Night Sky Bloom

8- Carnation

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The morning dawned bright and clear, the air crisp and cool, the sun rising over the hills and bathing the village in a warm glow. Jisung, Seungmin, Felix, and Hyunjin met outside Jisung's house, excitement bubbling up inside them for the harvest festival that day.

They set off down the leaf-strewn path together, chatting and laughing happily. The faint outline of a full moon could still be seen high in the morning sky, a reminder of the festivities to come that night. As they walked, the smells of freshly baked bread and sizzling meats drifted towards them, whetting their appetites for the feast ahead.

Stalls were already being set up in the village square when they arrived, colorful banners fluttering in the breeze. Jisung's mouth watered at the sight of honey cakes and sweet berry pies, his favorite festival treats. Felix and Hyunjin hurried off to watch the jugglers and acrobats warming up on stage, while Seungmin wandered over to examine the crafts for sale.

Though they tried to contain their excitement, they couldn't help but chatter and laugh as they walked.

"I can't wait for the pie eating contest," said Felix, patting his stomach. "I've been practicing my pie eating skills all month."

Seungmin shook his head in amusement. "Just don't make yourself sick again like last year. I'm not holding your hair back while you vomit behind the stage." Felix's hand flew to his chest, his mouth agape as he feigned betrayal and disbelief.

"And you-" Seungmin continued, looking at Hyunjin, "Did you invite Minho? I need to know if I should be prepared to kick some ass today."

"Seungmin, don't start-" Jisung said, sighing into his words.

Hyunjin responded quickly, though, with a roll of his eyes and an exaggerated huff. "Does it fucking look like I invited Minho? Do you see something or someone that I don't?"

"I'm just asking." Seungmin replied, shrugging. When he opened his mouth to speak again, Jisung cut him off.

"I will take Felix and I will leave you both. If you don't stop, this will be the first year since we were children that we don't go to the harvest festival together." Jisung said, taking Felix's hand and walking ahead. He knew they would follow, and they did- quietly.

Jisung took a deep breath, inhaling the scents of cinnamon and roasted nuts. It was going to be a perfect day. The harvest festival only came once a year, and he intended to savor every minute. Hyunjin's eyes lit up with excitement as he insisted on saving the corn maze for last. He claimed it had nothing to do with being nervous around Jeongin, despite the fact that the Yang family were the ones hosting the maze.

The sound of excited, childish screeches and the clicking of parents and excited teens taking pictures filled the air, as kids and adults alike enjoyed traditional fall activities such as apple bobbing and showcasing their harvest bounty. In one corner, a group of women sat huddled together, crafting dolls from cornhusks with nimble fingers as they told stories to engaged children. The aroma of roasted corn and warm apple cider wafted through the air as the group walked further into festival grounds, creating a cozy atmosphere.

As they walked by the face painting stalls, Jisung saw a myriad of children waiting in line, with no one painting in sight. There were way too many children to be just from their village- some of them had to be from the nearby town. That was typical, though, especially for the last few years- people from town always brought their children since the Bang family had opened up admission to anyone wanting to join.

Jisung approached the face painting booth and saw Grandma Seo shuffling around inside, looking frazzled as she searched for supplies. "Grandma Seo, do you need some help?" Jisung asked.