Thunder
Trouble
I looked at him strangely in his zoned out state of mind. I waved my hand in front of his face but got no response so I leaned in my hand and put a finger under his chin, lifting it up. He soon looked up with an apologetic smile.
“Sorry. I just started thinking and got a little sidetracked. Thank you, by the way. For going through with the odd request.” Pausing, he took a look around the area. Clouds were starting to roll in and the weather didn’t call for rainfall but it soon seemed they may have been wrong.
“So, did you have to go anywhere today? We could get to know each other a little more if you’d like.” I admit, I was surprised to hear those words from him. I didn’t really think he would be interested into turning this acquaintance into a friendship.
“No, I actually finished work already so I’m free for the rest of the day.” I finally took a seat on the bench and looked to the man.
“Wait, you don’t go to school?”
I hesitated for a few seconds, deciding if he was a person I could trust. I didn’t just want to tell someone my life story if we were never going to talk again. But, the fact that he talked to me first when he saw me today told me something.
Perhaps this would turn into a friendship.
So I began with the long story. The nice thing was that, during the whole time, Kyungsoo listened intently and didn’t look bored at all. He even asked a few questions here and there. That was incredibly nice of him.
“So why are you simply working at a studio instead of joining a company and making it your career?” Kyungsoo brought up this question that had been bugging him.
It took a while for me to answer, as this was a question that I was still asking myself to this day.
“Well… I enjoy dancing and would love to make it my life, but… being in a company… there’s all of these rules and regulations; restrictions that don’t allow you to dance the way you want to. I’m pretty sure there are some moves of mine that would be banned if I tried to show public eyes.” I smirked and saw Kyungsoo’s eyebrows rise in surprise.
“But I guess I’m not completely saying ‘no’ to the idea. It’s just that I don’t think I could abide by the rules,” I answered truthfully and saw Kyungsoo’s lip curve up into that partial smirk he used when he was interested in something.
“A rebel, hmmm?” He noted, his pearly white smile appearing after a few seconds.
We sat there for a moment in comfortable silence. I was about to ask him what his job was but before I got the chance, a long strain of thunder erupted through the darkening skies.
From the corner of my eye I saw Kyungsoo nearly jump out of his skin. He glanced around frantically and started to shake his legs nervously.
I didn’t have to ask him what was wrong.
He was afraid of thunder.
And if his phobia was on the worse side, he was going to have a panic attack if I didn’t get him somewhere secluded. I didn’t even have to ask him if he wanted to leave. I knew he wanted to.
I stood up and leaned forward to hook my hand under his elbow. “C’mon. I’ll take you home.” Panicked eyes stared back up at me and it took him a few seconds to register that I was offering him sanctuary.
I started walking fast down the sidewalks of the streets, remembering which ways to take, and Kyungsoo followed close behind. He stared at the ground as we walked and I could hear his erratic breathing even with all of the traffic noise. When we walked in past an alley entrance, I just had to try to stop and calm him down.
I pulled him into the pathway and tried to meet his eyes that were nervously glancing everywhere but at me.
“Kyungsoo, you have to calm down, okay? I’ll get you home in about ten minutes but you have to try to rela-”
BUH BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
A violent roar of thunder emitted from the shadowed sky and I watched in awe as Kyungsoo shot forward towards me. He wrapped his arms tightly around my torso and buried his face in my chest, searching for an escape.
Without even thinking about it did I wrap one arm around his back and the other gently around the back of his head, tucking him further into my torso.
All I could do was whisper ‘its okay’ and ‘you’ll be alright’ into his ear and hope he would believe that.
We stayed like that for a good ten minutes, and slowly but surely I could feel his heartbeat slow and his breathing calm. I waited until he himself lifted his head up, as I didn’t want to disturb his newfound peace. When Kyungsoo raised his head, those big orbs of his stared at me and I couldn’t help but softly gaze at them, feeling a pull on my heart when I sensed such sadness and terror hidden inside.
“Are you ready to go home now?” I whispered.
He nodded and let go. I frowned at the loss of contact and warmth. He hadn’t shivered once when he was in my arms.
And some part of me liked it that way.
I led the rest of the way there, making sure he was following close behind and when we were finally in front of his house, I saw a fretful flash adorn the skies.
I knew what came next.
As fast as I could I pulled Kyungsoo towards me and held his head in my chest, covering his ears with my palms as the vibrations of the skies began. I tried my best to muffle the sound -which is why I had my hands over his ears- but about five seconds into the round of thunder, I felt his hand come up and fist my shirt, grasping the cloth nervously in between his frightened fingertips.
This strand of thunder was the longest in that hour, probably lasting 20 seconds, but I refused to let go until I was sure it was over. When I finally released my hold, it took Kyungsoo a few seconds to realize that I had.
Or… maybe he just didn’t want to let go.
Some part of me, all of me perhaps, was starting to wish it was the latter.
“You know, it doesn’t look like the thunder is gonna lighten up anytime soon. Are you going to be okay on your own?” I assumed the answer was a yes, but I didn’t want to leave a lamb out to slaughter.
No answer came and I was starting to wonder why so much was happening in these two days, why we had suddenly had so much time together, and why and how Kyungsoo had all of these different personalities packed into one little body.
“If you’re alright, I’m going to go,” I added, but that was a complete lie. I wouldn’t leave. Especially when he was in a state like that. I just wanted to see if he would do something.
I took two steps forward, and on the third, I felt a pair of small hands catch mine.
“Stay.” He mumbled in a barely audible voice, and that was all I needed to hear.
Comments