Prologue

There’s a shriek coming out of the kitchen that lets little Jongin know he should stay out of the way for the rest of the day. He thanks the old lady next door for sneaking him a few cookies last week because otherwise he wouldn’t have anything to eat today.

Making sure he makes no noise, the almost-four-year-old sneaks into the old wardrobe that no one uses anymore. Inside there are several things he has put there over the years; a ratty old blanket, a lumpy pillow and a picture taken from a frame that shows a happy family. Sometimes he likes to look at it and pretend he belongs to them, pretend he’s not actually hiding inside a wardrobe and hoping his mother or father don’t come into his room to take out their frustrations on him.

After a few hours of waiting, and with only a single cookie left, Jongin gathers the courage to step out into his room and see if he can go to the kitchen to get some milk. He’s terribly thirsty and a glass of anything, even plain old water, is just what he needs.

Walking on his tippy toes, he makes it into the hallway. There’s no noise coming from any of the rooms, so, as he reaches the cool kitchen, he lets out a breath and thanks whoever it was that made his parents leave the house.

Filling a bottle he had hidden in one of the cupboards to the brim with water, he directs himself to the fridge for some cold milk. But as he opens the fridge door, he hears the telling signs of someone arriving. Running off into his bedroom, he takes the bottle of water and carefully shuts all doors behind him.

He climbs back into the wardrobe and covers himself with the blanket.

If he’s really quiet they might forget he even exists.

At least for a while.