Catch The Stars

Chapter 25

"Grandma, the leaves have holes all over them." Jennie groans as she pulls out another bundle of spinach. "You should use some sort of repellent like everyone else."

Her grandmother shoots her a judging look from the other side of the vegetable patch. "In my thirty years of growing my own plants I have not once used such thing."

"I know, but times change. I swear to god these insects are like a freaking new species. You used to be able to kill them with like, apple cider vinegar! It's like they grew completely immune to it, what the fuck." Jennie angrily rips out another spinach plant, shaking off most of the soil stuck in the root before dropping it in the basket next to her.

"That's because they're adapting, Jennie," Her grandmother calmly explains. "Us humans need to stop thinking we're the only living things on this planet that can protect themselves. If there was something harming us, we'd do anything to find something to protect us against it. Why shouldn't insects do the same?"

"Yes, okay, but they're ruining our spinach, so can they just-" She makes a vague gesture with her hand. "go and ruin someone else's spinach, please?"

"It's still edible. Please get over yourself and don't make me regret allowing you to help me today."

Jennie pouts but keeps her mouth shut. The sun is hanging high in the sky, heating up her hair and the back of her tshirt.

There are butterflies everywhere and she can hear their old neighbour from the other side of the gate singing along to an old trot song, completely off tune, but he's eighty-five years old and Jennie smiles when she hears the man's gravely voice interrupting the peaceful silence of the morning.

"Y/n forgot her clothes here yesterday," Her grandmother suddenly says and Jennie freezes with her hand reaching for the next bundle of spinach.

"Oh, yeah. We got caught in the rain, so I gave her some of my own clothes. Her were completely drenched."

Her grandmother nods her head in understanding. "I washed them for her. They were covered in blood."

Jennie squeezes her eyes shut, a quiet curs slipping past her lips. She wracks her brain for an excuse, anything that will make sense-

"It's okay, Jennie," She says calmly. "I won't ask."

Jennie feels a bit sick when she lifts her head to look at her grandmother. She isn't looking at her; still calmly picking up her vegetables and dropping them in her little pink basket. "Grandma."

"I said I'm not going to ask," She repeats, finally meeting her eyes, and Jennie nearly cries in relief when she gives her a warm smile. "Just don't do anything reckless. Don't make me worry about you. That's all I'm asking."

Jennie nods her head, suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to hug her, so she does just that.

She laughs when Jennie hugs her from behind, her own hands coming up to curl around her forearms. "You're a good girl. I trust you. And I trust Y/n, too."

"Thank you, grandma," Jennie mumbles. "I love you."

Before her grandmother can answer, they get interrupted by the sound of their gate being closed, and Jennie immediately stands up when she sees who's walking towards them.

"Oh, it's Joohyun," Her grandma says with a smile. She must not know what happened yesterday which gives Jennie hope that no one else in the village knows about it either.

"Yeah, uhm." Jennie pulls her garden gloves off and walks towards her. "I'll be right back, grandma."

She meets Joohyun halfway, right in front of their field of sunflowers, far enough from her grandmother so that she won't be able to hear them.