Chapter Two

I’ve been lying upside-down on my bed staring at the clock for the past hour as I ponder for ways to productively kill time. I came up with none.

I came home from my first day of school with no homework to finish and found the barely-furnished house empty. A sticky note on the fridge informed me that my parents wouldn’t be coming home until pretty late to attend a charity event at the town hospital.

I considered calling Sulli for a chat but remembered that I don’t even have her number yet. I groaned to myself in vain.

Orange light filtered through the shades of my bedroom window and I suddenly longed for a walk around town. Having moved in this quiet town for only a few days I have yet to explore it. I quickly got up to tie my flaming red hair into a messy bun and grabbed the first cardigan my eyes landed on then I bent down to wear my favorite overused Chucks.

Outside, the sun was about to set and the street along my new home was almost deserted. I take note of landmarks and avoid making too many turns to avoid getting myself lost on the way home. The autumn wind whipping through my face felt nice; it wasn’t too warm nor was it too chilly.

I passed by a few coffee shops, eclectic boutiques and even a hole in the wall second-hand bookstore; I made a mental note to visit that store later on. After a few hours of walking I have already established in my mind that this town isn’t so bad.

On my way home I spotted an abandoned playground a few blocks away from my street, you wouldn’t be able to see it at first glance because of the tall trees shrouding over it. The slides and swings were too dilapidated and rusty for children to play in anymore, but in the middle of the playground was a huge oak tree with the falling leaves and acorns scattered on the ground. Looking at it, I could already see myself huddled under it with a book on my lap during sunny weekends.

The sun hasn’t set but the streetlamps have started to light up one by one. I wasn’t ready to go home to an empty house just yet and decided to sit under the oak tree for some fresh air. The deserted playground was lined with trees of varying sizes and it felt nice to be surrounded with nature as opposed to what I was used to in the busy city of Seoul.

There were indecipherable markings made by a sharp object on the trunk of the tree. I trace my fingers against it as I slide down to the ground and leaned my back against the rough tree trunk with my knees folded against my chest. I closed my eyes, feeling all too comfortable with my newfound haven. Someone clears his throat above me. My eyes blinking open in alert.

“Yes?” I hear myself say, my tone clipped. Kai stood towering over me with mild curiosity on his face.

I hear his voice for the first time. “Fancy taking a nap there?” he sounded amused.

“You’ve got a problem with that?” I find myself getting irritated for having my peace broken. He sits beside me and I mentally berate myself for feeling giddy at his proximity.

He shrugs. “It’s been a while since I saw someone here other than my friends.” He reaches inside his jean pocket and takes out a packet of gum.

“Want some?” he offered. I shake my head no. He gets one and pops it into his mouth.

I stare at the expanse of the darkening sky, a soft sigh escaping my lips. A random thought comes to me.

“Why do you ignore everyone in school?”

“It’s nice to meet you too.” He chuckles, soft and rumbling. “Do I?”

“Uh, yeah?” I said with a nod.

“I never noticed.”

“Huh.” I huffed. We were silent for a moment.

I could feel his eyes on me. “How’s it like living in the city?” his voice was so soft that I almost thought I was hearing things. I turn my eyes towards him; there was emptiness in them that I couldn’t quite comprehend.

“It’s loud and busy, hustling and bustling. Time seems to fly by quickly there.” Inside my head I was picturing the speeding cars along the seemingly endless roads of the city and the towering buildings that unfortunately conceals the natural splendor of the clear skies.

“I’ve never been anywhere other than this town.” There was an underlying bitterness in his deep voice, and suddenly I understood the emptiness in his eyes; it was his longing and desperation to escape.

“Do you know why we moved here?” This was the first time I was divulging this to someone else. It surprised me how easy it was for me to talk to him.

“I couldn’t think of a single reason why anyone would want to move into a miniscule town like this. Especially for someone who grew up in America and lived in a beautiful city like Seoul.” This was the longest I’ve heard him say.

“Well my father owned a decently successful company in Seoul. I grew up in a pretty extravagant family; my parents would give me anything I wanted. We were very materialistic, but then one night when both my parents were on the way home from another gala they got into an accident. They were both spared though, the car was completely destroyed but they didn’t even have a single scratch in their bodies. This changed the way we all thought--- how we see life. My parents decided to live simply after that and I totally agree. Money isn’t everything.”

We were quiet again.

“Why do you hate this town so much? It isn’t so bad, as I see it.”

He makes a popping sound with his gum before he spoke. “You’ve been here what, a few days? I don’t actually hate this town. I just don’t see myself turning out to be the person I want to become if I get stuck here.”

He didn’t seem to want to reveal anything more.

I glance at my watch and let out a gust of air from my lungs. “I’ve got to go.”

He stretches his arms behind his head and closes his eyes. “Sure.”

I wasn’t sure what to expect from his response so I sat there staring at him. No goodbyes, no see you later?

Even with his eyes closed he must have noticed my lack of movement. “I thought you had to go?”

“Uh well, goodbye then.” I shook my head at my lame answer and stood up, dusting off dirt from my jeans and started walking away.

I was already a few away from him when I heard his unmistakable deep voice.

“See you tomorrow, Red.”

I was smiling the whole way home.

Author's Notes:

Thank you for subscribing and for the lovely comments! The next chapter update will be on September 5 which is exactly a week from now. :)