Hello Neighbor ✔

Chapter 37

“Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye.”

"Dad? What's this about?" I asked as I stepped into his little office in the corner of our family house.

His eyes were concentrated on the screen right in front of him as I stepped in closer as I saw him quickly try to finish whatever he was working on. He was typing away something on the computer until he heard me and turned around with a large smile.

"Minnie! You made it!" He exclaimed as he got up and walked over to me by the door and gave me a large hug. I can feel his boisterous energy radiating from almost a mile away. For a middle-aged man he still hasn't lost his spark yet, which is why my biggest fear right now for him is that he'll eventually fall into a midlife crisis.

I groaned. "Dad I told you to stop calling me that."

"And I told you to stop growing up. Guess we both didn't get what we want." I rolled my eyes as I smiled and hugged him back.

I let out a small laugh as I broke our hug. "Okay, but for real. What's this about?"

"It's family bonding time. I think we both have been too caught up with work. Besides it's nice to have the whole family together." He said as he guided me out of his office and headed towards the kitchen where my mother was at.

"Okay, I guess you're right." I took off my coat and bag that I was holding since I got here. I put my coat on the tall coat rack in the corner next to the front door while I set my bag on the little table next to the couch before heading upstairs.

I opened the door to my old room– or should I say my mom and my cousin's "Girl Time" room– and saw Nayoung watching a music show on her phone with her white earbuds plugged in as she laid on the beanbag chair, dangling her red Converse high tops in the air.

"Didn't your parents teach you not to wear shoes in the house?" First thing I asked as I stepped into the pink monstrosity of a room. They haven made any changes except for additional pieces of furniture, which if course still matched the overall pink aesthetics of the room. I still hated it though.

My cousin finally looked back and realized I was here as she quickly took off her earbuds in seeming excitement to see me.

"Oh 언니! You finally visited again after so long!" She said as she paused the video on her phone before putting it down.

I pointed to the shoes with my eyes which she managed to follow along.

"They're new relax. Your mom and I went shopping before you came."

"Typical." I sat on the beanbag next to her. I grabbed the stuff bunny that I previously left behind. I was going to bring it with me to my apartment, but then decided it would be kind of odd to see a grown woman still holding onto a stuffed animal.

"Isn't that the stuffed bunny Jungkook have you as a little kid?" She points out.

I looked down at it as I raised it and held it between my hands to have it face her. "Yeah, he gave me this because he wanted me to have something that reminded me of him."

"That's cute. Kinda creepy, but cute!"

"Yeah." I say softly, smiling unconsciously as I looked at and continued playing around with it. "So how are things?" I asked, trying to be an engaging and nice cousin.