Jongin’s an only child.

He never felt the exact “being loved” feeling from anyone else except his very own parents. So when he was at the age where he could play outside and he could see the kids run off and tease each other before his very own child eyes, he started feeling a bit empty. He kept wondering how it feels like to have a sibling, or even just a close friend to call upon.

The uneasy feeling started to escalate more when his parents got their long awaited promotion at the company they’re both working on. Jongin is now on his 2nd grade and pretty much can handle things at home all by himself. His parents were reluctant to hire a maid before because they can’t afford it yet, so he ended up learning the stuffs around a bit earlier than normal kids of his age. It’s not that he’s complaining. That’s just how things were and he’d learned to let himself just take it all in.

He leaves and comes home to an empty house.

Jongin remains a good boy and tries not to give any trouble to his hardworking parents. He studies and keeps his grades at the top, makes sure to do the chores before and when he comes back home, and doesn’t whine when they both ask him to run some errands. Although sometimes he just wanted to break off that “I’m okay” façade and start bawling like a five year old in front of his parents because probably by then, they’d finally notice him. Jongin craves attention, love. And every time he finds his house dark and empty, every time no one responses to his calls, Jongin’s little heart crumbles bit by bit and he’s afraid he can’t hold on to its shattering pieces any longer.

One day his parents forgot to tell him that they’d be out of town over the weekend and that like usual he can’t come with them since it’s a business trip and no one will be able to watch over him if ever he does comes along. Jongin learned about all of this through a little yellow Post-it note attached on the smooth grey surface of their kitchen refrigerator along with a direction on where he could get his extra allowance while they’re both away.

He never saw them leave that morning; not even a single good-bye or take care.

Jongin had enough of everything.

So he locked the house and went outside clad in his midnight blue parka, without anything at hand but his half-charged phone on his pocket and the spare keys to their house. He doesn’t know where his feet are taking him but he let them do so. His parents won’t care anyway. They’re far too engrossed in their own work and the business world that they’ve forgotten their only son. Yes, Jongin’s an only child. He can ask anything that he wants and he knows his parents would definitely hand it to him. He was lucky to have no one to compete for his parents’ unwavering attention.

But what was there to compete for if none of them is present to give such interest at all?

Tears silently fell upon the now chilled cheeks as the temperature around him slowly went down without him even noticing. His clouded mind failed to register the uneasy air around and the once white fluffy clouds that are starting to turn into dark gray ones just above the once fairly lit sky. Then, a lightning bolt struck across the horizon followed by a loud boom of the thunder and that pair has made him stop frozen from his tracks.

He looked around just to notice that he’s never been to this part of their area.  He rarely plays outside and he doesn’t have any friends that live nearby so he didn’t have the privilege to see other places aside from his pathway home. And it doesn’t help that the ground started getting wet and the strong smell that’s getting musky by the second have infiltrated his nose as the first rain drizzles hit the pavement. Jongin had to find a place to stay under while the rain picks up.

He saw a small children’s park near the end of the street and decided to just try his luck if there are any slides so he could get some cover from the cold rain. The park was definitely smaller than that of the one near his home but he’s not in any position to complain about it. As long as there’s a makeshift shade, Jongin will take it. It was better than nothing right now.

But to his dismay, there wasn’t any slide at all.

The park was just an open ground with a few young trees lining up the fences and the grass now all damped and muddy despite the good trim it has been treated to. There are only a couple of swings almost at the center, a medium sized monkey bar and some seesaw, but no slide, no shade at all. Jongin sighed and decided to just settle on one of the swings. It’s no use to find some shed now because he’s totally drenched to the core. Not even his thick parka was able to wave off the pelts of the now full rain.

Jongin didn’t know when he fell asleep, or when the rain stopped at all. Despite his eyes shut close, he could clearly feel that the raindrops had stopped hitting his tired face. If before he doesn’t know if those were tears on his eyes or just the rain itself, now he knows.

But what he didn’t expect was those soft warm fingers brushing them away and he can’t help but feel as if its very touch crept deep within  the tears cascading upon his cheeks.

It was a faint, safe feeling, but Jongin wasn’t willing to let go of it yet.

He opened his eyes to see a boy with doe-like eyes staring down at him, heart shaped lips partly opened as if about to say something and those fingers that he felt before halfway retracted from where it was before. The boy was holding a blue umbrella, effectively shading both of them from the still pouring rain.

“You’ll get sick.” The boy spoke carefully as his lips formed the gentlest smile Jongin has ever seen. He seems to have lost his own the moment his ears picked up his saviour’s angelic voice.

“I’m Do Kyungsoo. I haven’t seen you around here before.”

Kyungsoo… the angel’s name is Kyungsoo.

“Hey… are you okay? Can you hear me?” Kyungsoo tilted his head a bit to get a good look of Jongin. That seemed to do the trick since the soaked boy got off his daze.

“I… uhm, K-Kim J-Jongin.” he stuttered unmanly because his teeth were chattering obviously due to the cold.

“Oh God you’re teetering. Get up. You need to get warmed up or you’ll really get sick.” Kyungsoo pried his arms off the chain that supports the old swing. Jongin almost lost his balance when he stood up because his feet turn numb for staying at the same position for so long. And the swing was never a comfortable place for sleep to begin with.

“My house is nearby. You could stay with me for a while until my hyungs come back, and we will accompany you back home after the rain stops.” Kyungsoo smiled and Jongin definitely felt his cheeks warm up upon seeing that smile again at a nearer distance.

That’s when he realized that he finally found it.

Jongin’s finally found what he’s been looking for.

All of these memories flashback right in front of him as he felt Kyungsoo under him, whose soft lips, the same heart shaped lips that gave that smile that saved him back then, mutter and imprint upon his soul the words he’d been longing to hear for so long…

“I love you…”

Silence. Pure silence.

Kyungsoo’s heart frantically thumped against his chest and he’s afraid it’ll burst out any minute now. After mouthing those fateful words, he didn’t find any reaction from the younger. Not even a blink of an eye. It’s like Jongin’s time has been stuck frozen in an instant after he spoke against his lips. Kyungsoo started to tremble from fear.

What if Jongin didn’t feel the same way as he did?

What if this was all a bad joke and anytime now he’d start laughing at him?

What if he was wrong all along?

What if he was the only one in love?

What if… what if…

Kyungsoo closed his eyes as warm fresh