it doesn’t get better than this, or so he’s been told.
heaven meets earth in a long line cut to mark the horizon. the sky bellies out above, a dome of baby blue, with streaks for clouds, white and wispy. jaemin looks up, knee deep in his trudge through the field. cirrus is his best guess, a promise of good weather.
jaemin has never been the type to think twice, yet today his mind is at the throws of retrospection. he blames it on the incense from early this morning, burning clean to leave a trail of white blossom and sandalwood, the smell still stuck in his nose.
jesa is nothing he isn’t familiar with already, the rites deemed a mandatory practice by his parents, but it’d felt different this time. something about the offerings having been picked fresh, pulled free from the roots. the smile on the portrait a little wider than the one in brooklyn. simply being here, here at the heart of his grandmother’s hometown for the first time.
he’d left the house a little after the ritual came to a close, the mingling of relatives, close and near-strangers alike, falling faint as he makes distance. his eyes fall anywhere that pique interest in the moment: tree, bush, paddy, breeze, silhouette.
his steps falter at the last on, his place in space allowing for only the deceptive view of the back. loose, print trousers in maroon. the wide-brim of a straw hat.
she hadn’t been that tall, but could it be? no.
but the figure turns, and the color flushes right back into his face, the relief overwhelming. exhale. a ghost in broad daylight, who was he kidding?
“i thought you were someone else.”
despite now living in the city, minki was truly, deep down, a farm boy at heart.
he still woke up at the crack of dawn, way earlier than his group members if they had an off day. he liked doing things the hard way, taking no shortcuts or using cheats for anything. his parents had taught him a long time ago that hard work and dedication pays off the most, and he took those words to heart.
it’d been so long since he’d been back home to visit his family, and he had to say that he missed them very much. very rarely did he have opportunities to go back home for the day or for a few days, although he did try to call his family everyday or every other day. he never went longer than two days without hearing his parents’ and sisters’ voices. they were his stronghold and a large part of his motivation to succeed.
shortly after his visit, he found himself grazing in the fields that he used to play in as a kid with his older and younger sisters, dressed in his father’s work clothes since he didn’t have any of his own anymore. with his dad’s straw hat tugged firmly onto his head, he looked out over the field, taking a deep breath. he missed it, yes. but would he go back for good? not a chance. he wanted to be an idol, he was dedicated to being an idol. and his parents didn’t raise a quitter.
he frowned slightly when he felt the presence of someone behind him, and he turned around, quickly spotting someone a few yards away. “huh? oh, hello.. sorry.” he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “who were you looking for?” he asked, curiosity coloring his tone. “maybe i can help you find them?”
