forever ; hyungwonho

01

CHAPTER ONE

SHIN hoseok grew up reading stories, more specifically, fairy tales.

unlike most kids his age, who would either play outside on the sun-destroyed grass, or run around the streets, laughing loudly, playing tag with their friends. he chose to stay safe, inside his home, and never question if what he was doing was really normal for an eleven year-old child.

he always liked stories, anyways. reading about happy endings and meeting the love of their life, seemed so beautifully wonderful to the naive kid.

besides, knowing what actually happened in the real world terrified him endlessly.

everyday was the same: wake up, eat breakfast, take fourteen steps from the front door to the mailbox, then quickly sprint (which was approximately six strides) back inside the safe haven he called home. then, retreating back to his bedroom, hoseok would read over the work booklets that were sent to his house occasionally.

hoseok spent, on average, about three hours learning before he'd neglect it and go back to reading the sappy stories.

what wasn't odd, and considered a very normal thing in this town, was the fact that most children, or teenages, were homeschooled- most were self-taught. usually parents were too busy with their underpaid jobs, trying to support themselves and their families, to afford proper education.

hoseok was fortunate enough to see his parents every morning and night. as far as he knew, all the other kids were left alone during the day. that was the only conclusion he could think of as to why the neighbourhood filled with excessive amounts of giggles during the 'school day'.

being alone, however, never encouraged him to rebel and leave the house. it only made him want to stay home. locked away.

rebel; it was a word he knew very well and it was something he never wanted to do.

murder was one of the consequences of anything that might be reflected as a crime towards the town or people higher in power. it was rare someone would be held in prison, and it was even more rare for someone to be let off with a warning.

that was real life for the boy, and that was what he was so afraid of.

he didn't like the world he was made to live in, but he didn't want to die. that was what he feared the most.

hoseok didn't want to die.

the whole concept of death confused him; where did your spirit go? does your soul stay on earth or does it go to heaven? would you even know you're dead?

it was something that kept his mind wondering at night. for an eleven year-old, it was just another thing he shouldn't be worrying about. he couldn't help it, though. hoseok still prayed every night to the stars above that he would live forever, that he would find his happiness one day.

he didn't know if it was from all the fairy tales he has read, but a type of assumption was planted inside his brain- it was silly, and totally illogical, but hoseok always believed in it. he thought, that if a person's love for someone was strong enough, powerful enough, then even after their other half was dead and gone, they would never really be gone. a part of their soul would always remain with their 'true love', guiding them through life, helping them find their way.

it was simply foolish because even hoseok could see that true love didn't exist.

especially not in such a world where violence and murder took place everyday right outside his home.

only in stories was where all the love and tranquility thrived. maybe that was the reason why hoseok spent almost every wakening hour with his nose in a book, rereading the same thing over and over again, because that was the only way the boy could escape the torture of the real world.

yet, somehow, the place he tried so desperately hard to keep out, always came creeping back in.

a loud crack echoed throughout the street, screams of children and people crying resonated into the air- just like the sound of the gun shot. hoseok threw the book he was reading on the bed, rushing over to the window, crouching down so he wouldn't be seen. the small boy peeked over the ledge, trying to catch a glimpse of all the chaos roaming the street.

lying face down on the gravel was an old man, blood oozed from his head onto the dirt. the sight caused a sickening feeling to churn inside hoseok's stomach.

the man with the gun yells something, he was probably telling the kids to get back, but hoseok didn't pay attention. he was suddenly too focused on a young boy kneeling down on the ground next to the lifeless body. face in his hands, the child was sobbing, obviously. and that was when it clicked in hoseok's brain- the dead man was his father.

seconds turn into minutes as hoseok was still looking at the boy, curious to see if he can recognize him in the slightest.

when he finally stood up, dusting down his torn pants, and wiped away the tears that stained his red cheeks, hoseok noticed it was chae hyungwon- the boy who lived four houses down from him. hoseok's eyes sting and his heart felt heavy, knowing that the kid was now an orphan and had no one.

he turned away, sitting on the ground, clutching 'cinderella' close to his chest.

the sad boy lets out a few soft whimpers before hastily rubbing his eyes, afraid that if he starts crying, a guard might hear and kill him, too.

taking in a shaky breath, he said: "chae hyungwon, from now on, i'll be your new home."