our delicate string | 최범규

prologue: him.

[ 🎸 ]

THE BOY HAD a tendency to wander around wherever his feet decided to guide him. he felt the urge to walk to the subway station, the urge to sit at the bus bench and admire the cool air hit his face and take him back to his reality.

and why was that? why did he enjoy sitting solemnly on the bus bench as the air hushed him and his guitar strums?

he never had anybody he wanted to sit with. he wanted to be alone. or was that what he thought? does that make sense? what if, deep down inside, he wanted a friend who could ease the weight he carries on his shoulders? what if, his dream would come true if he stayed at that bus bench?

he gave up on that dream long ago when it never worked. occasionally, people would put their money in his guitar case when he never wanted it or asked for it. he would give it back to them because that wasn't what he had truly wanted. he didn't even know what he truly wanted.

but the boy could play guitar better than anybody in the town. the way his fingers grazed the strings ever so slightly, creating the perfect soft tone to bless the ears of the town. the way his head would sway from side to side when he heard himself play his musical instrument. he never thought he was talented.

and that was his mistake.

before leaving the house to clear his mind, he placed his thin black jacket on top of the sweater he wore and threw his hands inside the pockets of his jeans. popping his earbuds in his ears, he walked out of the house at 9:00 pm, saying goodbye to his mother. before leaving, the boy said:

"i won't be gone for too long, i promise!" as the old woman told him to stay safe and bid him adieu until later on.

he swung his guitar around his arm, and headed out the door.

the scenery was magical. lights illuminated the dark night as the boy walked across the bridge and stared off at the deep blue sea.

after staring and absorbing the aroma, he took a seat at the bus bench. with his eyes focused on the ground, he sat at the bench and swung his guitar to rest at the empty space next to where he sat. he filled the loneliness and void of himself.

the town was quite empty and silent around this time during the night. it was soft and delicate, a perfect ambiance for Choi Beomgyu to play his guitar in any way he would like without anybody poking fun at him or bothering him.

he pulled his hood down and unzipped the guitar from the case, ruffling his hair and pulling a few strands behind his ear. he smiled and tuned the guitar, soon plucking the strings to the rhythm of his favorite song.

he strummed along on the guitar, rocking his head back and forth to the rhythm of the song.

little did he know there was a figure a little away, admiring the way he played his guitar strings.

a girl who would soon become somebody so elegant and ethereal. that person who promised to be there for him for all eternity yet disappeared with the wind to leave Beomgyu crying on the floors of his bedroom.

that wind became his enemy forever.

the girl became somebody who would hold the entirety of his delicate heart in the her palms and allow it wither away in the cold winter air.