A Walk To Remember

But You Sing To Me Over Again

In the Westwood school library on Saturday morning, Yoongi and Lee sit over the geometry text once again. Yoongi has just asked a question and Lee is shrugging sadly. Yoongi's eyes wander out the window. "Let's get outta here."

Yoongi and Lee face each other across the half-court for basketball. Yoongi's got a ball and is stood further away from the basket. "You, me, and the basket. We're the three corners of a triangle. Take one step in." Yoongi and Lee both step forward. "Am I at the same angle to you and the basket as before?"

Lee takes a moment to think. "Yeah."

"Are you?"

"Yeah."

Yoongi smiles, feeling like he's finally getting through to the kid. "So what did we just make?"

"A similar triangle?"

"What else? What kind of triangle has three sides of different lengths?"

"Scalene?"

Yoongi smiles again. "Okay. Make me an isosceles."

Lee steps outward, directly opposite Yoongi.

"Yes! Two sides the same." Yoongi cheers, feeling proud. He then tosses Lee the basketball. "Enough of this. Let's play."

They play, and from a nearby picnic bench, Jimin glances over from where he works with his student, Inhye. Yoongi looks at him, and Jimin quickly looks away, but Yoongi keeps his eyes on the younger. Thoughtful. Watching him. But not staring.

In the evening Yoongi heads to the local bookstore, studying the boots in the spiritual/religion shelf. He picks out a book, then sits in a corner but before he opens the text, he looks around him, suddenly taking in all the books, all the learning, all the knowledge that could be his.

A week later inside the school auditorium, it is a full house. Parents, teachers, students, churchgoers, booster club and rotary members all fill the seats to come and watch the spring play.

On the stage, the set is a wealthy Midwestern ranch house of the 1950's. Euitae and two other boys play other characters. The play is underway.

Yoongi watches from the sidelines, dressed as Sang Myungdae in a nicely fitted suit, waiting for his entrance.

The boy playing a business man speaks to Euitae's character, who is playing as Minyung's father. "'Then why don't you talk to him?'"

Euitae speaks, as Jiwoo. "'Because if we do, he'll think we're trying to get rid of him'."

"'He'll sure think the same if I do it. You're his father and comes a time when a father's gotta mention'."

From stage right, Jimin makes his entrance as Minjun. A collective gasp sounds from the audience. Jimin is wearing some makeup, and a silk shirt that clings, with his hair pushed back. 

Yoongi can't take his eyes off him. 

Jimin acts, as Minjun. "'Morning, Pop. Boys. I dreamed we had a rain, rain coming down in sheets! Lightning flashed, thunder rolled up and down the canyon like a kid with a big drum!'"

Reverend Park is enraptured. Principle Kam looks hopeful. Min Cho watches uncertain. And, Jungkook, Hoseok, and Bae all rock in their seats, snickering. 

Jimin carries on acting. "'I know why you sent me to Sweetriver. Six girls in that family. The first three days, I stayed in my room.'"

The second boy, playing a character named Mirae takes his cue. "'What'd you do that for?'"

Stood in the back of the auditorium stands a well-dressed man by the name of Dr. Min Junsu. Yoongi's father. He slips in and takes a seat a couple of rows behind Cho.