always have been, always will be | jensoo

The Years Have Been Short

"Come on, Button!"

"I'm really high!" ten year old Jisoo shouts from the very top of a swaying willow tree. She sounds scared, but also, exhilirated.

"Please come down!"

She looks down at me with a devilish grin, and I can see excitement dance in her eyes. "Why do you call me Button?" She calls down, a question she loves to ask.

"You're as cute as a button! Now come down!" I butter her up, because I know she'll come down faster. Sometimes she's too courageous for her own good. I peer up at the sky, and think it might start thundering. The sky's already a dangerous gray color, so of course Jisoo picks this time to climb to the top of the largest tree we could find in the park.

She usually does this, but she's never gotten this high before.

"These branches are pretty weak up here!"

"Jisoo!"

"I might fall and die!" She teases, and even from down here on the ground, I can see her taunting face, her tongue sticking out just a little bit from the side of her mouth as she navigates the branches.

"It's going to rain! Don't make me come up there!" I take a few steps toward the tree. She knows ever since I fell off of the top of that delivery truck two years ago I've sworn off height forever, having to spend six weeks in a thumb cast. I know she won't make me come get her.

"Jendeuk, you'd never!"

I glare up at her. "What am I thinking?"

"You're thinking I'm crazy!" Jisoo cracks herself up, but starts lowering herself. "I'm coming down, you worry wart."

"You do the stupidest stuff." I tell her, but I'm smiling the whole time now that I know she's a much safer distance to the ground.

She hops on the ground in front of me, absorbing the impact with her knees like any pro, and pats her hands off on her jeans. "You shouldn't be so afraid. You know I won't fall."

I hand her her hat, and she slides of on, sticking her ponytail through the hole. "One day you will. Then who am I gonna yell at, huh?"

She is unfazed by this. "I'm sure you'd still yell at me even if I was in a whole body cast!"

I make an offended face, letting her know how ridiculous this is. "I would not. I would tickle your feet with a feather." I let a slow grin cover my face. Jisoo is deathly ticklish.

"You wouldn't." Jisoo's eyes grow big with mock fear. Just then a loud crack of thunder rips the sky open. We hardly ever get thunder in this small town.

"I so would!" I cry out, giving Jisoo a small push and taking off. "Race you home, Jichu!"

"No fair! You cheated!"

The rain starts before we even get home. When we get there, covered in rainwater and trying to hide our grins, Mrs. Kim shakes her head and throws us towels. She's used to us getting in messes like this.

After we dry off, there's hot chocolate with marshmallows waiting on the balcony. Jisoo gives me her marshmallows, like always, because she thinks they're too sweet. We squeal in delight and a little bit of fear every time the lightning strikes, safe from the rain and thunder on the balcony.

***

I hate it when I dream of Jisoo.

I roll out of bed, untangling myself from the sheet, and look at the bed next to me. Jiyeon is passed out, and I'm sure if I sniffed her sleeping form she'd reek of stale cigarettes and alcohol. Most likely gin, she's a gin drinker.