bruised apples.
@dubbelster // mincheol & taekyung . grocery store . 5:10 pm
the media has a relatively good accuracy when describing delinquents like mincheol and the gang. they are the lost souls in the world, living off violence and alcohol, but what they don’t show is how domestic they truly are. at least that is the case of him. ever since bringing in taekyung, he’s frequently found making his weekly rounds of grocery shopping for the upcoming week. it was a struggle at first, but sungho and the boy had helped him adjust to it all with lists of the groceries and the places to go get them. because taekyung was the first boy to live with them, he took him with for an easier and quicker trip. ever since then, he calls for him even when the other boys are available. it somehow became their “thing.” that and mincheol notices how the other seems to enjoy it.
“taek, we’re going.” mincheol picks up his keys from the living room table and heads out the door. he unlocks the doors and tucks in sungho’s list in his back pocket. “it’s already late, so we’re only going in to buy what we need and get out, got it?” he repeats and isn’t sure why. it’s an overly used statement and something that enters the boy’s ear and exits from the other. in the end, it always ends the same. still, it’s awkward not to say it. mincheol turns on the engine and drives off to their first destination. luckily this time, they don’t need a lot back home, so the list is short and there will be enough money left for their other expenses. despite how mincheol is, he’s more aware of the needs of others even if it seems he doesn’t care. he wouldn’t house and feed these kids if he didn’t. there’s a heart in there-- somewhere.
as late as it is, the store is filled with people making last minute shopping. they push their carts one way then the other, while the line at the register slowly advances. mincheol takes out the list from his pocket and hands it over to taekyung. “if you see any of these things, grab them.” he instructs, memorizing the first few vegetables in the list before he heads towards the section. he’s never been good at picking fruits and vegetables. somehow, by sungho’s standards, always grabs the worst ones and that alone says a lot. he holds two tomatoes in each hand, looking at their smooth red skin. they both look the same, yet he still checks carefully. blame the trauma. “these should be okay, right?” rarely does mincheol ever ask for other’s opinions, but things like these needed a second look and taekyung was there to ease his worry.
