers got longer, the teenager's voice gradually lowering until he was mumbling out his words. "Eggs…" Kang almost snorted at the breathy mutter. It was a dish that he had yet to list, but it was kinda funny how he took a while to remember the simplest one.
When the silence had extended to five minutes, he looked over his shoulder, his eyes straining to see in the dark room. Like usual, Squirt was sleeping on his side, his back towards him with the blanket bundled up around his waist. Squirt was gently snoring, his breathing nice and slow as he slept. Carefully, Kang pulled the blanket up to his shoulder, squirts lack of reaction only further proof that his little trick had worked.
Smiling to himself, Kang got comfortable.
Nothing like counting sheep.
He had barely closed his bedroom door behind him when he heard the tired voice. "Alright." Blearily, Kang looked over to Han-jae, who was standing a few feet away in his pajamas with a mug in hand. For some odd reason, despite the fact that it was seven in the morning, Han-jae looked disturbed, "What the fuck is up with you sharing a bed with Kid?"
Kang sighed, it was way too early for this shit. All he wanted was a few minutes to wake up dammit. And they've already been doing this for a few days, how did his brother take so long to notice?
"The kid has nightmares. It helps if he's not alone." He explained, yawning into his hand. Back on base, the kid probably had a nightmare maybe once every two weeks. His nightmares weren't sparse but they also weren't happening every other day. Well, not until they had traveled back to Korea that is.
They had only been there for about five days already, and not counting last night, Kang had already woken up to Squirt having a nightmare twice. Both times, it was a nightmare severe enough that Kang had to wake him up and help him calm down before they could go back to sleep.
Sure, it was weird to say out loud that he was sharing a bed with a 16-year-old, but it was something that was necessary. It was either that or letting the kid deal with his nightmares by himself, which was something that was completely unnecessary. Not to mention, it was something that Kang wouldn't be able to overlook. Kang had his fair share of nightmares after his military career, and he was going to help if he had anything to say about it. There was no reason the kid had to suffer by himself when Kang was more than willing to help the young man.
Han-jae almost looked relieved and Kang had to admit that his brother's reaction annoyed him more than it should have, "Oh, so you're not being a fucking weirdo after all."
Mercilessly, Kang punched his brother, not feeling even a little bit sorry when that resulted in Han-jae bending over in pain, spilling some of his coffee in the process. "No. Geez thanks for having some faith in me you asshole." The blatant lack of trust Han-jae had in him pissed him off.
"Don't mention it." Han-jae wheezed out, internally cursing his brother at the way he didn't show any remorse. "Fucker."
Ignoring the researchers muttering, Kang went on to the kitchen to pour himself a cup of coffee, completely ignoring the way Han-jae was waiting to refill his cup as he emptied the pot.
Oh well, that's what he gets.
Han-jae heaved out a sigh when he saw the empty pot. "Going for a run?"
Kang let the glare roll off him. "Nah. The kid had a hard time sleeping again." Granted, they were only awake for half an hour after Squirt had his nightmare, but that was still enough to throw anyone off. The kid could sleep in for once, and besides, "I want to go and get him new clothes and shoes before the stores get busy." Most of the stores opened up at ten, so they still had some time to have breakfast and relax for a little bit before they left. The mall shouldn't be too busy on a Thursday morning, so if they were lucky, they should be on their way before lunchtime. The faster they got the shopping done, the faster they could come home and relax.
Setting his cup onto the table, Kang indulged in a particularly satisfying stretch that almost made his leg cramp up before he sat down. Han-jae slid into the seat next to him, a concerned look on his face. "You sure that's a good idea? The kid had a mid-life crisis about the room, and that was pretty much for free."
That would have been a good point if Kang hadn't already thought of a way to get around that. "Already thought of that. I'll just tell him I got a fund from the government for taking him in. What he doesn't know won't hurt him." It would probably mess with the kid more if he found out that he was paying for his new clothes and shoes out of his pocket so really, this was the better solution.
Besides, it was part of his duty of being an uncle for Han-jae to help out with his kid.
Han-jae raised his eyebrow, "You do realize that all he has to do is look it up to find out that you were lying right?"
Kang almost snorted at that. Clearly, Han-jae was overestimating the kid's proficiency with technology, as well as common sense. "Kid barely knows how to use a computer. Pretty sure he won't find out." Even though he and the others had sat Squirt down at a computer a few times to teach him how to type and how to efficiently use it, he still wasn't that good at it, nor was he good at remembering that he could get almost any question answered, all he had to do was look it up. Squirt had common sense for combat, he did not have common sense for the normal stuff.
Still, Han-jae did not look comfortable with the white lie. Dismissing the topic, he shrugged his shoulders. "If you say so. "
Well, even if he didn't have his brother's approval, he was going to do it either way. It wasn't a detail that the kid needed to know, at the end of the day, he was going to get new clothes and that was that. Especially since Han-jae was going to pitch in and take some of the financial strain off him; if the kid had a problem with Kang spending money on him, he definitely was going to have a problem with Han-jae doing the same.
Surprisingly, Han-jae agreed with little argument, and after he sent some money Kangs way, they fell into silence. The two of them simply enjoyed their coffee and the peace and quiet of the morning. Kang loved the little moments of peace when he didn't have to go anywhere and could take all the time he needed.
Jesus.
He sounds like his father.
He snorted, and when Han-jae gave him a questioning look, he explained. "I just realized I'm becoming like Dad. Remember how annoyed he used to get when we were too loud in the mornings?"
"Haha. Yeah." Han-jae chuckled into his mug, bobbing his head side to side as he did so, "It wasn't until I got older that I realized how nice it is to have a quiet morning."
"God. We're so old."
"Hey." Han-jae whacked his arm against him, much to Kang's amusement, "You're the ones whose older, you're the old one,"
"You're only two years younger than me."
"You're the one who sounds like a goddamn glow stick every morning." Kang laughed at that. He really did sound like a glowstick every morning, especially when he popped his back, most of the time other people could hear his spine popping and it always messed with people. People like Han-jae, who did not like the sound of joints popping.
Grinning, Kang put down his cup and twisted in his seat to grab onto the back of his chair; at the same time, Han-jae groaned in exasperation as a sequence of pops came from Kangs back.
"I hate it when you do that."
"I know." Kang said happily. That was the exact reason why he did it, he had to spice up his life somehow, and if it was at the expense of his brother, he could live with that.
Switching gears, Han-jae started a new topic. "You know. I thought you were being dumb when you said that Kid wouldn't want to go to a therapist." Slowly, Han-jae swirled the coffee around in his cup contemplatively, "But you're right. Even though he needs one, there's no way in hell he would agree to it. Forget actually talking to them and letting them help him. "
Kang heaved out a sigh. That was an understatement. "He won't even talk to me. We lived together for a year and a half, and he's never talked to anyone." It was concerning how Squirt never let anyone in, but it's not like he could force it out of the kid. "It's the way he grew up. The people who trained him taught him that missions were more important than his emotions. Some of the other trainees would attack him if they thought they could get away with it."
Han-jae nodded his head understandingly, "And all that did was teach him that it wasn't safe to be vulnerable."
"Yeah. I mean, it wasn't safe. "The kid hadn't told him much about his life when he worked for iron, everything he knew was from snippets of information Squirt had let out during conversations but that was more than enough to know that it wasn't safe in the slightest. "But now he's too used to pretending that he's fine, even though he's been safe with me for almost two years already. He got a concussion one time, and the next day, he tried to convince me that he was fine even though he couldn't walk more than a few feet without getting dizzy. My medic had to threaten to sedate him to keep him in bed." Dae-hyun had truly been a lifesaver that day because save for manhandling the kid, none of them were able to keep him in bed.
His brother cringed at that, his face scrunching up in a grimace. "Well if there's anything you should admire, it's his determination."
"He's too stubborn." Kang quickly followed up, sending a look toward Han-jae to let him know that he was not happy about that comment of his. "You only say that because you don't know how hard it is to get him to change his mind."
"You ever consider that maybe you're not as persuasive as you think you are." When Han-jae saw the unamused look that Kang gave him, he raised his hands up in defense. "Ok look. Maybe it's that thing where you're too close to him. Where it's easier to admit something to a stranger than someone who knows you."
Could it be that?
But then again, whether it be his physical or mental health, the kid was the type of person to keep anything about his health to himself. though on the other hand, Kang knew exactly what his brother was talking about. Sometimes it really was easier to admit something to a stranger, to someone whose opinions and views on oneself did not matter because they were strangers. It was much easier to tell his friends and inquiring strangers that he was going to keep on working in the military than it was to tell his family.
The conversation was cut short when they heard a door down the hall open, but a single glance was enough for them to silently agree that they would pick up the conversation later. And as silent as always, Squirt made his way to the kitchen. "Hey." The kid muttered as he sat down at the table, "We're not going running?"
"Good morning to you too." Squirt returned it, still sounding as tired as ever. "Not today. We're going shopping today. Now that we're home, we can get you some clothes of your own."
As expected, he immediately refused.
"I'm fine." Squirt didn't even hesitate in his refusal, his gaze as steady as always, "I don't need more clothes." Unfortunately for him, this was something that Kang was not going to budge on.
Kang sent a knowing look over to his brother, "Yeah you do." he rebutted, plowing forward despite the way the kid was frowning, "You need new pants, new shirts, more underwear and socks and new shoes. It's spring, but we might as well buy you some jackets for the rain and winter. So yes, you do need more clothes." And despite the glower the kid was giving him, Kang gave him a smile, though it was not one of kindness, it was one that portrayed his refusal to back down. Squirt had his glower that let Kang know that he was not happy about this, and Kang had his smile, to show that his kid was not getting out of this one.
Han-jae cleared his throat awkwardly, "If you're worried about money. Hamchan got a stipend from the government to help you settle in. It's nothing out of our pocket to get you new clothes. And you really do need more clothes." Internally Kang was almost cackling at the way his brother, who was originally against it, was the one who used the white lie first. But on the outside, Kang was still smiling as he waited for the kid to finally give in.
Squirt averted his gaze, his shoulders slightly relaxing as the tension left, "Fine. You're stubborn sometimes."
A laugh bubbled out before he could stop it, "I'm stubborn?! Squirt we both know that you would eat nothing but instant ramen if I let you."
"It has all the calories I need for a day, and it's lightweight too."
"Doesn't mean that it's healthy! You need some fiber!"
"You're the one who doesn't like celery. Isn't that great for fiber?"
"Celery tastes like shit and you know it."
"You're just a baby."
"You're the one who doesn't like kimchi."
"Kimchi tastes like shit and you know it."
"It does not!"
Han-jae sipped at his coffee as the two of them bickered. Well, it was just Kang who was getting riled up, his hand gestures becoming more passionate despite the way Kid was being almost monotonous in his answers. If it wasn't for the slight upturn of the corner of his mouth, it would have looked like the kid wasn't enjoying the little spat.
"Instant ramen tastes like shit." Immediately, both of them whipped around to look at him. Somehow, despite the non-genetic ties, both of them were making the exact same face of offense, their mouths hanging open with indignant looks. "Change my mind."
"Easy! You're wrong!"
"It does not taste like shit." The fact that Squirt was more offended than Kang only made it funnier.
As one might expect.
Spending an entire morning in a packed mall was enough to grate on anyone's nerves. Kang, who had grown up in Korea and had long gotten used to public spaces being busy, had a limit before he wanted to go home and relax. It's not that he was an introvert, but after hours of carefully milling around people with loud music playing, he just wanted to go home.
So when Squirt started to get a little bit annoyed, Kang didn't blame him.
Kang glanced down at him out of the corner of his eye, watching the kid's micro-expressions and if it wasn't for the fact that he's known the teenager for the past 18 months, it would look like he was mad.
Though there was a minute difference between the kid's face of annoyance and anger, Kang had learned how to tell the difference. His face was expressionless, his eyes half-lidded as he glared ahead; more than once, salespeople had swerved away from them once they saw the look on his kid's face. Which was fair. The kid looked like he was a few seconds away from throttling whoever talked to him.
The funny thing was that the kid wasn't even mad, he was just mildly annoyed, and yet, everyone was reacting like he was on the verge of being livid. Even Han-jae kept on sending glances his way, silently telling him that he needed to do something to calm down squirt, which wasn't necessary.
Honestly, Kang was kinda proud of him for lasting as long as he did. He knew from the very beginning that the kid did not like being there at the mall, he could see it in the young man's tense posture and the way his eyes darted to everyone that got a little bit too close, or when someone was trying a little bit too hard to sell them something. He knew it from the very beginning, but squirt had stayed far too long in the field for him to not notice such things. Not that Kang could blame him for doing such things, there were times when Kang caught himself doing the exact same thing out of pure habit.
So, considering that they had been there for at least three hours and he was barely getting annoyed now, was pretty good.
He nudged Han-jae to quit. "Alright kid," he went off the mental checklist as he looked down at the bags, "We just need to get you some shoes, and then we can go home." They already got the kid pants, shirts, underwear, and socks so he could be prepared for any occasion. It had taken the longest for them to find the kid pants and slacks he could actually wear because not only did they have to find out what size he wore, Squirt was annoyingly picky about his pants. It took a few discussions of 'Yes. You can move around in those pants, but they don't fit well and no, you can't wear your fatigues everywhere.' Before they were finally able to get it across that he at least needed one pair of good pants and slacks.
Squirt, in his usual fashion, was stubborn as fuck. The convincing alone had taken a while. But on the bright side, as soon as they found pants that he liked, he just grabbed the exact same pair in different colors.
All they needed was to find him dress shoes and sneakers before they could go. Maybe some combat boots to just try and convince him.
His wallet was really hoping not but Kang had a feeling.
Squirt huffed, the corner of his mouth twisting down momentarily before he schooled his face in an impassive one again, "Okay." Yeah, he was definitely getting annoyed, so they were going to have to make this quick.
Without any stops, and with the kids resting bitch face keeping the salespeople away, they were able to get to the shoe store relatively fast. They found his size and then came the bigger problem.
Convincing the kid that he needed sneakers.
Honestly, Kang thought he was going to have a problem with the dress shoes, not the stupid sneakers.
"I have my boots. I use them for everything, I don't need those."
Kang sighed, his hand rubbing the bone of his brow as he slowly said, "Kid, you need running shoes. Other than your boots." Kang said firmly when Squirt tried to use his words against him.
Now the kid was on the way to being mad, he was staring up at Kang now, his jaw clenching and unclenching as he no doubt tried to control his temper. "I don't need them."
It was Kangs turn to huff, trying his best to control the annoyance that was rising up at his kid being so freaking difficult. It was just shoes! And they would be more comfortable than his stupid boots anyway! Sneakers were way more convenient than combat boots and for someone who liked efficiency, the kid was being oddly stubborn about this.
"Sorry kid. You need running shoes. It's not healthy to wear boots all the time." Squirt's head snapped over to Han-jae, the only soul brave enough to step in. "Ah! Before you say anything." Han-jae cut him off, getting a proper glower in return, "You can hurt your feet in the long run. There's a tendon on the bottom of our foot, and if you wear flat shoes a lot, like your boots, then your heel bone will start to mess with that tendon, to the point where you can't walk without being in pain. "
Plantar Fasciitis.
God Kang was such an idiot! He should have brought that up earlier to win the argument!
Resisting the urge to slap his forehead out of exasperation, Kang just watched as Han-jae continued. "You'll have to get surgery to fix it, and when you do, you can't run or jump for at least three months. "Kang didn't remember it being so drastic, but he was just going to go ahead and go with the flow.
Especially since his brother's argument was working.
Han-jae continued with the (exaggerated) detriments of getting Plantar Fasciitis and why the kid needed to use sneakers more than boots in his day-to-day life so he can keep his feet healthy and problem free.
Kang and the salesman exchanged looks at the elaborate lie Han-jae was making before shrugging their shoulders together.
Oh well, the kid was going to get sneakers, and the salesman was going to get a commission from this sale anyway, so they were just going to let Han-jae do his thing.
"I see the way you and Hammy go for runs every morning. Well, you won't be able to do that for at least three months. But, that won't happen if you get running shoes, so get the running shoes and all of that can be avoided." Slowly, the kid nodded his head as he accepted and processed the information. His face was neutral again, and he wasn't clenching his jaw anymore, showing how that little discussion had helped with the tension.
It was annoying how easily Han-jae had managed to convince him.
"Fine." Squirt huffed out, at last, ceding to their advice. "Fine. I'll get the dumb shoes."
Han-jae grinned as if he agreed to something other than buying shoes and knocked their shoulders together, "Attaboy! Go and pick something out. Make sure you like them enough to use them." And with that, Squirt finally went off to go and find a pair of running shoes. Taking the cue, the salesmen followed the kid to help him find the shoes, leaving the two brothers waiting for his return.
"I can't believe you were able to convince him so fast."
Han-jae gave him a shit-eating grin. "I'm just that good."
Kang just grumbled, but now that it was just the two of them again. "Hey. "Kang prompted, "Do you really think it's because we're too close? I know him too well for him to easily tell me?" It had been in the back of his mind since the morning, and now was his chance to talk about it some more.
His brother thought it over for a few seconds before nodding his head, "Yeah. He'll let you in one day, you know how teenagers are. We thought we can handle everything ourselves and that we don't need any help. Only your boy has it worse, he was taught that he couldn't ask anyone for help." That sounded about right, he and Han-jae had done the exact same thing when they were teenagers; when they thought they were too mature to ask for help or something like that. Though it certainly didn't comfort him to be reminded that his kid was the same way, only worse.
Kang sighed. "It's already been almost two years…" He didn't want to sound like a whining child, but at the same time how much longer did he have to wait? When was the kid going to let someone in? It didn't even have to be him, he just wanted the kid to realize that he didn't have to bear his burdens by himself.
Han-jae patted his shoulder, "Just be patient. The kid has a lifetime of trauma to work out. He already trusts you enough to share a bed with you, he trusts you enough to watch his back. It won't be long before he lets you in."
He sighed.
Kang could only hope that his brother was right at this point.
Drumming his fingers against the steering wheel, he looked into the rearview mirror, confirming the fact that there were still people behind them as they waited at the traffic light. Though, the fact that Hamchans kid had fallen asleep had not gone unnoticed.
Turning in his seat, he smiled when he confirmed that yes, the kid was asleep like he thought. "Hey." He turned to Hamchan, a grin on his face, "Your kid-ah…"Alternating between Hamchan and Kid, he looked back and forth, pursing his lips together as he tried to contain his laughter.
Squirt was sleeping with his arms crossed, his head dipping towards his chest, and somehow, he was sleeping in the exact position that Hamchan was sleeping in. He probably found it funnier than it should have been, but seeing the two of them in them like that, one right behind the other, in the same position, something about it was just funny. Taking out his phone, he quickly took a selfie with the two sleeping dorks as the main focus before he sent it to the family group chat.
Hamchan could try to insist that Kid wasn't his son all he wanted, but it was obvious that he was.
"Curl your fingers in or you're gonna cut yourself."
"Like this?"
"Ahhhhh! Stop it! You're going to cut yourself!"
Kang huffed out a smile as he heard Han-jae's nagging as he tried to teach Squirt how to cook. A noble attempt, considering that all of them were equally bad at cooking. Well, Kang was terrible at cooking, and Han-jae knew how to make basic dishes. Though that did mean that they were automatically better than the kid because he didn't even know how to cook.
It was funny to hear Han-jae fussing over the kid like that, with a knife especially. If Han-jae knew how skilled Squirt was when it came to knives, then he would have never been fussing over the teenager like this.
"I'll be fine." The kid sounded faintly exasperated.
It was a stark contrast to the almost pleading tone that was in Han-jaes voice. "You're going to give me a heart attack, Kid. Please."
"Okay. "
But it was heartwarming to hear that Squirt was listening to Han-jae. The kid always had this thing with not listening to people if he didn't accept him as an authority figure. Kang saw it all the time back on base, where he refused to listen to almost anyone outside of his squad.
The fact that Squirt was listening to his brother after a week showed that he already trusted the man.
"Oops."
There was a gasp. "Hammy! Your kid cut himself!"
"I'm fine. It's just a small cut. "That didn't stop Han-jae from fussing over him, and not willing to step away from his research, Kang called out.
"You okay?"
There was a hum and Squirt walked around the corner to show Kang his hand. "It's a small cut." He said simply, pulling away the stained paper napkin that he had been holding against the cut. "The knife was sharper than I thought." Kang squinted, but considering the fact that the cut was small enough that Kang could barely see it from his position, he figured it was fine.
But that didn't stop Han-jae from taking out the first aid kit and Kang offered nothing more than an apologetic look when Han-jae dragged him to the kitchen sink, fully intent on taking care of the tiny cut.
Tuning out Han-jaes fussing and Squirts complaining, Kang continued his research on the national database. He was about five pages into the database, and considering that the Yu surname was one of the most common ones in all of Korea, he had about five hundred pages to painstakingly look through, each page having well over two thousand results. The only saving grace was that he knew the name of Squirt's parents, but that didn't change the fact that it was going to take a very long time to find the kid's family. Each time he had to find a match, he had to do some quick research to make sure he had the right family, and while that in itself didn't take a lot of time, it didn't change the fact that it was tedious work.
But, it was tedious work that he had to do if he wanted to reunite the kid with his family.
"You're terrible at this."
"Hey!" Han-jae sounded offended, "I'm trying my best!"
"And you're terrible at this. Major." Squirt came from the kitchen and held up his hand to show him. And yep, Kang had to agree that Han-jae was terrible at patching up the tiny cut, if the loose bandages on his kid's finger had something to say about it, "I think Han-jae needs practice."
Kang huffed out a laugh. "Alright." Pushing his laptop away, Kang gestured for Squirt to get closer, "Come here. I'll fix it."
"I can do it myself. "Despite the kid's insistence that he didn't need help, Squirt was still getting closer, holding out his hand.
Kang hummed, "But you don't have to." Quickly, Kang unwrapped the poorly wrapped bandage, and yeesh the kid had gotten himself good; while it wasn't a big cut, it looked like someone had snipped the side of his fingers with some scissors. If it wasn't for the fact that it was small, Kang would have insisted that he got a stitch or two. "Damn. You got yourself good." Squirt offered nothing more than a hum, dismissing his concerns for the most part.
"I told you!" Han-jae said indignantly, leaning over Squirt's shoulder to watch as Kang wrapped up the bandage in a way that would have left Dae-hyun proud, "It's deeper than I'm comfortable with."
Kang didn't hesitate in making fun of his little brother, "Aw. Does someone need the waambulance?" Kang stuck out his lower lip and was using a tone that made it sound like he was talking to a child. "Do you want me to call Mom? Do you need a hug?"
Hilariously, Han-jae was not amused.
Apparently, Squirt was.
"I didn't know your brother was a crybaby like you Sir."
"Hey!" Kang was offended by that! They may be brothers but he was not a crybaby like Han-jae was!
Han-jae almost cackled, "Ooo! Double homicide!" the asshole didn't even care that he had been insulted, he just found it funny that Kang had been insulted.
He saw not a single ounce of remorse on the kids face, "Come here you little shit!" Kang tried to grab Squirt, but in a show of his usual athleticism, he skirted away just in time for him to miss. "I'll show you!" Despite his words, there was no real fire in Kang's voice, even as he started to chase after his kid.
Squirt snorted. "Sure, you will."
"Get back here!"
"Nope."
Han-jae just laughed.
This was way funnier than it should be, especially when Kang nearly slipped after rounding a corner.
Mom: I'm finally a grandmother!
Dad: That's his boy alright
