pink champagne [book 2 - mysmes hanahaki trilogy]

1

"Jihyun, come on now, don't be shy."

The boy's bright blue eyes peeked out from beside his mother's leg, gripping her skirt in his small hands. The two families stood between their houses, new neighbors meeting. Jihyun looked at the boy who stood with his parents, not the least bit shy, standing quietly in front of his mother.

'He must be hot,' Jihyun thought, looking at the boy's clothes, a button-up shirt with a small bow tie and a vest. Jihyun looked down at his own, t-shirt and shorts, his socks that climbed up mid-calf, small penny loafers on his feet.

Jihyun watched his father shake hands with the other man, saying things like "Chairman, huh?" and "Where does Jumin go to school?". Jihyun missed his old house. It was small and quaint and he had friends that he met on the weekends and played hopscotch with while their mothers drank tea. This new house was big, too big, and he felt that it might swallow him whole if he wasn't careful.

"Jumin, why don't you go show Jihyun the backyard?" The boy, Jumin, with curly black hair and long legs, nodded to his mother and looked to Jihyun, who shrunk against his grey eyes. Jumin began walking away, towards the gate of the white picket fence, and Jihyun, nervous, followed him quickly, not wanting to be left alone with the adults if he had the chance to play games, even if it was with this new neighbor.

Jumin's backyard was big, and tall oak trees reached over to make shade for the two boys. A kiddie pool filled with crystalline water sat happily in the center of the backyard, and a large play structure with a slide, swings, and a lookout point was built on the left corner. Jihyun watched Jumin take off his shoes and socks and step into the pool, the hems of his shorts kissing the surface of the clear blue. Jumin looked back at Jihyun and his lips twitched into a small smile, "You can come in if you want."

Jihyun was frozen for a few moments. He looked back and saw that his parents were still talking with Jumin's. He blinked back at Jumin. "Isn't it cold?" He asked quietly. Jumin shook his head, his black hair falling over his eyelashes. Hesitantly, Jihyun shuffled over to the pool and took off his shoes, touching his foot carefully to the water before splashing a bit as he stepped in. Jumin was right. The water was warm from standing out in the sun. Jihyun smiled. The sun behind Jumin's head made him look like one of the paintings that he saw at church back in his old city.

Jihyun held out his hand. "I'm Jihyun," he said to Jumin, holding his head straight like his father told him to instead of slouching.

The boy with the dark hair and grey eyes took Jihyun's hand. It was cool to the touch and clammy. "I'm Jumin."

...

"Jumin, hold still, or else it will come out blurry."

Jihyun squatted next to Jumin, who lay in the grass of his backyard, eyes closed.

"I am being still. I've been still for the past 10 minutes," Jumin replied and peeked one eyelid open. Jihyun's large camera stared back at him, held up to Jumin's friend's face, big and bulky. Jumin sighed and relaxed, the summer air floating over his face as the grass tickled his arms.

Jihyun and Jumin were 10 years old now, and Jihyun was fidgetting around with one of his father's antique cameras, adjusting his focus and shuffling around Jumin's peaceful face to capture the right angle.

"I want to get a good one, there's only one card left." The camera was a Polaroid, and at a dozen white, square photos were already laying facedown on the grass. Jumin squinted through his lashes at Jihyun, who was smiling. "I've got it, I've got it. Don't. Move." Jumin rolled his eyes under closed lids. The snap of the shutter flicked through the air, and Jumin sat up.