note:- kim brothers are brothers. which means tae, joon and jin are siblings.

also, lowercase intended.

××××××××

it was a hot summer day; too hot this year. and the family had planned a nice outing in their lake view house that mostly remained unused other than the occasional visits during falls or summer breaks. jungkook is the one who is more than just excited, his eyes shine with an elated gleam as he stares out of the window watching the trees, shops and houses sprinting backwards midst the music playing inside the car, making the parents sway to the beat. jimin is quiet in the back with his headphones on as he has his own playlist and vibing to himself.

the car stops in front of a big penthouse. jungkook, with a wide smile, gets out first, staring at the house he missed so much, and the people even more. a few more cars stop by while jaehyun is taking his youngest daughter out of her booster seat. the girl raises her arms up for the father to carry her as he shuts the door close and smiles at the dear guests.

"jeon!" one of the men exclaims, stepping forward and greets jaehyun with a hug, "long time man!"

"hey i thought y'all be coming later?" he hugs him back, with one arm, holding his daughter with other as she stares at the rest of people other than the four she knows.

"oh my god, aera!" one of the ladies squeal, "do you know us?"

"i guess, she knows me!" a boy, around jimin's age, chimes, pushing his way forward and holds the girl's hand, who instantly turns away, burying her face in her father's shoulder, earning chuckles and aw's from the elders.

"ah my baby doesn't know anyone," jaehyun chuckles, "let's get inside, we'll make a lot of friends today."

"yes let's go!" jungkook cheers, glancing at the six boys who follow him inside, while the fathers and mothers are busy chit chatting, slowly walking towards the front door of the house.

"why oppa goin' with them?" aera frowns, tapping her father's shoulder who smiles at her and places her down.

"go with them, they're oppa's best friends." he tells her and calls for his elder son.

"yes dad?" jimin replies.

"take her with you, champ."

"sure" jimin jogs up to them, smiling at his sister who instantly lets out a giggle. "let's go, daddy's getting old." he jokes.

"i heard that" jaehyun sighs, making jimin laugh.

"old daddy!" aera laughs as well.

"yeah sure, old daddy won't get you ice cream."

"nooo" the girl pouts at him, "young daddy. get me ice-ceam pweese daddy"

"ah don't worry kiddo, if your daddy doesn't get you enough ice cream, you have three more uncles." yoongi's father says, making jaehyun laugh.

"let's go, aera" jimin says, lifting her off the ground as she still wanted to be carried.

"jimin's grown up," hoseok's father chuckles, making the boy a little a shy, "last time when we saw him, he was so young, i don't even remember, maybe 10 or so right?"

"yeah and jungkookie too," jin's mother smiles, "he used to cry when we left."

"he's really happy to be here, y'know to see all of you and the boys." eunmi says, glancing at her younger son who looks all lively around his hyungs.

jimin smiles too, taking aera with him and leaving the elders to have an even more nostalgic talk that he secretly wished to avoid for it gets too boring between recalling how the boys were young and now they're growing up. that is kinda normal, everyone grows.

"hyungie, aera, come here!" jungkook calls, motioning his hand for his brother to come quickly and join them too.

jimin smiles in response, taking a seat bewteen jungkook and taehyung, having aera sitting on his lap as she looks confused with so many people around. jungkook pulls her towards him, making her sit between his legs and hugging her from behind, he glances at his hyungs and beams, "meet our sister, her name is aera, jeon aera."

"heah we know that jungkook" jin laughs.

"hi!" taehyung is the first one to greet the girl, while the others look at her with a smile, studying her chubby cheeks and the brown eyes, similar to jimin's, that hinted utter confusion. her lips are naturally tinted, just like jungkook's, making her look like a precise copy of both of her brothers.

"she looks like you!" hoseok exclaims, earning a proud smile from jungkook.

"yeah, even mom says aera's like a mixture of me and jimin hyung. we all have similar moles too!"

"so cute" jin chuckles, "me, joon and tae look so different from each other"

namjoon laughs at that while the youngest of them shrugs, "she's like a doll" he smilesnat the girl, touching her cheek.

"no, i'm riri" aera says, making the boys laugh at her answer.

"how old are you?" yoongi asks playfully.

"four!" she answers, showing him five fingers. jungkook shakes his head, putting her thumb down.

"this is four, that was five."

aera nods her head, grinning at him and chirps, "four!"

"yes," jimin speaks, "let's introduce aera to our friends hm?"

"where's mamma?" the girl asks, completely ignoring the brother's words, looking around when she couldn't spot their parents in sight.

"mamma's talking with the aunties, you saw them outside right?" jimin pats her back, as she climbed on his lap, sitting quietly, letting out a small yawn. "ah you wanna sleep?"

"no, aera, you can sleep later. meet my hyungs first" jungkook says, shaking her to keep her awake which made the girl whine and hit his hand away.

"it's okay, kook, let her sleep. she must be tired after the long car ride." jin says, smiling assuringly at the youngest boy.

"i wanted her to meet hyungie" he mumbles.

"she will," yoongi adds, "we're all here for a week. that's enough time for her to know us."

"ri..." jungkook sighs looking at the girl, "do you really wanna sleep?"

the four-year-old hits his hand again, letting out a cranky cry, making jungkook to instantly back off. "aish! okay! do you wanna go to mamma?" jimin asks.

she thinks for a moment and shakes her, "uh daddy?" the brother asks, but she refuses again. "where do you wanna go then?"

"oppa" aera says, nonchalantly, kicking off her shoes and sat properly on jimin's lap, facing him and placed her head on his chest. jimin glances at the boys who are smiling at the sight, almost melting in their places as aera closes her eyes, while jimin pats her back gently.

"she doesn't need your mom to put her to sleep?" hoseok questions impressed by jimin's awesome babysitting skills.

"no," jungkook answers for his brother, "she sleeps with hyung most of the time, because mom and dad go to work. so it's either him or me or the babysitter."

"what?" jin and yoongi frown at him, before glancing at jimin who chuckles, shrugging his shoulders. "what does that mean?"

"it means she doesn't need mom or dad for sleeping"

"so y'all take care of her alone?"

"uh when mom and dad are busy, then yes."

"jimin, the kind of parents we have, they're always busy." yoongi says in a soft yet serious tone of voice.

"yeah it's okay, let's not talk about it." the boy chuckles a little, but the elders don't look convinced, making him sigh as he glances to his side at his brother. "is anyone hungry? jungkook?"

jin looks over at yoongi, realising the latter has a similar concerned expression as he steals a brief glance at jungkook who doesn't seem to be attentive to the conversation.

"does he kn-"

"he does, and he gets so mad about it" jimin smiles sadly, "... it's weird hyung, i don't feel good on leaving aera with the babysitter alone. it's not like she isn't good, she's great actually, she takes care of aera and also makes sure jungkook has eaten and all. but still, i feel like my sister should grow up under the care of a family member, not a paid worker."

"talk to your dad, he'll listen to you."

"i did. but what can he do right? they have to go to work, and me and kook have to go to school, so of course aera has to stay alone. when she's in her school, it's fine. but when she gets home and doesn't find any of us, then she cries." the boys only sigh in response and jimin too, "i really hope high school gets over soon."

taehyung nudges jimin slightly, earning a questioning look from the latter as he leans to his side and asks, "what's wrong with jungkook?"

his eyes turn to the side, following taehyung's gaze that stops at jungkook who looks deep in thoughts. jimin sighs softly, shaking his head dismissively for taehyung not to worry and pats his brother's back, making him flinch and look up at jimin with glassy eyes.

"i told you" his voice is like a whisper.

"it's not like that, kook, relax." jimin smiles at the younger.

"what happened jungkook? why are you crying?" jin sounds worried as he leans near the youngest boy, hugging him and patting his arm.

"what is he talking about?" namjoon asks.

"...he thinks mom and dad should be the one to take care of aera, instead of me skipping classes or missing my practices. he even argues with dad and mom sometimes when aera cries a lot to go to them, but they're not available. it's been the same since... i don't know two years? it's not that bad, but it's not good either hyung."

"it's okay jungkook" jin consoles the boy who sniffs softly, rubbing his eyes, "don't cry, kiddo."

"i'm not crying"

"yeah sure," jimin scoffs, "look here,"

jungkook huffs, wiping his tears properly and looked up, "see?"

"ah so you must've gotten something in your eyes right?"

"yeah, exactly"

"you stupid, you think you can fool me huh?" jimin laughs, kicking the younger on his butt, earning a playful whine from jungkook who turned to him, kicking jimin this time. "yah! aera will wake up!" the elder whisper shouts at him.

"i did not cry" jungkook states.

"yeah fine, i cried" jimin sighs.

"nobody cried."

"geez okay"

"hyungie" jungkook grins suddenly, earning a confused glance from jimin which doesn't last long as he realises what the boy is up for, "jungkook no, i swear i'm gonna beat your ass up if aera wakes up."

jungkook pulls taehyung with him, whispering something into his ear, making taehyung nod in agreement with a mischievous look transferred on his fice too.

"boys! come here!"

"haha better luck next time suckers!" jimin mocks at the younger before standing up, carrying aera in his arms, he pushes his way past jungkook, smirking victoriously at younger.

"fight me when i'm not carrying aera"

"you'll throw me..." jungkook sighs, "i'll work out a lot and become stronger than hyung when i grow up!"

____

"aera look here!"

"let her eat first,"

"okay, aera keep eating and look here."

jaehyun laughs at the desperate people trying their best to get his daughter's attention, but the kid surpringly was more interested in eating her food. eunmi glances at him, passing a napkin on seeing the mess the father-daughter duo has made.

"she's four, but at least you can eat properly." she hisses, making the whole group of people.

"ah look, princess, mamma's scolding daddy again."

"you and your princess" the wife shakes her head.

"mamma no scold daddy!" aera shrieks.

"but daddy's making a mess, honey."

"no" the girl shakes her head, "daddy chicken?" she looks up, holding the peice of chicken in front of her father's face and continued feeding him like she's been doing all this while.

"alright, i think i'm full now" jaehyun sighs, "now feed your mamma."

"not me" eunmi shakes her head.

"ah the uncles wanted to be your friend right, feed them."

"i give up" jin's father stands up, making the others laugh.

"has she actually eaten or just wasted the food?" eunmi asks as they start clearing the table while jungkook is still eating slowly, busy with his phone.

"a little bit, she might get hungry later." the father says, looking down at aera and touched her stomach, "is there anything in here?"

"chicken" aera giggles.

"but riri fed all the chicken to daddy, how did it get in riri's tummy?"

"magic!" jaehyun laughs at her, shaking his head and sat her on the table. "kook, feed her with you."

jungkook hums in response, too absorbed with ash wining another battle and catching a new pokemon. the parents sigh, knowing he'll just end up playing with aera if they eat together, so their eyes automatically wander around the living room, stopping on their elder son who is responsible and makes sure everything is in place in their absence.

"jimin," jaehyun calls.

"yes dad?"

"can you feed aera please? mom will prepare her mac-n-cheese or something."

"sure" the boy replies.

"great, i'll get us cleaned first" the father scrunches his face up, picking up the four-year-old and sat her on his shoulder, making her laugh.

"she'll eat from you?" taehyung asks.

"yeah," jimin shrugs casually, "jungkook and dad can't feed her. mom can, because she gets irritated and then aera has to eat. you should see them, it's hilarious." he laughs.

the boys looks over to the kitchen on hearing eunmi laughing at jimin's words, "aera and jungkook are literally the same." she sighs, "look at him, almost fourteen but still takes more than half an hour eating with that phone of his."

"it's the same eunmi," jin's mother voices, "tae was the same. younger kids take up a lot of energy, my jin and joon are so much better."

taehyung gasps, pretending to be offended by his mother's comment about him, but ended up smiling when she patted his head, sending a kissy face towards him.

"even though jimin's just a few months older than tae, he's still so mature and responsible." his father says, making jimin throw a smug look at taehyung.

"he'll learn eventually" eunmi chuckles, serving the mac-n-cheese in a plate, "jimin, take this, and- wait, where's your dad again?"

"here!" jaehyun appears back, placing aera on her feet as she's giggling and jumping for the father to carry her again. "daddy's going out for a while, go to oppa," he says, patting her head.

"daddy, b'ing candy"

"candy?" he chuckles, "count everyone and tell me how many candies do we need?"

the girl looks around, starting from jungkook, "one," she points at him, "mamma two! daddy three! oppa four! uncle six!"

"it's five" jaehyun corrects, "six comes after five."

"ten candy!"

"alright, i guess kookie will do the counting for aera," he laughs.

"koo count pwease! i wan' candy"

"16" the boy says, standing up, finally being done with his food and places his dish in the sink.

"16 candy!" aera tells the answer to her father who nods in response.

"okay, we'll get 16 candies. now take your food, and jimin, please make sure she eats."

"aye aye captain!" jimin salutes, making jaehyun laugh. "ri, come here."

the fathers went out, and the mothers had suddenly decided to sit in the backyard, having the nature's view. the boys had tried their best to tell their names to the four-year-old and make her remember it, but she looked less interested.

"do you know my name aera?" taehyung asks, leaning forward from his place.

"no" she shakes her head, opening her mouth again as jimin brought the spoon closer to her lips. "oppa.."

"no talking while eating," jimin says, earning a nod from the girl.

"wow" hoseok looks impressed, "you're amazing jimin,"

aera giggles and glances up at her brother, "amazing chimin!"

"i know right?" he smiles back, feeding her the last spoonful of her meal, "ah look, it's finished."

"yayy!" the girl jumps with her hands above her head and hugs jimin, making the boys laugh. "mission complete!"

"yes, now go and keep it in the kitchen" jimin says, giving her the plate and the spoon. aera nods, running to the kitchen, however changing her route midway as her eyes spot jungkook on dining table, still busy with his phone.

"koo" she tip-toes next to him, "what are you doing?"

"pokemon"

"koo"

"hm?"

"koo"

"yes, ri?"

"koo"

"what?" he turns to look her this time, "what is it?"

"let's play"

"play with hyungs, i'm busy."

"hyuns?"

"those six people there," jungkook points near the couch, "they're called hyungs."

"no, they're oppa"

"yeah i mean, for you they're oppa, for me they're hyung."

"why?"

"because you're a girl and i'm a boy, now go."

"i'm a boy" aera states, hitting his leg and runs away, leaving the plate and spoon there.

"no, you're a girl"

"i'm a boy!" she whines, stomping her foot on the floor, "riri is booyyyyyyy!"

"what happened?" jimin asks, "jungkook i told you not to hit her!"

"i didn't hit her! she hits me!"

"come here, aera" the girl walks towards jimin, sitting on his lap and hugging him, "what did kookie do?" he asks, stroking her hair.

"koo called me girl," she pouts, "i'm not girl, i'm a boy!"

"ah i see" jimin presses his lips together to keep himself from laughing like the rest of the boys chuckling at her adorable complaint.

"what's wrong with being a girl?" yoongi asks.

"oppa is a boy" aera mumbles, "i wan- wan' be a boy too"

"my baby," jimin sighs, "aera is a girl, because she's oppa's princess right? kookie is a boy, so he's not my princess. do you still wanna be a boy?"

aera gasps, shaking her head quickly, "i'm pwincess, oppa"

"aera's a princess hm?" jin asks earning a nod from the girl.

"princesses remember my name aera" taehyung says.

"i know" she says, "you are taetae"

taehyung gasps, widely and hugs the girl making her giggle while the rest of the boys stare at them, feeling defeated as taehyung made friends with her before any of them could.

"what's my name?" hoseok says.

aera looks up at jimin for some help, who smiles and mouths, 'hobi'

"hobi!"

"and mine?"

"joonie!" she grins, "and yoogi and jinnie!"

"yes!"

"be quiet! im trying to listen to misty!"

"he likes misty" jimin whispers, making the boys laugh.

"no koo likes riri" aera laughs.

"not wrong though"

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a/n- you see i'm using lowercase, i just started this a few days back because it looks cool to me 😌😌 no really, i think i'll be writing like this for a while, well until i get bored and decide to go back to normal. also i'm trying to develop my present tense writing, so i'm using that too, as i've done in this chapter. idk i just felt like, yk writing in present tense.

oh and i had this question, after reading this chapter, what do you think which chapter is better? this or where aera is 8 and meets the boys for the first time? (i personally like both, so i'll keep both of them in the book😙 )

i did a 4yo aera chapter as many of wanted this :) but don't worry for those who wanna see more of jikook's brotherhood, i think i'll be posting that soon. you tell me when should i upload that chapter? sunday? 😄

the last things as always, please vote and comment, it really means a lot to me. aaaand share the story, let everyone read what you love. and have a great day/night, take care of yourselves.

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