NEVERLAND season1 ||TXT|| [ENGLISH VER.]

Fading Echoes

The sun was barely a sliver on the horizon when the boys returned to their homes, the euphoria of the night quickly dissipating in the cold, hard light of morning. The laughter, the fleeting sense of freedom—they were already beginning to feel like distant memories, overshadowed by the crushing weight of their everyday lives.

Yeonjun was the first to step back into his house. The air was thick with an uneasy silence, the kind that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He knew something was wrong, and the moment he stepped into the living room, his suspicions were confirmed.

His father was there, sitting rigidly on the couch, a scowl carved deep into his face. The room was dim, but Yeonjun could see the anger simmering in his father’s eyes, a storm waiting to break.

“Yeonjun,” his father’s voice was low, dangerously controlled. “Where the hell have you been?”

Yeonjun’s throat went dry. He had no excuse, no lie that could explain away his absence. He had been out, trying to forget, trying to escape, but there was no running from this. Before he could muster a reply, his father was on his feet, the fury that had been simmering now erupting.

“You think you can just take my car and disappear in the middle of the night?!” His father’s voice rose, each word laced with venom. “Do you even realize how irresponsible you are? You’re a disgrace—reckless, selfish, and completely out of control!”

Yeonjun flinched as the words hit him, each one cutting deeper than the last. He knew his father was angry, but this—this was more than just anger. This was disappointment, disgust, a deep-seated resentment that had been building for years. And it was all directed at him.

“I’m sorry,” Yeonjun finally managed to choke out, but his father wasn’t listening.

“You’re sorry?!” His father’s voice was practically a roar now. “Sorry doesn’t cut it, Yeonjun! You’re grounded, indefinitely. And don’t think this is over—we’re going to have a serious conversation about your future because this—this can’t continue.”

Yeonjun nodded numbly, his vision blurring as he held back tears. He wanted to scream, to defend himself, to say that he was trying, that he was doing his best—but what good would it do? His father wouldn’t understand. He never did.

As Yeonjun trudged up the stairs to his room, the reality of his situation sank in. The brief freedom he had felt with his friends was gone, replaced by the crushing weight of his father’s expectations. It was too much. It was all too much.

For the first time, the thought crossed his mind—maybe, just maybe, it would be better if he could just leave, if he could escape this life entirely. Maybe Neverland, that distant, dream-like place where no one ever had to grow up, was the only place he could truly be free.

___________

At Soobin’s house, things were just as tense. He had slipped inside quietly, but his mother’s sharp voice cut through the silence, freezing him in place.

“Soobin! Where have you been?” Her voice was cold, demanding an answer.

Soobin turned to see his mother standing at the top of the stairs, her arms crossed, her expression a mix of anger and disappointment. “I was out,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Out?” Her voice was laced with disbelief. “Do you think this is acceptable? Sneaking out in the middle of the night like some delinquent? You’re supposed to be the responsible one, Soobin, the one we can rely on. How do you think this reflects on our family?”

Soobin’s heart sank. He had always been the one to shoulder the burden, to keep the peace, to make sure everyone else was happy. But it was never enough. Nothing he did was ever enough.

“I’m sorry, Mom,” he said, the words hollow in his mouth.

“Sorry?” She descended the stairs, her eyes flashing with anger. “Sorry doesn’t even begin to cover it. You’re grounded for the rest of the summer. And forget about that drum you wanted—I can see now that you’re not mature enough to handle it.”

The finality in her voice was like a punch to the gut. Music was the only thing that had ever brought Soobin joy, and now even that was being taken away from him. He felt something inside him break, a part of him that had always believed that if he just tried hard enough, if he just kept being good, everything would be okay.

But it wasn’t okay. It had never been okay.

He nodded mechanically, turning away from his mother’s piercing gaze, and retreated to his room. Once inside, he collapsed onto his bed, the tears he had been holding back finally breaking free. He wanted to scream, to lash out, to run away from it all.

For the first time, the thought crossed his mind that maybe, just maybe, he didn’t want to be here anymore. Maybe he, too, would be better off in a place like Neverland, where the pain and expectations didn’t exist.

__________

Beomgyu had barely closed the door behind him when his father’s drunken voice slurred through the darkness. “Where’ve you been, boy?”

He didn’t answer, didn’t even acknowledge the man sprawled on the couch. His father was barely conscious, the stench of alcohol filling the small, dingy living room. Beomgyu’s heart ached with a mixture of pity and disgust. This was his life—day after day, trying to keep everything from falling apart while his father drank himself into oblivion.

The landlord’s visit earlier that day still weighed heavily on him. He had begged for more time, promised that he would come up with the money somehow, but the truth was he had no idea how. He had spent the entire day looking for a job, any job, but there was nothing. And now, as he stood there in the darkness, the reality of his situation hit him like a ton of bricks.

He was alone. Completely, utterly alone.

He cleaned up the mess his father had made, each movement slow and deliberate as if he were on autopilot. Once the living room was somewhat tidy, he made his way to his room, his feet dragging with exhaustion. He collapsed onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling as a sense of hopelessness washed over him.

He had tried so hard, done everything he could think of to keep them afloat, but it wasn’t enough. It was never enough. He felt like he was drowning, the weight of his responsibilities dragging him down into the depths of despair.

He thought about his friends, about the brief moments of joy they had shared earlier that night, and a deep sense of longing filled his chest. They had talked about escaping, about running away to a place where they could be free—but that was just a fantasy, wasn’t it? A dream that could never be real.

But as the night wore on, the idea began to take root in his mind. Maybe Neverland wasn’t just a dream. Maybe it was the only way out. The only way to escape the pain, the fear, the crushing weight of their lives.

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