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He was walking home after another shitty day of high school. Grades from his failed history exam in his hand, the skin dry and shattered from the little care he gave himself. He checked the surroundings of his neighborhood, giggles from the kids playing with a baseball echoed in the street, then silence from the people of his age who competed for some championship of a mobile game, and then again laughter from their parents chatting joyfully.
Yeonjun opened the door to his house, piercing words that you most likely would never scream to your loved one welcomed him from the kitchen.
He skipped to his bedroom and locked the door. He wanted to drink a glass of water but he'll skip it the same way he'll do with dinner, but it's okay, he isn't too hungry anyway. Yeonjun sighed, in fact, everything was okay because he had his friends, Soobin, Beomgyu, Taehyun and Kai. They were always there for him.
A knock coming from his window called his attention. He walked up to it and laughed when he saw Taehyun wide eyed, scared for his life while he embraced the branch of the tree next to Yeonjun's window. "Those cowards sacrificed me to tell you that we're going to the cliff in the city and just hang out there, wanna join?" Taehyun said, voice wavering as he looked down to what would be his fate if he didn't hold onto that branch tightly.
Yeonjun looked back at his bedroom door, screams could still be heard coming from downstairs. Yeah, staying home wasn't the best plan right now, or ever, so he chuckled and nodded his head, "Lemme get my backpack and my phone," he said, "you go down and wait for me with the rest of the boys." He told Taehyun.
The shorter boy sighed in relief and immediately began crawling back to the safe ground.
In a matter of minutes Yeonjun was stepping outside of his house, instantly caching through the corner of his right eye Kai's figure leaning against a white van, the boy smiled widely upon noticing him and got on the vehicle, a confused Yeonjun following him inside. There was the rest of his group of friends. Beomgyu in the back seats with Taehyun, Kai in the middle seats while Soobin was behind the steering wheel, and Yeonjun sat down in the passenger seat.
"Soobin borrowed his uncle's van to drive us to the cliff." Kai chirped, reading Yeonjun's confused expression.
Soobin scoffed, "More like Taehyun made me steal it because Beomgyu's lazy ass didn't want to walk, but whatever, let's go." He said, starting the engine. Yeonjun heard Beomgyu yell at Soobin and Taehyun unsuccessfully try to calm him down by cradling his nape.
He smiled, they're the best friends one could ever want. They make every aspect of his life so much better, the way that Kai would always brighten the atmosphere, Soobin's constant struggles and beef with Beomgyu would make everyone laugh and Taehyun acting tough when in reality he's the most adorable human ever is what made Yeonjun choose them.
A few minutes into the ride, Kai worriedly voiced the lack of snacks he just found out about, and by lack he means no snacks at all, not even water. Yeonjun saw Soobin facepalm himself, it was already taking him long to get to the cliff because he was avoiding going to jail for driving a technically stolen vehicle without a drivers license, and now he had to stop by a convenience store.
"Aw don't worry Soob, there's a convenience store down this street." He reassured the younger. And so Soobin drove to that store.
Parking in front of it, he gave the four boys indications of what each one of them should prioritize in order to get out of there as soon as possible. They all saluted and parted ways.
Yeonjun decided to go with Soobin, he was the one he connected with the most, he could spend hours talking to the taller and never have an awkward silence fall like a cinder block on them.
He noticed some weird glances directed towards him as he talked to Soobin about his day, but Soobin told him that it was all in his head and they should hurry up. Yeonjun shrugged, maybe Soobin was right.
Yeonjun got on the van, resuming his journey with the boys after paying for everything they got.
It was getting late, which allowed Soobin to get to their destination faster as the police moved to more transited areas. He parked the van meters away from the peak of the cliff and Yeonjun helped settling everything down in the grassy ground.
He took a blanket out of his backpack and put it down, then carelessly tossed the snacks in the center of it. They all sat down around the pile of chips and soda, Taehyun and Beomgyu rather cuddling.
This is secret but Yeonjun has always thought that they were more than friends, or at least have unacknowledged feelings for each other.
Taehyun rubbed Beomgyu's plain belly while the older fed him a bag of chips, making him giggle. Yep, they would be a cute couple.
Yeonjun started to feel drowsy as the time went by, eyes half lidded against his own will from the exhaustion the mere action of waking up in the morning caused him. Yawning, he leaned on Soobin, who wrapped a hand around his shoulders, and he finally allowed his eyes to close and his breath to calm.
The high pitched voice of a lady shouting at her phone woke him up. He checked his phone, it was 9 pm, he's been asleep for hours.
He checked his surroundings, and what used to be Soobin's body was now a big tree, the blanket was empty and the snacks sitting in it were uneaten. No signs of a chaotic group of five boys ever been there. He was left all alone again, a bit hurt too.
But whose fault was it?
That lady in the verge of tears is his aunt, the only person who cares for him one bit. She always checks on him whenever she can, which is probably twice a week. She's a married woman with her own family and a demanding job, so Yeonjun can't really ask her to do what his parents are supposed to do but don't.
Yeonjun's parents. Perhaps it was their fault that he was so lonely and miserable. They were quick to neglect him the moment he was able to walk and talk.
"What the hell do you mean by how is the van?!" The lady asked her unbothered sister with tears rolling down her face.
Or perhaps it was Yeonjun's own fault for not staying in touch with the world, the real world, not the utopias he would spend most of his time building and getting ready to move in. Interacting more with his delusions than with real people.
"Are you seriously more concerned about your fucking van and money than your own child?" She asked to the woman in the other side of the line, disbelief could be heard in her voice and silence coming from the phone as an answer. How could someone be so heartless? Yeonjun just unconsciously drove a van to a cliff and his mother is only worried about the van and the money he spent from her card. It was unbelievable.
Yeonjun chuckled, lost in thoughts. Whoever's fault it is, it's okay, truly. Not like he can protest, confront his parents or something. He has given up on them, the world and himself long ago.
Everything is fine because Soobin, Beomgyu, Taehyun and Kai will forever be there whenever he needed them. They're just one daydream away from him.