❝ hereafter ❞ - park sunghoon ✓

fourteen

"give me a piggyback ride!" matcha demanded, staring up at the boy. "we're on school grounds." he scolded. "just walk."

"no but- walking is so, overrated, you get me?" she reasoned, falling into step with him.

"why do you want a piggyback so bad?" the boy questioned, eyebrows raised as he strode ahead.

"because the last time i got one was when i was 15."

"15? aren't 15-year-olds a bit too old for piggybacks?" he snorts.

"no they're not! you just grew up too fast." matcha shoots, halting in front of him. "now give me one."

"what are you, 19? you're a literal hag now."

"just because you're just a little while younger doesn't make me a whole GRANDMA." she deadpanned.

"do it or i call the termites."

"don't you DARE." sunghoon narrows his eyes at her. "i spent 3 hours picking and vacuuming those off the darn bed."

"GREAT! bend down." she commanded, clapping her hands onerously. the boy whined, getting on a knee.

"get on."

matcha pumped her fist in the air and ran excitedly to his back, jumping on as sunghoon's hands supported her legs.

the boy stood up with ease, shifting her up.

"how'd you get up so fast? aren't i heavy?" she asked.

"remember when we met? and i told you i had those extra-strength chips implanted in my ear but you tried to hit me with a bat? yeah."

"oh." matcha said, reaching forward to pick at his ear.

"it's on the back of my earlobe." he said, holding the girl's hand and guiding it to his chip while he walked along, getting weird stares from elders.

"oh, that's so cool." matcha said, mesmerized as she toyed with the metal piece.

silence.

"you're cute." sunghoon blurted. the girl's eyes widened for a second.

"AH, sorry, that was rand-"

"no no, you spoke the truth."