dandelion ➳ 박성훈

𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓: sour candies & ice cream

chapter eight

꒰☁️꒱

"I'M. SO. TIRED!" haneul exclaimed, heeseung following closely, a pouty jungwon deciding to become a turtle right the last minute and walk in his own pace.

"wonie, we said eight o'clock and it's already half past eight, can't you just get your legs working?" she whined, her right hand slapping his arm as she clinged onto his hoodie and started pulling him.

"han, let him be. he's the one to arrive late and miss the fun." the older one teased, making jungwon huff while pouting and looking away. and it of course grabbed haneul's attention.

"wonie. why are you so down baby?" she caressed his cheeks, the mother in him activating as she jabbed a finger on his side. "c'mon, give me one of those smiles I like and let's go have some fun with our new friend."

'it's your new friend.' he thought, his lips twitching into a smile that was so fake, even the most oblivious person would notice. she pinched his side, as he jerked up and yelped in pain.

"the hell?" "no, the heavens. now, get your lazy ass and walk faster so that we can finally meet!" she said, brows knitted together as she took some big steps and passed heeseung.

the boy gave her a questioning look, but it didn't take much time for him to realize why. he made a sharp turn as his eyes were glued on her back, then stomped his feet in front of the young raven.

"jungwon, you're making things way worse than they already are. can't you just do me the favor and act normal for once? do you really think that she will be happier if you sulk?"

"obviously not, now walk!" with his demanding tone, the older pointed to the front, where haneul had her head hanging low while looking at her feet. jungwon took a deep breath, his steps quickening as he walked beside her.

"I'm really sorry kim, I'm just in a bad mood today, but I should by no means let it affect me. please smile."

his head popped up in front of her, as a smile creeped up on her face. she's not the type to hold grudges for too long, as her hands trapped him into a tight hug.

"you're the one that should smile. I don't know why, but you're always sulking for the past few weeks and thus saddens me. but I'll let you be, maybe one day you'll be able to tell me what's wrong."

'wish I could, but it ain't easy.'

jungwon offered her one of the most sincere smiles he's shown to her for some time, nodding as she let go off him─tho he wished for the hug to last longer, it was impossible.

"gosh we're finally here!" heeseung said from behind them, spotting the tall raven boy from afar as he raised his hands and shook them. the other smiled in relief, as he ran to them and fixed his jacket.

"I started wondering whether you'll actually come or not." he said, his lips pouting as haneul tightly hugged him. "never! my legs still hurt and it took me a while to get up from bed after getting comfortable."

'she's always kind enough to hide the truth, I hate that.' jungwon thought while quivering from how cold the weather had started to get, heeseung looking at him to see whether he did react to haneul's statement or not.

"c'mon, mom cooked dinner and we don't want it to get cold or what." he said, smiling at haneul as he took her freezing hand and placed it inside his coat's pocket. "and you, always wear your gloves when you go out."

"yes mom." she mockingly said, then clinged onto his arm while following. the two boys were left walking right behind them, quietly chit chatting.

after a good ten-minute walk, the tall raven pointed at a house at the very top of a small hill right near the sea. haneul thought of it as the ideal place to live, having the sun hitting its walls from every side possible.

"woah." she voiced her awe, jungwon scrutinizing sunghoon's face as they started walking up the small rocky path.

sunghoon took the keys off his pocket as he opened the door, being met with his mom who was just passing by in a hurry, wanting to get the plates with food and place them on the big table before the guests arrive.

"oh!" she said, holding onto the three bowls of ramen with some difficulty as her son reached for two of them. "hello kids, I guess you are hoonie's friends, right?"

"mom!" the boy said while elbowing her arm, a small chuckle leaving the girl's mouth as she bowed. "hello miss park, I'm kim haneul."

sunghoon took the remained bowl off his mom's hands, as the woman gave the girl a nod. "sunghoon has talked to me about you, how you met and how you ended up attending the same school. and oh my, you're one of a goddess in real life."

"mom!" the boy complained again, as haneul raised a brow at him. "why so anxious sunghoon-ssi?" she teased, as he beckoned for all of them follow him in the living room.

"have a seat." his mom said, looking at the other two boys as she wondered. "and you? what're your names?"

"I'm lee heeseung, and this sulky boy right here is yang jungwon." the older took the lead and said, her nodding with a chuckle as she stood up from sitting in the armrest of the armchair her son was seated on.

"excuse me for a moment, I'll be gone to bring some snacks. make yourself at home." she said, but before she could leave the room, sunghoon stood up and came closer to her.

"mom, where's dad?" he whispered, cautious of the others who were busy looking around and admiring all the pictures of little sunghoon in skating shoes─this being haneul.

"he's not here yet, and I am sure that he won't disturb you son." she patted his shoulder, the boy side hugging her with a smile. he mumbled a weak yet coherent 'okay' and walked his way to the armchair again.

"hoon, you really were one of a great ice skater. look at you flexing all these gold metals!" haneul commented, the boy grinning as he took a photo of his from the self and tapped on the glass.

"well, I have to admit that I've done well as an ice skater. but now, I have other ambitions for the future." he said, placing the photo back in the self.

"oh, and what is it?" he turned around and smiled at her. "an idol, maybe. I once attended a dance class and I had to admit that I liked it, so I found my passion in dancing."

she clapped for him, so did heeseung. "we'll be rooting for you." he said, her nodding. "of course! we'll be cheering for you nonstop, right jungwon?"

the boy blinked a couple of times, his name being called once again before he replied. "y─yeah, always."

he reached for a candy from the bowl in front of them, sunghoon's brows raising up as he spoke. "you like sour candies?"

jungwon looked at the wrapped treat, his preferences in treats wasn't a topic to discuss right now. all he wanted to do was busy himself, while having to put up with those two tormenting hours.

"yeah. yeah, I do." he said, throwing the candy in his mouth as if it was a pill, munching on it with a sour look on his face. "I like the taste."

"doesn't sound like you." haneul only said, before reaching for the bowl of ice cream the raven was offering him. "ha, weird. it's as if you knew I liked vanilla."

sunghoon sat beside her with a small smile, silence falling in the room with only the clanking of the utensils his mom was using in the kitchen being heard.

it was peaceful, yet jungwon had a hard time swallowing the sour candy, along with the sour truth.