Garden Days

Green

*Jin*

"Hey."
"Hi." Namjoon shook his head without a glance, continuing to dig into the dirt. He was kneeling on the grey stone with a shovel in one hand and pushing away the loose crumbs with the other.
Jin shut the door of the greenhouse behind him and made his way to the latter. "I'm glad it's getting put to better use."
"Better?" Joon repeated, criticizing the man's choice of words. "Don't tell me you gave up your memories too."
The leader bit his lip as he realized his mistake, remembering how the greenhouse was used before. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that." He paused. "I came to ask what you said...when escorting the boys."
Namjoon stopped, dropping the tool and turning on his heels. "This isn't what I brought you back for. If I knew you were going to discipline them like that, I would have done it myself."
Seok-jin creased his eyebrows, a frown settling on his lips. "You wanted me back because they weren't listening! Should I act like they weren't wrong or do you want me to discipline them-?"
"No! I expected a little more than a scolding." Joon admitted. "You've been gone less than a week and you barely know how to handle them anymore."
Jin lifted a hand, palm out so to ease the tension. "I'm sorry, I made a mistake."
"That doesn't give you the right to be so careless! The younger boys see how Yoongi and Hobi act and if they see how lax you are in handing out punishments, they'll-."
"I won't do it again."
Namjoon scoffed as he returned to the hole in the ground, instead picking up the plant nearby to place inside. "What will you do?"
The leader didn't know. He didn't want to punish them like he used to, especially after learning how afraid Jungkook was. "I'll think of something."

Still, Namjoon didn't look at his friend but the increasing pressure of his hands on the soil was evidence of his emotions. "I wasn't going to tell you you but Sehun was here."
"Oh Sehun?"
"He didn't give his last name but he was tall and young- I found him out front asking the boys unwarranted and unsettling questions; like what happened in the riot. Hoseok told him everything out of spite that I... What happened wasn't my fault but he didn't say that."
"That explains a lot. Is this another reason you wanted me to come back?"
Namjoon turned around, looking confused as he wiped his brow with the back of his arm. "He was looking for you."
Seok-jin knew that but something told him Namjoon had been concerned about more than just the boys' behaviors. The man would deny it until he died but he played a part in the deaths of those bystanders. He was reckless and angry then- and still- about the rich gentleman's treatment of the poor but the guilt kept him from gallivanting against Bae again. "True, I guess."
Namjoon hummed. "Any idea why he would be interested in you?"
"If this is the Sehun I'm thinking of, I think he's hoping it'll scare me away. He likes Joo-hyun a lot and this knowledge could scare her from wanting to be with me."
"Isn't this a pre-arranged marriage?"
"Well, yes, but we can formulate our own thoughts now, make our own decisions." Jin paused. "I'm willing to try if she is."
Namjoon let out a chuckle of amusement and resumed his work, moving on to the next plant. "There is no 'willing' with that family. You have no choice."
Finding this curious, Seok-Jin knelt down to his friend's level. "What are you talking about?"
"Take it up with your fiancée."
"You're the one who brought it up!"
"And I'm telling you to ask her!"
Jin growled and stood back up. "I'm going to check on the boys. Let me know if you change your mind."
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I'm sorry this is all I have djdjdj I have been struggling with this chapter for so so long and it shows