8. Friend

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“London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down”

The bright and energetic voice filled the entire room.

9-year-old Gayoon sat on the last step of the stairs, her cheek resting on the palm of her hand. She had a smile on her face as she was watched the scene before her.

“London Bridge Is – oh! Gayoon noona!!” Gayoon blinked, removing her palm from her cheek and looking at the one who called her. “What?” she asked innocently, tilting her head to the side. The other laughed, running to her.

“Hold out your hand!!” Gayoon blinked, face confused. “Geez… why do you sound so excited…” “Noona~ Just do it!” Gayoon looked at the other for a while, before shrugging and holding out her hand. Not even a second after the other suddenly places his hand on top of hers before removing his hand and revealing a bracelet. It was a very colorful and childish bracelet, obvious that it was handmade because of the sloppy and childish knot on the bracelet along with the mismatching and very bright and colorful beads and shells decorating it.

“It’s a bracelet!!” the other beamed. “I made one for you too!!” Gayoon looked at the bracelet. She looked at it with confused eyes before her eyes widened and suddenly her face turned red and she was blushing so much that she hid her face in her lap along with a muffled ‘Thank you so much!!’

“Don’t lose it, okay noona? It’s really special and it’s just for you!” the other said making Gayoon squeal lightly and turn even redder.

Yoseob laughed brightly.

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It was deadly quiet.

Nothing was heard except the ticking off the clock, the sound bouncing off the walls. It was loud, it was echoing as it drummed into your ears, accompanied by the muffled sound of the rain.

But to Gayoon everything was quiet.

To Gayoon not one thing was heard as she stood by the wall, face filled with sadness and worry as she looked at the other person in the room with her. The one that was lying down on the floor, curled up into a ball and back facing her, sleeping peacefully. The figure itself looked vulnerable, it looked afraid.

She was starring at Yoseob.

He was clutching a doll tightly – too tight and too desperate – to his chest. The doll had blonde, messy hair and wore a pink drew adorned with ruffles and laces. On it’s face a blindfold was wrapped tightly around its eyes. Gayoon’s eyes flickered to the doll for a moment, shifting uncomfortably at seeing the doll being held on so tightly.

She held on the bracelet in her hand tighter.

Above them the lights kept flickering on and off.

“Yoseobah…” she whispered softly – voice almost inaudible. Her voice was unstable, it sounded depressed. It sounded sad. It sounded anxious.

Suddenly Yoseob opened his eyes at the mention of his name. He opened his eyes but he did not move – he didn’t move an inch. He opened his eyes – as if he was not sleeping a while ago. Gayoon knew Yoseob opened his eyes even with his back facing her. Yoseob didn’t respond, he didn’t move – not a single sound, as if he was still sleeping – but Gayoon knew he was listening.

She knew a lot of things about Yoseob.

When Yoseob still didn’t move – eyes staring at nothing – Gayoon started talking.

“Yoseobah – “

“Why?” Yoseob suddenly said, voice long and monotone and Gayoon froze. Yoseob’s hands were shaking – he as clutching the doll even tighter. “Why…? Noona…”

“…I’m scared…” he continued. His voice wasn’t monotone – it was shaking, it was shaking with fear and sadness and anger and it sounded vulnerable and it sounded scared.

“I know…” Gayoon said softly, voice kind and reassuring and gentle. “I know… it’s okay” she looked at him with sad eyes. She cares about him.

“It’s okay”

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Junhyung was walking down the hall.

He was on his way back to his and Hyunseung’s room, holding a small snack in his hands that he was going to share with Hyunseung. He was trying to make his way back quickly, trying to get back to their room because he hates the feeling he was getting now and he just wanted to escape from it.

The feeling that someone was watching him.

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Junhyung closed the door behind him, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. He leaned on the door for a while, eyes closed, before heading towards his boyfriend.

“Seung, I’m bac – “

He froze. Hyunseung was sitting by the window, face blank as he looked out the window. He didn’t move when Junhyung called him.

“Seung?” he asked, heading towards the older carefully.

“He’s outside” Hyunseung said softly, almost a whisper. He didn’t look at Junhyung, his eyes were still locked outside the window. “Who…is?” Junhyung asked, frowning a little before going behind Hyunseung – his hand on the other’s shoulder – and trying to see what Hyunseung was looking at.

His eyes widened. Yoseob was outside on the rooftop. Junhyung suddenly remembered the first time he saw Yoseob there. It was very much like this time, st