[Encounters]

Nam Taehyun- 4th Grade

Mother and father like to shout at each other. I never really understood why but it made me feel sad and scared at the same time. I tried to peep to know what was happening outside but my mother tells me to keep the door shut and mouths the word ‘Sleep’.

How can I sleep when they’re so noisy like that?

Song Minho- 6th Grade

My mom punched my classmate in the face like she was some professional boxer. Yes, yes, she did. 

Kids at school like to tease me about my weight. I don't really mind because it’s true. I mean, I AM fat and that’s because I like to eat a lot. But unfortunately, my mom heard this group of kids mocking me and comparing my to a pig’s. So here she is, doing what she thinks she's supposed to do as my mom and punches one of them. I felt so embarrassed I was determined to lose weight just so she would stop making kids her punching bag.

Nam Taehyun | 5th Grade

That old lady punched the kid right into the stomach.

“Come on Taehyun-ah, let’s go home,” my mother said as she held onto my hand, firmly. We were walking away from the commotion that was happening at the other side of the street. I turned my head to have one last look and I saw a chubby kid holding onto the old lady’s arms to stop her.

“Even old people these days don’t have manners,” my mother sighed.

Song Minho | 6th Grade

I like to laugh. I like to laugh whenever I feel uneasy because I’m afraid people will notice. I like to laugh when I’m sad because I get to distract myself and for a moment forget. I like to laugh when I’m frustrated because I don’t want people to realize that I am. I don’t like talking about my problems so its better that people don’t know.

That’s why I never understood people who frowned a lot. I mean, why show the whole world that you’re sad? They’d just bug you about it. I find that annoying. It’s just, I don’t like sharing my anxieties with other people.

Nam Taehyun | 1st Year High School

My father left us Christmas day last year. But it’s weird how I didn’t feel sad at all. He was barely around anyway so there wasn’t really any considerable difference when my mother and he divorced. It just felt like he went to work, stayed there overnight, came back while I was still asleep and went back before I woke up. 

Mother too, was still the same. She acted like nothing happened. The topic was never brought up whenever we were eating dinner or walking to the grocery store to buy food. 

I tried to ask her about it, one day, while she was busy preparing my lunch for school. But I stopped, midway, when I saw how my mother’s expression changed with the mention of the word ‘father’- from someone who didn’t care to someone that seemed frightened or perplexed because she didn’t know what to say or what to reason out. So I got up, grabbed my lunch box, and just said my thanks and goodbye, leaving my mother with no time to answer.

My mother was sad after all. She did care, after all.

Song Minho | 2nd Year High School

They say in life, you have to take a risk. You have to gamble a little for you to win. So right now, I’m holding onto my only chance of passing Geography class and that’s through the smartest guy in class who fortunately, is also my best friend. 

“Yoon, move your paper a little bit to the right” I mumbled in my softest voice possible. 

He was sweating so hard, being the goody-two-shoes that he is. I felt a little bit guilty because I was dragging Seungyoon into this but I had no choice. I didn’t want to fail this subject because my mom will surely not let me get away with it.

I was so preoccupied copying answers from Seungyoon’s paper when my gaze suddenly averted to a pair of purple heels slowly making their way towards my seat.

I wanted to bury myself right there and then.

“Mr. Song, report to the principal’s office, now.”

Nam Taehyun | 1st Year High School

The principal’s office is similar to my mother’s room. They both owned a variety of plants, which displeased me very much. The greens were sitting peacefully near the window pane and it was obvious that they were well taken care of, judging from the droplets of water that glistened under the soft  rays of sunlight. My mother would wake up early, just to water her plants. I once caught her smiling to herself while looking at them.I wanted to push them over the window.

I got up and approached a shabby looking shrub. My mind was going crazy because for some unknown reason, I am hating on a small little plant so much. As I cling to the pot in an embrace, I found my other hand grabbing onto the window handle as I clumsily tried to unbolt it.

Let's try to throw the little shrub outside and see if it’ll die.

“Hey, what are you doing?” 

A/N: I hope you like the first chapter! Don't worry, this is just a light read, not something depressing at all.