nightfall || minsung

Chapter 22

My family was scattered across the field, all in their own worlds. Haseong and Changbin noticed us, approached at a human pace.

"You made it!" Haseong shouted for Minho's ears. "How was the drive over?"

"Good," I said simply.

"Complicated," Minho chimed in.

"We made a few wrong turns."

"We literally had to drive through a waterfall and into a swamp."

"What the hell shortcut did you take him on, Jisung?" Changbin asked, dead serious. I just shook my head at him.

"I'm exaggerating," Minho said. "I just suck at driving."

"You suck at listening to my instructions."

"No, that was a conscious decision."

"And how was the run?" Haseong asked next. Do you two ever stop talking?

"Minho is very good at running," I said.

"I'm good at getting piggyback rides," he said. "I'm not as good at letting go."

I gently squeezed his hand.

Gross, Changbin thought. I slapped the back of his head.

Incoming! Felix came to a halt, kissed Changbin's cheek and patted his head where I had hit him. "Right" — a peal of thunder tore up from west — "now. Game's all set up."

He zoomed away and readied his stance in the outfield.

"See you soon," I said to Minho.

"Make a run or something."

I understood his sentiment. "My love." I kissed him, pivoted and ran, taking my place in left field. Hyunjin was at bat, with Seungmin behind him as catcher, and Jeongin was pitching. Chan was in the outfield with me and Felix.

"All right," Changbin called the game to order. "Batter up."

Jeongin pegged the ball — Hyunjin hesitated and Seungmin caught it. He flung the ball back to Jeongin, who wound up and hurled the ball with as much might as was in his little body. Hyunjin walloped it over the trees — the sound of an explosion accompanying it.

I kept low to the ground as I ran, the dirt kicking up behind my feet. Chan was at my side. I linked my hands together, and he leapt, used me as a springboard — I flung him into the sky. He was gone for a second, lost in the fog, and then he plummeted back to earth, somersaulted and righted himself, ball in hand.

"Out!" we heard Haseong call.

I was about to head back to the field, but Chan caught my arm. He put the baseball in my hand and gave me a giddy little smile.

"It'll impress him," he said. "Boys love boys who can do stuff."

I laughed, looked down, turning the ball over in my hands. "I think I'll take your advice this time."

He hugged me quickly, and we darted back toward the clearing. As we came through the trees, I heard Minho's lips pull up into a smile.

Hyunjin was dancing on home plate. "Good one, you guys!"

"You, too, buddy." I tossed the ball into the air and immediately fumbled it. I heard eight low cackles from all across the field.

I took a minute to check up on Minho. I ran over and hugged him, twirled him around.

"What do you think?" I asked.

"I don't know what's happening, but I love it."

"I won."