Love And Dragons | JiKyu • KyuHoon

6|The Fire

"NO!"

He ran back for the door. He was going back in but then another beam from inside fell and blocked the entrance. The hole now consumed with the blazed.

"No! No! No! No! Please! Nooooo!"

Another ear splitting roar.

"JIHOON!!!"

ʕ·ᴥ·ʔ

Junkyu choked as he sucked in as much needed air into his lungs. He started coughing trying to ease his respiratory. He also sat upright so fast he felt dizzy from the sudden motion. His auburn hair was a mess. Junkyu soon stopped coughing once he felt he could breath again without difficulty. He stayed sitting crisscrossed legs on his bed with his blanket still covering his lower half. He clutched his bed sheet in his hands. He felt his sweat drip from his forehead. Junkyu then felt his damp cheeks and realized he had been crying. He covered his face with his hands. He was trying to drown out the remnants from his dream the sound of the fire, burning, banging and his screams that remained tainted without a hopeful response.

"It's my fault. It's all my fault." Junkyu chanted to himself in a whisper.

The teen embraced himself in a pitiful manner. He tried his best not to start crying again.

"Junkyu!"

Junkyu hiccuped and sniffed while looking around his room. He was startled by the voice. He thought he heard his name being called by that specific voice. He was honestly hoping to see that familiar face he always wanted to see. But then he realized he was being delusional. He unconsciously let his hand outstretched mid air with the thoughts of wanting to reach out for something. The way he held out his hand, how his fingers slowly folded back to his now larger palm. He clutched only air yet in his head there was something more meaningful to what he had failed to keep close. He remembered the screams and the roars again. It was all making his head hurt.

It had now been five years.

Junkyu was now fifteen years old. Many things had happened and changed. He wished he was back to those blissful days of his life when he was given a ray of sunlight in what he considered is his often dim existence. But, he pushed that away, he left the spot of where the sun shone on him. He made some certain decisions he deeply feels regrets but he believes they were for the best. In his mind, he felt split in half. He would often tell himself he was just hurting himself by doing so but the other half strongly told him he was doing what he is doing to protect him, to protect Jihoon.

Junkyu desperately wishes he could change what happened that night.

Five years ago, there was a fire, Junkyu was saved from the fire by Jihoon. But in doing so he endangered himself. Junkyu escaped with a few burns and scratches. As for Jihoon, he thankfully survived but suffered severe burns and injuries that lasted him a week unconscious and healing scars that imprinted on his skin. It was stuck in Junkyu's head. The sight of it was a reminder to him of his misfortune.

Junkyu was reminded by the words, the taunts and the whispers. He brought misfortune to anyone close to him. He brought this upon the ones he cared. Well, there had mostly only been two but Junkyu wasn't gonna risk another life to test this theory. He concluded he was cursed. So he decided to put himself far away from Jihoon to keep him safe. He didn't want what happened to his mother, happen to Jihoon.

It was painful. To put himself away from someone whom he had grown to feel happy with, but he did not want to lose him to a fate that cannot be undone. To Junkyu, it was enough he could gaze at Jihoon from afar.

On the early days of his efforts and sudden display of coldness to his only friend, Jihoon never once showed hate or reciprocated the same coldness back. If anything, Jihoon became more annoying and persistent in getting Junkyu's attention. He was relentless just like the fire or perhaps like the waves of the ocean that pushed and pulled with no stopping. He continued to say 'hi' to Junkyu. He continued visiting him at their house. He continued visiting him as well at the forge. He continued trying to make conversation with the heir of Berk. And he continued to always throw a smile his way whenever their eyes caught each other.