#jungphile

Yet during the summer night Daehyun finds himself walking in the woods, with directions written over thetext on his phone. Youngjae told him to meet him and Yongguk there in thenight. It’s a great place to hang out, trust us, he’s said. We’llbring snacks too!

Daehyun settled tobelieve in his childhood friends whom he hasn’t seen for years. Moving duringhigh school and college really separated them for a long time. He has nevereven been to this part of this woods, he realizes, looking around with theflashlight he brought with him. The trees are dark green under the moon, thewind is whispering rustled leaves, and Youngjae left delicately painted arrows—which suspiciously smell like crushed petals— onthe barks of huge trees to show Daehyun where to go. It makes things easier, andDaehyun’s glad of it, but also slightly doubtful of what Yongguk and Youngjaeis so excited to show him in the new meeting place.

They never really didgo to school together. They met in the summers of their childhood, in the samewoods, when the eleven year old Daehyun was chasing fireflies, losing alldirections of where he went and where he came from. Yongguk and Youngjae foundhim confused and lost, with sticks in their hands, and just like Daehyun, theywere probably just playing around in the woods. The kids they were in thatfateful summer. The two showing him the way home was the only clear memory he’s had of the season.

And summer became theirtime. Yongguk and Youngjae won’t be there if it isn’t summer, Daehyun hadlearnt. School, they said, and it was in another town. Daehyun neverquestioned it, for some unclear reasons he’s too preoccupied to ponder overnow. They met every summer before Daehyun moved anyway. And before he left thetown with his family, Youngjae and Yongguk came in the autumn to exchange phone numbers with harsh pants because they ran to his house. They never liked running, unlike Daehyun.

It’s a clearing in thewoods, where Youngjae’s text has led him to.

Daehyun has never beento this part of the woods. It’s unfamiliar, and he’s starting to doubt hismemories of the woods. Has he really forgotten the layout of the place he spentso much of his childhood summer in? Coming back to this hometown for the firsttime after years and years reminds him that his childhood had been only faint fragments,but definitely fascinating—he’s sure of it—, for the woods offers so manythings to ponder on and play with. The woods is almost a truly, magical place for Daehyun. Even now.

Even if it’s dark there; and themoon’s bright but Daehyun’s used to city lights illuminating the sky by now, notthe stars and the moon. He figures, might as well forget the city for now, andturns off his flashlight. And it becomes darker.

That’s when in themiddle of the clearing, with the grass slightly rustling; small, little lightsstart flickering alive. Daehyun watches in awe, before he realizes how the fairylights are wrapped around a person.

“Daehyun?” Thesilhouette asks.

Daehyun swallows alump in his throat, confused. The voice is unfamiliar, yet the name is definitely his. He walks to the person cautiously yet still keeping a distance because he’s wary, and now he can see it’s just aboy sitting cross legged, looking up at him with the lights softly blinking aroundhim. He’s looking up at Daehyun with shimmering eyes, reminiscent of the night sky above and thelights decorated his messy, light, golden hair like a crown.

“You know my name?”Daehyun blurts, and looks around. Yongguk and Youngjae is not around.

“Of course. Yonggukand Youngjae talk about you a lot.” The boy chuckles, standing up, and he’stall. A second before he was so small, sitting there with the lights wrappedaround him and now Daehyun realizes he’s a tall, young man who’s shyly dustingoff his pants. “I’m glad I finally get to meet you.”

“Oh.” Daehyun blinks,and he tries to appear friendly despite the wonder of how strangely enchantingthis meeting feels. “And you are?”

The boy smiles and thelights on him twinkle along. “Junhong.”

“Why have we never metbefore?”

Junhong shrugs,looking down at his plain white shoes. “We did. I just never properly introducedmyself because I’m too shy.” He holds his hands together in front of him now,the lights softly blinking at Daehyun.

“W-when?” Daehyun’sbreathless, and somehow there’s a sense of familiarity at the sight of thefluttering lights. Familiar like the woods he hadn’t returned to for years,familiar like the many summers ago when Yongguk and Youngjae found him becausehe was too childish, he chased the lights flying away from him.

“That summer.” Junhonganswers, looking at Daehyun again and he tilts his head.

And Daehyun knows whichsummer.

“But—” He laughs,understanding but not fully. “Why are you wrapped in these fairy lights anyway?”

Junhong chuckles andtakes a deep breath, like he’s about to show off something. And maybe he is. “They’renot fairy lights.” He says and at that moment the wind rustles the grass aroundthem and the lights flicker, before floating ever so slightly off Junhong.

Junhong smiles at themand that’s when Daehyun realizes, as the lights flutter, blink, and start orbiting —as if dancing around—the tall male in front of him; they’re fireflies.

How foolish of him toassume those beautiful golden lights were manmade, especially when they’re litin the middle of the woods with no wires or electricity.

“It’s a little darkhere, isn’t it?” Junhong mutters and the fireflies spread around instantly,surrounding them both with golden light in the dark woods.

“What are you?”Daehyun blurts out of amazement. It feels like a dream. Like a dream he’s hadmany summers ago.

Yet immediately his face turns red,realizing how the question could have been worded more appropriately, butJunhong grins almost sheepishly in return.

“I’m a light fairy.”He says softly and Daehyun almost laughs at the incredulity of it all before herealizes that Junhong’s words are true and he feels it to be true.

“Daehyun!” A voicecalls from behind and Daehyun cranes his neck to look in surprise.

He grins when herealizes it’s Yongguk and Youngjae. And somehow the hazy, yet magical memoriesof his childhood makes sense now, when he sees the flower crowns on both of hisfriends’ heads, and the fruits in a basket Youngjae’s carrying.

“I see you’ve metJunhong.” Yongguk smiles, leading Youngjae to the other two by their intertwinedhands.

“I—yes, and apparentlyhe’s a fairy—wait, will the two of you tell me what all of this is, though?” Daehyun’sbewildered now, because if Yongguk and Youngjae know Junhong, and Junhong is afairy, then they aren’t just friends from another town and why areYongguk and Youngjae holding hands?

Youngjae laughs almost mockingly, his usualattitude never changed even with all the summers Daehyun had missed. “Yes, it’swhat you’re thinking. We’re fairies too.” He tells it like it’s just a passing breeze, but Daehyun’s rustled like a young tree.

“Fairies? The twoof you?”

“This is our woods,” Yongguksays calmly, his voice like the gentle river running in this very woods, where Daehyun would wash his face in after a day of sweating under the summer sun. “And I’d like to apologize for making your memories hazy all these time,Daehyun. Which is why we’re here today, with Junhong, who can light up thememories again. And you’ll remember. You’ll remember all the summers clearly.”

Daehyun cocks aneyebrow, and turns to Youngjae.

“I brought snacks,didn’t I?” He merely says, lifting the basket full of cherries and peaches.

“I’m not sure if I—”

“Come on, we’ll getyou to meet Himchan and Jongup and we’ll talk about everything.” Youngjae cuts him off with a sigh, grabbing his arm to lead him to another place.

And little did heknow, they really went to another place. But that’s another timeto ponder on because he’s got the whole summer now. Including those he’s livedyears and years ago. And the sun, the fireflies, his friends’ smiles, and their shared laughter. Daehyun remembers.