All summer long he’d been waiting for the perfect storm; the kind where the temperature suddenly drops and the air has an eerie chill to it, where the sky turns dark with ominous shades of grey and black. Then the wind would start and make the trees dance as if they were possessed and the sky would light up with a strike of lightening, quickly followed by a threatening clasp of thunder. Garbage bins would go rolling down the streets, tree branches would snap and damage cars and houses. He had been yearning for the type of storm that left a trail of destruction behind.

Never in his life had he been particularly fond of storms, but he had never been frightened of them either. He just needed to feel nature’s pain and sorrow and anger, to see it before his own eyes. Only then would he know that what he felt in his mind and soul was real, to experience it from the outside for the first time instead of letting the storm rage on inside.

He’d been pushing everything to the back of his mind for months now, building a wall to protect himself from the truths and realities of life. It had been working for awhile, or so he thought. Mostly he was just pretending to be alright for the people he loved and eventually had convinced himself that he was alright. But when he’d woken up that morning, there was a crack in the wall. Secrets and old emotions were leaking out and causing a whirlwind of darkness, stirring up the storm inside, and so he did what he’d always done: run.

“Why am I so weak?” He whispered to himself, pulling his knees up to his chest and resting his chin on top. Deep down, he knew that he wasn’t weak; not anymore. He hadn’t actually run away this time. He’d just left the house to come to his favorite spot where he often came to brood and think. Ironically, his favorite spot was a stone bridge with high walls that sat over a deep river.

Still, he felt weak for running from his adoptive father who had delivered some unsettling news. He just couldn’t deal with it and he certainly didn’t want to talk about it at home where his brothers would be listening in. He’d go back eventually, but for now he was content to sit on the top of the bridge wall and brood while a storm was stirring above.

He started to feel relief when the temperature suddenly dropped and the air became cold and chilly. His eyes were glued to the sky that was dark like the feelings inside his head. The wind was blowing through his hair and the trees surrounding him were dancing as if they were possessed. It was everything that he needed. Thundered exploded overhead, possibly the loudest thunder he’d ever heard; he knew that it was going to be the perfect storm.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath; everything was going to be alright. He was content to stay out there for as long as possible. Everything felt so fresh and alive, and if he went home now the feeling would be lost. But, all good things must come to an end. A voice broke through the air, shattering his moment of passion.

“Kibum! Are you out here? Kibum!”

He sighed and jumped off the wall; if he was found up there he would be in a world of trouble. Turning in the direction where the call had come, he slowly began walking forward. He kept his face blank of emotion and when he found the source of the voice, his older brother Donghae, he felt a gust of guilt rolled through him.

“There you are, Kibum! Heechul said that you have to come home right now. There’s supposed to be a tornado or something,” Donghae said loudly. As Kibum drew closer to him, he grabbed his wrist and pulled him along. “Hurry up! I don’t want to be out here when it starts raining.”

Kibum said nothing but allowed himself to be led back home. When they reached the house and walked up to the front porch it finally began to rain. The sound was loud and made his ears feel like they were vibrating. A mist sprayed his face as the wind blew the rain in his direction and Kibum pulled his wrist away from his brother and moved to go sit on the porch swing.

“Nuh-uh. That’s so not happening,” Donghae said, grabbing Kibum’s wrist again and yanking him inside the house. He slammed the door behind them and locked