The autumn sunshine soaked everything in a golden splendor, leaving Myungsoo in a tranquil daze. Sungyeol, on the other hand, kept himself busy by reading a coffee magazine he recently subscribed to. It was October, then, and with the both of them having nothing better to do, they decided to meet up and hang around. They ended up resting in a public park, with a bag of snacks sitting on the table behind them.

   “You going on Suzy’s birthday?” Sungyeol asked, without even lifting his head from the page he was reading.

   “Yeah, Uncle already invited me.”

   “I’ve one question for you, Myungsoo.”

   He raised his right hand to block the sun from shining down on his face. In a way, the gap between his index and middle finger managed to catch the ray of sunlight. “Shoot.”

   “Do you find it awkward, knowing her parents know you fancy her?”

   “Not at all,” Myungsoo promptly replied. “When they knew, it felt as if a thorn in my heart has been pulled out. I figured, in the long run, that this is better than hiding.”

   Sungyeol placed his magazine down before looking at his friend. He had to squint his eyes a little because of the sun. “You sound like you’re ready to commit yourself in a long-term relationship.”

   “It’s because I am,” he replied, a sheepish smile painting his lips. “I like Suzy, so I will only like Suzy.”

   “How I ended up befriending a clingy little introvert like you will always be one of my life’s mysteries,” Sungyeol remarked, without missing a beat.

   The both of them smirked. Sungyeol looked up at the clear, pastel sky, and listened to the background noise, painted with yellow sunshine and laughter. The creaking of the swings, together with the scent of wood bark, seemed to complement the season well.

   The two met for the first time earlier that year, and Sungyeol felt that he wouldn’t get along with Myungsoo, because of the latter's aloof front. Sungyeol was proven wrong, however. The more he got to know about Myungsoo, the warmer he became. Sungyeol learned that once Myungsoo managed to open up to a person, he would give it his all. The silent gazes Myungsoo gave him was filled with admiration. It never seemed to go past him. At first Sungyeol found it burdensome, because he knew he couldn’t return the favor—he couldn’t give the same amount of concern because he wasn’t that kind of a person. Still, he was thankful. Sungyeol was. And he knew it was not only because of the friendship Myungsoo quietly (and lavishly) offered him. It was more than that.

   “Hey, Myungsoo,” he began.

   “What?”

   “I want to get baptized.”

<:>

   “I sent something for your birthday.”

   Suzy was smiling as she walked through the hallways, with her phone against her ear. “What is it?”

   Sunggyu chuckled upon hearing the anticipation in her voice. “You’ll know once it arrives.”

   “A year has already gone by,” she pointed out.

   “You’re turning twenty,” he added. “I didn’t expect I’d be away on that day.”

   “Life is full of surprises, after all,” Suzy was finally out of the school building. The honey streams of sunshine leaked through the gaps provided by the tree branches above her, making her long, black hair shimmer. “Are things going okay with Jieun unnie?”

   “It will be okay,” Sunggyu answered. “One day.”

   She chuckled at his response. “You treat girls well, after all.”

   “I can never seem to get it right with Jieun, nevertheless,” he confessed. She heard a beep on the other end of the line. “Oh, Mom and Dad are on. I’ll have to talk to them now.”

   “Sure thing,” Suzy paused to dig through her bag. “I’m hanging up now.”

   “Take care.”

   “You, too.”

   “I love you.”

   She kept quiet. She checked her heartbeat. It didn’t make those strange somersaults, and she didn’t feel anything stir within her, aside from this certain warmth because Suzy knew she was blessed to have a loving brother. Since when was the last time she heard that from Sunggyu? She figured he could never say it before, because there was some form of malice in it. That was what she thought, because that was how she felt before. Suzy could never say ‘I love you’ to Sunggyu for the past few years. Not unless he already dropped the call; not unless he was already out of earshot.

   “I love you, too.”

   He laughed warmly. “Bye.”

   “Bye.”

   Beep.

<:>

   Myungsoo and his father roamed around the mall, several days before Suzy's birthday. After years of not walking together side by side, the sensation the young man felt at that time was foreign, as if he was in a dream.

   “Is this girl the one Daehyun kept on telling us about?” Mr. Kim asked casually. “Sunshine noona?”

   “She is,” he answered, blushing a little. He found it strange, talking about the girl he liked to his father.

   “He was very fond of her,” Mr. Kim carried on. “Daehyun.”

   “She's someone you'd get fond of so easily,” Myungsoo paused to look at the cameras displayed on the glass case outside the shop. He remembered a fragment of conversation he had with Suzy before. She told him how she wanted to make a photo journal one day. He turned to his father, and said, “Let's check this store out.”

   By the time they emerged from the shop, Mr. Kim focused on the paper bag Myungsoo was holding. A pained smile graced his lips. “You can even buy something like that as a gift,” he remarked. “You're really grown up.”

   “I saved up,” he replied, while looking at the black and pink friendship band wrapped around his wrist. “Because the gift I gave her last year wasn't that special.”

   “I couldn't even buy you things like that. We fell short on time.”

   Myungsoo paused. He looked at his father. “You can start now. Buy me lunch.”

<:>

   On the tenth of October, while the warmth of autumn penetrated Myungsoo's black coat, he knocked on the Bae family's door. It was quickly opened by Suzy, and her smiling eyes shifted into a pair of curious ones.

   “Dad, her name's Suzy, the birthday celebrant,” Myungsoo began. “Suzy, he's my father.”

   Quickly realizing the situation, she beamed at the both of them and made a polite greeting before opening the door completely. “Please, come in.”

   Pastor Kang was already inside, and without a moment's hesitation he, together with Mr. and Mrs. Bae, greeted Myungsoo's father. The young man looked around, and remarked, “It's only us.”

   “Suzy wanted it to be a small celebration,” Mr. Bae filled in. “Because we're going somewhere later.”

   “The orphanage,” Sang Moon added, with a smile. “We missed you, hyung.”

   “I missed you, too,” he replied, before approaching the younger one to tousle his hair. He turned to Suzy, and handed her his present. “I hope you'll like this.”

   “Thank you,” she replied, her voice overflowing with genuine warmth. “Let's go upstairs, I'll give you something, too.”

   He followed her lead, and as he stared at the walls and ceiling, he wondered just how long had it been since he had a good look at the second floor. It had only been a matter of months, but for Myungsoo, it felt like an eternity. He waited outside Suzy's room, and it didn't take her long before she emerged. The door which led to the veranda was open, letting the autumn air in.

   “Sunggyu sent me a present, and he has one for you, as well,” she pulled something out from her room, and Myungsoo's eyes widened upon seeing the item she was carrying. It was a black guitar case. “He wrote something for you, too.”

   With trembling hands he took the card from Suzy's left hand. He slowly opened it, and read the letter carefully, his eyes tracing the characters with care. He didn't want to miss a single thing.

   Myungsoo,

      Since I wasn't there for your birthday, here's a late present for you. I hope you like the color and design. I'm not an expert with guitars, but a friend I trust told me this will be perfect for you.

      Speak in melodies. You will be heard. Clearly.

Sunggyu.

   “We're going to the orphanage today, and though this is a sudden request, can you play a song for the kids again? They liked it.”

   He couldn't contain his smile. “I will.”

<:>

   By the time Sungyeol and Sungjong arrived, they went on their way to the orphanage. Myungsoo and Sungyeol rode in Mr. Kim's car while Sungjong was with the Bae family.

   “Is this your first time visiting the place?” Sungyeol asked.

   “No,” Myungsoo answered. “We did this last Christmas, too.”

   “Is it fun, playing with kids?”

   “It is.”

   Mr. Kim smiled at the slightest while hearing the conversation between the both of them. They finally arrived, fifteen minutes later, and Myungsoo took his new guitar from the trunk first before approaching the children, who were already waiting at the entrance together with some of the social workers. They were all jumping giddily, and one was unable to hold it in. He waddled his way towards Suzy and clung on her leg.

   “Noona!” he cried. “Joonie missed you!”

   “Noona missed Joonie, too,” she chortled, before carrying the toddler in her arms. “We all brought treats for you, so be good while we play, okay?”

   Joon gave her a toothy grin, and nodded. She waved at the kids, and some already ran to where Sungjong, Myungsoo and Sang Moon stood. Sungyeol, on the other hand, stood with the adults by the parked cars, completely frozen. A middle-aged woman came out from the building to greet them, and Sungyeol could only bow quietly. It was a new environment for him. After a short exchange of words, the woman invited them to go to the lobby. Pastor Kang kindly refused, saying that he would follow later on. Soon enough, only the both of them were left in the orphanage's front yard.

   “You seem uncomfortable,” Pastor Kang remarked.

   “It's my first time seeing so many kids,” Sungyeol admitted.

   “Ah, don't you have a younger brother?”

   “I have one,” he answered. “But this is at a different degree.”

   Silence engulfed the two. Pastor Kang patiently waited, and it wasn't long before Sungyeol opened his mouth to speak. “I was talking with Myungsoo before, Pastor, and I told him that I want to get baptized.”

   “Ah,” the older one smiled quietly.

   “But before everything, I want to be honest with you,” Sungyeol closed his eyes, and he opened them again. It was difficult for him to open up a part of his past, but he needed to be transparent. He wanted to be transparent. “I'll tell you something I have been keeping for so long.”

<:>

   “But oppa,” Hee Joo gently tugged at Myungsoo's sleeves. “Where's Daehyun?”

   Myungsoo paused. He organized his thoughts, and squatted to meet the young girl's eyes. “Daehyun,” he gently began, while tucking a loose strand of hair behind her right ear. “Is in heaven already.”

   She registered Myungsoo's response in her mind. All that she asked, after a moment of silence, was, “With God?”

   “With God,” he confirmed.

   Hee Joo smiled, then. “That means Daehyun can see God's face. I wonder if he can embrace Him, too.”

   Myungsoo merely smiled back. “Let's go to the auditorium. We will all play with you, and we'll sing songs.”

   “Oppa, are you not sad, because Daehyun's not here anymore?”

   “He's in a very good place now, Hee Joo-yah. Why should oppa be sad?”

   “You'll miss him,” she pointed out. “Sometimes, it's sad to miss people. I miss my Mom and Dad. And I cry.”

   “I cry sometimes, too,” Myungsoo admitted. “Because I miss Daehyun. But doesn't mean I should be sad all the time.”

   He received a tight hug from Hee Joo after that.

<:>

   “You're a scary mister!” Joon yelled as he pointed at Sungyeol, who couldn't seem to control the way he would stare at the children. He was, all in all, perplexed. While Myungsoo and the others played with the children easily, he quietly stood in a corner, observing. He had no idea how to approach the young ones. He didn't have the quiet warmth Myungsoo emanated, and he wasn't as lively as the Bae Siblings. Sungjong was doing fine, because of his childish ways. He could easily ride along with the children's imagination and keep up with their energy.

   “W-What did you say?”

   “You look at us like this,” the young boy pulled the corner of his eyes with his chubby fingers. “That's why, you're a scary mister!”

   Sungyeol was taken aback, and so, he scoffed to conceal his speechlessness. “Then I'll show you just how scary I am.”

   Without any warning he picked Joon up and placed him on his shoulders. Instantly, a burst of bubbly giggles escaped from the toddler's mouth. “I'm high up! I can reach the sky! Suzy noona, I'm taller than you!”

   “So you like this kind of thing?” Sungyeol muttered. He held him tightly, and he began to run around the auditorium, much to Joon's enjoyment. After two rounds, Sungyeol asked, “How old are you?”

   Joon held up his right hand. “Five.”

   Sungyeol slowed down, and said, “Since you're five years old, we'll run for three more times, okay?”

   “You're not a scary mister anymore!”

   The young man laughed at the fickleness of Joon's heart.

<:>

   “You had fun playing in the orphanage,” Mr. Kim commented, when they already arrived in front of Myungsoo's apartment. “You looked really happy.”

   “It was fun,” Myungsoo agreed. “Do you have any work tomorrow?”

   “No, it's my day off.”

   “Then,” he scratched the back of his neck. “Do you want to have a cup of coffee with me or something?”

   Mr. Kim smiled at his son warmly. “I'd love that.”

"He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake."
- Psalm 23:3