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The sun was shining more fiercely than ever—
as if it somehow knew who I was about to see.
With a restless heart, I walked fast,
toward a face both familiar and distant,
toward a feeling that never truly left me.
Excitement and sorrow kept crashing inside me like quiet waves,
pulling me inward, deeper,
toward something I didn't know if I wanted or feared.
After a long walk,
the path neared its end—
just a few more steps,
and there it stood: A familiar yet stranegly distant
a large wooden gate, silent like a wall, standing in my way.
I froze, staring at it.
"Could he be in there?"
"And if he isn't...?"
The thought echoed sharply through my head.
But I took a deep breath,
tightened my chest,
and stepped forward—
passing the first boundary of my fear.
The moment I crossed through, I saw them:
the same old swings, painted over with a fresh green,
standing quietly on the grass like faded memories reborn.
My eyes refused to turn toward the hill,
as if the fear inside me would spill the moment I looked.
But I pressed that fear down hard—
sealed it into my ribs—
and began walking slowly toward the tree that stood in the center of the hill.
Each step, uncertain.
Each breath, heavier than the last.
And as I reached the top,
my eyes—hesitant, trembling—
finally turned toward the cracked cabin
resting alone in the wide, treeless field beyond.ا
Suddenly, a breeze swept across the vast field beside the cabin, rustling the flattened grass in a way that sounded like whispers from the earth. The color of the sky had shifted, the shadows beneath the trees had grown wider, and the entire scene seemed to be sinking slowly into darkness, fading into something distant and unreal. I ran—fast, as if the heavy weight of my worries had vanished with the wind and the light in my eyes had become brighter than before. But I wasn't running toward the cabin… I was running toward someone, someone my eyes had been longing to find. In that moment, fear and hesitation no longer mattered.
And then I opened my eyes—and the cabin stood right before me. Its walls were no longer straight, and the lock on the door looked more rusted than I remembered. My hand moved on its own, reaching for the handle, turning it, clicking the lock open. "It's locked… Could he really be here?" The thought made my heart race. My hands pushed the door open with all their strength, as if they refused to wait any longer. The light from my flashlight made my eyes squint, and I instinctively raised my right hand to shield my face. Then slowly, my gaze began to touch every surface inside.
Yes… it was just like I remembered—Souh's cold hideout, frozen in time as though no second had passed. Despite the weak beam of light from my flashlight, the room still felt heavy, and I saw it—the same old chair on the cold, dark floor, facing the lifeless fireplace. A tall, narrow mirror stood directly in front of me, staring back from the emptiness of an abandoned space. But this time, the silence didn't push my eyes closed—it guided me, leading my steps toward the narrow staircase on the right, the one that led to the rooftop.
In that moment, hesitation had no meaning. I placed my hand on the stairs, and each step I climbed echoed softly through the room, like a breath held in anticipation. And then, finally, I reached the rooftop, and my eyes found him—bathed in light.
He was sitting with his back turned toward me, wearing a white shirt beneath a dark hoodie that half-covered his silver-blue hair. He seemed lost in thought, gazing out over the grassy field below. I took a deep breath, but my tears betrayed my courage, and in a trembling voice I whispered, "S–Souh?" The wind carried my words, slowing the beat of my heart. And then, I saw him rise slowly and turn his head toward me—but the hood still covered his face, keeping his expression hidden.
Then I heard a sound—not from him, but from me—as I ran straight toward him, faster than I thought I could, and my arms wrapped around him so tightly, like they never wanted to let go. I pressed my head against his chest, and my tears soaked into his shoulder. His eyes looked up at the sky, but I couldn't feel the warmth of his hands on my back. I slowly raised my head, hoping to see his face—but maybe I shouldn't have. His eyes stared back at me, cold and expressionless, without a smile, without emotion, without care. I didn't want to let go—but that gaze, that gaze forced me to.
Then he turned to glance behind him, throwing a sharp look over his shoulder as if someone was there in the shadows. When he turned back to me, something in his expression shifted. "You still act like a child," he said in a tired voice, his lips curling into a faint smile. He took his hands out of his pockets and gently brushed my hair. Finally, his eyes truly saw me—and my tears, endless and overflowing, refused to stop.
"Ah, alright then… Looks like someone really missed me, huh, little guy?" he said with a light laugh as he pulled me into a hug and wiped my tears with his hands. But… I don't know why, something inside me whispered that he'd changed. His eyes were colder now, and it was like something had shaken his mind. He didn't feel like the boy I once knew.
I hesitated, but I knew I had to ask, "S–Souh… a few years ago—I mean, where have you been these past four years? Are you okay? You seem… different." My voice trembled as I asked, a nervous, fading smile on my lips. He paused for a second and pulled the edge of his hood a bit lower, hiding more of his face. "Ah, kid, let me breathe… I'm starving. Haven't eaten a thing since I got here. Let's eat something first," he said, his tone slipping back into that old playful rhythm. That wide grin—that teasing voice—I could tell he was changing the subject. But I didn't care. I just wanted to be with him.
"You ready?" he asked.
"For what? Wait—hey!" I barely had time to react before he pushed me off the rooftop, jumping down with me. We landed on the thick grass below, and I saw the edge of his hood fall back, revealing soft strands of silver-blue hair shimmering in the dim evening light. "Come on, hurry up! It's already dark, and I haven't eaten anything!" he called out as he stood up. And instead of being angry, my face broke into an uncontrollable smile.
"Souh… welcome home," I said with a wide grin, and he folded his