‘It's coming on the end of August.
Another summer's promise almost gone.
And thought I heard some wise men say that every dog will have his day,
He never mentioned that these dog days get so long’

The haze of summer had not dampened the mood of the townsfolk when the annual summer fair began. It didn’t matter that the heat had kicked into high gear and was dangerously close to 45 degrees Celsius, everyone had come out in throngs, including the pastor to partake in the celebration of another successful summer.

Children were lining up for the endless amounts of cotton candy and hot dogs while families set up small picnics as they sheltered under trees to escape the heat. Not like it was working. Teens and young couples were getting in line for the countless rides such as The Pirate ship, the rollercoaster and even the Ferris wheel. The Ferris wheel seemed to be popular with the young couples, at least the girls. They were dragging their seemingly reluctant boyfriends towards it. How romantic.

The level of noise was loud enough to be heard for miles around, the revelry and laughter, squealing children and shouting parents, the occasional crying babies and the screams of the people on the rides.

No one missed the young guy sat quite some distant away at the other end of the fair, near the back fields and overgrown weeds. No, no one missed one sad, forlorn creature amongst a huge crowd of people. And he wanted it that way.

Kim Jongdae had been sat there for at least an hour, barely moving, except for his eyes that followed the movement of a certain young girl who had worn her pretty summer dress the colour of the sky. Her long black hair was teased into a high ponytail and topped off with a bow. Her smiling face was turned up towards the guy who had thrown his arm around her shoulder. She looked deeply in love. Jongdae felt deeply envious.

‘I don't know when I realized the dream was over.
Well, there was no particular hour, no given day.
You know it didn't go down in flames,
There was no final scene, no frozen frame,
I just watched it slowly fade away’

He and the girl, Lee Areum, had been dating for a while. He had first met her back when they were kids in the school’s playground. He was new to the school, parents having just transferred and she was the girl every little boy wanted to marry when they grew up. Jongdae had been cast under her spell in no time. He was 8 then and so was she. Nine years later he finally confessed and they began to date. He had been on cloud nine. Until he crash landed back to earth.

He had thought it had all been going so well. They were going to celebrate their first anniversary of being a couple and Jongdae had pulled out all the stops, roses, candles, romantic music and a private anniversary party on the beach for two. He had spent every dime he had saved up working at his local seven eleven to arrange it. He had even dressed for the occasion.

It was while he was at the store to buy the drinks he had forgotten when he overheard the school band members talking.

“So when is Baekhyun meeting us?” Asked the drummer called Lee Chanyeol.

“Umm well when I was on the phone with him earlier he said he was going to meet Areum. He said he’ll meet us near the football stadium.” Answered the shy looking guitarist called Zhang Yixing.

“Why’s he meeting with my cousin?” Chanyeol asked sounding confused, “She has a date with Jongdae tonight. They’re celebrating their first anniversary.”

“Ah so your cousin didn’t tell you?” Another voice, that of Oh Sehun, spoke up, “Well Baekhyun told me the other day that he and Areum have been seeing each other. In fact, last night I caught them in his car at make out point. I don’t think I want to go into detail about what I saw but Chanyeol I gotta say your cousin