2016

the winds are changing as august comes to a close; the summer solstice in exchange for the autumnal equinox. two wandering souls have not grasped the summer heat in their fingers for too long having been stuck in hotel rooms, dance halls, and airports for the duration of the season, so they decide to go out and see the last week of summer together over beer cans and a bucket of chicken.

it's not the first time they head over to yeouido park to catch up on life matters. the same way they haven't been friends the first time around. they've spent the first half of the year casually keeping in touch with each other already, but unexpected meetings on park walks after a long day led to more than one coincidental meetings after that.

by the third time, at dusk on one spring day, it's no longer coincidence that led their feet to the same place with the same burdens behind their backs, both coming to a point to be accountable with each other from then on.

the boy breathes in the scene before him: people of all generations doing all sorts of recreational activity out in the open as they unwind the last of their summer nights. he too was a part of the scene as he sat under a quilt on top of the grass plain with a warm bucket of chicken beside him.

by his left, a group of youth gather over a pair of girls busking with soft acoustic music that set the tone of the atmosphere.

by his right, children and their parents fly kites with tiny led lights attached to them, lighting up the surface of the dark sky with flashing colors. friends and couples of all ages were scattered all over the park, having picnics and bringing their dogs along. food carts littered around some parts of the park, the smell of soondae and street foods of all kinds linger in the air.

and finally, the serene han river fronting the park with an array of lights reflecting from the cityscape before it.

the large and fast life he's living in is a harsh contrast to what he's experiencing with all five of his senses right now. he's thankful more than anything that he's living both a comfortable and uncomfortable life with music as the soul of it all, but nights like this out in the carefree open with no one really paying attention to him are a special kind of healing for him.

and he can't wait to share another night with her like this as all the other nights they've shared the past two months after too much coincidences.

two lost souls stripping off the toxicity that clung to them for days and months on end. maybe years even.

he takes out his phone from his pocket with the intent of capturing the view before him and hums to one of the tunes he's heard a while ago from the buskers at the park.

he was simply wearing a hoodie, sweats, and a pair of slide slippers in the colors of grey and black clothing him. he contently smiled to himself as he swiped it to video mode instead to record the comforting experience of yeouido park while he waits for his friend to make an appearance.

shortly after, a girl clad in the same fashion as he is, enters the frame of his video—her long black hair softly whipped by the summer breeze in all sorts of directions.

seeing her on nights like this after a long day is like a person coming home from a tiring day being greeted with the unfailing comforting and happy presence of their pet dogs and puppies as soon as they step one foot inside their doors. or even cats. but her, she can be a puppy.

he doesn't stop recording but grins harder at the soft sight of her from afar.

but as she comes closer every second, he notices the funny look on her face and the dreaded object on her hands.

"i didn't think you were serious about the beer!" hoseok, one of the lost souls with bright eyes, utter in pure disbelief while staring ahead of the girl who stopped in front of him. with the 6 pack beer cans on hand and a smirk on her dewy bare face, she does a tiny cheerleader dance using them as makeshift pompoms to joke around with him.

"you think i'll only let you bring the good stuff? besides, you said to bring drinks. nothing is as better as the chicken and beer combo."

she settles down by the picnic blanket hoseok was already sitting on and places the beer in the space beside the chicken bucket. he puts his phone aside now that seungwan, another lost soul with a bright smile, has arrived.

"you're drinking all of that." hoseok narrows his eyes at her.

seungwan provokes him, "why? scared you'll get drunk and humiliate yourself?"

"huh, dream on, son. but you're not getting anything from me tonight! hey, weren't you in that hello counselor episode where one of the guests had problems with her husband for drinking all the time? i clearly remember you opposing the husband's defense, but what's this now?"

"hobi, come on! this is a different case and it's only for tonight! this calls for a celebration for the both of us anyway: your tour is ending, my group's comeback is getting nearer and nothing bad is gonna happen and if there is, you'll be taking care of me, right?"

she offers him one of the beer cans with a challenging smile.

"with you wanting me to get drunk? let's see who takes care of each other first."

they both laugh at each other's ridiculousness as he takes the beer can from her hand.

about asking each other how they are, they put it off for the meantime as they know for themselves how they were. hence, the reason why they meet like this.

they instead bicker and at the same time admire each other's new hair colors as their way of saying 'long time no see'.

hoseok's hair was a new color, a subdued copper tone that matches his golden skin, and seungwan thinks the color says a lot about his upbeat personality.

she has to admit to herself, it's bringing out a certain glow in him that made her heartstrings twinge in bliss.

but she also wants to be mean to him about it because they're friends. what kind of friends don't make fun of each other?

"hobi, your hair's dying. i can feel how much bleach you'd have to go through to get that shade." seungwan shrugs chewing on a crunchy chicken leg.

"yoongi hyung's head has been through worse, mine's just one less bleach step. you should see yours, it's dying too."

hoseok shrugs too, pointing out her new black hair that made her face shine better. he would want to tell her that badly right now, but maybe some other time.

or maybe later, when he feels the situation calls for it.