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She was there near the pond watching the numerous koi fish displaying their array of pleading color swimming in lit water under the moonlight. He loved how she constantly had to tuck her fallen strand of hair behind her ear. The special hairdo the lady did for her in order to fit in this ceremony. She looked like a princess under the beautiful night sky. His breath tingled with a sliver of anticipation of being close to her.
"Anyway, thank you so much for your support. We could have never done it without you." Of course, he had to turn his attention to his clients once in a while. Sitting under the gazebo with the color light and lanterns surrounding the place made him feel at ease.
Suho seemed to notice his distracted mind and smiled at the younger brother, tightening his golden tie. Apparently, the older man was a lot busier than Minseok thought he would be. The man just got back from another event, slightly sweating in his suit. Minseok, on the other hand, found the silky fabric of the kimono comforting.
"If you don't mind, can we join the ceremony?" Suho had a better grip on Japanese than he did, sounding just like a native speaker.
"Oh, I see you're uncomfortable in your suit. If you'd like, I'll have someone bring a kimono." The older woman smiled to which Suho nodded gratefully.
"Will you? You read mind." They all laughed, and the two of them excused themselves with Suho dragging Minseok to his room in the hotel where he changed into the cooler kimono. "So, how is it going with you both?"
"It's okay I guess." Minseok wasn't sure what to answer. There was so much to say, but so little words to explain.
"I know what you're thinking – ow. Help." The older brother almost slipped and fell while trying to put the piece of garment on.
Minseok stayed silent as he helped his brother. Of course, he knew what he was thinking. Even though they hadn't been around each other much as adults, they were close as kids. There was something about the older that made him feel better just being around him.
He had once overheard the fact that Suho begged for a younger sibling to which his parents had previously refused when he was four – just as he was starting to understand words. At first, he didn't think much of it, but then it became clear that his parents didn't pay much attention to him. It wasn't like they hated him. It was just that every parent had their own biases towards their children. Now, they actually toned it down and were a lot receptive to him, which he did appreciate them for trying.
Minseok would have grown up to resent his brother if it wasn't for his dumb love for him. He always felt a puppy that Suho pleaded to adopt and promised to take care and love all on his own without bothering his parents. Although they didn't show him the same love they did for the older brother, Suho made sure that he filled in the role.
Minseok still remembered holding his big hands as they walked to his kindergarten. The kids at school mocked for being fat while Suho just picked him up like he was a feather and swung him around, playing with him at the playground, poking his chubby cheeks, and telling him that he was the cutest kid on the block. While his parents couldn't attend events at school, Suho was always there cheering him up in the crowd.
