when you wake up | sunki

five.

Sunoo shows up on time at the Park family's door the next afternoon to take Jungwon to the music store, and Grandma Park welcomes him warmly. "Jungwon is almost done getting ready," she says, smiling. "Come in for a while, won't you?"

She invites Sunoo in and offers drinks and refreshments which he refuses graciously, but she manages to get him to accept a small cake and a couple of sweets in the end anyway. "You're taking Jungwon into town, my son said?"

"Yes, there's a big music store there where they're more likely to have a bigger variety of guitars," Sunoo willingly explains. "It'll be easier to find one that suits Jungwon, since he shouldn't be using regular guitars yet. Are you going to join us?"

The elderly lady waves away his question. "I've got some housework to do, it'll do me good to have some quiet this afternoon. Keep an eye on Jungwon, he likes to run about these days. Seven year olds..."

"I'll take good care of Jungwon, please don't worry," Sunoo reassures her generously, taking another bite of his cake. "I'm quite surprised that you would let me take him out alone, though."

Grandma Park looks him over and answers. "You seem like a reliable type, good with kids. My son trusts you, so that means something."

"I won't break his trust," Sunoo promises. "Thank you for your compliments."

Jungwon comes running from one of the rooms just then, dressed in a bright blue cloud-patterned shirt and dark shorts, with a little white bag shaped like a stuffed sheep on his shoulder.

"Jungwon-ah, I told you not to bring that bag, you can hardly carry anything in it-"

"But it's cute! Grandma, please..."

"It's alright! I'll carry anything else if he needs it," Sunoo immediately offers, and Grandma Park gives him a grateful smile.

"Alright then, if you don't mind," she says. "Jungwon, say thank you to Sunoo-hyung."

"Thank you Sunoo-hyung!"

"Don't worry about it!" Sunoo gives the boy a little smile as he waves him over to the door. "Come on, let's go now."

The small bus station is a few blocks' walk away from the apartment building and Sunoo makes sure to keep an eye on Jungwon as he walks, though the younger boy doesn't yet seem to be in any troublemaking mood.

"Jungwon, do you like music?"

"Yup!" His sheep backpack bounces on his shoulders as he walks. "My dad sings in the shower a lot, so I learned from him. Grandma says it's terrible because she can't get any peace around here, but she likes it. I heard her telling my dad, and he laughed at her and told her I'm just like him."

Sunoo can't help but smile. Jungwon is at that age where kids say anything that comes to mind, and the older boy can't help but find it adorable. "Why don't you sing a little?" he prompts. "Do you have a favourite song?"

Jungwon seems to think for a second before deciding. "My dad likes Pororo," he says. "I can sing the opening!"

"Your dad likes it?" Sunoo tries to imagine Jay in his pajamas switching the channel to Pororo the Little Penguin and he wants to laugh. "Don't you mean you like it?"

"No," Jungwon looks up at him with the most serious expression a seven year old could muster. "My dad likes it. Ask him yourself."

Sunoo gives him a look. "What? Deadass?"

"What's deadass mean?"

A late realisation dawns on Sunoo that maybe he shouldn't be swearing around his neighbour's elementary school kid. "Nothing! You shouldn't say that word, I'm sure you misheard it!"

"I heard you say deadass!" Jungwon insists and Sunoo picks him up by the waist to distract him.

"Let's take an express ride to the bus station!"

Sunoo takes off running down the path to the bus stop at the highest speed he can muster with a seven year old in tow, and by the time they reach he finds that the younger boy has long forgotten about the whole altercation. Seven year old boys are, he supposes, also ridiculously easy to please, and Sunoo appreciates this as they board the bus bound for the city.

─

They return from town before the sun sets, Jungwon still in the middle of an ice cream cone and Sunoo holding the new guitar in its case over his shoulder. The money Jay sent him for the instrument is much more than what was needed to pay, and Sunoo reminds himself to give the excess back when they next meet.

"We'll start classes next week," he says as they near Jungwon's front door. "I'll see you on Fridays after school, okay?"

"Okay!" Jungwon is mostly occupied with finishing his ice cream before it drips all over his hands, but he looks up to smile at Sunoo. "Thank you for taking me out today!"

Grandma Park is at the door to receive them, and she conveys gratitude to Sunoo as he sets the new guitar down inside their home and bids a short farewell to the younger boy. "Thank you for taking good care of Jungwon," she says kindly. "You could drop by for dinner sometimes, you know, if you wanted. We'd always appreciate having someone like you around."

"Actually, Grandma," Sunoo begins. "There's something I'd like to ask you about."

"Yes? What is it?"

"There's a boy who lives above me, his name is Riki," he explains. "What's going on with him?"

"Ah, that boy..." The elderly lady motions toward the sitting area. "Sit down, there's quite a long story to be told there."

Sunoo willingly sits across from Grandma Park, and she continues talking.

"His family has lived here about three years now, a very wonderful family, brother and sister with their parents. It was such a pity when the accident happened; three of them gone, and Riki in hospital for such terrible injuries. He's just returned from the hospital a couple weeks ago, and I've been sending food up to his apartment every day. His parents were wonderful people, and I'm sorry to see them go."

"Sorry, you said he got back a couple of weeks ago?" Sunoo asks, confused. "He told me he'd just gotten back three days ago. I might have misheard, but that's what I remember."

"Oh, yes." Grandma Park smiles to herself, and Sunoo is no less confused than he originally was. "If you ask him again today, I'm sure he'll tell you he just returned today."

"What? I don't understand, Grandma."

"Something happened to him during the accident, Sunoo," she says finally. "Some part of his brain must have been damaged in the impact, I don't know the details any more than you do. But one thing's certain, he can't remember anything past 24 hours."