"Umma, could I go out and play with the other kids?"
The young female sighed, caressing the boy's soft hair she replied "No Donghae. Please don't ask for that again..."
"But I wanted to make a friend," little Donghae pouted.
"Stop asking that or tonight you should sleep in the attic,"

Hearing that little Donghae can just mustered a weak "No, let me sleep with you Umma~"

"I'm not your Umma...but yes, darling you can sleep with me," the young lady caressed Donghae's soft hair with her long fingers. Donghae smiled widely in return.

---

Today is his 17th birthday, and the boy looked at the lit up candles in his birthday cake with a gleam on his eyes. He is finally an adult. Every year Umma will give him a birthday cake on his birthday. He remembered the date clearly. For seventeen years of his life,he spent them all inside the dark room. His only friend was his umma, and some of his toys and many more books given by umma to learn. The only thing that introduced him to the outside world was his books, and a tiny calendar sitting on the desk beside his creaky little wooden bed. The little calendar was a reminder of what day it was. Umma will draw a big X mark on the days that have passed.

Umma said once that the outside world is cruel and wicked. So he stayed inside. Obeying what Umma had said to him. The only window to see outside was his room window, now hammered shut by wooden planks. Umma had put a charm in it, when he asked her what the charm was for, Umma just replied softly "It's for your protection, love..."
Since there was no light seeping into the room, the darkness will engulf him once the candle light was put out. He could never grow to like the dark despite being it's 'friend' for years. He hated it. Always hated it since he was young. In his younger days Umma would go to the room and cuddled him close to her, humming a tune until he fell asleep. As he was getting older, Umma didn't come to his room that often anymore. He felt really cold, abandoned, lonely. For once in his life he really wanted to get out of this place. He wanted his freedom.

One night he decided to be brave and opened the door to his room and tiptoed outside. With only a candle on his hand he tried to see his surroundings. It was a little hard as he was not really used to go outside his room, especially at night. He just wanted to make sure Umma was asleep before he took the keys to the front door. 

Finding the keys was not an easy task either, he had to rummage into the old drawers that made enough creaking and squeaking sound to wake the entire house. Finally he came across one big ornate key, looking left and right like a thief lurking in the darkness, he quickly tiptoed to the main door, unlocking the door and stepped out into the outside world. He felt the grass tickling him beneath his feet as he walked faster in between the trees. He had seen these types of places before inside his book, this was called the 'forest', he recognized it fondly. Still grinning brightly, he looked up at the night sky. His breath caught as he saw full moon shone brightly in the sky accompanied by twinkling stars, he made sure to memorized them inside his head and closed his eyes. The beautiful moon that lit up his way at night, is more beautiful than what he saw in his picture books. He sighed and wondered why Umma decided to never let him saw the beautiful surroundings they lived on.

---

The next day he tried to sneak out from the house in a broad daylight, when umma went somewhere to hunt. Umma hunted a lot of times. Sometimes after those hunts, she would bring lots of wild animals like hare, a squirrel, or sometimes bigger animals like boars for them to eat. Sometimes she would leave for days and told him to stay inside as usual, and he would obey her like a good child he was. She would got home late at night, creaking the door to his room open to have a peek and then shut it close again when she saw him asleep. Donghae knew this routine because on some nights he only pretended to be sleeping, he actually was looking for ways to get off the house when umma was asleep.

Feeling the warmth of the sunlight he walked further and further until he reached a little town. His eyes never stopped beaming and full of excitement as he walked further into the hearts of the town and tried to remember everything he saw on the way. He saw many shops on his left and right. So many people chatterings and some could be seen bickering with each other. Feeling his heart blooming in happiness of seeing kids were running chasing each other in front of him. In his happiness and daze, he didn't really pay attention to what's in front of him that he bumped into someone and almost fell backwards, if not for that someone to caught his arm.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"he said while he bowed lowly a few times to the stranger before looking up. The stranger dressed up neatly in blue robes, now looking at him in concern as he stared into the eyes of the other. Two beautiful black orbs staring at two brown ones. He was surprised as the other male spoke to him gently.
"Are you okay?"
He was still lost in his black orbs he could not form a coherent word. Perhaps the most beautiful man he ever saw. After a few seconds passed and the man in front of him frowned in concern, he blinked a few times, blurted out in a rather broken voice in nervousness "I'm... I'm okay,"
The man chuckled a little and smiled widely his gums were visible, so is the crinkle of his eyes. He was in a daze once again, trying to capture the man's face and remember him.
"Be more careful next time," the said handsome man said, before he bowed politely and took his leave.

---

The next time Donghae met the handsome man was not in a particularly good situation. Donghae had been very hungry at the time, walking so far from home and forgot to have his breakfast, he decided to take a freshly baked bread from a near bread stall, only to be called a thief afterwards because he didn't understand he had to give them some form of payment.

He was on the verge of crying when two burly men dragged him on the left and right of his arms. At the corner of his eyes, he saw someone paid a few coins to the bread stall owner. The bread stall owner then told the two men to leave Donghae alone. Both men released their hold at the same time, prompting Donghae to fell to the ground immediately. Not before one spitted right in front of him and muttered under his breath 'disgusting thief but a lucky bastard'. Pain shot on his knees and his palm as his skin made contact with stone earth beneath him. He winced in pain when he saw a hand extended to him but immediately took the hand and got pulled up by the man who chuckled, "You again?"he could not hide his amusement from his voice it seemed.
 "Why is it we have to meet everytime you fell over something," he's musing out loud, eyes never left Donghae. Donghae stared at the man's eyes, suddenly feeling incoherent as he stuttered.
"Th...Thank you, Sir...umm"
The man chuckled again, "Don't call me Sir, it made me feel very old...I'm Lee Hyukjae," he extended his right hand to Donghae. He took and shook it firmly while introduced himself.
"I'm Donghae, just Donghae."

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