"I guess…" Sunwoo sighed softly, avoiding the eye of the elderly woman in front of him. “I guess I’m just sick of being lonely." He finished, puffing out his cheeks and peeking up through his dark lashes. 

"Ahhh. I know just the thing." The woman stood up, adjusting the dark cloak around her shoulders. She leaned heavily on a gnarled wooden walking stick as she used it to help get herself across the room. She reached up to the wall of shelves, pushing aside a few jars and boxes before finding what she was looking for. “Here it is." She said, turning back to Sunwoo. 

He reached out his hand as she offered the package, a tiny box. He frowned upon looking at it, opening the top carefully. Now, Sunwoo wasn’t very familiar with magic, in fact he was here on a bet mostly, but he was expecting something a little more…well…grand than a box with four shriveled beans inside of it. 

"And this helps cure loneliness…how?" His tone was less than amused. 

"You plant them of course!" The woman sat back on her stool with a laugh, as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. Sunwoo’s blank stare told her it wasn’t. With a heavy sigh, she explained further. “Plant the beans in your yard, water them three times a day for the next three days and your loneliness will be cured." 

Sunwoo continued to gape at her, shaking the box idly in his hand. “These beans..? Will cure loneliness?" He wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it. 

"You don’t have to believe me, I guess. But ask yourself what you have to lose. Now, I have an appointment in ten minutes, why don’t you run along and see me again in three days and let me know what happens." 

Sunwoo looked at the woman, then to the box, then back to the woman before nodding. He stood and pocketed the beans, bowing toward the woman before letting himself out of the tiny shop. 

I can’t believe I’m even considering this. I’m as crazy as she is. Sunwoo thought to himself an hour later as he stood in his back yard, watering can held over the patch of freshly dug earth. Although…if it works… He shook his head to clear the thoughts, swiping the back of his hand across his forehead to wipe away the sweat that had collected there under the sun. 

———-

Following the woman’s instructions, Sunwoo returned to the garden that night to water again, surprised to see the beans had sprouted already. It was tiny really, one meek stalk with two leaves sticking out of it at odd angles, but it was a sprout nonetheless. Perhaps the old bat knows what she’s talking about.

By nightfall of the second day, the sprout was quadrupled in size. It still bore only two leaves, but the stalk was as long as his pinky finger and sturdier than ever. The leaves were healthier looking as well, dark green in color. 

It had occurred to Sunwoo that he very well could have been growing a carrot or an onion, but the speedy growth of the sprout filled him with a hope he couldn’t deny. He was giddy almost. 

On the third day, Sunwoo could hardly sit still. He’d dutifully watered his sprout in the morning and at lunch time, noting that the stalk was as tall as his hand now, leaves spread out further, soaking up the sun as much as they could. Either way, in a few hours he’d find out if the woman was crazy or not. He’d either end up looking like a fool, a lonely fool, or well… He wasn’t really sure what to expect, if the woman was for real. She had only promised him that he wouldn’t be lonely anymore. 

———-

Sunwoo forced himself to eat dinner. He forced himself to cook, and eat slowly, then clean the dishes. He forced himself to dry the dishes and put them back in their place before pulling out the watering can he kept under the sink. He filled the sunny yellow can in the sink and took a deep breath as he carried it to the door, letting out the breath as he stepped out into the yard. 

The can dropped from his hand, water splashing over his feet and the path as his eyes landed on the garden. There was a boy in his garden. A boy sitting exactly where the sprout had been. He had his arms locked around his knees which were pulled up to his chest, eyes peeking over them just enough to see Sunwoo. His skin was covered in dirt.

Sunwoo was angry for a second, thinking some dirty kid had ruined his garden, before his eyes came to the top of the boy’s head where a bright green sprout stood straight up from his messy hair. He blinked again and again, willing his eyes to stop playing tricks on him. He took a tentative step forward, then another, and another, walking faster to the garden when he realized his eyes weren’t playing tricks. 

"What’s your name?" Sunwoo asked as he approached the garden, kneeling down in front of the boy who hadn’t yet moved. He reached out, running his fingers lightly along the edge of the leaves and down the stalk of the sprout before dragging his fingers through the dirt coated hair. 

The boy shuddered, eyes squeezing shut for a moment before blinking back open, wider than ever as he looked back up at him. “Junghwan, I think." His voice was melodic. 

"Junghwan." Sunwoo repeated, nodding and reaching down to take hold of the boy’s hand, pulling him up to his feet. “I’m Sunwoo. Let’s get you cleaned up, yeah?" He flashed the boy a smile, twisting their fingers together as he led him into the house, making a mental note to send the crazy old woman flowers, or a fruit basket.