“Why do I have to study…?” Woohyun whine as he plop his head on the table.

 

“Because you miss a lot in your study since the start of the tournament,” Sungyeol replies, hitting Woohyun’s head with his book lightly. “Wake up. You have to finish your homework,”

 

“I don’t want to…” Woohyun says, still not lifting his head. “I’m wasting my free time…”

 

“You can’t waste time with studying. What are you planning to do anyway? It’s not like you have practise,”

 

“I didn’t, we need to rest today, can’t be too tired for the game tomorrow,”

 

“Then? Are you planning to sleep away?” Even though the head still on top of the table and he can only see one side of Woohyun’s face, he can still make out the red adorning the other’s cheek. “What? You’re going to call your boyfriend?”

 

Silence.

 

“You guys talk on the phone every day. Won’t you get bored?”

 

Woohyun lift his head, finally. “Yah! How could you get bored talking to your lover?”

 

Sungyeol shrugged. “I don’t have one so think it will get boring,”

 

“Wait until you have a girlfriend or boyfriend yourself. Who knows, you’re worse than me?” Woohyun circles his arms on his chest, puffing.

 

Sungyeol stick out his tongue to mock him. “I won’t be like you. Now since you had woken up, come answer these question.”

 

Woohyun pouts as he pull his book clearly to his side, picking up his pen and tries to do his homework. “Why am I here? Where’s Hoya?”

 

“Because you need to do your homework and catch up with your study. What will you do if you fall behind?”

 

Woohyun shrugged. “I will be a national soccer player. I don’t need to study much,”

 

“Just do your homework,” Sungyeol hissed. “You don’t know what will happen in the future. No matter if you play soccer or not, you still need to finish your education, and it’s better to graduate with good grades,”

 

“Yes. Yes,” Woohyun mock replies him, writing the answer on the line. “Where’s Hoya?” he repeated.

 

“He’s helping in his grandpa’s shop. And don’t try to think to escape. Finish your homework first,” Sungyeol warns.

 

Woohyun pouts without looking at the taller. They’re currently sitting on the study table on the second floor of Sungyeol’s house. The second floor only consist of one bedroom and one shower room, while the family area decorated as a study, mainly for Sungyeol’s use since his parents have their own study room downstairs. Aside from study, Sungyeol use the area for his entertainment, playing video games or watch movies with his friends.

 

Today is Wednesday, a day before the quarter-final. Since they don’t have practise in the evening today, Sungyeol drag Woohyun to his house to force him into doing his homework. They’re not even in the same class but Sungyeol thought he had to take care of this idiotic friend of his to make sure he use his free time smartly.

 

If they win tomorrow, Woohyun will need to practise on Friday, or too nervous for his game on Saturday and Sunday to focus on his homework. So he better make sure Woohyun finish all his work before new week start, even though it nearly impossible.

 

“I’m jealous of Hoya…” Woohyun says, pushing the book he had finish to the side and pulls another book to start.

 

“And he is jealous of you,”

 

“Why would he be? He can play around at the shop without thinking of homework,”

 

“He has to do his homework while taking care of customers. He is jealous you can run off to play when you childishly doesn’t want to do your homework.”

 

Woohyun grins as he lift his head. “Can we go to the store and pay a visit?”

 

“No,” he replies sternly without looking at the other. “You’re not going anywhere without finishing your work.”

 

Woohyun pouts. He pick up his hand phone to rant a complaint to his boyfriend but just realize he had a message from Sunggyu instead. He smiles happily reading the text and replies them quickly before he put the hand phone back down, the complaint forgotten.

 

“Your boyfriend?” Sungyeol asks.

 

“Eung! Hyung has an extra training tonight but he will call me as soon as he is done,”

 

“Good, that means you have the time to focus on the homework without thinking of calling him,”

 

“You’re no fun.” He pouts again.

 

“Who is your boyfriend anyway? You never introduce us.”

 

Woohyun grins. “Secret. When the time comes, I will introduce you,”

 

“Are you sure he is okay? He is not toying with you?”

 

Woohyun gasp. “Lee Sungyeol…how could you?”

 

He shrugged. “Well, you never introduced us. You didn’t tell me his name or show me his picture. It’s right for me to think either he is real or he had warn you not to tell anyone,”

 

“Sungyeol…” Woohyun feels his heart clench by the accusation. “Hyung is real. I told you we know each other when I was in middle school and as soon as I enter high school, hyung ask me out,”

 

“Okay. Okay.” Sungyeol quickly raise his hands to surrender. “I’m sorry. You don’t have to cry,”

 

“I’m not crying.” But he wipe the corner of his eyes.

 

“If he is real, then that’s good. I’m just worried you’re being played at,” Sungyeol voiced his genuine concern.

 

Woohyun shakes his head. “Thank you, I understand your worries but you don’t have to. Hyung is real and he is good to me. We just had a mutual agreement, this relationship have to be keep a secret. There are a lot of things we have to be careful of.”

 

Silence.

 

Idiot. Sungyeol mentally scolded himself. Woohyun and his boyfriend are boys, its taboo and its wrong, to some people. Moreover they live in a small town and a lot of people know Woohyun as the star soccer player. If words coming out Woohyun has a boyfriend, it will ruin his name and possibility his future.

 

And no one imagine that tonight is the start of Woohyun’s future ruined.

 

The sun just set and Woohyun had finish a lot of his homework, only science left but he can’t do them without the help of his own classmates. They’d done an experiment the other day and Woohyun needs the data to fill in the book. Since Sungyeol can’t help him and can’t force him into doing them, they choose to stop and call it a day. Sungyeol thought he should treat his friend to Hoya’s grandfather’s restaurant as a well done reward.

 

They stop by Woohyun’s house to put his school bag there and to change out of his school uniform. Sungyeol waits outside the house, leaning his back on the wall and play with his brand new hand phone, he thinks Woohyun would be quicker to leave the house if he waits outside than if he waits in the comfort of his couch in the living room.

 

“Sungyeol! You’re here?”

 

Sungyeol startled and turns around at the voice. “Ah, Kibum. What are you doing here?”

 

“What are you doing here? Is Woohyun home?” Kibum turn the question back added with another of his own.

 

“Yeah, he is changing clothes. What’s wrong?”

 

Kibum rubs his head, fidgety. “Uh…I thought of asking Woohyun to play.”

 

Sungyeol tilted his head. “Play what?”

 

“Oh, Kibum. What are you doing here?” Woohyun ask from his doorframe. He runs slightly to the gate to greet another best friend of his.

 

“Woohyun,” Kibum greets him happily but then he frowns scanning Woohyun up and down his body. “Are you going somewhere?”

 

“Eung!” Woohyun grins. “We’re going to Hoya’s place,”

 

“Oh.” Kibum’s face fell. “I thought I want to ask you to play,”

 

“Play what?” Woohyun tilted his head.

 

“Soccer. I feel nervous about tomorrow and I thought I want to loosen up with kicking some balls,” Kibum says.

 

“Uh…” Woohyun glance at Sungyeol then back at Kibum. “I don’t think I can kicking balls now. I’m hungry,”

 

“Just a while, please. I really nervous about tomorrow, I can’t sit still,” Kibum plead.

 

“Can’t you ask someone else?” Sungyeol asks. “I don’t think Woohyun can play now with an empty stomach,”

 

“Who would I ask than my best friend?” Kibum grins, circling his arm around Woohyun’s shoulder. “Besides, you would be too sated to play if we go after you eat.”

 

Sungyeol and Kibum, both can see clearly the debating on Woohyun’s face. He is hungry and he wants to play too. Confined in a room doing homework for hours drained him and the only thing to lift his spirit is soccer, and the voice of his boyfriend. But Sunggyu won’t be available for another couple hours so Woohyun has soccer as his only option.

 

“Let’s eat first, Woohyun,” Sungyeol says. “Hoya had prepared the meat for us.”

 

Woohyun gawk. “Really?” He turns to Kibum. “Can we wait after we eat?”

 

Kibum pulls his arm away, his head low. “I know I’m just a bench player, not a star player like you. But I still feel nervous every time we have a game. We didn’t play at all today, so I can’t stay still and uneasy.”

 

Silence.

 

Woohyun and Sungyeol exchange look.

 

“I didn’t mean that way.” Woohyun sighs. “Okay, we will play but only for five minutes. I’m really hungry I could die.”

 

Kibum lift his head, grinning happily. “You’re really my best friend.” He circles his arm on Woohyun’s shoulder to drag him away.

 

Sungyeol stand still. “I’m not feeling good about this.”

 

But the taller follow after them reluctantly. They walk to a small soccer field in the neighbourhood where children kicking balls in the evening. Woohyun use to play in the field himself when he was little. The field is dark, only three street lights on, one on each of the goal post and one at the end of the halfway line.

 

“Let’s play together, Sungyeol,” Woohyun says, playing the ball with his hands.

 

“No thank you. I’m too hungry to even run around,” Sungyeol says, standing beside the goal post. “Five minutes. Hoya had the charcoal ready,”

 

“Okay. Okay. Geez. You’re no fun,” Kibum groans as he steal the ball from Woohyun and starts running and kicking the ball.

 

Since they only have five minutes and play with just the two of them, they choose to play in the penalty area. Sungyeol move closer to the area they’re playing, watching them while playing with his hand phone. He text Hoya, telling him their where about and he will text again as soon as they left so Hoya can start grilling the meat. Finding nothing to do, Sungyeol click the camera on his hand phone and start video recording, who knows he might find something interesting for later entertainment.

 

He record around the field, spin on his heels, recording the neighbourhood and stop his camera on the game in front of him. “Look at that soccer maniac. He was hungry but he choose to kick a ball than go to eat. Is this a payback because I force him to do his homework?”

 

Woohyun and Kibum enjoying themselves. Kibum got majority of the ball mostly because Woohyun doesn’t want to push himself too hard since tomorrow is an important game. But he still score himself some goal while Kibum still fail to kick the ball inside the goal post.

 

Sungyeol frowns. He knows Kibum is lacking but he still in the school soccer team. If he get a spot in the team even just as a bench player, he still have to be a good player. Is Kibum too nervous about tomorrow to play poorly tonight? But why he keep kicking the ball to the goal post? He must has some sort of skill to kick the ball to the same spot every single time.

 

Woohyun laughs. “Yah, come on. Try get a goal,”

 

“Easy for you to say.” Kibum pouts.

 

Woohyun went to Kibum’s side, the ball on the ground. He put his hands on Kibum’s waist to help him get to a correct position. Then he move slightly away.

 

“Try kicking slightly to the left. I notice you keep going too right,” Woohyun suggest.

 

Kibum healed a breath. “This is it.”

 

He swing his right leg behind and kick the ball with all his strength. Woohyun didn’t watch where the ball going, because he knows Kibum kick to the right again, and it will hit the goal post.

 

“Okay, that’s enough. Let’s…” Woohyun didn’t get to complete his sentence when he feels he is being push to the ground.

 

“Woohyun!” Sungyeol scream, he runs after his friend.

 

The goal post break and fall to the ground, knocking on Woohyun and the sharp edge of the post hit directly on his left shoulder.

 

“Oh, God. Woohyun…” Sungyeol cries as he tries to lift the goal post. “I can’t…”

 

But it is too heavy for a teenager like him. Sungyeol look around the field and saw Kibum is also on the ground with the goal post over him. Unable to do anything, Sungyeol calls for an ambulance with the hand phone he discarded when he tries to lift the goal post. He is crying and Woohyun is whimpering in pain.

 

“I will push this again, okay? Try to scoot over, okay?” Sungyeol whispers softly.

 

With all his might, Sungyeol lift the goal post. His blue veins showing on his hands as he clench his teeth to hold the heavy metal. His eyes burn with unshed tears and his cheeks wet with both tears and sweat. He feels how useless he is, he can’t even help his friend. He won’t forgive himself if something happen to Woohyun. Not in front of his eyes.

 

Sungyeol feels the metal slip under his sweaty palms. He is near his limit. But he can’t give up now. Not when Woohyun forcing himself to scoot out of the spot. Sungyeol let go of the goal post with a heavy breath.

 

“Woohyun! Are you…are you okay?” Sungyeol asks, trembling.

 

Woohyun groans, a hand on his left shoulder. “It’s hurt,”

 

“Calm down, okay. I’m here. I’d call an ambulance,” he says, holding Woohyun’s left hand.

 

“Kibum…” Woohyun whispers, trying to lift his head to look.

 

“I will go. You stay here. Everything will be fine. Trust me.” He pats Woohyun’s hand before he stand up and runs to Kibum’s side.

 

Sungyeol gasp, hands flew to his mouth. Kibum was knocked under the goal post with the metal hit directly on his head. Blood pooled under his head, painting the green grass with red. He tries to lift the goal post. But he doesn’t have any strength left. The metal didn’t even budge no matter how much he force himself.

 

It feels like forever until the ambulance come. The medics come to help him lifting the goal post and take out Kibum under the metal. He left the other under their hands as he runs to Woohyun’s previous spot, picking up his hand phone from the ground and continue running to the ambulance. They’re pushing Woohyun on the stretcher into the ambulance, while the other team pushing Kibum.

 

He hop in the ambulance, grabbing Woohyun’s hand in one hand and another hand holding Woohyun’s head to make him look at him. He doesn’t want Woohyun to look at the other side; at the bloodied Kibum on the stretcher beside him.

 

“It’s going to be okay. You’re going to be okay,” he whispers.

 

“Kibum…what about Kibum?” Woohyun asks, trying to move his head to look but Sungyeol hold him still.

 

“Shh…don’t worry about him. It’s going to be okay.”

 

Sungyeol tightens his hold on Woohyun’s hand as he shut his eyes, letting his tears falls down without stopping when he caught the medic opposite of him shakes his head. He know what that means but he refused to say anything. He look at the medic and pointed at Woohyun with his eyes and shakes his head, a sign for them to not say anything either in front of the other patient.

 

They arrive at the hospital. Woohyun was rushed to the emergency, while Kibum…Sungyeol doesn’t know where they take him. Sungyeol runs to the emergency as well, making sure he is close with Woohyun. He send text to Hoya, informing him about the change of plan because of some accident. He calls the soccer coach first before he calls Woohyun’s parents. He is not close to Kibum so he doesn’t know his parents number, moreover he doesn’t have Kibum’s either. He had to leave the emergency surgery room to ask a nurse to inform Kibum’s parents when he ask her about him.

 

“Lee Sungyeol,” the coach, Kim Junsu comes running toward him. “What happen? How did this happen?”

 

“It’s…an accident…” Before he can tell him the story, Woohyun’s parents run to him and ask the same question.

 

Woohyun’s mother fall down on the floor, crying hysterically after Sungyeol tell them, exactly what happen, not an inch left behind. Coach Kim stood frozen on his spot, trembling without word. Woohyun’s father hugs his wife, calming her down and shedding tears himself.

 

Sungyeol doesn’t realize when Coach Kim had left them. But Woohyun had transferred to a ward after almost an hour inside the surgery room when the coach came with a police officer. Sungyeol know him as Detective Shim Changmin, a police officer living in the same neighbourhood and a man of justice.

 

Detective Shim ask Sungyeol to come to the police station to make an official report after the student tell him what exactly happen. Sungyeol didn’t even hesitate to give his hand phone to Detective Shim, telling him he has the full coverage of the accident.

 

Coach Kim decided to pull out of the game on Thursday. He thought it’s rude to play when one player is hospitalized and one player is dead. To honour the death of Kim Kibum, Sabuk High School officially forfeited for this year’s tournament. They earn a lot of bashing from the parents and the students. Because they believe they can get the trophy this year. But Coach Kim stick to his ground and the principal agreed with him.

 

Sungyeol found this strange when the other soccer players didn’t make a fuss about this, at all. Of course, their friend is injured and dead, but he thought they want to play more to honour Kibum and Woohyun, to shows them they bring Kibum and Woohyun’s strength on the field and win the game.

 

They visit after school on Thursday, Woohyun is sleeping. It just a short while, they say their condolences and left the ward. Sungyeol didn’t go to school that day, keeping watch beside Woohyun since the night. Hoya come as well but he lets the soccer players get inside first and he went in after they left.

 

“That’s weird,” Hoya says.

 

“You think so too?” Sungyeol asks.

 

Hoya nods. “They were too calm, as if this thing doesn’t concern them at all,”

 

“You know them better than me, Hoya,” Sungyeol reminds him. “I know I shouldn’t say this but I really think they’re happy with this accident.”

 

Hoya is quiet but he agree none the least. He knows five members in the soccer team, playing with them in the middle school soccer team himself. They were the reason he didn’t pursue playing in high school, and they were the same people who cornered Woohyun and play with him.

 

“Remember when we joked around before, when Woohyun got a call from KFA?” Hoya says, looking at Sungyeol. “You said they might kill Woohyun if they know.”

 

Sungyeol gulp his saliva. He feels his hands sweating and his body start to shake. “No way…”

 

Kibum’s funeral take place on Saturday at their house. Woohyun go as well, sitting on a wheelchair with Sungyeol push him from behind. Woohyun doesn’t hurt his legs but he can’t stand on his own. He is still shocked from the accident, his legs feel wobbly and his hands trembling. Woohyun is Kibum’s best friend. He came to his house plenty of times and get in the family’s good book. But that Saturday, his parents wouldn’t even look at him and didn’t receive his bows willingly. It was hard for Woohyun to stand properly, moreover to make a bow to the diseased and the family that Sungyeol had to help him before he make his own. They left soon after without eating the prepared meal. They are on their way to the hospital when Woohyun’s parents ask them to go with them to the police station.

 

Woohyun’s parents sit on the provided chairs, Woohyun on his wheelchair and Sungyeol standing beside him, watching a video recording from the computer screen.

 

Woohyun turns his face away when the screen show Kibum push him down. His mother hug him, unable to watch them herself. The mother and son cried in the small station. Sungyeol is shaking with anger and regret.

 

“This is a recording from Sungyeol’s hand phone,” Detective Shim informed. “As you can see, the ball was kicked to the same spot countless of times and make the goal post falling,”

 

“It was possible?” Mr Nam asks.

 

“The goal post was old and shabby. It was possible of falling. But…”

 

“But?”

 

“Here.” Detective Shim rewind the video to an earlier minutes and pointed to the crack goal post on the screen. “This spot look worn out and might be the weakest spot since kids used to kick the balls here. This is the reason how it break and fall.”

 

Detective Shim glance at the mother and son, still hugging and refused to watch and listen. Mr Nam pats his wife and brush his son’s hair. He is calming them down and to keep himself strong for the sake of his family.

 

Sungyeol raise his finger, pointing to the screen. Detective Shim and Mr Nam look at the screen.

 

“We can say it was an accident because of how old the goal post was. But this, I can’t say it looks like an accident anymore,” Detective Shim says.

 

“What…what do you mean?” Mr Nam stuttered.

 

Detective Shim peek at Sungyeol for a while then he look at Mr Nam. “Both boys will be safe, if they stay still on their spot. But when you look at this.” He pointed to the screen, at the exact moment when Kibum push Woohyun the second before the goal post falls on the both of them. “Kibum push Woohyun exactly to the place where the goal post would fall. And he lost his footing and falls down himself.”

 

Mr Nam gulp his saliva, he lift his head slowly facing Detective Shim. It can’t be.

 

“It seems…it was intentional and would look like an accident,” Detective Shim says.

 

“No way…” Mr Nam whispers.

 

“It’s like this. You and your friend are waiting to cross the road. A speeding car come toward you. Will you pull your friend to a safer sidewalk, or will you push your friend to the road where the speeding car will hit?”

 

----------------------------------------------

 

How is it?

Is it bad?

Please leave some comment.

 

 

So…here it is. The accident.

 

There are a few of accidents with the goal post falling and killed someone, usually a student playing around them, in my country. The reason is easy, the goal post is too old and shabby and no one should use them anymore.

 

Welcome back, our maknae, Lee Sungjong.