"All I ever wanted to do was leave this town and create a better life for myself and my family...If it weren't for the blackout, I never would have realized that my best life was living next door to me all along."
...
After an unexplainable phenomen...
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"I'll give you ten cans of red beans and two boxes of ammo that you can use for your hunting rifle," Taehyung bargained, placing the bag of goods on the table in front of him.
"Taehyung-ah," the male he was bargaining with spoke kindly. "I've had ties with your family longer than you've been alive. Take Dynamite as a gift."
Taehyung reached up and stroked the small, brown horse's nose. "Seven cans of beans and one box of ammo," Taehyung tried again. "That's as low as I'll go."
The stable manager laughed in amusement. "You know, son. This is the first time I've ever had anyone bargain me into taking a payment."
Taehyung grinned. "As you mentioned, you're considered an old family friend. My eomma would wring my neck if I came back with everything she sent me to bargain with. You're too generous for your own good."
Lee Duri lived on the outskirts of the town. Because of this, even though many townsfolk knew who he was, they viewed him as a stranger. In most cases, he was treated like an outcast. Taehyung's family, however, was well acquainted with the stable manager. They had been renting horses from him for years during the cultivating seasons. This time, however, Taehyung hadn't come to rent. With the weather becoming colder, walking everywhere was getting more difficult. It was Eonjin's idea to buy a horse. For whatever reason, she had seemed very adamant about it. Taehyung was familiar with his sister being a pain in the ass and rather temperamental, but the past few weeks she had become almost unbearable.
"You know," Taehyung added, rubbing his cold, bare hands together. "You could make a lot of good trades by running a taxi system of sorts with horses! Especially when winter settles in."
Lee Duri laughed. "I'll keep that in mind. Though, the folks of your town appreciate a familiar face and I'm not sure I have that."
Taehyung dismissed his worry with the wave of his hand. "You've done enough business in my town to be recognized." He gave a small hop and pulled himself on top of Dynamite with ease. "Think about it, yeah?"
"I will," Lee Duri smiled. "Stay safe, yeah? You and your family."
Taehyung found himself almost responding with a 'you to' but stopped himself. A few years ago, Lee Duri had lost his wife and unborn child in a car accident. Taehyung's family had been one of the only ones to attend their funeral. He didn't want to remind the lonely man of the family he didn't have. "Take care," he warmly encouraged instead.
As soon as he trotted back into his small house's driveway, Eonjin and Jonggyu ran outside to greet their newest family member with glee.
"You got one!" Eonjin shrieked. She threw her arms unexpectedly around Taehyung's neck after he had dismounted. "Thank you so much!"
