nepenthe // p.jisung

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   The next night, Jisung's older brother, Taeyong, needed to make a trip to the grocery store for a couple items and offered for Jisung to join him. He wasn't thrilled about the trip, but wanted to get out of the house. Taeyong use to take Jisung out to places a lot, just to hang out. Jisung looked up to Taeyong and found him the person he's closest to. He took better care of him than their parents.

   With their mom working nights as a nurse on weekdays, she has a sleeping schedule during the day. She's arriving back home when they're off to school and waking when they're going to sleep. The only time they really get to spend with her is on weekends. Their dad is a great guy. He's very outgoing and friendly, but also loyal and determined. No one could mess with him or his family. However, he wasn't someone you would hand your kids over to as a babysitter. He can't cook and doesn't know how to interact with children.

   In Jisung's childhood, he didn't really have a mother figure except in his infant stage and later on occasionally. His father didn't know how to handle kids on his own, so he sort of cast them away from his priorities. His grandparents didn't live near them, so they only saw them on holidays. Taeyong took Jisung into his own hands even if he wasn't a whole lot older. He quickly picked up cooking skills and does a lot of the cleaning since their father isn't big on house work either.

   Even when Taeyong entered middle school, he held Jisung close under his wing and Jisung would gladly lean in for support. Most of the people found a humiliation towards their younger siblings hanging around them, but Taeyong was different from that, even during high school. Only when Jisung became a freshman himself, he wanted his distance. On the first day, Taeyong tried to walk him to all his classes, but Jisung found it embarrassing.

   Taeyong still babied him through the rest of the year. Jisung started to hate these actions. He even went off on Taeyong to stop treating him like a toddler. He said he's almost sixteen and deserves to be treated that way.

   That's when those bonding moments of Taeyong taking Jisung out to different places began to die off. Now, it's rarely that they do anything fun together. Sometimes Jisung would secretly hope that Taeyong has something planned for them to do, but then Tae would leave the house to visit some friends.

   Taeyong was just waiting for Jisung to ask him. He didn't want to force anything on him anymore. Taeyong started to feel like a burden to his dongsaeng. Sometimes, moments would feel awkward. Taeyong would ask Jisung different things, trying to get to know him the way he use to. However, Jisung only replied with short answers, and never asked it back. Tae tried to get back the old bond they use to have before he would graduate from high school this year and leave for college.

   "Will you miss me when I go off to college?" Taeyong slyly asked Jisung one night when he took him to get ice cream.

   Jisung shrugged, not even thinking about the question. He had his mind focused on basketball and his friends, not paying attention to anything his hyung was saying.

   Taeyong sighed; smile falling from his face quickly. There was a sharp pinch in his chest. He knew Jisung didn't care.

   He knew that bond has been lost.

   After they finished shopping, it was about six in the evening. They were nearing home when Jisung noticed a figure walking down the road. Just a little closer and it was clear that the figure was Akina.

   "I know that girl from school," Jisung pointed out. "Her name's Akina."

   Tae glanced to Jisung and then to the girl. "You do? Do you want to say hi?"

   The car began to slow down as they approached.

   "No, no," Jisung insisted. "She's in the grade below, I don't really talk to her."

   It was too late. Taeyong had pulled the vehicle to a stop and started to roll down Jisung's window. Jisung slowly slumped back in his seat, embarrassment flooding him. He gave a burning glare in Tae's direction.

   Akina pulled out her earbuds, looking into the car window with confusion. She noticed the familiarity of Jisung first, then soon put together the pieces, realizing it was also Taeyong, his brother, who's a senior.

   "Hey," Taeyong greeted warmly. "Akina, right?"

   Akina nodded her head. "Hi." Her voice was spoken softly. She looked at Jisung and forced a smile. "Hey, Jisung."

   Jisung gave back a fake one as well. Awkward tension surrounded him and Jisung felt his muscles tightening. "Good to see you."

   "Don't stay out passed dark," Taeyong warned her. "Even though these roads seem peaceful, the people who take them might not be."

   "Thank you, I will," Akina replied.

   Taeyong flashed a smile. "Have a good evening." The car started rolling forward.

   "Why did you do that?" Jisung asked a couple seconds later. He straightened himself back into the seat, staring straight out the front window.

   Taeyong glanced over with a serious expression. "Jisung, you'll find in life that making even small connections with people will help you later on. It will also help you now to understand different types of people and the beauty in their stories."

   The response caused Jisung to roll his eyes. "I already have plenty of connections at school."

   There was a long pause from Taeyong. His jaw was tightened. He didn't know what it was that changed his once bright and cheerful brother. "Not everyone is like your friends from school, Ji. You're going to meet all kinds of them out there in the world."

   "Well, then I can't make them on my own time. I don't need you to embarrass me in the process."

   A small sigh escaped Tae's lips. He pulled into their driveway without another word.