The first thing Jeonghan noticed about Joshua was that he touched everything delicately. When he had seen him first, Joshua’s back was to him, and he was ghosting his fingers over the flowers that grew on the bush next to the sidewalk. Joshua was walking home, and Jeonghan would follow him. Seungcheol had told him that Joshua wouldn’t be able to see him or hear him, but he would be able to feel him, whatever that meant. 

    The second thing Jeonghan noticed about Joshua were his eyes: bright and captivating. He had seen them when Joshua turned around to look at an apparently particularly interesting squirrel that had scampered past them. Jeonghan thought Joshua was absolutely beautiful. The kind of beautiful that you admire, but never touch; Joshua looked like art. 

    The third thing Jeonghan noticed about Joshua was that he took forever to walk home. He spent too much time looking around, and not enough time looking forward. In some ways, Jeonghan found it endearing. In others, he just wanted Joshua to go home already. 

    The first time Jeonghan had heard Joshua’s voice was when Joshua had finally gotten into his house.

    “Mom, I’m home!” Joshua had called. His delicate voice had echoed off the walls. Joshua sighed quietly, but not sadly. His mother wasn’t home, and so Joshua would prepare the house for her. It was 5 o’clock. There was just enough time for him to tidy up and cook dinner before she got home from work.

    Jeonghan sat on Joshua’s couch and watched him tidy. He put everything precisely in its place, and shifted figurines and magazines so they were in perfect order. Again, Jeonghan had noted how delicate Joshua was, and he could sense how much beauty Joshua had found in everything around him.

    Joshua seemed to have finished cleaning, so Jeonghan followed him as he scampered into the kitchen. He had watched Joshua preheat the oven and prepare the rice and vegetables for cooking. The oven dinged and Joshua hurriedly placed two chicken s on a tray and popped them in the oven before proceeding to cook the vegetables and rice. Nothing spilled whatsoever when Joshua cooked, which amazed Jeonghan slightly. He remembered when he cooked with his mother that he would often spill rice all over the place by mistake. His heart ached a little at the thought of her.

    Joshua’s gentle humming snapped him out of his thoughts, however. He instantly felt calmed by his sweet voice. Again, the oven had dinged, and Jeonghan watched as Joshua opened the oven, seemingly without any intention of using oven mitts.

    ‘Mitts!’ Jeonghan had thought, conflicted because he couldn’t yell it out to Joshua. But, unexpectedly, Joshua froze just as his hands were going to touch the hot tray.

    “Ah,” Joshua sighed, smiling to himself and shaking his head, “I forgot the oven mitts.”

Jeonghan’s eyes widened, amazed at how ironic the situation had been. It was almost as if Joshua had heard him.

    Joshua’s mother came home once the table was set, and Jeonghan watched as they ate together, talking happily about how their days had been. Jeonghan, left alone in his thoughts, instantly felt a pang of guilt. He should’ve been alive and home, watching over his mother. He should’ve been there for her. What was she doing now? Was she alright? Jeonghan needed to see her.

    Joshua suddenly stood, the noise from his chair snapping Jeonghan out of his thoughts again. He watched Joshua grab his plate and then his mothers before washing them precisely in the sink and placing them on a drying rack. Then, he watched at Joshua fished two cookies out of a jar and placed them in a little plastic baggy. 

    “Where are you going?” Joshua’s mother had asked as Joshua headed for the door.

    “I’m gonna go visit Mrs. Yoon. The one that came to church last week for the funeral. She lives around here and she must be lonely, with her son passing away. I don’t know why but…suddenly I just felt the need to go visit her. I’ll be back soon, mom. Love you.”

    And with that, Joshua sauntered out the door. Jeonghan was so dazed that he almost forgot to follow. He was going to see his mother. He was going home.

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Another short chapter! They'll get longer later on in the story~