The breakfast was long gone when Si-Hun had some work to do.
Ji-Ho was lying on the couch, watching the TV.
"Oh bro when will the time come when I'll get my own mobile?"
"When you're old enough." Si-Hun's voice reached him.
"Bro what do you mean old enough! It's been almost a year since you moved away… I'm 15!"
"Yeah when you turn 16, then we'll see."
"The playfulness was evident; he was grateful for the little time he got to spend with his brother.
"It's evening. I think I could take you out somewhere so you don't get bored while you're around here…"
"Yeahh… I've been leeching off the couch for long enough."
"Good. Get ready"
"Oh I will." He replied as he fled off the couch in a single strike.
Si-Hun laughed to himself, a manly laugh that escapes you when you get to take care of family.
Once Ji-Ho was ready, he came out to Si-Hun and nudged him lightly.
"You ready?"
Si-Hun raised his eyebrows before giving a shrug and taking the cap from the side and flopping it onto his brother's head.
"Wear this.''
"Aghh, what are you doing bro!" He said as he took it off again.
Si-Hun took it from his brother's hands and put it on his head again.
"You don't want a cold, do you?"
His brother sighed and finally wore it.
"I am taking my camera with me."
"I'd like it if you didn't drop it on the ground. If not, you can take it."
Before Si-Hun could finish talking, Ji-Ho was already filming him.
"Here's my brother acting like a responsible MOM." He laughed with that.
Then they left the house with that.
"It's… so beautiful…the sky. The clouds are so many shapes…It's orange." Ji-Ho muttered as he looked at the sky in awe while filming it with his camera, capturing all angles.
The vast sky seemed to continue like the ocean would when you looked at it from a standing point.
"This area is very small, but it's better than hearing the fuss of your neighbors every day." His brother spoke.
He was filming their whole journey.
The sky really seemed to glow orange… each cloud a different shape of… beauty.
The Sun was dipping low on the horizon, not gone but dim.
"I know… It's beautiful."
They walked down the walkway.
Ji-Ho filmed their entire walk, occasionally pointing the camera at Si-Hun, giving his own commentary that Si-Hun found funny.
A few shops had their lights on, a reminder that night was near.
"Well, do you wanna go downtown?"
"I like the sound of it!"
"Now we're going downtown!" Ji-Ho talked to the camera and tilted it to capture his face partially, as twisting his arm at that level was hard.
That's how they ended up downtown.
Ever so lively… but a little less crowded today.
Si-Hun saw a small shop that was selling caramel-coated fruits.
"How about we taste that?"
"They do look delicious…"
Ji-Ho took the shop in his video before moving.
Then they went to the shop.
The owner was an old woman with wrinkles on her face, but her smile was as if she was young again.
"Two bags of the candy, we would like."
"Sure! Just wait a few minutes, son."
"Son…" Si-Hun almost chuckled playfully.
"I think I have seen you around town, young man. You live here?"
"Yeah, I do. I'm out a lot… It's no surprise you've seen me, haha."
"And this is…?"
"Oh, he's my brother…he came to visit me."
"Say hi to the camera!" Ji-Ho shouted lightly.
"Hello viewers…Does anyone wanna see how caramel candy is made?" The lady chuckled.
"Of course they would love that! Can you please show us?"
"Say no more." The lady then started showing how the candy was made and Ji-Ho captured it while the lady talked to the camera, clearly mesmerized by the filming.
The corner of Si-Hun's mouth lifted slightly, and he looked over at Ji-Ho, who got his candy first.
"The younger ones first!" The lady smiled.
"No worries."
"Thanks, grandma!"
"Oh, you got it, son! Enjoy these times."
"Looking at you reminds me of back when I was younger…But the 20's aren't bad either. You too, live them!" The lady said, handing Si-Hun his bag.
Si-Hun nodded and gave her a polite smile before walking away.
That was a wholesome interaction.
"Good thing there are grandmas around here to give you company," Ji-Ho said, laughing to Si-Hun.
The Sun stretched even lower.
The camera never shut down.
"YO, that shop over there looks so cool! They're selling charms!! and keychains!... and more!"
"Let's see."
The shop was not very big, but it was very well-lit, with beautiful hangings… it sure would attract teenage boys.
Ji-Ho's face was menacing when he saw the shop so glittery.
"This shop is amazing, isn't it?" He said to the camera, grinning.
Some shops were starting to glow up as night fell.
Si-Hun was more focused on the world around him than the small shop.
"So weird how the world never seems to lose its pace… and the world is still lit at night…" His thoughts lingered, but they were interrupted when a teenage boy said something to him.
"Hey, mister, could you move?"
Si-Hun immediately came out of his thoughts and moved aside, muttering an apology for blocking the way.
The kid moved past him… leaving Si-Hun in his thoughts again.
Ji-Ho, on the other side, was filming himself taking a look at the charms.
"Should I get one for big bro too? I should… he bought me many things… but which one…" He talked to the camera as he shuffled through the charms.
"It could be something that reminds me of him…" Just then, he found a seashell charm.
"Well… he's kind of like the sea… he's usually calm and vast… This seashell would be perfect, right?"
"Two of these, please!"
His focus shifted to the camera again.
"This is the perfect gift! I hope he likes it.
Ji-Ho approached Si-Hun, who was still lost in thought, a charm in his hand…still filming Si-Hun.
The charms were not one… but two, actually.
"Look what I got for you."
Si-Hun glanced at the two charms.
They were seashells.
One for him and one for Si-Hun.
"You didn't have to buy for me…I'll pay."
Ji-Ho stepped in front of him and took his arm, dragging him out of the shop and onto the road again.
The camera shook as he dragged Si-Hun out, playful.
"Nu-uh! Not happening. Just take it." He extended his hand out for Si-Hun to take.
Si-Hun looked at him first, then at the charm before taking it from his hand.
"Fine." Si-Hun passed him a half smirk.
They quietly walked down the road.
"…I don't want this evening to end forever," Ji-Ho spoke out.
The camera captured every move, still on, high in his hand as he recorded their walk.
It recorded more of their talks than the surroundings now.
"Nor do i…but times have to come to an end eventually…You know that life never stops moving, hmm…"
"But I wished… for once, time could just slow its pace…"
"You know… I wished for that too." Si-Hun had wished for time to slow its pace at some point too.
"Who wants beautiful times to end quickly, anyways…"
"The shops are slowly lighting up… meaning the evening comes to an end."
"You wanna grab a drink?" Si-Hun offered.
"Always up for that."
They both got themselves drinks.
Si-Hun got a mint margarita, and Ji-Ho got himself mango juice.
"Let me take a shot of our drinks."
Ji-Ho took the shot and began slurping on his drink.
"Well… with this… I think the evening actually comes to an end." Si-Hun said as he took a refreshing sip from his chilled drink.
The walks seemed longer than they were, but they still weren't forever.
There was a bounce in Ji-Ho's steps as he moved with Si-Hun.
Still recording… The recording never ended.
The sky was now dark, with stars lined it.
Ji-Ho once again shifted the camera lens at the sky, trying to capture the stars.
"You'll fall, keep your eyes on the road!"
"Just a sec…"
"And it's done! You almost fell!" Si-Hun said as he grabbed the back of Ji-Ho's collar before he could fall straight on his face.
The camera was about to fall from his hand but he gripped the camera rather than saving himself.
"…H-haha…it's nothing…"
Si-Hun gave him a tired look but let him keep the camera.
They reached his apartment soon after.
Ji-Ho taking the elevator in his video.
As soon as they got out of the elevator, they were met with a lady taking shots of the night sky that was filled with stars that day.
Si-Hun recognized the lady…
Ji-Ho immediately walked up to the lady, taking him in his video.
"Hey, are you taking videos of the sky too?" He asked, anticipating.
She was a little surprised at the sudden interaction, but she smiled politely.
"Yes…You seem to be taking shots too."
"Hey, it's not polite to film people without consent." Si-Hun walked up to Ji-ho before lightly turning his camera away.
Her eyebrows raised a little, surprised again that Si-Hun knew this person.
"Si-Hun…?"
"I'm sorry…he can be a little too extroverted sometimes."
His ears turned a little red…she looked…
"beautiful…" His thoughts rumbled.
"Oh… no, that's fine! I enjoy his spirits," she hummed softly.
"I'm glad…"
"You know him…??"
"I do… He's my neighbor. I've known your brother for…maybe more than half a year."
"How come you never told me?" Ji-ho eyed him.
"Is it necessary to tell everything!" He quickly blurted.
"Um… Yeah!"
She giggled quietly at that.
"I'm glad I got to meet your brother. He's cute."
She said with a smile, making Ji-Ho blush getting a compliment.
Si-Hun ruffled Ji-Ho's hair before giving him the keys to go inside.
"Having siblings must be nice?" She asked him, looking at the lights below.
"It's…a good experience… I can say, aside from acting like his dad all the time." He laughed at the last part to himself.
"Where were you upto?"
"We were just downtown…He came after a long time. I wanted to take him for a walk out."
"Oh…what's…that?" She tilted her head lightly at the seashell charm.
"It's…a charm he gifted me."
"It's so pretty…Can I see…?"
"Here."
He handed her the charm…but the real charm was the brush of their hands.
It sent a spark through her…making her blush at the smallest contact.
It didn't go unnoticed by him, either.
He felt a little stiff at her touch as well.
The tips of his ears a little warm.
She rubbed the surface with her thumb; it felt smooth.
"It…kind of reminds me of you."
His breath hitched a fraction at that.
"Me…?"
"Yes."
"How?"
"Well…um, you're like the ocean…you're always so calm and…the seashell is…I don't know how to explain that." She got a little shy and handed it back to him.
"You're…charming like the seashell… and bright as the sea." That was what she actually thought.
He was a little confused, but he let it go.
"You know what reminds me of you?" He finally gathered up the courage to tell her the thing that reminded him of her.
"It's… cherry blossoms. They bring spring and…" He hesitated a little before admitting "happiness."
Her eyes looked up at him, her cheeks a little pink, just like cherry blossoms. She felt shy all of a sudden.
"I must look like a red tomato…but…it makes my heart flutter at the thought.."
"You…really think that…? D-do I bring happiness in your life?"
He felt his ears warm…maybe…he didn't even know it…but he felt something.
"How can I deny that you remind me of flowers…how they're feminine and… oddly fascinating even if you don't like them…"
"Y-yes…" His voice came out low but true.
She looked away immediately, looking everywhere but meeting his gaze.
"…Thank you." She spoke.
"The silence after that was comfortable and full of unspoken things.
Her hair blew a little in the soft breeze… and he seemed to notice that.
Without thinking… he leaned over and softly tucked it back in place so it would get in her face again…Just instincts.
But he didn't realize how hard it made her heart jump and race.
She was caught off guard…but the thing was…she didn't pull away.
Heat rushed to her cheeks, and she watched as realization hit him and he immediately stepped back, embarrassed to the core.