Chapter Text
There were many things Juyeon could brag about; his balance, his wits, and his ability to recall any memory of his from a very young age.
Well to him, there was a lot to take down after all. He could still feel the sand crushing against his knees as if his five year old self was a yesterday form, the pungent and regretful smell of the animal zoo on that Australian trip with his father.
Sometimes he would mix up memories with dreams; pondering if it truly happened in his childhood, or he was hallucinating some memorable and nostalgic time he felt in his sleep. They were all places, childhood homes when he had only two, the imaginary swimming pool down the street. Did his teacher really live across him? Juyeon can't remember.
Why was he thinking about it? Juyeon thinks about his past too much. Time that slipped through in his hands, looking back would've been held much better. Those times that he can never forget, no matter how his brain tries because something in him truly remembers.
"Core memories!" Sunwoo had exclaimed next to him, his sling bag swinging right back to hit Juyeon in the hip. The road down to the main intersection is a long way for three boys in their university clothing."I got that from that movie we watched at Hyunjae's."
"Inside Out," Eric retorted, typing away furiously on his phone within seconds. A ruffled Sunwoo rolled his eyes at the younger."It's called Inside Out."
Sunwoo brushed Eric off with a flick of his wrist, lazily wrapping a carefree arm around a span of the older's shoulders."Moments in life you can't forget, basically. Like that one time we got arrested for skinny dipping in some neighbor's fountain."
"You mean you got arrested for skinny dipping in your neighbor's fountain." Juyeon would always make sure to clarify that declaration.
"Oops, maybe that's not a core memory." Sunwoo coughed, clearing his throat in the process.
They stop in front of the road, the pedestrian sign red. Traffic bustling and hustling among concrete and asphalt. Juyeon hates walking, getting some second hand deja vu almost.
"Well, you probably have a fuck ton of core memories piling up in that sardine sized brain of yours." Juyeon smacked the back of Sunwoo's head with extra force, because disrespect is not tolerated in this household.
Eric chimed in, interested in the topic suddenly. Juyeon was sure Eric had a talent for spewing bullshit."Tier rank your top six core memories then."
"Easy. The longest pube contest in the boy's bathroom is tier one," Sunwoo scoffed cockily like it was something to be proud of. And if you are wondering, no it is not. Not something you should be sharing at 5 pm next to public service workers at a stop.
The two other boys scrunched up their faces in disgust, Juyeon fake gagging with a hand clamped over his mouth. Eric turned away with a traumatized look in his eyes."Never speak to me again."
"How about you hyung?" Sunwoo leaned in closer with a singsong tone, the sling bag once again hitting Juyeon annoyingly in the hip due to his sudden movement.
the older slapped the bag away in the other direction, pissed already."Tier one will be me decapitating you with that fucking bag of yours."
Except the problem was; six of Juyeon's core memories were only of one person.