We Make it Work... Most of the Time?

Daehyun's Hidden Lagoon and the Outcast Kekemato

A loud bell chimed, signaling to the middle school children the day was over. They packed their supplies and rushed out of the classrooms in mobs, ignoring the teachers reminding them to do their homework and to be stay safe going home. Loud laughter could be heard as a group of children ran towards the beach, dropping their backpacks on the sand. One child, Daehyun, ran up to the lifeguard tower to greet his older brother before joining the other kids in a game of hide and seek. Daehyun always hid in the same winning spot: a small lagoon mostly covered by a ledge. It was far from the smooth sandy beach but most kids hid in the rocky area, so he never felt bad about it. Daehyun waited for the seeker to yell " Olly olly oxen free! " before jumping out of his clever hiding place and celebrating his win with the other children.

When everyone was starting to get tuckered out from their various childish games they agreed it was time to head home, slowly parting ways when their street came up. Daehyun waved to his remaining friends as he walked up the pathway to his home. The boy's mother greeted him as he walked through the door and he happily greeted her back before making his way towards his room. Daehyun contemplated doing his homework and even got it out, but simply looking at it pained him deeply. I'll get to it after I do a few things, he thought. He walked around his room pushing a few things around - 'cleaning', he called it. Daehyun paused from his cleaning to open the window and enjoy the sound of waves crashing, soothing his soul. Finally Daehyun was ready to tackle his homework. He was finished by the time his mother called him down for dinner.

"How was school?" Ms. Jung asked her son.

"It was good, I guess? Steve ate half a glue stick." Daehyun giggled at the memory of another 13 year old shoving a purple glue stick into his mouth. It was the teacher's first year teaching and she almost had a heart attack at the sight. She was quick to call the nurse, who shrugged and said it was non-toxic before leaving the classroom.

"Dad is coming home tomorrow, right?" Daehyun and his mother were the only ones at the table. His older brother was staying at a friend's house and his father left a few days ago on his fishing boat. The town Daehyun lived in, Hidden Seashore, was once a secret outpost for merchants but soon became famous for its seafood and pearl jewelry. Daehyun's father was a fisherman and often left for a few weeks but always returned with a small fortune of fish and the occasional pearl or two.

"He should be returning tomorrow afternoon. Why?"

"He promised to take us to see the Major League Dracul Cup Finals! Don't you remember? It's the only thing anyone is talking about these days!" The Major League Dracul Cup - or MLDC - for short, was an olympic style competition for dragon riders. It had the typical racing and obstacle courses but it also had other sports like archery, tug-of-war, climbing, polo, rescue, and a lot of other various sports that could attract a crowd. Many people of all ages would attend this grand event and at the end of the competition there was an amazing firework show congratulating everyone who participated.

Ms. Jung laughed at her son's excitement; he had been talking nonstop about the MLDC Finals ever since his father came home with the tickets. The event was taking place at the Kingdom Silmul the upcoming Saturday. At first Ms. Jung was skeptical about Daehyun being able to skip school because it was a one day trip from this town to Silmul. Conversely, she underestimated the Competition. MLDC was treated like a national holiday and most places prepared for mass absences. The school being one of them as most of the teachers were attending and the few children who did show to school were simply put in one room and watched the event on a television.

"Maybe one day you'll be able to take part in the competition." The woman got up and ruffled Daehyun's hair before grabbing his empty plate and took it to the sink. "I'm sure you and your dragon will win." She smiled to herself as she began to wash the dishes, pausing after a moment to look back a her son. "You're going to make this family proud when you finally meet your powerful dragon." Daehyun smiled back and headed upstairs to his room to get ready for bed, relaxing when his head touched the pillow.