Chapter Text
“I am regretting every moment of my existence right now.”
Hoseok sighed and continued to set up the poster of a creepily smiling lemon sipping on a very yellow lemonade while wearing shades. Yoongi had pointed out that that was not only cannibalism but also even more disturbing because the human equivalent of that would be them wringing a person and squeezing the blood out of them and then drinking it with a swirly straw.
Namjoon had added that the lemon drawn on the poster was probably a vampire and Yoongi had to physically stop Jin from drawing fangs on it.
“What is it now, Yoongi?”
The grumpy man turned half of a lemon on the citrus juicer and felt the lemon bloo- juice spray on the tip of his nose. It was very close to his eyes and he shook his head and wiped the sticky mess off.
“It’s so fucking hot. Jesus Christ, why couldn’t we have sold the lemonade during winter?” He grumbled while taking out a wet wipe and cleaning his face.
“The whole point of lemonade is for it to be drunk on a hot summer’s day, Yoongichi. Also you don’t get to complain when you’re wearing a black shirt.” Jin spoke up, strain in his voice as he lugged in a battery powered fan and put it next to the lemonade stand.
“They’re half sleeved! And I’m wearing shorts!” Yoongi protested with a pout.
“Ah, Hyung! I was about to do it!” Hobi fussed, standing up from his squat and letting his bones crack with a groan.
Jin waved his concern off, wiping away his sweat and turning the fan on. Yoongi and Hoseok both sighed in relief, taking a break from the work they’ve been doing for the past twenty minutes.
Hoseok shook out of his reverie and went back to it, adjusting the giant umbrella that had been giving them precious and much needed shade, making sure Yoongi’s side got more. Yoongi pursed his lips into a line and made it a point to pull Hoseok’s plastic chair closer towards him.
“How’s the lemon squeezing going, Hyung?” Hoseok asked, way too chirpily as if he wasn’t melting.
Yoongi looked at the jar he was filling up and pouted when it was less than expected.
Hobi giggled, taking it from Yoongi's hands and moving to the big glass container. He removed the lid from it and added the lemon juice before stirring it with a long handled glass spoon. He gave it a taste, smacking his lips and causing his dimples to appear and disappear.
“Yeah, the extra lemon really made it perfect. Good idea, Hyung.”
Jin scoffed and flipped his imaginary shoulder length hair.
“I’m full of good ideas.”
Yoongi snorted, “the only thing you’re full of is shit.”
Jin narrowed his eyes before taking a box of mason jars and making a point to move away from the stall while still looking Yoongi in the eyes.
Namjoon took this opportunity to make an entrance into the story, carrying two boxes himself and walking to his and Jin’s own stall.
“Give our friends their jars back, Jinnie Hyung.”
Jin pouted in the way he does for Namjoon only.
“Yoonie is being a big meanie, Joonie.”
Namjoon huffed, putting the box down on the table and opening the sliding glass display case.
“Both of you are gonna drive me up the wall, aren’t you?”
Jin nodded an affirmative, making a detour to smack a kiss on his boyfriend’s cheek before going back to put the mason jars on the lemonade stand. He glared at Yoongi, the man on the receiving end of it sticking his tongue out like a child.
Namjoon rolled his eyes and gave his other friend a stare as if to say “please help me contain these fuckers.”
The man nodded with a stifling giggle, knowing full well that Namjoon secretly loved how his boyfriend and best friend constantly bickered like they were seven years old.
After another five minutes, Hoseok finally finished making the adjustments and craned his neck to look down the pavement that had the rest of the stands. They were all clearly more permanent fixtures, professional and mature . It was mostly grandmothers and middle aged uncles selling different kinds of street food and even antique trinkets.
He stood up and decided to take a walk along the road to see what he could find and maybe bring back something to share with his friends. Yoongi told him to hurry back, clearly not wanting to be the third wheel in the middle of two morons that were disgustingly in love. Hoseok snorted, making a mental note to get his friend something special to get through the day.
He bowed and gave a dazzling smile to all of them as he walked passed, whoever saw grinned back in a friendly manner or nodded in acknowledgement. A woman who was probably the same age as his mother cooed at him and welcomed him to the neighbourhood.
His mouth watered when he saw the tteokbokki and fishcakes, already ready to buy it when he was done searching the area.
A few tourists were already roaming the place, huffing about the heat but happily wondering towards the soft serve stand. Hoseok wondered if he looked like them too. The citizens of the town looked comfortable to exist so close to nature and living a very traditional lifestyle. Being part of the city meant that Hoseok was used to the hustle and bustle and the very shiny, man made way of existence. He didn’t particularly hate it but being able to feel life so beautifully exist around him was refreshing and probably good for him.
It made him feel a little out of place within the town where tranquility seemed to have seeped into their bones. He was used to the rush of humans and metal, used to the loudness and the insincerity and greed. He still loved his home, but it was odd how there were times where it didn’t provide the warmth he needed.
A life in a town where not much happened did seem like boredom would eat him away soon, but at this point he was so used to the city that it had started to seem dull and not as exciting as it was probably made to be.
Maybe he would have adventures here, maybe he could make his own adventures rather than finding an opportunity for it to come to him.
His eyes found a silken mess of navy blue hair and stayed there as he realised that an elderly woman was the owner of such a bold hair colour. She was dressed in a blue hanbok as well, a lighter shade than her hair that matched well with it. Her fingers were adorned in gemmed rings, wrinkly but gentle and elegant.
The old woman’s table was covered in a black sheet, there being talismans and what seemed to be tarot cards on top of it. The tarot cards looked to have stained glass designs on the back, beautifully made and intricately detailed. Hoseok wondered where he could find something like that, he wasn’t much for tarot cards because he wasn’t naturally gifted but it always intrigued him.
“Hello, child. Are you having a good visit?”
Hoseok jumped out of his reverie, eyes blown wide and cheeks red when he realised he had been staring at the cards for a second too long. The woman looked kind though, smiling fondly while her eyes twinkled with what seemed to be amusement.
“Oh, um-” He realised he had to actually answer with a coherent answer so he nodded and put on his most stable and warm smile. “Hello, ma’am. Yes, I am. It’s been a good day so far- oh.”
He blinked and felt very much like he was in some kind of new dimension.
“How did you know I was here to visit and not from here?”
The woman chuckled and if Hoseok didn’t know any better, it would have sounded mysterious and like she knew something he didn’t.
Hoseok was starting to think she was more psychic than he originally thought.
“Everyone knows everyone around here, dear. It’s a small town. If you’re not someone I know or a newly born child, I assume you’re not from here.” She said softly, right hand skillfully spreading the deck of cards in front of her.
“Oh,” he blinked and realised that made a lot of sense. It was a really small town and everyone he had seen had been very friendly and familiar with each other. Hoseok craved that, he was too used to the indifference people showed each other in the grey streets of the city.
But, the man realised, he had all summer to make friends and connections. So he decided to do so with the woman in front of him.
He bowed, minding his manners, before giving an enthusiastic greeting.
“My name is Jung Hoseok! Thank you for having me here. It’s very lovely.”
“Oh dear, he sure is a polite one.” The middle aged woman, who was manning the handmade pottery stand, chirped in with a hand on her cheek.
The navy blue haired woman seemed to agree as she smiled brightly and greeted him with kindness.
“It’s nice to have you here, Hoseok. My name is Jeon Haneul. You can call me Granny Jeon if you wish, that’s what everyone calls me usually.” She looked down at her cards, all neatly besides each other, before she grinned back up at him. “You’re Yongsun’s nephew, yes?”
Hoseok startled once again, getting rather creeped out by this point. He was never very keen with the supernatural because it was too unknown for him and risky in a lot of cases.
“Did the cards tell you that? Or did like….I don’t know, do you just know things? Are there spirits involved?”
The pottery woman cackled, leaning against her table as she shook her head in disbelief.
“Ah, these children. I missed the way people reacted to your magic, Granny Jeon. Everyone here is too used to the strangeness, even the young ones.”
Hoseok was two seconds away from having a mental breakdown.
“Magic exists?”
The elderly woman sighed and her eyes crinkled mischievously.
“Not in the way you might think, Hoseok ssi. Or maybe in the way you think as well, the world is a strange place after all. And to answer your question on how I know, gossip spreads like wildfire here. And since not much happens in a little town like this one, anything is gossip. A nephew of a beloved man coming here with his university friends and setting up stalls for charity? That was big news for a week until someone gave the children at the orphanage fireworks and caused havoc. Not to mention, you have not changed much since the last time you were here. You still have that precious heart smile.”
Hoseok arched his eyebrows, blinking in surprise. He knew he had been to the town before, at the age of seven, but the only recollection he had was hugging his uncle and going to the temple briefly. He didn’t realise that people besides his uncle and aunt probably knew of him.
“Oh, the fireworks incident really took the life out of poor Mrs Park. At least no one got hurt, I’m glad.”
Hoseok was contemplating whether or not to ask about the firework incident or how the elderly woman knew him but was interrupted by someone from behind him.
“Aunt Hwayoung! Granny Jeon! Good afternoon.”
They all turned to a boy carrying a crate in his arms, giving a bow. The boy was wearing a black tank top, hair long and parted in the middle with pale skin and a sharp structure to his face, almost boney. He was most likely a teenager, a bit on the lanky side. His eyes were calm and dark as well, Hoseok couldn’t really tell whether the boy was rebellious and callous or if that was just how he looked.
“Wooyoungie! How are you, my boy?” Granny Jeon asked, smile wide and motherly.
“We speak of the Parks and the Parks appear, I swear.” Aunt Hwayoung murmured and Hoseok couldn’t help but feel oddly comfortable around the woman.
“I’m doing good, running some errands as usual. Speaking of which…” he hiked up the crate and looked inside of it.
“Mom wanted to thank you, Auntie, for the pottery to replace the ones that were broken at the…” Wooyoung trailed off and shuddered at the memory. Hoseok was wondering if it was the fireworks incident.
“Oh, tell her it was no problem at all. She practically took them out of my hair and I am grateful for it.” Aunt Hwayoung spoke with a genuine tone and Hoseok felt like he could cry. He never was around people who could be so generous and quick to help the people in their community, it formed a craving to be a part of something more than himself and his friends.
Wooyoung spoke of another thank you before turning to the other woman.
“Hongjoongie Hyung and Mom wanted to also thank you for the talisman you gave Hyungie for his entrance exams.”
Granny Jeon smiled brightly and brushed away his comment, “my job is to do as much as I can to give you children a safe and better future. Tell Jihee and little Joongie to not worry about paying me back whatsoever and to just focus on themselves.”
Wooyoung looked a bit emotional and Hoseok understood because it had been a while since he met an adult that was so adamant in providing a good place for the youth and not expecting anything in return.
“Um, so…” Wooyoung put down the crate and pulled out two paper bags filled with what looked to be vegetables.
“These grew really well and we had some extra so we wanted you to have some as a thank you.”
The two women cooed and took the bags, thanking the boy for his kindness.
Wooyoung finally noticed Hoseok, or perhaps he simply decided to acknowledge him, and did a very peculiar thing.
He murmured under his breath, what Hoseok could barely make out, “stranger danger” before giving him a welcoming smile and bowing.
“It’s nice to meet you,sir, I hope you have a good stay here.”
Hoseok was almost startled, always having the perception that teenagers were rude and indifferent. He was kind of scared of them, honestly, He quickly greeted the boy as well, feeling comforted by the atmosphere that was created by such a short visit to a nearby stall.
“This is Jung Hoseok, sweetie. He’s Uncle Yongsun’s nephew and he’ll be here for the whole summer so make sure he and his friends feel at home.”
Wooyoung looked Hoseok up and down before snorting, “Hyungs are gonna drive them out sooner or later. He doesn’t stand a chance, they’ll eat him alive.”
“Wooyoung!” Hwayoung scolded him but Hoseok could see her lips twitching.
The teenage boy laughed before lifting up the crate and giving the older man a mischievous and playful wink.
“Good luck. Don’t look them in the eyes or you’ll end up drunk and covered in paint in the middle of nowhere someday.”
He turned around and ran off before Hoseok could ask who “they” were.
“All these rascals are turning out the same, I tell you.” Hwayoung shook her head and clicked her tongue.
“What can you do when they all look up to them? They’ll be okay, though. At their core, I think they’re good kids. They’ve been raised well. That’s for certain.”
They shared a look with each other before the older woman looked at Hoseok.
“Now, child.”
The man turned towards the woman, her smile wide and her eyes looking at the cards in front of her.
“Are you here for your fortune?”
Hoseok froze, feeling overwhelmed from all the weird events that took place and the constant feeling that he was living in a story. He didn’t really need to know a future that may or may not be good- or worse, may or may not be accurate. Because that would freak him out even more and Yoongi needed him to be in his right mind so that they could overcome the obstacle that is living with an incredibly happy and grossly soft couple.
“Um, I actually just came by to compliment yo-your hair! And your tarot cards.”
It wasn’t really a lie.
The woman nodded in thanks, looking endeared and fond as she touched the top of her head as if she was reliving a memory.
“My grandson and his friends did it for me, I’m not really sure whose idea it was but they all participated in convincing me and doing the job. Said I should do something daring and exciting. Said that new things should be welcomed to make things interesting. And I was truly bored of the same old hair so I decided to do something that would bring a bit of childish glee in me. I’m not getting any younger. And Tae did say ‘you only live once’ and he looked very serious while saying it so I took it to heart.” She chuckled and Hoseok’s heart warmed for the millionth time.
“It suits you, I’m glad you did it.” Hoseok said with sincerity. The name ‘Tae’ was stored into his mind and he hoped to meet and befriend a guy who convinced an old woman to dye her hair blue.
Haneul seemed to have sensed that he spoke with genuinity and looked grateful.
“It took the town by a storm but it was a very sweet idea. I think it spurred the teenagers to try and convince their grandparents to do the same, though.” Hwayoung chuckled, looking supportive and happy at her stall neighbour’s decision.
Haneul had picked up one of her cards now, staring at the colourful design and grinning very proudly at them.
“This was painted for me by a very special boy, he wants to do art for a living. And even though many wish for him to have a more stable job, I just hope he’s happy with what he does. He’s very talented at it, at least. You only live once, as he has said. I hope his one life is warm and happy because he makes everyone else feel that way. I’m sure it will be, he has good people with him.”
She looked so proud, sounded so heartfelt and Hoseok hoped even more that he met whoever this boy was. He really hoped, but honestly he already knew, that that summer would be more than just ordinary. And that it would potentially change his life, even if it was just a little bit.
“Seok-ah!” Yoongi came running towards him, stopping a few feet away. “We forgot the mixtapes in the van, come get them with me.” He spoke while tilting his head towards the direction where their van was.
Hoseok nodded, trying to get his mind to feel like it was back in reality.
He bowed to the two women and said his goodbyes.
“Come over soon, Seok-ah.” Hwayoung said, “it was truly a pleasure to talk with you. I hope we didn’t bore you too much though, two old women can get awfully chatty.”
Hoseok shook his head and gave them his most charming smile.
“It felt like I was talking to people my own age. You both are very fun to be around, I’ll come back soon and ask you your secrets for staying so young. Have a nice day, please ask if you need help with anything!”
He left with the sound of the women giggling and chattering away about the new gentleman in town.
“Did you just spend all your time flirting with women who’re thrice your age?” Yoongi arched his eyebrows, grinning widely at his friend.
Hoseok rolled his eyes and elbowed the man in the ribs.
“They’re twenty at heart. And no, I was gathering intel about this place.”
Yoongi narrowed his eyes, rubbing his ‘wound’ out of exaggeration.
“What’s there to know? It’s a tiny town where either a massacre took place that caused the whole place to be haunted by ghosts, or there’s a grandma that’s possessed by a demon and has the urge to eat human flesh, or there’s a bunch of pre teens riding their bikes in search of some hostile entity that’s causing disappearances of children.”
Hoseok gave him a deadpanned look, knowing full well that Yoongi was trying to freak him out. His friend smiled in that gummy way of his, clearly having too much fun with the whole situation with the way his eyes twinkled.
“I really hate you sometimes.”
Yoongi shrugged, “hey, I would take having furniture ̶y̶e̶e̶t̶e̶d̶ thrown at me by an invisible force over coming home and witnessing the traumatising event of our friends fucking in the living room.”
Hoseok’s eyes widened, “surely they wouldn’t when we’re living together? That was when you went over to their place without knocking right? Surely they wouldn’t do anything when there’s a chance they could scar us, right?”
Yoongi gave the man a grim expression.
“Knowing Jin Hyung? His exhibitionist ass would enjoy it.”
Hoseok shuddered, sending a silent prayer to whoever could be listening.
“So what did you learn, exactly?”
“Hm? Oh, right.”
Hoseok put an arm over his best friend’s shoulder, ignoring his grumbling about how hot it was.
“There are a few interesting characters here that will either eat us alive or show us a good time.”
“...I’m fine with either.”
“Of course you are, you kinky bastard…..also don’t look people in the eyes unless you want to end up drunk in the middle of nowhere, covered in paint.”
“ What ?”
“Nothing, just something a vampire-looking teenager told me.”
“Vampires? Yeah, I should’ve added that to the list. Just hope those sparkly motherfuckers don’t end up taking a chunk of our necks and leave us to die.”
“Eating us alive has a whole new meaning now. Wow, I got chills.”
“Honestly, I might be into the sucking blood thing,provided it’s from a guy who looks like he’s not a kid, of course.”
“We’ve come full circle, I see. Kinky bitch.”
“You like being tied up, don’t even.”
“Hey, I own it.”
“Of course you do Hobi.”
They were eating tteokbokki from the same bowl and taking turns with the fish cake when Hoseok had a thought.
“Hey, Yoonie?”
“Hm?”
“You know how in those haunted, weird movies with towns, there’s sometimes this old almost eccentric person who says certain things that sound mysterious? And it almost seems like they know something you don’t? Something that could potentially alter or even endanger your life?”
“.....yeah.”
“Well, I think I met that person. And she’s a fortune teller. I think she might even be a witch.”
“I swear to god Jung Hoseok, if we die by the end of summer, I’m gonna kick your ass all the way to the other side of hell.”
“...It’s still better than accidently seeing Jin Hyung and Joonie fuck, right?”
“Oh, absolutely.”
“And we thought I was the dramatic one.” Seokjin murmured.