The soothing sound of leaves falling from their height all the way to the ground. Myungsoo liked that. It felt peaceful and painless. He was amazed how well the rustle and the murmur of the stream flowing a few steps away from him blended. Not even the most skilled musician would be able to surpass nature's whispers. Myungsoo felt blessed. 

 

A soft bark woke him up from the reverie and he frowned.

 

"What's wrong, Wool?" he asked, patting the head of the dog sitting by his side. He instinctively brought his hand to his watch and sighed. "Oh, that's right. Thanks, Wool," he smiled and stood straight, letting the dog show him the way out of the park.

 

 

The wind sneaked around from time to time, messing around with the yellow treetops and stealing a few leaves away. Myungsoo pulled up the collar of his coat, his ears listening and his feet following. They soon arrived on the top of the hill and Myungsoo found himself standing in front of a large grey stone which kept engraved two names and two dates. Kim Myunghun and Kim Jisoo. 1970/1974-2010.

 

Myungsoo placed the flowers in his hand in front of the large stone and paid his respects. His hands were cold.

 

"Hello, father, mother. How have you been all this time? I'm sorry for not visiting you for so long. I'm a bad son, I know. But you always let it pass when I made stupid things, so please forgive me now too." Myungsoo's lips curved in a soft smile as he slipped his hands in his pockets. "It's getting colder and colder by the day here. Don't worry, Wool does a great job taking care of me. Granny is doing fine, too. She came by yesterday and asked me to tell you she's sorry for not coming to see you today. She gets tired really quick lately." 

 

Myungsoo gently kicked a stone with his foot and lowered his head. A few droplets fell on the ground as he kept his hands in his pockets. Wool softly whined, looking up at him. But Myungsoo couldn't stop. Not yet.

 

"Sunghee, stop! Come back here!" someone yelled, startling Myungsoo.

 

"But the doggie is so cute!" a little girl chuckled. Her steps became lighter as she approached them. "Hello! My name is Sunghee. Your dog is very pretty. Can I pet him?" she asked, tugging at Myungsoo's sleeve.

 

"S-Sure," he nodded. The girl was about 5 years old, he guessed. 

 

Myungsoo felt another person nearing them and he clenched his fists almost instinctively. 

 

"You're so going to be punished when we get home, Sunghee!" The young man was panting, yet he still found some energy to scold the little girl. Myungsoo felt him turn around. "Hello! I'm really sorry for my sister! She loves animals and it seems your dog caught her eye. He'll survive, though. I promise. I'm Sungyeol, by the way," he said, reaching out his hand.

 

Myungsoo chuckled. He kept his hands in place. "I'm Myungsoo and it's fine, really. It looks like Wool likes her, too." 

 

Sungyeol eventually retreated his arm. Instead, he faced the boy with a grin.

 

"Nice to meet you, Myungsoo." 

 

They spent an entire hour talking about this and that, laughing whenever Sunghee managed to play a cute trick on Wool. According to Sungyeol, they was visiting their grandmother and were just about to go back when his sister suddenly let go of his hand and ran towards them. 

 

"He looks great. Wool, I mean. You must be taking really good care of him," Sungyeol said, watching as his sister attempted to hold Wool's ears straight. 

 

"It's more like he's taking care of me," Myungsoo replied, his eyes unfocused. Sungyeol remained silent. "I don't think I would've survived without him. He has proven himself to be more valuable than a friend. Besides, he has always been part of the family. And right now, he's the only family I have."

 

Sungyeol examined his face, looking for a trace of sadness. But it was nowhere to be found. Myungsoo kept a straight face.

 

"So you feel sad? That he's the only one left by your side?" 

 

"No." Myungsoo answered without hesitation. "I'm grateful, actually. That I still have Wool. Of course, I'm more than sad that my parents are gone. Everytime I think about it, I become upset and lonely. And then Wool would sit by my side and remind me that I'm not, in fact, alone. But I do miss a warm embrace and reassuring words sometimes." Myungsoo raised his head and closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth of the sun. A small smile appeared on his face, and Sungyeol found himself stupidly smiling along. "After all that happened, I'm happy  that there's still someone who would listen to my worries and not judge me, but make me feel like everything's going to be alright. That's what makes him special." 

 

Sungyeol was still staring, with a smile plastered on his face. Why did this boy feel special to him, Sungyeol didn't know. There was just one thing he was sure of - he liked his smile. It felt peaceful and painless. Just like spring. Every time his lips blossomed into a smile he would feel all fuzzy and get excited for no reason. It was their first meeting, but the boy already had an influence on Sungyeol.

 

Wool barked loudly and Sunghee excitedly clapped her hands, giggling.

 

"Who knows, maybe you'll find someone who can give you what you're missing. Actually, I'm sure that someone is out there, waiting for you right now," Sungyeol said, his head up and eyes staring at the blue sky. A cloud slowly covered the sun, shadowing the two.

 

Little did Sungyeol know, though, that the someone he was talking about has already found Myungsoo. And he was standing right beside him.

 

The wind blew, the leaves sang.