hiraeth | woosan

no

Wooyoung guides San to a spot where they can see the nursery's playground.

They can see small children running around with toys in their hand. He can hear their merry laughter, their broken nursery song and someone crying somewhere—the sound of life.

"Yunho grew taller!" Wooyoung exclaims excitedly. "Ah, Mingi and Jongho must have made peace."

San shifts his gaze to Wooyoung, who is mumbling each and every child's name, looking lively as ever—well, as lively as ghosts can be.

"You miss them?" San asks, shifting his gaze back to children running about the ground, looking spirited to the fullest.

"Is that even a question?" he scoffs.

"Don't you want to be with them?" It slips off San's mouth carelessly, before he could consider how it sounded.

He gasps, and turns his head to Wooyoung, who has his shimmering eyes on him, his lips a faint curve.

Wooyoung doesn't have to speak, for his eyes talk louder than anything.

And yes, San shouldn't have asked.

***

"This is what you wanted to do?"

"Yup, grocery shopping. We didn't get to do it because of our time schedule."

The grocery store at noon is fairly crowded. San is now exposed to eyes that could consider him a lunatic talking to air, but 'consideration' doesn't seem to be in Wooyoung's dictionary as he keeps on talking. Not that San minds.

It's probably one of the smaller wishes, but San had always wanted to go grocery shopping with Wooyoung. He wanted to walk down aisles of a huge store together, while Wooyoung would pick what he needed for the house or for dinner. They would bicker over flavour of ice creams, search for the perfect detergent, and ponder what to eat for dinner together—all because they lived together.

But their working schedules were unmatched—San used to work late, while Wooyoung got off his work early. Wooyoung would buy all the needed groceries and cook dinner, and San would come back to the apartment filled with the smell of the freshly prepared dinner. It smelt like home.

Wooyoung puckers his lips. He does that a lot, when he is thinking of something. San would kiss it, if his 'physically unavailable-ness' didn't deny the chance.

"Grocery shopping, it is," Wooyoung smiles. "But since I can't cook, you're the cook today."

San parts his lips. When he wanted to go grocery shopping with Wooyoung, he was still alive.

"I was thinking we could buy ramen or some prepped food...." San murmurs.

Wooyoung sighs. "I knew you were eating unhealthily! I mean look at you."

San glances down at his body. Maybe he's grown skinnier but he thinks there's not much difference. He stopped caring about his physique when he lost the purpose to.

"We are doing what you want to do, so it's only fair that we do what I want to do too," Wooyoung says determinedly.

"You...want me to cook?"

"Exactly."

"You know how I suck at cooking." San frowns. "I'd just lose my finger or turn edible things into charcoal."

"You won't, because I'll be guiding you and watching you." He floats up in the air. How convenient, San thinks, that the rule of gravity doesn't apply to ghosts. Weight doesn't tie him down anymore, and he's free.

"Let's go Sannie! Follow me!"

San quickly pushes the cart and follows the lead, which is flying Wooyoung, careful not to hit someone on the way.

This isn't exactly the experience he imagined it to be.

On their way back home, they walk past The Kim's, and Wooyoung's eyes beam.

"Damn, I miss their chocolate cookies."

"Oh. My. God." Wooyoung sighs, his eyes widened as if he was just struck by lightning.

"What happened?" San asks inattentively, analysing the situation 'not serious' with Wooyoung holding a chocolate cookie he bought from the cafe earlier.

"This is like the best chocolate cookie in the world!"

San chuckles. "What if I baked one?"

Although he is pretty sure the end result will resemble a child throwing in a lump of mud in an oven.

"Then it would be the close second—but listen, you need to try this." Wooyoung pressures him, and he easily agrees.

"Sure."

"I've been having them almost everyday," San comments. He didn't mean to sound like he was bragging, but it sure did, and Wooyoung pouts. Or maybe he did, wanting to see that cute expression on him.

"Have you had their pound cakes? I really wanted to."

"No."

"For real? You have every chance to indulge in these delicious mortal food, and you don't?" Wooyoung whines like it's the most outrageous thing he's heard. "You're going to try it next time," he asserts.

"...Maybe?"

"Definitely."

San gives in. He's never had a chance to win against Wooyoung anyways. "Okay."