“Onew! Sweetie!” His mother’s voice bellowed through the house, vibrating into the small space his room door held open.

He sat on his bed, crossed legged and sketching through notes he’d taken the day before. His body created a hole where he sat, his covers cascading into the fold of his body. Onew’s eyes kept fixated on what he was doing with passion and scrutiny.  His hand heavily gripped around his pen, he set pressure to the paper, creating small holes on accident. The frustration drove him to throw more on the floor, a small castle of papers growing on his mahogany wood.

From the corner of his eye, he caught his mother’s finely manicured nails brush the side of his door and push its way through. Her head peeked in ever so slightly, providing the room with a strong scent of sweet rose perfume. He wiggled his nose in annoyance and looked up, arching his brow in curiosity.

“Sweetie, stop with the notes, you haven’t eaten dinner yet.”

Deep inside his heart pounded from being intruded for the second time tonight while going through his school work. But instead of letting it show on his features, in a bit of air and plastered a smile on his face.

“Omma, I’m fine. I told you I’ll join you guys in a couple of minutes.”

This time, she pushed her whole body through, cocking her hip to the side and resting her hand on her waist

“Onew, sweetie. You realize you said that thirty minutes ago. The foods went cold.”

He furrowed his brows and peeked over to his digital clock that sat on his end table. Indeed, thirty minutes had come and gone, but it only felt like seconds.

“S-Sorry Omma, I didn’t realize the time.”

She sighed and made her way over.

“Of course, you didn’t sweetie, look at this mess.” She gestured to the small pile of didn’t-make-its. “You never let your floor get this dirty.”

She joined him on his bed calming her hand on his forehead.

“Are you alright. You’ve been going through this note taking frenzy again. But it’s worse this time around. I can tell.”

“It’ll pass.” He paused as if for a mere moment contemplating what he’d said. “It always does.”

“Yes…that’s true, but then again, Onew…it’s never gotten this bad.” She peered down at the small holes destroyed into the paper. “Look at you. Writing so hard that you’re making holes in your paper. Do you want me to send you back to the psych-“

“No.” His voice was stern and in the instance, he gently pulled his mother’s grip away from him. “I’m fine. I just need to get this out of my system and I’ll be fine.”

Her chest heaved in and a worried sigh escaped.

“Alright, but you’re not going to school tomorrow.”

“What?” His eyes shot up.

There was never a day of school he’d missed and just because his condition was a little on the frisky side this time around, he wasn’t going to start now.

“Oh yes, you are.” She answered as if reading his mind.

“You know why?” She stood up and straightened her red polka dotted dress. A dress his father considered luxurious while Onew deemed it to be odd and out of style. Her shoes weren’t any better, low-lighted violet stilettos. “Because I already spoke with Key’s aunt and she agreed that the two of you shouldn’t be going back to school right now after that little fiasco. You both need a day break. Plus, apparently, the principal wants to talk to the both of us and issue an apology on the school’s behalf. Won’t change what happened, but hey,“ she shrugged, “why not.”

“Key’s not going to school either?”

“No.” She smirked. His mother always had a way of getting what she wanted, even in times where Onew could stand up to her and deny it. “What, you act like I don’t know you two can’t be separated. His aunt wants an extra day for his arm to rest and I want you to get a little more sleep. I mean,” she used the knuckles of her fingers to caress underneath his eyes. “It looks like you haven’t properly slept in a while and your shoulder’s hurt. Have you even noticed that you keep wiggling it ever since you got home?”

In fact, he hadn’t. He looked over to his injured shoulder and realized that it was extremely sore than he gave credit. He used his opposite hand to touch it.

“See. Should I have Key’s aunt look at it? It could be worse than we thought.”

“No, it’s not that bad, I swear.”

“Fine, but I’m bringing your food in here. Your father’s worried about your health. I am too. Eat something before you go to bed?”

She was near the doorway this time.

“Okay.” He nodded.

“And be ready at eight tomorrow. I’m dropping you off at Key’s house.”

He nodded.

****

“Onew’s here!” Key called, grabbing his toast out of the toaster.

His aunt rushed out, heels clacking against the hardwood in quick paced motions. Heels? The last time she wore heels, his mother was by her side. Now they were just a memory that she sat in the back of her closet.

Key leaned his body outward, peering around the sharp edge of the kitchen wall. There she was. Walking through the hallway with sleek beige suit pants, a lace ivory blouse whose ends swayed around her waist as she waltzed and sleek stilettos gleaming against the ceiling lights, calling for attention.

“All for the principal to apologize?” He smirked, arching his eyebrow while a spoon of peanut butter.

She paused in her tracks, creased into a haughty grimace that only lasted the mere second she held it.

“I have to present to the principal just what kind of beautiful looking guardian they angered. Have to make them feel extra guilty for something.”

“Besides the fact that you’re one of the best doctors in this town?”

She giggled and made her way towards the door, another ring from the bell sounding throughout the house.

“Of course.” She sung.

Those were the aspects he admired about her. Her will to stand anyone in the face, make others feel the guilt that they need to, all the while remaining funny. She was always funny. His source for turning a dark evening into something more refreshing and worthwhile. Times like this, times where he saw the huge smile wiped across her face, plastering pearly whites, he forgot. He forgot just a moment, that it was only the two of them. Now that is parents were gone they had only each other to look out for. And it was times like this where he was glad her bubbly personality cast a spell on him.

Her hand hovered over the knob for a moment and before she grasped it, his aunt peered over her shoulder and pointed her lustrous filed nail towards him.

“Now before I go, what did we discuss?” She sighed.

He could tell the bit of amusement that still lingered somewhere in her tone, but the surface was pure seriousness. The moment of bubbly happiness had come and gone. The only thing that was on her mind now was the secret they had to keep together.

“Don’t tell him what happened. Yeah yeah, I know.” He waved his spoon around in the air, rolling his eyes as he turned to take a bite out of his toast.

“Good. If he asks about anything-“

“Just tell him I tripped and fell, other than that, I don’t remember much.” He sighed.

“Great. Me and Bora are going to get drinks after this dreading meeting with your principal so you boys have the whole day to yourselves.”

“Amazing.” He mimicked. His mood was sauntered by her sudden intrusion of a reminder.

She pursed her lips again yet swiftly switched to a smile when she opened the door. 

“Min-ji!”

“Bora!”

They were like two old friends that lived abroad and hadn’t seen one another in years, yet they lived in the same town and called each other more often than he cared to count. Key turned around and watched through the open kitchen Onew try and squeeze his way between the two. In his right hand he had his own pillow and in the other, a folded up indigo cover.

“Onew, sweetheart, we had extras.” Aunt Kim spoke.

“That’s what I told him, but he insisted on bringing them.” His mother rolled her eyes just before she caught sight of Key in the kitchen. She waved her little-manicured nails and showed off her bright white teeth.

“Hi sweetie!” She called.

With the peanut butter spoon stuffed in his mouth, he smiled and waved back with his good hand. Onew’s mom eyeballed his cast and began to tsk, a moment he was dreading the moment his aunt told him that she was the one dropping Onew off. It was a pain enough to have Onew worrying for him and feeling sorry for him over his eyes, now he had to bother with others and their gazes.

“Poor boy.” She said to Aunt Kim. “And to have those hooligans try to pull it off again. They better be glad neither one of us don’t sue. Onew’s poor shoulder is messed up.”

“Onew, did you want me to look at it before I go?” Key’s aunt insisted.

Onew muttered out his nervous laugh and shook his head, rushing his steps towards Key.

“I already told Omma that it’s fine. Just a little sprain.”

Aunt Kim rolled her eyes and waved her hands away.

“Always the hero.” She sighed.

“Never the damsel.” His mother finished.

“Alright, boys were off. Try not to get too crazy while we’re gone.” The two of them blatantly laughed in one another’s faces when the words came out and before either Onew or Key could protest, his aunt slammed the door shut.

Onew scooted his way closer to Key.

“I don’t know how I feel about the two of them basically calling us boring as hell.” Key snorted.

Onew shrugged and pulled up his cover that was slipping through his grip.

“Eh…I get used to it. They always act like a couple of teens when they’re together.”

“Come on,” he nodded towards the hallway, “let’s go to my room so your OCD don’t go dropping stuff on my floor.”

“I’m not OCD.” He argued, hugging his items closer to his chest so they wouldn’t reach the floor.

****

His bed was cool to the touch when Onew flopped down. He put his covers and pillow to the side and looked around the familiar yet alien room he’d only been accustomed to seeing a few times in their long trailed friendship. Most of their hours of togetherness were spent at Onew’s house, in his room, which was weird because the boy rarely let his own parents in. He liked to keep the place as clean as necessary, spotless but when Key ever asked to dip over, he’d always say yes. He searched around the corners of him where Key’s covers folded into his body. His eyes bore on the dull blue cotton linen, lined with alabaster dots, caressing the stitches of fabric with his hand and moving his head downward.

“There’s no crumbs on it.” Key sighed.

He’d managed to find a napkin at his computer desk and put both his toast and peanut butter spoon on it. His eyes were nowhere near Onew, yet he knew his friend’s need for cleanliness so well, there was no need.

“I thoroughly cleaned it off after I woke up. Don’t worry.”

Onew mustered up that nervous laugh again.

“I- I wasn’t.” He waved his hand away, digging his body deeper into the sheets.

“Sure~” Key cooed.

“What’re you doing anyway?”

“Why did you bring your covers?” Key retorted.

Onew grabbed his pillow and sank his head into it.

“I asked first.”

“I’m working on pictures.” His voice was blatant but sure.

Onew curled his body into a ‘c’ shape, his legs cuddling one another as he looked over to his friend. Key’s back craned forward, hovering over the white keyboard and digging his head further, closing the space between him and the computer.

“You’re gonna lose your eyesight doing that,” Onew mumbled.

“Eh.” Key shrugged.

He opened his mouth as if to say something that contrasted from what he’d originally thought up but instead cleared his throat, adjusting himself in his chair and subtly looked over to his friend.

“So…why did you bring your covers? Not sleeping well again?”

“Not really….well my mom doesn’t think I am at least. I feel fine in the mor-“

“So you’re not sleeping well.” Key nodded.

“That’s not what I said.”

“It’s what you meant, though.”

“What kind of pictures are you working on anyway?” He decided to change the subject. Once spotlight was on Key’s photography work there was no stopping him. All he could talk about was the definition and quality it held. If the angles were good enough or not. A huge grin plastered on his face and he switched his chair around to meet his desktop.

“I’m working on those pictures I took while in the forest.” The words came out faster than he meant to.

The last thing he wanted was Onew asking more questions about his experience. Their friendship was bound and woven together, more so than others and because of this bleak factor he knew there was a time limit when it came to lying to his best friend. He was just unsure how long it could possibly be. When they were only freshmen, Key had lied about enjoying the lunch Onew had brought he two of them. Apparently, his friend had made it himself. The only thing was, Onew was never the best at cooking, a secret Key tried to keep to himself. After a while, though, his best friend snuffed out the lies. It only took a moment when Key dug into the lunch for him to realize. That was then, this is now. How long could he keep up the treading secret between the two of them?

 But when the words came out, Onew said nothing. Instead, Key heard small sounds of shuffling and rustling and before he could turn around to see what his friend was doing, Onew was right there behind him.

“Pics from the forest huh?” He sounded genuinely interested, a new feeling to Key.

Sure, Onew had always been the main one to encourage him with his pictures and applying to colleges and what not, and sure, the boy always complimented the finish products. But every time he did, there was that peculiarity in his voice that made Key question if he really understood the depth in which he described his pictures. However now…now his friend actually sounded interested. The ‘forest’ part probably had some play in it but he didn’t mind.

“I didn’t know you got the chance to take any.” He went on.

“Yeah and it was really weird.”

“Weird…how?”

There was that curiosity tone again. At least he wasn’t asking about his arm or him falling. Or questioning whether Key was really telling the truth or not.

“I found this flower…look,” he clicked his mouse to the next picture, away from the plain leaves and bark and to the glowing ivory beauties that had caught his attention before all the havoc broke loose.

“I swore they weren’t there when I first came. I think I might’ve come in their time of blooming. On top of that, I think these might just be the prize pics I need for my entry.”

This time, it was Onew’s turn to inch forward. With one hand rested on Key’s desk and the other on his chair, he bent his back closer to get a better look. Key was right. These flowers were beautiful. Even in the picture of the camera, they deemed to hold their own light, glowing under the orange rays of the sun. Their arching petals pierced the eyes with allure and infatuation.

“I’ve never seen flowers like these before Onew.” He switched through some more photos… and more photos, but he stopped at the ones he took of them when he’d been standing, displaying the full audience.

“Really Onew, these were incredible. They might just be the secret gem in those ugly woods. But seriously, I don’t think I’ve ever seen them before.”

“I think I’ve had.” His words came out quicker than he could think, but when they did, the both of them held a questionable glance.

“You’ve seen these before?” Key asked.

“I-I…don’t know.” Onew furrowed his brows.

He was stammering on his own statement, wondering why he’d said such a thing.

“I don’t know why I said that.”

“Maybe you saw them in a book or something.” Key nodded and went back to searching.

“Maybe…” But it didn’t feel like it. It felt like he’d definitely seen these before, in real life…only, he hadn’t. The feeling was peculiar and ominous. Foreign to his senses.

“Hey…Hey, wait Key stop.” Somehow Onew had seen it from the corner of his eye. The…glow?

“What?” He sounded annoyed. “It’s just a bad blurry picture I took. Probably when I was moving.”

“No…look. At your hand.” He pointed his finger on his screen.

“Its…glowing?” Key questioned. “M-Maybe it’s the sun. It was getting dark by then.”

“Nah…Key this looks different. Like it’s in your skin or something.”

“In my skin?” He squinted his eyes at the picture. It was blurry, but there was something. His skin illuminated from the small areas where his veins would have been. The skin appeared somewhat translucent in a sense but still solid. It was hard to think of an explanation. Onew was right, it did look as though his skin was glowing.

“Onew, don’t freak out, but I have an idea.” He smirked.

Onew pursed his lips, a perturbed look casting across his features.

“I never like your ideas.”