「 CHILD SUPPORT 」 Minsung

Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ 5

The two siblings spoke a long time. They spoke about the future, college, ancient childhood memories, and the bakery, the people in the bakery, the baker, Iamar, Madam Rose, the silver haired neighbour, and—Ah shit ! Jisung thought, I forgot to ask about his name.

Again.

__________

Around midnight, Jisung had finally sent his sister off. He had insisted that she ought to be careful, but quickly shushed himself when he remembered she was very capable of self-defence. She heavily insisted about the fact that "this thing needs to be cleaned. Deadass. I don't even know the real colour of the thing, nor if it's really a cat!". The younger brother had been forced to admit it; he himself didn't know the true fur Herbert had.

After quickly cleaning the slight mess they had made by eating, he decided to go on the balcony. He knew it wasn't a very smart idea; it was February, late winter, midnight, cold, he had work the next day. Yet he still went.

There was something about cities at night. The city street lights glistening. The random, far laughter coming from drunk people, the steps of two lovers walking calmly hand in hand under the balcony. Snow, although dirtied, sleeping in shadows corners. The flickering lights from the buildings.

Although the sky always stayed pitch back in cities, life would shine brighter than the stars, in these moments.

Jisung looked at Herbert, folded on his lap. Tail slowly brushing the balcony, his eyes were glistening, and his purr was engulfing Jisung with a sense of warmth and calmness.

"- You really trusted me easily, didn't you," he muttered, starting to stroke Herbert's head. When his fingers got stuck in the fur by an unknown substance, Jisung gagged allegedly, before hearing a voice.

"- Umm, are you okay?" Why! What have I done to receive this treatment. Jisung looked at the man who spoke. The man was on the balcony of his own apartment, and his face was in the shadows, sharp light coming from inside. He was holding a stick between his fingers. Jisung judged the man, disapproving the usage of a probable cigarette.

"- You know, smoking ain't cute," he said, before stroking Herbert again, dismissing the mysterious stickiness of the cat. He had seen too many high schoolers—sometimes even middle schoolers—and friends starting to smoke because it looks cool or its just one time, chill. But smoking was an addiction, as much as people wanted it to look 'cool'.

"- Uuuh... Yeah, true," the man answered, and Jisung looked at him. The man suddenly bit into the cigarette.

"- The fuck you're doing! Huh?! Wanna die quicker? Dumb way to do it! Spit it out! Oh my fucking god, why would you do this! Spit it out! I can't-

- Do you also want a pocky?" The man cut Jisung, blunt, before presenting a small package.

"- I know smoking is bad, that's why I don't smoke. However, I very much enjoy pocky's. Do you want some?" When he understood the cigarette was,  in fact, just a sweet, Jisung started laughing uncontrollably and trying to apologise. Blurred words were coming out of his mouth.

"- Ahahaaaah, shit, I'm so sorry. I was so rude... Aaaaah! Please forget what I said," He apologised, his harsh words echoing in his brain. His cheeks warmed up, he scrapped his nape and tried to avoid the eyes of the man.