Short Stories-Kai Ships Only! Volume 3

TXT- Growing Up- Part One

Elementary School.

Kai hated this. The fourth new school he's been forced to enroll in since he started preschool. His mom promised this would be the last. She also said that last time.

Every moving cycle started the same way. He would be the new kid, would make a bunch of friends, would then have to leave them, have them promise they would stay in touch, would soon lose touch and then be the new kid again.

He grumbled at the thought of introducing himself in every single class today. His speech was well rehearsed. It was the same speech he told 24 other teachers. "Hi. My name is Kai. I just moved here. This is the 4th school I've been to because my parents are both pilots." He would then be asked to share a few facts about himself to which he would respond "I can play 6 instruments, I'm fluent in three languages and passable in two and I have two sisters. One younger. One older." The class would applaud. The teacher would make some remark about how talented he was and then his favorite part would come. Getting to sit down. Until the next class of course where he would have to introduce himself all over again.

His mom handed him a water bottle and a clementine for a quick breakfast. Kai started the peel the orange. He made it a challenge to have the entire peel come off whole. It wasn't the end of the world if it broke. It just wasn't satisfying. Carefully, he successfully did. His small victory of the morning made him happy.

Before he left, Kai asked "is this really the last time we're moving?"

"It should be."

"Mom!"

"I don't want to leave here! Your father doesn't want to leave here! The airlines said we would be based here until the foreseeable future!"

"Mom!"

"We should be here a while okay? I know this has been hard sweetie. We're contracted in for five years with the option to extend it. We'll talk about it then okay?"

"Fine." The school bus pulled to the corner of the street. An ugly yellow bus was another thing Kai could always count on in each move. "I gotta go. Bye mom. Tell dad I said bye too when he gets home."

"I will sweetie."

Kai rushed out the door before he missed his ride. Being late as the new kid was a no go. It would give a bad first impression to his teachers. Like usual, he found an empty seat near the front. Unlike usual, someone came to sit next to him when they pulled up to the next stop. This was a first for 8 year old Kai. Usually no one sat by him until he made a friend. There was plenty of seats open too. He was even more confused when the boy started to introduce himself.

"Hi! I'm Beomgyu Choi! Are you new?! Of course you're new! I've never seen you before! Wow! Your pink sweater looks so comfy! Is that a spider-man backpack?! Mine is so boring compared to yours! I bet-"

Kai wondered if this kid ever stopped to breathe between words. Surely this big eyed motormouth couldn't speak forever could he?

"-and you're going to love this school! I'm the class president! All the teachers LOVE ME! I can't wait to show you around! Stick with me kid and you'll go far in life! Wait! Your name isn't kid! What's your name shorty?"

"Kai..."

"You don't talk a lot huh?"

"I didn't really get the chance."

Beomgyu giggled. He liked Kai already. "Yeah, my friends find it annoying sometimes. Yeonjun said he wanted to smother me with a pillow last night."

"...what?"

"Don't worry! I told him I'd push him off of my roof before he got to do that! He's my best friend. You'll really like him. He's sooo cool! Don't tell him I told you that though. I'll NEVER hear the end of it! So-"