I walked down a straight and narrow path. It was getting dark, but I didn’t care. The trees around me were alive in the middle of summer, and I was so surrounded by green that I could hardly see the fading light of the sky. I couldn’t see the end of the path, and I couldn’t see where I had started. It was almost like a dream. Almost. There happened to be a very annoying bird singing at me.

Other than that, it was pretty peaceful. I had come here to escape Umma. She always had something to nag about, and we had been fighting more… I think we’re both just stressed about Appa. As much as she insists that she doesn’t care, she’s only human. I don’t know why they divorced, but they loved each other once.

As the sky continued to darken, I realized that I was completely lost. I had been wandering this long path for hours, not really worrying about where I was headed, but I had to get back somehow. I was in a park, so there had to be more than just this path. I debated walking off of the path, but I figured that I would be likely to get even more lost if I did. Another couple of minutes and I wouldn’t be able to see anything at all. I decided to call for help. I obviously couldn’t call Umma, so I decided on Onew. He usually picked up his phone (unlike Minho, who never did).

“Hey Onew,” I said when he picked up.

“Heechan! Hey, did you know, Key and-“

“Yeah, that’s great.” Geez, that boy loved to talk. “Do you think you could come pick me up? I’m kind of lost at the park somewhere.”

“Seoul City Park?”

“Yeah,”

“Actually, Key and Jonghyun are near there, I can get them to pick you up on their way back if you like. How are you lost, are you on the trail?”

“Yeah,” I repeated, looking around. “Someone should have warned me about this weird- trail…”

He laughed. “Do you see anything around you? Like landmarks?” I looked around again.

“Actually, yes,” I said, stepping closer to a grey spot I had seen. “It looks like a statue of some sort… Anyway, I’m right near that.”

“Oh, I know where that is! Okay, I’ll tell Jonghyun and Key.”

“Thanks, Oppa.” I said, and hung up. Then I sat down on the base of the strange statue. I tapped my foot. Patience definitely wasn’t a trait I had. I tried going over my latest choreography to distract myself, because that usually helped, but then I realized how ridiculous I looked and I sat back down.

I guess that was it, no more beating around. I would have to deal with what I had come here to think about in the first place. My ‘issues’. Don’t we all love those.

I thought about my situation. It wasn’t a very rational situation at all, and I don’t know if I would have believed it if I hadn’t been living it. My appa had fallen into debt and I had to move away. Now he had life-threatening cancer. If he died, we could only hope that my mother wasn’t on his debt inheritance list or whatever, because she would be mad. So, now I lived with my mean and rich Umma, and I was best friends with famous idols in Korea. It was quite a dramatic story. I decided to dissect it.

Okay, first- Appa was in debt and he didn’t tell me. I was…. surprised. I guess that’s a good word. I mean, Appa and I tell each other everything. We did, at least. Okay. Surprised works. I was mad, but there wasn’t anything I could do about it. Fighting would only have made things worse for Appa, yeah?

Next up. Umma turned out to be a butthole. That I could deal with. I didn’t even really talk to her. Gang Daeho was nice, at least.

Thirdly, Appa got sick. And nobody thought to tell me. Decidedly the worst of the lot. It was brain cancer, he’d probably die- I grew numb to this as if it was a standing fact. No more Appa. What does that word mean again? I’m still mad at Sanghyo and Umma, though. What kind of best friend talks about you with your MOTHER? Am I the only one who thinks that as a totally weird and creepy thing to do? Not that she wasn’t strange to begin with, but still…

SHINee. I was so lucky to have them as friends. They were fun, and pretty normal. They have busy schedules, and they had been spending a lot of time in Japan recently, but it was ok. I saw them often enough. Out of them, I’m closest to Key Oppa. I think it’s because his umma-like personality contrasts nicely with my more laid-back one. At least, that’s what I’d LIKE to think. It’s probably more along the lines of that we both like super spicy food, but whatever. Same thing, really.

Speak of the devil. I could hear Jonghyun and Key arguing like a married couple up the path.

“NO, I told you, she-“ Key had his -face on and Jonghyun looked like he was holding in a tremendous amount of laughter.

“JONGKEY~” I called, waving at them. They stuck out their tongues at me at the same time. I knew they hated me calling them mat, but I think the simultaneous mehrong-ing proved my point. I laughed and jogged over to them. “Thanks a lot for coming, I would have been lost in here forever.”

“What, the great Heechan?” Jonghyun joked. I smiled slightly.

It turned out the walk back was much shorter than it had seemed going up. I must have been walking REALLY slow or something, it only took 5 or 10 minutes to get to Jonghyun’s black, shiny, (and expensive) car.

Key immediately slid comfortably into the front passenger seat, flipped open the mirror, and began fixing his hair.

“So why were you at the park, anyway?”

“I was just walking. And…thinking.” I replied.

“Walking and thinking? You mean brooding? Wow, you’re really out of character today, Heechan.” Jonghyun said with a worried smile.

“She has cause, you know,” said Key, flipping up the mirror as Jonghyun started the car. “Just think of all she’s had to go through in  the last six months or so! What if that happened to you, huh?”

“Still…” said Jonghyun uncomfortably. I decided the mood needed lifting.

“It’s not as bad as all that, you guys. I’m fine, I just needed to escape from Umma.” I said, smiling.

“Your mother is a .” Said Key, pulling a face.

“That’s rude, Key!” said Jonghyun, glaring at Key and almost getting in an accident.

“I don’t care! She is!” Key said.

I laughed. Key had a point. We arrived at my house.

“Thanks, Oppas!” I said, waving and running inside.

** I don't know about any 'Seoul City Park', I totally just made that up :I