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Kun knocked on his grandmother's house door, ready to escape the record-breaking summer heat as soon as possible. The bus driver was nice enough to drop him off at the end of her road, but the half-hour walk up the mountainside exhausted him beyond belief.
“Kun!” His grandmother greeted him the moment she opened the door. “You should have called! I would have picked you up.”
“I did call,” Kun answered as he dragged his bag behind him.
His grandmother pulled her phone out of her pocket. “Oh, it shows you called, but I didn't hear a thing.” She frowned at her phone before offering an apology. “I’m so sorry, my dear. I knew you were coming for summer vacation.”
Kun could only smile as he took the phone from her, adjusting it so the ringer was on again. The last time he saw her, she had accidentally turned the sound off that time too. He went through her settings and fixed it so the ringer would be on unless she went into the settings and changed it instead of the volume buttons.
“It’s alright. I made it.”
He made his way toward the guest rooms, finding them empty. Usually, at least one of his other cousins was at his grandmother's, but he looked to be the only one this time. It worked out better for him this way, and he couldn’t find a better way to spend the summer before his senior year.
As he unpacked his bag, Kun noticed something on the nightstand. It was a tiny bunny figure carved from an iridescent white stone. It looked similar to opal but more translucent.
A Glowstone.
Well, A copycat Glowstone.
They were only found within the area's two or three mines. The bunny was carved out of the standard lower-end version of the stone. They were nicknamed Copycat Glowstones. The lower-end version had the faintest glow in the darkest room. The higher-end real ones would glow brightly.
The only way to tell the two apart was the real ones looked a bit more holo-colored with a rainbow glimmer over iridescent.
They were said to bring good luck, the rare ones able to grant wishes. He wasn’t so sure about the wish thing, but Kun’s goal this summer was to find a real Glowstone to take home and start his senior year right.
✨
“Make sure to stay close to the path. These woods are easy to get lost in.” His Grandmother called out from the porch.
“I'll be back before sundown,” Kun answered as he headed to the main trail.
Years had passed since he had wandered the woods, so he planned to stick on the path anyway. Kun took in the sight of the trees as he walked, following them up to a clear blue sky where he could hear the birds chirping, sitting just out of sight.
It took only a few minutes for him to find the main hiking path through the woods. He headed up further up in the mountains where the mines were. Kun considered himself reasonably fit, but the walk was grueling in the heat, the thick trees offering little protection. He had to take two breaks for water, unsure if he would even make it to the mines at this rate.
Eventually, he made it to the giant tree stump that split the path, the much smaller and less obvious path being the way he needed to go. The further he went down it, the harder it was to follow. His main guide was the grey of the rocky mountainside just ahead of him.
Finally, the trees thinned again, and he could step out into the open area leading to the mines. To the left, he saw the remains of dirt tracks that used to be the way to the mines before the landslide covered a good chunk of it. But that was over 50 years ago. With this mine out of use, no one had bothered to clear it out.
The mines were blocked off, the normally open large metal gate locked tight with a trespassing sign posted on it. Kun inspected the lock, finding it rather old and weak looking. If he found a decent-sized rock, he could smash it open and get inside.
The idea was tempting. It was unlikely anyone would be out here to catch him and get him in trouble. He glanced around, not seeing any rocks he could use. There were a few bigger ones back at the tree line, so he picked up one of the bigger ones. It felt much heavier in his hand than it looked, so hopefully, it would do the trick.
He missed the first swing, denting the metal bars next to the lock. The second swing landed, only knocking the lock over.
“I don’t think you are supposed to be doing that.” A voice called out, catching Kun so off guard that he nearly dropped the rock on his foot.
Kun turned, finding a younger-looking teenage boy standing a few feet away. He was wearing a school uniform, sweater vest, and jacket included. It made Kun cringe at how hot the other must have felt. He had brown hair with a slight wave; neatly side parted with soft brown eyes. He was cute; something about him reminded Kun of a puppy.
The stranger offered a bright smile, stepping closer. “Not many people come out here anymore since it is so easy to get lost.”
Yeah. Kun could say the same thing tothe Stranger.
“I’m looking for a Glowstone. I thought the mines would be the best bet.”
The other guy's eyes lit up, a look of excitement taking over his face.
“I love looking for Glowstones. I actually know a good place just a further bit down. I have found a few copycat ones. I can take you there if you would like.”
“What’s your name?”
“Sungchan.”
“Alright, Sungchan, lead the way.”
Kun followed Sungchan as he headed down the mountain, sticking close to the side. The younger male expertly weaved his way around the bushes and stones they encountered, a slight bouncing to his walk as he moved. They quickly ended up walking parallel to a stream that ran along the side of the mountain. The stream split quickly in two parts, one side taking an abrupt turn away from the mountain, the rest still sticking close to it.
Just ahead, Kun could see part of the mountainside that caved inwards, making a small cavern. Already he could see the sparkle of some stones in the area scattered on the ground.
He picked one up, inspecting it in his hand. It was relatively small, with no rainbow effect, meaning it was just a copycat.
“I’ve already looked at all the stones on the ground. They aren’t the fancy ones.” Sungchan stated.
Inside the cave, Kun saw a few spots where people had chipped away and left an old rusted hammer. He made his way over, pulling out the hammer he had brought. He used the claw to chip away and the wall, the metal able to dent the crumbly rock rather easily.
“So, where are you staying?” Sungchan asked, breaking Kun’s attention. He looked at the other, Sungchan sitting on the ground a few feet away. He was making a little pile out of the copycats.
“At my grandmother's,” Kun answered, returning to his work.
“For how long?”
“For the summer.”
“Ah,” Sungchan answered, followed by a long silence. Kun managed to dig out a Glowstone. Again, it didn’t have the rainbow effect so he tossed it back to Sungchan to add to the stone pile he was making.
“I wish I could go home, but I'm stuck here for now.” Sungchan laughed at his words. His pile looked more like a tower, each piece expertly placed so he could make it taller and taller. “At least I can talk to you.”
“Sure, Sure,” Kun answered, uninterested in the conversation. When silence followed, Kun stuck in his headphones, blasted some tunes, and returned to work.
Hours later, when the sun was starting to set, Sungchan took him back to the path. It was much later than he had wanted, but he was confident he could return before dark.
Next time he planned on setting the alarm on his phone.
“Have a good evening! Hopefully, we can hang out again soon!” Sungchan called out after Kun as the older jogged down the path. Kun looked back, Sungchan standing just at the path's edge and waving enthusiastically.
✨✨
It wasn’t until a week later, after helping his grandma around the house, Kun had the time to head back to the mines. The lock was still there, tempting Kun, but he decided against it. The spot Sungchan showed him was more promising, and he felt like he might be able to find it himself if he was careful.
As luck would have it, he found his way back to the cave, spotting Sungchan just inside it. This time he had the stones in a picture of a cat, building them up to give the image a more 3D effect.
“You came back,” Sungchan stated, looking up with wide eyes as if he didn’t think Kun would.
“I still haven’t found a real Glowstone,” Kun answered. He headed into the cave. Instead of digging into the wall, he looked through the rubble already piled to the side where part of the cave must have collapsed. Maybe someone hadn’t combed through it yet.
This time Kun had brought gloves, which turned out to be much nicer and made moving the rocks a breeze. Every once in a while he would find something shiny, but it never had that rainbow shimmer.
Sungchan hung outside the cave out of sight, the soft clink of stones being the only indicator he was there.
“Isn’t it boring to dig for rocks all day?”
Yes, digging around all day wasn’t Kun’s preferred pastime, but he had a goal he wanted to complete before the summer was over.
“Come out for a bit! Cool down by the creek.”
Now that Kun had stopped moving, he noticed how hot the alcove was. All the digging warmed him up, but now that he was just standing there, he could feel the hot air caress his neck.
He had thought the cave would be cool and safe from the record-breaking heat. He wondered how Sungchan seemed completely fine in his winter uniform.
Kun took a break, joining Sungchan by the stream. The younger guy had a handful of stones in hand, skipping them on the stream's surface without fail. The gems sparkled as they skidded across the water, looking like little fairies floating on the water.
“Have you ever skipped stones?” Sungchan asked. He tossed one of the stones up, catching it again.
Kun shook his head. “Not really. We aren’t supposed to throw stones in the river where I'm from.”
“Well, it's pretty easy once you get the hang of it.” Sungchan handed Kun one of the flattest stones. “You just do this.”
Sungchan held the stone between his thumb and middle finger, clenching it in his hand. He leaned down, slinging the stone over the water. This time it made it across the creek, landing with a loud crack on the other side.
Kun mimicked his motion, his stone only skipping twice before it sank into the water.
“Wow, you got it on the first try!” Sungchan said, his voice laced with excitement. He looked at Kun with a bright smile, reminding Kun of the sparkle of the gem he was looking for.
Kun liked that smile.
“Would it be okay if we hung out again to look for Glowstones? There aren’t many people around here to hang out with.”
Kun couldn’t stop the smile that graced his face.
“I’d be more than happy to.”
✨✨✨
Every few days they met up in the same spot. Sometimes they dug through the rubble; other times, they sat by the stream and talked. Kun had long since given up digging into the wall. Chipping away at it took forever, and he figured it was better not to risk another cave-in or something.
On the days when he could barely walk through the heat, Kun still went as he became increasingly interested in Sungchan. Bringing a giant bottle of water and battery powered hand fan did wonders.
Today Kun was working on the rubble, and Sungchan was relaxing by the entrance and enjoying the music Kun had set up with a little Bluetooth speaker. It was mostly a mixture of pop music from a few years back, with some newer things mixed in.
“What’s this song?” Sungchan asked. “It’s adorable. I could listen to it all day.”
Kun paused, listening to what was playing. It was a brand new song, only coming out in the last few weeks, but everyone in their age group was obsessed with it.
Even Kun got it stuck in his head.
“It’s OMG By New Jeans. It’s pretty popular right now.”
“I can see why.”
It was hard to believe Sungchan had not heard it before.
“Do you listen to music? Like on the regular?” Kun asked. “You seem to enjoy it when I put it on.”
“I love music!” Sungchan said, his voice laced with excitement. “I just haven’t been able to listen to it in a while. I don’t have a radio here.”
I tend to lis- Read books,” Sungchan stumbled over his words a bit, but he did a quick save. “I could tell you almost anything about Of Mice and Men or The Great Gatsby.”
Kun snorted, looking back at the other. “That’s a boring choice. Why in the world are you reading that?”
“Because of my brother.” Kun watched Sungchan shrug. “I think it’s for school.”
“Summer reading shouldn’t be a thing.”
“Right? Especially with how boring everything they assign is.” Sungchan said. “But The Great Gatsby has some pretty interesting aspects. Did you know it's heavily implied Nick is Gay, or at least Bi?”
Kun could feel his face scrunch up in confusion. “No?”
“The most obvious point is the part where he is with another dude who is in bed wearing only his underwear,” Sungchan answered with confidence. “It’s not the most obvious thing at first since it's a lot of metaphors, but it's cool to see something with a gay character back then. My brother made an effort to point it out to me.”
“Wow, that's…. Something.” Kun said. He had read the book before but had never noticed anything like that in it. The chaotic car scenes had annoyed him much. He never did any deeper thinking or looked into the book. It hadn’t helped that his teacher was so boring and didn’t teach anything about the books, just told them to read them.
Maybe now he could try rereading it, give it another shot, even if it was just to see what Sungchan had pointed out.
“Sorry,” Sungchan said, bowing his head down. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I’m used to my brother, and I talk openly about liking boys.”
“What. No!” Kun quickly spoke up. “There is nothing wrong with that! I was just surprised about that being in the book!” Kun tried his best to reassure the other. “I justdon’t think about dating with how busy I get with school. I'm honestly not sure where I fall.”
“Oh.” Sungchan looked up again, his cheeks dusted pink.
They both went quiet, an awkward silence falling between them. Though uncomfortable, Kun felt like the interaction had been positive overall.
Kun returned to digging, and Sungchan returned to vibing with the music.
Another sparkly stone caught Kun’s attention. He had found a dozen, but they had all been copycats. He didn’t expect anything different from this one until he rolled it in his hand.
The gem had a rainbow effect when it caught the light.
Holy crap.
Kun had found a legit one.
It was a distorted mess that wasn’t at all appealing, but it was real.
Kun slid it into his pocket and made his way over to Sungchan. He would show it to his Grandmother later to triple-check it was real and that he wasn’t seeing things in the heat.
Sungchan patted the ground next to him, Kun taking his spot.
“You know, they say glow stones can grant wishes,” Sungchan said, picking up one of the copycats. “What would you wish for if you found one?”
“I’m not sure,” Kun answered honestly. It wasn’t something he had thought about much. “I’m just hoping to have a good senior year with good grades.”
He didn’t believe in the whole wish thing, so it was better to want something real. Kun already thought he would have an excellent senior year, so the stone was more like a good luck charm. Maybe he would gift it to his grandmother.
“What would you wish for?” Kun asked.
Sungchan’s face shifted, the smile slipping off his face as he looked thoughtful.
“I’ll tell you if you promise not to laugh.”
“I’m not going to laugh.”
“I want to see my brother.”
Kun was surprised at how simple Sungchan’s wish was.
“Where is your brother?” Kun asked.
Sungchan looked out at the water, not answering. He remained quiet for a few minutes, Kun thinking maybe he was thinking over his answer. Sungchan had only spoken of his brother today, so they could have had a bad relationship. Then again, Sungchan had spoken highly of his brother.
Maybe Kun shouldn’t have asked.
“Sungchan?” Kun asked, peering at Sungchan’s face. His gaze was empty. It was as if his mind were miles away. Kun reached out, touching Sungchan’s shoulder.
Sungchan instantly snapped back to attention, pulling back and away from Kun’s face. His cheeks were dusted pink again.
“I’m going to see him soon,” he mumbled. He stood up, looking around the area.
An even stranger reaction.
Kun went to stand, and a wave of dizziness rushed over him. He stumbled, barely catching himself. An ache formed in the back of his head, a headache threatening to start.
He needed to spend less time out in the heat.
When they parted ways for the night, Sungchan didn’t do his usual thing of standing at the end of the path and waving until Kun couldn’t see him anymore. He simply offered a small wave before bolting back into the woods.
If it weren’t so dark and his head wasn’t killing him, Kun would have had the mind to shout for him.
Was it the touch? Kun had been gentle, barely touching him on the shoulder. Sungchan had always gotten close to Kun, so he had assumed that much would be okay.
When Kun returned, he showed his Grandmother the stone he had gotten. She looked it over carefully, watching it shine through the rainbow. She smiled fondly at it. “It’s real.” She held up her other hand, showing her wedding ring. It had a much smaller stone that glittered in the same way. “Reminds me of the first one your Grandfather gifted to me. He spent a long time looking for a real one.”
He had heard the story dozens of times, his Grandmother sharing it every time Glowstones were brought up. He took the stone back, setting it aside on one of the bookcases in the living room. It already had a faint glow in the low light of the space.
“You should stay home tomorrow. They had a hot weather hazard on the news today.”
✨✨✨✨
The warning went on for three days, his Grandmother keeping him in during the day on the fourth out of worry. Even with the air conditioner entirely on, it still felt too hot to do anything other than lay on the cool tile floor of the kitchen. That made Kun bored out of his mind, his brain unable to process any of the youtube videos he pulled up.
The memory of Sungchan talking about books came up, and Kun quickly found a digital copy of The Great Gatsby. Just like before, the book was a mess in his opinion, but he started to pick up the hints about Nick's character—especially his fascination with Gatsby.
Just like how Kun saw Sungchan as an enigma.
He finished the book in those four days, still holding his grudge over the car scenes. But at least he appreciated the book more.
On the fifth day, Kun showed his Grandmother that the temperature had lowered to the 80s, and she finally agreed he could go out in the evening if he brought a flashlight.
Kun jogged the entire trip to the cave, his lungs burning as sweat dripped down the back of his neck. Even in shorts and a tee, he still roasted.
Sungchan was nowhere to be seen. Disappointment filled Kun as he tried to steady his breathing, looking hopefully around the area. Those days by himself at home had made him miss the company of Sungchan, craving their simple time together.
Kun spotted a little stone structure near the creek's bank, a simple circle wall that went up two or three inches.
So Sungchan had been out there while Kun was away.
Kun would need to stop by earlier tomorrow and apologize for being gone. Sungchan must have suffered in the heat, waiting for Kun to stop by. They hadn’t exchanged numbers, not allowing them to plan their meet-ups. Something about Sungchan not having his phone with him.
Kun slowly walked back, sticking close to the cool air that radiated from the creek. As he followed it, he ended up back at the mines.
He walked by it before stopping to do a double-take.
The gate was open with just enough space for a person to squeeze through.
Sungchan wouldn’t break in, would he? He had told Kun not to. It would be silly for him to do it after.
Kun turned on his flashlight, pushing the gate open further before heading in.
The air in the mine was thick, the temperature soaring higher with each step. Kun uselessly tried to wipe the Sweat from his forehead.
The path was wide, with a few giant wooden pillars supporting the ceiling. He couldn’t see far down the shaft but didn’t plan to go too far in. Soon as his flashlight was his only light source, he would head back.
Anybody who went in deep at this time of day was crazy.
Behind one of the pillars, he spotted the sleeve of a familiar uniform. Kun wanted to curse at Sungchan for wearing that thing in the oven Kun had stepped into. Out of the two of them, Kun was shocked Sungchan wasn’t the one threatening to pass out.
He walked up to Sungchan, seeing his eyes closed from where he sat against the pillar. His face was pale, his chest looking all too still in the low light of the mine.
“Sungchan.” Kun quickly knelt, shaking the other. He didn’t open his eyes, only slumping down.
“Sungchan!” Kun shouted, shaking him even more. He put his hand to Sungchan's forehead, reeling back as he was met with an ice-cold touch.
Kun’s heart dropped in his chest as the hairs stood on the back of his neck.
There was no way.
He couldn’t even think about what was seemingly laid out before him.
Kun held his head in his hands; the pain started again, his head spinning. He swallowed, trying to ignore the nausea that swept over him. Despite trying to stay hydrated, he began feeling dizzy and weak.
Why did this have to happen now?
He needed to get help.
Sungchan’s eyes shot open as he gasped loudly, frantically sitting up.
“What are you doing here?” He rasped, his entire body shaking as he looked at Kun.
“I should be asking you that.”
“You shouldn’t be here. You shouldn’t be near me.” Sungchans voice shook as he spoke.
Kun’s legs gave out from under him and he crumpled to the ground. God, everything hurt.
The last thing Kun saw before he passed out was the tears spilling from Sungchans eyes.
✨✨✨✨✨
As Kun slowly regained consciousness, He became aware of a throbbing headache and a dry, scratchy feeling in his throat. His only respite was the cold, wet cloth pressed to his forehead.
He blinked, His eyes opening, trying to adjust to the darkness around him. Slowly he sat up, realizing he was on the tailgate of a pickup truck.
“Ah, You woke up. I was starting to worry.” An unfamiliar gruff voice spoke, and a man appeared from the side of the truck. “You’re grandmother was worried sick. Good thing I found you when I did. Do you know how many people die from the heat each year?”
“Where’s Sungchan?” Kun asked. He moved the rag down his throat, relaxing at the cold touch.
“You were the only one out there. It's lucky I even found you; these woods are impossible to navigate at night. It’s like a god or something was looking out for you.”
“What do you mean?”
The man pointed towards the trees, Kun peering over the side of the truck. They were on the dirt road that led to the mine. Starting at the side of the road was a trail of glowing stone leading into the trees.
There had to be at least 20 if they led to the mine.
Sungchan had to have done that, in whatever state he was in.
“Are you sure it was only me?” Kun asked.
The man nodded. “I looked around to make sure, but it was just you. We don’t even have other kids around these parts right now.”
Kun couldn’t make sense of the situation. Had the heat made him delusional? Was what he saw just a nightmare he had while passed out?
Kun jumped down from the truck, ignoring the man and shouting as he jogged along the trail of the Glowstones. They went on and on, leading to the creek. They took a turn, leading up the familiar path that went to the mines.
But he stopped as he saw a familiar figure illuminated in the moonlight.
Sungchan stood in the water. He hadn’t bothered to remove his shoes or even roll up his pants.
As Kun drew closer, Sungchan looked up, a panicked expression taking over his face. He took a step deeper into the water. “Stay away,” Sungchan warned.
“I’m not going to do that,” Kun said. “What’s going on Sungchan?”
“You’re only going to get worse if you spend time around me,” Sungchan spoke quickly, his voice cracking. Tear streaks decorated his cheeks, his eyes slightly puffy and red. “I”m hurting you by just wanting to spend time around you.”
“Sungchan, you aren’t-”
“Yes, I am!” Sungchan cut in, his voice growing more and more hysterical. “I’m destroying you, the person I really like. When you fainted, I almost thought it would be better since I could be with you. Only monsters think like that. I’m just using you-”
“No, you aren’t!” Kun shouted. Sungchan froze, surprised at Kun’s outburst. Kun quickly dug around in his pocket, pulling out the Glowstone he had found long ago. Sungchan’s eyes went wide as he stared at it, the Stone glowing in all its glory. “I found this ages ago but hid it from you since I wanted to spend time with you. You weren't hurting me by spending time with me…”
Kun paused, thinking over his following words. God, this was something. He never imagined it would go anything like this.
“I think I'm in love with you, Sungchan. Every day I can’t help but want to spend time with you. I don’t think I would care if you took me away with you.”
Sungchan began to cry again, running out of the water and jumping into Kun’s arms. They hugged, Sungchan’s cold body pressed up again Kuns like a soothing cold pack. With his near-death experience, Kun’s emotions ran rampant, not even allowing him to consider that he had just said he would die to be with Sungchan.
“I’m sorry, Kun.” Sungchan slipped from Kun’s grip, stepping back into the water. “I want you, I really do. But you need to stay, okay? I’ll find you again, one day.”
And just like that, Sungchan vanished, leaving only a faint glow where he stood.
✨✨✨✨✨✨
Kun’s parents were surprised by his request to go to his grandmother for winter break, but after a bit of prodding, they let him make the trip back out there by himself.
Instead of his grandmother greeting him, a massive saint bernard nearly knocked him down. Its tail wagged like crazy, hitting Kun's leg hard enough he could feel it through the thick layers of his snow pants.
The dog wore a bright, neon green harness with a just as bright red backpack attached to it.
“His name is Peanutbutter. I was feeling a little lonely.” his grandmother filled in, offering him a canteen of Hot Coco. “If you plan on going out there, I want you to take him, okay?”
Kun laughed, petting Peanutbutter. Of course the tiny woman had to adopt a giant dog.
Only a few minutes after arriving at his grandmother's, he felt the itch to go to the little cave, hoping to see some trace of Sungchan. He held back, wanting to get settled with his grandmother first.
He spent the first three days relaxing by the fireplace with her, bringing in wood as needed and trying his hand at cross-stitching. He had tried knitting before with his grandmother, but it was not his thing. Cross-stitching felt more manageable, and he felt satisfied as he could finish the flower image.
Now he only had five more to go. And the grass. And stems.
On day four, he grabbed a movie from the bookshelf, stopping when he saw a familiar stone. After the whole thing with Sungchan, he had put it back in the spot while in a daze and completely forgot about it.
He picked it up again, rolling it in his hand.
It was time to go back.
Kun slipped the stone into his pocket, then told his grandmother his plans. She didn’t try and stop him. She simply told him to bring the dog. Peanutbutter was friendly, allowing Kun to clip on the leash with no problem.
The walk felt much longer and grueling in the cold, Kun feeling all too hot and cold simultaneously. Peanutbutter walked perfectly beside him, only slightly pulling occasionally to help Kun navigate the snow.
The Mine had an entire new fence blocking it, a heavy chain locking the gate behind them.
There were drag marks in the snow leading up from the old road to the mine. They also lead to the path that leads to the cave. Kun followed them, his heart picking up in his chest. It was stupid; there was no way it was Sungchan. Probably someone else looking for glow stones in the winter. You know, when it would be ten times harder to find them.
When he reached the cave, Kun noticed a small wooden bridge had been built over the creek. Standing next to it was a guy in a bright pink puffer jacket with white trim on the hood, wearing a black hat and black snow pants. Kuns's footsteps crunched as he walked closer, the other guy looking up at Kun and waving with a bright smile.
“Hello!” The guy greeted. “Are you here to look for Glowstones?” His voice differed from Sungchan’s, but his face looked scarily similar. The longer he looked at it, the more minor differences he saw, yet he couldn’t help but compare them. The guy had dyed blonde hair; Sungchan’s was brown. His nose was thinner, his face more round.
Someone was playing mind games with Kun’s head.
“My brother loves them. He has been looking forever, so we are out here now.” He laughed, looking back at the cave. “I hate the cold, but we just got new snow stuff.”
“I already have one,” Kun answered.
Peanutbutter pulled a bit on the leash towards the cave but didn’t try to go to it.
“Your dog is so cute. I'm sure my brother would love to see it.” the stranger said, patting Peanutbutters head. “Sungchan!” He called out. “There’s a dog!”
Kun froze at the name, not believing his ears.
A figure popped out of the cave, jogging towards Kun. He wore a similar outfit to the other guy, just in neon red. As he got closer, Kun recognized his face. He looked to the other guy, Then back to Sungchan.
He had said he had a brother. Kun wasn’t crazy.
“Hello.” Sungchan greeted, giving a slight bow. “Cute dog.”
“Y-yeah.” Kun stuttered, still not processing the sight before him. Sungchan was here in the flesh, standing in front of him, petting a dog.
He gathered himself together, fishing in his pocket for the Glowstone. When he got it, he offered it to Sungchan. “Your brother said you were looking for a Glowstone.”
Sungchan looked at the stone in Kun’s hand, his face breaking into the dazzling smile he always had.
“They're so rare. I couldn’t possibly take it from you.”
Kun laughed. “There is actually more than you would think. I once saw around a hundred of them. I can always get another.”
“Just take it.” His brother insisted. “I’m cold as fuck.”
“Okay,” Sungchan said. “I’ll take it on the condition we go look for another one together.
Kun smiled, his heart all warm and fuzzy in his chest.
“I’d be more than happy to. Will you be back anytime this summer?”