a summer like that | jj project

1992

Jaebum's drowning incident from last summer becomes a closely guarded secret of Jinyoung and Jaebum. As the city boy's arrival for the summer approaches near, Jinyoung looks forwards to it with a new found anticipation.

Several things had happened in his life while Jaebum was gone. He won't lie that he had considered writing Jaebum letters to have some chit chat but then he had dropped the idea quickly. He had so much to tell Jaebum but he wasn't sure where to start.

Atleast Jaebum won't complain him of being quiet and shy kid anymore.

They hang out together for the first time in Jinyoung's room. He is quiet uncomfortable inviting people into his room as it wasn't particularly tidy all the time but he still manages to put away the dirty laundry and arrange his bed and desk.

Jaebum looks around, not giving away much with his expressions as he picks up a book from his desk without asking. Jinyoung had dogeared it because he was reading it last night.

"So you read fiction?" Jaebum asks, flipping through the pages and stopping at the point where Jinyoung had paused last night.

"Yes. do You like reading as well?" Jinyoung asks with a bit of hesitation.

Just like every other time he wasn't sure why he keep acting awkward all the time.

The Catcher In The Rye in hardcover catches Jaebum's attention. He mentions how he has already read the book and finds it quiet boring. At that statement, Jinyoung senses a resentment. He actually loved the book until that point but he hasn't finished it yet so he couldn't tell if Jaebum was joking or not.

They talk about various things, sipping from cartons of apple juice Jaebum had brought with him. One thing leads to the other and Jinyoung ends up jumping to a recent incident in his life.

"I went on a date for the first time, with a girl from my class actually."

Jinyoung feels like Jaebum is side eyed judging him so he continues talking anyway.

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"No. I don't."

Jinyoung wants to laugh at the blatant lie. It simply couldn't be. A boy like Jaebum can't be single or atleast he might have had casual flings which he wasn't willing to share with Jinyoung. He decided not to pry further, thinking that it might put him in an awkward position.

Jaebum was still staring at him weird as Jinyoung tried to put the book back from the stack on his desk.

"So do you have a girlfriend?" Jaebum questions him back this time.

"Uh, no. Not really. I just went on a date with her and..."

He pauses at the right time. Still unsure if he should share what followed with Jaebum. But Jaebum was his friend right? Who would show up each summer and leave Jinyoung in his increasingly chaotic head space? Right? Then he should have a little boy talk with him atleast just like he does with the rest of his mates from school.

"We kissed."

Jinyoung's simple admission puts a strange frown on Jaebum's forehead which he can't explain.

"Did you like it?"

Jinyoung looks up, standing an arm length away from him, thinking a hundred times before answering him.

"Yes, I guess. I don't know if it could have been better or worse, it was my first kiss after all."

At that Jaebum has a passive aggressive smile on his face as he gets up from Jinyoung's bed and heads towards the door. Jinyoung automatically follows behind him.

"First kiss huh? Are you sure that was your first kiss?"

And as Jaebum exits, leaving behind a frozen Jinyoung whose mind races back to the last summer and what Jaebum was implying. He was back on the muddy banks of the stream, his face hovering above an unconscious Jaebum, their lips mere inches apart.

He remember the way he had joined their lips to blow air into his lungs. He remembered it before his name, his address and identity and right then and there, everything changed for him.