Thirty Fish

"Ah, don't let go! You'd better not let go!" Yuel shouted, feeling Edin pushing him faster and faster.

When Yuel heard the word "date," learning how to ride a bike for the first time was far from what came to mind. This was their very first date since Yuel finally confessed to liking Edin back, so he expected something a bit more traditional to gently ease their relationship forward, like watching a movie or simply going to a café to talk. Basically, anything that wouldn't potentially endanger his life and end their romance before it even started.

But then again, when did Edin ever keep things "traditional"?

"S-Stop!" Yuel shrieked, seeing himself draw closer and closer to a small downward slope.

"I got you. Don't worry," Edin said softly right behind him. "Here we go."

"Ahh, ahhh!"

Yuel had never screamed this big in his life. He didn't even know he was capable of producing such a loud sound. But as scared as he was, there was also a great sense of excitement bellowing from deep within him. He couldn't remember the last time he had this much fun, if there ever was a last time at all.

With his constantly busy parents and shy personality, Yuel had spent practically all his life alone, repeating the same uneventful routine of attending his friendless school and coming back to his family-less home. Of course, things had changed for a while after Kyungwon came into his life. But as Yuel had eventually learned, being in love with someone who couldn't love you back only made you lonelier in the end.

And now, that loneliness was finally gone. Yuel had this boy who was right behind him.

Or so he thought.

"E-Edin?"

Yuel gasped when he realized there was no one pushing him anymore. That, along with the momentum he had gained after clearing the slope, caused him to panic and swerve off the bike trail onto the grassy field. The wheels quickly came to a stop against the friction of the dirt, sending Yuel and his bike toppling to the side.

"Yuel! Are you okay?!"

Yuel watched as Edin rushed over to him from where he had let go. Even though he was running to him at top speed, things seemed to go in slow motion as Yuel soaked in every detail of this sweet and handsome boy. The sun seemed to shine just a bit brighter over his head like a spotlight. As if the universe was saying, "Yes, him. He's the one."

Despite the worried look he was receiving and the dull pain that ran through his entire body, Yuel couldn't help but laugh like a child who had just experienced his first roller coaster ride. Before, the only form of love Yuel had known was quiet, secretive, and passive. But now, he had unlocked a new version, which was a mix of discovery, exhilaration, and courage. And even though there was no word for it in the dictionary, Yuel knew exactly what to call it.

"Edin," Yuel said happily when the boy helped him back on his feet.

He immediately gave Edin a hug, no longer fearful because he knew he would be hugged back in a heartbeat. He had wondered once before how Edin was able to make love seem like the easiest thing in the world, and he was starting to get it now. It really could be as simple as a single embrace.

"Uh, ahem..."

Yuel awkwardly stepped back upon hearing the laughter of other people at the park. All that excitement made him temporarily forget that they weren't alone here. He couldn't believe he just hugged another boy out in the open like this. For a brief moment, he had gone back to being that innocent boy four years ago who was simply so happy to like another guy. Who did not yet start worrying about the societal stigma that came with being gay. Who knew who he liked and just accepted it.

Well, at least that last part applied to the current Yuel as well now.

"You weren't going to kiss me?" Edin said, not even trying to hide his disappointment.

"What?" Yuel looked around just in case someone might have heard that. Thankfully, the closest people to them were several meters away and safely out of earshot. Even so, Yuel lowered his voice as he replied, "I am not kissing you here."

Matching his volume, Edin asked, "Then, will you kiss me somewhere else?"

"W-What?"

"I look forward to it."

"Hey, I didn't say I would...!"

Edin chuckled. "Anyway, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Yuel replied, hopping back on his bike and wanting to ride far away from Edin before he asked him any more flustering questions. Unfortunately, he hadn't learned how to start pedaling on his own yet.

"I'll help you."

Yuel got chills hearing Edin's voice brush against the back of his neck. "O-Okay. But don't say anything weird."

"Weird? Like what?" Edin grinned. "Like asking you to kiss me—"

"Shut up!"

Now that the wheels were rolling, Yuel pedaled as fast as he could.

"You're doing great, Yuel!" Edin shouted from a distance.

That was when Yuel realized he was riding by himself again. Except this time, he didn't immediately panic. The first time was terrifying because he had no idea how painful it would be to fall off the bike. But now that he had experienced it once and knew he would be able to get back on his feet just fine, that fear was gone.

In a way, it was a lot like his experience with love.

. . .

After a few hours of riding bikes together, Yuel and Edin decided to go to a pizza place nearby for an early dinner before sundown.

"I'm starving," Edin said after placing their order.

"Me, too," Yuel replied before sliding back out of the booth. "I'm going to go to the bathroom."

"Okay. But don't take too long or I'll miss you."

"Oh, jeez..." Yuel rushed off before Edin could say anything else.

Edin stared at Yuel with a dumb grin until he was out of sight. He still couldn't believe that boy with the pretty name and even prettier face actually liked him back. And although he didn't get a kiss earlier, he was beyond happy that Yuel had hugged him first. He couldn't wait until Yuel hugged him again, and hopefully he would kiss him too, then.

Edin was brought out of his blissful thoughts at the sound of Yuel's phone vibrating. He didn't even realize Yuel had left it behind. With the screen turned up, Edin couldn't help reading the name of the caller.

[Kyungwon Hyung]

Since it was Yuel's phone, Edin let the call go to voicemail. But he wasn't happy knowing that the man, who he was convinced was Yuel's abusive stepdad, was still contacting him. That discontent turned into full-on rage when he saw Yuel had fifty unread messages from the man along with ten missed calls. It was no wonder Yuel hadn't looked at his phone all day.

Edin could only imagine how stressful it must have been to constantly be attacked with all these messages and calls. Even though he hadn't said anything to Yuel to avoid making him uncomfortable, this problematic family situation kept weighing on his mind. The worst part was that there was nothing he could do to help.

But then, another call came from "Kyungwon Hyung." And instead of making it the eleventh missed call, Edin decided to take matters into his own hands.

"Hello?" he answered in an aggressive tone.

"Huh? Isn't this Yuel's phone?"

I knew it, Edin thought, recognizing the voice as the same one he heard from the man who took Yuel after school before.

"Yes, it is," Edin replied. "And what business do you have with him?"

"Oh, um..."

Edin's suspicions only grew at the man's hesitation. He figured it would be hard for a creep to explain why he was calling the kid he had predatory intentions toward.

"...Wait, but who is this? Are you Yuel's friend?"

"You don't need to know. Just answer my question."

"Okay... Look, I'm a close hyung of Yuel."

"Sure," Edin scoffed.

Kyungwon paused for a moment, unsure how he was supposed to talk to this unnamed and oddly hostile person on the other end. "Can you just let Yuel know to call me later?"

"No, I can't actually."

"What?"

"I know who you are, you sicko."

"W-What? I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, you don't? When you've been harassing Yuel with all these calls and messages and god knows what else? If you ever contact Yuel again, I'm reporting you to the police. This is your last warning."

"Wait, I think there's been some sort of misunder—"

Edin hung up, after which no more calls came. He hoped that with this, Yuel could finally be left alone and at peace.