“You’re here early” the old man remarks as he lets Junhong in through the front door. A twinkle in his eyes and a wide smile on his lips. He looks as fresh as he did back in the days Junhong used to play on his shoulders. His house gives off the whiff of freshly made rice cakes and a smiles slips onto Junhong’s lips at the memory that is instigated at the smell.

Walking in through the threshold and into the wide planned home towards the backyard, Junhong’s eyes linger at the room next to the garden. It’s the one room in the house where he isn’t allowed to go in to. Actually, scratch that, he was never prohibited from exploring said room, he just chose to never enter it. He’s not even sure why, but recent events would prove that Junhong can be a little compulsive at times.

“Jongup dropped me off,” Junhong shrugs, taking off his jacket and draping it on one of the sun chairs, before plopping down in it. “I’m planning on staying the weekend, so he offered to pick me up too.”

The old man snorts and slaps Junhong’s thighs in mock scorn. “Who said you could stay the weekend, brat!?” The man then pinches the thigh he’s holding and chuckles when Junhong whines, letting his head fall back.

The two men continue to laugh at the man’s uncanny laughter and only manage to calm down when his wife enters the garden with a tray in hand. Obviously, it’s filled with everything Junhong finds delicious and he beams at the little woman before taking the tray from her hands and bowing towards her.

“I’m going to leave you two for a few hours and take your Grandpa’s sister out for a walk” the woman says, patting Junhong’s head when he gets up. “Don’t fight, okay?” She says in the most nonchalant manner but her tone shows seriousness.

And Junhong feels his ears turn red at the subtle accusation. He ruffles the hair at the nape of his neck and ducks his head embarrassed as he mumbles, “it won’t happen again, Grandma.”

He watches the woman walk away and into the untouched room before turning back to the old man and taking his seat again. “Long time no see, huh, Grandpa?” He mutters under breath as he starts filling his plate with some of the treats grandma had brought out for him.

The old man snorts again before leaning down and adding more rice mochis and cream puffs to Junhong’s platter. “The last time we met was two months ago, Bunhongie. Hardly a long time, my boy.”

At the use of his favourite nickname, Junhong smiles and nods his head as he explains, “it felt like two years though.” When the man looks back at him, he’s pouting as he says, “I’m not used to not talking to you, Channie Grandpa.”

Himchan smiles warmly at him and pats his head, for once not joking around and serious, and mumbles to himself more than to Junhong, “it was a stupid fight, after all. Stupid fights always end up being the harder ones to get over.”

“I’m sure Grandpa would’ve agreed too” Junhong whispers and a tear escapes his eyes at the mention of the man.

A silence follows his words but Himchan doesn’t allow it to linger for longer than two seconds. “I was in Busan the week before he got admitted to the ICU. We met, you know?”

Junhong nods his head at that, remembering his Grandpa mentioning Channie Grandpa coming over at his place to apologise for that dumb fight three months back. “Grandpa told me.” He says, taking a bite from the chicken puff. “He said you two made up and even asked me to go and apologise to you.”

“Of course he did” Himchan mutters fondly to himself. “He never liked fighting me, that one.” A few minutes pass before he adds, “I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to the funeral, Junhong”.

The young boy nods his head and continues to eat as he wonder how he should explain the purpose of his visit. Other than to apologise, Junhong has a question to ask the elder.

“Channie Grandpa…” the boy begins but stops himself mid-sentence trying to figure out what he should say or where he should start.

Seeing the boy struggle with himself, Himchan smiles ruefully. Picking up the tea placed on the table, he blows at the hot liquid, taking a sip before he speaks. “I guess an apology isn’t the only thing that brought you here, huh?”

Humiliated, would be the perfect word to describe the look on Junhong’s face at the man’s words. “It’s not like that, Grandpa…” Junhong trails off before continuing his sentence. He’s not sure what he could possibly say to sound guiltless. “I was going to come to meet you either ways.”

“I don’t doubt that one bit, Bunhongie” Himchan beams at the boy, patting his knee in consolation. “But I will say that you should’ve come down here about a month ago, as soon as you came back to Seoul.”

Junhong knows he doesn’t have an excuse, so he doesn’t make one. Instead, the boy bows his head, letting his chin touch his chest. “I was too caught up with the letters, Grandpa.”

“Of course you would be.”

The boy looks at the man who’s sending him a completely stoic, calm expression. He gulps before speaking, watching for any change in expressions in the man’s face. “I don’t know why I feel the way I do, Channie Grandpa. I don’t know why I’m so obsessed with them.” Despair distorts his features.

Himchan watches Junhong struggle to explain himself and he can’t help but sigh as he continues to sip his tea. “I’d be surprised if you weren’t obsessed with them, Bunhongie” Channie Grandpa claims shifting his gaze from the boy to some of the flowers next to him. “You always did have a righteous bone in your body, after all.”

Himchan’s smirk doesn’t have the calming effect Junhong had hoped for and he shakes his head annoyed. Trying to explain himself so hard he fears he might misunderstand himself instead. “It’s different with them, Grandpa. I just…” Closing his eyes, Junhong tries to calm his breathing as words for