the story of us 》sungtaro

13

After waiting for what felt like eternity, the school day ended. I messaged my mom, letting her know I'd be home late, and met Sungchan at the motorcycle.

He smiled when he saw me walking across the parking lot, moving to grab something out of his bag. He held it outright when I got closer, the excitement obvious.

"Here!" It was a large object, one that I couldn't quite distinguish at first. But as soon as he put it in my hands, I knew exactly what it was. "I got this just for you."

It was a motorcycle helmet. One of my own so I wouldn't have to steal Sungchan's anymore.

"I figured if I want you riding around with me, I better do something to ease your conscience."

Apparently too many times I had scolded Sungchan, telling him that if I had his helmet, his chances of being injured increased significantly.

"Thank you, Sungchan." I marveled at the thing, examining its glimmering surface. "I'll pay you back for it, I promise."

"No, Shotaro." He stopped me almost immediately, hand held out in protest. "It's a gift."

Despite my debating, questioning if he was really sure, he refused to give in. According to him, if I tried to give him money, he'd only increase the amount and return it to me immediately. There was no winning with him.

So I gave up. I put on the helmet and hopped on the back of his bike.

Then we were off.

I watched as we sped past cars, the amount lessening until it was only me and him on the road. As the time passed, the number of homes and buildings we saw withered as well.

Eventually the bike slowed, the motor softened. I was met with a wall of trees, nothing else in sight.

"It's... nice." Maybe Sungchan could hear the hesitation and unsurity in my voice.

He laughed, eyes somewhere on the horizon. "We're not there yet, don't worry."

He took my arm, leading me through the tall trees. Our path was downhill, covered in fallen leaves, sticks, and the occasional rock.

This was definitely different than our usual spots, that was for sure.

"If I had known we'd be hiking, I would have worn better shoes." That was my attempt at joking at the terrain, hinting that it wasn't at all what I expected.

He looked at me, eyes turned up in a smile. "It's only a little further."

He wasn't lying, eventually the path evened out, a scene peeking through the wall of shrubbery.

Sungchan moved towards a gap, a doorway through the trees, waiting for me to follow.

It was water. A small pond, not quite a lake, shimmering in the late sun. The only sounds were from the wind snaking through the trees and a lonely bird, hidden somewhere in our surroundings.

"So what's the memory behind this place?" I remember asking. Each place Sungchan took me, he shared a moment behind it, and I was quite curious about this lovely corner.