The Mannequin - Minsung

thirty-two

"But how..." Jisung whispers. "How do you know?"

Minho wipes the tear on his cheek. Places a kiss on his lips. Brings him closer to himself. "Hyunjin said she said your name. She's been asking if he has seen you. And she's not well..."

"Mama Haeun— Mrs. Hwang's not well?" Jisung says. Fright shows in his eyes. His hand touches Minho's chest. Over his heart.

"So you remember... her name..."

"Yeah..." Jisung says. He sniffs. Lays his head on Minho's shoulder.

"What else do you remember, sweetheart?"

Jisung's voice trembles as he speaks. "I remember... everything about them now. She'd tell me to call her Mama Haeun..."

"She'd make clothes. She was very good... She always made shirts for her son... I remember, he's Hyunjin's father..."

"He got me for her so she could try clothes on me when he was working. She talked to me a lot when she was measuring clothes on me... I think she said nice things because I started hearing her, then changing..."

Hearing? Changing? Is Jisung lifeless until some regular attention... brings him out? Good attention. Like kind words... interest... care...

And then love keeps him going?

That has to be it. Minho complimented him out loud in the beginning. Drew him. And Hyunjin's grandmother... must've done that too.

"How did it go... the first time she met you?" He asks.

"I didn't remember my name then," Jisung says. "I was scared because... I felt that people get scared of me and want to hurt me..."

"And she was staring at me... so I told her not to be scared and to please not hurt me... but she asked me if I was pretending to be a mannequin this whole time and why I was doing that..."

"I cried because I thought she already hated me... but when I started crying... she stopped being mad..."

Minho hugs him tighter. Hyunjin's grandmother might have felt sorry. Worried. He would've too... if Jisung burst into tears.

"My poor baby..." Minho pecks his shoulder.

"She told her son later, when I was a mannequin... and they were both waiting for me the next day..." Jisung's voice is wobbling a lot.

"T-They were so kind... Hyunjin's father would read to me... he showed me many things... t-taught me so much..."

"Hyunjin said... he had a heart attack..." Minho says.

Jisung pulls back. His hand is on Minho's chest again. His eyes are swollen. "H-He was in pain... Mama Haeun wasn't there... I d-didn't know what to do... then he... stopped..."

Minho's heart sinks. He realizes...

The man had a heart attack with Jisung there. Jisung couldn't help him. Didn't know how to. It led to his death. That's why the woman was upset. That's why she got angry with Jisung... who was clueless...