Growing Up in Ferngrave [A Seventeen Fanfiction]

Chapter 5: Summer Before Third Grade and the Lemonade Stand

  As a young child, I never really thought about the prospect of moneymaking.  So when my mother tried to convince me that setting up a lemonade stand outside on the sidewalk before our house was a good idea, I was inclined to refuse.  However, when it came to my mother, refusal from anyone of any kind never mixed well with her, not in a malicious way of course. She was just one of those mothers who were too persistent and chirpy for her own good. It wasn't long until she roped in the boys to help me.

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  Mingyu grunted once more as he roughly kicked the tree stump outside of Mrs. Silver's house.  Mrs. Silver was the old lady from down the street, who lived alone with her dog Juney.  The tree outside of her home was a lemon tree; of course, the lot of you asked permission from the sweet elderly woman before attempting to discard lemons from her front yard.  However, none of you had the bright idea to bring supplies that would help.

  "Thith ith hopeleth.." Mingyu sighed after giving the tree one more kick.  Seokmin stood by with only a single lemon in his hand.

  "You're telling me! Only one of 'em fell into my hands!"

  "I think that one fell on its own," You observed, having noticed that the juicy treat had been dangling off of the branch before Mingyu had even started kicking it.

  "I don't know why you're still kicking it. The stump is too thick to move." Wonwoo said, blunt as usual.

  "Ugh, do you always have to be so pessimistic?" Seungkwan crossed his arms, prompting Wonwoo to raise a brow.

"Pessimistic?" Wonwoo snorted softly. "Where'd you learn that? Do you even know what it means?"

Seungkwan felt his face redden. "Of course I know what it means!"

Wonwoo couldn't help but grin impishly, while Mingyu snickered behind him. It was becoming more and more common for the pair of them to pick on Seungkwan, which was interesting because Mingyu and Wonwoo couldn't have been any more different. "Oh yeah? Prove it."

"I.." Seungkwan began, blinking rapidly, "H—How do I know you'll even know what it is?"

"Well...it's Wonwoo." Seokmin said as if it were obvious, throwing the lemon around between his hands.

"Shut up! Nobody asked you!" Seungkwan's usually puffy face looked even puffier, and it nearly reminded the rest of you of a pufferfish. Of course, the sight of it got Mingyu, Wonwoo, and Seokmin to laugh together, which only proved to infuriate the boy further. Thankfully, you were a saving grace for Seungkwan, able to hold yourself together despite the great need to laugh.

"Well, whatever the meaning is, it's not going to help us get these lemons down." You interlocked an arm with Seungkwan's in an attempt to calm him down. It was about time you came to his saving; after all, he had done the same for you almost three years previously in pre-school. "Got any good ideas, Boo?"

At that, the atmosphere seemed to simmer down, and Seungkwan's face was returning to its natural shape and color. "Garden tools might help?"

  "How about we go ask Mr. Lee to help us?" Seokmin suggested.

  "Which Mr. Lee?" Mingyu and Seungkwan asked simoultaneously.

  "Lee Chan's dad. You know that kid that's always going to the principal's office at school? I always see his dad in their garage, and he has a bunch of different sized ladders and those big fruit picking scissors!"

  Seungkwan made a face. "Lee Chan? But he's so gross! If we go and ask his dad for something, he's gonna have to tag along with us."

  "He'th not thath badth." Mingyu shrugged.