CHAPTER 01

O f   P a s t   a n d    P r e s e n t

Exams week passes without a hitch. Both KyungSoo and BaekHyun sigh heavily at the thought of surviving the first hurdle of their college lives. They passed all of their minor subjects and they now look forward to the break they’ve been dreaming of ever since they’ve been busy burying their heads on piles of books.

“Kyungie, what’re your plans this summer?”

“Well just like what I told you 3 weeks ago, my family’s been planning to go to Busan for a year now. They thought now was the best time as ever.” KyungSoo was quick to notice his friend’s facial expression change from inquiring to disappoint. “We’ll only be there for 2 weeks anyway so we’ll still have at least 2 months to spend together for our summer vacation.”

“Yeah, I guess.” BeakHyun’s face lights up a bit. “But you have to promise me to bring back something really expensive! And I don’t mean oversized key chains or shirts with ‘I love Busan’ on it. I mean really expensive.” KyungSoo smiles and ruffles the hair on BaekHyun’s nape.

“I’ll see what we can get you Baek.”

--

This feeling is familiar. Him leaving someone behind, or was it the other way around? KyungSoo isn’t sure. But seeing his bestfriend BaekHyun wave his hands at him, smiling so glumly while he sits inside a car moving away, just brings back an aching feeling.

The trip to Busan was a dragging 5-hour car drive and KyungSoo can’t help but slouch at the backseat while his parents chatter away. He combs his hair with his fingers and touches a familiar lump on his head.

“Ah,” he mumbles, “how long has it been since I had these stitches on my head?”

He absentmindedly looks outside the car window as a flurry of images, each one starting where the other ends, drown him.

“Drowning…” he says to himself. “I never thought I’d be that close to dying.”

--

“KyungSoo honey not so far!” His mother called out from the sands. The 12 year-old KyungSoo pouted back at her as he uses his legs and arms to swim nearer a small boat, and further away from land.

It was a perfect day at the beach, there weren’t a lot of people so his parents decided to bring KyungSoo for a short fun at the beach. Anything to keep him occupied. Anything to keep him from sulking inside his room and crying about how he’ll never see his bestfriend again.

He was a swimmer’s prodigy at this tender age. He’s always been short for his age group so instead of feeling sorry for himself, he finds a way to use it to his advantage.

He was almost near that small boat, he could almost touch it.

BAM.

KyungSoo couldn’t remember much. All that he can recall was a piercing pain on the crown of his head, and everything seemed to go blurry. His taste turned lethally salty and he felt like his lungs were going to explode.

There was a violent tug to his arms pulling him up. Anytime now, he’ll be seeing heaven. He’ll be surrounded by angels with halos in pristine white togas.

“Hold on!”

Maybe after a couple of years he’ll see his best friend there again.

“Please, swim up! I can’t pull you hard enough!”

What was his bestfriends name again? Was it SunWoo? SeungHyun?

“Help me get you out please! You’re heavy!”

Has he forgotten his name? Whose name has he forgotten again?

--

“We’re here KyungSoo!” his mother chirps. They’re in front of a modest-sized villa over-looking the better part of Busan.

“Was I asleep the whole time umma?” KyungSoo wipes the tears that started to form in his eyes. He glares at his arms as if feeling someone pull on it. He had that strange dream again.

“Well what’re you waiting for son? Let’s get our bags unpacked and help me out with the barbecue.” His father happily shouts.

KyungSoo shoves all his thoughts and brings his things inside the house. He’s here to enjoy.

--

BaekHyun warily walks the short distance between his house and KyungSoo’s. It hasn’t been 10 minutes since the wide-eyed boy left, but he misses him already.

“2 weeks of nothing but me and my room,” he breathes, “that should be entertaining.” He saunters without noticing that there’s a bicycle headed his way.

“Yah! Outta the way kid!”

“Eh?” But it was too late for BaekHyun. The tire hits his leg violently and sends him forcefully to the ground. He winces in pain as he tries to get up. The stranger driving the bike quickly runs to his aid and offers his hand to him.

“Are you alright kid?”

He looks up at the stranger who rode his bike towards him. How can his ears be that big? BaekHyun thinks to himself.