1: The New Way Home

It seems as if I am slowly getting more useless. 

At first, even someone like me had things they were good at; good grades, okay social skills, nice drawing skills… 

However, as the time passed by, all the things I thought I was good at ended up being just average. No, should I say that I became average? Or even better, I became aware of my averageness? 

It doesn't budge me anymore as much as it used to, but I do sometimes wonder if I am truly useless or just lazy. 

Even now, as I am walking through cold, early winter streets, I am subconsciously sighing as I am thinking about my usefulness. 

Today was a rare day when I got late home; a rare day when my monotonous daily life got interrupted by side tasks. 

I didn't hate it. In fact, I liked it when my parents told me to do a chore that was outside of my usual tasks. 

Today, for example, I got to go to the nearby store to fetch some snacks for my older sister. She told me I'd get the rest of the money if I buy her her favorite snacks, so I happily volunteered. 

Since the shop was near our apartment, it took me less than 15 minutes to go to the shop, find what I needed and walk out. 

I tried to get my own peace of mind by taking a walk, but it was far too short for my mind to find anything to think about—except for useless thoughts. 

As my family's apartment started being more noticeable, my walk gradually slowed down. 

‘It would be nice to walk some more.’ 

In fact, I really liked thinking about anything that comes to mind. 

Unfortunately though, one wouldn't be capable of that without blankly staring at something. With society as it is today, I would be considered crazy if I just stared at my ceiling in the middle of the day, so I started to favor long walks quite a bit. 

When I noticed that my pace was slower than that of an old person whose bones ached from their life, another way to my home caught my eye. 

Interesting thing about this street was the fact that roads were always connected, making it easy, yet difficult, to get lost. 

The current way home I was taking was the shortest—the one anyone in their right mind would use. 

The other way was the longest one— the one for which I'd need ten minutes of walk instead of three. 

Noticing that I was still not of a clear mind and that I was not ready to use my social abilities—which are almost nonexistent—to cheerfully talk to my family, I chose the longer road. I didn't want to ruin the mood. 

‘Well, it's nice to change the scenery here and there.’ I assured myself as I walked past a couple walking their dog. 

Having committed the grave sin of forgetting my earphones at home, my whole trip was eerily quiet. 

Maybe because it was later than the time I'd usually leave the house, the further I walked, less people appeared. 

Fortunately, I thought of that as a good thing. 

Wouldn't it be creepier had someone walked the same way as I did? 

Other than the quietness, there was nothing particularly creepy about this path. Street lights worked just fine and I was able to see everything around me. 

Even the old playground in the distance was visible.  

‘Should I play on a swing for a bit?’ Such a thought popped up, but I quickly let go of it.

I already took the longer path home, meaning that if I wasted any more time on my random desires to do things I never do, my family would worry about me being late. 

Maybe because I knew that fact, my walking pace has quickened ever since I took another path home. 

While I was walking closer to the playground, funnily enough, I got reminded of the story about the Little Red Riding Hood, where the main lesson is: Listen to your parents and don't go down the wrong path. 

Today, I wore a bordo red scarf, which added to the comparison. 

However, I quickly got embarrassed. I earned myself the title of a sixteen-year-old who is around 175cm tall and is comparing himself to a little girl from a fairy tale. I decided to keep my self-earned title to myself. 

As to reassure myself, I thought of the excuses which only I and, eventually, my diary, would hear. 

‘But hey, I AM wearing a red scarf and AM bringing snacks to someone. I also went down another path.’

The only thing I did not have was a wolf chasing me because of the snacks, which was fortunate, considering the fact that I had a mild fear of dogs. Aren't wolves and dogs quite similar? 

‘No, maybe being next to a wolf wouldn't be as scary…’

As my thoughts crossed the river of no return… 

Creeeaakkk—!

Creepy sound could be heard behind me.

Reflexively, as any other human being would, I turned my head around to the sound behind me, my heart beating like crazy. 

‘Ah, so that was it…’ I let out a sigh of relief, my body relaxing. 

Behind me was the old swing of an even older playground which I was about to pass by. On the swing, a man in a suit an office worker would wear was sitting. 

The man easily captured my attention. His tall legs lightly touched the ground as he slightly leaned his head back, as if tired. 

‘Office workers have it though.’ I thought as I pitied the tall man. 

Every time he moved his leg, the creaking sound would repeat itself, making him sit up straight out of frustration. 

Oh. 

He was handsome. 

Having finally sat properly on the swing, I could roughly see his unique face. The word ‘handsome’ was not enough to describe him. Maybe because of today's clear, full moon, but the man seemed otherworldly beautiful. 

What captured my attention the most were his ink-black eyes glancing over at me. There was simply something about his eyes which caught my attention, but I couldn’t figure out what.

Since the swing was placed directly under the streetlight, I could see that his skin was ghostly pale and his eyes tired. Rather than an office worker, maybe he was a model. 

Realizing that I was staring for too long, I awkwardly broke our eye-contact, turned around and walked away. 

No, it would be more correct to say that I tried to walk away. 

“Hey, you.” 

I turned around again as I heard a deep, yet beautiful voice that came from that handsome office worker. 

His voice, just as his appearance, was unique, but mesmerizing. 

“Um…me?” I ask the office worker with a quiet voice, awkwardly pointing at myself. 

My fingertips trembled a little, and I was unsure whether it was due to the cold winter night air or this creepy situation.

Despite it being a little scary, I replied, thinking it would be impolite had I just ignored the man and ran away. 

Then, the man nodded and motioned with his hands towards something.

“Yeah. Could you please help me out?” He asked, his hand touching the nape of his neck as he slightly raised the corners of his mouth awkwardly. 

I narrowed my eyes and suspiciously looked towards what the man was pointing at. 

Then, my eyes shook and widened in shock. 

Maybe it was because he noticed my reaction, the man shortly explained his situation to me. 

“Actually, as I walked back from work, I got very tired and sat here for a short while. However, some mischievous kids came over and…” At the end of the end of the sentence, the man's voice trailed off, as if losing confidence.

At the other end of the playground, crutches could be visible. 

‘How can kids do something like this?!’ I got angry at the kids and their parents. Just what form of fun would it bring them to prank injured people like this?

Angry at our society, I quickly picked up the crutches and handed them to the office worker. 

Certainly, I was not the only person who passed by this playground. That meant that no one until now was willing enough to help the man out, which made me really disappointed. It takes no more than ten seconds to pick the crutches up and give them back!

Man, who seemed slightly embarrassed, yet relieved, thanked me as soon as he received his crutches back. 

I also let out a sigh of relief. I was glad that I took the other way home. Had I not, would that man have stayed out here the whole night?

As the man was about to finally stand up from the swing he was sitting on for god knows how long, a cracking sound was heard from one of the crutches. 

Seeing his body falter, I quickly supported the man before he could fall down to the floor. 

Even without saying anything, both the man and I could guess what happened. 

‘The kids must have broken one of the crutches.’

At that moment, I really felt a desire to go back home. If one of the crutches is broken, that means this man wouldn't be able to walk on his own and would need the help of another person.

Glancing around, there was no other soul nearby.

I was the only person that could help him out.

The man seemed aware of this, but just looked at the ground with an empty gaze. 

What would a person in such a situation feel? It was clear that he would feel too embarrassed to ask me, a student, for help. Knowing that my conscience wouldn't let me sleep for weeks—if not months— if I let him be, I carefully opened my mouth, trying to give him a reassuring smile.

“Um, Sir… Are you perhaps living nearby?” 

“...yes, that’s right.” 

“Then, if you want to, um… I can help you go to your house…?” 

At my words, the man smiled and looked up at me with an expression that was difficult to read. 

“...Would that be alright?” 

That was how…. I ended up in this questionable situation of walking a grown man to his home. 

While walking, the man talked a bit about his situation. 

Apparently, due to a car accident he was in, his legs didn't work properly, but he refused to use a wheelchair. 

However, because of the trauma of the car accident, he could no longer ride his own car, making it his daily routine to walk to and from his work. He also mentioned it being a good exercise for him in order to strengthen his legs again. 

Today, as he felt very tired while walking back from work, he couldn't find any benches, so he sat at the swing. 

…and then the kids came and broke his crutches. 

As he finished his story and I was feeling bad about what happened to him, we finally arrived at the front door of his house. 

He thanked me and I just nodded along, wanting to go home as quickly as possible. 

‘Fortunately, his house is along the way, close to our apartment.’

After receiving his thanks, I was about to finally go back home, preparing an apology speech for my worried parents, when I heard his voice again. 

“Do you ■ ■ ■ ■■■ ?” 

He said something, the expression of a pitiful man completely disappearing from his face. Instead, his expression was devoid of any human emotion. He smiled coldly, staring directly at me, as if awaiting an answer.

Both, his cold voice and expression, made chills go through my spine.

The question itself was not creepy, but it made me wonder why a stranger would be asking me something like this.

What was even stranger was rhe fact that my thoughts about going back home as quickly as possible disappeared as soon as I heard his question, as if bewitched. 

The question was not difficult to answer at all. It was a question I could give a simple, short answer to. In fact, I gave an answer right away—with more confidence than ever before. 

“Yes.” 

At my reply, his smile deepened and eyes narrowed. However, he seemed somewhat sad. Sad, but hopeful. 

“Okay…I see.” As he nodded to my answer, as if pondering deeply, my vision started getting blurry. 

The last thing I saw was a small smile that escaped his lips.