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( Hoseok ).
THE DAY HOSEOK had decided to join his friends in an adventure scouting out an abandoned circus had been the worst mistake of his life.
HE loved thrills, sure, and looking through a once lively establishment turned abandoned sounded like buckets of fun, but that one day he wished he had been a quiet little boy who didn't like doing dangerous things, the way his parents had always wished he was.
He wished someone had told him he'd waste away weeks of his life in that circus, and end up worse for wear.
❝COME ON HOSEOK,❞a voice from ahead called for him to hurry, " The circus is only a few minutes of walking from here!"
His head gave a dull throb as he stepped out of the car. Hoseok didn't feel like getting out of the car, with its warm seats and endless bags of snacks. The air was still, an ocasional breeze moving the blades of uncut grass. It sent goosebumps upon the man's skin. It was a normal April day.
Turning, Hoseok looked ahead, squinting as he made out the silhouettes of the three other friends he'd arrived with. They'd known each other for a few years now, and occurrences like these were common. One would suggest a trip, and the others would agree because they all prioritized having fun lives over work.
Hoseok was no different. He didn't particularly care where he was taken, as long as he enjoyed himself. So when one of his friends suggested an abandoned circus only a few miles away from his apartment, he immediately discarded the stack of books he was planning on reading and got ready.
"Coming!" He called after a moment of standing, stumbling into a run to catch up to the others.
When he caught up to the rest, he gave a lazy grin and rushed off on his own once more. Hoseok liked being first, although perhaps he didn't show it like others.
After a few minutes of running, he turned to look behind him — Silence greeted him. None of his friends were in sight. He laughed, tossing back his head. Silky hair splayed all over his face as he plopped himself down on a large rock and waited.
The distant image of the circus was only a few meters away, close enough to see the tents' designs yet still far away enough for the signs to be illegible.
