"You look just like the boy I saw in my dreams." Jisung jabbed a finger at the blonde's chest.
He certainly wasn't expecting the other to grab his hand, wrapping his fingers on top of Jisung's.
"Dreams?" A small smirk edged the corners of his mouth...
The streets were barren, with neither a person nor an animal in sight. It was completely quiet, save for the brief rustling of leaves and the soft chirp of crickets.
A light broke through the pitch-black night's headlights, and the thrum of an engine echoed off the trees. It shook the gravel, leaving a cloud of dust behind it.
There were a few streetlights, but most of them hadn't been functioning properly for a while now, and nobody bothered to call the city and ask for them to be repaired because nobody ventured around town during the night.
This car was the only one on the road; inside was an elderly woman and her grandson, who were driving the vehicle. The mother had her head lulled to the side, eyes shut as she dozed off. The man, however, was paying attention to his surroundings. So far, nothing had caught his eye—that is, until he turned the corner around the post office. There was something off the side of the road, sticking out from one of the bushes.
He brought the vehicle to a startling halt, the impact being enough to shake his mother awake, her hand slamming down on the dashboard.
She watched as her grandson stepped out of the car, leaving the door wide open in case he needed to make a quick escape back inside. The woman stayed inside, her hand grasping his phone, ready to call the police if anything happened.
He parted the bush down the middle and immediately froze, his feet planted to the ground. It was a pair of legs. His eyes trailed up the figure of the body. A pair of cargo pants with black stars. It was a boy. He had his sneakers on, but one of them was missing.
"Is that-?"
He carefully maneuvered the body out of the bush, and under the glow of the headlights, he could make out a head of blonde hair and a white hoodie. It was Jisung, lying unconscious in the grass.
"It's the boy staying with the Oiwas."
✧
Setsu and Kiyomasa had been woken up by a loud, thumping noise at their front door. They'd quickly risen out of bed, surprised when they saw the man and his mother standing in the doorway.
Setsu's face dropped once she'd heard what the purpose of their visit was. She'd assumed Jisung had come home a while ago and snuck into bed. Neither of the Oiwa's had any clue Jisung was missing.
The man led the couple to their car, opening the back door to showcase a sleeping Jisung, his clothes and cheeks dirtied with soil. Setsu was horrified, but she tried her best not to show it. Whatever could have happened to him?
Carefully, she draped Jisung's arm over her shoulder and lifted him out of the car, her arm underneath his legs, as she carried him bridal-style into the house.
Kiyomasa stood outside, conversing with the male. He too looked visibly shaken as he thanked the man and his mother for returning Jisung home safely.
After chatting for a little bit longer, Kiyomasa also retreated back inside his home, only shutting the door once the car had fully disappeared from view.
Jisung was faintly smiling as he dozed off, unaware of the amount of panic he had caused Setsu and Kiyomasa. The couple slowly climbed upstairs and tucked Jisung into bed, leaving the door half open in case he needed anything.
✧
Jisung had woken up quite early. He was confused to have found himself lying in his clothes from the night before, in his own bed.
Strange. I don't remember coming home.
The first thing he did was take a cold shower, washing away the dirt that had stained his skin. He scrubbed his hair with a sweet-scented shampoo, then brushed his teeth, changed into a pair of gray sweatpants and a white t-shirt, and padded back to his room, a towel wrung around his neck.
He fiddled with the bracelet around his wrist as he plopped down in his chair, rummaging around the desk drawers until he found what he was looking for.
Setsu had handed him a letter the other day, a letter his auntie had written for him. Jisung had put off reading it, afraid of the emotions that would override his words.
He slipped the letter out of the envelope, taking a deep breath before he opened it.
Dear Jisung, How are you? It seems like you're enjoying it there.
Jisung reclined back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling. He hadn't noticed there were glow-in-the-dark stars glued to it. His fingers thrummed against the surface of the desk, a soft breeze rushing in through the open window.
Am I enjoying it here?
The Oiwa's had been nothing but nice; truth be told, Jisung almost preferred them as parents instead of his auntie and her husband. He looked forward to the meals they cooked and the board games they'd call him downstairs to play.
And of course, here he had Minho. Minho, with his firm biceps and thick thighs. Minho, with his infectious laugh and shy smile. Minho, with his veiny fingers and silky strands of golden hair.
Yes, I do enjoy it here.
Jisung took one last glance at the postcard before shoving it back in the drawer. He'd respond another time, but right now, he craved a glass of orange juice and a nap in the sun.
I hope to hear from you soon.
- Yoriko
End of Chapter 15 ◂⊱✧⊰▸
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
TBC c:
authors note 2/24/24: another short one!! things r getting a bit suspicious... aren't they?
