_Part One: Sunggyu – The Divertissement, The Distrust_

The wooden chair in Sunggyu’s room never moved even an inch from its place in front of the window, and it became his favorite spot in instant. When the sun shone, Sunggyu would sit there enjoying the birds that sang him their melodious whistle or playing with the butterfly that flew astray in its path in to his room; and when the moon emerged from its hideout, he stared longingly at the joyous kids, listening to their giggles before they stepped deeper to the forest. The same boy who waved at him would always being the last one to depart, and never forget offering a hand to Sunggyu before finally leaved the forest edge. After the boy vanished, Sunggyu would huff a long sigh and closed his window before back to his bed, dreaming a place where he could play with many friends, and surely with Howon also.

That routine repeated for days already.

***

“What’s inside the forest?”

Dad stopped read his newspaper and revealed his face from behind it to stare at his first son, “Why, Sunggyu-ah?”

“Some kids gathered near the forest and then they walked in there,” Sunggyu answered, eyes full with curiosity.

Dad folded his newspaper, put it on the table before reached out to grab his cup and seeped his black coffee. “Nothing.”

“What?”

“There’s nothing inside the forest, just trees, trees, and more trees. They grew taller, bigger and denser inside there.”

“Then, why did those kids play there?” Sunggyu demanded an explanation from his father.

“No kids played in the forest, Sunggyu-ah,” Dad furrowed his eyebrows. “Maybe they moved to another place but you mistaken as they step deeper to the forest or you just imagining thing.”

“I’m not imagining thing. I saw them clearly from my window,” Sunggyu mumbled in lower voice. Right when his Dad rose from his seat, Sunggyu opened his mouth again, his voices louder this time. “They asked me to play with them.”

Dad smiled and kissed his forehead. “Play with them, then. Just make sure don’t forget your time and return home immediately, honey.”

Then Dad departed to his workplace, far away from their residence. It took almost two hours by car, that’s why Dad had to depart earlier, and he always got home late in the night. That was also the reason Dad never had time to bird watching with him, though Dad already bought him the binocular a week after they moved in. Sunggyu once asked Dad to stop working there, to find another job that closer to their place so they had more time to spend together. But Dad emphasized the good money he earned that needed by Howon for his medicine –later when Dad clearly see that his oldest son still quiet not accepting his explanation, he added that the money also needed by Sunggyu for his food, his clothes, and his toys. Sunggyu never brought the topic anymore.

After Dad left, Sunggyu finished his cereal in silence. Mom was not having breakfast together with him and Dad, because she had to take care of Howon who suffered in fever since last night. Sunggyu dumped his empty bowl in the sink and climbed the stair, wanted to visit his little brother. Through the slightly opened door, Sunggyu saw Mom change the damp towel on Howon’s forehead then checked his temperature. Sunggyu slipped his small body inside, stood beside the bed and took notice at how pale his brother was. His thin lips quivered and his chubby cheeks redden because of the fever. Sunggyu pitied him.

“Finished with your breakfast?” Mom asked him. Mom always looked older than her actual age due to fatigue and she had no time to apply even a thin layer of face powder, all in her mind was just Howon.

Sunggyu nodded, then he added, “May I play outside?”

Mom threw him a disapproving look before dragged him out, leaving the sick boy sleep alone. Mom brought Sunggyu to his own bedroom, turned his body to face her, her hands on his shoulders. “Listen here, Kim Sunggyu. Your brother is sick right now, but what’s in your little brain is just playing outside? Is that an attitude of a good older brother? Now, you had to stay in you room, reflecting your bad act!” Mom boiled over Sunggyu then left the room, locked the little boy from the outside.

“B-but, if Howonnie always get sick everyday, then when I will had a chance to play? It just a stupid fever, I also ever had one before,” Sunggyu sulked and slumped down on his favorite chair in front of the open window. He folded his arm on the window frame and laid his head on it. He hoped the birds to sing the pain in his heart away; he expected the squirrel to entertain him and made him forget his resentment. But Mom’s anger already made him lost interest on his window and shut the thought of going outside from his mind.

“I’m bored,” Sunggyu threw himself to his bed. “Sunggyu is boreeed,” he whined childishly and thrashed around, made his sheet pulled out from the corner of his bed. As he had nothing to do, now he started to miss his old house. He missed the TV in his old house that had more channel, in here they only had a local channel that just aired local news and cheap movies, no cartoon. He missed going to school –not because he loved to study, at least he had something to do– but in that countryside apparently a six years old kid was not common to study in school, the first grader in the nearest local elementary school was usually above eight years old. He even missed his old friends though he didn’t play much with them before.

Sunggyu chanted the ‘I’m bored’ like a mantra in every tone that he could, until he felt asleep on his messy bed.

***

Sunggyu crept along on the dark and empty hallway, he turned to the kitchen and unlock the door that lead to the backyard. Mom didn’t let him play outside this morning, so he decided to go out stealthy that night. Following the sound of laughter, Sunggyu crawled under the wood fence that railed around his house –careful not to dirtied his front pajama with soil so Mom won’t know about his escapement– and ran as fast as his short leg could toward the jungle end. But he found no one. The giggle and whisper still could be heard though. Maybe he was too late? Maybe the kids already departed to the forest?

Sunggyu stepped until he reach the fifth row of trees, and calling the children, but no one answer, instead the giggles turned off, and even the wind stop breezing. Sunggyu stood still as a mouse, trying to catch any sounds to locate the children’s position.

“Where are you?” Sunggyu called again as he got deeper to the woods. Soon the giggle chimed again, and quick light steps also heard here and there. The white glowing figured flashed behind the tree, just to disappear on the next tree, and another one appeared behind another tree. Sunggyu turned around fast and giggled, so they want to play hide-and-seek? He ran toward one direction only to be distracted by the other kids and change his direction immediately. He laughed along, followed their stride, tried to catch them, but they were so fast, they knew the forest too well. Sunggyu bumped lightly into the trees many times, scratched his smooth skin and once he slipped in the damp leaves, felt backward, almost breaking his neck if only one of the kids didn’t catch him in time.

All the kids were pretty and beautiful, but Sunggyu already decided that this kid who helped him found his balance back –the one that always wave at him– was the prettiest, the most handsome among the other. His jaw line looked so define despite the cheeks still full with baby fat, his nose was straight and his black eyes sparkling like the star in the sky. His smile also beautiful, the pretty lips stretched forming a nice arc, Sunggyu smiled back and suddenly self-conscious whether his smile also looked nice or not. The boy released Sunggyu from his embrace, and instead he offered his hand, waiting for Sunggyu to reach at it. The other boys and girls already stop playing and stood still, not far from behind the handsome boy, watching them. Sunggyu moved his hand only to stop it abruptly in midair, Dad’s word echoed in his ear.

‘Don’t forget your time and return home immediately.’

Sunggyu lowered his hand and shook his head. Sunggyu afraid if the boy got angry and decided to erase the smile from his lips, but the boy didn’t. The boy nodded at Sunggyu and turned his back to walk deeper to the forest, followed by his friends. Sunggyu watched until the very last person disappeared from his sight before stepped back to his house. He walked between the trees, regretting for not brought his flashlight, now it felt so dark after the kids left with their bright glowing skin.

***

“I play hide-and-seek with them.”

“With whom?” Dad eyed his first son from behind his newspaper, watching the kid busy separating the burnt part of his omelet. Dad felt sorry for his son, if only he could cook better. Just like yesterday morning, it was only Sunggyu and Dad on the dining table. Howon already got better from his fever, but Mom hadn’t allowed him to get out from his bed.

“The kids in the forest that I told Dad yesterday.” Sunggyu lifted his hamster-like face from his plate, beamed with happiness. “We laughed together, and then we chased each other. They fun to play with.”

Dad remembered last night his wife complaint about Sunggyu who wanted to play outside and he knew that his son didn’t go outside yesterday. Maybe Sunggyu just imagining thing, played with his imaginary friend, just like other kid at his age did. “With your wild imagination, you can be an amazing writer, Sunggyu-ah,” Dad chuckled and ruffled Sunggyu’s head.

Sunggyu knew that Dad didn’t believe him.

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No, I didn't make a typo writing this chapter title as Part One again. Part One will be mainly about Sunggyu, and then the Part Two will focus on another character. :D

Hope you enjoy reading this story and give me much love, hehhe... <3