Way Back Home

Boy Meets Evil

I shout for a miracle
in this reality

"I think he's in the backyard now," Grandma Min told Chaerin as she led the smiling girl through her cozy home and towards the back door. The older woman glanced down at the young girl and she smiled as well.

"Chaerin," the woman called as they walked slowly through the home.

"Yes Grandma Min?" Chaerin turned her big brown eyes up to the older woman.

"My grandson—" she drew a heavy breath, "Well—just don't get discouraged if he's cold to you at first. He could use a friend like you." They stopped by the back door and Chaerin watched the woman with wide, innocent eyes.

"Okay Grandma Min, I promise I won't give up!" The girl seemed to be perpetually happy as another smile lit up her features.

"Good," the grandmother smiled and opened the back door, "Go on now."

Chaerin skipped into the backyard and stopped once she had gotten down the porch steps. The neighbor's backyard was small, like her own, but the grass was a vivid green that made it look cheery, and there were all sorts of flowers and small trees scattered around a winding stone pathway. It was a beautiful place. Chaerin set one foot on the stone path and then jumped to the other. She hopped over the stones, one foot at a time, as if it was a game of hopscotch.

Hop. Hop. Hop. Ho—

"Oof!"

"Ow!"

One of the pink laces on Chaerin's shoes had come untied and slithered beneath her other foot. She stumbled and fell, her game of hopscotch had been effectively ruined. But she wasn't the only one sprawled out on the grass.

"Why did you do that!" A voice shouted from beside her.

Chaerin whipped her head around in search of the voice. A boy who didn't look much older than her was sitting up in the grass beside her. His face was round and a looked a bit squishy, black hair was now disheveled on top of his head, and his deep brown eyes squinted against the sun. He scowled at Chaerin.

"Why did you do that?" He repeated, anger made his voice quake. Chaerin pushed herself up by the elbows so she now sat upright too.

"I-I um—" she wasn't sure what to say. She'd never met a kid who had so much anger in them. "I'm sorry," she finally managed to push the words out but they sounded lame on her tongue.

"Who are you?" The boy asked, there was still a bit of hostility in his voice. Chaerin's resolve to befriend this boy wavered; Grandma Min hadn't told her that her grandson was so mean.

And then she looked up into his eyes. They were so different from the rest of him. While his face was crumpled in frustration and his voice held rage, his eyes showed nothing but a deep, painful sadness.

Chaerin decided to try again. She wanted to know why he was sad.

"I'm Yah Chaerin! Nice to meet you," she smiled widely, trying to show him that she was a nice person and that she hadn't meant to knock him down when she tripped.

The boy stared at her like she had grown a second head. His eyebrows drew together as he watched her, a small wrinkle formed in his forehead. The longer they sat there in silence, the more Chaerin's confidence began to fade and her smile slipped slowly from her face until she couldn't stand to look into his cold face anymore.

"I'm sorry I knocked you down," she whispered at she tugged a strand of grass between her small fingers. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

The boy didn't say anything, so they continued to sit in silence. But then he stood up. Chaerin had lost all her bravery and she couldn't bring herself to look up at him, so she just watched his shoes as he rose slowly from the grass and walked away. Her saddened gaze followed his figure as the boy walked down the stone path and disappeared inside his grandmother's house.

Chaerin sighed in defeat; she couldn't do anything right. It had been stupid of her to come here and try to make a friend. She should have known that it was hopeless. Nobody liked her, why would he?

Her fingers yanked at the grass in frustration. What was so wrong with her? Why did all the kids hate her? What did she do wrong? Why did she get her hopes up?

It was a stupid idea to come here. Why would the neighbors grandson want to be friends with her? She was too weird. Too loud. Too irritating. At least that's what all the other kids told her every time she tried and failed to make friends. No, he wouldn't want to be friends with her. He could make better friends, normal friends.

Chaerin let the ripped up blades of grass in her hand fall to the ground. She should just go home and sit alone like she always did.

Just as she was about to stand, her eyes lifted enough to catch sight of a pair of worn out sneakers that stood before her. The boys knelt down in front of Chaerin and they stared silently at each other for a moment. The sadness was still there in his eyes, Chaerin could see it, but at least the rest of his face didn't look angry anymore.

While Chaerin's attention was focused on his face, the boy's pale hand reached out. Chaerin jumped in fright when the wet cloth was swiped against her knee.

The boy worked slowly as he cleaned the gash on her knee. She hadn't noticed her bloody knee after she'd fallen down on the stone path, she had been busy trying to make a friend; an activity that she now realized was a stupid, useless, and apparently not meant to be—at least for her.

The boy finally finished cleaning her cut and carefully taped a bandage over the open wound. Chaerin was amazed at how gentle his touch was. He placed the bloody cloth down on the grass and folded his hands over his lap.

Their gazes locked and something flashed though his eyes. It was brief, so quickly that Chaerin almost missed it, but for a split second he didn't look so sad.

"I'm Min Yoongi."