Chapter 19: Keys and Crackers

San Ha's POV

Sitting in a cramped position, my stomach grumbled. Cuddling the paper bags closer to my chest, I looked down at it and peeked inside.

Hmm, let's see...chives, onions, vegetables...ah, maybe there's snacks on the other bag. The movements made some noise in the background as the paper crumpled. Looking into the second, I found some cold meat cuts and some raw fish. Bleh. I can't eat these raw.

I moved on next to the third paper bag. My fingers touched some small plastic packs that shone in the lamplight.

What's this? It's a clear pack with white, blue and red print. It says:

"Seu-kai Flakes."

Sky Flakes? 'Flakes of the sky'? Crackers? Sounds good to me. I opened it and took a piece.

Taking a bite, the saltiness of the crackers were good. I kept eating crackers...it's good...

"San Ha~what's that?" Moonbin hyung asked.

"Crackers. Here, catch." I took a pack and tossed it over to him. He caught it in the air. In minutes, I can hear him crunching his way through the snack.

MJ hyung whined. "Maknae~ is that food? Me too~"

I took another pack of Sky Flakes and passed it on to him.

"Here, give some to Jin Jin hyung too."

"Gomawo." MJ hyung said.

I also gave some to Rocky hyung beside me. Not forgetting about Eun Woo hyung, I also tossed one to him.

"Eun Woo hyung, catch!" I whispered. Eun Woo hyung caught it.

"Thanks, San Ha."

I peeked out of the bush to see Danica noona pacing in restlessness back and forth on the curb.

"Yah, noona! Catch this!" I whisper-yelled from the bush.

Danica noona turned around and caught the pack of crackers I threw at her. She frowned in puzzlement at the crackers until she chuckled.

"You opened the groceries, didn't you?"

"Ne. Mianhe, noona."

She didn't scold me. Instead, she opened it and started eating as she finally sat on the curb.

Minutes passed. Then, half an hour. I was getting cramps in my legs when I heard Eun Woo hyung whispering. He and Bin-hyung seemed to be arguing about something.

"Don't throw the wrapper here, put in in your pocket-" Eun Woo hyung insisted.

"Yeah, yeah." Moonbin hyung said.

MJ hyung shushed them.

"Quiet, a man is passing through!"

We all grew silent. A middle-aged man came jogging on the street. He ignored Danica noona, who is now busy playing on her phone.

Just when we thought we could breathe easy, a group of people were following that man, jogging after him. Men, women and children were jogging on the street.

What is this? Night jogging? Hm. They all wore matching t-shirts with colorful prints on it...are they running for an event or something?

Oh well. I'm getting bored and tired. I can't feel my legs...

I took out my phone from my hoodie pocket and started to open it. Just when I started tinkering with it Rocky hyung covered it with a hand. I pouted.

"San Ha, the light could attract attention. It's better if you play later." He whispered.

I huffed in annoyance. "Hmp."

He frowned. "I want to play music too, but I can't risk it."

I nodded. "Yeah..." An idea popped in my head.

"How about we...play thumb wrestling?"

Rocky hyung's face lit up.

"Sure! Good idea."

I handed him some of the paper bags.

"Let's put it over our feet and hold it with our free hand so it won't topple on the ground."

"Okay." We sat on the ground and balanced the paper bags over our shoes; we don't want to place it over the ground, it'd get dirty.

For a while we played thumb wrestling, Rocky hyung and I. He kept losing and I kept winning. I giggled. He shushed me.

Other than thumb wrestling we also played rock-paper-scissors, where we always had a draw, until he scored.

We smiled like maniacs, giggling.

"Hyung, how about we play that game?" I asked.

"What game?"

"You know, the 'Fool's Game'."

"Ah, that one."

"Who goes first?"

"You. I'll win anyway."

"Ani-- there should be rock-paper-scissors to decide who goes first." I reminded him. He grinned, nodding eagerly.

"Okay, okay. Then-- rock-paper-scissors!"

He brought out scissors, while I had paper.

"Rocky hyung, you go first."

He smiled. "One." He said, bringing out a five hand.

"Four." I said, bringing out one finger.

"Five." He said, bringing out four fingers.

"Two." I said, giggling as I brought out five.

"One." Rocky hyung said, as he brought out two.

We laughed and giggled at the thrill.

"Yah!" MJ hyung whispered fiercely, "You guys trying to get our cover blown?! I can hear you a mile away!"

Rocky hyung and I laughed silently, bowing our heads in mirth.

"Mianhe, hyung." I said, but it came out too loud. Rocky hyung's eyes grew wide as I covered my mouth in surprise.

The middle-aged man came jogging back a moment later, followed by the group of folks he led. My breath got caught in my throat. I could hear their chatter as their feet pounded quietly on the asphalt.

When they were gone, I peeked out of the bushes to see Danica noona stretching her arms as she stood up. She went up to the bushes and spoke.

"I'm so sorry guys...if I only had the keys with me, dinner would've been cooked already and you guys would've gotten some rest."

Noona's voice sounded small.

"It's my fault." She said.

The rest of us were quiet. We heard her sniffling as she walked away to sit on the curb again. I hung my head in shame.

I would've ran out to hug her, but not right now.

Glancing at Rocky hyung, he stared out into the street, his eyes glued to one spot.

"Noona's crying." He said softly.

I looked out too to find her back at us, her violet cap covering her hair. But the movements of her arm showed that noona is wiping away her tears.

I felt sick and useless.

Tucking my head between my knees, closing my eyes, I wish Imari noona gets home now.

If only Jin Jin hyung hadn't flushed the keys, this all could've been avoided. He said he'd only thought of sharing about it when the van dropped us off at the resthouse.

He'd been confident that the house would be open anyway, since Danica noona is here.

What we didn't anticipate is the fact that she forgot the keys and went outside before Imari noona...and with Imari noona being the last person out of the house, locked everything.

Raising my head, I turn to see Rocky hyung leaning his head back to the fence wall, closing his eyes.

I turned to look on to the other side, across the gate.

In the shadows I saw Jin Jin hyung with his head down, sitting on the ground as he fiddled with his shoelaces.

I clenched my fist.

I'm annoyed that he didn't even bother to say anything to comfort Danica noona.

Pabo, hyung. It's not entirely her fault.

I sighed, staring into the sky. As I watched the stars twinkling, the mere thought of the day without rain can only be a source of optimism...right?

Before I knew it, a three-wheeled vehicle passed by, only to stop in front of our street. I heard a female voice saying, 'Para po'. When I peeked out of the bush, she stepped out of the vehicle and walked up to Danica noona.

Her jacket caught my eye.

She leaned down to shake Danica noona's shoulder.

Danica noona jolted awake.

"Imari..?"

"Ate Danica, don't sleep out here in the open. Where are the boys?"

"In the bushes."

"Come, I'll open the gate now."

Extra Extra

As Imari walked up to the gate, she can't help but notice Danica's puffy eyes when she saw her.

Did she cry?

Has she been waiting that long?

When the sound of keys jiggling at the gate rang clear through the cold, quiet night the boys abruptly woke up, startled.

Eun Woo and Moonbin had been sleeping, so was MJ, Rocky and Jin Jin...except for San Ha. Taking the paper bags, he stood up and stretched his legs.

"Annyeong, Imari noona." San Ha greeted. Imari glanced at him with wide eyes.

"G-good evening, San Ha. How long have you all been out here?"

San Ha shrugged as she opened the gate.

"Oh, around two and a half hours, I guess." He said nonchalantly.

Upon hearing him, Imari bolted across the front yard to open the main door of the house.

They've been exposed that long? Have they even eaten dinner?!

She looked back to see Danica talking to the boys before going inside to hold the gate open for them. The boys dragged themselves into the front yard and inside the house.

When Danica tried taking the paper bags from San Ha and Rocky, the two just smiled at her and refused politely. Ducking her head, she closed the gate and followed them inside.

Eun Woo, Moonbin, MJ and Jin Jin collapsed on the white sofa set in the living room. They didn't even bother wearing tsinelas, they just left their shoes out at the door and walked on the floor in socks.

San Ha and Rocky did the same, except they brought the groceries straight to the kitchen.

There they saw Imari in her Jollibee outfit, in red uniform top, sleek black pants and leather shoes. Her fatigue jacket hung on one of the dining chairs, she had hurried to get home and catch the latest bus after her shift. She even had her hairnet on.

As Imari got busy washing her hands to start boiling some rice, she noticed San Ha and Rocky.

"Hey, have you guys eaten dinner?"

The two looked at each other and nodded.

"Yeah, but..." San Ha began, "I got hungry again."

Rocky stretched his arms over his head and yawned.

"Me too."

At this point Danica came in, with a sullen face.

"I'm gonna cook. I haven't had dinner yet, so..."

Her stomach grumbled. She chuckled flatly. Imari shook her head.

"No, I'm boiling rice tonight. I've bought some roasted chicken on the way home. We're gonna have that for dinner. You better change and relax. You look tired."

Danica sighed in relief and shuffled out of the kitchen.

Imari turned to the two.

"Both of you freshen up before dinner too. Ask the rest for me, will you please?"

"Ye, noona." San Ha said before exiting the kitchen wih Rocky. Imari swept off sweat from her brow, breathing deeply.

She left the washed rice boiling over the stove before she went to her room to change.

While in the hall, she overheard San Ha and Rocky talking to the rest of the boys. Opening the door to her room, she wanted to snap at Jin Jin for losing the keys...but she's too beat up to even yell at him.

She actually felt bad at the incident, at the same time frustrated.

Today's been a stressful day not only for me but for all of us.

I still need to know the whole story...but don't they know that it's difficult to have a duplicate remade?

It's going to cost money, and I'm sure it will come out of someone's paycheck.

Surely it will, once Tita Rita finds out about this...

She shut the door behind her and buried her face into her hands.

-end of Chapter 19: Keys