Until We Meet Again - Red Thread

Chapter 1: Intro

Except for the sound of the rain incessantly hitting the ground below and the continuously roaring thunder, everything was deathly still. In a room at the top floor of an 8-story condominium, two young men sat hugging each other on a wet sofa, trying their best to be quiet. Sobbing, the smaller body of the two curled into the other's wide chest.

"No matter what, everything's going to be okay," one of them comforted the other, even though inside his heart he, too, cried.

"Don't leave me," a voice whispered. “We have to stay together, P' Korn" the younger voice continued, both arms wrapped around his lover in a firm hug.

It was forbidden love, one that was not accepted by both men's parents. They fought and quarreled with both of their families, causing the situation to worsen, until their parents finally forced them to separate. But tonight, they managed to escape and reunite.

Korn rubbed at the bruised cheek of the boy in his arms. His heart felt pity for the young man who was usually so cheerful, but because of him, had to fight with his parents until it became physical.

"P' is so sorry, In" he whispered gently into his partner's ears and kissed the temples of the trembling boy that filled his heart with so much love. "P' loves In. Always remember that I love you very much."

The boy looked up with a tearful face, "P', don't say it like that, don't ever leave me." Both of In's hands grabbed tightly at his lover's shirt until his body trembled. "In will always be with you. We will always be together, forever."

There was a flash of lightning followed by a deafening crash of thunder. The noise didn't even break the fixation of the boys as they continued to cling to each other, oblivious to the rain. Korn kissed In's pursed lips, already pale from the cold and fear.

Bang!

The huge door suddenly slammed inward, causing one of the boys to scream.

"Let him go, damn you! I will not allow In to continue seeing you!" an angry voice shouted at Korn. It was In's father.

"In, come here!" The middle-aged man went closer to where the boys were seated and pulled at his son's arm, only to feel resistance as In fought back and grabbed at Korn's body, afraid to let go.

"Dad, I love P' Korn! Please, let us love each other, Dad," came the small boy's plea, his voice cracking with emotion.

"Do you think he's better than your own father? Do you think I love you any less?" In's father snarled in anger. He tried to hit his son's hand, but found that Korn, who he utterly despised, was blocking his strike.

"Don't hit him, na. He is not wrong; he is not making a mistake. I'm sorry," Korn protectively hugged his lover tighter, trying so hard to cover him even from those he loved. Awkwardly, he tried to raise his hands in respect (wai), his eyes brimming with tears as he implored:

"I love him. I love your son. We love each other."

"Bastard! I don't need your respect," The angry father exclaimed as he picked up a blunt object from the floor, smacking Korn with it as hard as he could. The sound of the strike echoed above the din of the storm from outside.

"Dad...No!!" In screamed as he saw the blood spray from his lover's head.

"He will die... Please, Dad, don't hit P' Korn na!!”

Behind In's father was the shadow of his mother. She had silently followed her husband and was just looking in at the scene as he continuously hit Korn. She was silent, standing like a statue. The boys continued to scream; one in pain, one to make his father stop.

"Korn! Son, I told you not to mess with that boy!" the angry voice of another man exclaimed. Korn's father had arrived, as well.

"You bastard! You hurt my son like a criminal and he's not even fighting back! I'm your enemy here!" Korn's father shouted as he pulled his son to his feet, away from In's father's wrath.

"Come! Do you think I am afraid of your mafia family?" In's father's voice roared in the darkness of the room. "This is why I don't want my son to have anything to do with trouble like your son! Intouch, get away from that gangster's spawn!"

The two older men began to fight, both trying to separate the two boys who continued to cling to each other. Eventually, though, their strength began to fail, and they both dropped to the floor as they screamed their lungs out in despair, crying out for both their fathers to stop.

The rain outside continued its downpour as the tension inside began to grow. Korn finally stared into his lover's eyes; the glint that burned inside his own dimmed as he decided to give up, but his love remained as strong as ever. Korn suddenly turned to his father and bowed.

"Dad ... I am sorry." The tall boy jumped towards his father, grabbed at the gun strapped to his waist, and raised the end of the barrel to his temple. With a quick movement of his fingers, he clicked open the lock, smiled towards Intouch, and gently said, " P' loves Intouch..."

Bang!!!

"P' Korn!! P'... P'Korn!!!!" Intouch's scream filled the room. Everyone stared in shock and horror as In collapsed atop his lover's bloody body, utterly distraught. The surprise had silenced everyone, except for the continuous wailing of the boy who kept trying to stem the flow of blood, Korn's eyes staring blankly up at him, unseeing.

"I love P'... In loves P'na... loves P'Korn." Intouch cried as he kept on kissing lips that were already dead. "P'... we promised... P' we promised we will always be together, forever."

In's hands trembled as they gripped desperately at the body of a lover already dead, until his fingers inadvertently found the gun which had fallen to the side. Intouch's swollen eyes stared at the metal in his hand and back to Korn as if engraving the scene into his memory.

"In luk (son), No!!" In's father yelled when he saw the gun clutched in his son's hand; saw the resolve in Intouch's eyes.

Another shot fired, echoing alongside the sound of the thunder outside.

Another life was lost as In's small body fell right atop Korn's; a final embrace.

The sound of the rain became deafeningly loud, until a mother's scream and a father's cry pierced through the sound of the storm. In's mother collapsed, and all was finally silent.

We will be together, forever.