granny

11// walk

damn, i thought i'd have a ton of time to post everything bc i caught covid but i actually don't have any lol.. still trying to keep up the posting schedule tho my readers have gone incognito 

might post everything before i get out of quarantine so that i get it over with and i don't have time to leave granny for another 6 months ^^

the boys weren't woken up the next day, strangely enough, and slept in past breakfast time. minho lazily opened his eyes, like a cute little kitten and licked his lips instinctively. he was usually the first one to wake up but today they switched roles, maybe because the stay in the garden had tired him.

"morning," jisung greeted and turned to his side with a huge smile dancing on his lips.

"good morning," the older whispered but his voice came out raspy and he hid his face in a hand uncomfortably. jisung laughed and hugged him by the waist, getting comfortable again, though neither was going to fall asleep now.

"remember when i used to crush you because i lied on top of you every time?"

"yeah," minho chuckled, "the bed was too small but i didn't want to tell you that because i was worried you'd stop coming if i do."

"yeah, and then your arm became blue and you lost sense of it. i was worried that you might get it amputated because of me when they took you to the hospital."

the older smiled and swiped a thumb over jisung's cheek, "yeah, and then you used your own money to buy me snacks and brought me flowers."

"i could only find daisies though," the shorter laughed in embarrassment.

"yeah but you still picked them yourself," minho chuckled too, "i really liked them with the little ribbon you tied them with.."

they shared another giggle at the memory of the dozen daisies kept together with a small reddish string and then fell into silence.

"hey, do you want to go out?"

"um.. sure. i haven't really left the house since i got here," jisung admitted.

"why not?"

"i don't know, i guess i had nowhere to be."

"well, you can be in the meadows, taking a walk. we can hide from the sun. there might be daisies," minho reflected and received a nod, "should we get going then? before it gets too hot?"

jisung didn't want to move but agreed to get ready. it was change, a very welcome one. also, taking a walk would mean that he wouldn't be alone with the elders today. soon enough, they were downstairs and preparing to head out.

"granny, we're going out on a walk," minho warned as he put on his shoes.

"both?," she judgementally questioned and immediately appeared at the door.

"yes. jisung needs sun and fresh air too. we won't be gone for too long."

"you can't go out," she protested squeakily, "i need help with lunch. you have to be with grandpa in the barn.."

"sorry," minho nodded back to her and tied his shoes emotionlessly, "we can do this when we come back," he deadpanned and opened the door, letting jisung out and then greeted the woman with his head.

granny nodded with her jaw clenched. the younger thought she looked mad but didn't want to give up on his walk to make her happy.

they walked through the meadow quietly, then into a small forest in between the villages. this wasn't the road that cars were using, just an old cart road that, as granny had explained, was the fastest way to go elsewhere on foot.

the weather was sunny and warm and jisung felt defrosted for the first time in days, "is that the way you take to go shopping?," he asked curiously.

"yes. but the shop is still a long way from here," minho replied with a smile, "we don't need to go all the way there. there are many villages we can stop at."

"i can't believe you were out here last night. was it scary?"

"a little. but the forest is too small for animals to live here. the only thing that could bother me was humans, but i was completely alone," the older explained, "but the cupboard thing must have been terrifying.. did you cry?"

jisung looked down with embarrassment, "yes i did. but it wasn't that scary.."

minho giggled, "i know. but closing you into the fucking cupboard is batshit crazy," he commented and waited for a reply.

"well, maybe father had to do this too. i have no doubt that she beat him up as a kid," jisung chuckled, "it's just her method, a bit violent but i.. believe she is benevolent."

want to believe. that was the right word for it but he found minho too harsh on the old woman and wanted to have faith in her.

"why?," the taller questioned, "there's something really off with her, i swear. it's like she wants us to get hurt and that's why she makes us do dangerous things.."

"let's go this way. there are sunflowers around here," jisung interrupted and eyed the pretty flowers around them. he was taking them in eagerly as they approached them.

"look, all i'm saying is that you need to be more careful with her. and with grandpa too," minho caught his arm to get him to listen to him again, "that gent tried to kill us with a hammer yesterday!"

"i know, don't worry. i'll be fine," jisung diligently nodded and took the other's hand to remove it from his body. he joined their hands and started walking, "is that okay?"

"yeah, don't worry, it's fine," minho nonchalantly replied.

"oh, oh, let's go that way," the younger pointed to a village nearby, "this one looks more colourful than our village!"

minho agreed and they entered the village and looked around the pretty gardens and houses, to each its own colour, pet a few kittens along the way and sat down on the main square, where people were gathering for shopping day.

"i'm sorry i didn't talk to you at the funeral. it was just frustrating. i just came back and we were finally together, having lunch once a week and everything was fine. and then all of a sudden i'm getting a call, saying that he's died.. he was snatched so abruptly..," jisung muttered with regret.

"that's okay. i was shocked when he died too. but heart attacks are impossible to predict. at least he didn't suffer," the older returned pensively.

"yeah. thanks for taking care of the funeral too. the people of the hospital told me that you handled it.."

"it was my responsibility," minho nodded, "he was more of a father to me than he was to you."

jisung bit his lip but it was the truth. he didn't know how mr kang treated his brother but he never called outside of the scheduled 'twice a month on sunday' chats and the holidays, like he was completing a task, rather than wanting to have a conversation.

"i'm sorry, i didn't mean to say that," the older whispered. maybe the truth was too hard for jisung.

"no, it's fine. maybe we can get going? so that we don't miss the lunch, i mean.."

minho agreed and they joined hands again to get through the village that was full of life on market day.