Shi Joon rushes back home and closes the door behind him, moving quickly to the kitchenette, rummaging about the cupboard for a cup or something to busy himself with.
When he's found one and managed to work the hot water boiler, he repeats the cupboard searching, trying to find a teabag, only for a sudden wave of nausea to rip over him. He leans against Shi Hyun's cupboard, his forehead on the base of her cup cupboard, steadying himself.
A premonition resounds in his ear, the ghost of Shi Hyun's voice, her lips moving and him reading her lips, "What's wrong, oppa?"
And he pushes himself away from his support, breathing hard and trying very difficult not to appear like something has indeed happened.
The door then opens, his sister's voice washing over him in the best way possible, "Oppa, I'm home!"
He sips his hot water, replying gently, "Oh Shi Hyun-ah, welcome back."
And she gives him a cheeky smile, walking over to bump into his side. "Welcome what welcome, you called me home."
Shi Joon smiles, abashed, setting his cup back down. "I couldn't find any teabags."
"Ah?! Oppa is that what you called me for?" her voice is full of her usual (how long has it been?) joking tone, only for her to raise the tote bag in her hand.
"Here, I bought tea. Oppa, I don't drink tea, only coffee."
"Mhmm milk and one sugar, right?"
She reaches her arms around him, sing-songing in his ear that, "Oppa, you still remember?"
And he lets himself relax, satedness seeping into his voice, "Of course, Shi Hyun-ah."
"Alright, but that's enough contribution from you for the morning. Wait in the living area, I'll make our drinks and be right over."
He hums but whisks his cup out of her range just as she lets go of him.
Shi Hyun pouts but relents.
"Oppa, do you know where I put my coffee powder?"
He blinks and she laughs. "Joking, joking," reaching for the cup cupboard, and taking out her favourite (she still has it?) flower mug.
She opens the cupboard to the left as well, revealing the bottles of instant coffee and cups of instant ramyeon.
"Instant things here, so we remember these are not good for us. Sugar, salt, pepper, sesame oil, soy sauce and rice, in the cupboard on the floor! And everything else is in the fridge."
Shi Joon helps himself, quietly murmuring the items to index them.
"Red pepper paste, soybean paste, sesame sauce, chilli paste, then the milk. Butter, eggs. Chocolate, bread, ham, soju, beer… Nothing else?"
Shi Hyun begins placing her groceries into the fridge. "Of course there's more, I just ran out. I suppose I should have bought more, since we're feeding two people. I usually can't buy much since I'm eating alone, oppa."
There's something wry in her voice, and there's a lump Shi Joon can't quite swallow. He freezes on the spot, unsure and the vision washes over him, the sight of her curled up on her bed, crying.
When she closes the fridge after putting in a pack of pork belly and pack of kimchi, he pulls her close, closing his eyes and telling her, "I won't leave you alone, ever again."
She hits him childishly, "Don't talk nonsense. Of course you have to. I can't keep you all the time."
But she's also beginning to tear. So he stays there quietly and lets her cry.
Shi Hyun tries to push him away, rubbing furiously at her eyes. "I'm not crying," she denies even though he says nothing.
He agrees, wiping away her tears. "You're not crying," the smile tugging at his lips, "Just that my shirt must have been dusty. Go wash up, don't rub the dust further in."
She agrees wholeheartedly, rushing into the bathroom.
So, still, not everything can change.
He can hear the sound of her sobbing.
Shi Joon busies himself with re-familiarising himself, the positions of the cups and plates, the cutlery drawer, the three different knives stuck magnetically by the sink, accompanied by the chopping board.
His fingers trail across the surfaces of the kitchenette, all spick and span, no traces of dust.
A spiderweb in the furthest corner of the wall, hooked half on the wooden cupboard. Shi Hyun's rainbow feather duster makes quick work of it, and the elder brother allows the thought to cross his mind. Too short to reach it.
A smile rises to his lips, unbidden.
Casting his look around the kitchen, looking at the empty drying rack and clear sink, he decides to cook breakfast. Shi Hyun isn't out yet, but she probably went out shopping without breakfast – that's something simple he can help with.
First, he spots the toaster near the water boiler and begins by toasting bread, one slice for each other. Pressing the reboil button for the water, he turns his attention back to the fridge, taking out the ham as he puts the bread loaf back in.
He chops three slices of the newly bought ham, cutting the packet open when the knife, placing the remaining slices into the sole Tupperware on the drying rack.
After cracking two eggs and beating them in a bowl Shi Joon begins hunting for a pan and spatula. At this point, the water boiler beeps.
He adds a little more hot water to Shi Hyun's untouched coffee, and makes drops a tea bag into another cup of hot water for himself.
Pulling on the pull-out cupboards at the bottom, he finds the pans hung in a nifty little alcove, one of those DIY hanging set ups that maximise space usage.
Two pans and two pots, small and regular respectively. He kneels down to reach for the pan at the back, giving it a quick rinse just in case.
The washroom door clicks open and Shi Hyun reappears, gently patting her face. He over his shoulder at her, even as she pouts. "What are you doing?"
The older brother only laughs, "Looking at my little sister of course."
She rolls her eyes good-naturedly. "So you are. Oppa, I don't have a salary capable of hiring a private chef, you know."
Shi Joon only hums, "Yes, yes… but you don't have to pay this one. Ham omelette bread."
It's because she smiles that he lives.
"And coffee?"
"Of course. Next to the water boiler. Try and see if it needs more milk or sugar."
He places the pan over the induction cooker, turning on the hob, beginning with frying the ham, then pouring in the egg.
The edges bubble away, and he drifts slightly in the lull, aware that Shi Hyun is sipping her coffee while looking at him.
Then the ghost of future again, Shi Hyun reclining against the counter, the toaster popping up and giving her a small scare, causing her hot coffee to spill.
"Mm, Shi Hyun-ah, can you get a plate for the bread?"
She makes a noise of agreement, setting the cup down just as the toaster button springs back. She can help the small sound of surprise, which is interrupted by Shi Joon's laughter.
Without the plates, she whirls around to stare down his back, "Oppa!" He doesn't have to turn to know her face is flushed with righteous indignation.
Not much has changed, his younger sister is still the same person, and that thought grounds him.
"Sorry, Shi Hyun. But you're too cute for your own good."
That appeases her immediately, and she comes up behind him, first squeezing his shoulders before tiptoeing to rest her chin on his shoulders, peering over them.
"As it always has been, my brother is the best!"
He hums again, before teasing, lightly. "Yes, he is. But he can't make plates levitate out of the cupboard."
"Is it good?"
His sister closes her eyes for a moment, and he waits. Her eyes sparkle with sweetness, "Delicious."
After the bread is finished, Shi Hyun cradles her flower mug, before looking at him seriously. "But oppa, really, what did you want to tell me?"
His fingers tense up, and he flexes them, taking a sip of tea to self-soothe.
"I…" She cuts him off before he can bluff his way out. "Don't lie."
He nods, "No lies. I still have some visions. But not as strong. And all changeable."
She exhales. "Alright. How often, oppa?" Shi Hyun chances a shaky smile, "Maybe we could hire you, after all."
Shi Joon only shakes his head.
"Very often, but they aren't much use. I only see minutes into the future, all of them surrounding you."
"That's good," she says and her brother only stares, uncomprehending.
"But it's not of any use to you," he starts softly, she cuts him off again.
"But that doesn't matter to me. Oppa I'm just glad you're back. Don't leave."
And this time, he stretches out his pinky first.
"I promise."
She hooks her pinky with his and tells him with a straight face, "I'll ask if we can hire you to man the emergency help line. The police office will always be the safest."
He laughs. "Then you will apply to go to the emergency dispatch team?"
She shakes their linked fingers.
"That's where those minutes will matter."
No news on a sequel, I think it's unlikely now :'( but there's not much to be done.
I've been spending much of my time watching new dramas, and been writing some. This is my relaxation piece, mostly because I love writing slice of life.
It's a bit of a pity that it's difficult to do that with Chains, where I have to keep thinking of the subplot and moving things forward.
Hehe, Drawing is a happy-writing fic. If you're here and you watched Joy of Life (Qing Yu Nian) the c-drama, I am also doing a self-challenge fic on Archive of Our Own. I would cross post here, but so far the new category hasn't been accepted.
Since you're here, I'd take the guess that you watch dramas too!
Anyway, thank you for reading. I'm not sure where to go next with this.