2 years later.

 

It was summer. Hot wind, but cheery and active days.

Jongdae got out of his house and had decided to head to the park.

The park having bits and pieces of souvenirs of the past like a trail of bread crumbs.

Fresh breeze of today brushed his face to reach the tomorrow.

Nothing much had changed, just the trees had become fewer and kids had become lots.

Jongdae spotted the tiny ice cream shop he and Minseok used to go to eat all the time, but the owner seemed to have been replaced.

Taking exciteful steps towards it, Jongdae decided to eat his favorite flavor.

He bowed to the vendor and looked at the collection of the colorful flavors.

"I would like this please."

"Huh?"

"I want this." He pointed at his favorite ice cream flavor.

"What?" The vendor asked again.

"I said, I want this."

"Kid, if you wanna say it, then say it properly, don't just point your finger cause I ain't no genius to guess which one you want."

"How many freakin times do I need to tell you that I want-."

"Man, mute people are so annoying, just get lost from here will you?" The vendor grimaced.

Jongdae's eyes swelled, not because he was called mute but because he was feeling helpless.

Helpless and out of reach.

If only Minseok had been there.

"I said get lost geni-."

"Isn't he pointing at what he wants? How dumb can you be?" A gravelly voice spoke from behind him.

Jongdae turned around and confusedly stared at the stranger.

"If you want your tiny little good-for-nothing ice cream shop to work, I suggest you give this man what he wants cause sorry to say, I have all the rights to sue you."

Jongdae noticed the vendors eyes widening, and cold sweat dripping from his temples, though it was mixed with confusion of the heat.

Quickly, the vendor took out the ice cream Jongdae wanted and had decided to not take a penny from him.

Perplexed Jongdae thanked him anyways and turned around towards the stranger.

He was staring back at him, the tall man with a black hood and cap.

"Hi I'm-." However, before he could introduce himself, Jongdae deeply bowed and walked past him.

"W-wait!" The man followed behind. "Even though you said thank you, doesn't mean I would let you walk away!" The husky voice yelled.

Jongdae, as careless as he would be with unknown people, tore open his ice cream and began away the heat off of his tongue.

The stranger sprinted and stopped in front of Jongdae.

"You seriously gonna ignore me?"

"Who are you?" Jongdae asked with his hand gestures.

"I'm Park Chanyeol. Nice to meet you. Let's be friends shall we?"

The latter confusedly and hesitantly shook hands with the unfamiliar individual.

"And you are? Oh sorry...What do I call you though? Can you spell out your name?"

Jongdae nodded and spelled his name with his hands, although he expected his newly-met friend Park Chanyeol to not get what he spelling out, unexpectedly he did.

"Kim-Jongdae?"

He nodded.

"Ah, nice to meet you too Jongdae-shi, you heading home?"

He nodded again, almost forgetting about his ice cream.

"Then let's go, I'm really hungry so I hope you can cook, if not that's alright as well since not to brag, I'm a really good cook myself."

Jongdae wondered who this person could be? Why out of the blue, someone could finally understand him and why in the world he was following him to his house, but all those questions, all those doubts sunk beneath when Park Chanyeol began talking about himself.

So, he let him follow him.

It was like finally, the lonely Jongdae found someone he could open up to.

Finally someone who he could talk to after Minseok.