Summer of Silver

Chapter 1 - Sunshine

The tale begins with Jung Hoseok, the son of sunshine. He had one of the most important powers. He had the ability to make the sun shine and had the responsibility to make it rise in the morning and fall in the evening. Despite such a duty, Hoseok was a happy young man. He was bright, warm and comforting, much like the sun itself. His father was the god of Summer and he was proud of his only son. He was reliable, hardworking and cheerful -- he brought his father great pride and joy every day.
He attended NYGA in Seoul -the National Young God Academy, an academy for the gifted- as a top student, always scoring straight A's. Not only had he a gifted mind, he was an extraordinary dancer. When he wasn't socializing in his free time at the academy, he spend his time in the dance studio. His dancing was so mesmerizing and unforgettable that other students would often gather in crowds and peep through the windows to watch the show. Not that Hoseok minded, of course. He didn't mind the attention -- in fact, he rather lapped it up in discretion.

Hoseok awoke at 6 AM on a Monday morning. He wakes up at such a time so he can slowly rise the sun. With a simple command whilst looking into the black abyss of nighttime, he ordered the sun to rise, gently awakening the earth. After a few moments, a crack of light appeared in the pool of darkness. Hoseok smiled to himself. It was always such a lovely sight -- he felt so honoured to be the cause of such beauty every morning. He would wake up at different times during each equinox to raise the sun accordingly. With a yawn and a ruffle of the hair, Hoseok crawled back into bed. Reanimate the earth, squeeze in another hour of sleep, get ready for school and set off. That was his daily routine. He drifted back into a dreamless slumber, gently lulled by the awakening birds and their morning calls.

An hour passes, his alarm clock brings him back to his senses and Hoseok too is awake once again with a morning call of his own; a brief grumble and a sloppy yawn. He grinned. It was the first day back at school after a two week-long Spring break. He rolled out of bed, changed into a clean pair of underwear and slipped into his neat and freshly ironed shirt and trousers. Unlike most schools in Korea, this academy didn't have a uniform but Hoseok still liked to look fresh and presentable. He gazed at himself in his mirror; he rather liked this outfit. Hoseok was pulled from his brief moment of self-admiration by his mother calling him from downstairs. Ah, his dearest mother. He smiled to himself and exited his room, making his way towards her.

"My, my." Hoseok's mother gushed, noticing his dashing outfit.

"He gets it from his mother." his father said with his head poking out from the kitchen, gaining a grin from his mother. The god of Summer beckoned Hoseok to him.

"It's about time you ate. Just look at the time!"

Hoseok glanced up at the clock. It really was getting late. 7:20 AM, the clock read. He needed to leave by 7:40 AM in order to catch the bus. He quickly ate a simple bowl of cereal, downed a glass of orange juice and was back upstairs within five minutes. He was once again standing back in front of the mirror. He frowned at himself and ran a hand through his tangled mess of hair. Out came the hair mousse, hair gel and hair spray. After another five minutes or so, Hoseok had finished styling his ebony hair. Quickly, he brushed his teeth and washed his face. He beamed. Hoseok was attractive and he knew it. He loved the shape of his eyes and how his lips curved when he smiled. He loved his body and how his lean muscles flexed and twisted when he moved.
You could say he loved himself. He didn't have any reason not to.
He opened his wardrobe and plucked his blazer from the rack. He slipped it on over his shirt and fixed his collar. Slipping on a pair of neat loafers, he slung his leather shoulder bag around him and left his room. He advanced his way towards the door.

"I'm leaving now!" he called. After a clatter and the scuffing of feet, Hoseok's parents met him at the door, his mother's arms outstretched. He hugged her tightly.

"Have a great day sweetheart." she chirped, receiving a thanks from Hoseok.

"Let 'em have it, kid." his father coached, about to ruffle Hoseok's hair before retracting his hand as to not mess up his perfectly styled locks. He opted for a quick embrace instead.

Hoseok stepped outside and closed the door behind him. He started walking and turned back around to see his parents watching him leave. He chuckled and waved to them, earning the same back. He had approximately 4 minutes to reach the bus stop.
That should be enough time. he thought.
He loved the walk to the bus stop every morning. It gave him an opportunity to plan out his day and file through his thoughts. It was a pleasant walk even on rainy days. He didn't mind having to carry an umbrella. He found it to be quite the fashion statement. But today was a gorgeous day. Hoseok was in a good mood and he wanted the weather to accommodate his cheerfulness so he made the sun shine finely today. Not too hot but still a warm, fresh glow -- the type that kisses your skin and reminds you that it's a lovely day every time you step outside.
He reached his bus stop and a few seconds later, the bus arrived and pulled up.
Bang on time. He grinned.
He greeted the bus driver, Larry. He was from Britain but came to work as a bus driver in Seoul after retiring his normal day job as a teacher back at home. He was really just a fan of the scenery so this was his ideal job. After the short but pleasant encounter, Hoseok found his usual seat near the front and sat down. The bus was reasonably quiet as Hoseok was one of the first stops the bus came to, with only three other people before him. He didn't talk to them much although they were nice people. Just a simple nod and a smile was enough for them as a greeting.
Hoseok reached into his bag and removed his phone and earphones. He gazed out the window whilst he waited for his phone to start up before being alerted by the vibration it made. He flicked through his playlist until he fell upon his favourite song, See Through by Primary. He swayed his head to the rhythm and watched the passing scenery through the window. The bus stopped a few more times to collect people -- some coming on their own or in a rowdy group. Everyone would greet Hoseok or flash him a smile as they filled the bus. He was quite a popular student. Hoseok chatted with a few other students on the bus on the way to school. Just small talk about Spring break, plans, goals for this term. Things like that.
Before long, the bus pulled up at the academy which was bustling with students. Some were greeting their friends after being apart, some were sitting and talking, and others were walking in and out of the building. Hoseok slipped his phone and earphones back into his shoulder bag, stood up and exited the bus after thanking Larry. He breathed in the busy air.

He was twenty years old and in his third year of the academy. His life at NYGA was fantastic. He was adored by many although there were only five people who he considered his friends. They were his best friends. He thought of everyone else as just a fan of his, not particularly as friends even though they were friendly. He had made a plan with his friends to meet up together at the gates of the academy. And so, he leaned against the gate pillar and waited for someone else to turn up. Until then he quietly watched the world go by, occasionally exchanging words of welcome with passers by.

Suddenly, Hoseok felt a slight gust of wind creep along his skin.