Chapter Text
“Okay, class dismissed. See you after the sembreak.”
"Yes, Teacher!"
The children cheered and hurriedly prepared to leave after Asahi's announcement, picking up their cute little bags and carrying their tiny canvases smudged with colorful dashes of paint from their imaginative minds.
“Don’t forget your homework when you return to school.” Asahi added in monotone, hiding his fondness of the little ones prancing around and cleaning up after themselves while groaning about the task that will surely impede them from enjoying their long-awaited summer vacation.
Watching the kids brought him back to when he was a lot younger — when he knew nothing better and doing homework was the least of his priorities. Actually, even if he looked like he'd be a nerd because of his thick glasses, he was just an average student trying not to be seen by his classmates and teachers so he could enjoy his inner peace. He liked to draw even then and he loved to always have a quiet space to create his art pieces.
That was until an energetic young teen from Korea transferred to his school, Yoon Jaehyuk. He didn't know which part of his dull personality caught the transferee's eyes but Jaehyuk always followed him like a cute little puppy.
Ehem. Did he just think "cute"? Scratch that. He was not cute at all. He was one annoying chatterbox who would always disturb his peace.
"How'd you find this place?"
"..."
"What are you drawing?"
"..."
"Let me guess. Oh! The sky! It's the sky right? Did you know the sky is actually purple? It just turns blue or pink or orange because of the chemical reactions in the atmosphere."
“...”
“You know where you could see the sky better so you could draw it better?”
Asahi’s ears perked up at Jaehyuk’s question so he instinctively turned his head. But when his eyes caught his, he instantly knew that he was caught in Jaehyuk’s trap.
“Ack! Pretty…”
“What?”
“Your drawing…”
“Liar.”
Asahi knew he was lying, Jaehyuk wasn’t even looking at his drawing notebook. He was looking at him, directly at his eyes, melting him with his stare, making his heart stop a beat. Time slowed down right at that moment as the wind gently blew their hair and the bushes and trees rustled with the air.
“Where’s the place you’re talking about?”
“Which?”
“Where I could see the sky…”
Jaehyuk gave a mischievous smile — that one when the dimple on the top of his left cheek would appear — and Asahi suddenly regretted his question, Jaehyuk looked like someone who was up to no good.
Jaehyuk stood up suddenly, leaving Asahi wondering what he was trying to do.
“So slow.”
Jaehyuk grabbed Asahi’s wrist and pulled him up, making Asahi panic while trying to pick up his art materials.
“Come on~” and he dragged Asahi away.
Asahi snorted at the memory.
He didn’t even realize back then that it was already the start of getting pulled into Jaehyuk's little adventures.
Hmmm... Remembering that guy from time to time would always leave a bittersweet taste in his mouth. He decided for him to only stay in his memories now. Even if his name would always stay at the tip of his tongue, he wouldn’t dare utter his name again. It was just a long fond memory now, he might already be forgotten by that person.
“Hikari!?”
Asahi called the young student who hadn’t left the room even after all the students had left. The young boy was in a daze while standing in front of a canvass he drew a long time ago. It was a painting — a vast blue sky filled the canvas and two boys flying paper airplanes below at what seemed to be the rooftop of the school.
“Sensei…”
Asahi squatted to match his gaze and ruffled the young student’s hair.
“Yes, what is it, Hikari?”
“Our homework, draw something beautiful …is it something like this?”
Hikari pointed his finger at the painting and looked at Asahi with his big brown eyes. Asahi turned to look at the canvas.
Something beautiful.
Asahi thought that it would be easy homework in the eyes of the young innocent kids. After all, theirs were not yet tainted by the ugliness of this world. But he didn’t expect to be the one answering the question.
He drew the painting when he was younger, did he think it was beautiful back then? Now, he could see the weakness of his painting in plain sight — his lines were uneasy and his color combinations were rough. But with all these flaws, could he consider this as something beautiful?
He didn’t realize he was in a daze while thinking of the child’s simple question until he heard the sweet voice calling from the door.
"Hikari~"
The young lady called with open arms.
"Mom!"
Hikari excitedly ran towards her and he was caught by the lady who carried him to her waist.
"Did you wait long, Honey?"
Hikari shook his head and wrapped his arms around her neck, leaning his head to sleep on her shoulders.
Asahi gingerly smiled while looking at them.
"He played a lot today so he must be tired."
"Thank you for always being patient with my child."
Asahi sulked hearing her polite answer, "You sound like we're not family. I'm starting to get upset.”
"It's because you have always had a poker face and you're Hikari's teacher now. I feel like I should be polite."
"Hamada Hina." Asahi’s voice was threatening.
The young lady chuckled, "Okay~ okay~ Onii-chan. Are you going home now? Should I wait for you?"
“I’d still have to clean up around here. You could go ahead.”
"Okay. By the way, Nii-chan..."
"Hm?"
"There will be a fireworks festival this weekend. Are you going?"
"No."
"Oh. Of course. You never went to any fireworks festival after graduating highschool."
Asahi turned sullen.
“Onii-chan, seven years have already passed.”
Hina knew fireworks was a sensitive topic for Asahi. She saw him that night when he came home crying after coming from the last fireworks festival he went to. It was the first time his sister saw him cry so much. Asahi still remembered Hina’s warm hand as she rubbed his back to soothe him.
"What is it that you want?" Asahi narrowed his eyes on his younger sister. There must be something she needed from him so she brought it up.
"Uhm... Actually... Hikari had been pestering me to go to the fireworks festival this weekend but I have a 3-day business trip on Thursday. I might come in late for the firework festival. Can you bring Hikari to the festival and play with him while waiting for me? I’ll try my best to make it before the fireworks, I promise! "
"How about Mama and Papa?"
"Eyyy. Mama and Papa are already too old to take care of a child. Hikari loves running around, they won't be able to match his energy. You're the only one I know who could help. Pretty, please? Onii-chan?" Hina tried her best to act cute while pleading and looking up at Asahi.
Asahi sighed, he was still weak for his sister even when she was already a mom, "I'll think about it."
“At least you didn’t completely turn me down. I hope I get a yes before I leave for the business trip,” Hina said brightly and turned around to leave.
Asahi made a heavy sigh again as he watched Hina walk away with Hikari.