P L A Y L I S T / / T H E  L O N E  S U R V I V O R

II REGRET II

He settles on the streets. The stiff blizzard had started to cool down, leaving only soft flakes to drape on the pavement. His ghost eyes sensed the quiet atmosphere almost instantly as he arrived. It was perfect. It wasn’t warm enough for the coat to be removed from his body though. Mingyu breathed heavily, the chill evident in his breath.

The moon that illuminated above him was elegant. Mingyu’s eyes couldn’t be taken off them. Not when the glistening reflections of his face could easily be seen on the miraculous beauty. Reflect. That made Mingyu think about what he did yet he still felt no regret. He thinks it’s the right thing, for him at least.

He takes a cigarette and lights up before slipping his back to a brick wall. The tall child was in an alleyway, in someplace hidden in the city where no one knows his location. A place where no one knows where he is. Not even himself. The ashes soon start to spread and that’s when he takes it out and puffs before placing it back between his scarred lips.

It isn’t the first time a cigarette has touched his lips. It maybe his second? Third? Who knows? He was a rebel from a rebellious family, the least you expect him to do is rebel against law. As the snow fell, the boy shivered but it was only natural. The cold feeling didn’t mean anything to him anyways.

-

He chose to sleep in the alleyway that night. The snow that built up was soft enough and there was nothing for Mingyu to complain about. It was his decision after all. The air was still cold but no snow trickling the floor. When the sun hit him, his reflexes made his arm move upon his face, as if he was a vampire hiding in the shadows. It’s been a while since he met the sun. His dad never allowed his curtains open, nor have they moved outside the house at daytime. It’s too dangerous. He says, but Mingyu doesn’t understand. He is more that certain the monsters lurk in the night, not day.

Walking alongside the crisp pavement, his feet aimlessly controlled his steps. His body still wasn’t right, he was still confused. He was slow and unaware of anything around him. For a second he forgot he ran away.

A trail of fast feet crashing against the snow was what caught Mingyu’s attention, it was as if a person was running away from something. Someone. Whoever that person was, he didn’t catch up as the running seemed to have calmed. From two pairs of shoes crashing to one pair. It still made Mingyu curious. He knew all the racket was coming from just around the corner. His frail, vulnerable body decided to take a small look at what the hell was going on. It disturbed, no, annoyed Mingyu.

Reaching the corner and turning his head to the noise was something he wished he has never done. The next thing he knows, he ends up with a small boy, just slightly shorter than him toppled on top of Mingyu. The other was first to move. He got off Mingyu while dusting his clothes. Something about his clothes made Mingyu notice this boy isn’t ordinary. It was the small tears he has in his jeans, or the fact that he chose to wear the dark black jacket on his waist, which did not make sense as the short sleeves exposed some critical marks. His shirt was stained with red. Mingyu knew it was not juice nor sauce.

Mingyu didn’t realize the boy had helped him up until the latter spoke, “What a pain” It was the first three words to leave his mouth and it was those three words that had Mingyu at shock. He scrunched up his nose and eyes, face splattered with confusion “What?”

“I said you’re a pain. A huge pain” The small boy says once again. There was no emotion in his voice. It wasn’t happy, sad, cautious or scared. It was just, that. Mingyu was triggered. Although he didn’t know what the boy meant by ‘A huge pain’ , Mingyu didn’t like the sound of it. “That isn’t very nice, is it?” Mingyu asked, hoping for an answer, hoping the disgraced tone hinted in his voic