Friendship was a weird thing. One minute Soobin and Xiaojun were fighting because Xiaojun kept on nagging at Soobin making a fool of themselves in front of Shotaro's dad, and the next Xiaojun was trying to comfort the bunny hybrid who started crying once more.
They were in the local playground, sitting on the swings. Yuta had given them money to buy ice cream that they were currently lapping on. Shotaro was between xiaojun and soobin, the two being protective.
The playground was empty, except for the old woman that sat under the shade of the Nara tree. She had a peaceful expression on her face.
“Taro!” Soobin called, moving the swirled top of his ice cream away from his mouth. He turned his neck to face his friend. “When are you going back to school?”
Shotaro stopped licking. How was he going to tell Soobin and Xiaojun that he wasn't going to go to school anymore?
“Taro?” Xiaojun noticed his hesitance. “You okay?”
Shotaro frowned, “I-I'm not going back.”
“Huh!?” Soobin's ice cream fell, making him slowly look away from Shotaro and down at the fallen frozen cream on the ground. His eyes started to water again. His lips quivered, “M-my—”
Xiaojun hopped off his swing, walking over to Soobin before shoving his ice cream into his hands. “Have mine. Naevis, you're so clumsy.” He faced Shotaro, “Why's that Taro?”
“My head usually hurts and I hear this strange ringing sometimes.” He pointed at his head. “Dada said it would be better if he was near when that happens.”
“Is there something wrong with you? You should go to the doctor.” Xiaojun suggested, “You can go doctor Eunwoo! He's a doctor from the West, but he's good to everyone. Mama says he's a royal physician.”
“Or you can head to the capital and go to Nurse Taeyong. Dad says he's the best when it comes to dealing with magical creatures.” Soobin suggested, melted ice cream covering his chubby cheeks. “He works for the king!”
Shotaro had no idea who they were. He only knew his dada and mister Sehun, and now Soobin and Xiaojun. He doesn't think he needed other people.
He gave them a reassuring smile, eyes turning into crescents. “I'll be fine. This would probably be gone once I get older.”
“Really?” Xiaojun and Soobin asked in sync, turning to look at each other before looking back at smShotaro with skepticism. “Are you sure?”
Shotaro nodded his head, “Yu—”
“Phillip! I hate you!”
“For the last time Karina, it's Sungchan!”
The children snapped out of their conversation. They turned to the two fighting voices, seeing a girl with long black hair stomp as she followed a boy with dark brown hair. The girl was seething, brows furrowed as she screamed at the boy.
Xiaojun furrowed his brows, realizing that they were wearing noble clothes. “I wonder from what house they're from.”
“Well, they can't be ours,” Soobin replied, finishing the last of his ice cream cone. “They don't have the crest. And ours don't have any kids.”
Xiaojun nodded his head, “Maybe visitors. Anyway,” He made them listen to him by snapping his fingers in front of their faces, “Taro, does that mean we can't see you anymore?”
Shotaro shook his head no, “No! I can always ask dada. And I'm sure Mister Sehun would be with me. He can convince dada.”
“Mister Sehun?” Xiaojun furrowed his brows. “Who—”
“Phillip I hate you!” The girl was now stomping her heeled shoes on the group, arms clenched at her side. She gritted her teeth as he pointed an accusing finger at the boy. “This is your fault. If you didn't let go of your servant we wouldn't be in this mess. We're lost in some random town.” She heaved in frustration. She shook off one shoe before picking it up and hurling it toward the boy. “And I am tired!”
Phillip, the boy, got hit by the shoe in the middle of his forehead, sending his head back. He groaned in pain, “You didn't have to follow me you know. And for the last time Karina, my name is Sungchan! Not Phillip!”
“Should we help them?” Soobin asked Xiaojun.
Xiaojun shook his head no, brows still furrowed. “It's best if—hey—Taro!” He called after his friend who had hopped off the swing and was making their way to the arguing kids. He sighed, “Great, another Soobin.”
While Shotaro didn't understand the concept of friends, he did understand the concept of arguments. His dada always argued with their cuckoo clock. His dada explain that arguing was bad.
He approached the two bravely. He didn't know them, but he had this want to stop their arguing. It wasn't a nice sight and because they were getting loud. He hated when things got too loud.
He stood behind the boy, reaching out his arm when,
“Phillip I hate you!” The girl, Karina, seethed before throwing her other shoe. Sungchan or Phillip, being used to this, moved right to dodge, leaving Shotaro open and making the shoes collide forcefully on his face.
Karina let out a bloodcurdling scream.
It was a stinging feeling. There was something forcefully pushing against the center of his forehead. It was painful, and it made his usual headache suddenly appear and intensify quickly. He could also hear the ear-piercing ringing.
Other than that, he could feel himself lean back. Then crash on the ground.
“Taro!”
💤
Yuta frowned. He found himself seated on the stone footsteps of the public wash area. Fortunately, the area was dry as no one was using it. He bit on his nails.
He had sent Shotaro with his friends an hour ago and had been feeling nothing other than dread. Other parents would treasure the time their kids weren't with them, but not Yuta. He loathed being away from Shotaro. He always thought his son would get into some type of trouble, especially with how innocent he was.
“Naevis, you like you're carrying all the problems of the world.” Sehun snorted, standing in front of the distraught Yuta with two bags full of butchered pork, meat, and poultry. He moved to sit beside Yuta, setting the bags at the foot of the steps. “What's wrong.”
Should he tell Sehun? What was Yuta thinking? Sehuj was a stranger to him and he was about to tell him the thing that was bothering him.
He just sighed, “Nothing.”
Sehun snorted loudly, rolling his eyes in exasperation. “If it was nothing, I'm sure you wouldn't look like Shotaro was snatched away from you.” A dead silence fell on them. “Wait, don't tell me—”
“Shotaro's with his friends!” Yuta rushed before Sehun would assume the worst. Which in turn would make him think of the worst, and yeah, they'd be thinking of the worst. “I met them. They're good kids. One is kind of sensitive and the other is scared of me.”
Sehun laughed loudly, the gruffness of it scaring passersby. “Naevis, don't tell me you scared the poor kid.”
Yuta clicked his tongue, slapping Sehun's arm. “I didn't. I have a kid, why would I be scaring another one?”
Sehund wiped away the tear from his right eye. “Dunno. You don't look like the type to be raising kids.”
Yuta frowned. He knew that. He didn't exactly look soft and caring. He looked like a dragon ready to burn you to a crisp. “I know that. And I could say the same thing to you.”
“Hey!” Sehun was offended, “What matters is in the inside.” He used his thumb to point at his heart. “This thing is made of gold.”
Yuta snorted, shoulders rising. “Yeah and I wonder how much it would cost.”
💤
Where am I?
The question echoed in Shotaro's head as he stared at the clear sky.
The last he recalled, he was busy writing their draft for their qualitative research. He was in his room. It was 3 am on a Tuesday. A few hours from then, at 8 am, they would be submitting their chapter 1 draft to their research moderator for checking and comments.
Why was he staring at the sky.
“Taro, are you okay!?”
“Soobin are you nuts?! What type of person would be okay after being hit by a shoe?!”
“Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!”
“H-hey!? Can you hear us?”
What?