[Book II] On my Own [ENGLISH]

Chapter 19: [June 2X20] The punk and the mailbox

No TW.

This chapter concerns the famous mailbox !

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Hyunjin pedaled along the road. His hair, loosely attached, flew behind him, while they had slipped from under his cap. The music from his headphones motivated him to pedal as his thighs burned from his dance class earlier in the evening.

He slowed when he saw the path leading to their home, as the sun began to disappear behind the trees. He would turn to try to climb the hill by bike when he saw the mailbox.

Well, rather a poor piece of dented and mutilated metal, hanging from a tree, which be used as a mailbox.

Growling, he stopped in his stride to see if there was any mail.

He had been living with them for almost a year. For a year, he insisted to his pack to change this mailbox. To put a new one, with their names on it. He picked up the mail, barely glancing at the engraved letters on the side of the metal box, before getting off the bike to walk back up.

Once he had climbed the slope, he quickly put the mail on the porch table, before going to put the bike away. He then passed into the garage, collecting a hammer and a screwdriver.

Tonight will be the last night of that mailbox.

Chan turned his gaze to the clock in the living room.

"Has anyone heard from Hyunjin? He should have been home by now."

The alpha turned to the part of his pack in the room. Changbin was setting the table, while Seungmin was sitting on the couch. The bêta put down his book to check his phone, probably looking for a message from the omega.

"No, no news." Seungmin said, before biting his lip, turning his attention to the windows.

Chan hummed, while Minho and Felix began to bring the meal to the table.

"Try to call him?" Felix suggested. "Maybe he's been held up on the road."

"Or he didn't have the faith to pedal all the way and he walked." Minho continued.

Seungmin put his phone to his ear, approaching the window to look out. Chan heard the ringing, as well as Hyunjin's voice, telling him to leave a message. He placed his hand on the shoulder of the frustrated beta, while he hung up.

"We'll wait a little longer, if we don't hear from him soon, I'll go get him." Chan said.

Suddenly, the door opened next to them, revealing a sweaty Hyunjin, his hair all messed up.

"Hey." He said, closing the door with a hip stroke, as his hands were busy holding the mailbox.

"What are you doing with the mailbox?" Chan asked, frowning.

"Well, funny story!" Hyunjin began, struggling to take off his shoes with his feet. "When I got to the road, I saw a punk kid smashing that poor mailbox! He hit it so hard, it fell off the tree! So I brought it back with me."

Chan and Seungmin looked at him.

"Hyunjin, I can see the hammer and the screwdriver sticking out of your back pocket." Chan gently said.

"Oh? Yes, I didn't say it, but I'm the punk who smashed that poor mailbox."

Suddenly, Seungmin approached him, taking the metal box out of his hands.

"Is that blood I see on your hands?" He grumbled.

"It's okay, Minnie. I scraped my hand against the bark of the tree. That-"

"Shut up and sit down." He ordered, sticking the box in Chan's hands. "I'll get some disinfectant."

He quickly disappeared into the kitchen while Hyunjin landed on the couch, not wanting to be quarreled.

"Why did you kill that poor mailbox." Chan moaned while he put it in a corner.

"Because I've been saying it has to be changed for a year and nobody cares! It was mutilated. There's no address or our names. The only thing holding it back was the poor nails and the string around the tree."

Chan pouted as the beta settled next to Hyunjin to begin to heal his hands.

"I don't even understand why you just didn't put your names on it from the beginning!"

Chan sighed.

"Because it was easier just to put the name of my company." He sighed. "It just stayed that way.

"Well, now we're going to buy a new mailbox. We're going to put the address and the names of the occupants of this house. We're not a bunch of groaning rednecks in a cave."

Minho laughed behind him while he was cutting up the chickens.

"He's not wrong, Chan. It would be easier for that poor mailman."

"All right." The alpha sighed. "I capitulate! I'll go to buy one tomorrow."

"Ah! Thank you, Lord, for having heard my call!" Hyunjin cried, raising his hands to heaven.

Seungmin complained as he again grabbed his hands to put the bandage on.

"Stop wiggling around."

"Sorry Minnie~"

"Come on, kids. The diner is ready." Minho said, sitting down.

The next day, Hyunjin watched Chan and Changbin fix the new mailbox at the entrance of the path. He made sure they fixed it correctly while Minho fixed the wrought-iron numbers above.

"There, done!" Chan cheerfully said as he retreated.

Hyunjin approached, appreciating the new mailbox and what was written on it.

Racha Ent.

Bang Christopher Chan

Lee Minho

Kim Seungmin

Seo Changbin

Hwang Hyunjin

Lee Felix

Minho leaned over to also look at the plate on the mailbox.

"And how will we do when we have new members?"

"We'll make a new plate." Hyunjin said. "And if we don't have enough space, we'll fix it separately on the tree."

"You've got it all figured out, haven't you?" Chan sighed.

"Everything for a year!" He laughed.