Monday morning, 7 am.
The morning sun pushed through the thin curtains of the small apartment, painting the kitchen in a pale gold. The table was already set—bowls of steaming rice, kimchi, a plate of rolled omelets, and miso soup still faintly bubbling in the pot.
"Min-jae.... Min-jun... come quick and have your breakfast, otherwise you guys will be late for school." Arranging the dishes, Han Soo-jin called out to her children.
"And also tell your dad to come as well." She added.
However, no one seemed to heard her calls as no one answered her even after a while.
"You guys heard me...?" She raised her voice a little more this time.
This time, it traveled loud and clear to the upstairs. Even the ground floor was echoed with her voice.
"Yes, mom." Min-jun's voice was heard from the upstairs.
Few minutes later, both the twins came downstairs.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Seeing her two sons, Soo-jin smiled warmly.
With both identical faces, except for the hairs. Min-jae with a little longer hair than Min-jun.
"Here, here. Be quick." She quickly guided them to their own chairs.
"Wow... so much." Min-jae let out a surprised voice, looking at the warm dishes.
"That's why I told you to be quick." She smiled lovingly at her two children. And urged them to eat quickly.
If it were any other day, she would not have done that. However, she woke up late that day, so the time was running.
Picking up their owns tools, both Min-jae and Min-jun started eating.
"Where is your father?" Soo-jin asked as she turned back and looked at the stars leading upstairs.
"Ohh dad said he still need to fix that sink. So, he will eat later." Min-jun responded as he continued eating without looking up.
Min-jae nodded on the side.
"Aiiya.. I already told him many times to fix that before. But he just doesn't listen." Soo-jin said lightly, with some frustration.
Both the kids knew it was just family banter, so they just smiled and nodded.
"Ohh right. I'm running late too, so just eat your fills and leave the dishes. Your dad will just wash them. Okey?" She quickly stood up from her chair and gave them a gentle kiss.
Then, she hurriedly headed to the door as she instructed her children.
"Yes." Min-jae and Min-jun simultaneously agreed.
Creak.... bam...
Before long, they heard the sound of door opening and closing.
After she left, Min-jun looked at Min-jae and said. "Do you know which class you will be sitting in?"
"Umm.. I heard from the homeroom teacher, it's class 8." Min-jae replied as he took a small bite of the rolled omelets.
"Class 8!?" Min-jun let out a surprised tone.
"Humm...? What is it? Something wrong with that class?" Min-jae raised his head and looked at Min-jun with a questioning gaze.
"Well, there is nothing wrong with that class. It just ..I thought you will be in my class. And class 8 is for, you know, more like for slackers." Min-jun explained.
"Why would I, a new transfer student, be in your class. I heard that class 1 is for toppers only, right?" Min-jae asked.
"Yeah, right. I forgot that part." Min-jun simply said.
"So, do you plan to move up to my class?" Min-jun resumed eating and asked.
"No. Why? Do you want me to?" Min-jae denied and asked back.
"Nothing, it just I thought it would be good if both of us are in the same class." Min-jun said what he was thinking.
"... ughh.. I think it will be too much of a hassle for me to hear all those teachers yapping nonstop. And I heard that not many teachers take classes in class 8. Is it true?" Min-jae said.
"Well..., it's kind of true. Since, class 8 is mostly for sports students, only the first two classes are active. And for the rest, they mostly do whatever they want, like practicing their own activities." Min-jun explained the reason why class 8 was not like other classes.
"That's great. I will have more time sketching and practicing." Min-jae's eyes lit up, hearing that it was true.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
As the two brothers were talking, the heard footsteps on the stairs.
It was their father.
"Dad." Both of them called out simultaneously.
"Ohh. Your mother left already?" Kim Joon-ho looked at them and said.
"Yes, and she told us to tell you to do the dishes.. hehe." Min-jae added, smiling.
"Haizz.... Okey." Kim Joon-ho sighed and walked towards the kitchen he sink to wash his hands.
After he was done washing, he joined the two boys at the table.
He started eating too and asked. "You two are not late yet."
Before Min-jun could answer, from the side, Min-jae quickly said. "He is late, I'm not."
Both Min-jun and Joon-ho looked at him, surprised. "Why?" They asked.
"Oh, I talked to the homeroom teacher and he said to come at the second period. So, yeah, I'm not late." Min-jae told them the reason.
"And why is that?" Min-jun asked.
"I don't know. He said so." Min-jae shrugged off like it was not his problem.
"Ah– I get it. Teacher Kim is coming back today. And from I heard, he will not be present during the first period. Maybe that's why." Hearing Min-jun's explanation, the rest of them understood.
"Then, why are you dressed so early?" Then came the question for his early dressed up.
"I have somewhere to be. And I also thought of exploring the school a little bit myself." Min-jae smiled and said.
"Exploring, my .... I know you are going to that art store again." Min-jun immediately exposed his lies.
"Art store? Why are you going there for?" Joon-ho asked, confused.
Hearing his father's question, Min-jae looked at Min-jun with his eyes saying 'you're dead...'
"Nothing. I just like the arts." Min-jae hurriedly explained.
Talking, laughing, the father and sons trio finished their breakfast.
And before long, both Min-jae and Min-jun left the house.
From downstairs, they took out their bikes and left, riding them.
Since their school was not too far from where they lived, going on bikes was much more appropriate and convenient to them.
[When I write bike, I meant bicycle.]
The two brothers rode together for about a mile, before they ultimately separated. Min-jun directly headed for the school and Min-jae stopped for the art store cafe.
----
Cling cling..
The sound of bell rang.
"Welcom—oh! It's you, Min-jae." The art store's bell chimed softly as a woman in her early forties looked up with a warm smile.
"Haha, I'm back again, ajumma. I was wondering if my—" Min-jae's gaze drifted toward the wall where his framed sketches had once hung.
"Your art?" she finished for him, her eyes glinting. "They're already sold out."
"Oh, really?" His lips curled into a sheepish grin. "That's… that's great! Then, uh, the money…?" He scratched the back of his head, smiling foolishly.
With a soft laugh, the woman walked back to the counter, pulled out an envelope, and handed it to him. "Don't worry, Min-jae. I wouldn't forget."
"Thanks, ajumma." He accepted it with both hands and made for the door.
"Wait a second." She called him back, tilting her head. "Do you have more of those?"
"More? Of course!" His eyes lit up as he quickly swung his bag forward and unzipped it. "I just thought… since it took a while to sell last time, you wouldn't want any more." He pulled out a stack of fresh sketches, carefully sliding them onto the counter.