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Yushi is the oldest of the litter. Naturally taking on more responsibilities and duties around the dorms.
He was instructed by Sion to “make sure the babies are still breathing by the time your mama and I get back.” He really hates how cocky Sion can get when him and Riku go on an outing.
Of course, he can take care of his little brothers. He’s not useless and he would hate to burden Jaehee. His caregivers asked him, not Jaehee, but of course Jaehee volunteered to come anyway.
It should be easy anyways, brothers should naturally bond. That’s how boyhood works. Jaehee’s caring and puppy-like personality makes it easier for Sakuya and Ryo to interact with him, but Yushi’s no different, right?
Yushi knows he’s no puppy, but he cares; he cares so much.
So Yushi thought it would be a good idea to take his brothers shopping. Oh he thought.
💭
“Stay by each other’s side, especially if you can’t find us, okay?”
Sakuya rolls his eyes, but both boys nod.
“My phone is charged, so don’t hesitate to call or text me.”
Sakuya and Ryo giggle to each other, “We’re old enough to be left alone, mom.” Ryo jokes.
“Yeah, yeah, go on and float around.”
Yushi sees Ryo tuck his hand into Sakuya’s as they head towards to the toy section. “old enough to be left alone” they said.
“Why do you act so awkward around them?”
Yushi jumps and presses his hand to his chest. He playfully smacks Jaehee’s arm, “Don’t sneak up on me like that!”
Jaehee giggles and holds his arm in “pain.”
“And..I’m not awkward around them.”
“You sure act like it.”
Yushi feels slightly stiff as he drifts towards the beauty section with Jaehee following behind him.
Yushi starts spraying different perfumes on scent sticks and looking in the clearance section for new makeup.
“Ushi, look!”
“Hm?” Yushi looks over at the product Jaehee’s holding.
“Orange blush? Usually the blush I use is pink, right? For a cute look, but I’ve never tried orange blush.”
Yushi nods, “Won’t it give you more of a sun-kissed look?”
“Yeah, that’s what I was thinking too!” Jaehee pouts while still looking at the product, more so at the shade, “Do you think it’ll fit my skin tone?”
“You have the type of face that fits any look and your skin tone is fine, so don’t worry so much.” Yushi takes the blush in Jaehee’s hand and puts in his hand-held basket.
Jaehee tries to hide his blush by looking at another self far away from Yushi.
💭
Yushi’s mind unconsciously moves back to Sakuya and Ryo again when he sees a mini self full of nail polish.
Sakuya cares for nail polish more, but he’s walked in on Sakuya painting Ryo’s nails so safe to say that Ryo isn’t against it.
Yushi picks up polishes to see the different colors and names. Does he pick out the same colors? He doesn’t want either boy to get jealous, but knowing them, they’ll just share it. Yushi shrugs and takes whatever color he thinks they’ll like, which include various bright colors and sparkles.
Yushi feels a buzz in his back pocket and gets his phone out.
🐼: i think ryo and i are done
🦭: yeah!
Yushi liked each message and told them his location. He continues to look around the beauty section to stay in the same area.
Yushi jumps at the sudden touch on his shoulder and he turns around to see Sakuya and Ryo snickering. What is with everyone sneaking up on him today?
He rolls his eyes and pinches both of their sides, making both boys complain.
“Look at what I found.”
Yushi holds out the colors of nail polish to them, “Do you like any of them?” he asks shyly.
Its okay if they don’t like any of the colors, he tries to tell himself.
“I want this one!”
Yushi lets out an unconscious sigh of relief. Ryo picks a solid color of a baby pink, “It’s pretty.” he looks at the bottom to see the shade name, “Baby’s laughter? What does that even mean?”
Sakuya shrugs and looks at the more glittery polishes, “Whaaa,” he says in awe, “How’d you find these?”
Yushi’s cheeks turn a little pink at the praise and speak a little bit more proudly, “Just the clearance aisle.”
“You know us so well.” Ryo smiles at Yushi.
Yushi shakes his head, “I heard you both talking about wanting more polishes the other day.”
“Oh that reminds me! Saku, show him what we found!”
Sakuya nods and takes four matching heart key chains out of their basket, “It’s just like us.”
“just us four?”
Sakuya nods, “It represents our time together.”
“So romantic, Saku. You’re a total oppa.”
Yushi nods, “We won’t get two more for Riku and Sionie?”
“If they wanted one, they should’ve been here.” Sakuya shrugs, “No one told them to go on a date.”
Yushi looks around, “Have you two seen Jaehee?”
“He’s not here with you?”, Ryo asks.
“He was, but now I don’t know where he is.”
“Runaway puppy,” Sakuya shakes his head.
“Let’s look for him.”
💭
Yushi knows they have to look stupid walking down the aisles just to take a sneak peek to see if Jaehee’s in any of them. They agreed to split up to cover more ground, but he knows Sakuya and Ryo didn’t split up.
Yushi finds Jaehee crouched down, looking at fake plants.
“Jehi”
Jaehee looks up to be met with an irritated Yushi with his hands on his hips.
“Ushi! Aren’t these pretty?”
Yushi crouches down by Jaehee’s side, “They’re fake.”
“Yeah, but it’s still pretty, right?”
Yushi thinks back to a photo taken of Jaehee during the Color era. They were playing outside when they got the idea to put flowers in Jaehee’s hair, but Yushi won’t tell anyone that he saved the photos. Why does everyone have to know anyways.
“You’re the prettiest flower.”
Jaehee whines and turns his head, “Ushi…don’t say that.”
“It’s true.”
“Oh, here they are.”
“Of course, we find them reenacting a scene out of a rom-com.”
Yushi turns his head to see an unimpressed Sakuya and Ryo.
“…I found him.”
“Yeah, we see that.”
💭
The four boys stood outside the store they just came out of after paying for their items. Their matching key chains hang off their bags. Yushi looks at the time on his phone. They’re making good timing.
“Is there anything else you guys want to do? We have another hour or so.”
“Oh hyung! There's this store nearby that has a photo booth inside! Lets go take photos!” Ryo happily cheers.
Sakuya nods, “Then lets eat afterwards. My stomach is starting to hurt.”
Ryo rubs Sakuya’s tummy and Sakuya lets him, to Yushi’s amusement.
“Okay, which way is it?”
“Follow me!” Ryo excitedly marches his way into the store whole periodically looking down at his phone for directions.
💭
“Man, the lights in here so bright.” Sakuya squints his eyes.
“But isn’t that the point? Don’t you wanna see everything?” Ryo gestures towards the display photo props.
Jaehee tries on a Pompompurin headband.
“Yeah I can see everything, it’s hard not to.”
Yushi looks around, “Which photo booth should we use?”
All four of them looks around see which booth has the shortest line of people.
“That one in the corner!”
The four boys walk towards the booth just in time to see Riku and Sion come out of it.
All five boys stop to look at each other in surprise.
“Um…hi.” Sakuya waves to Riku and Sion.
“I thought you two were going on a date?” Ryo tilts his head.
“We are! We just came to take pictures for the memories of it.” Riku tightens his grip on Sion’s arm.
“Yeah, but we thought you meant more candle light dinner than blinding photoism photo booth.”
Ryo and Jaehee hits Sakuya’s arms at the same time for the attitude-filled response.
“We had dinner before we came here.” Sion narrows his eyes.
“Anywho, we’ll go now.” Sion takes Riku’s hand, “See you at home.”
The four watch them leave.
“Aw man I just realized we should’ve asked to take pictures with all six of us.”
“And look back at them just to see those two staring into each other’s eyes? Gross.”
“Don’t be mean to your hyungs, I think it’s sweet.” Jaehee tilts head to the side in a swooning manner, making the Pompompurin ears on his headband flop to the side.
It takes everything in Yushi not to call him cute or tug his cheek, whichever comes first.
“So…should we just go home now?”
“What? no, I'm still starving.”
“And we still have to take pictures!”
Yushi nods, “Everyone pile into the booth.”
💭
“Jehi, shrink.”
“Ryo. How could I possibly do that.”
"Sakuya, shift into frame.”
“Yushi hyung, try smiling in a way that doesn’t look like it hurts.”
💭
Ryo and Sakuya giggle at the photos.
“This one only has half of hyung’s face.”
“Heyyy that was when I was adjusting my posture.” Jaehee frowns.
“Your curse.” Sakuya pats his shoulder.
“Jehi, you have to put the headband back.”
Jaehee looks up, “Oh.”
Jaehee puts the headband back on the self of props.
Yushi chuckles, “Did you want to take it home?”
“A little..is that childish?”
Yushi shakes his head, “It’s cute. If you want it, I can buy it.”
“Oh no no, hyung, it’s fine! I don’t need it!”
“But you want it, right?”
💭
Sakuya finally stops complaining once they arrive at their local hotpot spot.
Yushi softly smiles at Sakuya’s puffed out cheeks as he chews, Ryo’s gentle smile as he watches Sakuya eat and the Pompompurin headband sat on top of Jaehee’s head.