Only the soft sounds of slow, unsure steps broke the peaceful silence that enveloped the forest. Sometimes, the softest ruffling of grass could be heard along with quiet rattling now and then: the animals that were waking up slowly from their peaceful dreams were making their way to their new homes, or maybe their food.

Yet the owner of the steps didn't seem to be awed by the sight of the awakening nature. He kept his gaze locked on the ground. Whenever he would spot one of the last patches of melting snow, a bitter smile would tug at the end of his pale lips.

He couldn't help but think back at a day that was so similar to this one.

He was so happy at that time, so many years ago. Just like now, the early birds would chirp at times, happily flying from tree to tree as they would enjoy the start of a new spring. The smells, were the same as well. Clear air would fill his lung with every breath, the fragrance of the very first flowers already mixing with it.

It was a little cold, but not too bad. Thick gloves shielded his hands while a long scarf was wrapped around his neck. He had always found those items of clothing unnecessary, but he wasn't allowed to go out without them.

Well, at least at that time.

Because that day, many years ago, small boy walked next to him, his frail, tiny fingers intertwined with his gloved ones. He too, was wearing a glove but it was a lot thinner.

"I don't like the ones you bought for me..."he had said when they decided to go out, dark brown eyes filled with disgust,"I'd rather wear these."
And so he did. Of course, merely moments after they had left school, his hands were freezing. He never complained though, only the silent chattering of teeth betrayed him.

He was actually a pathetic sight. His short, usually perfectly styled blonde hair messed up pretty bad, his ears and nose red, his lips just the faintest shade of purple. His beauty was still striking, just different. He didn't look as perfect as usual... No... he looked vulnerable, like a child. A sweet, gorgeous child.

Even now, the image of him whining and crying because of the cold was so clear in the now elderish man's memories. It was actually weird how he could never forget his frailness that was paired with a weirdly loud voice and sometimes, but only sometimes, quite obnoxious personality.

Though, it had never stopped him from loving the fragile teen.

Until this day, he wished that he would return. That was why he was back in the forest once again. Not because he wanted to admire the perfect peace of the spring, because he wanted to see how everything looks like before things would suddenly speed up, the lovely serenity of the place replaced by many hurried animals, vivid flowers, blooming trees...and hunters.

No, it hadn't been his intention to see the last glimpse of the half-awake nature. Somehow, every spring, he would feel like there was hope once again, like he could be back any day... Like they would meet where they had last seen each other.

It was so weird how they parted with soft I love you's and See you soon's. It seemed like not even the boy who had left knew that he would never see his lover again.

Or at least not in that life... Something in the elder man's heart had always told him, especially on spring mornings like this, that his lover, his baby... his Jiyong was long gone by now. There were no traces of him... He hadn't even taken his phone to wherever he had gone. He just...disappeared, leaving his friends and family broken-hearted.

At other times, it seemed like Jiyong had left on purpose. Like the last time they met, as they basked in the weak but bright spring sun, he had showed signs of never coming back... But why would have he just left?

To this day, it seemed too confusing, too hard to understand... Why would a boy in love leave without telling anyone? Or... why wouldn't he take anything with him?

And...much more importantly, where would he go?

So many questions yet there were no answers for them. No one ever found him, no one ever knew what had happened. Or at least it seemed so.

What the man didn't know as he slowly turned back, his steps a lot slower than before as his bones ached from moving even this much, was that his baby had have never left him.

Jiyong was still there, his dark eyes filled with sorrow as he reached out for the only one he had ever loved. His shaky voice only yelled one thing: his name.

"Seunghyun!"He had screamed, eyes shining from tears as his lower lip that held no color trembled. "Seunghyun!"

But Seunghyun never heard the voice that called out for him. He couldn't see the fragile boy, still in his old clothes although now dirty and torn ran after him.

He had no idea that an almost transparent hand had reached out for him, wanting to touch him for just one last time.

He could have seen everything  though if he had paid a bit more attention to the forest. The birds he had thought to be happy were merely trying to get him look at them so they could show him where his Jiyong was, still waiting for him every single day... Still hoping that he would notice him. The light breeze that would sometimes caress him had been tugging at his clothes, wanting to pull him back... The whole forest was screaming his name, desperately wanting to make him stay... If he had stayed, maybe he could have been reunited with his lover... if with not him, then with his soul. Maybe, he could have found the bracelet that had been dropped by none other than Jiyong, still lying somewhere, tiny droplets of blood staining it.

Maybe that way, he would have realized what had happened. That Jiyong had never actually left. The boy was still there, his torn soul wandering in the peaceful forest, crying, sometimes singing in hope of seeing his lover just one last time. Because even after so many years, even in such form, nothing more than a shattered soul, he still loved Seunghyun.

What neither of them knew, that soon, they would have to chance to meet again. Their broken souls would pull them towards the other once again and after so many years, they would be able to realize their mistakes, their faults...and their never ending love for each other.

But by that time, the last morning of May, neither of them would be alive anymore.
 

AN: This is so weird T.T I wrote it quite quickly but I hope it's still okay xD