Chapter Three: July 4, 20 (1/1)

“Taekwoon, how’s the essay coming along?”             “Just fine, father.” The young boy answered without looking up from his computer. “Just six more pages.”             “Good,” a stern gentleman sat on the edge of his son’s bed. “Just because you’re on summer break doesn’t mean you can slack off. You’re going to graduate highest in your class, I guarantee it.”            “Yes sir,” Taekwoon responded. “When I finish my essay, may I go play in the woods with my friends?”             “Taekwoon!” The man spoke up causing the younger boy the shiver. “You know you have to finish twelve pages of math equations, and by the time you finish that, it will be time for dinner. Playing in the woods is a waste of time. If you need exercise, I’ll take you on a night run after dinner. Now get to work. Don’t let Hakyeon’s laziness drag you down, got it!”             The older man left the room, slamming the door on his exit, and a tear fell from Taekwoon’s eye. “Hakyeon isn’t lazy.”              “Taekwoon-hyung! Taekwoon-hyung!”             Taekwoon wandered to his window, rubbing his sleepy eyes.             “Wanna come play with me?” A young boy of seven held up a small black journal with a star on the cover. “I’m going to catalogue the forest but I need a guide and since you live closest, I thought...”             “Go ask Hongbin!” Taekwoon shouted out his window. “I have to study. Get lost, Sanghyuk”             “But... Hongbin’s not home. He’s visiting his grandparents today.”             “Then ask Hakyeon. He’s probably not busy, he’s probably being lazy.” Taekwoon crossed his arms, leaning against his window sill.”             “Hakyeon-hyung isn't lazy!” Sanghyuk yelled. “You sound just like your dad. Forget you. I’ll go catalogue the forest all by myself.”             “Suit yourself,” Taekwoon slammed shut his window leaving the small boy to wander the forest alone.              “Sanghyuk! Sanghyuk!” Hongbin cried, sitting against the slide in the public park.            “It’ll be ok, Hongbin” Hakyeon rubbed the child’s shoulder.            “No it won’t!” Hongbin yelled. “Sanghyuk is missing!”            Taekwoon walked into the park, apathetically staring as four solemn boys shed tears for their missing comrade.             “Hyuk shouldn’t have gone alone.” Taekwoon mumbled. This immediately sparked Hongbin’s attention as the younger boy rushed to Taekwoon, a look of fury gracing his features.             “You knew where he was going! Why didn’t you go with him?” The younger boy lashed out.             Taekwoon looked down quietly at his fidgeting hands.            “Answer me!” Hongbin yelled, grabbing the ten year old by his collar, causing him to look down into the red hot, tear stained eyes of the furious eight-year-old. “Why didn’t you go with him? Are you even his friend? You should have gone with him, you jerk! It’s your fault he’s gone! It’s all your fault!”

Taekwoon woke with a jolt, and sat up panting in his bed. Cold sweat ran along his neck as he tried to get a grasp on reality. The ten year old quickly ran to his bathroom, turned the spigot to dispense ice cold water and the moment the basin was full, he plunged his head into the frigid water. After emerging, Taekwoon took several ragged breaths while looking at himself in the mirror and watching the tiny beads of water drip from his hair.            Taking another minute to calm himself, Taekwoon wandered back into his bedroom and glanced at the digital clock resting on his desk. It was only 4:00 a.m. Taekwoon stared at the time for a moment before turning to the top right corner of the screen where a date was displayed, July 4, 2000, the day before Sanghyuk’s 8th birthday.            Taekwoon sat in the chair and switched on his desk lamp before pulling out the worn journal from his knapsack. He read over the entry from today’s date. When rereading the words from his ten-year-old self his heart broke in two. This was the last day he’d see Sanghyuk. This was Hyuk’s death date. He had to keep this from happening, no matter what.            Taekwoon closed his journal, taking a deep breath, and turned toward the stack of homework his parents had laid out for him the previous night. He had a lot of work ahead of him.             “Taekwoon-hyung! Taekwoon-hyung! Wanna come play with me?” The young boy yelled up into his friend’s window. He waited several minutes, adjusting his leather backpack, before sighing. “I guess he’s busy studying. Why did I expect anything less?”            Sanghyuk turned to walk away when he heard a rustling from the bushes. He cautiously stepped toward them when a young boy leapt out of the bushes, frightening him and causing him to fall over.            “T-Taekwoon-hyung?” Sanghyuk stuttered, truly surprised to see his friend up and about.            “Shh,” Taekwoon shushed the boy before whispering. “You wanna go explore the forest, right? Then let’s go, before my dad wakes up.”            “Hyung? Are you feeling ok?”            “No time,” Taekwoon grabbed Sanghyuk’s wrist before hastily pulling the child toward the forest entrance.            Taekwoon and Sanghyuk entered the forest in relative silence as the older mentally recorded his surroundings. It’d been the first time he had gone into the forest alone with Sanghyuk, but if he had any say in the matter, it wouldn’t be the last.            “You know, hyung, I was really surprised.” Sanghyuk said, mid-walk.