Vindictive [Beomkai]

3.

Hours later, Kai seemed to cool down like an overheated cpu. Now, he had started to regret his actions prior that day.

He had ran to the nearby park, swinging violently as the chains connected to the swing creaked. The air was efficient in cooling him down, that was for sure.

Was I too harsh to my dad? Kai thought, he was still certain that it was not his fault, Kwangseok had purposely bit him and risked injuries to get him in trouble. The little brat's plan succeeded and now his parents probably hate him.

Overthinking again, aggressive swinging did not calm him down anymore. Kai could only take his frustration out on the tree in front of him.

So he did, extending his legs which were long for a child to kick the poor unsuspecting leaves. It seemed to grant him satisfaction as he felt the leaves rustle and snap every time the swing brought him closer to it. Almost too immediately, the imagery of bones cracking underneath his feet, as he applied pressure to it by leaning himself. These thoughts, unknowingly, have been finding their way into Kai's mind.

Taken aback, Kai's grip on the chain nearly loses itself. Why am I thinking about such morbid things?

In thought, Kai was not aware of another's presence until a voice clearly interrupted his pondering.

"You're annoying."

The boy on the swings looked down to the boy sitting behind the tree. Neither spoke for a solid minute, both bearing their own thoughts.

Long eyelashes, soft hair.

After a not so thorough search through his limited bank of vocabulary, that was the only way 12 year old Kai could describe Beomgyu.

Pretty? No, too feminine.
Handsome? No, still didn't feel right.

Voluntarily, Kai had gotten off the swing to say hello to this not so polite boy whom had called him annoying.

Upon closer inspection, tears could be seen, glistening in the boy's eyes before rolling down his cheeks. The view compelled him, he hadn't seen anything like that before.

"Hey, are you okay?" He carefully spoke, not knowing where to put his hands as he awkwardly kept them in the air. The boy seemed to notice that too, his lips twitching at the corner as if trying to hold in laughter.

"I was okay until you were here."

Kai froze, words unable to roll off his tongue as he stared right into the boy's eyes in shock. His eyes, despite teary, were unwavering and stern.

"What's your name, kid?" The boy spoke again, his soft voice contrasting to his not so soft language.

"Kai." He responded, fingers now holding onto the hem of his shirt as he looked down to the floor.

"My name's Beomgyu."

Years later, Kai would remember this moment.

The tears, the happiness, the pain, or the euphoria would not have been if not for now.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say, this was where everything had begun.

However, if he had a chance to relive his later proven to be draining life of dare say, agony.

Would he ever have stepped out of the house that day?