Lip Balm | Wooyoung

18

Sunday

Hyunmi and Wooyoung lie on the grass of the park together, exhausted after playing catch with each other.

Jihyo also joins them, but feels a bit restless and confused. "Are you done resting? Let's play some more!" she chirps, having too much energy right now to lie around.

Wooyoung groans without moving a muscle. "But we just got here," he whines. The young girl pouts to herself until she hears another child shouting from a distance. "Jihyo! Come play with us!" a bunch of other kids scream at her, coincidentally also arriving to the park.

The little girl excitedly hops up. "Bye!" she hurriedly exclaims before running away to her friends. Hyunmi feels a fond smile on her as she watches the child dash in the other direction.

Wooyoung and Hyunmi now lie side by side on the fluffy grass. They stare up at the dimming sky in a peaceful silence. Clouds blur in and out of the sky as the sun gets ready to set. An orange glow breaks out into the blue sea above quite quickly, spreading its presence gradually.

"I haven't run around like that in so long," Wooyoung sighs, his breath now leaving a light puff of mist into the air from the dropping temperature.

"Neither have I and now I'm tired," Hyunmi laughs. A new kind of energy pumps through her veins, but at the same time fatigue settles into her muscles.

Wooyoung laughs along with the girl in agreement until a thought occurs to him.

"Hyunmi, why is your job so important to you? Shouldn't you look for a job that's less tiring?" he wonders. Hyunmi takes a deep breath, staring at the little cloud that leaves her mouth disperse after.

"I had been looking for jobs for a long time but no one wanted to hire me. I settled with the job I currently have years ago since I was in desperate need of money but now no other job is offering me a pay high enough. I can't lose this job or else my mother will be all alone earning money for my sister's treatment and I know very well that she can't afford it..." the girl explains sadly.

"How about your dad? Is he not earning money too?" Wooyoung asks. Hyunmi unconsciously clenches her fists by her side and gulps.

"He left my mom when my sister was still young and cut all ties with us. We haven't heard from him since then," she replies with gritted teeth. Wooyoung stays silent in response, heart sinking at the girl's situation.

"Anyway, I turned the mood a bit sad, didn't I?" Hyunmi chuckles. Wooyoung doesn't laugh with her this time, still thinking hard.

"Tell me more about yourself. How was the last place you lived at? Do you have friends there?" Hyunmi questions.

Wooyoung hums in thought at her question. "My family lives at my hometown, and then the city I moved to...I didn't make any friends there. Then I made two friends at the next city...and then none in the city after that...and now we're here!" he giggles.

Hyunmi widens her eyes in shock. "You've moved that much?" she gasps. "Yeah, but I hope I can keep my job here. I've already met someone that I don't want to lose," he smiles warmly to himself, cheeks stealing the pink tint from the sky.

Hyunmi quickly shoots up and turns to Wooyoung. He also sits up and runs his fingers through his hair.

"You did? Who is it?" she wonders excitedly, feeling happy Wooyoung has made a new friend here. Wooyoung stares back at the girl in disbelief with his eyebrow raised. "This person...they're very oblivious," he smiles, eyes not leaving Hyunmi.

"Oblivious to what?" she wonders, her eyes still wide out of curiosity. Her eyes sparkle straight at Wooyoung and he can't help himself from bursting out with laughter. Hyunmi furrows her eyebrows. "What's so funny?" she mumbles, looking around her frantically.