SeungHyun was trying his best not to fall asleep. There was five seconds left on the clock and the teacher droned on about homework and other unimportant things.

SeungHyun had long stopped listening to what he was saying, and decided to put his concentration into something more interesting. Right now, he was doodling in his notebook. Something which he did often, and as a result, there wasn’t a single page in his book that didn’t have scribbles on it.

The bell rang out through the hall and a clutter of scrapes escaped the chairs that students had pushed backwards, desperate to escape the prison like classroom.

SeungHyun packed up his things, and headed for the door. Finally, at the end of a long Friday, he was free; the whole weekend ahead of him.

He flew down the hall towards Kyuhyun’s classroom. His little brother was two years younger than him, and had the same teacher he had in year eight. SeungHyun could see Mrs. Liu was standing at the head of the class through the window in the door. She gave him a smile, as she clapped her hands together. The class started to make a move, getting up from their chairs, grabbing their bags.

Kyuhyun was being a little slower, and when the door opened with the other students piling out, he had only just started packing up. SeungHyun walked into the room, pushing past the few remaining students still left leaving.

“C’mon Kyuhyun, we’re gonna be late!” he said, putting Kyuhyun’s pencil into his pencil case and zipping it up. The younger boy put his bag on his back, after removing the contents of his desk, and started following his brother out the door. 

“Kyuhyun!” called the teacher just as they were about to pass through the door. “Don’t forget your homework again!”

Kyuhyun turned around and bowed to the teacher. “Sorry Mrs. Liu, it won’t happen again,” and just as he shut the door behind him, SeungHyun hit his head lightly.

“You forgot your homework today?” he asked, and when Kyuhyun didn’t answer he pressed the subject. “You can’t drop behind in your studies Kyuhyun, you’d better bring it next time.”

Kyuhyun lowered his head, and nodded. “Yes, hyung,” he didn’t want to aggravate his brother further because he had to walk home with him.

SeungHyun dropped the conversation and walked down the corridor, avoiding some other people getting things out of their lockers and chatting. “We’re going to be really late now, Kyuhyun,” he said turning the corner at the end.

Around the corner, the entrance to the school was completely packed with students. Some were sitting on the steps, other were crowded outside, but they were all talking, but SeungHyun still heard a familiar shrill voice from behind him.

 “Hyunnie Oppa!” it was YoungSuk. She was GeunSuk’s little sister, and she was always attaching herself to the four; trying to play their games, and join in on their inside jokes.

To be honest, none of them really enjoyed her company, not even GeunSuk’s, who was always telling her to play with her own friends.

SeungHyun turned slowly, dreading her lopsided grin; Kyuhyun was standing listlessly beside him. But there she was; hair down to her waist, oversized jumper and tight leggings; a sickening cutesy expression permanently plastered on her face.

“Aren’t you gonna wait for me?” she said, skipping over to him, and tugged on the bottom of his jumper.

“YoungSuk, leave us alone, We’re going to be late!” he said to her, removing her hand from his jumper and flattening it down where she’d stretched it.

“Like I want to be associated with him” she mumbled gesturing to Kyuhyun. SeungHyun didn’t quite hear her properly. “But we’re going to the same place, you could at least walk me there…” she whined, pouting.

SeungHyun sighed, and turned back around to see that none of the students had cleared from their place talking on the stairs and around the door. “You’ll follow us anyway, YoungSuk” he said, and walked out the front doors, Kyuhyun and YoungSuk on his tail.

He was right; she would follow him. But he couldn’t tell if it was because she wanted to be with him, or being she wanted to go home. They all lived in the same neighbourhood, which is why they were all such good friends.

Every-so-often SeungHyun glanced over his shoulder to see YoungSuk following a few feet behind him. She looked hopelessly lost; a look she’d perfected to make everyone think she was an innocent little girl. A look the boys could all see through.

SeungHyun turned off the road, and down a quieter one. He was about to smirk that YoungSuk hadn’t tried catching up with him again, when he felt a hand tug on his sleeve.

“You could at least wait until I’d caught up, Oppa…” she was pouting again. SeungHyun didn’t know if he had the energy to shake her off, so he just left it.

He was scarily aware of how small her hand was in his. And he didn’t know why he didn’t mind his brother witnessing SeungHyun being tainted by her devious ways.

They walked, hand in hand all the way to GeunSuk’s house with Kyuhyun trailing close behind. SeungHyun took his hand back to knock on the door. But mostly  because he didn’t want GeunSuk to see him tolerating his little sister.

Mrs. Jang opened the door and smiled. She was a loving person, and always welcomed anyone into her home.

“SeungHyun, Kyuhyun,,” She greet the boys. “Come in, the boys are out back,” she said, smiling, sweeping a piece of YoungSuk’s hair behind her ear. SeungHyun pushed Kyuhyun through the door, and closed it behind him.  He thanked Mrs. Jang before heading towards the kitchen, pushing Kyuhyun ahead of him.

He heard YoungSuk whine from behind him. “I want to go play too!” and smirked when he heard her mother say. “Let the boys have their fun, dear,”

He headed out the back door, still with Kyuhyun in front of him, towards the end of the grassy garden where a large tree stood. In the tree, about half way up was, what looked like a miniature house; it had a door, and two windows, and looked very homemade; which it was.

SeungHyun hauled himself up onto one the stronger looking branches, and after getting his balance, helped Kyuhyun sit on top of another.  The door was just to his left and he could reach it easily.

He looked over at Kyuhyun before knocking; Kyuhyun was looking a little tired. It must’ve been the exhausting say at school. He raised his hand up to the door and knocked the secret knock that only the four knew, and the door swung open.

A tallish boy with shaggy dark brown hair smiled at SeungHyun. His face was round, and had plenty of baby fat around his jaw.

“Finally!” said JiYong, who sprang from the floor to wrap his arms around Kyuhyun, who kept one arm out in front of him just in case they fell. He was nearly knocked off the tree with the force.

“Easy, JiYong!” GeunSuk laughed, pulling the small boy off of Kyuhyun. “I’m guessing you got caught up with YoungSuk,” he took SeungHyun’s hand, dragging him into the tree house who gave a grunt of agreement.

Kyuhyun clambered into the tree house with some effort, as JiYong wasn’t strong enough to drag the boy up from such a low branch. But when he did finally manage to put both his feet on the floor of the tree house, he closed the door and sat down next to JiYong.

SeungHyun sat down next to his brother; his short brown hair styled in a mess of curls.  SeungHyun smirked, remembering that Kyuhyun had spent an extra ten minutes in the bathroom this morning – so that’s what he had been doing.

JiYong was sat next to him. He had dyed his hair platinum blonde, and had straightened it so that it was almost covering his eyes. JiYong was a very playful sort of person. He was the loud one. Always smiling and laughing. SeungHyun didn’t think there was a time when he wasn’t happy.

SeungHyun looked over to his brother. He was a shy boy, didn’t talk much even when with friends. Kyuhyun was smiling softly to himself and SeungHyun found this rather curious.

GeunSuk sat down in front of them all, and smiled. Everyone was here. This sort of friendship would last, they could feel it.

 

*

 

The night drew on, growing darker with each minute, but the boys were lost in time; had no awareness that it was slipping away, and that tonight would be the last night they’d all be together, happy and laughing.