#para:wisps

[juniel-jju]

"Isn’t it easier if we get off the rooftop through my balcony?"

That was a plaintive suggestion given by the sixteen year old girl with thoughtful blinks. The smile on his face felt stiff then, inspiring curiousity to dominate his best friend’s expression. With the hemline of his shirt preoccupied by deft fingers, the silent male knew that the other’s growing inquisitiveness couldn't really be blamed. Being neighbours, potentially dangerous excursions to each other’s rooftop to understand the simplicity of the resplendent stars across the skyline were not uncommon at all. Such traditions have existed since the moment they caught sight of each other.

The pair knew the immeasurable depths of their appreciated camaraderie. They were constant hunters of knowledge, dabblers of adrenaline, quiet observers, and a complementing pact in other differing aspects. A pair labelled as indispensable. Matters like misunderstandings and dissension were elements that rarely attained the chance to poison their ties. Yet now, it appeared as though something ultimatum in nature was craving to unleash itself.

"I know," was the gentle answer that escaped the adolescent’s throat. "But even I like using the ladder sometimes." To that, the girl grinned brightly, in spite of the seemingly insufficient articulation. Displaying a perfunctory nod, he removed himself from her side in the way a shadow would be able to, venturing to the side of the rooftop when it was revealed that the aforementioned object was missing. A pause lingered temporarily before suspecting glances were thrown back and forth. A game of silence that developed until the subtle sigh of resignation was heard by both parties. And it was his. "What nerve," exclaimed the male teenager with a fabricated frown that eased into a partial smile. "I've not known you to be the kind of person to mess with carefully positioned ladders."

Feeling appalled was a role that the brunette opted for. “Me?” said Junhee disbelievingly with a twinkle in her eyes. “I don’t think so either.” The temptation to roll eyes at her was excessive, but he believed that executing that act wasn’t beneficial at all. Plus, it seemed cheap. So he would rather make his way back to her side with a dejected countenance. “I must say though, I did hear someone removing it because of the assumption that a certain boy already left,” commented the brunette after a knowing smile crossed her complexion. “My mother, maybe.” Her words denoted the late hour at hand and the happening of an innocent removal. He sighed once again, murmuring something about how the abrupt grating sound from earlier felt suspicious. He should have known, but he had his eyes closed back then.

A prick of dissatisfaction gnawed at her. “I don’t know why you’re so against it, but if you want to go home, you could,” remarked Junhee bluntly. “I’ll bring the ladder back for you.” Since the tendency for impulsion transpired, the girl returned to the balcony instantaneously in a rash and careless manner. As her hand grasped the bedroom’s doorknob, the sixteen year old girl sensed the looming presence of another. Soundless in his precise footwork, only the shadow on the door had given him away. “Best friend,” was all she acknowledged him with. During ordinary circumstances, that was acceptable. But not now, was something he was clearly aware of. Something about the way she left so swiftly, the slight quiver in her steps, the haunting emptiness in her voice at midnight’s hour— “Looks like I was wrong after all,” chuckled the male with an indecipherable emotion as he took a few steps back to distance themselves.

Perplexed enough, the girl turned around to face him squarely. A lifted brow was all she permitted in deference. Hands slid into dull pockets much too effortlessly, an elucidation vocalized in the windless night. “I got too distracted when I saw how badly the news about being chosen affected you earlier,” explained her best friend seriously. “I considered distancing, but you definitely noticed every move so…” A helpless grin adorned his features. One of his hands raised to mess up his own hair before he chose to continue. “Forgive me?” he requested kindly with a notable bow. And it was quite clear that until a reaction was made, he would not return to his original stance. Taking in a deep and contemplative breath, she flicked his forehead, earning an uncommon indignant expression.

But the dissimilar eyes that interlocked with hers recognized that he had been unmistakably pardoned. So he grinned good-naturedly. “… Just for once I actually wanted to do that,” echoed Junhee with peculiar awe. “That was, nice.” Inwardly acknowledging that comment, he merely slipped a soft greeting of farewell as he journeyed through her bedroom’s doorway. Since it was such an unscrupulous hour, he really intended to go home and sneak into his own room but it was her reply that caught his attention. Paired with a mild wave, she whispered, “Goodnight,” to him. Awkward wasn’t enough to describe his mental state. “I don’t see how we can’t start saying goodnight to each other instead of goodbye now, you see,” asserted the girl. A wise look only captured the best friend’s outward appearance.

"And that, is exactly why I promised you that you’ll understand in due time," said the adolescent. "Someone’s a little impatient, now aren't they?" His ending words were teasing in nature. With a small chuckle, he merely reminded her to not allow strangers to enter her room at such an hour — to which she protested that he was no stranger — before leaving. Also, the mildest articulation comforted her that in spite of the impending distance, the comet that he fondly named after her would bridge the chasm. And they wouldn't be that far apart after all.

[juniel-jju]

Spending more than a few days apart from the best friend proved to be extremely queer for the fifteen year old girl. Be it an attachment problem or something else subtle at hand, the teenager had not known, but all that she was aware of was the quietness that the neighbouring home had encompassed, making it look ever so lonely. He had informed her that he was to go away with his parents for a while, in the time span of a week or slightly more. The working holiday experience occurred in a place of considerable distance, so they had bid their plain farewells then before the said departure.

Now, even as the structure was devoid of life and anything cheery, the girl established a troublesome habit of merely looking out for it. It was undeniable that the neighbouring residents had entrusted a spare set of keys in the case of an emergency, but there was truly no need to incessantly watch the perimeters like this. Perhaps it was the lingering thought and wonderment of their return that fixed her feet to the ground, regardless of the hour that chose to bewitch. Chocolate eyes descried the watered shrubbery, beautifully-coated fences and neat garden. Windowpanes of admirable standard and leftover puddles shone in the moonlight. Curtains were drawn, save for one that led to the wooden stairway. And it was the gentle flicker of a light source that caught Choi Junhee’s attention.

The fifteen year old was absolutely nonplussed. “Why is there…?” mused Junhee under her breath, and it was a query left unfinished as she ventured towards the other’s compound in a hooded shirt and a pair of jeans. Taking great heed to be noiseless lest anyone heard her and misunderstood, the brunette unlocked the main door, entering with the sense of a precarious silence. At that moment, the logical part of herself dreaded her own impulsiveness, having not equipped herself with any useful weapon if necessary. What if the light had been the accidental blunder of a perpetrator’s executions? Landing herself in unnecessary trouble was the last thing she needed to do.

Albeit perplexed, the girl pressed on. Evidently, Junhee decided against switching the house lights on. At least, well, the both of them — assuming that there was another occupant — would not be able to make the other a prominent target. Blinking slowly, the teenager cautiously made her way to the stairs, ascending it as soundless as possible. Just where was the light once spotted earlier? As the girl noted the sharp, abrupt corner up ahead she was quite certain that she had passed it by now—

“Boo.”

That articulation, accompanied with a scintilla of an impertinent grin managed to freeze Choi Junhee in her spot. Confused, the girl realized that he had activated his cellphone’s light in order to identify himself. “Best friend,” she asserted with a forced laugh, exceedingly shocked. “Why are you here…?” The corners of his eyes softened immensely. The companion scratched the back of his neck absent-mindedly before answering. “My parents dropped me back earlier,” remarked the boy. “They’ll come home later.” By later, his best friend was acutely aware that it would be hours beyond midnight or the next day. It was almost sad.

“Besides, I knew that I wouldn't be lonely anyway,” added the adolescent after a terse pause. “I knew you’d come after seeing the light.” To that, he permitted himself to grin in a callow mien, and they both remembered of the incident by the pier. She never actually learnt from that lesson, really. In the shadowy stairway, his differing eyes gleamed with extreme mystery. “Come with me for a little while, June,” proposed the male teenager in a quiet whisper. “There’s just something I have to show you.” A perfunctory nod was all the statement required.

They broke in a state of running that lasted for a mere minute, but it was enough to whisk the two away to a nearby forest. The hooded shirt girl narrowed her eyes at him then, questioning his choice in her mind. She was not one who would experience bouts of anxiety in peculiar situations, but it was much too uncanny. Whether he had seen her gesture or not was a detail that remained obscure, for he had gently nudged her on the shoulder to look ahead. Her eyes widened then, for in the darkness there were several tiny creatures that surrounded the roots. With alarming clarity, she recognized the owners to be mangrove trees that resided alongside the riverbank.

The insects were emitting periodic specks of light within their bodies, resembling closely to a fire’s sparks. Thus, it was no wonder that they were named after the sane connection. Noticing that they had captivated his best friend, he couldn't refrain from donning a genuine smile. “Hey,” murmured the male, causing her eyes to focus in his general direction. “Counting down from three, we’ll surprise the fireflies. Then we’ll see them rise. Deal?” In the stillness, his voice was like soothing melody, comparable to the trickling stream of water. A diminutive smile framed her countenance as she signaled her approval.

“Three,” was the word he enunciated, and their focus remained on the restless life-forms, ones that lingered. Inconsistency was a dominant trait amongst these. Their lowly hum was a production lost to the triumphant riverbank.

“Two,” was the monosyllable that rolled off his tongue effortlessly, and in the silhouetted night, his eyes gleamed with expectancy. The whisper disturbed a few of the creatures, causing them to ascend strangely before falling back into the unspoken formation. The rustle of the blades tickled the sides of their shoes. Her eyes lifted to meet his as his mouth curved to form the word of eternal weight.

“One.”

Hands flew up, laughter ringing into the lean woods as the fifteen year old Choi Junhee knew that certainly there was no better moment than this when fire flew.

[juniel-jju]

It is frequently assumed by most that best friends indulge in the same interests. Well, that turned out to be the truth in Junhee's case, but they weren't too alike in general. For she was one who spoke often, whereas his thoughts were customarily imprisoned in his mind -- also, it was evident that he held a superior level of comprehension although he didn't flaunt that complexity of his. Even so, one of the few yet vital shared leisure pursuits was the perusal of books. Though their respective genres constantly varied, it was unmistakable that the raw emotion they received during their quiet reads was something to always try for.

Thus, it was not queer for the male best friend to be resting his back ever so casually on the sturdy tree trunk as he deftly held a burgundy tome. It chanced to be one of the volumes that stressed on the importance of relations, drawing the male's attention quite effortlessly in the school's solemn library. Above all, he was one who welcomed knowledge that is once unbeknownst to him with immense pleasure. Now, the teenager contently rested on the tree's thick branches as he embarked on his steady consumption of text, undisturbed. Or so he initially believed before his sense of sight was obscured by a pair of hands.

"Junhee."

That sort of articulation was accompanied with a notable scowl, since her small hands were still shutting his vision. With a slight laugh, the fourteen year old girl removed them before grinning at him, and that made him smile as well. After all, the brunette had always been rather charming in her own unique and subtle ways. "Hello," was all she chose to utter, earning an abrupt chuckle on his part. Raising a brow, he inquired of her sudden impertinence, to which she purposefully did not answer at all. He would have shaken his head at her supposed act, but then decided against it as a gentle notion flitted past his intricate mind.

The adolescent noted that his companion had an disconcerting degree of scaling trees after the incident at Hana Park when they were but thirteen, involving the death of a featherless baby bird that tumbled out of its twig nest. The lids of his eyes drooped a little, recalling her frantic state, having convinced that she was a murderer. Of course, it was but a painful and unfortunate accident. At the very least, he was able to quell the fears in her heart. She didn't need them. And given the choice, he might have chosen to never let them creep past him to get to her. It was but a wandering idea that hummed in the back of his mind from time to time.

So he did hold a considerable amount of regard at the current occurrence, since it proved that she was finally prepared to overcome her fears. She had actually climbed the tree to reach him. When one even contemplated on that, why -- it was quite the compliment. To think that one braved onward for your sake was irrevocably heartwarming. "Congratulations," added the fourteen year old boy after a terse pause, eventually returning to his gargantuan read. The girl, albeit made delighted by his sole word, was dissatisfied with his selection. Thus, she mildly composed some trifle methods to distract his intended route, most which obviously failed save for the last one.

"Best friend, how about--" began Junhee for the nth time when her words fell short due to the loss of balance. Eyes widening, the aforementioned companion only knew too well as to what was going to happen. If he didn't do something, she would probably just fall off the large tree and hurt herself and he would be interminable angered at his own initial mask of indifference-- An outstretched hand, a scintilla of astonishment igniting chocolate eyes; a messy landing amongst the wizened leaves. Regaining her senses, the fourteen year old girl looked up and realized that she did tumble out of the tree after all. There was a faint throbbing at the side of her head, but aside from that diagnosis, everything else seemed fine. Blinking thoughtfully, she supposed she had never really noticed how the sky could don such a magnificent blue hue.

The vague rustle of the green blades alerted her of the best friend's presence beside her. Upon eye contact, she smiled in a callow manner. "Best friend," teased Junhee with a short musical note of laughter. "Didn't you promise me that you'll catch me when I fall?" Her statement related to a verbal contract made a few undefined months ago, sealed when the young girl discovered something she had not appreciated about herself. The imperceptible glimmer in his eyes of burnt umber and auburn merely crinkled with an unparalleled expression when a rapt smile adorned his countenance. "I already have," were the words he softly whispered, paired with the indistinct susurrus of the olden leaves as he raised their interlocked fingers before her very own eyes.

And had she not known any better, it was surely in that moment that her heart would have swayed.

[juniel-jju]

Thirteen year old Choi Junhee learnt about the prospect of death in the difficult way. She was made to face the fallen angel’s tainted work against her entire will and self-preparation.

It started with a simple tumble.

One that incurred a surprise gasp and a string of laughter, since the young brunette had clumsily tripped over nothing — which proved to be quite the wonder — and sent herself hurtling into one of the verdant neighbourhood park’s gigantic trees. The best friend, albeit finding that whole situation to be rather comical, lost his light chuckles when he realized with disquieting clarity that she might have gotten hurt during the said ordeal. Calling her name softly, most likely executed merely to reassure himself, the boy carefully ventured towards her. He took great heed when he was treading on the thick overgrown roots that emerged onto the grassy surface lest he ended up falling down as well.

To his dismay, he found her in tears for the second time in his entire life. In general, one could consider it to be a rare happening, and so it equaled to extreme danger. The best friend subconsciously wore a salient frown on his young expression, knowing quite well that playing the same card — the stupendous display of the rainbow that hung over the evening horizon — wasn’t going to work at all. He too, considered playing with words that entangled itself with sincerity, but since that also felt insufficient, the companion finally decided to approach her without a single plan and try to work things out from that particular angle onwards. Yet when he reached her, about a few unimportant centimeters apart, he found out that her interminable sobbing was suffering for a cause beyond scraped knees.

A featherless baby bird had fallen out of its roundish twig nest when the girl had crashed into it. The thick boughs, it was extremely probable that during the vigorous induced shakes, the impact had tipped the tiny creature over its home. Thus, it was evident for all to see that the aforementioned bird was definitely dead on the ground. The boy waited quietly then, knowing that she deserved every right to mourn over its unfortunate and hastened demise by herself. But it was her chocolate eyes, their gaze did not attenuate in spite of having widened in the crazed and distracted sort of manner that began to worry him. Having every ounce of burning want to eradicate that response, he spoke spontaneously.

“There’s just something about the things that have gone that will keep you thinking about them, now don’t they?” he had uttered with the slight tilt of an understanding grin and electrifying eyes, eventually scooping up the still bird that laid lifelessly in front of the crying girl. He had stared at the brunette with immense perplexity. “Don’t cry now, Junhee,” her best friend had whispered. “You’re going to make the heavens weep if you continue that.” Since he called her by name, she looked at him, unmeasurably disheartened. Gulping painfully, the girl attempted to halt her tears, but it was a task too arduous for the time being. It was especially difficult, considering the demeanour he donned in holding the said creature so gently.

“Best friend,” she cried out in colossal distress at last. “I’m at fault. I’m a killer…” Then she wanted to cry some more, but the stronger part of herself disallowed it. There was only so much that tears could do to alleviate the inner pain that stung ruthlessly. “Junhee,” he mentioned tersely. “Give me your hands.” Out of pure innocence, she does, and the colour on her face drained instantaneously when he dropped the dead bird neatly into her palms. The very act threatened to smother her, and she imagined its innocent blood having shed because of her own carelessness. The work of the fallen angel terrified the poor brunette immensely.

“It’s not your fault,” he asserted solemnly as his eyes flickered to his briefly. His best friend watched him disbelieving, the fear clouding her young unadulterated heart. Oh, she was horribly willing to trade so much for his determined and unwavering peace. Yet she could not at all, for surely she became a life taker unwittingly. He smiled ever so wisely then before answering her with words that she came to truly love for they successfully quelled the torments that beset her mind. His mouth curled upwards and the words articulated clearly on that eventful day.

“For the work of a bird is to sing, to sing love and joy into the world — so Junhee, don’t you cry any more for its death, because there other places for it to sing in.”

[juniel-jju]

When a certain boy about the age of twelve went looking for his cheery best friend one day, his search proved to be extremely difficult. The boy walked towards her house gates, which were closed and unwelcoming. He sounded the doorbell, but no response was given at all — something obviously queer as it was nearing crepuscule, a time in which only he and she would be around. So why didn't she answer him? A prominent frown marred his facial expression, threatening to disappoint him, but he did not give into such baseless emotions. Thus, being the smart child he was, he called out her name in a clear manner. “Junhee!” mentioned the twelve year old earnestly, inadvertently using differing intonations as he continuously stood by the house gates. “Junhee. Junhee..?”

Perhaps his friend was trying to remain inconspicuous, but she had failed in that self-appointed mission since a loud sound of items crashing emanated from her household. He blinked, startled at the commotion, but still felt indisputably ignored when the aforementioned girl did not even have the decency to reply him. For goodness sake, will she not at least elucidate the reason as to why she was seemingly avoiding him? Gritting his teeth, a spark of genius fleeted past his deft mind — a dangerous and yet a completely executable one. Returning to his own neighbouring compound, the boy took in a deep breath before hoisting himself onto the garden wall that separated their houses with the use of the tall, stationary lawn mower. It was placed there by the wall by his father the other day. A grin decorated his countenance, giddy with delight that his plan was working, but his face easily fell when he realized that landing in the other’s garden wouldn't be that effortless. The garden wall was rather high for a mere twelve year old, above all.

After a blink or two, he allowed gravity to reign as he intentionally lifted himself from the multitude of bricks. Innately, the best friend shrunk inwards, hoping that he wouldn't be hurt too badly. Wait — there wasn't a spare shovel out here that was waiting to split his skull asunder or something right? That would be most unfortunate. Landing with an appropriate thud, the boy only permitted a well-controlled yell to escape him. Wincing for a while, he got up and noted that it wasn't as bad as he first thought it to be. “Different,” was all the boy mused to himself, then all related thoughts having quelled since he had suddenly spotted a glimpse of the brunette child.

“Junhee!” called out the best friend as he flung open the main door — as the girl had forgotten to lock it, how careless actually — and her tiny body stiffened instantaneously. She gulped, not facing the constant companion, only picking up the dropped items that were sprawled messily across the whole living room. “Best friend,” acknowledged Junhee in a quiet voice. “How did you come in?” An awkward laugh escaped his throat immediately, not denying his guilty act at all. He scratched his nape rigidly. “Ah,” admitted the young boy. “I scaled the wall and invited myself here since I was worried and wondered if you were alright…” At that, he wondered if she actually wasn't fine, since she wasn't facing him at all. Without realizing it, his hand was already reaching out for her when she happened to crumple. His eyes, they widened as he inwardly screamed her name out of fear. The apprehension had disallowed a coherent utterance.

The girl had adopted a queer position, one in which she was hugging her knees furiously and kept her head buried. Innocently, the best friend asked if she was alright. “No,” mumbled Junhee after a while, turning away from him. “Go away.” Albeit hurt, he stayed in utter silence. Finally, the brunette gave up and explained something he could have never imagined. “You know that I had a close friend before I moved here right?” she asked plainly with reddened eyes. “I found out that she was visiting this area today, and she didn't even care to drop by. In fact, she got herself another best friend…” A bitter laugh was articulated as she mumbled about being dumb or something. The boy could tell that his companion was moping, but he didn't really know what to say.

“I wonder if I would ever be important enough to you to cry over,” mused the boy aloud. Years from now, the boy would have been completely unhinged as to how insensitive and foolish he had been in suggesting such a statement, but then again, he had only been a child. Besides, it proved that even the most capable was still flawed. The girl looked at him weirdly with aberrant owlish eyes that were glistening because of the tears. “What?” he questioned as a rapt smile enhanced his features. She displayed her disapproval before turning from him. He would have permitted that, but suddenly a bright idea came to his mind. “Junhee,” he whispered kindly. “Tell me, do you want a sign? A sign that everything will get better?” Though flummoxed, the girl agreed hesitantly. His question sounded ridiculous, after all.

In no time at all, he managed to steal her away from the muddled room and out of the housing compound in general. “Where are we going?” inquired the brunette as she was somewhat pulled along by the enthusiastic male. His eyes crinkled in mystifying delight upon hearing her words. “Just pray for a miracle, won’t you?” was his sole response. The pair found themselves in a nearby thicket, which perplexed the girl even more. She almost asked once again when her companion told her to look at the sky.

And there, the magnificence of the rainbow rested within horizon’s arms. For one who was feeling so despondent, the following phenomenon was excessively magical. “You’re smiling again!” exclaimed the boy abruptly, wearing a charismatic grin. She blinked, but realized that he was right. The girl was finally smiling the smile that was only hers to have. As her eyes flickered to his, twelve year old Choi Junhee became aware that maybe, just maybe, the pain of losing her previous friend wouldn't be too unbearable with him by her side.

[juniel-jju]

Thirteen appeared to be the most appropriate age to earn bruises alongside with injuries, perhaps due to being the first thin exemplary sketch of adolescence and fluctuating emotions that manifested haphazardly. The two children of the aforementioned age walked home after the school hours expired, with the girl’s eyes in particular having lit up with raw determination. A few steps ahead of her hurt best friend, the young brunette raised her voice to a considerable volume as she spoke of the follow words,

"Mom, is it alright if he joins us for lunch? His parents aren’t home anyway."

Having proposed such a propound plainly, her mother appeared from the kitchen to greet her daughter and neighbouring friend. “Of course!” were the words initially used with enthusiasm as a reply, for the lady was gladdened that her child enjoyed bringing her companion over, but his unkempt appearance caused a frown to mar the lovely expression. Glancing at the two teenagers, an understanding smile eventually crossed the mother’s face. “Ah, boys about your age usually earn hard falls,” assumed the girl’s mother tersely. “I wouldn’t blame you for it, but try to tidy up a little before lunch is served.” Since the young pair didn’t exactly respond, she excused herself and they were left to themselves once more. Coincidentally, there was a mirror nearby, and so the male stared at his reflection with a tinge of coldness. “Tidying up is definitely an option,” he mumbled resentfully. Noting his downcast appearance, Junhee made haste in bringing out the house’s first-aid kit and asked — well, commanded — him to take a seat.

Bemused, the owner of subtly deviating eye colours lifted a brow at his cherished friend. “Is it time to play doctor?” questioned the adolescent harmlessly, knowing that Junhee had never done such things before. The very notion entertained him exceedingly, for a girl so petite who intended to handle medical equipment seemed so pathetically impossible. He nearly smiled at his own inadequate style of thinking, finding it to be somewhat fallible. Yet as she wordlessly extracted the bundle of sterile bandages and saline pads from the said box in a ruthless manner, the best friend gulped at the seriousness involved. Casting a quick glance at his spitting image for the second time, he wondered if his friend should even try patching him up. He had a swollen bruise at his forehead, a major scratch that was dangerously close to his right eye and two minuscule cuts on the side of his neck. His hands, they were tainted with wounds, the anatomical weapons that definitely wronged after school hours. When the aberrant touch of her fingers lingered on his ruined palms to treat them, the boy took the chance to look at the friend who had not spoken to him after the incident. The corners of his mouth tilted upwards gently as they articulated one mere syllable.

"Hey."

At the very least, he captured her attention for a few seconds, in spite of the vexing fact that she still didn’t speak. The flash of annoyance illuminated her chocolate eyes, making him flinch involuntarily. Admitting defeat, he sighed, raising the hand that she wasn’t treating to rub his nape awkwardly. “Fine, I shouldn’t have retaliated earlier,” murmured the adolescent. “Then I wouldn’t have gotten into this mess.” He was speaking in relation to his fight with the boys who were teasing a classmate mercilessly, an act he absolutely abhorred. Though little skirmishes have abounded since his confrontation with them in the classroom, this turned out to be the worst case scenario since they all ended up terribly injured. And he was aware as well that Choi Junhee worried for him during such moments, so surely he had no right to reject her assistance. “Don’t,” was all the girl decided to warn him with as she took his other hand to wrap it in bandages after cleaning it. So they remained in the sort of silence that spoke louder than words, the kind that meant everything as she treated him persistently albeit the obvious lack of knowledge pertaining to this field.

Junhee had begun with his battered hands and proceeded to his violated neck, eventually treating the bruise with a delicate crease of the brow since she was perplexed as to how his forehead was proving to be exceedingly accident-prone. As she finally pressed a saline pad against his closed right eye, the boy took an innocent peek at the mirror. He felt like he was becoming unnecessarily narcissistic, but he did so anyway. Although the girl’s work on him wasn’t the prettiest, he would readily confess that he found her driven self to be rather charming. “You know, if I get treated like this every time I get hurt, I’ll get myself involved in fights all the time,” complimented her best friend casually with a mischievous grin. To that statement, Choi Junhee ripped off the saline pad without a single warning, causing him to feel an incredible surge of pain to burn the wound that was located near his right eye. The affliction was excruciating. In return, the girl won his rare expression of dissatisfaction.

"… Next time, avoid spouting so many silly words," said Junhee flatly as she patted the butterfly bandage on the injured area near the eye. "Or else you might lose your eye next time." Finally done, the brunette teenager allowed the tiniest of smiles to rest on her countenance. A breathless chuckle escaped the crevice of his windpipe when he managed to catch the amount of indisputable concern in her seemingly scary response. As they made their way to the dining room for the much-awaited lunch, the boy with the butterfly bandage whispered his word of thanks to his intentionally mislabeled spitfire.

[juniel-jju]

"Say, do you want to hear a secret?"

Those words caused the eleven year old girl to grow increasingly flummoxed. The brunette child glanced at the other, who looked quite serious about the anomalous offer. A want to speak of himself, especially hidden traits, was quite rare so the idea was considerably tempting. “I guess?” murmured the girl as they both lay down on their respective rooftops. He chuckled then, a gentle smile framing his boyish countenance. Then he wore a very solemn expression, one unfit for a young child of eleven. “If my memory doesn’t betray me, my father is the one who shared this secret with me,” began the friend nonchalantly. “I didn’t expect it because it happened quite suddenly so I— Junhee?” The halt in his copacetic explanation occurred because of the girl’s callow response to it. With a temporal scrunched up face and a slight trace of dissatisfaction, the brunette expressed her notions. “I don’t appreciate your act of breaking your father’s secret,” remarked the girl. “If you’re going to continue with it anyway, then I won’t listen to you.” She proceeded to close her ears tightly, to which his eyes of burnt umber and auburn crinkled in pure mirth.

"I wouldn’t do that if I were you," advised the boy with a subtle grin. "Or else you might miss something spectacular that I wanted to show you." Then he turned to look up at the dark firmament so quickly before she could even dare to riposte. Now he wasn’t one who was frequently inattentive or disrespectful, and so she imitated his queer action.

And found herself indefinitely wordless as a beautiful streak of light travelled across the horizon. It was something almost comparable to shooting stars, but an abrupt conclusion made her believe strongly that it was something else — a comet. The brunette watched in admiration as the charming phenomenon expired from her line of sight. “That was a comet, wasn’t it?” exclaimed Junhee with immense fervour, the excitement twinkling in her chocolate eyes. “Was that the secret you wanted to share?” A puerile sulk dominated his face, but he shrugged it off later with a peaceable demeanour. He blinked once in simple wonderment. “You catch on quick,” was what he mentioned approvingly. “My father showed me this same comet when I was six. He was telling me that I couldn’t have remembered seeing it when I was one, so…” A musical laugh escaped the crevice of his windpipe after recalling the aforementioned incident. That detail reminded the girl that comets were cosmic elements that possessed their unique orbits, unwittingly proving their routinely appearance in the night sky. To think that such a celestial structure truly existed was unfathomable. Yet it did.

A lazy smile tugged at the boy’s lips afterwards. “I think I’ll name that comet after you, Junhee,” he mused cheerfully. “The Junhee comet, since you’re so radiant and all.” He nodded, subconsciously affirming the supposed proposal. A scowl marred the girl’s face, however. “It’s not like it belongs to me,” commented the girl sharply. “Besides, people across this whole world would probably be naming it after themselves as well so you can’t exactly say that it’s going to be special or something.” Then his face softened at such an opinion. How foolish and wise her utterance had been at the same time, really. The differing eye-coloured boy sat up and looked at her. “Your argument holds and leaks at the same time, Junhee,” were the words he used to correct his friend kindly. “It may be there for everyone to see but it does belong to you in a particular moment of time. I’m deadly certain of it.” Pausing, his eyes flickered to the sky before they returned to her. He proceeded to speak.

"Because in that one moment, its icy passion and emblem of lucency is completely yours to revel in."

"Make it your beacon of hope," were the words he hesitated to add. He wondered if he was turning daft, wanting to show someone a valuable secret and prove its worth. As Junhee smiled in newfound recognition, nevertheless, the boy knew that his effort was worth it.

[juniel-jju]

It wasn’t every day that Choi Junhee would witness her best friend punching someone. For the differing eye-coloured boy to get significantly furious was already quite a feat, so for one to invoke enough anger in the male to express such untamed actions was highly improbable. Yet it happened.

This inimical event took place in their classroom in which a teacher was not present, due to a sudden board meeting. Since they were only but thirteen, perhaps the adults were deluded into believing that leaving several teenagers unattended for a mere fifteen minutes would be perfectly fine. Besides, since the current period was the one after recess, it would be most sensible to assume that it was comparable to an elongated break session for the day. If any of the educators chanced to walk past the premise at that very moment, nevertheless, they would have been most vexed and horrified. It started in the most simplest manner, so ordinary that one would have not realized the initial incurring of the male’s rare ire.

Upon the students’ obedient return, they had noticed the hastily scribbled note on the whiteboard that explained the supposed teacher’s absence respectively. The quieter ones decided to draw, to write and for Junhee — who also fell into this particular category, by the way — began reading a short novel. A group of three girls chattered in a minimal volume, not forgetting to mention that there was a talented boy who was revising for his private vocal tuition by humming softly to the appointed lyrics. Her male best friend opted for wearing his cerulean earphones. Some of the more notorious adolescents, however, chose an immature and mean alternative. They were eager to grab this opportunity to tease their female classmate who was a little different from the others. This ponytailed girl was slightly larger than the rest, and it didn't help her situation that she was developing zits on her face. So they beset the aforementioned victim with horrid remarks, laughing so hard at her miserableness.

The others, honestly they were either ignoring or blissfully unaware of the unfortunate scenario. Bullying was a rather uncommon quandary, and so most of them were afraid to do anything about it, fearing that they would become the next sufferer. The boys had no other care in the world, save for belittling and mocking the girl with crude words beyond their shallow years. They were pointing fingers, with one tugging at her hair and the other stepping on her white shoes. They were so absorbed into their unfair game. So absorbed that the boy stepping on the girl’s blackened shoes didn't realize what hit him until he fell sprawled on the floor. Looked into the deviating eyes of a furious boy with clenched fists.

"Say that you’re sorry."

His remark, spat out most emotionally, was heard by most of his classmates in that room. Even the silent ones had their interest invested into this unexpected development. The group of boys flinched at the fluctuating decibel. “How did you even hear us?” questioned the student who was pulling the girl’s hair earlier with a salient sulk. “You were listening to music so loudly that it leaked.” The best friend nearly smiled at that, the gaze undaunted. Blinking was not permitted during this ordeal. "It was a set up," he commented bluntly. "I did consider the possibility that you guys will pick on her again today, so I pretended for a little while. If you guys decided not to do so today, I would have shown mercy." His eyes flickered to the victim's tersely before his attention returned to the bullies. His music player that remained at the table played on because its owner did not even waste a second to pause the song.

"You needed an experiment like this to work before getting angry?" snickered one of them suddenly. "So if we didn't choose today, you would have never approached us on this? Maybe you need to stop playing hero when actually you're just a wimp—" The best friend's eyes dilated in sheer intensity before he connected his fist to the speaker's face. It became the catalyst to a really huge fight. Fisticuffs ensued, and some of the spectators shrieked and yelled. It was chaotic, with punches flying everywhere. Albeit being outnumbered, however, the male was evidently the winner; the professional one. Perhaps it would have prolonged with terrible, terrible consequences if a helpful student had not indicated that their teacher was arriving. A statement like, "Break it up guys," was issued.

Scowling, all of them eventually returned to their seats. On the way, nevertheless, the male met his best friend who had kept silent throughout the whole incident. "Oh — Junhee," he said softly. "I forgot that you are my classmate. I wouldn't have done that in front of you if I had the choice." His words were usually accompanied with a smile that was reserved for her, but this time, his countenance was dark. But the syllables that rolled off his tongue were still so gentle like the evening breeze. "... Your forehead," was the sole comment that Junhee gave to the disheveled friend. Perplexed, the boy ran his fingers across it. It was bumpy and blotchy, patent for all to see that a huge bruise was going to form. His fingers dropped back to his side.

"Not like it matters," he replied shortly. "My hair will hide most of it." With that, he flattened his hair silently. Noting that she wasn't going to just move, he made a small sigh and quietly explained to her a very important detail. "I can't stand people hurting others who can't defend themselves," mused the adolescent aloud. "I will fight for what I stand for." That information was sufficient to satisfy the brunette, and both of them returned to their seats just in the nick of time. The teacher entered, unaware of the earlier mishap, and the lesson began.

But Choi Junhee had seen the imperceptible change in his gaze. He had asked her if she too, would fight for what she believed. And the answer, which was once a vacillating one, transformed into a yes in a heartbeat after witnessing this incident that she held onto for a moment likened to forever.