My Lifeline - Jaywon Shortstories

The Grandson Pt3

"I didn't mean to replace you" added Jungwon, looking down.

Jay chuckled.

"I know you didn't" said Jay. "But I'm so glad you did."

What?

"I mean, I obviously couldn't be there..." added Jay. "And to be honest I haven't been for a long time, no just since she has been hospitalized. I was a kid when we moved abroad... I was stupid and didn't do much to keep in touch with her...But she deserved to have someone to make her feel like she was a grandma again. Now, I wish I could have been that person, but I accept I wasn't. I'm glad you were there for her."

Wow

"I.. wow" commented Jungwon. "You are so different from what I had imagined."

Jay laughed sincerely.

"What did you imagine?" he asked, a side smile.

The two young men were sitting on a bench, in front a hospital, but Jungwon had forgotten about the why and how they were here. Jay had been so... honest with him.
Admitting what he did in front of someone you just met was insane, and Jungwon couldn't help but feel sad for Jay.
His pain and guilt were palpable.

Jungwon sighed. He wanted to be as honest as Jay had just been.

"I thought you'd hate me" he whispered.

Jay nodded.

"Cause some part of me hated myself" added Jungwon. "Since I lost my grandmother, I've been visiting elderly residents here, and I read the newspaper to them."

He gave himself a few seconds to breathe.

"In retrospective, I know I was missing her so much that I desperately looked for something that reminded me of her, anything" continued Jungwon. "When your grandmother arrived here, we instantly clicked."
"The two of you found what they were missing in each other" added Jay.

"Exactly" confirmed Jungwon. "Which is why I feel bad."
"As I said, you're not the person to blame here" said Jay, looking into Jungwon's eyes. "I was the terrible grandson."

"You are aware that she talks about you a lot, right?" asked Jungwon in a chuckle.
"Really?" replied the latter, surprised.
"Big time!" confirmed Jungwon. "She told me a lot about you."

Jay blushed slightly as he realized what this meant.

"She didn't happen to tell you about that time in kindergarten-" started Jay.
"Sadly she did" said Jungwon, chuckling. "But dont worry, you were a kid, it happens."
"Damn" whispered Jay. "I hope it's the only embarrassing thing she said."

Jungwon moved his head side to side.

"There were a few other things, but mostly it was to tell me how proud she is of you" said Jungwon, smiling.

Jay eyes sparkled as he heard that.

~

"Next week"

That sentence resonated in Jungwon's mind during his whole way back home.

Jay would be going back to the US next week.

Is was Jungwon who had asked first. He wanted to know. Well, he needed to know for how long Jay would be around. To be honest, Jay had intrigued Jungwon a lot. The latter had seen himself in Jay's pain. Of course, it wasn't the same as the one he was feeling, but still...
They were two young men far away from loved ones.

However, that wasn't the only thing they had in common. In fact the two of them spent the afternoon talking about everything they liked, which shows they could watch over and over again, what were their favorite foods, and so on.
That also meant that Jungwon's heart was crushed.

For once, he had met someone he genuinely liked, someone he would love to get to know better. Why was that person leaving so soon?

Jungwon breathed deeply before opening the front door of his apartment. Well, his grandmother's apartment.

Since she had passed, Jungwon had made some changes around the home. He had taken everything that reminded him too much of her and stored it into her bedroom. His own belongings had slowly taken over the kitchen and the living room.
He needed this space to be his, otherwise he would just get lost in his memories of her.

The furniture was the same, though.

Jungwon let his backpack fall on the ground, near the entrance, and he closed the door.
He was feeling empty, which meant it was a perfect time just to let himself sink into the couch.
He needed to rest a bit before his part time job.

~

Six days... in six days he'll be gone...
What if he doesn't want to see me anymore while he's here?
What if he does but he forgets me as soon as he leaves?

"Excuse me"

Jungwon shook his head, realizing a woman was in front of him. Well, not just any woman.
A customer.

"Hi! How may I help you?" asked Jungwon, smiling at her, forcing himself to focus on her and to stop thinking about Jay.
"Do you have batteries?" she asked.
"Of course, let me show you"replied Jungwon.

The convenience store in which he worked was kinda big, and customers often asked him for help finding what they needed.
Jungwon walked, closely followed by the customer, until the battery section.

"There you go" he said, showing her their selection.

Usually, he would have asked if she needed anything else, but at that moment, he heard the entrance bell. Naturally, he turned around to check the newcomer. However it wasn't any customer.

"Jay?" whispered Jungwon.

Luckily, the woman found the batteries she was looking for and thanked Jungwon, freeing him.
The young man walked towards the entrance, unsure about what he would do next.

"Jungwon?" asked Jay.
"Hi" he replied, suddenly very aware pf the situation.
"I wasn't expecting to see you here" chuckled Jay.
"Me neither" replied Jungwon. "Can I help you?"
"Just looking to buy some food for dinner" said Jay. "But you can show me if you want."

Jungwon nodded.

"You look cute in your uniform" said Jay, as he followed his guide through the store.
"Come on, stop teasing me" replied Jungwon.

"Yeah.. teasing" whispered Jay.

Jay chose some tteokbokki, and hesitated a while for his drink. Jungwon stayed with him. He didn't need to, but he wanted to.
He wasn't expecting to see Jay so soon. That kind of ruined his plan.
He had decided to text Jay after his shift, inviting the latter to eat the following day. However, now Jay was there, in front of him.

"Alrighty, I think I have everything I need" said Jay, a bottle of tea in hand, his tteokbokki in the other.
"Awesome" replied Jungwon, feeling the seconds going by pretty fast.
"Forgive me for asking, but when does your shift end?" asked Jay.

Jungwon's heart stopped.

"In forty minutes" he replied, truing not to get his hopes up.
"What about I wait for you?" suggested Jay. "We could eat together perhaps?"