Been A While | Vinny Hong

Introduction

It’s a fine Monday morning at Sunny High. The sun shining through the white clouds dotted around the sky. The teacher at the front discussing today’s lesson, forcing the student's focus on him by telling a lame joke but still did not worked.

You were sitting near the classroom’s window, mindlessly looking at the students outside. Whilst your mind wander through your memories. A specific memory of a specific person who you hold dearly in your heart, mind, and in life.

“hey look at this” a girl said as she landed yet another bike trick. While the boy near the gutter sitting in a bike shows no excitement.

“come on this is my fourth trick i learned this day, show me some enthusiasm” the girl said jokingly. The other just faked an emotion knowing that the girl would only bother him to show her support.

It cannot be denied that she has skills, almost felt like it is an extension to her body just by how she can manipulate the bike, he atleast have to give her that.

“yo there’s no crew meeting today, but there is tomorrow” minu pulling me out of my thoughts by waving a hand near my eyes, standing in front of me despite the teacher discussing at the front.

“did you hear me?” Minu asked. Minu has been my best friend for almost a decade, growing up together and pretty much doing everything together. The founder and the leader of Zephyrus Crew, which i am a co-founder of.

“yes i heard you, are you going to ride tomorrow?” asking, worried about his injured leg.

“no the doctor said I can’t” he said. I was pretty much the leader of the crew this past month due to his injury. But the members still can sense his leadership, or so i thought. It was a lot on my plate, studying, organising the crew, and my family responsibilities but I managed to do it.

"you should really not ride this week unless your leg is all okay" i advised, it's what i have been telling him the past days.

The teacher already dismissed us, not giving one care whether the students listened or not. Well i did, but still felt bad but it's just how it is. Minu and I are walking side by side going to the senior's building to meet up with June. The building is just like ours but the ambiance is definitely far from the junior's.

"what are you two up to?" i asked, leaning back to the wall, hands in my jacket's pocket sucking on my lollipop.

"what do you mean?" he asked shrugging it off and playing dumb. The two have been discussing over something, June arguing with him earlier.

"i just noticed, you've been acting strange" i explained hoping to get something out of him

"nah i'm just thinking about jay, he got beat up because he joined the race" he said, but still leaving some details and playing safe.

"come on June is there" he said gently grabbing the sleeve of my jacket towards the senior.

The students are now dismissed, June and I are riding with Minu who is keeping up with us. I left the topic earlier as it is, but i'll ask them again later. I really wish that he won’t ride as much as possible so that he can recover well, but knowing him he is only doing it for us and would be cycling behind our, or my back.

“hey” I muttered to the two looking at the sky mindlessly pedaling slowly but only received one answer.

“where’s Minu?” I asked totally blown away by that boy, did he just ditched us?

“uh didn’t he just said he’ll go with those two girls he said he owed them something because he ditched them yesterday?” telling me and pointing at the three figures in the opposite road.

These two boys are acting really odd today. I did asked them what’s wrong but just shrugged it off. June’s been worried all day and those two are debating over something. I figured that the matter does not concern me anymore if they won't bother to include me. I just hope they won’t do anything stupid.

I’m going to go early, going to do something my uncle tasked me to do. Bidding goodbyes with June I pedalled to my house to get ready for my work.

It’s the dead of the night and I just received a live notification titled “crew race | sunny high vs mountain high". I quickly wiped the blood off my blood stained shirt. I was just about to go there when I heard my uncle’s men

“We’re finished here. Let’s go to our next spot” he said getting ready to go. I cannot even count how much I hoped today but i hope those bastards won’t do anything stupid. As I closed my phone and convoyed with the black suited men.