"Today, instead of just drawing whatever you want, I’m going to give you a prompt to draw from.” Sehun addressed the class. He wanted to give his students every opportunity to create excellent and varied work. “Draw something about you and your best friend, it can take many forms, be creative and use your imaginations.”

All that could be heard was pencil scratches and the occasional burst of humming, as 12 students sketched and colored, finger painted and scribbled.

Sehun strode around the room, eager to see their works, “Minyoo, why is your page still blank?” he asked surprised.

Minyoo’s hand gripped the table so hard his knuckles turned as white as the blank sheet in front of him, “I don’t know what to draw.”

“I expected more from you,” Sehun scolded playfully, “You’re such a good artist. Remember last time? You could do something like that again, you know with you and Choy together.”

Minyoo shook his head, “I don’t feel like it.”

“Then draw how you feel.” Sehun left him to be alone with his thoughts.

Sunmi tugged on his sleeve, “Look at what I drew Mr. Oh. I won’t make you guess this time, it’s me and my friend playing dress up.”

Two stick figures adorned with crowns, feather boas, and high heels on the wrong feet stared up at Sehun from the page.

“Very cute. Will you show this in the art show?”

Sunmi frowned, “I don’t know, I like my deer better, but you didn’t know what it was, so it must not be very good. I guess I’ll show this one.”

“Sunmi,” Sehun squatted down to look her in the eye, “You must show your deer. It doesn’t matter that I couldn’t tell what it was, you made it and you’re proud of it, as you should be. Art is about interpretation, you communicated something, and I saw something else. That’s the beauty of art.”

Sunmi cocked her head to the side, “So, are you saying that I should show my deer? I’m confused.”

Sehun looked at the ceiling and laughed, “Yes Sunmi, show your deer.”

He returned to Minyoo’s desk. On his paper were two expertly drawn figures, one faced sideways with an object extended in front of him. The other was falling backwards, “Oh, you’re playing cops and robbers with Choy! Very nice.”

“No,” Minyoo replied, “This is not a game.”

Sehun frowned, “Are you shooting your friend? Why would you do that?”

“I’m not shooting him, he’s shooting me.”

Sehun glanced around, he didn’t want the other students to hear all this stuff about shooting, “I don’t understand.”

“You wanted me to draw how I feel,” Minyoo said through clenched teeth, “This is how I feel, like my best friend shot me in the heart.” Tears rolled down his cheeks, “He promised me we’d go to space together but he left me before we got there. He promised me!” Minyoo’s voice started to rise, “H-he forgot about the stars. He forgot about his promise. He left me, he left me!” Minyoo was screaming now, sobs jerking his small body.

Sehun quickly scooped him up and carried him from the room. He whispered to a hall monitor to watch his class and disappeared down the hall.

With Minyoo still cradled in his arms, Sehun flipped on the light in a dark side room. A single sagging sofa sat against the wall, all that was left in this old teacher’s lounge. He sat on the couch and clutched the small boy in his arms. Minyoo buried his face in Sehun’s jacket. Minyoo cried. Sehun rubbed his back as tears rolled down his own cheeks.

After some time Minyoo’s sobbing slowed down, “He moved away.” He started, voice hoarse, “He’s good at baseball and a travel team wanted him to go play for them. He wanted to go. He loves baseball so much, more than he loves me.”

Minyoo whimpered and Sehun hugged him tighter, “He used to write me letters, I wrote him back every time, in cursive like he taught me, but he stopped writing me after a while. I think he got a new best friend.” Minyoo in a shaky breath, “I’m gonna have to go to space alone. Space is big, I don’t wanna be alone.”

They sat in silence for a while before Minyoo spoke again, “Before he left, he gave me a picture of earth from space. But I was mad. I tore the picture. I w-wish- “

“I hadn’t torn it.” Sehun finished, “I know.” He leaned his cheek against Minyoo’s. They cried, their tears mixing together.