Tomorrow's Childhood

Three years later

Taehyun trudged silently through the thick snow, cursing every step. He just wanted winter to be over but that didn't seem to be happening anytime soon. It was the middle of January and there was still snow on the ground. He hated life. It was a long walk to and from school, another thing that was making him miserable. But more than that was the giant hole in his heart that had been present now for three years. Since Soobin's move away, the friend group had dissipated and gone their separate ways. Taehyun wasn't even sure he missed them anymore. He missed what they used to have but that was different. Someone fell into step beside him but Taehyun barely noticed.

"Hyunnie" The older boy spoke softly. Taehyun stopped in his tracks, looking down at the footprints in the snow. He knew that voice, even after three years. It was the same voice, though a little deeper and mature. Another set of shoes appeared in his vision and he slowly looked up. 

"Soo...?" Taehyun couldn't believe his eyes. Soobin smile at him and for just a moment, it was as if nothing had changed. As if Soobin had never moved away, as if Taehyun had never insulted Kai and broke up their friend group. As if they were back in elementary school, spending the days eating popsicles on the porch of Taehyun's run-down house.

"Hi Taehyun" Soobin greeted him. Taehyun's bag dropped to the ground; he could do nothing but stare. 

"Its um...its been a while" Soobin stated, rubbing the back of his neck. Taehyun just nodded. Yeah, it had been a while. Three years to be exact. They weren't little kids anymore. Taehyun and Kai were twelve, Beomgyu was a teenager, they were all in middle school. Yeonjun was in high school. Everyone had grown up. 

"Why are you...? When did you...?" Taehyun stopped. He couldn't even bring himself to finish any of his sentences. 

"I just got back two days ago. I'm living over with Yeonjun now" Soobin answered, already knowing what Taehyun was going to ask. Taehyun just nodded again. He hadn't seen Yeonjun, Beomgyu or Kai in years. They stopped talking to him after Soobin left. 

"How have you been, Taehyun? I know things were a little tense before" Soobin shoved his hands in his jacket pocket. Taehyun recognized that jacket, it was Yeonjun's. Taehyun had seen the older kid wearing it a few times around school. 

"I'm...okay" He lied. He wasn't okay. Taehyun had become angry in the past three years. He had gotten into some trouble and had a few run ins with the law. Taehyun felt bad for his poor mom, and for his dad who had come back around a year before. That was another reason that Taehyun was angry. His mom had just accepted his dad back after eight years as if he had never left in the first place. 

"You can be honest, Tae" Soobin chuckled. 

"Why would you care? You left" Taehyun reminded him. Soobin's smile fell. So that was how this was going.

"I didn't have much of a choice. I was a kid" Soobin argued. Taehyun bit his tongue; Soobin was right. It wasn't Soobin's fault but Taehyun still regretted everything that happened and he might be taking it out on his hyung.

"I'm not the one who broke up the group" Soobin glared at the ground. Taehyun backed away, caught off guard. He always knew that the others blamed him and he couldn't be angry about that but it was different to hear it said out loud so plainly. 

"I made a mistake. I didn't expect them to ignore me" Taehyun clenched his fists. Soobin sighed. 

"Yeah, that was pretty unfair huh? But so was that comment about Kai's family" Soobin scolded softly. Taehyun flushed red. He knew that; he didn't need Soobin to come back after three years and remind him of how much he had screwed up.

"Is that the only reason you came back? To remind me of how much of a failure I am?" Taehyun scoffed.

"Taehyun-ah" Soobin shook his head, taking a step towards Taehyun. The younger didn't move, staring Soobin down. 

"Why don't you go back to your perfect, rich family? You've always been better than me, don't pretend like its any different now" Taehyun knew his words cut deep. Soobin had never liked being treated differently just because his family was rich, the same went for Yeonjun. They preferred to be seen as just kids, same as their former friends. 

"You don't know anything, do you?" Soobin scoffed, turning and walking away without another word. Taehyun cursed himself and trudged home, slamming the door to his room.

"Hey, kid! Mind the door, will you!?" His dad yelled from the couch. Taehyun looked at him disgusted as he dropped his bag on the floor of his room and kicked the door closed, flopping down onto his bed and looking up at the ceiling, his mind racing. 

Soobin was back. Yeonjun was in high school. Beomgyu was a teenager. Kai was ignoring him.

Yeonjun was in high school. Beomgyu was a teenager. Kai was ignoring him. Soobin was back.

Beomgyu was a teenager. Kai was ignoring him. Soobin was back. Yeonjun was in high school.

Kai was ignoring him. Soobin was back. Yeonjun was in high school. Beomgyu was a teenager. 

Taehyun was alone.

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Yeonjun-15. 10th grade. HS
Soobin-14. 9th grade. MS
Beomgyu-13. 8th grade. MS
Taehyun-12. 7th grade. MS
Kai-12. 7th grade. MS