Growing Up in Ferngrave [A Seventeen Fanfiction]

Chapter 7: Summer Before Fourth Grade and the Treehouse

  Summers in Ferngrave were hot.  Very hot.  The all-too-familiar stick to my skin as I leaned my elbow against the counter to perch my chin on my palm has become something valuable in my archive of memories.  Mostly because everytime I did it, I did so as I watched my mother make kimchi in our little kitchen.

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"And now," Your mother began in a voice gentler to her usual one, "you pack it together tightly just...like...this!" Quite averse to her tone, your mother was all but squeezing the life out of the kimchi she was preparing. You watched the red and spiced goodness drip from her gloved hands; you could practically taste the kimchi from where you sat at the kitchen aisle.

Cooking days with your mom had quickly grown to be some of your favorite moments with her. There was something about the scene itself that seemed to calm your mother from her usually naggy nature. It was quiet and comfortable. It also definitely helped that you got to taste some good food after everything was said and done. Your favorite words had come to be—

"Here, try." Your mother held out a sizeable bite of the Korean delicacy, and you were all but too eager to jump at the offer.

"Mmm! Masisseoyo!"

Your positive reaction evoked a gentle smile from your mother, and she quickly began to finish the last of her cooking tasks for the day. As she set to work, she began to speak again. "Jinjja? If you really think it's that good, you should invite Soekminnie and Mingyu to have some!"

At that request, you had to wrinkle your nose. Of your best friends, why did she have to request those two? Compared to Seungkwan and Wonwoo, Seokmin and Mingyu were practically vacuum cleaners when it came to food, especially your mom's food. Then again, that might be why your mother seems to favor them so much. "No way, those two eat so much of my food already."

Your mother clicker her tongue but kept her eyes on the kimchi she was compressing in her hands. "I didn't raise you to be stingy! The two of them live the closest and it is fair etiquette to offer food to them, invite them over right now."

With a sigh, you scooted from the counter to make your way to the door. So much for calm cooking time with Eomma. Yet, as you swung open your front door, you were quite surprised to be greeted with the sight of both Dokyeom and Mingyu. Speak of the devils. How on earth are they here already? Are they part dog or something? Is it possible they smelled the kimchi from their houses? Or did they just somehow hear her commands for you? Unbelievable.

The questions whirling in your head were quickly debunked when Mingyu all but grabbed your arm and yanked you out the door. "You've gotta thee thith flyer we found justh now! Come, come! We've gotta tell Theungkwan and Wonwoo now!"

"Wha—? Wait, but my mom said—!"

"Theokmin'th already talking to her, the'll never thay no to him! Let'th go!" You looked back at the doorway to see that Mingyu's statement was, indeed, true. Your mother's smile was undeniable as she fondly spoke with a bright-looking Seokmin. This is so unfair. If that had been you speaking to her, she would have bombarded you with questions about whatever plan you were getting dragged into. Yet, it only took you and Mingyu a few steps down the sidewalk for Seokmin to bid your mother farewell and join you two.

"What the heck, you two? Eomma made kimchi, I wanted to stay at home today and eat!"

"But it's summer!" Seokmin reminded you. "And besides, your mom said she'd be waiting for us to come back later this evening. We can eat kimchi then."

"But I want it nowww!" You attempted to wriggle your arm out of Mingyu's grasp, only to fail miserable and have your other one stolen by Seokmin.

"We have all the thime in the world for that! Like Theokmin thaid, it'th thummer! Justh wait until you see what we found."