Baby Steps | hyunsung

9 | GROCERY STORE TALK

CHAPTER NINE;

GROCERY STORE TALK;

Jisung remembers that he practically forced himself to have Hyunjin back in his life. It was because the older gave his mock pout and pleading stare. The same one that made Jisung almost instantly swoon in adoration. His heart began to pump faster, and his cheeks burned. Maybe it was because he was blinded by their past love for one another, but he felt as though he needed to give Hyunjin the benefit of the doubt. Plus his promise to everyone that he would eventually tell him about his secret daughter still sat in the back of his mind. He just needed to warm up to him first. So after sharing an awkward smile, the blonde father turned towards his metal shopping cart and began to walk away. At first Hyunjin was baffled by his sudden actions, believing that Jisung had already regretted the decision to hopefully have a decent talk; but then the blonde ordered him to follow. And now Hyunjin was grinning from ear to ear. He grabbed his own forgotten shopping cart and eagerly trailed after the other.

Jisung kept an average pace while scanning over the many produce that was cold fruits and vegetables. He mumbled quietly to himself as he tried to remember what Esme did and did not like. He noticed that while he didn't necessarily really care about what he consumed, his daughter surely had a picky taste when it came to food. Jisung assumes it was another trait she had managed to receive from Hyunjin—the taller too having a certain preference. The thought made the blonde snicker as he glanced at an eggplant.

"What? What's funny?" Hyunjin wondered. He moved so he too now hovered over the purple and green plant. His face twisted into a grimace at the sight, immediate disgust lacing his features as he internally gagged. Jisung's smile widened.

"Ah, nothing," He reached out to grab the vegetable. He tossed it in the air once, smiling at it then taking a glance at Hyunjin. The taller one was staring back with a raised eyebrow. "Just remembering how you were such a picky eater. Which I'm assuming you still are, judging by how you were just staring at the eggplant" Jisung put the vegetable back in its place, giggling one last time before picking up a head of lettuce that had been placed not too far beside it. Hyunjin on the other hand diverted his stare (letting it fall on the way his black sneakers were a great contrast to the white floor) as his cheeks flushed in embarrassment. He also raised a hand to scratch at the nape of his neck.

"Yeah...tried to kick the habit a while ago. Unfortunately I'll be hating them for probably the rest of my life" He let out his own chuckle. "That and anything spicy."

Humming in amusement, Jisung reached for his cart handle and then pushed it farther down the aisle. He landed in the fruit section. He was met with a variety of colors and yet he almost instantly grabbed for a plastic container of bright red strawberries. Esme loves strawberries. The blonde male wanted to say that to the other, but bit his tongue. Instead he grabbed a few apples, grapes, oranges, bananas, even a pineapple before taking off without another word. Hyunjin scrambled to grab his own cart and follow. There hadn't been anything else said between the two, which was obscure considering when they were teenagers it was as if they couldn't stop chatting. They'd always find a topic to rant on about. So they should be able to do it now—especially when it's been four long years with zero communication and an open invitation to say anything and everything that may have changed within their lives. The simplicity of how each other have been was better than the silence that surrounded them.