Several weeks dreaded by and we soon began dress rehearsals. Our practices involved going all out, using the props when necessary and wearing the provided costumes. Slipping the gown on and off was a hassle, considering I am a boy. "Where is the Beast? Where is Dongwoon? KEY! Where is your partner?" My teacher roared, her eyes spewing out distress and annoyance. She groaned and ran her hand through her hair, looking around for the nonexistent Dongwoon.

 

"I don't know where he is. I don't talk to him." I scoffed violently and sat down on a chair, crossing my arms along my chest. "This dress is so annoying. How do girls wear these?" I pulled up my dress and sighed, shutting my eyes and letting my head fall back. 

 

"You!" My teacher yelled at someone, but I continued to loll around in my chair. "You know some of the lines right? Can you be the Beast for right now?" 

 

I heard the boy whip his hair from side to side, checking to see if she was talking to someone other than him. He looked behind him, to his sides, and noticed he was alone. "Me?" My eyes shot open as I let his voice register in my brain. It sounds so familiar. I lifted my head slightly; just enough to see the view right in front of me. Jonghyun was standing there, pointing at himself like a lost puppy. He was still looking around, slightly hoping he was mistakened. Our teacher nodded and grabbed the Beast costume that was on the chair beside her and threw it at him. Jonghyun hesitated but reluctantly agreed, throwing it on and disregarding all the unnecessary accessories. He looked at me with apologetic eyes as we were told which scene to rehearse.

 

"Start on page 16, scene 5." She flipped through the script and watched intensely as we began to belt out our lines. I scanned through the page, letting the lines sink into my brain. I gasped when I remembered what was on the next page. The kiss scene. "Key!" Our teacher called out, snapping me out of my thoughts. I apologized and took a deep breath before reciting my lines, hitting them all perfectly without any flaws. From the corner of my eye, I watched as my teacher nodded approvingly and motioned for us to continue. We continued our lines back and forth perfectly with the exception of a few parts. My hands started to shake unnoticeably as the kissing scene advanced closer and closer.

 

I inhaled deeply and looked at our teacher, hoping for her support. She looked at me weird and signaled me to continue. I clutched the script tightly and recited the line that came before the kiss. She noticed my nervous face and interrupted, "It's the kiss scene. Now, if Dongwoon doesn't show up, Jonghyun, you have to fill in. Okay?" He nodded apprehensively and looked away from me, avoiding my eyes. He whispered his line as he leaned in closer to me, causing me to unintentionally hold my breath. His face inched nearer and I tensed up, feeling his warm breath hit my neck. Oh gosh, is he really going to do this? I closed my eyes just as his lips were about to fall onto mine, but the moment was soon interrupted when our teacher growled. "DONGWOON, why are you late?! Jonghyun had to fill in for you." My eyes shot open and looked at the front door where Dongwoon stood there, looking at Jonghyun who was still inches away from my lips. I giggled nervously and pushed Jonghyun away, both of us blushing furiously.

 

"I thought this was rehearsal, not a make-out session." He dropped his duffel bag on the floor and stomped toward us, feeling unusually jealous. The tension between the three of us was tangible, making me squirm awkwardly in place. Jonghyun looked at me and cleared his throat before excusing himself and walking away, taking his camera with him. He left me to soak in shame while Dongwoon stood in front of me, disappointment visible through his dark orbs. My eyes darted around the room in an attempt to distract myself from Dongwoon's intimidating stare. Jonghyun was standing in front of the door, wondering if it was the right time to leave. He caught the attention of my teacher, but she walked toward him and shoved him back inside.

 

"You still have to capture shots of our rehearsals." He hesitantly nodded and removed the cover from the lens. He adjusted it in front of his eyes as he waited for us to begin our scene. "Start where Jonghyun left off." 

 

Dongwoon smirked menacingly and looked toward Jonghyun. "I'll take it from here." All of a sudden, I felt a pair of arms snake around my waist, pulling me in closer toward his body. I let out a sharp breath and looked down at the closed space between us. "Do you trust me?" He whispered against my skin, fear accelerating through my body.

 

"What are you doing?" I squealed silently, pushing myself away from his body. He leaned in closer and embraced my shaking frame even tighter, ignoring the stares we were getting from the, now, distracted students. I shut my eyes and waited until his lips fell on mine. I could feel the tip of his mouth touch mine when a sudden crash comes from beside us. I pulled away gratefully and turned to where the ringing impact came from. Jonghyun stood there, with his camera in hand, right beside leftover props that were now scattered throughout the floor. Noticing the sudden attention, he lowered his camera away from his face and swiftly hid it behind his back, standing there quietly as our teacher stared down at him. 

 

She folded her arms across her chest and glared at him as her glasses fell to the bridge of her nose. "Excuse me, Jonghyun, but I would prefer it if you didn't make that much noise." Jonghyun glanced at me, then back at the teacher, and started to fumble with the folds of his jeans. Just as she opened to speak, a sudden ringtone flew through the air, causing everyone's attention to wander about the room.

 

My cheeks reddened as I felt my jean pocket vibrate. "Uh, uhm..." I looked around the room nervously as I dug through my pockets to reach my phone, "Mianhe. I have to take this. It's my mother." As I finally revealed my phone, I searched for the caller ID. I smiled in relief when I realized it was my mom. My teacher nodded skeptically and scooted me out of the door, letting me take my call in peace as she continued to question Jonghyun. I sighed heavily before picking up my phone and pressing it against my ear, letting my mom's soothing voice slip through my ears, calming me down little by little. 

 

"Key? Key, are you there?" She asked, noticing the silence visible on the other line. I nodded, although obviously aware that she wouldn't be able to hear it, and answered her.

 

"Yes, I'm here." She sighed and proceeded to tell me that she was already here. I bid my mother a goodbye and shut my phone, slipping it deep inside my pockets. I sauntered back into the classroom to find the props disappeared from the floor and everyone else rehearsing yet again. My teacher smiled as she spotted me walking in her direction, but before I could protest, she dragged me toward the stage and slammed the script to my chest. "But..." I tried, but she walked to her previous spot and flipped through her papers to find the page we were on and waited for us to continue reciting our lines. 

 

"Ahh, please begin where you two left off." Peeling her eyes away from the script and onto us, I finally raised my hand and grabbed her attention. "Yes, Key?" 

 

I walked to the side of the stage and dropped the script on the seat beside me. "My mom's been waiting for me outside... I have to go." Her happy facade soon disappeared and was replaced with a disappointed one. "I'm sorry... I'll come to rehearsal tomorrow and stay extra hours. Mianhe..." I uttered nervously, uncomfortably shifting from side to side in place. My teacher stared at me in disbelief and stubbornly pointed at the door, deciding to deal with me later. "Thank you." I smiled apologetically and ran down the stairs of the stage and dashed toward the front door to find my mother already standing there, leaning comfortably against the wooden frame. 

 

"Took you long enough. Now, hurry up. We have a lot of costumers back at the restaurant and we need the help." She declared, motioning me to run faster and faster. By the time I reached her, she turned around and continued to walk by my side. I nodded, still out of breath, and caught up to my mom, immediately equalling her pace as I neared closer. In a matter of minutes, we were already more than halfway to our destination, causing my mom to feel relieved. 

 

"Who's working our shifts if we're both not there?" I asked, cutting through the silence between my mother and I. A vibration was felt through my pockets as I asked, but I simply ignored it, acknowledging my mom's presence. 

 

She glanced at me before taking several more steps closer to our restaurant, "Amber and her friends are covering our shifts." I nodded approvingly and felt around in my pocket, remembering the text I gotten. I slowly halted into a stop and waited for a decent distance between my mom and I before I pulled out my phone and read the text I received. 

 

Who's this? I thought to myself as I read an unknown number flash across my screen. "Great job at rehearsal today! Sorry I made it awkward. I'd like to hang out with you tomorrow if that's okay ;)<3" I stared at the text, dumbfounded, and continued to think of all the people who it could possibly be. It obviously had to be someone at rehearsal, and this person apologized for being "awkward." I'm guessing it's either Dongwoon or Jonghyun, but considering I don't really know Jonghyun, I'm going with the other option. "Who is this?" I typed in, wanting to reassure myself that it was, in fact, Dongwoon.

 

I looked up from my phone to find my mom already opening the door to our restaurant and walking inside, smiling brightly as she noticed the looks of the satisfied costumers praising her. I trailed quickly behind my mom as I slipped my phone back inside my pocket. "Key, you're back? Can you take those tables at the corner?" Amber hastily asked, her hands full with 2 trays of food. I nodded quickly and hurried over toward the back where we kept the aprons. I slipped it on as I turned back around to find several costumers complaining at the lack of service. Running over toward them, I felt another vibration coming from my pocket. It's Dongwoon, I know it. Believing my own assumption, I ignored the text and swirved through the bustling employees and knocked over unstable tables slightly. 

 

"Sorry!" I gasped, finally arriving to the table that seemed to grow restless as the day dreaded on. That same routine continued the rest of the day, leaving me out of breath with energy being out of my, now, lifeless body. Amber laughed as I languished on the chair, feeling relieved when the costumers vacated themselves from the restaurant, shoved inside their cars, and hurried away. My sister, who looked freakishly liked Jonghyun, shooed me up and ordered me to go upstairs, acknowledging my lethargic self. I nodded tiredly and lazily heaved myself up from the comfortable chair and dragged my feet up the stairs, falling to the side and leaning against the railing on my way there. As I felt the life being out of me, I could hear Amber's faint laughter from behind me as she wiped down the tables watching me.

 

"Good night, Key!" My sister called out, trying to stifle her laughter. Half asleep, my eyes drooped down as I reached the second to last step of the stairs. I unconsciously waved back at my sister and just as I was about to lift my left to take the last step, I tripped. I face planted on the floor, letting the ground slam against my front. I heard the vague sound of Amber's footsteps advance closer toward my weak frame and felt her kneel down beside me, poking me gingerly before walking away to fetch my mom. As I heard her footsteps disappear into the distance, my eyes closed entirely and all the muscles in my body relaxed. By the time Amber came back, I was already slipping into unconsciousness. 

 

My eyes fluttered open to the sound of my alarm blaring throughout my room. Rubbing my eyes, I yawned and sat up in my bed. Narrowing my eyes due to the sunlight beaming through my window, I flailed my arms around, unwilling to go to school. The loud ringing continued as I lazily stretched my arm out and slammed it on various buttons, cutting off the reverberations coming from my alarm. I drooped my head and slammed back onto my bed, letting a pillow fall back with me, letting it cover my head. I heard the muffled sounds of footsteps coming from down the hall, advancing nearer to my room. Soon after, a knock echoed throughout my room. I poked my head up from under my pillow and glared at the door which displayed a smirking Amber. "Get up, boy. Time for school." I unwillingly nodded and rolled out of bed, landing on the floor with a loud thud.

 

I proceeded to follow my continuous routine I did every morning and trudged outside once I was all ready. As I wrapped my arms around my own body, I looked down at the new clothes Jessica brought in with her when my "make over" took place. I wore a white vneck with a thin black cardigan, followed by dark skinny jeans and striped converse. I nodded and smiled at all my neighbors that waved as I passed by. 

 

My body was at school while my mind was on something else. It was only when I reached class when I remembered the last text I received last night. Stepping back to deattach myself from my classmates' presence, I dug inside my pockets, frantically searching for my phone. Several students walked passed me with their friends, all of them shooting skeptical glances as I finally gripped what I was searching for. Skimming through my unread messages, I eventually found my intended text. As I clicked open, the second bell rang. ", I'm late." I groaned, stepping into class and dropping the phone deep into my pocket. I guess I'll find out next time. I thought to myself, now focusing on the teacher and pushing aside the thought of who the mystery text would be from. 

 

No One's POV:

 

Key reluctantly went to all of his classes, unconsciously muting out every voice surrounding him from his not-so-pleasant world. Once school ended, he strode to his locker and punched in his combination, not minding a reckless student walking toward him. He felt a slight impact as his shoulder hit the other's and he couldn't help but fall back and turn to the guilty latter. He stared at the apologetic student, starting from the bottom of his well sculpted body. Before he could reach his face, the part he was most anticipating, the boy spoke. "Sorry about that, Key." The latter's voice seemed much too familiar. A blush grew upon Key's cheeks as his eyes slowly rose to meet the other's. Jonghyun. Key's lips twitched as a smile was threatening to form. He ignored the urge and slowly turned back to his locker and responded nervously.

 

"It's okay." Key simply spoke, grimacing as he felt his voice crack due to his uneasiness. He reached inside his nearly vacant locker and grabbed his duffel bag that contained his necessary supplies for rehearsal. Assuming Jonghyun had already taken his leave, Key sighed in relief and slammed his locker shut, only to be startled by Jonghyun's smiling face still glued beside him. "Aish!" Key jumped, clutching his chest in surprise. 

 

"Sorry." Jonghyun chuckled, glancing at Key's duffel bag that he seemed to be gripping even tighter. "So, did you get my text?" Jonghyun suddenly asked, leaning against the row of lockers as he smiled smugly at Key's confused expression. 

 

Turning away from Jonghyun and into the direction of the drama room, Key replied, "What text?" Aware of Jonghyun trailing behind him as he walked, he thought of all the recent texts he received. The only one that processed in his mind was the unknown one he got yesterday. "Uh, yesterday's text?" He asked, using his free hand to slip into his pocket and grab his phone. Jonghyun nodded silently and awaited Key's response. Key flipped open his phone and discreetly looked over at Jonghyun. Jonghyun was fumbling with his camera, oblivious to his surroundings. Turning back to his phone, Key opened the text and read it aloud to himself, "It's Jonghyun, you silly goose! :)" He giggled as he reread the text, looking over at Jonghyun as he did so. 

 

"What?" Jonghyun asked when he looked up and realized he was being watched. Noticing Key's phone, he smiled. "You saw the text?" Key nodded sheepishly and closed his phone, letting it fall deep into his pocket once again. "So, what do you say?" Jonghyun's hands became clammy and his face soon felt red.

 

"Say about what?" Key asked when they finally reached the drama room.

 

"Do you want to hang out sometime?" Key was just about to reach for the handle but stopped as he let Jonghyun's question process in his mind. Does Jonghyun really want to hang out... with me? Key thought to himself. Having a crush that developed several years ago and not knowing if he shared mutual feelings, the idea of hanging out together never really seemed possible for them two. Key imagined it several times before, but he never thought Jonghyun would "make the first move." Key snapped out of his thoughts when he heard someone clear their throat beside him. He turned his head to find Jonghyun awkwardly waiting for his answer. Key smiled triumphantly and nodded, pulling the door and stepping inside. 

 

Jonghyun grinned at the answer and followed Key inside. On the outside, Jonghyun kept his calm composure on, but on the inside, he was truly screaming for joy, and he didn't know why he seemed so excited. Throughout the whole rehearsal, Jonghyun wasn't focused on capturing pictures of the characters. There was a certain person that kept making his way back into the front of his camera. That boy just so happened to be Key, although I bet you guys weren't surprised at that. As expected, when rehearsal ended, Key stayed behind and continued to recite his lines, pretending his lead was practicing with him. He belted out his lines, unaware of the pair of eyes that watched his small performance. 

 

Hours and hours of reciting lines over and over and over again, their teacher seemed pleased with the outcome and fortunately dismissed Key. Sighing with relief, Key sauntered over to the door, not without bowing to the teacher and thanking her. As he stepped out, he was greeted by fresh air, but a dimlit view of the street. He gripped his backpack straps tight and as he began to walk down the street, he felt a pair of eyes drill a hole through his back. He turned around hesitantly and faced a hidden sillouhette deep in the darkness of an alley that gave Key an eerie feeling. "Who's there?" Key put on a masculine charade but it was destroyed as he spoke with a shaky voice. He cleared his throat and took small steps toward the mystery person. 

 

"Boo." The man whispered menacingly. Before Key had the chance to scream, the mystery man finally revealed himself, sending a shock of relief flow throughout Key's body. The boy hunched over and belted out an arrogant laugh, "You should have seen your face!" He succeeded in saying under all his irrepressible laughter.

 

Key stomped his foot angrily on the ground and huffed, folding his arms across his chest. "Jonghyun, you're such a !" He bellowed, rushing toward him and shoving him against the brick wall. Jonghyun leaned against the bricks and continued to clutch his stomach, his laughter becoming contagious. Key soon enough started to laugh with him, but less enjoyment was coming out of it. "Ugh, I swear." Key groaned, small fits of giggles still escaping his throat.

 

"I'm sorry. I couldn't help it." Jonghyun stated, his laughter soon dying down. 

 

Key watched as Jonghyun deattached himself from the wall and straightened his back, smiling brightly at him. "What are you doing here anyway?" Key asked curiously.

 

Jonghyun began to walk in Key's direction, pulling Key with him as the two began to walk down the street. "Remember how I told you I wanted to hang out with you?" Key halted, his cheeks reddening at the spot. When he said he wanted to hang out, I didn't know he would go this far, he thought silently to himself. Jonghyun stood patiently with a smug smile still plastered on his face. 

 

"Wait, you were serious?" Key questioned, now shuffling his feet closer beside Jonghyun. 

 

He chuckled at Key's joke and nodded, "Of course. You seem like a cool guy." Key looked down shyly as he felt blood rush to his cheeks. 

 

"Thanks." Key squeaked as they both began to walk once more. The silence as they both paced themselves was dreadful, but none were complaining. Key was more than happy to spend that night with Jonghyun, the boy he most certainly longed for. Jonghyun cleared his throat when the muteness failed to subside. To ease the awkwardness, as Jonghyun would like to call it, Key would interrupt Jonghyun's mixed thoughts with suitable questions that earned a conversation for at least 5 minutes. After Key's 4th question, they finally reached his restaurant. "Do you want to come in?" He asked Jonghyun, pushing the door open with just his left hand as he held out his other for Jonghyun.

 

Jonghyun was hesitant, but agreed to the offer. Beaming with joy, Key gripped Jonghyun's wrist and dragged him inside. Everyone seemed to notice how excited he was whenever there was an opportunity for him to make a new friend. If someone held out their hand for him to take, he wouldn't deny such an offer such as this; mostly because the offer was coming from someone none other than Jonghyun. Key couldn't be more than thrilled when he spotted a table that already had 2 bowls set up for the both of them. As the two approached the table, they noticed labels placed in front of their meals saying 'RESERVED'. "What is this?" They both laughed, picking up both labels and observing the food that was left for them.

 

Key studied the room, finally noticing the dimness surrounding them. His eyes wandered over to a curious figure standing deep in the darkness, peering over the wall in the corner of the room. Her facial features were one you couldn't dismiss. "Amber." He muttered to himself. Amber straightened herself as their eyes met, cursing silently to no one in particular when she realized she was caught. Before strolling off into her room, she shot Key an encouraging wink, followed by a comforting smile, hoping it would somehow gather up all his jumbled up thoughts. Key rolled his eyes playfully at his meddling sister before turning around to find Jonghyun already scarfing down the steaming hot meal down his throat without waiting for any approval. Key chuckled at him, causing Jonghyun to freeze and look up. His cheeks were red with embarrassment, but for Key, it was less than embarrassing. It was cute.

 

Jonghyun leaned back in his chair and swallowed the food, rubbing the back of his neck with his sweaty palm. The silence quickly invaded the room, but it was soon interrupted by the sound of growling coming from the pits of Jonghyun's stomach. He instinctly grabbed his stomach and hushed it, continuing to treat it as an animate object. As he looked up, Key motioned him to continue eating, telling him that it was no bother and it was more than an honor. Jonghyun smiled appreciatively and threw everything into his mouth, making sure everything on that plate was to be eaten. As Key took an empty seat in front of him, he watched as Jonghyun denied chewing and went straight to swallowing. He proceeded to the second plate, but Key didn't fail to notice the variety of foods still spread out on it. 

 

Key ignored the incessant of pleasure that escaped from Jonghyun's mouth as he savoured the flavor of the meal. Several minutes passed and the plates were now empty with an exception of tiny scraps of meat laid out in front of them. Jonghyun laughed nervously, feeling slight embarrassed that his new "friend" saw that beastly side of him. "Don't worry. I'm like that when I didn't eat for a long time." Key reassured him, sensing his apprehensiveness. The room soon grew silent as the both of them sat there, wondering what kind of questions were appropriate, or what would be considered an acceptable "conversation starter". 

 

"Well, I'll see you later..." Jonghyun eventually broke the silence, unable to take it any longer. Key nodded, pouting slightly. He was quite comfortable with the quietness. Although for Jonghyun, it might have come off as awkward and embarrassing, to Key, it was obviously much more than that. Even though they didn't talk as much as Key would have hoped, he was glad that he was spending that "awkward moment" with someone he actually liked talking to. As they continued to sit in the darkness, focusing on just their thoughts, Key couldn't help but wonder, why do they suddenly become friends NOW? They met before and eventually 'clicked', but something happened that seemed to make their presence disinigrate in the others' mind. Key began to think about the first time they met.

 

"Umma!" Key cried out, feeling more lost than before. He looked around, but there was no sight of her. "Umma! Where are you?" No one ran to his aid, but simply walked by. He was only 5 years old and it was as if he was just a speck of dust in their mind. Key tragically looked around, hoping to spot the slightest glimpse of his mom so he can run up to her and give her a big hug. Key continued to sob frantically and even began to tug on other peoples' clothing in hopes of gaining their sympathy, but they just shrugged him off and continued their ignorant lives. 5 minutes passed and he felt hopeless. Sinking down to the floor, he kept his head down, feeling ashamed that he had the ability to lose his own mother. 

 

A small latter finally heard his weeping and ran to his side. "Hey little girl, why are you crying?" Key looked up at the squeaky little voice and sniffed, the tears continuing to run down his cheeks. He felt offended but was too distressed to retort. "Little girl, I was talking to you." The boy kicked Key's leg softly, hoping to grab his attention in some way.

 

Key threw his head up and shot the little boy a glare. "I'm a guy!" He stuttered, wiping the tears that kept flowing, "and I lost my mommy.  I can't find her anywhere." Key stood up with the help of the mysterious latter and studied him carefully. He had soft brown hair and big sparkling eyes. Although they were a simple color, they captivated you with ways words cannot describe. It was strange for Key to realize this, considering they were both male and only about 5 years old. 

 

"I'm Jonghyun." He held out his hand for Key to shake with a smile that flashed his pearly whites. Before Key could respond, Jonghyun pulled out a digital camera from out of his backpack and aimed it at a random butterfly that landed on the bush behind him. "Sorry. I like to take pictures." Key nodded sheepishly and wiped the last few streaks of tears. "I hope to become a professional photographer when I grow up!" Jonghyun peeled his eyes away from the camera and flashed Key another cheeky smile. 

 

"Can you.." Key started, the feeling of coming off as a burden soon crossed his mind, "uhm, nevermind." 

 

Jonghyun threw his camera into his bag and waited for Key to continue. "What is it? Tell me!" He whined, grabbing Key's arm and tugging it. 

 

Key shrugged his shoulders and rubbed his arm, "I was just wondering if you can help me find my mommy. I don't know where she is." Key held back a hiccup as a new set of tears threatened to fall. Jonghyun noticed this and smiled warmly at the slightly taller latter in front of him.

 

"Sure! We can ask my mommy for help!" Jonghyun exclaimed, suddenly turning around and waving his mother over in their direction. "Mommy, mommy! Can you help us look for this kid's mommy?" He pointed at Key, who silently watched them two discuss the situation. "Yay!" Screamed Jonghyun as his mom happily agreed to help Key. 

 

10 minutes passed and there was still no sign of her. "Umma..." Key whimpered as he searched frantically for his mother. "She's not here!" He threw his hands up in the air, feeling exasperated. The thought of never rejoicing with his mom once again soon crept into his mind, leaving Key to burst into tears then and there. He slumped his shoulders as the three of them neared the park once more. Key looked around hopelessly and sighed, trudging over to an empty bench that was seated near the stone trail. He sat in the same spot for what seemed like hours. Key looked up, his eyelids feeling heavy. Jonghyun and his mother were nowhere to be found. "Jonghyun?" He cried out, feeling his heart sink. 'Great, now I've lost three people...' he thought to himself. 

 

Second after second, sleep soon kicked in and he began to feel drowsy. Just when he felt like life was getting out of him, he heard someone belt out his name. "Key! Key!" Key's eyes shot open, feeling himself jump up to the sudden call. His eyes wandered through the rushing crowd that he wished would just disperse. His heart started to beat faster and a smile soon crept upon his face. He had spotted his mother, her make up appearing to run along with her tears. "Key?" His mom whispered to herself, nearing closer toward her trembling son. She managed a smile as she pushed through the bustling people, yearning for her child. 

 

"Umma!" He yelled through his tears, running toward her and jumping happily into her open arms. "I've been looking everywhere for you! How did you find me?!" He refused to pull away from their tight embrace and let his arms remain around her neck and his legs around her waist. 

 

She hugged him tighter and replied, "T-this little boy saw me calling out for you. He told me he knew where you were." They remained in that embrace for so long, feeling the other hug tighter than the last. Key deattached his arms from her neck and slid down from her grip. "I missed you, honey." She tried to keep a calm tone, but her voice cracking made Key think otherwise. "Don't ever disappear. Got that?" 

 

Key nodded with a smile that illuminated the dark atmosphere. It was at that moment when he finally remembered the boy that helped him. "Jonghyun?" He whispered, tearing his eyes away from his mom's and toward the crowd. He hopped up and down, attempting to see over the judgmental crowd. They eyed him as they walked passed, glaring at the mother at the same time. "Mom, do you know where he went?" Key figured he seemed desperate, but he could care less. Jonghyun helped him find his mother and he needed to repay him back somehow. 

 

"Uh, well... I don't know where he is right now. He just found me and showed me the way to you. Why are you looking for him?" The little latter shook his head and grabbed his mother's hand, gripping it tightly. "You want to go home?"

 

Key smiled up at his mom and pulled her along toward the direction of their house. No matter how hard he tried, Key couldn't seem to forget about Jonghyun. The conversation they had seemed to replay in his head, even during the most random times. Weeks passed and it seemed like they met just yesterday. Every wish was dedicated to Jonghyun. He was that committed to paying him back. 

 

Several years later and Jonghyun was still holding a special place in Key's mind and heart. The first day of middle school soon swept by and Key felt more nervous than ever. He did his daily routine; wake up, get dressed, eat breakfast, and brush his teeth. "I'll see you later mom!" He yelled out, waving to his proud mother as he stepped out of their restaurant home. He grabbed his skateboard that was leaning beside the door and began to ride to school, feeling more exhausted than ever. As he continued to kick off the floor, he dug inside his pockets and slipped out his ipod. Feeling the tangled earphones, he glanced down, distracting himself from the road. 

 

"Watch out!" Someone yelled. In a blink of an eye, he felt a sharp pain on the side of his body. Key's eyes remained closed as he felt pressure on his extended arm. His eyes shot open but his vision was still hazy. "Crap." The boy groaned, finally lifting himself off from the concrete. "My bad, bro. Are you okay?" He asked Key, his voice filled with sincerity and concern. Although he was dazed, Key felt himself nod toward the student.

 

"Yeah, I'm great." Key breathed, propping himself off the ground using his elbow. He stayed in that position for minutes, contemplating the many reasons why he acted so clumsy. He felt his cheeks redden as the humiliation began to replay in his mind once again. The roaring sound of a car driving passed broke Key out of his jumble of thoughts. Believing the student he bumped into had already brushed himself off and went along his way, Key began to peel himself off from the dirty floor. Without looking, he felt his head hit something soft. Key looked up, feeling slightly embarrassed, only to be greeted by someone offering him a hand. 

 

The boy stood there, with visible specks of dust on his clothing, offering his hand for Key to take. Key smiled appreciatively and gripped his hand tightly, pushing with his left hand off the floor as the boy pulled. "You sure you're okay?" The boy asked once as Key was safely put back on his feet. Key opened his mouth to speak when he finally looked up. He gasped silently as he examined the face in front of him. 'He looks so familiar...' Key thought to himself, forgetting that the boy was waiting for a response. "Hello?" The boy repeated for about the third time, snapping Key out of his trance.

 

"Huh? Oh, yeah.. I'm fine." Key reassured him with a smile, but before the boy left, Key began to speak again. "Wait, you look familiar... What's your name?" 

 

The boy seemed taken back by his sudden question but pushed it aside. "My name's Jonghyun." He flashed Key a smile, followed by a small wave, and went on his way toward the school. Key stood there, blood rising to his cheeks. 

 

"Jonghyun." Key breathed. "Jonghyun?" He repeated. The sound of his name was enough to make Key smile, but the fact that they actually bumped into each other was seemingly impossible. Key's smile disappeared when he didn't sense any amount of familiarity in Jonghyun's face. 'Do I look different? How come he didn't recognize me?' Key stood in the same spot, watching Jonghyun's frame disappear around the corner of a building. "This is so frustrating." He groaned, walking over to his skateboard that flew off the curb. Thinking he would be able to catch up to Jonghyun, he set his skateboard back on the ground and jumped on, kicking off the floor and riding down the street. 

 

Street after street, Key eventually lost track of Jonghyun. "Damn it!" He yelled, fumbling with his hair. "Screw it." Key kicked up his skateboard and began to carry it as he reached the school. Ignoring the stares of several students, he continued to stroll down the hall. People continued to whisper rumors as if it were part of their daily routine and ups continued to smoke as if it were their life, leaving Key to feel disappointed with the people he called his "peers". "It's middle school... why the hell are kids doing drugs?" Key mumbled to himself as he walked into the office, glaring at every student he walked by.