life is still going on ; norenmin

6. the playground

"y'know, hyuck brought up having kids," mark said out of the blue. renjun looked at him.

they were sitting on a bench, watching yua attempt to play with the other kids. she already managed to scare off a boy because of her vampire teeth but his twin, a girl just about her height and age and with much shorter hair compared to her, was still making mulch cakes with her. they both appeared to be having fun with each other, clear by their laughing faces and bright smiles.

"he did?" renjun replied.

"yeah," mark nodded. "i mean, he's already mentioned starting a family together and i want that too, but we're not even married yet. i don't want to think about adopting yet."

"i mean, that's fair," renjun muttered. now it made him think — he maybe kind of forgot about the whole kids thing himself until yua came in and it felt like the perfect thing to bring up to jeno that one time since he had brought it up originally, anyways. but then, perhaps he wanted a kid who actually liked him instead of carrying a weird dislike of him but no one else.

"maybe it is," mark retorts quietly with a shrug. "he works longer hours these days. i know work is important and all, but i start missing him more."

"hm."

"i don't wanna be selfish about it," mark says quickly, the frown that had appeared on his face remaining. "i guess it gives me more reasons to look forward to our future honeymoon."

"yeah," renjun smiled as mark's spirits seemed to lift just a tiny bit. "do you know where you're going — ?"

"hyuck said he'd like to take me to europe," mark says dreamily, a certain glint of fondness in his eyes. "i think it would be nice to see all the castles in germany, y'know...."

before renjun could think of a quick response, yua came up to him, her new friend following after her. both of their clothes were covered in dirt and mulch was sticking to their pants. "renjun!" yua exclaimed. "i made you a cake!"

"really?" renjun says, encouraging her to keep going.

"yes!" yua said before turning to her human friend. "i wanna show him, miyoung!"

"you go get your cake," mark said jokingly, lightly pushing renjun as he stood up. renjun didn't respond with anything but a smile at his best friend before letting yua grab his hand and drag him over to where she had been playing, her little friend following after her.

"i'll go get my momma," miyoung then said. yua tells her a high-pitched "okay!" before miyoung walks off, returning with her mother and twin brother.

"looks yummy," says the young woman.

"thank you!" miyoung says.

"do you like it?" yua asked renjun.

"of course i do," renjun looks down at the two piles of mulch the two had clearly made. the little vampire beamed at him, her eyes seemingly smiling along with her. it reminded him of jeno.

"you must be yua's dad," said miyoung's mother.

"oh, no, i'm just her guardian," renjun corrected her politely. to be fair, what else would he be to her? he definitely wasn't her father.

"oh!" she says, surprised. "well, anyways, i'm son jieun, miyoung's mother," she held out her hand for renjun to shake, which he did. "it's nice to meet you."

"likewise," renjun smiles.

the day continues on and mark never eventually comes over to join them because, proven with one simple look, he was busy calling his fiancé. turns out, thankfully, jieun had nothing against vampires, claiming she has a close friend who's one and her belief that not all vampires are inherently bad. it definitely made renjun feel better hearing that.