Baby Don't Cry

Past and Presents

It's amazing how fast things change. How something that was perfect merely five seconds ago gets ruined with a blink of an eye. Like the time when Lay went overboard with soccer practice for the season finals and ended up with a waist injury, hence not being able to participate, resulting in destruction of his efforts. Like Baekhyun's History assignment, finely written on crisp white paper fell into a puddle last Monday, resulting in destruction of his hard work. Maybe even how Kyungsoo burnt the dish he had spent hours on at the last stage of its completion, destroying his work. Or how Hana witnessed the sight of a white truck colliding with white Hyundai, causing the smaller car to skid and smash into a tree and explode with the biggest bang she had ever heard, destroying her life.

The white car, with nude leather seats and a mini fridge installed especially for their precious daughter so she could stash her chocolates, gone. A music teacher, mid forties with the most charming smile Hana had ever seen, sitting on the driver seat while the seat on his other side was occupied by a woman in later 30's with short black hair that resembled much of Hana's, gone. And the back seat, whose sole occupant was a 16 year old girl whose life couldn't have been better.

It could've been the best day of her life. She had made into the top 3 of a national competition and all she had to do was travel to Jeju and flaunt her gift. She won second place but was content, competing with the best piano players in the country was no joke, and to think she made it into the top 3 gave her enough reason to beam with delight. Her parents were proud, and to award their child on her accomplishment they prepared a surprise which in order to prepare, Hana had to be left with Junmi, who had come along to support her favorite niece.

A 16 year old Hana whirled around at the sound of their car's horn. Smiling eye to eye, she could see the vague outline of a life size teddy bear on the otherwise vacant seat at the back. Her parents had a surprise for her, and she got one, just not the kind she expected. It was like a sick trick of fate or just cruel irony. Her parents didn't see the fast approaching truck. They couldn't see the vehicle and after a blink of the eye, she couldn't see them. She only heard. Junmi's scream, the sirens, and the most prominent sound of the entire ordeal, the explosion. The life she had lived for 16 years changed direction in less than 6 seconds.

Lay still remembered the words uttered by his father,

'One can never be too sure of what the future has in store. Always expect the unexpected and prepare yourself for the worst.'

Those sentences rang in his ears like a fire alarm. He couldn't see Hana's face but the mere image of her body looking lifeless on the piano made him freeze. Fear coursed through his veins as his father's philosophy and Kyungsoo's voice echoed in his ears.

He walked towards the body with quick steps but didn't have the heart to touch her. Instead he sat on the empty space on the piano bench. Tentatively, he brushed her dark strands away from her face and whispered her name. His lungs gripped, he called again louder, she still didn't respond. And then he suddenly remembered his father's first aid tips, feeling the pulse. The immense wave of emotion that washed over him after feeling her blood thump through her jugular vein was enough to knock him off his seat.

'Lay: found her

Kyungsoo: REALLY? WHERE?!

Baekhyun: WHERE WHERE WHERE?!?!?!'

Lay hesitated, did he want his friends to know of this place? His reluctance was confusing as well but before he could think any further, his ringtone destroyed the silence with its obnoxious volume. He hurriedly accepted the call, thinking the sound may have disturbed the girl but she was still motionless, in the same position he saw her.