sᴏᴜʟʙᴏɴᴅ • ᴠᴍɪɴ ᴀʙᴏ ᴀᴜ • (ᴏɴɢᴏɪɴɢ)

🌵chapter 9

"When are you coming back into the house, hyung?", Jihun asked, walking around the well pruned weeping cherry trees and chaste trees. He came early in the morning to have a walk with his brother. The plants were in good shape except for the dry mud. It wasn't watered.

The boy turned to his brother, "He hasn't watered them yet?"

"Yah! He trimmed around 20 trees in half a day. You should appreciate him. And it's not that he forgot. He promised he would water everything today because he was late for his classes yesterday", Jimin said in an unusually louder tone.

"Alright. But why are you supporting him?", Jihun looked confused. He knew Jimin was sweet and kind to all workers at the mansion but only after he had spent atleast a week alongside them. It hasn't been a week since Taehyung started his work there and his brother was already supporting him.

"I- I just stated the fact", the other stammered and turned away.

"Fine. When are you coming back?", Jihun asked again and saw Jimin walk away.

"Soon. It's-"

"It's much better here and you'll come soon", he said what his brother was about to say like he was used to hearing the same reply.

Jimin smiled and turned back, "Yes. Here.", he looked around the place that was filled with fresh green plants and radiant petals, "It feels home and I feel welcomed here...unlike there", he said still holding onto the small smile.

"You think I don't welcome you there? Why do you always leave me out? Like I'm not there for you at all", Jihun complained and his voice had a little anger in them.

Jimin gave him a hug, "You are always there. And that's one of the reasons I've come so far. This place that you gifted me for my eighteenth birthday, when you were merely fourteen, it's become my shelter", he looked up at him, "It is my home. So can't I stay here for a few more days?"

Jihun's anger faded away and his eyes went soft in happiness, "Alright. Do whatever you want"

"That's my boy", Jimin let go and giggled.

"But", the younger's eyes went dull, "Grandpa and Grandma are coming home soon. So you must be inside the house before that", he said.

The way his voice shouted caution and emergency left Jimin feeling anxious. His clasped hands got sweaty and chill yet he held onto a calm expression that said he was fine.

Jihun gave a pat on his shoulder and left, saying that everything will be alright. But words like that still meant something unpleasant could happen. His heart didn't settle with any amount of positive words from Jihun or himself.

The place was getting filled with the day's first sun rays and the wind had taken on a slow pace. Few shallows entered through the open glass windows bringing along worms to feed their crying chicks. Jimin wasn't distracted by any of those. His blank eyes stared at the book he held and once in a while, he blinked.

The door opened and Taehyung stepped in, his eyes eager and excited. And the black orbs fell on the person inside the gazebo, "Jaemin!", he waved.

Jimin smiled. And like it was never there before, his forehead creases dissolved and his eyes gleamed. He wasn't anxious anymore and he need not wonder why.

The boy walked in greeting the trees like Jimin does but with a pinch of excitement in it, "Hi, Mr.Holly. Oh hey there Daisies!"

Jimin chuckled at the familiar way of greeting because those were the only names he knew about. Daisy which he knew from watching his favourite cartoon as a child "Oswald", though it was yellow in it and about American Holly because the former gardener had warned him about it's poisonous berries.