Unraveling The Sun's Shadows

Chapter 6 - A Game Of Hide-and-Seek

Gray eyes twinkle with mirth at the sight of a white-puffed clock standing a meter away from the Kim siblings. Taehyung excitedly ran to pluck its stalk, eager to blow the fluffy sphere and let the breeze carry its fragments everywhere. With each puff he took, the seeds scatter away, drifting with the wind in a delicate manner. He watched with fascination by how free and peaceful they dance into the summer air as they travel without a planned destination.

Taehyung remembered a Korean legend his grandmother used to tell them when they visited her in Daegu last winter holidays. It was after dinner as Taehyung and his siblings were already sprawled on their shared bed listening to Jinhee's silly prank adventures against the school's bullies. Technically, the bullies were being secretly bullied by her. Pulling stunts like gluing their seats with carpenter's wood glue or sneaking earthworms in their bags. One had a panic attack when he thought there were snakes slithering in his bag as he reached for his notes.

While Jinhee brags, Taehyung felt a slight dip and saw their grandmother sitting on the edge of their bed.

"Aigoo, you naughty brat." Their grandmother pinched Jinhee's nose playfully while the other two just laugh at their sister being tortured by tickles.

"G-grandma... ss-ttop.."Jinhee panted, her face a full-blown red from laughing.

"Okay then. But I'm warning you three, no more sneaking around at night." She said with a serious tone, knowing how smart and mischievous the siblings are. "Or else, my tickles will last until you all pass out in bed." They all stared at their Grandma in horror.

"I'm just kidding, kids." She chuckled looking at their relieved expressions.

"Grandma, tell us a story." Taehyung loves listening to their grandma's tales. They always give him a sense of bliss, a shiver of excitement that tingles his tummy of centuries old stories about magic and the gifts of fantasy—of courageous heroes and mythical beasts that soar up high to the never-ending skies. Legends that have been foretold and retold and instilled through generations. It was his escape, a means to blur the reality that only denied him of the joys and peace of childhood. Even if it was just a teeny, tiny bit, or a speck of dust. A boy can always dream.

"And here I was, thinking I could've escaped Taehyung's fairy tale requests." Jinhee sighed in defeat. Well at least, hearing their grandma's stories made her doze off.

"Shut up! At least Namjoon-hyung likes it. Right hyung?." Taehyung turned towards his older brother, his eyes seeking for justice. On the other hand, Jinhee just rolled her eyes.

"Well what can I say, we're the intellectuals." Namjoon shrugged as Taehyung stuck out his tongue to their sister.

"Excuse me?! Did you just unliterally call me stupid?"

"Unliterally? Is that even a word?"

"Well, yeah. Unfortunately, it's not used much but when you search for its meaning, it's there." Namjoon piped in, earning dumb looks from the two.

"Hah! Who's the dumb one now?" Jinhee crossed her arms, looking at the two smugly.

"I bet you just made that up." Taehyung exclaimed but his sister just flipped her hair, ignoring the insult thrown at her way. Though, she did make that up.

"Hmm.." Their grandmother pondered for a bit then her face lit up, "Ah, have you ever heard about the story of Mindlae?" Taehyung and Jinhee just shook their heads while the eldest just stared in confusion.

"It's a Korean legend a long time ago about a young woman who waited for her husband during the wartime." This urged the siblings to drew closer, wanting to hear more.