"Heyyy kiddo, wait up for Papa!"

"Nooo, not waiting! Papa's too slow... bleh bleh~"

"Just you wait... you're dead meat!"

"Ahhh, Baba! Baba! Save meee!"

"Hey, don't bully him like that."

"This little rascal keeps yelling for help every time we play. Next time don't ask me to join you."

"Joongg, I told you not to scare him like that."

"...Alright, alright, I get it. I'm clearly outnumbered in this house."

Joong pouted.

"Haha, you look so funny right now. You know I love you, but he's still just a kid."

"Kid? He's huge already, and you still carry him around all the time."

"Well, Papa always carries Baba too."

"Okay, now you're just asking for an argument."

There was nothing he could say to that.. it was true.

"Come help me, will you? Pack up the stuff so we can go visit Oat. It's been a whole year."

"Mm, yes ma'am, my sweet little wifey."

"So cheesy, my God."

Joong took his two little loves back inside to start packing for their visit to Oat. After everything that happened, Joong and em had moved far away.. somewhere up in the mountains, people said... so whenever they got the chance to see Oat, it had to be a special occasion.

The little one who had suffered back then was now five years old. A sweet, smart, and thoughtful kid. He was raised well—so well that everyone around adored him for his manners. When they first moved up here, the villagers came over to lend a hand, thinking Joong's family must not be familiar with the place since they were city folks.

Joong and the kid were sitting on the bench, watching as em folded each piece of clothing neatly into the suitcase...

"Aren't the two of you gonna help me?"

"You didn't let us."

"Who told you to joke around all the time? Go get me the jackets ..our kid's ones."

"Bossy much. You used to be all sweet and lovely..."

"What was that?"

"I didn't say anything. I'm going, I'm going."

That was just daily life in their home. Ever since they started living together, with the kid around, Joong had gotten all jealous.. sometimes even needier than the kid..so em had no choice but to be the more mature one and "keep this household in order."

Life here was full of warmth and community. People shared what they had fish when there was fish, greens when there were greens.. so they didn't have to worry much about money. Still, em had to work a bit more to prepare for when the little one would start first grade. The two of them used the savings they'd made before to open a small grocery shop, and that was enough to get by, day by day...

"Baba, are Grandma and Grandpa coming too?"

"Nope, sweetheart. They're staying to look after the shop for us."

"Okayyy. Then I'll buy presents for Grandma and Grandpa!"

"Alright. Just tell Baba what you want to get, and I'll buy it for you."

"Yes Baba!"

Speaking of Grandma and Grandpa, it brought back memories. Back then, they had left, running far away to avoid dragging em into their mess. The farther the better, they thought. It wasn't until later, when they heard that em had been in danger, that the guilt hit them hard. They regretted abandoning their own child, leaving em to face all the pain and suffering alone. Eventually, they came back to the city, searching for em and Joong, and insisted on bringing the two of them to live up there—somewhere peaceful.

Tomorrow was a special day. It wasn't just Joong and em who were excited, but also Oat and Ally. After everything that happened, Oat didn't argue with Ally anymore. His view of Ally had shifted.. just a little. When Joong suggested he stay with Ally, Oat refused. He was so upset he vanished for months. It wasn't until he read a message from Ally, saying Joong had left the city to live up in the highlands, that he came back just to say goodbye.

Oat had asked to go with them, but Joong didn't let him. He knew the boy acted tough, but deep down, Oat was soft and needed someone to protect him. Joong already had a family to care for, and he wasn't sure he could take on Oat too. So he asked Ally to take care of him.

That whole incident shook things up so much that even the police got involved. After that, there were no more hunters or talk of rare blood. Ally used the savings he had to open a small restaurant. Business boomed..thanks to his head chef: Oat. Handsome, talented, and a great cook—everyone was smitten.

To be fair, Ally had to beg for nearly a year before he finally managed to "convince" Oat to move in and share a "home."

"Ally."

"Hey, can't you call me brother or something?"

"Nope. Deal with it?"

"Yeah, yeah. So what do you want?"

"I asked you to buy something, did you?"

"Yeah, it's in the kitchen."

"Thanks."

Oat was busy prepping things for tomorrow when Ally came down the stairs...

"Hey, what are you up to?"

He wrapped his arms around Oat's small shoulders, catching him off guard, and Oat instinctively spun around fork aimed straight at Ally. Good thing Ally had quick reflexes.

"Geez, chill. Just wanted a little hug."

"Not interested. I'm only here because of the boss."

"It's been three years, Oat. Not even a little bit of feelings?"

"Nope..."

/Yes/ — x

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#sapo🇻🇳 ( 20:25 /  030625)