CHAPTER ONE:You Found Me

Everything was just like he remembered it, from the overwhelming sky to the crooked old tree that was at the front of his childhood friend’s house. It was slightly taller but other than that, the tree still held the wooden swing he had feared when he was an elementary school student. The way the cool wind blew against his light locks of hair felt just the same and the way the sunset’s rays hit his face held the same warmth feeling they had before. Now that JongHyun thought about it, Busan hadn’t changed since he left it. Not even one bit. But he, he was a completely different story. Between them, he was the only one that had changed. JongHyun had grown taller, his forehead wasn’t hidden by bangs anymore, his features had gotten manlier and he no longer wore that monochromatic school uniform. Yes, he had changed, externally and internally. The only thing that had remained the same way was his peculiar sense of humor and his passion for music.

Just like in the old days JongHyun didn’t press the ring bell, he simply opened the wooden gate door and walked inside the private property. As he walked inside the memories of the days he had spent there, mainly in the vast garden, started to appear in his mind. He remembered himself helping his friend’s mother to collect the vegetables from the small orchard they owned, playing around with the hosepipe whenever the heat was too much or throwing snowballs when winter decided to hit brusquely the town.

Almost all the time he had spent there had left good memories. Memories that were now preciously kept in JongHyun’s mind.

The moment he opened the guitar case he had been carrying around a soft smile appeared on his lips. That smile was the same one JongHyun had done when he first received that instrument as a birthday present from his parents.

Unconsciously he started to hum a soft tune that soon was complemented with a pleasant chord created by a faint strum. Just like that, without a warning or worries, JongHyun started to play an old delicate song in the house’s wooden platform. The soft tune made its way thru the air creating the perfect soundtrack to the sunset that was about to be displayed.

It didn’t take long before the wooden door behind him slid wide open. Even with the loud creaking sound JongHyun didn’t stop from playing the song, he didn’t even turn around. Not until his name was said aloud.

“Lee JongHyun?!”

The music stopped as he was pulled to the side by a strong hand. The moment his orbs caught sight of his childhood friend’s face JongHyun started to laugh. How could he still look the same way he did back in high school?

“When—why?!”

The young male kept talking loudly before surprising JongHyun with a tight bear hug. He answered back the friendly gesture before he used one hand to tease his friend’s black hair.

“MinHyuk, did you miss me?”

Quickly the embrace was broken as the younger male pushed JongHyun as far as his arms could let him but he never let go of his shoulders. His small dark eyes scanned the arrived male before they reached his face. It was then that MinHyuk glared coldly at him making JongHyun grin.

A fist punched JongHyun’s shoulder.

“Did I miss you? Really?” MinHyuk’s angry voice and expression made the older male’s grin go wider. MinHyuk was just the same. “You stopped posting photos on Facebook, you didn’t even sent me an inbox or answer my posts!”

“Ah, sorry about that but I lost my camera in Bangkok and checking Facebook is a pain in the ,” JongHyun explained trying to calm his friend. The effect was the complete opposite.

“Do I look like I care? It’s the only way that I can be sure you’re still alive, you idiot.”

MinHyuk groaned making JongHyun feel sorry for his friend. He was the only person that cared about his whereabouts and his health ever since he started to wander around. It wasn’t his fault that JongHyun had lost the habit of telling people where he was or what he was doing.

“I’ll buy a camera if that makes you feel better,” JongHyun smiled at his friend who just rolled his eyes.

“It would make me feel better if you stayed in Busan,” MinHyuk sighed noticing the big travel backpack that was still on his friend’s back. “What made you come back, JongHyun? It’s been so long that I don’t even remember when was the last time I saw you.”

“I know. It’s been three years already,” JongHyun scratched his neck as an apologetic look covered his face. He had neglected his friend for so long. “I was craving for some Tindaloo so I wanted to go back to India but then, when I spent a night in a café-internet, I saw your mail.”

MinHyuk’s expression turned confused. “My mail? Wait, you do check your e-mail?”

“Like every never but yeah,” JongHyun shrugged. “So? How is she?”

“Ah… who?” MinHyuk looked at him incredulously.

“Your mom. You said she was seriously sick and that you weren’t feeling okay because of that. You never wrote how sick she actually was so I got worried and came here to check on you—and her,” he quickly added.

“That mail?” Now it was JongHyun’s turn to look at his friend with an incredulous look. Why was he smiling like that? “I sent it to you that like a year ago! I didn’t get a response so I thought you had forgotten about your e-mail.”

“Ah, I forgot to check the date…” the older male murmured before shrugging. Quickly he got over his mistake. “So, everything is okay now? Are your parents all right?”

“Well, they just decided to leave their only son all by himself as they went to enjoy some thermal waters. You tell me.”

“Then I came for nothing,” JongHyun sighed getting another punch on his shoulder. This one was way stronger.

JongHyun had started traveling at a young age; he wasn’t even an adult when he took his first bus to Seoul. He had been so scared back then. Now, after seven years, JongHyun knew how to live perfectly without depending on someone to survive. In all those years he had only gone to Busan two times. This was the third time JongHyun came to his hometown after he started his never-ending journey.

He began traveling all around South Korea, taking any job that could give him enough money to pay for food. As he grew older he moved on to China and other countries from Asia. He had slept in so many places; even in the darkest streets. He had met so many people; even the one that society didn’t considered as one. He had eaten so many things; even the food he had never dared to eat when younger. He had learnt so many languages; even the ones he didn’t even know existed. He had worked in so many places; even in the most unusual ones. And he had learnt so many songs. Every place had a new song to teach him, a new sound to show him. In all those years JongHyun had learnt so much about life and himself. In all those years JongHyun met the guy he didn’t know existed inside of him.  

“I still can’t believe you cooked all that,” JongHyun signaled with his chopstick the short table where the empty dishes were displayed.

“I told you I’ve been practicing,” MinHyuk grinned.

“Three years ago you couldn’t even prepare a decent salad,” JongHyun said before leaning back until he reached the wooden floor. MinHyuk hit his stomach with his extended hand before resting next to his friend on the floor.

“You should be grateful I cooked you dinner,” MinHyuk scrunched his nose as he looked to the side where the older male was.

“I am,” JongHyun grinned. “It’s just that I wanted to remind you who you used to be.”

MinHyuk snorted. “Should I remind you who you were?”

At that JongHyun gave his friend an eye smile. “Are your parents still renting the rooms?”

“What? Ah, yeah,” MinHyuk looked up to the white ceiling.

The place MinHyuk’s parents owned was a traditional Korean house that held not only a gorgeous garden but also plenty of spacious rooms. It was truly big for the four-member family so when the eldest daughter left to Seoul because of her university studies MinHyuk’s parents decided to rent the extra rooms they had for young students. They didn’t want their youngest child to be all by himself now that his sister was gone.  

“There are three rooms occupied,” MinHyuk continued talking. “One with a high school girl. She’s not here since she went home for the summer holidays. Also there are two guys, both are part-timers. They are pretty cool in their own way and they’re still here. Somewhere.”

“They aren’t the same ones from last time?” JongHyun asked not really caring about the answer. He just wanted to listen to MinHyuk’s voice.

“No, they all left,” MinHyuk said before he sat. His eyes looked carefully at his friend’s figure as if he was thinking carefully his next words. “How long will you stay this time?”

“Are you kicking me out already?” JongHyun joked but since he got no response he decided to actually answer. “I really don’t know. Maybe two weeks? It all depends.”

“On what? Your cravings?” MinHyuk glared at him before sighing and letting the silence overcome the room. 

When the silence took longer than usual JongHyun turned his head to face his friend. MinHyuk had a slight frown and his gaze held doubt. He was thinking too hard and saying nothing, something that was quite unusual for the taller male. JongHyun took his time to see better the younger male before he spoke.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” JongHyun broke his friend’s trance. “It’s not like I’ll suddenly disappear.”

MinHyuk blinked.

“It’s not that…” he sighed as he turned his gaze down noticing JongHyun was using two different socks. That brought a hopeless smile to his face. “Do you remember your friends from high school?”

Just as the words were said JongHyun’s body rose to a sitting position and his expression changed into an amused one. His hands encountered each other making a loud noise.  “That’s right! Last time I came you told me you had found a girl you finally liked. Are you an item now?”

Even if he was smiling he felt his friend’s eyes reading his insides.

“JongHyun.” MinHyuk’s voice sounded pleading. “Don’t change the conver—”

His words were cut when JongHyun’s fingers covered the younger male’s mouth. A pout was painted in the older man’s features.

“Min-ah. What’s the use in remembering?” The calm eyes JongHyun used to look at his friend carried an empty glow. He knew it was showing. “Even if I try I can’t remember and I’m not really planning on doing that.”

His friend’s expression showed how disgruntled he was.

“I just—this is important. Not only because it’s still hurting you but because I really don’t want you to freak out later.”

“Nothing’s hurting me. I’m all right. Look at me,” JongHyun’s voice carried mocking sound.

“Can’t you try and open up about this?!”

In the need to get JongHyun’s attention MinHyuk pulled his sleeve but he got completely ignored as his friend stood up. The older male wanted to make it clear. He wasn’t eager to keep up with that conversation and he believed his friend was going to accept his decision.

“I’m tired. Will you lend me a room?”

Once again JongHyun expressed his desire to change the conversation. When MinHyuk lowered his head the young traveler knew his friend had accepted to do as he wished. MinHyuk wasn’t going to push him any further.

“You know you’ll always have a room here,” his voice didn’t sound angry, in fact it sounded tired. Tired of always failing at covering that specific topic. A half smile bloomed in his lips. “Let’s go.”

If there was something JongHyun wasn’t open about was his personal life. Being his family or his past. He never spoke about those things. Being a traveler he learned how to get along quickly with people. JongHyun was now a social person. In his journeys he learned not only how to be independent but that an open-minded person was able to fit everywhere. He was now both. As time passed JongHyun discovered that he liked to make people laugh and enjoy themselves, therefore he was always eager to share the things he had learnt or to tell his adventures from all the trips he had done. JongHyun wasn’t really good at listening but he was quick to speak, to speak and never get questioned. Questions weren’t good. Questions hurt.

Just when he found himself alone in the traditional bedroom JongHyun couldn’t help it but sigh. Nostalgia had kicked inside of him. The room looked just the same as it did when he used it that first time when he came back to Busan. The same curtains, the same plants, the same colour sheets, same furniture and the same chipped paint from the left corner of the ceiling. Everything was just like in his memories. Right then JongHyun wasn’t so sure he liked the fact that Busan never changed.

As a switch that was suddenly , JongHyun felt the need to rest. That day had been a long one for him and being in Busan was simply tiring for the youngster. Being in his hometown made him tired. The clothes weren’t changed; he didn’t even open the sheets. JongHyun simply fell on them and as soon as he hit the silky fabric the young man fell into a restless slumber. And it was restless because he never had a peaceful sleep. Not when he spent the night in his hometown, not after he left high school.

He moved to the left, later he moved to the right and just when his body was about to finally relax and finally give in a pretty loud sound broke the spell waking JongHyun completely.

“Does MinHyuk has a cat?” JongHyun whispered before he heard another sound. It didn’t come from the inside.

There was something in the garden.

Wanting to know what was creating such disturbing sounds, JongHyun crawled with his half closed eyes to the sliding door. Slowly he opened it, just enough to let his eyes peek outside. The cool breeze seeped by the small opening making the young musician get goosebumps all over his slim arms. Taking that as an invitation, JongHyun opened wider the door. It was then that his eyes saw it, what he had been missing to see; the second reason why he liked to go back to Busan.

The moon seemed so bright up in the starring sky. It’s light gave a delicate glow to everything that was in front of his eyes. The garden seemed enchanted, so unreal. It all was transformed from its usual beauty to an amazing midnight show that only JongHyun was able to marvel.  

“Oh, .”

It was a miracle JongHyun’s soul was still inside of him when he heard that voice. From his left side, about a metre away, was someone seating in the wooden platform.

“,” JongHyun breathed out as he pressed his chest tight with his left hand. The traveler snorted slightly when he noticed the other person had jumped slightly. He had scared him too with his curse.

As an instinct JongHyun gave the other person a warm grin getting a blank expression in return. That grin turned into a smirk when he managed to see the other person’s face. It was a young man that seemed around JongHyun’s age and he was obviously wasted.

“Had fun tonight?” JongHyun smiled at the young man that kept looking at him with the same blank expression. “Hmm?”

“Ah—I, y—hmm…” The young man ended up closing his mouth.

JongHyun snorted, “I guess you had.”

Usually he would be alert and cautious whenever he found a drunken stranger since they tended to react in an uncommon way but somehow he was there, enjoying the lame attempt to communicate from the drunken youngster in front of him. He seemed pretty unhazardous and his clothes were proof he wasn’t a vagrant but just a drunk person that was trying to reach their place. Curiously, JongHyun went to take a seat closer to the young man.

“I suppose you’re one of the guys that’s renting at the Kang’s, right?”

The slow nod that came from the other male made JongHyun half smile. That smile turned into a surprised look when he felt the cold fingers of the other male touching his cheek. Even thought it surprised him, JongHyun didn’t move from the touch, he simply let his eyes meet the almost unfocused ones of the drunken male. The scent of soju was present.

“Am I dreaming?”

Finally the drunken male murmured with intertwined eyebrows, his eyes showing a painful look tat took aback JongHyun. Carefully, he reached the other’s arm and pulled it away from his face. Their eyes were still locked until JongHyun clicked his tongue.

“Nope, you’re seriously drunk,” he nodded.

The look the drunken male gave him showed his disbelief in JongHyun’s words. That brought another grin in the traveler’s lips who had completely forgotten about sleeping. This drunken male was pretty interesting. He could use his company right now.

“Were you planning on taking a seat here and look at the scenery or were you in an attempt to reach your room?” JongHyun was a curious person.

Even though the unbelieving look was still there, the young man answered. “The second one and then I ended up with first one.”

The drunken male’s words sounded half slurred.

“Seems legit,” JongHyun sighed as he turned to look at the sky deciding he could too admire a bit the scenery. The drunken man kept looking at him.

“What are you doing here?” The slurred words were whispered. His voice sounded careful.

“Me?” JongHyun asked getting a nod. “Watching the stars, you?”

“N-no. I mean…”

“Ah, right. You see? I’ve been Kang MinHyuk’s friend since we were kids and I somehow ended up visiting him. I guess we’ll be seeing each other for a while,” the traveler scratched the wooden platform with his fingernails before he turned to look at the drunken male again. “I’m JongHyun, by the way.”

As soon as the words were said the blank expression came back to the drunken male. JongHyun raised his eyebrows expecting the other male to introduce himself too.

“I’m—. My name’s YongHwa,” The answer came after some moments.

“Nice to meet you,” JongHyun grinned before turning his gaze back to the starring sky of the never changing Busan.