alone | minsung

LXI

"So, where d'you want to go?"

Minho's voice rings through Jisung's ears just before he can get lost in the view in front of them. 

The town centre is splayed out before them like a scene from a movie - everything is bright and colourful and the sun shining down adds to the warmth that flows through his body. People bustle about, looking joyful despite being in a hurry. "I don't know," he says dreamily, "like, everywhere."

Minho laughs at that, "Well come on then," he says, "We haven't got all day."

Jisung runs ahead, bounding across the road and standing in front of the first shop - an ice-cream parlour.

"We're not even near the ocean but they sell ice cream!" he marvels, leaving Minho to watch the excited boy fondly over his shoulder.

"Here you go," he says, and hands Jisung some change, "You can get us some, I'm just going to look at something over there-" he points to a shop a few doors down "-so come meet me when you're done."

Jisung nods and takes the money, quickly joining the back of the surprisingly short queue as Minho turns away.

The two of them meet up again and wander down the busy street with their ice-creams in opposite hands and the others hanging limply between them. At one point, Minho starts swinging his hand - until it brushes up against Jisung's. Although both of them can't deny feeling the tingling sensation running up their hands, and Jisung notices the faint flush on Minho's cheeks as he quickly turns his head to the side, they don't acknowledge it.

"Sorry," he mumbles, retracting his hand back.

Jisung smiles lightly, "It's fine."

They carry on walking in silence - but thankfully it's not as awkward as they thought it would be, Jisung is too busy ogling at the beautiful town to be caught up on something as simple as their hands touching. 

Minho glances further up the street, at a small shop painted a fading red. "Can we go in there? I need to get a new pen." 

Jisung agrees, "Sure." They both end finishing their ice-creams before reaching the shop, so both of them go straight through the door, sighing as the cool air-conditioned air hits them in the face. "That feels nice," Jisung hums.

Minho goes on ahead, poking his head in and out of the few aisles to find the pens.

Meanwhile, Jisung stays nearer the door, searching through the variety of notebooks all stacked neatly in the display. As he's looking, something hard runs into him, and it almost sends him sprawling to the floor. He catches himself, but still ends up sitting down. "Hey!"

"Oh shit, I'm so sorry dude-" And hand reaches down as an offer, which Jisung takes after a second and allows himself to be pulled up by the stranger. The boy looks to be around his age - maybe older - but is a tiny bit smaller. The stranger gives Jisung a nervous smile when he's standing up again. After a moment, he tries to apologise, but Jisung cuts him off.

"It's cool, don't worry about it. Why were you in such a rush, anyway?"

"Uh, don't worry, the reason is stupid..." he starts, and scratches the back of his neck.

Jisung chuckles, "Never mind then, what's your name?"

At that, the stranger straightens up again, and grins, "I'm Changbin."

"Jisung, I found a pen- oh, hi," Minho suddenly appears next to Jisung, he stills when he sees the newcomer, "Do you know him?"

Jisung laughs, "No, we just met."

Changbin reaches his hand forward and introduces himself. Minho seems to relax again and smiles warmly, although Jisung doesn't miss the way the elder stands slightly in front of Jisung - as if to protect him.

Eventually, Changbin catches the time and resumes his rush to leave - for whatever reason - and bids the two of them goodbye.

"Have you paid yet?"

"No," says Minho, "I came to find you first, lets go." Jisung feels a hand clutch his, and glances down in shock to see that Minho is grasping his hand. And not just grasping it as in to pull him along... Minho is actually holding his hand. Jisung stares at the back of his head, and Minho doesn't notice his action, not even when he lets go again to dig for money in his pocket, and not when he so casually begins holding it again when they leave the shop.

Jisung doesn't say anything, either. Not when it happens, not when they get in the car, and not whilst they're driving home.