As a child I first met him in the middle of a forgotten forest; thick with hues of deep greens and mahogany that swayed in the wind.

 

I was seven, and it was the end of summer. 

 

Myth and folktale have long formed rumors about the Forest of the Mountain God. Being a curious child I had wandered, attracted by the bright red of the abandoned gates right through the end of the footpath. Needless to say, I got lost, bringing me to recall my Father's words. 'We're only here for a week Seunghyun, try not to run into the forest, people get lost easily there.' So I did what any brilliant seven year old would do, I ran. I ran and ran until it felt like I was going around in circles, arriving at the same spot, the same clearing until my legs gave out under me. So I did the next best thing, I wailed. 

 

"Hey kid." 

 

My head snapped up, neck craned. There was a voice, I was certain I heard it. I began to look around hastily, vision blurry with tears and head light from the exhaustion. I eyed my surroundings, the endless rows and rows of trees, briefly entranced by the cicadas singing. The forest suddenly seemed less intimidating than it was moments ago. A quiet breeze sifted through the leaves and trees, making them whistle. It was calm, almost peaceful. And then I saw him, a boy. He was older than me I supposed, taller and much more slender. My eyes widened as he stepped out from behind the pine trunk that obscured him, startling silvery hair glistening from the sheen of the summer sun, the bright red and white ears of his fox mask standing out against the hues of greens and brown.

 

I let out a loud wail at my affirmation, "There's someone! There's someone!" I cried, tears of relief and joy suddenly springing to my eyes. I stood up and ran, arms wide towards him, happy that I wasn't going to be lost or tragically killed. 

 

"Hey... Hey! Don't come close!" He backed away from my path, lanky legs moving backwards. "I mean it kid, don't come close!" 

 

I wasn't listening, determined to run into the arms of my savior. He bent to pick something up from the ground, arms flailing when I neared him. 

 

Thwack! 

 

I fell on my bum, hit square on the top of my head. I looked up at him in shock, finding my savior holding a thick plank in one hand, arms raised at his sides. "What did you do that for?" I cried, rubbing the sore spot. 

 

"I had no choice," he said with a sigh. For the first time I realized how gentle his voice was, a tone so soft and fluid. "You were running towards me... I'm sorry. Here." He crouched, offering me one end of the plank. 

 

I ruefully accepted, lips pursed in a defiant pout; clambering to me feet. There was a chuckle and I imagined he smiled; he must have. I could only guess as much because I couldn't see his face. I dusted the dirt and soil off my pants, eyeing him curiously. This older brother was dressed casually in a thin white shirt and faded grey jeans. Aside from his mask, everything about him reminded me of the first signs of the pale morning light. Even his skin tone was light and porcelain.

 

He chuckled again, "Are you lost kid?" 

 

I glared at him, before deciding to go for him square in the face. I was a big boy of seven, no one called me kid; no one. I ran and was expectedly shoved to the ground by the plank again and smacked on the head. I let out a loud cry, clutching my head in my hands dramatically, exactly like how a child would. And Mr. Fox hid behind a tree, panting from his jog away from me. 

 

"Stop hitting me!" I screamed, kicking up dirt with my feet. 

 

"Stop trying to touch me!" He shrieked, voice sharp and raising a notch. 

 

Why couldn't I touch him? What was his problem? I thought I was the only one with stranger issues. "Wait..." I paused as an idea struck me. I got up and circled him, completely in awe. "You're not human are you? Are you a spirit of the forest?" I jumped around him, unable to believe that I would be so lucky as to actually meet one. 

 

He smacked me on the head with the plank again, although lighter. "Stop jumping around me kid, it makes me panic." He held out the wood to me again, "come, I'll take you out of here." I held on to the plank and he easily led me through the thicket of foliage and to the clearing, stopping by the foot of the old gates. "You should know the way out from here, straight down these steps."

 

I stepped forward, down the stone steps; crossing the threshold between forest and town. The breeze picked up and I turned for a last look at my new friend. I mean I hoped I made a new friend. "So uhm... Thanks for helping me find my way..." I shuffled with the pebbles at my feet, nervously biting my lip. "I'm Seunghyun by the way..." 

 

"Goodbye Seunghyun," Mr. Fox bowed slightly, lifting his head; the wind caressing silver strands. "Don't wander here, not everyone you meet is as kind as it seems." 

 

"But you are kind Mister!" I blurted, immediately regretting my outburst, blushing furiously. He chuckled, sliding lithe hands into his pockets with ease. "I will come here again tomorrow!" I said firmly, turning my nose in the air and marching off. Somehow I was certain that this strange man would still be here. And even better if I were to be lost again, he would surely come to my aid. What was his name again? 

 

"It's Jiyong!"

 

I turned, halfway down the flight of stairs. He was waving, the settling sun making his skin glow a silken shade. I returned a wide smile, jumping up and down excitedly, "Bye Jiyong hyung!" And then I tripped, tumbling down the rest of the stairs until I was met with gravel in my mouth. I picked myself up, rubbing at the sore spots gingerly. I looked up, hoping  that Jiyong hyung didn't notice my embarrassing moment. But he wasn't there, he was gone, leaving only the shift of leaves in his wake. I sighed, turning my head away. More determined than ever to return tomorrow. I was going to get to know my interesting new friend. 

 

 

The events of the next day fueled the expectations of my little walk. Breakfast and then lunch flew by in a rush and soon I was out of the house, doing a little skip-walk on my way to the forest. I memorized the route perfectly, the turn off the smallest house in the corner, the little slip road that would take me upslope. And then I would climb and climb until I reached the foot of the stone steps. And there he was, clothes lightweight in the wind; silver hair and that mask. 

 

"Hey Fox hyung!" I raced up the steps, quite ready to rush right into his arms. 

 

A wooden plank was shoved at my neck, missing precious skin by a few centimeters. "No touching," he giggled, a laughter light as bells. "And it's awfully rude not to call someone you know by name boy." 

 

I grinned, shoving the plank away and walking in step with him. "Then you shouldn't call me boy! Unless... Unless you don't remember my name..." A tentative worry crept over me and I turned my face to the ground.

 

The wooden plank was at neck again, the smell of soft moss filling my nostrils as it ghosted to my chin, lifting my head. "My bad, it's Seunghyun right?" My smile returned and Jiyong hyung put down the plank, gently letting it sway with the movements of his arms. 

 

That afternoon we tried to catch butterflies and carps in the crevice of the mountain creek. I had tried quite inelegantly to toss my shirt over a couple of swallowtails. Jiyong hyung laughed at my childish antics, but I couldn't care less. I was much more comfortable having him make a joke out of me than being in the company of other people. 

 

"You're scaring them away." He said, turning to face me. 

 

"Yeah? Then you show me how to do it!" I yelled, shaking my fists at him. 

 

He laughed again, running a hand through silver strands. "Watch." He lifted his hands and cupped them in front of his face, chin tilted. Jiyong inhaled, a slow long breath. If I could see his face, his eyes would have been closed, lips curled in a small smile; as if he was letting the surroundings offer him air. And they came, swallowtails and a couple of others, resting on the tips of Jiyong's fingers before fluttering away, back into the deep of the forest. 

 

"Wow..." I was in awe, staring at him eyes wide. "Is that magic?" 

 

Jiyong out his hands down, shoulders shaking from laughter. "Maybe..." 

 

"Hey, how do you look like?" I asked. "Can I see your face? How old are you? Why can't I touch you?" I stopped when silence enveloped us, realizing I had asked too much, too fast. 

 

He was probably upset by then, I could see the slump in his shoulders. I found myself wondering about the color of his eyes, and if they looked sad. "Seunghyun, I'm what you call a spirit. Neither here nor there. I belong to this forest, I can never leave..." I wasn't afraid, I guessed he thought I would be. Jiyong hyung was gauging my reaction. He burst out in laughter again, hand conspicuously close to mine. "You're a weird kid!" 

 

I took his plank and shoved it to his side and he pretended to roll in pain. "So what happens if I touch you? Are you afraid of humans?"

 

"You can't." He tone dropped notch and suddenly the air grew dense.

 

"What happens?"  

 

"I disappear..." He drew in a shaky breath, straightening his shoulders and then turning to face away from me. "If a human touches me, I disappear." 

 

 

I only learned of the reason during my fourth trip back here. By that summer I was already familiar, easily responding to the soft whispers of my name and Jiyong hyung's. The other spirits had watched over us since hyung had introduced me as a friend. I knew why they flit by me, sometimes excited and sometimes sad. It wasn't every day that they have a human child roaming free in the area. They were also worried for Jiyong hyung, they feared that I should touch him. 

 

"Jiyong... Jiyong's by the lake..." A shape shifted by my side, disappearing into mist behind a tree. "Remember boy, don't touch him... Jiyong musn't be-" 

 

"In contact with humans." I dragged out the rest of his sentence for him, having heard it so many times. I rolled my eyes in mischief, "I got it grandpa, thanks for the tip though! And the name's Seunghyun!" I called after him, grumbling to myself at how he could possibly forget after knowing me for four years now. 

 

"Seunghyun!" Jiyong called to me, breaking into a small run. It surprised me how he didn't manage to break a sweat in this summer heat. "Wow, you're growing tall!" He exclaimed, head tilted animatedly to the side as he surveyed my sudden growth spurt. 

 

I was really, growing out of my childhood awkwardness. And honestly, I was quite happy to have lost that bit of chubby and gained a little jawline. "Yeah! I made a couple of new friends this year too!" 

 

"That's nice!" hyung clasped his hands together. And I wondered how they would feel in mine, if they were as soft as they looked. "I was a little worried that you were never going to make human friends!" 

 

"Hey! That's mean!" I grinned, shoving at him with the plank. 

 

Since I couldn't see his face, I learned how to observe his emotions through his actions. How his shoulders shook gently when he laughed, how his chest relaxed, indicating that he was smiling and the subtle slope of his back when he was thoughtful. I knew right now, Jiyong hyung must have been smiling. 

 

He laid back on the grass, hands linked loosely over his stomach, humming a small folk tune. I was always overly chatty when I was around him, telling him about the smallest details, homework, classmates, parents, dinner and how watermelons were best eaten during summer. When his humming trailed off and died away, I dared myself to be curious. If I couldn't touch him, I could lift his mask right? 

 

On that summer I was eleven was the first time I saw Jiyong hyung's face. 

 

He was as beautiful as I imagined him to be, perhaps even more. His face was delicately shaped for a male, with a slender jaw and perfectly shaped nose. And his lips were the prettiest shade, the pink of fresh camellias blooming through Spring. I wonder why he wore the mask, when he was this attractive. 

 

"Like what you see?" A soft chuckle broke through my thoughts and I looked up to see Jiyong hyung grinning at me, eyes a shade of soft brown so close to silver. 

 

"I was just..." I stammered, blushing and tearing at the hems of my pants. 

 

He slipped the mask back on and sat up, "I knew you'd be curious." 

 

I glared at him, "so you were pretending to be asleep?" 

 

He shrugged, and I could see his lips from peeking from behind the mask. He had worn it loosely, and I was sure it was the most beautiful smile. "I might have slept a bit." He turned his head to the sky, "it's getting late, should you be going?" 

 

"Hyung..." 

 

"Hurry on, the roads get dark fast here." He stood up, plank directed to me. "I'll walk you out." 

 

"Hyung, I..." I started when we reached the stone path. "I'll see you next year?" 

 

He nodded, waving me off. "Come back with more stories!" 

 

 

------------------------------

 

In the winter that year, I was given news that my school wanted me to take on summer classes, and for three years. Apparently my grades had been noticed and I was part of the selected few who qualified. In my young mind I struggled with the harshness of reality and the then foreign sense of longer. My parents were thrilled, and I was happy, in a sense I guess; it wasn't an easy achievement. 

 

My mother called me, hurrying me out of the house. Apparently I had slipped into a daydream involving silver hair and shades of green and had forgot. I quickly apologized and she looped a woolen scarf around my neck to keep me warm. 

 

"I know you're nervous sweetie, but it's a good thing!" She cooed, pushing me out the door. "Be home quick!" 

 

I gave her a smile and a small wave and headed down the street to the supermarket. I passed a few neighborhood shops and from the window of one, something caught my eye. There was a bright orange scarf hanging on a antique looking coat rack. It reminded me of the hues of sunset, vibrant yet dreamy. It reminded me of Jiyong hyung. Going away for summer class meant spending years away from him. Would he be lonely without me? And how would I tell him? Would he wait? 

 

The minutes rushed by me in a whirl and I was already at the counter, paying for it with probably a week's worth of my pocket money. I held the package close to my chest, a new determination sparking. Tomorrow I was going to travel down to the countryside, I had to go see Jiyong. 

 

My parents weren't very worried when I told them I wanted to visit a friend I made there. They even gifted me with extra money and seemed more than thrilled that I had made friends at all. I guess it was attributed to my being tall for my age, and the fact that I had managed to stay out of trouble for most part. I found myself greeted with a new sight as the train rolled into the station. Everything everywhere was covered in thick white. The roof of the houses were  smothered by snow and the streets littered with it. I wrapped my scarf tighter around my neck and pulled on my heavy gloves, shoving my hands into my pockets as I made my way down the familiar streets. 

 

I wasn't surprised when Jiyong hyung wasn't there to greet me as he did usually. He didn't even know that I was here, I couldn't stop thinking of his face, cotton pink lips forming an O, bright eyes wide in shock. I grinned in my stead, beginning a slow walk, taking the opportunity to absorb completely how different the forest looked in winter. It felt like time had come to a standstill in these lands, the heavy pine trees specked with lush snow, the ground bearing patches and patches of them. The forest had a grey hue to it, a calming notion that drew you in. 

 

"Wow..." I breathed, puffing out hot breath into the air. Watching as the grey bubble misted and faded away. 

 

"Seunghyun?"

 

There was a shuffle behind me and I turned, unable to hide the wide smile on my face at the masked boy in front of me. "Hyung!" 

 

He looked around cautiously, "grandpa told me he caught your scent.. What are you doing here?" 

 

"I... I came to see you! I couldn't wait so I-"

 

He smacked me with the plank, before using it to brush the snow off my shoulders. "You were always able to wait until summer... Is something wrong?"

 

I shut my eyes, I could feel hyung getting worried and I didn't like that. "Actually it's..." I shuffled my feet, feeling seven again. "I've been enrolled to summer school..."

 

Jiyong hyung made a small sound of surprise at the back of his throat. And then he cleared it, "you won't be coming this year." 

 

And the next and the next. "It's for three years." And the forest fell into silence. The howling of winter winds through the trees enveloping everything else. 

 

He sighed and took a step forward, thwacking me hard on the head with a branch. "Don't make that face." 

 

I was tempted to yell at him, punch him, wrestle him to the ground. But that would also been loosing him, the person I cannot touch. "You make it sound easy!" 

 

"Seunghyun, it'll pass faster than you think. Three years will go by in a flash..." He reached to play with my hair, the rough ends of the branch lightly scraping my nape. "You'll come back and surprise me after three years right?" 

 

I could almost smell the sadness in his voice, hear the drop of his tone. I could taste the hope that lingered from his form. I shivered, wanting to shrug away all the longing, three years later was too far away. "Here," I handed him the scarf I bought. "For winters." 

 

His shoulders relaxed and he took it, a slight chuckle roaming his slender shoulders. "You know I don't get cold. Or hot for that matter."

 

"I don't care! Just..." I wiped stray tear from my eyes. This goodbye was getting too difficult. "Just take it..." 

 

"Seunghyun..." 

 

I got up on my feet, "I have to go, I promised my parents I'll be back by nightfall." He looped the scarf around his neck and I reached to grab the ends of it, clutching it as though it was a physical part of him that I could hold on to. "Promise me you'll wait for me hyung..." 

 

"I... I promise." He whispered. I could swear I almost felt him touch me. 

 

"And don't go around having contact with humans!" I stood rooted, arms shaking at my side. 

 

Jiyong hyung laughed, "I won't!" He turned to look up at the sky, shifting into a darker shade. "You might want to go now..." 

 

I let go of the scarf and ran, "if you're not here when I'm back... I... I'll kick your !" And without looking at him again or waiting for a response, I my heels, tears falling from my eyes. Wait for me hyung... 

 

-----------------------------

 

The first two and a half years inched by, painfully slow. I was bogged down by homework and errands without having much time to focus on anything else. The last half a year however, had flew by, filled with excitement and thoughts of the green forest trails of summer and the best friend I haven't seem for so long. 

 

Finally on the train ride I found myself thinking. My mind conjuring up images of a silver haired male. I wondered if he had grown taller, if his hair grew longer, if he filled out. I wondered if the shape of those pretty eyes and rosebud lips changed. I wondered if he still remembered me well. I shook my head hastily, realizing that I was literally thinking about hyung like a kid with a major crush. The three years of separation had my heart thinking of us like something else, like he was someone more special than just a friend. I tried to channel my thoughts elsewhere; watching the scenery roll by, I thought of school and kept in my memories stories that I would later tell Jiyong hyung. Maybe I would tell him how special he was, and how I couldn't stop thinking about him.

 

And then I imagined his reaction, the little actions and fluid body language. I imagined the light from his laughter, and I pictured his smiling face...

 

The train pulled to a stop, arriving at the station and successfully put a temporary stopper to my increasingly anxious feelings. I took a deep breath, duffel bag in tow. This was going to be the summer I would never forget. 

 

 

After lunch at my relative's place, I once again found myself exploring the forest paths anew. Trees had grown out where they were once little stumps and the paths that were once littered yearly with my footprints were once again covered by a thick hide of grass and moss. I neared a familiar clearing, spotting a lone figure lying asleep on the grass patch, fox mask upturned to the sky. I inched close, keeping my footsteps soft. I had gotten here one day before I was due and had yet to be spotted by any of the other spirits so it was safe to assume that hyung didn't know I had arrived. A grin seized the corner of my lips as I stood beside him, realizing with a fondness that I was now much taller. I had also grown into quite an athletic build, whereas hyung... he remained to be as slight, the curves of his body as slender as before. 

 

I got on my knees and lifted the mask gently, blowing a huff of air to his face. His brows creased in irritation and marble-like eyes opened, staring straight into mine. Jiyong hyung gasped, sitting up so abruptly that I bolted back in shock, our noses almost touching. 

 

"S-Seunghyun?" He pressed a hand over his heart in an attempt to still his trembling. 

 

"Hi!" I grinned, sitting across him, legs crossed. 

 

"Oh..." 

 

"Oh?" I asked, brows arching in curiosity. 

 

"You look... Different! I couldn't recognize you..." He trailed off and I couldn't help but notice the blush of pink that had swept his cheeks. 

 

"I've grown eh?" I asked, now emboldened by his nervousness. 

 

"Yes... And... and..." Jiyong hyung hurriedly looked away as our eyes met, scrambling to retrieve his mask. 

 

I stopped him, using an idle branch to toss the piece a little further away, rounding in front of hyung. "And?" 

 

There was a flash of irritation that disappeared just as quickly as it appeared and Jiyong hyung opened his lips to say something, looking down at his knees. "And... You've grown, you're taller than me now!" He added, trying to hide the growing blush. "I don't age tht fast, maybe we can skip the formalities... It's quite strange to have you call me hyung now when... when you've-"

 

"Outgrown you?" I leaned, stopping just only a few precious centimeters away from him. I could feel the heat radiating from his cheeks, our cheeks. And up close, the slight trembling in his lips was obvious. "I see you're still wearing the scarf! That's nice... Jiyong." 

 

"Yes! The color is lovely-" he stopped, brows furrowing in confusions. "Did you just call me?" 

 

"How old are you now?" 

 

He shook his head, disheveling silver hair all over his face and neck. "I don't know, I stopped counting... Fourteen? Fifteen maybe?" 

 

I grinned, "I just turned sixteen, so that makes you just Jiyong." I watched him fumble with the scarf, still not looking at me. "Are you really nervous? It's only been three years or so..." 

 

"No, I'm not... I just... You've grown so... remarkably that I... I..." 

 

"Hyung..." I slowed my pace, trying to get him to be less awkward around me. 

 

He exhaled, shoulders drooping. There was a pout in his lips, and I couldn't deny that it made him look extremely adorable. "Well I guess it's okay now then..." 

 

"What's okay?"

 

"Before, you were too young. Now since you've grown all older than me and mature... I guess it's fine to..." 

 

Now I was confused, "Hyung, what are you talking about?" 

 

He exhaled deeply, squeezing his eyes tight. "Now that you're technically older and no longer a child I suppose it'll be okay to go out with me. There's a festival for summer this evening and if you don't mind being surrounded by spirits and all, I was thinking of asking you to come with me." 

 

I only managed to get the gist of the absolutely humongous paragraph that just flew out of hyung's mouth. Older, no longer a kid, festival, spirits. "Wait, wait." I mumbled as my brain struggled to process. "Are you... Is this a date?" 

 

"Do you not want to come with me?" 

 

"What? No!" His face fell and I rushed forward, almost colliding into him. He drew out the branch fast enough, prodding it at my stomach. I gave him a sheepish grin, "I mean yes!" 

 

Hyung backed a little, tucking his hair behind his ear to prevent the wind from making it dance. "You'll come?" 

 

"Yes! It's a date right?" 

 

And he offered me a blinding smile, pulling his mask over his face again. "Yes! A date!" He turned to make his way among a trail of trees. "I'll see you at the stone steps at seven! Dress nicely!" He waved at me with a little skip in his steps. "Don't be late... Oh and Seunghyun? I hope you like crowds!" 

 

 

I was early that evening, the escalating thumping in my chest impossible to ignore. I checked my outfit again, making sure to press out all the wrinkles in my sleeves and jeans. Jiyong had specifically requested that I dress nicely, and I did, with a navy blue tank top and a thin grey cardigan. Summer nights were much cooler and it didn't hurt to be in sleeves. The watch on my wrist slipped to 7pm and I looked up expectantly, knowing that he would appear anytime. 

 

And there he was, already halfway down the stairs, the gentle wave of his hands beckoning me. I got up and ran, meeting his step and tracing the pebbled floor back up the mountain. His wore his mask to the side of his face; the light of the half-moon illuminating his features to near perfection, reflecting off his white silk shirt and simple black pants. As if I noticed for the first time, Jiyong hyung looked somewhat angelic, face calm and peaceful, a lazy smile on his lips. 

 

"There's something on your mind, say it." He scolded softly, eyes fixed on the path ahead of us. 

 

I couldn't help but smile, "I was just thinking about how good you look!" 

 

Jiyong turned his smile at me, all at once making me feel like my chest was going to burst from its fullness. "Thanks..." He muttered, "you look quite handsome yourself." Before I could voice out my surprise, Jiyong turned round a corner, glancing at me to make sure I followed. "It's a big deal you know, this festival. It's rather grand." 

 

He gestured ahead and I looked up. The forest in the night had drastically changed, it was no long pitch dark with only a sliver of moonlight. There was a long trail of orange fox-fires, hanging threadbare in a line. 

 

"Spirit lights," he smirked, leading us up the the entrance before stopping. "Wait, hang on." He smiled at me, eyes slipping shut. I watched as his lips moved, whispering what I assume was a spell. Jiyong then lifted his hands as a thick waft of grey smoke settled in his palm. The smoke curled and solidified, conjuring up a similar fox mask, all yellow and red. "Here, put this on." He handed it to me. "We don't want you getting noticed. Some of us eat kids like you for dinner." 

 

"Thanks!" I strapped it around my head, twisting it to the side as he did. "And I'm not a kid anymore! I'm your date!" 

 

He laughed, beckoning me again. "Yes my date, now come along! We don't want to miss anything." 

 

Jiyong had been right about the festival being grand. The place was bustling, packed with spirits of different kind, mostly choosing to take human form as they shuffled from stall to stall, munching on summer delicacies and trying their luck at the games. Jiyong explained that this festival was meant to mimic almost exactly how a human summer festival would be. "We're quite fascinated by your type... And sometimes, a human child or two gets mixed up in between this world." He added, trying to scoop a goldfish into his net. I laughed at his clumsy attempt, nudging him away with a branch and easily scoring myself a catch. Jiyong pouted and yanked the branch to smack my shoulder. "From now on you do it!"

 

The night eased by, giving way to the grand finale of fireworks and dance. We joined the crowd, keeping a safe distance away from each other. "You know..." Jiyong whispered, face catching the hues of red and blue that exploded in the skies. "You can touch me if you want. If its you, I'll let you do it." 

 

"Jiyong, I..." In truth my skin craved contact with his. I had long wanted to feel the smoothness of his cheek, to press him into an embrace, just to see if he was cold or warm to the touch. For the longest time I had wanted to lace our hands together. "I won't." I sighed, "I will never touch you... I don't ever want you to disappear." 

 

"Seunghyun..." 

 

I turned to him, using the branch to tuck his hair behind his ear. "It's okay like this, as long as you're here." 

 

He walked me back out of the forest, away from the last of the festival; our hands close as we each grabbed an end of the branch. "Jiyong..." I whispered. He turned, noting that I had dropped the formalities quite permanantly. "I really like you." 

 

"I really like you too..." He glanced away shyly, lips curling in the sweetest smile. 

 

The world seemed to still around us, the forest emiting the most beautiful scent of blooming flowers and sweet moss. I almost wanted to lean in and kiss him. I tipped around him, lips skirting close but not enough to touch, relishing the cool pass of his breath on my chin. 

 

Our moment passed and broke when a group of excited kids with sweetened plum skewers ran into us both almost knocking me over and tripping themselves. 

 

"Sorry hyung!" A freckled kid smiled, eyes wide and blinking as Jiyong helped him up. 

 

Jiyong smiled in return, kindness showing in his glassy brown eyes. "No problem, watch your step around here!" They ran off just as excitedly waving goodbye at us. 

 

"They're adorable!" I exclaimed, adding that they reminded me of myself as a child. I stopped midway, realizing Jiyong was no longer in step with me. "Jiyong?" I called, turning around. A bright blue ray enveloped Jiyong's hand, little dust specks gathering and floating in the glow. "Hyung?" I neared him warily, his face bearing the same look of surprise as mine. "What's going on?" 

 

He glanced down at his hand again, the blue light spreading steadily and shrouding him all the way to him arm. "S-Seunghyun..." His voice was shaky and his smile was sad. "I guess... That must have been a human child." 

 

"No!" I screamed, running up to meet him. I needed to do something, anything to stop him from disappearing. "Please!" I cried, not caring about the tears on my face. 

 

Jiyong held his arms open to me, the light in his eyes wavering. Every part of him shone, wrapped up in a pale shade of blue. The hems of his pants were fading, eaten away into little specks. "Come!" He called, his smile widening. "We can finally touch now..."

 

Abandoning all hope and reason I threw myself into his arms, gathering his lithe form against mine. I ran fingers through his hair, breathed in his scent, drowned myself in the softness of his skin.  "Jiyong..." 

 

"Thank you Seunghyun..." 

 

His voice was the last shred of his being, floating through the air and lingering in my ears. Jiyong's form crumbled in my arms, slipping away with the shade of the ocean, fading into dust and mist. I fell to the ground with his clothes and mask, tears now obscuring my vision. "Jiyong..." I knew he would never return. 

 

I'm eighteen as I recall this, I haven't been back here since Jiyong left. Summer has never been the same for me, all that I remember are the shared memories that I collected with the boy behind the fox mask. The mask lies untouched and pinned to my wall, a constant reminder to myself that it wasn't a dream. That Jiyong was really there, that he existed. 

 

 

Once upon a time in the summer when I was seven. That afternoon, on a cloudless day, I wandered into the forest of the mountain god. At the moment when I had gotten lost, the wheels of fate spun; twice their speed and more. 

 

That was when I first met him.