“Card,” Soobin says, setting the bottles he chose on the counter.
The shopkeeper spins in the stool and presses buttons on the machine while Soobin pulls a small book from his pocket. Right before he closes it, Yeonjun catches a picture that looks like Soobin in the book, layered over several small slots and cards.
“One betta, water conditioner, and betta pellets,” the shopkeeper says as they press more buttons. “The card reader is ready when you are.”
Soobin’s card is not like a playing card or a tarot card. There are no pretty colors or fancy designs, just numbers too small for Yeonjun to read.
After offering the card to the machine, Soobin returns it to the book.
Another human, tall and bored, struts up to them holding a clear bag filled halfway with water. The green and orange betta swims violently into the edges. If Yeonjun could hear his heart, it would probably sound like anxiety and confusion.
“Is this the one?” the human asks.
“Yes! Thanks,” Soobin says, taking a slip of paper from the shopkeeper.
Soobin hands Yeonjun the bag. It’s not as heavy as he expected. Fish on Terra don’t weigh very much. He presses his hand to Yeonjun’s back to guide him to the door while Yeonjun stares at the fish, not even looking where he steps.
He’s not sure what just happened, and why he suddenly has a bag and a fish in his hands.
“What do you want me to do with this?” Yeonjun asks, not taking his eyes off the fish. He might be hearing a faint heartbeat, racing with confusion and fear. The harder Yeonjun concentrates on the fish, the louder it becomes.
“All you have to do is keep him alive. I’ll show you how when we get back. I already texted Siyeon, she said he can stay in her spare shark tank.”
“Wait, we’re taking him to Siyeon’s house with us? How is he going to get back?”
Soobin stops in front of the van, offering it a key and opening the door in front of Yeonjun. The seatbelt glares, and Yeonjun can already feel it constricting around his torso before he even touches it.
Soobin enters through the other door and makes the van roar again.
“He’s not going back. We’re keeping him, so make sure to hold the bag steady until we get to the house. Can you do that?”
Soobin purchased a fish. The fish belongs to Soobin now. He freed the fish and wants to live with it—the fish that Yeonjun said looked like him.
Yeonjun doesn’t know what to feel, if what he feels is the proper reaction. He doesn't know what the emotion is called, even when a cloud of pale purple lands on the seat. It is not fear he’s feeling.
“Which one is lavender?” Soobin asks, swiping his finger through the layer of dust. “Are you sad?”
“It’s happy category.” That’s all Yeonjun knows for sure. It’s something familiar he’s felt around Soobin before. “Do you know grateful?” Yeonjun asks.
“Is that what you’re feeling?”
“It might be what I’m feeling.”
“Then, you’re welcome.”
“Where am I welcome?”
“When a human is grateful, they usually say the phrase ‘thank you,’ and the proper response is usually, ‘you’re welcome.’ So, you’re welcome. Now put on your seatbelt.”
Yeonjun is not going to have this debate again. The seatbelt is staying where it is. He ignores Soobin and looks at the fish in his lap, hoping Soobin will move the van anyways. He doesn’t.
YOU ARE READING
hold me 𐦍 yeonbin
Fanfiction"So humans are happy when they do a kiss?" Oh, no. That was adorable. Soobin doesn't need to be a fortune telling warlock to know where Yeonjun is going to take this. "That's the general idea, yeah." "I want to do a kiss." Say no, and Soobin will ha...
