Somewhen

“CATCH HIM !”

I can hear my stepmother’s horrifying holler from behind me and I feel the soil shakes under my bare feet caused by the huntsmen’s heavy steps. There are three or four of them, stout and armed, under her command and if they catch me, I’ll be dead. I’ll have no chance to escape, they will confine me in the underground and curb me with a pair of heavy fetters on my ankles until the Witch comes to completely take my soul away. I haven’t had proper meal since only-God-knows-when. I am weak, defenseless, and this body is no match to those men. I definitely can’t fight back.

I run further into the forest, hoping them to lose my track. I hardly think of the searing pain under my feet caused by wild roots, sharp branches, bushes, everything in the darkness that got blurred as I dash.

I feel weak, weaker than ever in my life. Even when stepmother forced me to clean up without giving me meals, I still could resist it. I’m not used to running or any physical activities so when I say I am weak, I am really that weak.

Therefore, I have to escape. My stepmother has been confining me, restraining me from the outside world. I can’t give up now, losing to these small scratches. I don’t want to be my stepmother’s cash cow, I want to be free. I want to live my life like other people and even if I have to die in this forest, I die as a proper man, not because of a crazy witch who is determined to trade my life with a mortal “beauty” for my stepmother.

I need to save my life. I want to be free from my stepmother.

I want to escape this world.

I want to be with someone who loves me.

2017

“Who’s gonna kick ?”

“Kim Youngbin is present.”

“You know I have hots for strong thighs, right ?”

“in’ gay, Yoo Taeyang.”

“Hypocrite.”

So, let’s begin the story with a little conversation of our main characters since I want to to prove you how chaotic their story is.

That’s Kim Youngbin who rolls his panda eyes at Taeyang’s remark, preparing his fighting stance without caring the flirty wink sent by the blond. He is a definite cutie pie if he doesn’t spring hip throw people as simple as carrying his own backpack.

The one who keeps looking at the shop’s porch anxiously is Yoo Taeyang. He overpowers the sun, his smile is the alternative sunshine that blesses farmers with good harvest and warmth for us, humans, and his fists are fully capable to throw someone up to the real sun.

The grey haired is the best of the best. Lowkey the boss is Baek Juho, who was leaning on the vending machine the whole time. Let me tell you, don’t get yourself on his bad side or you’ll never walk into the toilet peacefully. He is silent most of the time; ninety percent careless and ten percent sleepy. He is not the type to kick people around for attention. Girls in the high school furtively adore him even though they usually don’t admit that they are falling for a total jerk who forwards the love letter in his locker to one of the loonies. Girls lean more into bad boys, don’t they ? Because, I do.

Youngbin releases his utmost power to his foot, almost tumbling the vending machine the moment he kicks it if Taeyang isn’t fast enough to push them back with his relatively slim body. Sound of coins flowing from the chute pleases the three and Juho quickly collects the coins with his hands, not being able to hide the wide smile. Youngbin takes his backpack and opens it for Juho because the vending machine amazingly still has load of them and Juho’s hands, despite are the biggest among them, can’t handle the free-flowing pieces of metal.

They yell in victory and laugh, celebrating the success of the old vending machine rampage mission until a middle-aged man, seemingly shop’s owner, appears with a disbelief expression and starts shouting at them.

“Ya, ya, run, run !” Taeyang slaps both of his friends’ shoulders, escaping from the crime scene. In a minute, Juho, with a bag full of coins, outstrips Taeyang and Youngbin. The shop’s owner can’t run further of course. Imagine a race between three, fresh from the factory Bugatti Chirons versus a Volvo 240 GL wagon that my grandpa used on his greendays. My advice, the owner shouldn’t really waste his stamina for three impossible high school students, right ? I mean, we are talking about Baek Juho, Kim Youngbin and Yoo Taeyang so he can’t expect them to stop and state an apology for mistaking a vending machine for an asynchronous transfer mode, in short, ATM. Or maybe apologizing for cutting his life span from ten years to twenty four hours counting from now.

The teenagers’ laughter explode in the street as they run, receiving stares from passengers. They don’t stop running even though they know the shop’s owner don’t have matching legs with them. But this is fun. Their after school playtime is indeed the most fun and out of the world activity because no normal student kicks a vendo after school only to get scolding by the shop’s owner. “When you can’t run from the harsh life,” quotes Taeyang. “You can aaalways run from the shopkeeper.” Inspirational much.

“Chanhuwiiiii !!!” Youngbin yells while taking off his right shoe hastily that it flies and accidentally hits Taeyang’s crotch who stands behind him and also begins to take off his shoes. The blond rubs the bull’s eye on his thigh, hissing at the pain. Juho sneers behind him then takes off his shoes without causing more fuss. He pushes Taeyang’s hip to the side carelessly, causing the poor blond to hit the wall and tumble. Now, don’t kill me for hurting Taeyang, ladies, it’s Baek Juho there ing everyone that’s in his peripheral.

“Ya, Kim Youngbin, Baek Juho. My body is insured for a million dollar. Now pay. You’ve hurt this body.” Taeyang motions as if collecting debt, his face and intonation are hella serious and those confuse Youngbin who is in the midst of hugging -awkward- Chanhee.

“What ? What did I do to