STARLIGHT

14.Trust

"Wow....that was....awkward,"Neori said to Saomi, who just nodded, "so, you wanna tell me the whole story? About this guy?"

"It's a really long story, you know,"Saomi responded, sitting down on the bench.

"Well, we have history next period, if you know what I mean," Neori said with a smile.

Saomi gave out a small laugh, "Alright. Um....I don't really remember the day we met so clearly. But...

~Short Flashback~

"Saomi," my Dad called from the living room, "come on out dear, we have guests."

I slowly went down the stairs to the living room where my parents and brother were seated, along with an elderly man, a younger man, a woman and a small boy.

"There she is, come on here, say hello," my mom told me.

I shyly went up to my mom's side and looked down.

"Hello, dear," the woman sitting opposite with the boy on her lap said with a warm smile.

I smiled timidly at her and looked at the boy's face. He was quite chubby, and wore a beanie. When I looked up, he smiled at me too. It was cute.

After tea, the two of us were sent to play by ourselves at the swings in our backyard. That's when he first spoke to me.

"How old are you?" he asked me, an innocent look in his face.

I just stared at his face. I couldn't stop myself from staring. That was it. That was the most innocent face I'd ever seen. The face of an angel.

~End of Flashback~

"And then, it goes all blank. I don't remember what response I gave.

I don't even remember how old I actually was. All my memories are in bits and pieces. I just know that from that day onwards, SamHyuk and I became very good friends.

And it's not like he didn't have his other male friends. He did and I had my own company too. But we always made time for each other. All through our childhood, junior high; good times and bad.

There was this one time when we were 13 that a few girls from school turned against me and I was hurt, both emotionally and......physically.

When Samhyuk came to know about this, he rushed over to my home and sat by my side for hours, saying nothing while I just cried. Since we went to different schools, he dropped me off at my school and waited till I entered the building and again after school was over.

I never had any friends; he was the only true friend I ever had. Well, him and my brother. And Samhyuk.....he....I treated him as my brother too," Saomi broke off with a sigh.

At this, Neori gasped and her eyes slightly widened, "a brother?"

Saomi nodded.

"Oh shoot," thought Neori.

-----------------------------

"Keya, wait up."

Keya turned to see who it was, "Oh....Samhyuk, yeah, let's go."

School was over and Samhyuk and Keya, as they'd being doing ever since the former joined Ohayo, walked home together after school.

"So, you remember this place much?" Keya asked as they passed rows of shops in a busy part of the street.

"Yeah I do. 10 years, Tokyo is pretty much my home. There're a few scenes that have changed but yeah, it's quite vivid in my head and I walked this way everyday," Samhyuk replied, closing his eyes for a bit.