Love Lies Bleeding🔞

🌱11

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐏.𝐎.𝐕

The ball flew through the air. Jisung watched with anticipation as it inched closer and closer to the hoop. He bit his bottom lip watching as the ball was now centimeters away from the hoop. 

❝ Yes! ❞ Jisung ran to Minho and hugged him. Lee Know pouted.

❝ Where's my hug. ❞ Jisung giggled.

❝ You weren't the one to score Lee Know hyung~ ❞ Minho stuck out his tongue at Lee Know. Lee Know rolled his eyes but smiled.

❝ Yeah yeah whatever. ❞

❝ Lee Know! Your friends are here! ❞ Jihoon called out from the back door.

❝ Okay I'm coming! ❞ Lee Know called back. But Jihoon didn't leave. Instead he walked over towards them.

❝ What are you playing? I want to play too! ❞ Jihoon ran to the basketball and picked it up.

❝ How do you play? Do you just throw the ball? ❞ Minho's eyes widen.

❝ Wait Jihoon— ❞ Jihoon throw the ball over the fence into the neighbor's backyard. 

❝ Oops, sorry Hyungs. Well I'm going back inside this place is boring. ❞ Jihoon quickly ran into the house. Lee Know stared at Jihoon running back into the house. Minho came up to him and put his hand on his shoulder.

❝ Hey. . . Lee Know. . . go greet your friends okay. I'll get the ball. ❞ Jisung ran up to Lee Know and hugged him.

❝ Yeah Lee Know hyung! We'll get it back! ❞ Jisung offered Lee Know a smile. Lee Know hummed and smiled. He pulled away from the hug.

❝ It's fine! It's not that big of a deal anyways it's just a ball. ❞ Lee Know then ran inside. Minho frowned. He knew that ball means everything to Lee Know since it's the ball he specifically chose out four years ago when their dad took them to the store.

❝ Come on Minho hyung let's go get the ball. ❞ Jisung tugged at Minho's sleeve. Minho nodded and lead Jisung towards the gate door on the side of the house leading to the front yard. They walked around the side of the house.

❝ Is Mrs. Jeon still. . .you know. . . ❞ Minho giggled knowing exactly what Jisung was referring to. Mrs. Jeon has been the Lee family's neighbor for thirteen years and in the twelve years the twins have been alive, never once did she speak to them kindly. She would constantly complain and yell at Mrs. Hong [ Lee ] about the twins being "too loud" [ especially when Jisung was over ] or about being them looking at her strangely [ however neither Minho nor Lee Know dared look in her direction ].  

❝ Yeah. But I think it'll be okay. ❞ As they approached the house, Minho confidently took the lead. He opened the small front gate door carefully and walked across the front yard [ following the stone path ] up to the front door. Jisung was more hesitant to follow, and tried to make as little noise as possible. Minho firmly knocked on the door twice.

Jisung and Minho listened to the noises coming from inside the house. There were heavy footsteps moving from where they assume was the living room [ since the houses were built identically on the entire street ]. Minho turned to look at the living room window only to see an orange cat staring at them. It's eyes followed Minho's every movement. The door then swung open making Minho jump a little.

❝ What do you brats want! ❞ Minho offered Mrs. Jeon a small smile.

❝ Unfortunately our ball has fallen into your backyard and we were wondering if we could get it back. ❞ Minho lowered his gaze as he spoke. There was a moment of silence before Mrs. Jeon slammed the door in their faces. 

❝ Well that was. . . ❞ Minho sighed.

❝ Guess we'll have to— ❞ The door swung open again, this time Minho and Jisung were greeted by a smirking Mrs. Jeon. Beside her feet was a small dog. Minho's face dropped seeing the deflated basketball beside the dog.

❝ What. . . ❞ Minho's mind tried to process what he was witnessing. 

❝ Here you go. Say thank you to Hwan for finding your stupid ball. ❞ Mrs. Jeon kicked the deflated ball towards Minho's feet. Minho's fists clenched. 

❝ Jisung take the ball and go back to the party. I want to have a talk with Mrs. Jeon. ❞ Jisung quickly picked up the ball from Minho's feet. Minho's voice and aura completely changed. The air was thicker and a lot more suffocating, even Mrs. Jeon picked up on these changes. 

❝ Don't. . . do anything stupid okay. ❞ Minho didn't bother to turn to look at Jisung as he left.

—

When Jisung arrived back at the backyard [ taking the same route Minho and him took to leave it ], he was greeted with Lee Know and his two friends sitting by the base of the tree. He quickly hide the ball behind his back and walked up to them hesitantly. 

❝ Sungie! Where's the bal— I mean Minho? ❞ Jisung bit his lip.

❝ He um. . .stayed back to talk with Mrs. Jeon. ❞

❝ You mean Minho's with your witch of a neighbor! ❞ Chan elbowed Changbin.

❝ You don't say that about people! ❞ Changbin pouted and rubbed his arm. Lee Know ignored them and focused on Jisung.

❝ Why is he there? Did something happen when you two were getting the ball? And what are you hiding behind you. ❞ Jisung stepped away from Lee Know before revealing the deflated ball and bowing.

❝ We're sorry Lee Know hyung! Mrs. Jeon's dog got to it before we got there! Please forgive me! ❞ For a split moment Lee Know existence seemed to be drained and his eyes robbed of all life [ even the light from the sun didn't reflect off of them ]. Chan and Changbin also stood up straight and tensed. They remebered the day Lee Know brought the ball to school to show it off. He talked so much about his father and it was truly a moment in which Lee Know revealed all his emotions, not leaving any stone unturned.

❝ It's okay Sungie! Besides I kinda couldn't wait to open my gift you and Aunt Jang got me so I kinda didn't need that old ball anyways.  ❞ Jisung stood up straight. The gift they had given Lee Know was more basketball equipment [ which obviously included a ball that Jisung hand picked and had undergone a similar process as Lee Know had years ago ]. 

❝ Are you sure? Minho seemed pretty upset. And he wouldn't talk to Mrs. Jeon unless it was something important. Lee Know hyun— ❞

❝ I said it's fine. Minho always overreacts you know how he easily let's his feelings take over. Here give me the ball. ❞ Jisung hesitantly handed him the ripped up ball. Lee Know quickly grabbed it and walked to the side of the house where their trash/ recycling bins rested. 

Lee Know lifted the trash bin's lid and threw the ball inside with no hesitation. Chan and Changbin stood completely shocked by Lee Know's actions. Lee Know let the lid go and smiled widely.

❝ See. It's just a ball. ❞ Jisung bit his lip.

❝ Now lets go get Minho and play a game! ❞