Catch The Stars

Chapter 36

It's barely past four when her grandmother knocks on her door, but they have to leave soon in order for her to catch her bus. Uncle Changho is waiting at the gates for them.

Jennie had packed the night before so she's basically good to leave after getting dressed. Her grandma insists for her to eat some breakfast, so she shovels down some leftover rice and meat and steamed vegetables while her stuffs some more food into her bag and suitcase so she can eat on the long ride home.

It's fairly dark when she steps outside. Cold, too. Her eyes are raw from crying and the lack of sleep, so they immediately prickle with tears when she stares at the horizon.

She can see a sliver of gold in the distance, behind the mountains where the sun is slowly waking up. There's even a layer of fog hovering above the ground.

"It's cold, huh?" Her grandma says after locking the door behind them. Jennie nods and grabs her arm gently. She told her not to wake up for her so early, that she didn't have to come all the way to Cheumsan to see her off, but she insisted on it, and Jennie knows better than to try to change her opinion.

Jennie's heart sinks when her grandma puts Kuma's collar on so she can tie him to his house in the garden.

The dog looks confused as to why he's being tied up but wags his tail happily when Jennie approaches him and crouches down in front of him, her nose already stinging before she can pet her friend.

"You behave, okay?" Jennie whispers. She starts tearing up when Kuma closes his eyes under her gentle touches. "You have to take care of grandma. And don't go cutting yourself on those fences again, okay, buddy? Don't eat chocolatey food from the trash again, either. I don't want to worry about you, too."

Kuma huffs and licks Jennie's ear when she's close enough.

"I'm going to miss you, Kuma." Jennie doesn't even care that she's crying at this point. She loves dogs, and she especially loves Kuma, so she knew the second she met him that saying goodbye was going to be tough. But something about the clueless way Kuma is looking at her, because he doesn't understand, like he expects Jennie to come back later and take him for a walk or play with him in grandma's garden, just breaks Jennie's heart.

"Sweetheart, we have to go," Her grandmother says, her smile gentle and sympathetic. "You can visit him whenever you want. I promise I won't give him away, no matter how many times he destroy my flowers," She says, making Jennie laugh wetly.

"Okay. Okay, bye buddy." She leans in again and kisses Kuma's head before forcing herself to stand up and turn around. She makes the mistake of looking back, and starts weeping again like a baby when she sees Kuma trying to follow them but being held back by his leash. He looks upset and keeps tugging on the leash and Jennie can't handle it anymore so she looks away and walks to the gate before she can change her mind and stay.

Jennie rests her head on her grandma's shoulder once they're in the car, watching the village get smaller and smaller in the side mirror of the car. She stops crying soon enough, but starts again when they drive past the field Y/n took her to the day after Jennie kissed her the first time.

She can't stop herself, it's like she can physically feel the distance between Y/n and her with every passing minute.

Her grandma doesn't ask why she's so upset. She must know that it isn't usual for her to be this upset about leaving, but she doesn't ask. Because she's the best grandma in the world, so she stays silent, and cards her fingers through Jennie's hair until they arrive in Cheumsan, and it's time to say goodbye for them, too.

The bus station is practically deserted, only a few people gathered around the single travel bus which is the one to Ancheon. Jennie hands her luggage to the bus driver who stores them away in the baggage compartment of the bus and when she turns around, her grandmother is standing there, looking small as she tries to keep it together for her sake.