The Brothers Kim

"He's waking up! He's waking up!"

Taehyung opened his eyes and was immediately greeted by the sight of a young woman hovering above him.

"Taehyung?" she uttered, her voice sounded uncertain and worried. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes..." he feebly replied. He was still partially disorientated and incredibly exhausted to recognise who was beside him. All he could remember was the woman in white. Where was she? Was she still here? By the sound of the person's voice beside him, it wasn't her.

"Let me have a look at him." It was a man's voice this time. Taehyung tried to focus his eyes on who had spoken but could only make out a bright light and darkened faces as they were obscured by the shadows cast by the sun.

"Cousin, can you sit up?"

Taehyung looked towards the direction of the voice and immediately knew who it was.

"Cousin- cousin Namjoon?"

Namjoon smiled at him weakly as he shifted his position so that Taehyung could see him better. "You rascal," he said playfully. "You had us all worried."

"Tae!"

"Papa!"

Suddenly, the orphans clambered into Taehyung's arms as he slowly sat up on the damp grass. Taehyung was almost knocked back down by their combined strength.

"We thought- we thought you were-you were gone!" sobbed Chun Chun.

"Papa! Papa! Don't- don't leave us again!" Gulnar wailed.

Taehyung comforted the orphans by hugging them back. "I-I am sorry" he softly murmured. But then he remembered, "the ball—"

"It's here."

Taehyung looked up and saw Gyuri. He noticed that her cheeks were slightly red and her clothes were damp too. She approached him, with the ball in her hands, as if she was going to hand it to Taehyung peacefully. With his hands outstretched, Taehyung prepared himself to catch it until Gyuri unexpectedly, launched the ball and it bounced off his head with a loud slap.

"Ouch!" he screeched after snapping out of his initial surprise. "What was that for—?"

"You idiot!" Gyuri shouted as she stomped up to him. The orphans backed away as Gyuri drew closer to Taehyung. "You scared the hell out of us! I told you not to go into the water. This ball isn't worth it if the price to pay is your life!"

Taehyung blinked in surprise as Gyuri scolded him, her face glowing bright red like a tomato.

"Calm down" he replied dismissively. "I am fine."

"How can I calm down when you almost died?" she asked, exasperated. "You almost drowned—"

"Gyuri," Namjoon interrupted. Gyuri stopped midway her utterance. "That is enough," he told her, his voice stern. "Taehyung is still weak. The best thing we can do for him now is to bring him back to the house to recover."

Gyuri had her lips set in a hard line. She looked like she still had so much to say. "As you wish, Master Namjoon."

Namjoon peered at Taehyung and gave him a small smile. But Taehyung noticed that there was no warmth behind it. He knew immediately that he was going to hear an earful when he got home.