Echo ; minsung

Chapter one

Chapter 01

There it was again. The bright light, shining through the small gap between the pieces of fabric hanging in front of the window. Another sleepless night finally seemed to have come to an end. He lost count of how many times he watched the cold moonlight turn into something bright and warm. 

It was quiet. That wasn't necessarily a good thing since his thoughts made up for the lack of noise in his surroundings. 

The boy had just closed his eyes when he heard the old door open with a squeak. Probably his mother again to check in on him.

It has almost been two years since his mother adopted him, but there isn't much that has changed since then. He barely ever spoke, and if he did, it was usually with a simple 'yes' or 'no' that wouldn't even be audible to most people. 

She has always been so patient with him and never forced him to do more than he was comfortable with, Minho loved that about her. He was too scared to say the words out loud, but he did. She made him feel safe and loved. It wasn't something he was familiar with, which scared him for some reason.

"Minho sweetie, is everything okay? Breakfast is ready if you'd like to eat."

She waited, hoping that he would maybe open up about the way he was feeling, but the long silence said enough.

" Just come down to take your pills, honey. Whenever you're ready "

The boy didn't move and simply just stared at the window without saying a single word. He couldn't get anything out, even if he wanted to. There was always something holding him back. Sometimes, it felt like there was a knot in his throat that prevented him from getting anything out.

Minho got out of bed in the same dark hoodie and sweatpants he had been wearing for at least a week.

He walked down the stairs and found his way to the kitchen. His body felt heavy. It felt like he could drop down any second now.

There was a glass standing on the counter next to a pair of white pills, the same ones his mother would bring up to his room every day to make sure he took them. Not that he struggled with that. The only struggle for him was finding the strength to get out of bed, which he finally managed to do.

You'd think Minho would be full of life after spending a week in his room. It was anything but that. Dark circles had formed under his eyes due to his lack of sleep, his hair was messy despite barely moving.

It made his mother worry. She didn't pay much attention to the boy who just entered, she figured he wouldn't like the attention. However, she was content with seeing him out of his bedroom again.

Minho took the pills and chugged some water down his throat before swallowing them. He even took a bite of the toast his mother prepared for him as he leaned against the counter, staring down at the floor as he took small bites from the toast.

"I was thinking of going for a walk later"

The silence finally broke when his mother spoke up. He already knew what would follow. According to his mother, going outside would help him, and honestly, it did. He wasn't sure if it was the fresh air or spending time with his mom, maybe it was the fact that she bought him ice cream afterward.

"Would you like to come with me?"

He finally lifted his head and nodded slowly to answer her question. She swore she could even see a soft smile on his lips. It was rare to see him smile but it was such a beautiful sight.

"Go freshen up sweetheart, take your time. "

The dark-haired boy finished the food that was left and put his empty plate in the sink before he ran upstairs again. For some reason, he felt quite excited to do something other than staring at the wall day. Probably one of those random euphoric moments he had from time to time.

Although it wouldn't last long, it still felt great while it lasted and the boy knew he had to take these moments to his advantage if he wanted to have a future. He wanted to get better, it just seemed impossible sometimes, and that's what frustrated him even more.

He took a quick shower, the first one he had in weeks. In a way, it felt nice to be clean again but that didn't change the way he felt whenever he had to undress. It was torture for him.

As soon as he got out, he changed into some clean clothes, which were similar to the ones he was wearing before, something that would cover his body and made sure he wouldn't stand out. 

When he got downstairs, his mother was already standing by the door. It seemed like she was excited to go outside with Minho, she knew it was a big step for him but it was necessary. 

She handed him his long black puffer coat, the one she got him the first Christmas they spent together. It was one of the first gifts he received in a long time, he loved it. 

"It's cold outside min, let's make sure you're warm"

He nodded and even smiled as he zipped his coat up, he liked how his mother took care of him and always made sure he was okay. Yes, that's what mothers are supposed to do, but he wasn't used to being treated this way, it was special to him. 

She wrapped a scarf around his neck and made sure he was ready to go out in the cold weather. They both walked outside, following the same path they always took. It was always the same.

As they walked around, his mother complained about her work and her annoying colleague who seemed to be after her job and wasn't afraid to show it. There were rumors that she was sleeping with her boss in order to get that raise. Sometimes, it seemed like she never stopped talking, but minho enjoyed listening to her stories, even if he didn't react to them.

They passed the playground close to their house, he'd walk past it every time he went to school. Only this time something seemed different. He noticed a boy sitting on the swing, staring down at the floor. It wasn't very usual to see new people around, it was a small town and most people knew each other. Minho glanced at the brown-haired boy but quickly turned his gaze to the floor as he noticed him looking back.  

The walk never lasted long, they never did. Especially not with temperatures like these. No matter how long they walked for, the destination was always the same. The small ice cream shop, owned by one of his mom's best friends.

A.N: The next two chapters are already in progress and will be up soon~ I'll try my best to upload regularly:3