Dreaming boys

★New start

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The door of the community building creaked open. I entered, still a bit intimidated, followed by the police officer who had accompanied me. A caregiver, a woman with brown hair tied back in a ponytail and a welcoming smile, greeted us at the entrance.

"Welcome, Hyeongjun. I'm one of the caregivers here," she said, extending her hand in a friendly gesture. I hesitated for a moment, then shook the hand offered to me.

The woman led me through a bright corridor filled with photos of the kids who had attended the community over the years. I looked at the pictures with curiosity, noticing the smiles and hopeful faces.

"Come on, I'll show you where you'll be staying and introduce you to the other kids," she said. We passed through a door that led to a large common room, furnished with sofas, armchairs, and tables full of games and books. Some kids were sitting and chatting, others reading or playing cards.

"Guys, this is Hyeongjun," the caregiver announced. "He will be joining us for a while."

The eyes of those present turned to me, some curious, others indifferent. I felt uncomfortable, the caregiver noticed and put a hand on my shoulder. I hated physical contact, but I didn't say anything out of politeness, not wanting to make a bad impression on the first day.

Despite the desire to change, I would have preferred to be somewhere else, and while I was lost in my thoughts, the door opened again and two other caregivers entered, accompanied by a tall boy with an athletic build, messy black hair, pale skin almost cadaverous that highlighted his dark circles, and an elusive gaze.

"Ah, here's Seungmin," said the woman with a slightly more serious tone. "He's been here for a while. Always trying to run away, but don't worry, we're working on it... Right, Seungmin?"

Seungmin gave a quick glance towards the woman and then looked at me, finally moving to a corner of the room, avoiding any eye contact. I felt a bit relieved, recognizing a kindred spirit. He seemed rather clever; I didn't want to get close to the wrong people since I wanted all this to end quickly. Nevertheless, Seungmin intrigued me.

"Come on, I'll show you your room," said the woman, taking me to the second floor. The room was simple, with two beds, a wardrobe, and a desk. It wasn't much, but it was better than what I was used to.

As I was arranging my few belongings, the door opened, and a boy with dark hair and lively eyes entered the room. "You're rooming with Seungmin... tough luck," he said, chuckling.

I turned and remained silent, staring at the boy.

"I'm Jungsu," he smiled and then added, "if you need anything, you can ask me." I thought for a moment and then spoke. "Thanks, I don't even know where to start, actually I'm still processing."

Jungsu laughed. "That's normal, it happens to everyone. Come on, I'll show you the rest of the house."

As we walked through the corridors, Jungsu and I started talking. I immediately felt comfortable with him. Jungsu was a year older and seemed to know the community well.

"Well, I've been here for a while... I've seen a lot of people come and go, except for Seungmin, he was already here when I arrived. He's a bit distrustful, I don't know anything about him either, even though we're quite close," he said, and I just nodded. Then, looking at me, he asked, "Why are you here? If I may ask."

I sighed. "It's a long story. My mother is sick, my brother studies and works, and I... I made some bad choices. I stole to survive, but I got caught."

Jungsu nodded sympathetically. "I understand, I'm sorry. Unfortunately, everyone here has a tough life, we support each other, and I'm glad you're here... I mean."

"I understand," I said, chuckling. I didn't ask him why he was there, and as we talked, his cheerful eyes turned sad. "What's your dream?" I asked. He looked at me with a sad smile, thought for a moment, and then spoke. "I know it's cliché... I probably want to live happily with my boyfriend."

"No dream is cliché, I hope yours comes true." Jungsu then asked me the same question.

I smiled. "I want to become a guitarist. The only reason I went to school was for the music class, but now it's been closed. It's one of the reasons I stopped going."

Jungsu looked at me with admiration. "That's a fantastic dream. You know, here at the community, we have a guitar. Maybe you could start playing again. It might help you feel better."

I nodded, feeling a bit of hope for the first time in a long while.

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