2
Camping
"Sorry, I didn't know anyone was here," you mumbled. He just smiled at you. Stop that...
"No problem," he said and looked at you. "No guitar?"
"It's in the tent," you answered and walked towards an old swing. You sat on it and swung yourself back and forth with your feet still in the ground. Yongwha sat down in the grit in front of you.
"Having a bad day?" he asked sympathetically.
"Yeah, I'm being followed by a persistent stranger," you said sarcastically.
"For your information, I was here first," Yongwha pointed out with an innocent smile. You didn't answere.
"I don't mind charing the playground..." Yonghwa said generously.
WI just want to be alone!" you blurted.
"Wanna talk about it?" Yonghwa asked and started to build a small pile of gravel in front of him.
"Not really," you sighed in resignation. Hadn't you just told him you wanted to be alone? "I just really feel like beating the crap out of someone..."
"Will it help," Yonghwa stated. "Just tell me, you'll feel better if you do." He lay down on his stomach and waited for you to start talking.
There was a moment of silence before you decided to talk to him. It couldn't hurt, right? And it's not like you had some big, dirty secret...
"It's not a big deal, I'm just so tired of everything," you began. "Maybe I'm not an angel, but I don't do all the stupid stuff my friends do. That's why my parents have forced me here, to meet someone to change my way of living... My parents want me to be my sister, but I'm not. I'm me, and I always will be... with more or less changes."
"I know how you feel," Yonghwa grunted from the ground.
"You do? Or is it just you trying to be understanding?"
"Trust me, I know..." Yonghwa sat up and looked at me.
"My brother was the perfect son. He was great in school, never misbehaved and always managed to make my parents proud. I wasn't really a bad boy, but there was no way I could live up to my parents' standards. When I was twelve my brother got killed in a car accident and my parents were devastated. I just felt like it was my duty to take his place."
You drew intricate patterns in the sand with your feet.
"I'm sorry, about your brother," you said quietly.
"Don't be. I'm not, anymore."
Silence spread between us.
"You were right," I finally said. He looked at me with wondering eyes. "I do feel better." The two of you smiled at each other.
Somewhere in the darkness someone called your name.
"That's my cue." You stood up and began to walk back to your tent. But before leaving the playground you made a quick halt.
"Thanks for listening," you said and then hurried away, leaving Yonghwa by himself in front of the still moving swing.
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