Beyond This Fucked Up World [choi yeonjun]

Chapter One - The Boy With His Skateboard

[13. August 2022]  

The day was warm, but refreshing enough to not have to wear shorts. I walked along the path with big steps and tied my almost shoulder-length hair into a half braid. I dropped my hands again and looked towards the sea.

From here you could still hear the sound of the water rushing towards the beach and a little less the people who had spread out on it. To my right, passers-by walked along the promenade, stopping now and then at shops to look at all kinds of goods.

I looked down at my shoes because I didn't know how to handle myself since I didn't have a bag or anything with me to hide the feeling of uneasiness. Suddenly a skateboarder came from my right and almost ran over my feet.

"Hey, watch it!" The guy grumbled at me and continued towards the skate park.

I looked after him with wide eyes and digested my fright, when I saw a boy in a yellow shirt who was also in the skate park. He was riding his worn skateboard along the tracks and had a look of boredom and coolness on his face.

He must have been to the skate park many times, considering his appearance and behavior made it seem like it was his second home. From a distance I could see how attractive he was. I noticed that he must be a loner as he skated more for himself and kept away from larger groups of friends.

His charisma refused to take my eyes off of him, which brought my focus further to his wrist. A bracelet that looked very familiar. It was small and delicate with white charms on it.

I didn't think this person would get my attention not only because of his looks but also because of something else entirely. With big, quick steps I started walking again but this time not further along the promenade but in the direction of the skate park. At the entrance, however, I was stopped by a big guy.

"No entry for people without skateboards." He said with folded arms and an annoyed voice.

"But this is a public place, isn't it? Why do I need a skateboard for entry?"

"You need a skateboard as an 'entry' so that groups of people like you don't gather here to just 'hang out' and so that they don't obstruct the people who really want to skateboard here. So either you have a skateboard or you get out of here." The guy explained to me as if it was his daily ritual.

"Hey, what's going on here?" I heard a voice say. From the front came the attractive boy with the bracelet, holding his skateboard in his left hand. Up close, I noticed that he had two piercings on his lips. Once on the left and once on the right of his lower lip, the metal rings gleamed at me. His hair was silver and his expression had a hint of curiosity in it. The skate park bouncer turned to the boy.

"Oh it's nothing. Just someone without a skateboard again." He described the situation to him. The boy in the yellow shirt now looked towards me.

"Ah. I'm sorry but you can't get in here without a skateboard."

"Actually, I just wanted to come in and talk to you."

"Oh." He looked even more surprised now.

The bouncer just laughed and walked over to a group of people, but before he did, he tapped the boy on the shoulder and whispered to him:

"Somebody wants your number!"

I watched the bouncer leave and felt the boy's gaze still on me.

"I'm sorry but I'm not interested in a relationship." He apologized.

"Neither am I. I'm here for something else." I assured him. He looked at me confused and shifted his weight to his other foot.

"Then what do you want to talk to me about?" I looked down at the white bracelet. It had six charms on it, one of which represented a skateboard.

"I want to know about the bracelet." I explained, pointing a little at his right wrist. He followed my finger and looked at the bracelet as well.

"Sorry but there's nothing to tell about that. You should go now." He said and turned around.

He casually dropped his skateboard on the ground, got on it, then rode down the ramp and moved away from me. My gaze continued to be on him and I was thinking of the best way to get back to him.

Just saying that he didn't know anything about it is not a good excuse, he should come up with a better one.

I looked around and saw all the people standing there with their skateboards and wondered how I could get one of those in a hurry. I turned around and looked down the promenade and happened to find a shop selling skateboards. Only I could be that lucky! How ironic.

...............................................................

He was lying with his head on his skateboard, his legs hanging calmly down the ramp and I'm about to steal his sunlight.

When the boy in the yellow shirt noticed how the sun was no longer shining on his face, he opened one of his eyes and looked up at me.

"You can't be here without a skateboard." He told me now with both eyes open.

"I have a skateboard." He sat up straight and looked behind his right shoulder to see me holding a freshly bought skateboard.

"Just because you bought a skateboard doesn't mean you're going to skate with it here."

"I was just told that you need a skateboard to get in here." I said convincingly. The boy sighed and turned back around.

"I already told you; there's nothing to tell about it."

"You're lying." He sighed again.

"I know that bracelet."

"You do?" He was still looking ahead. I, on the other hand, was still standing behind him, looking at his back. I hesitated, not knowing if this was the right course of action I was taking.

"I knew him."

"Many knew him." He said directly and now also slightly annoyed. From the look on my face, one could tell I was thinking.

"But not many knew him well."

"That's true." He said again right after I finished my sentence.

"I guess I'm one of those people." He added quietly, now looking down at his hands. I kept looking at the back of his head, wondering what he meant by that. He's probably as clueless as I am.

The boy in front of me took a deep breath and cleared his throat briefly before standing up and turning around. Now I was the smaller of the two of us again and had to lift my head a little to look him in the eye. His eyes showed a bit of pain. It was clear he didn't want to talk about it.

"You should leave. I can't answer your questions."

He continued to stare at me with that pained look, waiting for me to leave. Even the second time I tried to talk to him, he wouldn't tell me anything. Either he doesn't want to or he really doesn't know. Whichever is true, I don't think I'll find my answers with him.

I took a deep breath and took my newly bought skateboard in both hands. I looked a little awkwardly at the floor and then slid down the ramp to come to a halt again on straight ground. I continued to stand in the same spot and could feel his gaze on me. I took another deep breath and then walked towards the exit.

"Wait!" The boy behind me called out to me.

I turned around, holding my purchased skateboard in a tight hug, and looked up at the boy, who was still standing in the same spot as just now.

"How do you know him?"

I loosened my grip on my skateboard, my gaze further anchored on him. Now I too had a hint of pain in my expression.

"He was my boyfriend."

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So, this is the first chapter! Comments are very appreciated. Don't be shy do share your feelings and thoughts while reading the chapter / story in particular, I'm happy about every interaction :)