Days of Grace | vkook

°24: The New Neighbour

     "Oi, old man! Be careful."

The small bell upon the shop's door rang softly, and despite standing on a very unstable ladder, Jieun turned his head to the new arrival.

"Snotty brat," he exhaled and faced the porcelain tea set on the top shelf again. Of course, it was his personal fiend. Who else?

Taehyung grinned widely. "What? I'm afraid I didn't hear you," he provoked, pushing the door back and cupping his ear as he closed the distance with a few steps. Just before he reached the man, he let his bag slide to the ground.

"I said that you'll taste my soles if you don't close that devilish gap of yours," Jieun mumbled, his voice getting slightly swallowed by the height. "Here, take this."

Without further warning, the man threw a bundled set of cutlery down, and if it wasn't for Taehyung's reflexes, he'd surely have received a big bump on his head (not like his body hasn't suffered enough during the past days though).

"Hey!" he proclaimed as another bundle followed. He shot an annoyed gaze up, but the only thing he saw was Jieun's outstretched butt.

"Put them into the box on the counter, and then help me transport the next ware," Jieun pointed blindly to a satin-covered box that was already filled with some flower-printed teapots. It was probably a high-quality service for a customer, Taehyung guessed, as he did what the elder wanted. Delicately, he caressed the handmade patterns and placed the cutlery arranged in the corner.

"Tae, come here!" the boy was ordered back.

This time, Jieun handed him saucers, then cups, and lastly some accessories like sugar holders or small pots where you could preserve milk and other liquid ingredients. Wordlessly, he helped the man fill the box until the shelf was free from any goods. Taehyung watched his friend climbing slowly down the ladder, his arms raised high in the air, ready to catch the shop owner in the worst case.

That doesn't look safe, the boy mumbled quietly as he observed the creaking rungs shake underneath the elder's weight. His heart skipped a beat when Jieun skipped the last two rungs, making it look like he had really slipped.

"Why are your hands raised?" the old man asked once his feet touched the floor, yet he didn't let the boy get a word in. "Your hair!" he realized as soon as he fully faced the younger from an adequate angle.

Jieun rubbed his eyes and adjusted his glasses, but the view stayed the same.

Honey-blond locks covered Taehyung's head, the strands were much shorter and divided by a middle parting. Every now and then, his bushy eyebrows peeked out from between some wisps, creating a striking contrast with their dark color.

Jieun's mouth dropped, and he longed to touch the younger one's head, hesitantly assuring himself that they were indeed real and that he wasn't hallucinating.

He looked different, but somehow still the same.

"Yeah," the latter admitted shyly, rubbing his neck with a slight awkwardness.

Achieving this new hair color took him exactly nine hours and thirty-six minutes of his day. After the dyeing process, Nabi and he avoided each other for a good two hours, as it had tested their patience to the limit. It was actually a wonder that Taehyung was still alive. Nabi was ready to behead him if he dared to ask her one more time if they were already done.

"Thought it was time for a change," Taehyung continued to explain, feeling slightly guilty for the lie.

Jieun shook his head in amusement and brushed away a few strands from Taehyung's forehead. "And the bruises? Are they also part of your new look?"