"When is father coming home?"
The young boy with deep, brunette hair smiled at his brother as he tied a thin rope around the pearly-white silk pouch between his knees. Together, they sat in the main hall of their small hanok, watching the village below the woods' terrain separating their home from the commoner's plaza. They watched the villagers who trudged past each other and approached different shops in blends of filthy clothes and unkempt images.
"Father's too busy with his work with the king to come today, Jihyun," the brunette replied, pushing the heavy pouch filled with yang coins into the pocket he had sewn in the inside of his upper garment.
"I suppose you're right. I guess I just miss him, brother," Jihyun sighed and shifted over the golden-red padded mattress with a sad gaze pointed towards the busy village.
Jimin followed his gaze and blinked in surprise as a butterfly with unique wings fluttered across his vision. Its wings were bright and silver, sparkling in the showers of light. He's never seen a butterfly with silver wings, and the thought of its rarity made him smile widely.
It must be a good omen.
"Brother?" said Jihyun.
"Yes?" Jimin turned in response to his younger brother's call.
"I'm hungry."
Chuckling, Jimin got up to his feet and made to grab his bamboo-framed gat. "Then I suppose I should head to the market and get us some food."
"Okay! Some persimmons would be great!" Jihyun grinned.
Jimin waved a hand in response as he put his shoes on and walked down the stone stairs to his house. His steps crunched through the earthy gravel and sand as he traveled across the woods. His black gat filtered the harsh sunlight, but he could feel the sweltering heat of summer rub against his skin.
It took a few more minutes to reach the market, where many commoners were swarming over the shops, yelling out bargains and hasty deals. Jimin was one of few higher-ranked folks among the commoners. Anyone could tell by the pricey, deep blue satin of his garments and the graceful posture he's been taught to practice for life. A few eyes peered at him questionably as he weaved through the crowds in search of the food section.
Feeling slightly uncomfortable from all the lingering gazes, he adjusted the rim of his gat so it hid half of his face and quickened his pace. When he found the food stands, he tried to pick out the best tuna and necessary spices for dinner as fast as he could to avoid getting stared at for longer.
"Jimin-ah!" Someone called out, and the boy whipped around.
"Minhyuk?"
The taller boy jogged towards him, wearing his usual clothes sewn with thick cotton and cream-colored threads. His friend, Minhyuk, was a commoner.
They clapped hands and grinned at each other.
But he was Jimin's closest friend.
Together, they hung out, laughed, and shared stories whenever they could. They'd go explore the woods, play hide and seek, climb trees, go swimming in the river...everything. Jimin's never trusted anyone more than Minhyuk, and he wished his friend wasn't poor so he didn't have to go through so much suffering just to get a scrap of meat for dinner.
Minhyuk was always so kind. He'd take care of Jimin whenever he got injured in their adventures or comfort him when he was feeling particularly sad.
