Chapter 3. Brave (1)

Beside Seok, Heyon walked with a mix of anticipation and nervous excitement bubbling within him. Today was meant to be a day of escape, a brief respite from the dark shadows that had plagued him for far too long. The sun blazed relentlessly in the cloudless sky, mercilessly scorching everything in its path, yet Lim wore a long-sleeved shirt beneath his overalls. It was a curious choice, and Seok couldn’t help but notice how Heyon subtly shielded his left wrist, as if trying to hide some unspoken pain.

“Aren’t you hot?” Seok questioned, his caring gaze fixed on Heyon’s attire and the way he held himself. “You always wear shirts that are too long.”

A soft smile graced Heyon’s lips, a mix of gratitude and vulnerability. “I like it,” he replied, his voice carrying a hint of nostalgia. “It’s comforting, like a shield.”

Seok nodded, understanding that Heyon’s choice of clothing was not merely a fashion statement, but a way to cope with the emotional turmoil he bore. “Alright then. Do you want to head back to my home?”

Heyon’s eyes gleamed with the excitement of a child as he spotted the lollipop Seok had bought for himself, a small treat that now held a world of possibilities. His fingers gently unwrapped the package, keeping his gaze fixed on his best friend. “Let’s dye our hair it your home?” he asked, his curiosity brimming with playfulness.

Seok chuckled, the sound warm and reassuring. “Yes, to dye our hair,” he confirmed, glad to see Heyon’s spirits lifting. “It’ll be fun.”

“Then let’s go,” Heyon said eagerly, determination shining in his eyes. This was their day, a chance to seize happiness amidst the darkness that loomed in their lives.

Feeling a profound sense of connection, Seok draped his arm around Heyon’s shoulders, embracing him like a shield against the world’s woes. The weight of the past and the uncertainty of the future seemed momentarily lifted as they walked side by side, laughing and sharing secrets, the allure of a nearby house beckoning them closer.

With a small smile, Kim put his arm around the other’s shoulders. He headed for the house that was only a few blocks away.

Heyon, when he discovered the house that Seok lived in “just after they both left class together when they were still in their second year of high school,” he was afraid to enter that residence. They used to say that, just because it was in a more secluded place, with no houses next door, it was home to vampires and other evil beings that haunted the surroundings at night.

It was obvious that that was bullshit, and in order not to be called a wimp when Seok invited him to go there, Lim accepted right away.

And really, there was nothing else there. It was an ordinary house, with only Seok living there.

It was not surprising that Kim lived alone. Seok, in the second year class, was the oldest among them all. He was already nineteen when Heyon was only seventeen. Kim said that his parents had died in an accident in his hometown of Daegu and that the house had been inherited from his father. He had no siblings or any relatives to share or fight over, so he decided to sell everything he had in Daegu and move to another city to live alone.

As school came to an end, Kim sought to find solace in the pursuit of new friendships, even though he couldn’t quite envision a future with a conventional career. In his quest for companionship, he crossed paths with Heyon, whose cherubic cheeks, captivating smile, and unmatched intellect instantly struck a chord with him, despite their apparent differences.

Their friendship flourished effortlessly. Heyon carried an air of loneliness and occasional melancholy, yet in Kim’s company, a transformation occurred. The weight of sadness seemed to lift, and joy took its place.

As they entered the grand, empty house once more, Heyon couldn’t help but revel in the comforting presence of his best friend. Seok skillfully arranged the necessary products on a large, dark wood piece of furniture at the room’s center, while Heyon settled onto the only sofa, observing the preparations.

“How will we do this?” Heyon asked, a touch of awe in his voice, as he watched Seok prepare to watch a tutorial video on YouTube.

Seok grinned playfully, settling beside Heyon, and replied, “I’ll watch a video on YouTube for this.”

“But didn’t you say you already knew how to do it?” Heyon inquired, a hint of regret tinged his words, perhaps questioning his decision to take on this task.

Seok chuckled, a hint of self-deprecation in his response, “Well, I do know, but I learned it by watching a video on YouTube. Can you believe it?”

Together, they watched the tutorial intently, absorbing each step to avoid any mistakes in their shared endeavor.

“We need hydrogen peroxide,” Kim remarked, realizing they were lacking the essential ingredient. “I’ll go buy it.”

Heyon stood up to join him, but Kim politely declined, stating that he could go faster alone.

Heyon pouted, he wasn’t brave enough to stay in the place alone, but Kim didn’t want to listen to him, he left the house in a hurry and disappeared on the vast road that led from his house to the first avenue.

His eyes wandered around the quiet house, and his body shivered.

“It’s just a strange house, Heyon. It’s just a strange house…” he whispered to himself, walking around.

On the stairs leading to the upper floor, several paintings were hung. Heyon was always afraid to look at them; they looked like the ones from horror movies. But curious, and urged to occupy his mind with any silly thing so as not to run away, he continued down the stairs, covering the side of his face so as not to look at any of those old photos.

Seok’s room was the last one on the hall. He was the only one Heyon knew from the house.

The doors were always closed when he went there, but he never questioned why.

However, as he walked to Seok’s room, his curious eyes went to the second door in the hall. It was ajar, and the room was dark.

Heyon felt his heart race, but he slipped his hand through the gap, fingering the wall until he found the switch. He turned it on, sighing when the light came on and his eyes widened, seeing a little picture of what was there.

His mouth was open, his feet were leading him inside.

All the walls were covered with bookshelves that reached to the ceiling, all filled with books.

A burgundy leather armchair was in the corner, and a candlestick with three unlit candles was on the small sideboard right there.

Heyon always thought Seok was a little weird, but never on a level like having a reading room just like a movie wizard.

He went over to read the titles of the books, but he didn’t understand a single one of what was written there on the sides of the books.

“What the hell is this language?” He asked himself, looking for the dark cover book. He frowned at the sight of a skull traced with what looked like blood on the cover. The title was still in a language he didn’t understand, and when he opened it, everything became even more confusing. “I’m going to pray for Seok,” Heyon joked, trying to lighten the eerie atmosphere created by the macabre drawings in the book.

Seok, who had been observing Heyon with amusement, quipped back, “What God are you going to ask for, Yonie? The God of mysteries and enigmas?”

Startled, Heyon turned around, letting the book fall to the floor. Seok couldn’t help but chuckle as he walked over to Heyon and crouched down in front of him, picking up the book.

“Since when are you so curious?” Seok asked, his voice soft and teasing. Heyon could feel the warmth of Seok’s breath as he leaned in closer.

“Since you left me in this crappy house all alone!” Heyon replied, slightly irritated. “And why did you scare me like that? Do you want to kill me?”

“Kill you?” Seok laughed playfully, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “Imagine, Yonie…”

“Why do you have so many books?” Heyon asked, trying to change the subject and distract himself from the intensity of Seok’s gaze.

“Because I am young?” Seok teased, raising an eyebrow.

“And since when did Young have so many books?” Heyon countered, his curiosity getting the better of him.

“What kind of young vision do you have?” Seok laughed. “Come on, I bought what was missing and two more mango popsicles.”

“You don’t like mango popsicles,” Heyon pointed out, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

“I know, it’s both for you,” Seok said, the corners of his eyes crinkling with affection.

Heyon laughed, finally heading to Seok’s room to join him in the creative task. He watched as Seok retrieved the other materials they needed and saw him mixing them with skill.

“Keep cutting the aluminum foil,” Seok instructed, his focus on their art project.

“What is the measurement?” Heyon asked, holding the paper and scissors in his hand.

“Measurement ‘go with luck,’” Seok replied, a playful glint in his eyes.

Heyon chuckled, trusting Seok’s guidance. He sat down on the bed and began cutting the foil into pieces that he thought would work well for their artistic endeavor.

As Heyon continued cutting, he couldn’t help but notice Seok’s gaze drifting towards the window. Heyon followed his line of sight and saw Seok smiling and waving at someone outside.

“Is that SooMin?” Heyon asked, trying not to show the hint of jealousy that crept into his voice.

Seok turned back to Heyon with a soft smile. “Yes, he came by to say hello,” he replied.

Heyon’s heart skipped a beat, a mixture of emotions swirling within him. His feelings for Seok were complicated—love, admiration, and a tinge of envy when it came to others who got Seok’s attention. He cherished their friendship, but yearned for something more, a connection that seemed just out of reach.

Heyon, ever since he found out that Seok was his favorite person in the entire world, he also found out what it was like to feel in love with someone he couldn’t.

It wasn’t new for him to fall in love with a boy; Seok was the second in his life. The first one had been Min Eun, the troublemaker boy from senior year, but after the boy graduated and disappeared from Seoul, Heyon hadn’t felt it again until Seok showed up.

But he knew it was hopeless. Seok had never shown any romantic interest in him, and he didn’t want to ruin their beautiful friendship by confessing his feelings. So, he had to settle for being just friends and cherish every moment they spent together.

Back in Seok’s room, Heyon watched as his best friend mixed the hair dye carefully. “What color are you going for this time?” he asked, trying to divert his thoughts from his unrequited feelings.

Seok smirked mischievously. “You’ll see.”

They both applied the dye to their hair, following the instructions they had seen on the video. Heyon’s heart raced as Seok’s fingers gently touched his hair, and he tried to suppress any romantic thoughts, reminding himself that they were just friends.

After a while, they finished dyeing their hair, and Seok went to wash his hands in the bathroom. Heyon took the opportunity to look at himself in the mirror. The new hair color suited him, but he couldn’t help but wonder what Seok’s hair looked like now.

When Seok returned, Heyon turned to him with curiosity. However, as soon as he saw Seok’s hair, he couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

Seok’s hair was bright pink!

“Hey, don’t laugh!” Seok pouted, but he couldn’t hide his amusement either. “I wanted to try something different.”

“It’s different, all right,” Heyon chuckled. “But I think it suits you.”

Seok playfully flicked Heyon’s forehead. “Well, I’m glad you like it.”

They spent the rest of the day together, enjoying each other’s company and forgetting about their troubles. They went to the amusement park, rode the Ferris wheel together, and laughed until their stomachs hurt.

As the day turned to evening, they returned to Seok’s house, where they shared stories and dreams for the future. Heyon felt a sense of comfort and happiness being with Seok, and he cherished every moment they had together.

When it was time for Heyon to leave, he hugged Seok tightly, not wanting to say goodbye. “Thank you for everything,” Heyon said softly. “Today was amazing.”

Seok smiled warmly. “No, thank you for being my friend, Yonie. You make everything better.”

As Heyon walked home, his heart felt both full and heavy. He was grateful for Seok’s friendship, but he couldn’t deny the longing he felt in his heart. He knew he would continue to cherish every moment with Seok, even if they could never be more than friends.

And as the days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months, Heyon found solace in their friendship, knowing that he had someone who truly cared about him. And even though he couldn’t have Seok’s heart romantically, he was content with having him as his best friend—the one who made his life brighter and filled his heart with joy.