Rose Garden [JAEYONG]

Chapter Three [Footprints?]

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[Decemeber 2003] 

"TAEYONG!" Jaehyun screamed at the top of his lungs. Taeyong jumped and looked for the source of the shouting. 

Winter had just blown in. It was snowing and the ground was already covered in a thick layer of feathery snow. Taeyong had been bundled up to the point where we had minimal mobility in his arms. The large scarf around his neck covered his mouth making his breath stick to the fabric, forming a soppy, wet patch of cloth on his mouth. His sense of hearing was muffled from the earmuffs that covered his ears. 

Despite his conditions, Taeyong had a big grin plastered to his face. Jaehyun and he were playing hide and seek. Taeyong was it, but Jaehyun didn't play fair. He never did. He'd move around and make noise. They were playing in Jaehyun's backyard since it had more stuff to hide in. 

Taeyong giggled and ran toward where the younger boy was heard shouting. He peered behind the garden shed and was about to scream "Found ya!" but there was no boy. Taeyong huffed and looked over his shoulder. 

Foots steps. 

Taeyong laughed out a "You are so dead!" as he ran in the direction the footsteps led. They went into the forest. He was allowed to go there, but Taeyong didn't even realize that he'd gone in. He was too focused on finding Jaehyun.

The footsteps went deeper and deeper. 

Then they stopped. Taeyong was laughing as he caught his breath, but something was off. He shouted into the still woods "Jaehyun! I got you!" 

He looked forward to where the foots stopped. They were at the base of a tree and just as he was about to look on the other side, he heard a voice. 

"Taeyong! I'm telling your dad if you don't come out!" Jaehyun screamed from the opposite directions. Taeyong scrunched his brows and looked between the direction he'd come from and the tree he was standing in front of. It didn't make any sense. 

Who was in here with him if it wasn't Jaehyun? 

He got chills down his spine and wasn't planning to find out. His gut told him to go back and that's exactly what he did. He ran back to Jaehyun's yard as fast as his tiny legs would carry him. 

He saw Jaehyun standing at the edge of the treeline with his arms crossed. 

"Got you!" Taeyong screamed as he jumped onto Jaehyun, knocking him over. Jaehyun squealed as he hit the snow. Taeyong laughed ontop of him. 

"Nuh-uh! We aren't playing anymore, you ruined it!" Jaehyun complained, trying to shove the eight-year-old off. Taeyong grabbed Jaehyun's cheeks with his mitten-covered hands.