the perks of a fractured wrist || bokuto kotaro

4 | you're a little more insulated

"I'm sorry, [Surname]."

Jinghua sat in the chair across from you, head slightly bowed. Her hands were folded gingerly on the coffee table in front of you, fiddling with her fingers. You gently place your hands on hers. They're worn and aged, despite her being in her late thirties, at most.

"No, no, it's alright," You reassure her. She looks up at you with a grateful, but pained expression. "I don't mind. Being able to see Lei and Chen is more than enough payment for me. And I understand that things are a little hard for you at the moment."

"That's putting it lightly," Jinghua said with a half-hearted chuckle. She sat up slowly, eyes aglow with a grateful, almost beholden quality. "Thank you so much for understanding. And for the sweets, they're so lovely. The boys absolutely adore your cooking."

You flash her a grateful smile, flushing at her compliment. "No, thank you! I'm sure things are going to be looking up for you soon."

"I hope so."

Jinghua led you down the stairs to the grocery store, patrons of the grocer scattered throughout the aisles. Although speaking generally it was a rather large building, when you looked at the commercial supermarkets around the area, it was comparatively small. Lei and Chen spot you as you walk down, faces smeared with fudge. They run up to hug you before you leave, but their mother cleverly stops them, barricading you from their sticky embrace.

"Mama, I wanna hug Neesan before she has to go!" Lei whined as Jinghua pulled a tissue out from her apron pocket. Chen replicated his older brother's insistence, peeking around his mother as you laughed. Jinghua stuck out a leg in front of Chen, stopping him from moving.

"Not looking like that you're not," Jinghua lectures, scrubbing at their faces. She mutters something in Mandarin, causing them to groan. From your limited Chinese that you'd learned from being around the family, it sounded like she was saying something along the lines of 'what am I going to do with you'. Deeming them clean enough, she steps aside. The boys rush up to you and throw their arms around your waist, snuggling into your front.

"What do we say?" Jinghua asked.

"Thank you!" Lei says, giving you a toothy grin. "Thank you for the chocolate!"

"Thank you, thank you!" Chen repeats.

"Aww," You coo, stroking their backs. "You're very welcome. You know, if you're extra good, maybe I'll make some pumpkin pancakes next time."

"Nan gua bing!" Lei and Chen exclaim. Their eyes light up at the mention of their favourite winter pastry. "Please make it, Neesan!"

"Only if you behave," You say cheekily, giving Jinghua a wink. Their mother gives you a similarly mischievous smile before telling the boys to put away the fudge so it doesn't go off. The two reluctantly pull away, heading into the back room to do as their mother has told. Jinghua opens the entrance door, the familiar ringing of the door chime sounding throughout the store as you wish her goodbye.

You grab the handles of your bike and feel a breath exit you, pent up frustration bursting out like steam pouring out of a hardworking machine. As you begin to make the slow walk back to your apartment, you find yourself making a rogue turn off of the familiar path. Somehow, it doesn't feel right to be home at the moment. You needed time - time to sort out what the next plan of action was. And it felt like if you were cooped up in your room all alone doing all of that thinking, you might go stir-crazy. Instead, you slowly begin making your way to the same, familiar bench by the park.

The chilly air of autumn no longer feels crisp, instead turning stagnant and slightly frigid. Even though it's only around five in the afternoon, the biting cold seems even colder than usual. You sit down, grateful that you're wearing warmer clothing, as you had anticipated that you would be out from dawn to dusk. Despite the warm orange of the sky, there's a feeling in your fingertips that makes your entire body feel icy. Perhaps this was how Jinghua felt, when she realised that her grocer was slowly becoming dysfunctional.