A Wind Of Change [1] || EXO ✓

036: A Walk Down The Memory Lane

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Just like every other afternoon, six year old Kai waited outside the school gate for his elder sister so that the both of them could walk back home. His eyes darted around at the other kids who were merrily holding hands of their mothers and he couldn't help but wonder how his mother would have been. Was she a warm hearted lady who'd pack lunch and lull him to sleep every night? He'd never know because with his birth, the life in her was sucked out and she was one of the pretty stars in the night sky.

But with his elder sister at home, he never really felt the loss of a mother. At home, his dad and sister were his small sweet family. His elder noona was everything from a kind mother-like figure to the grumpy old lady who fought with him over the smallest of things. Small things like getting hit for not wanting to do his daily homework. He was instead into doing pirouettes. The apartment where the three lived had a studio from where the soft music of the piano wafted. He hummed to the melody and watched the ballet noonas from a window every evening. Upon constant persuasion, his sister gave in and he was a passionate little ballerino who twirled along with the girls.

Years passed by, however, his father was pressured with the responsibility of bringing up the two on his own. You could find him in the dark corners of cheap bars and restaurants, complaining about how difficult life was after the death of his wife. He was not over her loss. In his middle school, Kai was a loner who didn't mingle with anyone and didn't feel the need to be around people. Once school was over, he padded alone to his house and on his way, he always stopped by to feed a cat that sheltered near an overflowing dustbin.

One such day was different.

A sudden cry emerged making him drop his lunch box and he looked around in confusion. Following the direction of the noise, he noticed two of his classmates covertly hiding behind a wall to see a boy getting hit farther down a narrow alleyway. A boy wearing large round spectacles was smashed against the red wall which was followed by a loud cry. Kai inched forward to save the kid from the gang of pesky seniors but was stopped by one of the two classmates.

"Don't go, you'll get hit," said a tall boy with yoda ears.

"I'm not scared," Kai retorted. Despite being in the same class, Kai had no idea of their names.

"It's not a good idea to go unless you want to get your ass kicked," the other boy said.

The commotion created by the trio was heard by the leader and one of the gang members ran towards the kids who were witnessing the scene. Shocked, the three of them found themselves in a big trouble. If caught, they'd be beaten to pulp.

Kai suddenly slouched on the ground, grabbed a fistful of mud and flung it into the attacker's eyes. The boy shrunk back rubbing his eyes with screams. With a swift movement of his leg, he kneed the boy in his crotch when he tried to haul him against the wall. The piercing noise of the police sirens ended the fight causing the bullies to run away. Before leaving, the leader glared at Kai and pledged to make his school life a living hell but little did he know that the act of bravery marked the beginning of a blossoming friendship.