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Kyungsoo sits alone on the pavement, chin in his hands. He stares down at his scraped knees, skateboard sitting forgotten next to him. It’s getting dark, but the boy doesn’t move. His cheeks are red, his mouth slightly puckered, and he tries hard to hold back tears.

The tears come anyways, hesitant and then hot and steady, and he sniffles, wiping his nose on his sleeve. A shadow forms next to him, and another boy sits down, holding out a lollipop as consolation.

Kyungsoo looks at the newcomer with wet eyes and accepts the candy with a last sniff. He pops it into his mouth, and in silence the two sit side by side as he at the sweetness like it will disappear otherwise.

The dusk soon gives way to night, and as the streetlights flicker on, Kyungsoo gets up and offers his hand to help the other up. With the skateboard tucked firmly under the other arm, the boys walk hand in hand to home, which is somewhere in the unknown distance, and yet also with them always.

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