Fire On Fire [TK]

(1) Prologue

"We were like gods at the dawning of the world, & our joy was so bright we could see nothing else but the other."

—Madeline Miller,
The Song of Achilles

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...2011

It began as a whisper in the air, the wind stirring the leaves as the sky darkened into a gravel grey hue. Pillows of writhing clouds shrouded the city, a deep rumble filling the vengeful sky.

A storm was forming at a distance.

A fourteen-year-old boy formed a cage with his arms above his head in an attempt to save his freshly cut hair from getting wet in the drizzle, his bag thumping on his shoulders as he sprinted along the sidewalk with quick, careful steps until he reached an iron gate, slightly rusted from wear, and creaked it open, swiftly running inside the house. He slipped off his drenched shoes at the entrance of the main door and kneeled down on the hardwood floor once inside. With nimble fingers, he fished out all his notebooks in one go, turning them all in his hand, and sighed in relief once it was clear the water had not damaged any of them.

"Jeongguka? Are you home?" A sweet voice called from inside the house.

He pulled off his damp jacket and his wet socks. "Dae eomma!" His shirt and pants were relatively dry, at least enough for him to make it through dinner. He placed all the books on a corner table in a neat stack and hung the bag on a nearby hook before padding towards the sound of the voice.

"Aigo, my baby, your hair looks so great," the woman cooed, smiling wide at him while bringing a steaming bowl out of the kitchen. "Come, sit down; dinner is ready. We were waiting for you."

"Ah, Jeongukkie—" his brother, already changed out of his uniform, smugly singsonged from behind her, carrying empty bowls in his hand.

"Don't call me that!" Jeongguk shot back, following him, greeting his father before sitting down cross-legged in his designated seat.

"Why not, Gukkieee?" His brother sang again, sitting down right across from him, placing the bowls on the table. Jeongguk squinted at the stacked bowls before raising his eyes and glaring at him.

"Why did you get three bowls?"

"I didn't think you would need it since you already have one on your head," he snickered, making Jeongguk scowl.

"Eomma!"

"Enough! No fighting before dinner," his mother cleared her throat. "Junghyuna, get another bowl, would you?"

"Ani eomma, last week Jeonggukie had boldly stated that he was now big enough and did not require anyone's help, didn't you, Jeonggukie?" Junghyun grinned.

"Junghyuna," his mother sighed. "Must you?"

Jeongguk huffed at his brother's antics, "I'll get it myself!" Heaving himself up, he rushed to the kitchen and brought back a bowl, along with a death glare plastered on his face while he sat back down. Junghyun simply chuckled in response, making Jeongguk's blood boil. He ought to shave his brother's head someday. That would teach him not to be such an ardent prick towards him. He smiled at the implication.