Monday
Thankfully it was pouring down on the day Jisung had to be inside, if it had been sunny the blond might have just skipped the lesson. The bell went soon enough, signalling the end of Jisung final class for that day, and he was able to go home and have some decent food.
Mondays had their pros and cons, the biggest downfall being that it was the only day Jisung and Felix's schedules did not overlap. Jisung had the morning and would be done and dusted by 12:30, the exact time that Felix came in for his afternoon dance lessons. If they were quick enough they'd just catch one another, but it would only be for a brief couple of seconds.
Jisung sat out side of the main entrance, hair getting steadily soaked. Students passed either side of him as he tied the laces of his trainers for the jog home. Jisung didn't mind running in the rain, it was honestly quite refreshing. What he didn't like was having to come in dripping wet and have his mum chase him into the shower while his books dried on the radiator. Hauling his bag onto his back, the blond was just fixing in his AirPods when he caught his name being yelled from across the road. "Jisung!! Wait up!!"
Felix darted between students, close to slipping over from how he was running so haphazardly through the puddles. The Aussie skidded to a halt in front of Jisung, doubled over and panting in an attempt to catch his breathe. Meanwhile Jisung was more concerned about whether or not Felix had managed to attract any unwanted attention to the two, but luckily it seemed the other students didn't really care all that much.
Eventually Felix picked himself up, drops of rain falling from his sliver toned locks and a wide toothy grin displayed on his face. A grin which told Jisung that his friend was extremely proud of himself.
"In less that 24 hours, you owe
me a cupcake Han."
"What are you on about, Lix?"
Felix stuffed his hand into his jean pocket, shaking his head in dissatisfaction, and pulled out a slightly crumpled piece of paper. "I got you a job, but don't worry, you can thank me later." Jisung took the paper and studied it, curious of what gig Felix had managed to get for him. It became a bit hard to read as it was all hand written, presumably by Felix himself, and the ink was starting to smudge from the rain. But Jisung managed to understand the overall message, and it was a good one.
"It's baby sitting for a single dad, he has two young boys that need looking after. I've already read over everything and it all lines up with your work and running days."
It did indeed. Everything was written down, on paper for a reason Jisung still didn't know, but he wasn't about to question the ethics of an actual contract when it seemed too perfect to refuse. The pay was good, the parent was a dad so Jisung wouldn't have to worry about having abuse thrown at him for being a boy, plus the house was in running distance from his own. It all seemed too good to be true.
Guess lady luck decided to bless me on this day.
Jisung threw his arms around Felix, hugging his best friend as tight as he could. "Thank you thank you thank you, Lix!! God what did I do to deserve you?" The Aussie blushed a little at his friend's praise, pushing him off and flicking his hand in an exalted manner.
"Oh stop it Ji, you're making me embarrassed," Felix giggled, "but enough about me. You need to go to this guy's place, like, right now." Jisung looked down at the paper again, now noticing that Felix hadn't give the parent a name. The blond was just about to ask when the school bell sounded across from the building, making the two boys jump out of their skin.
"Welp, I gotta get off. Dance is first and y'know what Miss. Manoban can be like if I'm late." Felix clenched his teeth while smiling guiltily, and Jisung patted him on the back to send him off.
"Have a good lesson Lix, I'll text you later and tell you how it went."
"Mhm oh and also, add extra sugar for the buttercream."
"The buttercream of wha-"
"My cupcake dummy, now get going."
Felix shoved Jisung away then turned back towards the school, bolting up the steps and out of sight. The blond sighed; how can someone be so optimistic all of the time? It was something Jisung envied about his friend, he was such a ray of sunshine. That's not to say Jisung was totally negative all the time, most days he was in a hyper mood, but other days he wished he could steal Felix's brightness. But he couldn't, so instead on the days he was feeling blue the blond would typically show up at the aussie's place in order to be cheered up again.
Right now Jisung couldn't have been in a better mood, and he set off on his run back home. He'd stop off quickly stop off to change and neaten himself up to look presentable, then make the brief walk to Haven road. Jisung thought he probably looked insane as he jogged down the street since he was grinning like a maniac. He just couldn't help himself, this job was too perfect to not be thrilled by.
Once home Jisung made a very quick lunch of some crackers and cream cheese along with the left over cheesecake he'd made the day before, before dashing up the stairs to change. He decided on something casual and comfy so he didn't appear a try hard, but also a fit that was put together and neat. All together it looked like a cute outfit: a red, turquoise and beige checkered cardigan, white button up, cropped jeans and a red Lenin hat to match the cardigan. A pair of red sneakers and a few piercings completed the look, and Jisung was done. Grabbing his umbrella, keys, phone and AirPods the blond set off down the street.
The rain had become lighter and was only spitting slightly around Jisung, leaving thin specs of water on the pavement. In it being late May, showers like these were still present from the earlier spring months. Jisung hoped that the summer would bring brighter days, so he could spend the time after his finals out in the glorious sunshine. The weather often had a huge effect on the blond's mood- the nicer the weather, the more cheerful he would be. Currently he was already naturally happy, so the presence of plain, loose rain wasn't going to bring him down.
Jisung checked the sheet Felix had given him again. 9, Haven Road. The blond checked his position. He was just next to number 1, so it was just a few houses down. The home in question was nicely sized for a single dad with two kids, with a neatly kept driveway paved with weedless stone slabs. The car certainly looked expensive, and Jisung really was questioning how a single father could afford such a pretty place and smart car. You can't assume his living status, Jisung! He must just have a good job. The young boy continued up the driveway and to the door, pressing a thumb against the bell whilst putting his umbrella down and outside on the step. After a few seconds, the blurred figure of a tall, slender man with brunette hair appeared behind the glass, and Jisung fixed his hat to be more fitted over his fluffy blonde hair. As the door opened, Jisung's eyes blinked in surprise as he was met with.. "Minho?"
Minho was equally as stunned to see Jisung, the runner he'd met at the park only days ago, upon his door step. He couldn't have come here knowing to meet Minho, since he seemed so shocked, so why was the blond here?
"Jisung? How did you know where I live?"
"I didn't, I came since I'm,
well, your new baby sitter I assume."
"You're the baby sitter?"
Jisung nodded, a gawky smile forming on his face. That means the kids are.. Heijin and Heihyun! Minho returned the smile too. "Well, I guess it is a small world. Come in then, it's cold out." Jisung stepped into the house, closing the door behind him with a soft click, before following Minho through the hall and into what looked to be the living room. It was spacious and much like the front, extremely tidy. Jisung almost wondered how Minho kept it so clean with two young children.
Said children were sat on the carpet near the sofa, both playing with a few plush animals. When the two older males walked in, Heihyun and Heijin stopped and looked over at them. The latter's eyes grew to the size of marbles when he saw Jisung, obviously recognising the blond from the park. Excitement seemed to fill his brown irises, and he scrambled to his feet to waddle over to them.
"Dad! It's Jisung! The pretty boy from the park!" Heijin babbled, as if Minho didn't already know who Jisung was. Heihyun got up too, walking toward the group in a more calmly manner and giving the blond a short, polite bow.
"Hello Mister Jisung, it's nice to see you again." Jisung couldn't help blush and beam at the introductions of Heihyun and Heijin, remembering how they were just as well mannered and sweet at the park too. The blond would love to babysit them, since he already knew that they wouldn't be a nightmare and also seemed to like him just based on a quick conversation.
Minho noticed Jisung's pink tinted cheeks at his son's compliment, chuckling gently. "Yes Jin, it is Jisung. He's going to your new baby sitter." The affect these words had on the two small children, mainly Heijin, was astronomical. The younger's eyes became as large and as bright as the full moon while his mouth hung open in disbelief. Without saying a word Heijin threw himself at Jisung's legs, hugging himself against the blond and grinning with childish joy.
"Are you really?!" Jisung's voice got lost in his throat, but he nodded despite being a little flustered. He heard Minho laugh lightly again, which only sent the blush on the blond's cheeks rushing up to red.
"Let go of Jisung now, hun. I need to talk to him about being your babysitter." Minho looked over at Heihyun. His older son was clearly trying to maintain his happiness inside of him, but Minho could tell he was itching to express it. "Is that okay, Hyun?" Heihyun bit his lip, but then let them form a small, shy smile. Both Minho and Jisung took that as a yes, and after Heijin had let go of his grip round the latter's legs they were free to discuss things.
Jisung found himself to be a little bit nervous, as he always was when meeting new people. Then again, Minho wasn't exactly new, but still the younger was anxious. Minho could sense this, and made it his priority to make Jisung feel more comfortable. The older brewed up some coffee for the two, as well as finding a box of shortbread cookies in the cupboard which he placed on the island in the middle of the kitchen.
"Thanks," Jisung said, taking the cup Minho offered him gratefully and drinking some of the warm liquid. He really needed a nice hot drink after coming in from the cold outside. Picking up a biscuit the younger dipped it into his coffee, softening the treat before popping it into his mouth. Minho sat across from him, watching how Jisung's cheeks filled slightly as he proceeded to store the shortbread away in them. It was a unique habit, but kind of a cute one in Minho's opinion.
The older coughed to interrupt his own thoughts, taking a sip of his own coffee.
"So, why do you take interest in the job offer?" Jisung, who had been half way to picking up another cookie, quickly retracted his hand and ate what was left in his mouth.
"Will it affect me getting the job?" Jisung asked with his mouth full, finally managing to swallow the food and start on a second.
Minho laughed and shook his head. "Not at all, to be quite honest I've already decided I want you to be my babysitter." Jisung blinked in astonishment, biting down slowly onto the shortbread. The brunette lent forward on his elbows, mug in his hands as he stared over the top at Jisung. "I'm just interested in your reasoning."
The blond once again moved the food in his mouth to his cheeks so he was able to reply. "I'm going to university next year," Jisung stated, "but right now I can only afford to go to community collage. I wanted to get a job to put the funds towards a better university." Minho was rather surprised at the young boy's reasoning; usually kids his age would be more concerned with using money to illegally by drugs and alcohol, or get into clubs. All the more reason to hire him. Minho drank a bit more of his coffee, then set down the cup upon the table top.
"So you're 18, 19?"
"18, but I turn 19 in a couple of months."
"I'm impressed that you have the next few years of your life planned out. I never knew what I wanted and before you knew it I became a dad at 17.."
"Wait so you're.. 22, now??
"That's right."
"Wow," Jisung exclaimed, "you look really good for 22!" The blond suddenly realised what had come out of his mouth, his eyes screwing shut as he winced at his bluntness. "What I mean is you, you look 24 because, well since you are.. 24." Minho presses his hand to his mouth to stop himself from laughing at Jisung's stumble, not wanting the young boy to feel anymore embarrassed.
"No no, it's fine. You don't look so bad for a 18 year old either." Jisung's cheeks burnt at Minho's playful compliment, the blond taking another shortbread so that he wouldn't have to reply. Minho himself blushed a little when he saw the affect his joke had had on Jisung, since he hadn't expected the younger to react in such a flustered manner. Still, it was a comfortable silence they sat in to finish off their drinks.
Once done Minho chose to show Jisung around his house, mainly the kid's room and where the bathroom was. Heijin and Heihyun shared a bedroom, each side separated by the noticeable colour clash. Heihyun's side was decorated with pale blue and teal accents with a large knitted chair in the opposite corner to the bed that housed a pillow and an open book. As for Heijin's, it had photos of a variety of different animal covering the walls, namely squirrels and rabbits. The colour scheme was more bright with splashes of sunny yellows and vibrant greens across the bed, and a plethora of plushies littered the carpet.
Both gave Jisung that nostalgia as he recalled how his room used to look when he was a kid, though his was a bit more messy as the blond never cared to tidy things up. In fact he still didn't now, and Jisung was 90 percent sure he still had the same pile of clothes at the end of his bed that he did seven, eight years ago.
Minho did also present Jisung his own bedroom, which was made up of a bold combination of a snowy grey and pretty pinky lilac hue. It wasn't really what the blond had expected from Minho, but it did hold his neatness and sophistication. Plus it was just a generally nice room. The brunette appeared to have a knowledge of interior design, and Jisung knew he'd never be able to produce something a beautiful as this. It was like a cutout of a lifestyle magazine, similar to those the younger's mum would make him look at whenever they went to the hair salon.
It was getting later into the afternoon now, and Jisung had to admit he still had a lot of work to do for the week to come. After finishing the mini house tour, the two headed back down stairs for a check up on the kids. Heihyun and Heijin were sat together on the sofa, watching 'My Neighbour Totoro' on the tv.
"Boys, Jisung has to go now." Heijin immediately looked away from the tv with a pout on his lips, unimpressed with his father's words.
"Will he be back tomorrow?" Minho sighed gently, pained to see his son so unwilling to let Jisung leave. I made a good choice to hire him.
"Not tomorrow baby, but Wednesday." The younger considered this, turning to his brother for help. Heihyun whispered something before smiling sweetly at his sibling, and managed to get Heijin too to smile over at his dad.
"Okay, can we say goodbye to Jisung?"
"Yes of course you can."
Heijin slide off the sofa, tugging on Heihyun's hand to get up and follow, and both kids made their way over. The miniature brunette bowed once again, pushing his fluffy bangs from his eyes and sweating the across his forehead.
"Thank you for being out new baby sitter, Mister Jisung." The blond cooed and bent down onto his knees, beaming at Heihyun with fondness.
"I'm glad I get to baby sit you guys. But y'know, you don't have to call me Mister." Heihyun cocked his head to the side as if he didn't quite understand what Jisung meant, before replying with "i much rather still refer to you as Mister." Jisung accepted that, smiling graciously at the young boy's politeness.
Someone started pulling at Jisung's cardigan, and the blond turned his attention to Heijin. "Bye bye, Jisung. See you on Wednesday." The dark haired boy held onto Jisung's felted jacket, enjoying to feeling of the fabric between his tiny fingers. He really liked the fashion style Jisung had, and thought he'd suit anything since he was already so pretty. Heijin didn't say this out loud, but he would be sure to tell his brother later. Heihyun was always open to listening to the younger's random rants about the things he loved.
After the group had said their goodbyes Jisung was escorted to the door, stepping out and picking up his umbrella. It was still raining to the blond's dismay- no doubt his mum wouldn't be too happy if he came in wet- so he quickly put up his umbrella as he went down onto the driveway. He turned to look up at Minho, he had his arms crossed against his chest to protect himself from the brief chill.
"So I start on Wednesday?"
"If that's alright with you?"
"Mhm definitely."
Minho smiled, but then his eye brows creased as if he was trying to remember something. "Ahh yes," the brunette's eyes lit up, "that reminds me. I haven't given you my number." Minho pulled a pen from his pocket and took a single step closer to Jisung, pulling the younger's hand up before scribbling down a number. For the nth time that afternoon Jisung felt his cheeks go pink at the sensation of Minho's fingers being wrapped around his own. The blond didn't know why, but it was like that silent touch sent a buzz of energy right through him.
It was just a touch. So, so simple, yet Jisung felt so..
"There!" Minho's voice knocked Jisung off his train of thought, and the younger looked down at his hand to where some numbers were written. "Now you can contact me if there are any issues or questions you may have." Jisung stared back up into Minho's chocolate brown eyes, the elder's eyelashes fluttering every time he blinked.
"Thank you Minho,
I'll see you on Wednesday."
"Okay Jisung, get home safely."
The two waved as they parted ways, Jisung heading down the puddled filled street with his headphones in. Minho watched him leave until he was out of sight over the horizon, before glancing down at his hand.
It was just a touch. So, so simple, yet Minho felt so.. euphoric.