14 Aug 2023, 19:50
THE ORIGINS
DATE: 10/15/2021
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ON A FOGGY EVENING 11 YEARS AGO, a marvelous boy was born. Marvelous in the eyes of his parents, at least. A quiet child, one that hardly cried and played silently with his toys that were imbued with magic by his mother. Being so young, he hardly noticed how his figurines floated across the floor and bumped into his tiny feet with a mind of their own and never stopped to consider that it was strange. Years later, now in his preteen years, he had forgotten the memory like any other child, completely unaware of his magical lineage.
It was just a week or so before his 10th birthday, sometime around mid-October when the boy met Beatrice and Connor. Although it was more like they found him instead, lurking in the lower branches of his favorite tree, his dark brown eyes which had been hidden behind the pages of a thick book now watching them warily. Even if it was only a year ago, Kim struggled to remember what book he had been reading when the two appeared at the base of the tree, pointing and calling for him to come down. He supposed it wasn't important. What was important was the memory.
He enjoyed reading, especially when he was alone. The optimal place for him to hide was in his willow tree, in which he had fashioned a hanging chair made of vines and dead twigs. It was surprisingly comfortable for something made out of branches, and it was perfectly hidden by the long, graceful leaves of the weeping willow. He often came on Saturdays, but on this Friday evening he had found himself climbing the tree a day earlier, using the help of some strategically placed footrests he had attached to the tree.
It had only been an hour or so when Kim had sat up, disturbed by something not too far away from his hideaway. Brushing aside the drooping branches, he'd located the source of the noise; two children his age chasing each other around in the grass, a girl and a boy by the looks of it. They could be siblings with how similar they looked in face and size. Kim had watched the pair race through the park, his face solemn as he watched with longing. The girl had suddenly tackled the boy when they both looked towards his tree, almost instantly making eye contact with the stranger hidden in its branches.
Kim had pulled his hand away from the branches instantly as if he had been burned, letting them sweep back into place. He fumbled for his book and brought it close to his chest, his eyes trained on the trunk of the tree, listening for the telltale footsteps of children.
Sure enough after a few seconds, the mischeivious pair had run up the trunk and stared upward. The boy had pointed at the shadowy figure cowering in the tree and whispered to the girl, who shook her head quickly. They murmured amongst themselves as they considered their options when the girl had suddenly shouted up the trunk of tree.
"Come down please!" She had cried in a pleading voice, eyes wide with curiosity. "We want to speak with you!"
"No," Kim had replied in a shaky voice, much quieter. "Go away. This is my tree."
"Your tree?" The boy had scoffed, although Kim could tell he had been more confused than irritated. "This is the parks tree. It can't belong to you."
Kim grumbled to himself. He knew the boy was right. He hated being wrong. "Why should I come down?"
"We want to play with you," The girl piped up, resting a hand on the trunk. Kim's eyes widened and the girl scrambled to pull her hand away. "Sorry."
Kim had sighed and eyed his book, which sat patiently for him, nestled between the vines of his tree-chair. It was the first time in a long time someone his age had spoken to him, nevertheless asked to play with him.
"Fine..just a second," Kim had muttered loud enough for them to hear. He had taken one last look at his tree-chair, then skillfully descended the trunk before landing easily on the dirt. The girls eyes had widened, impressed, while the boy had just looked him up and down.
"What's your name? I think i've seen you before," The boy had murmured, a hand on his chin. Kim had realized the same thing, now that he could see him face to face. He was his neighbor from across the street.
"Oh yes! You're Min-Ho, aren't you? My mum told me about how when we were both super young your parents left you at my house for a few hours while your mum was at the hospital. I think your sister was born then, yes?" Kim had watched the boy with surprise. He had forgotten about that even after his parents had informed him.
"It's Kim.." The boy had twisted his hands nervously. "I like being called Kim instead."
The boy and girl considered this, before shrugging and introducing themselves. "Alright. I'm Connor. This is Beatrice." He pointed at the girl, who waved shyly.
"Hello Connor. Hello Beatrice. It's nice to meet you..I think."
Beatrice had laughed. "You're funny. Come on, let's play tag."
"Tag? Oh I don't know, it's too much running around.."
"Nonsense. I bet I'm faster than you!"
"Is that a challenge?"
"Yep."
"You'll regret that."
They were inseparable ever since.
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WITH:
THEM:
Last edited by Kim Min-Ho on 14 Aug 2023, 21:35, edited 1 time in total.
14 Aug 2023, 21:33
THE ORIGINS
DATE: 11/04/21
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KIM LIKED TO THINK OF HIMSELF as calm and quiet for the most part, thank you very much. It took great effort to irk and annoy him, and in his short lifespan, only Mary so far had succeeded in doing so. She was his little sister after all. Not even his parents could frustrate him.
At least until today.
The trouble started only two weeks back, just 2 days before his birthday. His family was busy, with Ju, his father having to shelf new book shipments in time for Halloween in his bookstore, and his sister Mary along with his mother Evelyn distracting themselves by decorating the house with seasonal decorations. Kim was the only one who seemed to not care much for the holiday, and went about his life as usual. It was ironic, as his birthday was only the day before All Hallows Eve, which often meant his day of birth was also celebrated along with Halloween, which he had learned to despise. He knew his family obviously cared about his birthday, but sometimes it seemed they got so wrapped up in preparing for the spooky season they mushed their only son's birthday together with the festivities to make up for lost time.
It was that fateful Thursday he went through a great deal of pain and shock, both mental and physical. He was really only trying to make his father tea, but of course, Mary had to interrupt as usual.
He had been helping his father downstairs in their bookstore as they restocked the many shelves, which was common around this time of year, when he noticed his father looked twice as weary than he usually did. With great suspicion, Kim pestered his father and learned after a great deal of interrogating that Ju hadn't eaten anything since breakfast, which according to his father, was only some toast. Despite his fathers protests, Kim hurried upstairs to make some herbal tea for Ju, just the way he liked it.
It was when he was just about to pour the tea, in the calm and quiet kitchen, when he noticed two bright brown eyes peering at him from around the corner, a familiar mischevious glint watching him. Kim's eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen, and he hurriedly went to set down the kettle when Mary collided into him at full speed, enveloping him in a bone-crushing hug.
The kettle swayed on the countertop, tipping towards Mary's small head dangerously. In a panic, Kim threw out his hand, and the kettle swiftly turned and dumped its contents on him instead. Kim hissed with pain as Mary screamed for her parents, and the rest was history.
After a great deal of explaining from his parents and Mary crying and apologizing, Kim learned that he was a wizard. He had magical blood, blood he never even knew existed from his mother. His parents rejoiced, excited for their son, who would be recieving his letter to Hogwarts any day now, but their son was not amused.
He was furious.
You see, along with learning about his lineage, he also learned it was his mother's idea to hide this from him for years, at least until his first instance of magic. Was she out of her mind? Who would hide something like this from their only son? His entire life was ruined as he knew it. He wouldn't be going to the public middle school as promised with his friends. And who cares if he only knew them for a month? It felt as he had known them for years now. What would he tell them?
In an unnatural rage, he retreated to his room and locked himself inside, refusing to speak to anyone and even turning down meals. Evelyn of course, being a mother, instead unlocked the door with a simple spell and left meals inside his room before leaving, worrying for her son.
It was safe to say Kim was greatly angered by his mother, and as of today, it had been exactly one week since he had spoken to her, or anyone for that matter. Kim knew how to hold a grudge.
It was late at night when he heard his door unlock as if on its own while he brooded at his desk, facing away from the door with his nose in a book as his mother left his dinner in the doorway. Instead of leaving however, Kim could still sense her presence in the room, quiet and unsure of what to say.
"What?" Kim tried to make this sound angered, but instead his voice cracked as he hadn't spoken in a week. Evelyn took a step towards his desk, resting a nervous hand on his shoulder.
"Kimmy.." His mother sighed, her own voice almost breaking. "I'm so, so sorry."
"Sorry doesn't help" He turned his head the other way and shook her hand off his shoulder, tears forming in his eyes. He always hated that nickname.
He could hear his mother sniffling behind him. "I meant to tell you, darling, I really did. But when. I saw you making friends, I couldn't bring myself to-"
"Making friends?" He blurted, standing up and facing his mother. He never raised his voice against his parents, never ever. He was raised properly, but something of this importance was bound to make anyone frustrated. "I made my first two friends two weeks ago. You couldn't have told me before then? You've had almost 10 years to tell me, and- and maybe if you told me, I would make friends with someone I wouldn't have to leave behind." Kim furiously wiped tears from his cheeks, resting his head on his mother's chest as she enveloped him in a hug. She was crying too.
I hate you I hate you I hate you, He wanted to scream, trying to pull himself away from her embrace, but he couldn't bring himself to. Kim weakly pounded on her chest with his fists, hiccuping quietly. The pair stood in the silence for a few minutes, unmoving and not thinking as they wiped away their tears, before Kim finally spoke up.
"When is the first day of school?" He asked as he slowly wrenched himself from his mother's arms. Turning around and staring at the calendar on his wall hard, he unclenched and clenched his jaw as if glaring at the dates on the calendar would somehow make his first day feel like it was ages from now.
"Oh- the first of September. Your letter arrived this morning, I came to give it to you-" Evelyn fumbled for the letter, still sniffling when she pulled it out of her pocket and gave it to her son, who snatched it.
He stared at the return address for a long, long time. Kim Min-Ho. It was addressed to him. He never had a letter addressed to him. His eyes traced the delivery address next, his brown eyes following the inked letter that had been carved into the envelope. Emerald green ink. He flipped it over, the Hogwarts crest staring back at him. A lion, snake, eagle, and badger. How ridiculous.
"Leave, please." He murmured, still staring at the horrible envelope. His mother sniffed once more before turning and exiting the room, closing the door behind her and leaving Kim in the dark with his future in his hands.
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Last edited by Kim Min-Ho on 24 Aug 2023, 05:09, edited 2 times in total.
15 Aug 2023, 23:09
THE ORIGINS
DATE: 08/15/2023
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"WHAT DO YOU MEAN it's a boarding school? I thought you said your parents hated the idea of a boarding school," said Connor, giving Kim one of his trademark glares. "If this is some kind of joke, it's not funny dude."
"He's right. You know how much I love pranks, Kim, but this one isn't very nice. If there's something else you want to tell us, you can you know." There was Beatrice, with her usual empathetic self, trying to find some other hidden meaning behind Kim's every word, as if there was a cry for help somewhere in his lie.
Kim, in response, twisted his hands nervously. He knew his friends would not like what he was going to tell them, but the pair flat out denying what he said and instead asking if he wanted to tell them something else was not part of the plan. He needed to come up with something else, quick, and he opened his mouth to do so when he was interrupted once more by Connor.
"Yeah- and in Scotland? Why Scotland? That place is freezing- besides, I've never even heard of a boarding school in Scotland of all places!" Connor scoffed, crossing his arms. "Be honest: is there really a boarding school, or are you moving and making up a lie so you don't feel like your leaving us behind?"
That was a direct hit on Kim's end, who almost staggered back from the harshness of his friends words. Even Beatrice seemed to think it was too far. "Connor, cool it. Maybe there's something else he's trying to say." She had her own doubts though, and she turned to Kim now with a slightly judging look. "Are you hiding something, Kim Min-Ho?"
"No," Kim blurted quickly, and the pair arched an eyebrow and exchanged looks. "I'm not hiding anything- look, all I know is that it's some dumb boarding school in Scotland and that I have to go. I don't have a choice."
He wasn't lying. Kim, technically, wasn't lying. It was some stupid boarding school in the middle of the mountains in Scotland where he would be forced to wave some wand and mix some potion and graduate as a wizard and he apparently didn't have a choice. His parents wanted him to attend badly, especially his mother, and he hate hate hated the fact he was actually going to listen to her. Because despite how badly he wanted to hate it, it was magic.
Who wouldn't want to learn magic?
Beatrice and Connor refused to hear him out anyway, shaking their heads as he tried his best to convince them he would be back to visit in the summer and that he would send them plenty of letters and he would never forget them, but Beatrice stopped him, holding up her hand with tears in her eyes.
"Stop, just stop. This is ridiculous. How could you do this? Why would you promise you'll be with us when we go to the middle school? I can't believe you, Kim."
"Beatrice-"
"Don't 'Beatrice' her," Interrupted Connor, shoving him away. "We don't want your false promises. You can keep your letters. Don't bother coming back to visit."
Tears were flowing freely down Kim's face now as he choked on his own words, fighting the urge to sink to the ground and pretend this wasn't happening. He wanted to be anywhere else, anywhere else, back at his apartment, back at the orchard, anywhere but here. No matter what he would say, it didn't matter. They wouldn't believe him. Hell, Kim didn't even believe himself. If they wouldn't listen, he only had one thing left to do.
"I wanted to- to give these to you two," The boy mumbled, fishing around in his pocket for his gifts. Connor was about to slap whatever it was out of his hand, but Kim unwrapped it from its delicate papers and shoved it into their hands before he could.
Friendship bracelets. The two stared quietly at the silver band in their hands before reading the engravings.
K, B, C: till the end
Beatrice and Connor looked up, realizing what Kim had done for them, but he had already disappeared, leaving them behind underneath the very willow tree where he had met them.
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THEM:
Last edited by Kim Min-Ho on 24 Aug 2023, 05:04, edited 1 time in total.
24 Aug 2023, 05:04
THE ORIGINS
DATE: 08/22/23
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WITH A SNAP, Kim deftly shut the last trunk without a hint of struggle, unlike the other, smaller one, which had put up a bit of a fight. The boy set the large plywood case by the door underneath his neat desk, where the rest of his things waited quite impatiently for the first day of school.
School, he thought to himself, a conflicted expression crossing his face. Some school.
He had begun packing yesterday like his mother had requested from him when she popped her head through his door, checking in on him regularly like a worried parent would. Kim still refused to speak in full sentences with her, only nodding or shaking his head or muttering a single word under his breath once in a while. It wasn't any better with his father, but Kim couldn't entirely blame Ju for hiding his secret lineage, so he at least exchanged a few murmurs before he ushered his father out the room. Mary was the only one he actually talked and smiled at. She had done nothing wrong in his eyes.
Kim knew he would have to start packing soon, but his mother reminding him to fill up the trunks she had left outside his door made him feel worse about the whole situation. School was still more than a week away, and he wasn't planning to leave the house anytime during that period unless he absolutely had to.
Unbeknownst to him, his parents had other ideas about this plan.
Shuffling around his room one last time and glancing over his remaining things that were scattered around his room, Kim spotted his laundry hamper over by his wardrobe and paused. Lumbering over, he wrenched open the lid and peered inside, the mild stench of soiled clothes making him wrinkle his nose in disgust. He hadn't left his room in weeks aside from going to the bathroom, and hadn't thought about the clothing that had been piling up slowly.
Shutting the lid, Kim dragged the hamper behind him to his door, halting as he cracked the door open, the hinges creaking loudly from lack of use. He winced at the noise but focused on the sounds outside of his room instead, blinking slowly as he dragged the hamper the rest of the way into the hallway. There seemed to be nobody in the bedrooms or the bathroom, and from what he could hear, his family was somewhere in the kitchen/dining area. He lifted the hamper now, carrying the heavy basket easily in his arms to the laundry room and dropping it in the doorway.
Kim's mind wandered as he sorted the colors from the whites, chucking darker tones into the washing machine as he thought things over in the cold, quiet, and rather closet-like laundry room. Had he forgotten to pack anything? The boy flitted through a mental checklist, recalling the things he had already packed and when.
Evelyn had left the enchanted trunks in front of his door and knocked quietly before slipping a single sheet of paper under the frame. From what Kim could gather, the trunks were enchanted and would expand on their own to fit everything he needed. He thought this was ridiculous of course and obviously a joke, at least until the contents of his luggage seemed to sink deeper inside the more belongings he added.
In the larger trunk, he laid all of his clothes at the very bottom. He groaned as he remembered this, scooping the last few clothes out of the hamper, realizing that was a mistake. When he arrived at that school, it would take him forever to dig his clothes out. He had a lot of clothing, but he decided to stick to the basics: plain shirts, sweaters, turtlenecks, jeans, a few pants, and at his mother's request, he left some more space for what Evelyn called 'robes'. Kim hoped she was joking. He was not looking forward to wearing what he assumed were..wizard robes.
It was strange to call himself a wizard. It didn't seem right, like his name and 'wizard' did not belong in the same sentence. He had grown up listening to stories about spells cast by various magical beings, and apparently, he was going to learn how to cast some himself. He never thought he would grow to hate something that he always loved as a child; magic. He found the idea so exciting, but learning it was real years after giving up on it completely made him feel like it was his fault, like he had done something wrong and this was the punishment for not believing in magic.
Above his clothes in that first trunk he had kept a few hair and skincare supplies, a hairbrush, a toothbrush and some toothpaste, and a simple moisturizer and facewash. Kim knew it was strange of him to actually care about his skin and hair at such a young age, but he felt as if he were doing something wrong if he didn't. He stuffed a few notebooks and stationery in there as well, even if his mother had mentioned something about using parchment and quills instead. And, of course, a few novels to read, since he often found himself reading in his spare time.
The other trunk (although he could of easily fit all of his belongings into the first one) was filled with more personal items, and it made sense that this trunk was smaller in size, even if it fit the same amount. He wanted to keep this one close to him. In this trunk, he had put his favorite board game, Monopoly, an analog camera he had gotten from his uncle, a brown and brass watch from his father, and a messenger bag he had picked out himself for his birthday. He also had a few painting supplies and a canvas or two, since he was sure 'Warts or whatever the school's name was didn't have his favorite brushes and paints.
Kim's mind snapped to attention when his hand brushed against one last article of clothing in the hamper, instantly forgetting about his packing situation and fumbling for what felt like a sweater. His brown eyes widened when he pulled out a dark red sweater, the sweater, a small golden K stitched into the top left corner.
It was the sweater his aunt had made him.
How had he forgotten about this? Kim shuddered and held the sweater tightly in his arms, knuckles whitening as he clutched the fabric tightly in his palms. This was what he was forgetting, what he was about to leave behind. Glancing at the doorway, as if someone was about to see this, he quickly planted a kiss to the collar of the sweater before putting it inside the washing machine, pouring the soap in and dragging the hamper back to his room.
That sweater was going straight into the small trunk as soon as it came out of the dryer.
As he put the hamper back into its original spot, Kim stiffened suddenly as his mother knocked at the door. He didn't need to hear her voice to know it was her. Over the period of time he had spent holed up in his room, he had memorized each knock with each family member, from his father's shave-and-a-haircut knock to his little sisters soft taps and thumps. Evelyn's was by the far the quietest, just two knocks, light and brisk, one right after the other.
"Kim? Have you finished packing, darling?" Her voice was muffled by the door, and Kim was glad it was. He hated it when she called him darling now.
He didn't respond. His mother knew he wasn't going to anyway. Kim heard her sigh through the walls as he lay on his bed, trying to ignore her words. She was about to say something that he wouldn't want to hear, he could tell.
"Me and your father just wanted to tell you that tomorrow we're taking you to Diagon Alley. It's a wonderful place, and you can get all your school supplies there." Diagonally? What kind of a name was that? He had to keep himself from scoffing out loud. Magic folk sure had a strange way of naming things. He turned his head to stare at the letter that sat on his desk, still unopened. He didn't want to read it. As much as he hated to say it, he admired the crest on the back of the envelope and refused to break it. He assumed the list containing his supplies was inside.
"There's something else that we need to get tomorrow as well, but you can hear about it in the morning over breakfast. I'm making pancakes. Why don't you come out and eat with us tomorrow?"
Silence. She knew the answer.
He heard a sniffle from the doorway and turned to face the wall. Kim didn't want to hear her crying. This was her fault. All her fault.
"Just please eat some breakfast before we leave, all right sweetheart? I just- I love you. Sleep well."
They both knew he wasn't getting any sleep, not after that news. After her footsteps receded, he sat up and flicked on his desk light, sitting down in his swivel chair as he stared at the letter, thinking.
I might as well. With that, he tore open the letter, took out the parchment inside, and began to read though the night.
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WITH:
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