When Minho Was There • Minsung

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Jisung folded the last of his clothes, smoothing his palm over the rough material of his sand-coated shorts as he placed them inside the suitcase. He'd taken his time packing up all his belongings, trying to prolong his time at the marsh for just a little while longer. He'd cried so many times that he was sure his eyes would permanently sting. That was the difficult part of getting used to things; it made it harder to say goodbye.

He cut a finger through his messy blonde locks, sweeping his bangs out of his eyes. Taking in the familiar surroundings, Jisung felt a pang in his heart. These were his last few moments in this house before he'd be swept up and back to his old house.

His auntie loomed by the door of his bedroom, her shoes scuffing against the wooden floors as she awkwardly shifted and for Jisung to zip up his suitcase. He supposed it'd be best to hurry; after all, auntie wanted to make it home before dark.

It was a bittersweet feeling, walking through those airy halls for the last time. Jisung was glad he'd had the opportunity to come here. In his months of living with the Oiwa's, Jisung had learned so much from both them and the friends he'd made along the way.

"Ready to go?" His auntie asked and reached out a hand for him to take.

He didn't touch her, but he smiled when he nodded, and that was the most amount of affection he'd shown her in a long time. "I guess I am."

✧

Jisung's back felt sticky when pressed against the seat of the car. It was practically empty now compared to how it was on his first day there. He'd rolled the window down as much as he could, staring longingly at the sparkly blue waters of the marsh as they drove by.

Ah. A wide grin erupted on his face as he caught sight of a certain boat, the only boat out on the marsh. "Changbin! Yongbok! Seungmin! Goodbye!" He shouted as the car passed by them. Jisung saw his friends turn to look at him, waving out of the window. They smiled; their shouts were drowned out by the strong wind, but Jisung could see them waving. Waving goodbye.

He slowly lowered his hand as his friends vanished out of sight, too far behind to see them again. He sank back down into his seat, taking a deep breath to calm his aching heart. His eyes skittered over the mansion, eager to see it one last time. Jisung expected to see the workers—maybe Hyunjin painting on his hill—but what he did not expect to see was a charming face, a dark set of eyes, and a tidy furl of blonde hair.

His breath hitched in his throat, and his grip around his seatbelt tightened. There was simply no way this was real; it couldn't be real. Jisung needed to stop imagining things, for it would only leave him more devastated than before.

Jisung was drowning in his love for Minho. His thoughts of Minho would bubble for eternity; he was sure of that. He needed to accept the fact that Minho was no longer alive, but there was always that feeling, that thumping beat in the back of his mind, telling him that Minho would never truly be gone.

His auntie had Jisung's sketchbook in her lap, flipping through the pages as she admired his drawings in content silence. He'd offered to show her them, although he wasn't sure why. Maybe he wanted to introduce Minho to her, as he would've surely done if Minho was still there with him.

Jisung fiddled with the bracelet, which fit loosely around his wrist. It'd taken him a while to realize why he loved the bracelet so much. It was because Minho had gifted it to him. The charms were dainty and pretty, carved in silver.

Sucking in another breath of fresh air, Jisung let his head loll back against the seat, and his eyelids fluttered shut.

He would always remember his time at the marsh—the time when Minho was there.

End of When Minho Was There
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authors note 4/11/24:
thank you for taking the time to read this :) i appreciate all the support and kind comments you have given. i hope you'll continue to follow me and enjoy my upcoming works!! mwah love you all