‘Yah. Where are you? Are you going to hide from me like this? Yah!’ L shouted on top of his lungs as soon as he got out of their apartment. His target was nowhere within the radius of his vision. Where could he be? Did he want to play hard to get with him? L wandered around and he even ran up and down the neighborhood streets looking for the boy.  After about fifteen minutes wasted in vain in search of the boy, L was panting and bending down to catch his breath.

‘Yah, looking for me?’ A voice from above his head said.

L looked up and saw the boy was standing in front of him holding his favorite sweater, apple green one. And the boy himself was wearing a baby blue jacket, which L eventually knew was his favorite. L straightened and took the sweater the boy offered.

‘What do you think you are doing?’ L was staring at the boy with one of his deadly stares.

‘No, nothing. I thought it would be fun.’ The boy answered innocently.

‘What kind of fun is this to you? You might be hit by a car when crossing the road. People might come and grab you by the collar and even beat you up for some money. And you might even…’

‘You cared for me that much, huh?’ The boy interrupted before L could end his last sentence.

‘Of course I care! You are everything to me!’ Without intending to, those words came out in L’s words. The boy looked at him then turned his reddening face away.

‘Forget that. Let’s get some ice-cream. I’m thirsty.’ L shooed away the awkwardness.

They were walking along the neighborhood streets while chatting about just anything that they saw in front of them. It had been so long that they had the opportunity to walk around and take the fresh air of the neighborhood. And without L noticing, the boy slipped his hand and intertwined it with L’s. L was startled at first but then he in fact tightened his grip over the boy’s soft hand.

‘Ah, there’s the ice-cream shop!’ The boy exclaimed just like an elementary boy he had always been.

‘Let’s hurry up! I’m really thirsty.’ L said and pulled the boy for a run.

The two boys arrived at the shop, panting. Even the salesgirl was shocked when both of them, suddenly shown up in front of the counter.

‘Can I get a vanilla chocolate ice-cream and a mint chocolate ice-cream?’ The boy asked the salesgirl while doing one of his cute expressions.

‘Of course. Wait up a bit; I’ll make both special for you guys.’ The salesgirl said flashing a smile and got down to her work.

‘Here you are, vanilla chocolate and mint chocolate.’ The salesgirl said as she was holding the two ice-creams in front of the boy. The boy took it eagerly while asking L fished in his jacket’s front pocket for the money. After everything settled in the shop, both of them got out and continue to wander around.

‘Are you going to eat both of it for yourselves?’ L asked eagerly as he was almost drooling seeing the mint chocolate ice-cream.

‘Yes, of course, it’s my money anyway.’ The boy answered seriously.

‘Okay then.’ L said and turned his head to the other side.

‘Nah, I was just kidding. Here you go a special mint chocolate ice-cream for my special L.’ the boy said while offering L his favorite ice-cream.

‘My special what?’ L asked again while his hands reached for the ice-cream.

‘Nothing, you fool.’ The boy said in return and left L who suddenly halted on the walkway.

L was standing in the middle of the walkway still unsure of what did he heard the boy said.

‘My special L’ the words kept ringing in L’s head until finally he got a grip and ran after the boy.

‘Do you like me?’ The boy suddenly asked as soon as L managed to catch up with him.

‘What on Earth is that question?’ L asked back shaking his head a little.

‘Won’t you answer that?’ The boy asked again.

‘No I won’t.’ L answered simply.

‘Do you indeed love me?’ The boy asked again, looking agitated by now since he knew that L fooled around with his first question.

‘What?! What’s up with you? Did the lightning strike you just now?’ L asked while taking a look at the boy’s arm and chest.

‘Yah, you are so clueless.’ The boy finally gave up on asking the questions to L. L looked up at him and gave a victory smirk as he knew that the boy already given up on him.

‘Hyung, what is your dream?’ L asked suddenly, getting bored of the deathly silence.

‘My dream? I want you to be happy? Can I dream that?’ The boy answered while throwing a glance at L startled face.

‘I don’t know, could people dream of happiness of others too then?’ L said monotonously.

‘Oh, that’ll be my hope. And my wish is for you to be happy forever.’ The boy said.

‘Even without me.’ The boy added his last sentence.

‘Hyung, what are you babbling about? What do you mean without you? You won’t leave me alone; I knew it from the very beginning.’ L said offensively.

‘I might leave you someday. Who knows? But as for now, you can still believe that I won’t leave you.’ The boy said with a sad tone in his deep voice.

‘But you must promise me one thing, no matter what happens, be happy, okay! I already told you that my dream, hope and wish are all for you to be happy. So promise me you will always be happy and as bright as the summer sun, okay?’ The boy asked L with high hopes that L himself doubt that he could carry.

‘I’ll try. But everything that I do is all for you. Because of you. And you already promised me that you won’t leave me alone.’ L said back to the boy. They were now seated on one of those couple benches placed around the park. And the one they were sitting on was the one that had the view of the lake.

‘I didn’t promise you so for I’m afraid that I might be leaving you on your own soon enough. The fate isn’t in our hands, Myungsoo-ah.’ The boy said, and for the first time since they knew each other during their trainee days, the boy called L by his real name. L silenced at the words that the boy had said. He did not know why suddenly the bright boy that he loved now became someone who was so melancholic and talked about leaving him alone much.

‘It’s getting dark, let’s go home.’ The boy said and pulled L hand and walked home under the orange street lights holding hands tighter than ever.