When Minho Was There • Minsung

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Jisung had gotten his glass of orange juice, but unfortunately had to postpone his sun nap for a later time. Setsu had barged into his bedroom, asking him to lay the table for breakfast. He would have groaned and complained about doing so, but he was interrupted by his own stomach grumbling.

Traitor. He pouted, rubbing his belly as he followed Setsu down the stairs and into the kitchen.

If there was one thing he could never complain about, it was Setsu's cooking. She could conjure up the most vile-smelling dishes, but as soon as Jisung put a piece in his mouth, it'd melt on his tongue.

He could hardly resist licking his lips as he caught sight of what Setsu had made. Some yummy miso soup. Jisung was practically buzzing as he sat down at the table, shoveling his face full of the delicious broth. He hardly remembered what he ate yesterday, if he ate at all. His stomach thanked him, and he chewed on the tofu cubes.

"So," Setsu said, splitting an egg open over her rice bowl. "What were you up to yesterday?"

Sunlight poured in from all the windows, reflecting across each glistening surface in the house. The windows were open, letting in the faint breeze and twinkle of the wind chimes. "Drawing." Jisung spoke curtly, a spoonful of rice in his mouth.

He wasn't necessarily lying; he was just not sharing all the details. Minho was his secret, and the elder was very adamant about Jisung keeping it that way. He'd hoped they wouldn't pry too much, but he didn't know.

"I see." Kiyomasa nodded.

"And I lost my shoe." Jisung had almost forgotten about that. He had no clue where his shoe had disappeared, and unfortunately, he didn't have another pair to replace it.

"I hope you find the other sneaker." Setsu spoke sympathetically. Sympathy could only get him so far, and it wouldn't conjure up a new shoe for him, so for now, Jisung could only return the smile.

"It must be somewhere." Jisung shrugged, scraping the last bits of rice out of his bowl. A new record is set for finishing an entire bowl. He hadn't realized how hungry he was. He peered over at Kiyomasa's plate, which was a little less than halfway done.

"I'll go look for it." Jisung glanced wearily at the couple, afraid they might restrict him from going out unsupervised, but they were too busy eating to say much.

"You know," Kiyomasa said, nudging Jisung with his elbow. "I used to always lose mine." Jisung furrowed his brows. He wasn't sure if Kiyomasa was trying to make him feel better or not.

"There's a bunch of shows buried in the mudflats."

Setsu sighed, frowning at her husband.

"Don't compare him to you."

Kiyomasa just rolled his eyes, returning to his food. Setsu turned back to smile at Jisung.

"I should still have my daughter's old shoes." She got up from her seat, giving Jisung a heavy pat on the shoulder. "I'll get them for you."

Yay! I won't have to go barefoot.

"Thank you." Jisung smiled at Setsu, watching her as she stepped out of the kitchen and into the living room. He heard the scuffing of a box being dragged against the floor and Setsu shouting for Kiyomasa to come help her, which he reluctantly did.

✧

As soon as he had those new sneakers, he was off to the marsh again. It was reckless on his part, considering the vagueness of last night, but he really wanted to see Minho again.

His new sneakers were a faded blue color, and the laces were thin and dirty, but he didn't mind. He could feel the sand cascading into his socks as he stepped onto the beach, the crash of the waves against the banks, and the cries of seagulls at shore. It was all so pleasing.

Once he caught sight of the mansion, his lips couldn't help tugging into a heart-shaped smile. He longed for the boy who made him feel so loved.

"Minho," he whispered breathlessly.

End of Chapter 16
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TBC c:

authors note 2/24/24:
four chapters in a row?? who am i?