Chapter 1

"Math & Magic"

"Alright, pick a card and make sure I don't see which card it is," said Taehyun as he held the deck of cards in front of his friends. With a mischievous look on his face, he looked at the curly haired boy who was staring intensely at the cards.

"Just pick a card, Kai," said Soobin who was getting impatient as he sat leaned back in his chair, endlessly tapping his index finger on his arm.

"This one," said Kai and pulled out a card from the deck, while Taehyun held his left hand in front of his face, covering his eyes.

"Did everyone see the card?" asked Taehyun, his hand still covering his eyes.

"Yes," answered Kai.

"Okay, now put it on top of the deck," said Taehyun and felt some movement, whereafter Kai said:

"Done."

Taehyun removed his hand and looked around the table, getting eye contact with everyone. In silence, Taehyun began shuffling the cards, while Kai kept observing every movement with great curiosity.

"The cards are now shuffled and your chosen card is hidden somewhere inside the deck," explained Taehyun, "now I need your help to find the card again."

"Really? You're some magician, needing help to find a card," said Beomgyu with a raised eyebrow.

"Aish, you two are so boring," said Kai and shook his head, while looking at his two friends, "it's more fun this way. Taehyun, what do you need me to do?"

"I need you to think really hard on the card you chose before," said Taehyun, "if you think about it hard enough, I'm sure I'll be able to find it." Kai closed his eyes and looked like he was thinking really hard, while Soobin and Beomgyu just watched with a stoneface.

"Yes, that's it, keep thinking," said Taehyun while shuffling the cards, "you can open your eyes now." Kai did as Taehyun said and watched while Taehyun pulled out a card from the deck and showed it to the three boys.

"Is this your card?" Kai and the two others stared at the card until Soobin burst out laughing, and Kai looked at Taehyun with a dejected look on his face.

"No... it's not," said Kai and Taehyun retracted his hand.

"Ah, is that so?" said Taehyun, "oh well, that happens sometimes, but I'm sure... this is your card?" Taehyun immediately pulled out another card, but he was met with the same disappointed expression from all three boys.

"That's not the one either," said Kai, looking like he was about to lose faith in Taehyun's skills.

"Hm, that's weird..." said Taehyun and rubbed his chin, "wait! I got it, of course!"

"What? What is it?" asked Kai, who immediately got his energy back.

"It's been right in front of my nose all this time," said Taehyun as he slowly reached out behind Kai's right ear and then pulling back his hand, holding a card in it.

"That's it! That's my card!" said Kai excited.

"It appears you were thinking about it so hard it hid behind your ear," said Taehyun with a smile, while putting the card back in the deck.

"Woah, that was incredible," said Kai.

"That's was actually a really entertaining trick," said Beomgyu.

"It's just about knowing the right technique," said Soobin," you two could do the same if you practiced."

"Are you sure it's about technique?" asked Taehyun and held a pencil in front of Soobin's face, "are you sure it's not about... magic?" In the same second, Taehyun pushed the pencil down in his fist and then opened his hand, showing how the pencil had magically disappeared.

"Amazing," exclaimed Kai and Taehyun let out a slight chuckle as he made the pencil reappear in his other hand.

"I don't know," said Taehyun, "it would be more amazing if I could get my grades to disappear in the same way."

"I am guessing you didn't do well on your final exam?" said Beomgyu.

"Bingo!" said Taehyun with a smile that looked partly sad, "well, I did okay in most subjects. I aced English as always, but math... I failed math."

"You actually failed math?" asked Soobin, earning a glare from Beomgyu.

"Like you're one to talk," said Beomgyu.

"Well... at least I didn't fail the exam," argued Soobin.

"That doesn't mean you did well." Soobin just scoffed and looked away before Taehyun continued.

"I really did my best, but math is hard and since Mr. Cho decided to retire after this school year, he hasn't really been interested in teaching," explained Taehyun.

"That's actually true," confirmed Kai, "even I did poorly on my math exam. It's just been impossible to learn anything in Mr. Cho's classes this year."

"Then I hope you get a better math teacher next year," said Beomgyu.

"Me too," replied Taehyun.

"Yo, what's up?" Taehyun nearly had a heart attack when he felt two hands slamming down on both his shoulders, but as he looked up and saw Yeonjun towering over him, a smile appeared on his face.

"Hey Yeonjun," said Taehyun, "where have you been?"

"Just wishing my classmates a good summer holiday," replied Yeonjun, "what about you guys?"

"Taehyun showed us a new card trick he learned," said Kai and Yeonjun sighed.

"Nothing new under the sun, I see," said Yeonjun, "anyways, Taehyun, do you wanna cycle home together?"

"Sure," Taehyun said and got up from his chair, "oh, will we be able to see you guys over summer holiday?"

"I'm going to the US to visit family, so you'll probably not see me until August," said Kai.

"I'm helping out my dad at his company," said Soobin and sighed, "he says it'll prepare me for the day I take over business."

"And I have gotten a part time job, so I'll probably be busy too," said Beomgyu.

"Well, then I wish you all a good summer holiday," said Taehyun, "take care until we see each other again."

"You too," said the others and Beomgyu added, "do some math problems over the holiday."

"Yeah yeah," said Taehyun, waving while walking out of the classroom with Yeonjun.

Down the narrow streets, past the harbor where ships were docked alongside the port, Taehyun and Yeonjun rode their bicycles, enjoying the warm sun on a hot summer day. Taehyun lifted his chin and felt the fresh breeze blow his hair back, making him feel more refreshed than before.

"I just love summer, don't you?" said Taehyun loudly so Yeonjun was able to hear it through the noise of people working on the harbor.

"Sure, it's great," said Yeonjun and smiled, "this is where we part, right?" Yeonjun stopped his bicycle and Taehyun did the same as they reached a crossroad.

"Yeah," Taehyun said and looked to the left where the road leading to his house were, "unless... I hang out at your house." Taehyun looked at Yeonjun with his eyes wide open and a bright smile on his lips.

"I don't mind if you come over," said Yeonjun, "but I have to warn you, my older sister moved back home and she is not in a good mood."

"Really? Yoo Jin Noona moved back home?" asked Taehyun and Yeonjun looked at him in surprise.

"You remember her?" said Yeonjun and Taehyun tilted his head slightly from side to side.

"Kind of, but not really," said Taehyun, "I mean, I think I was 12 the last time I saw her."

"That's what I thought."

"But why is she upset?"

"She hasn't been able to get a job ever since she got her University degree last year, so she's deep down in a slump," explained Yeonjun, "besides, her and mom keeps getting on each other's nerves. Or house is covered in a grey cloud these days, but if you still want to come over, be my guest." Taehyun looked into the air for a little while, rubbing his chin.

"Sounds good to me," said Taehyun with the same bright smile as always, before getting up on his bicycle again.

"I'll race you."

"Hey that's cheating," said Yeonjun, "not that it'll help you."

As the boys stood up in the saddle, both of them stepping on the pedals as fast as they could, they quickly reached the house, Yeonjun making it first by a hair.

"H... how..." said Taehyun as he gasped for breath.

"I'm just... that... good..." said Yeonjun in between his breaths.

After parking their bicycles and standing outside the house for a few seconds, catching their breaths, Yeonjun opened the door and walked inside.

"I'm home," he yelled out, but no response came, "Noona, I know you're there, at least answer me."

"Ugh," was the only sound audible and Yeonjun just rolled his eyes back.

"You see what I'm dealing with," he said in a low voice and Taehyun just smiled awkwardly, not knowing what to do.

"I don't think my parents are home yet. I'm going to drop off my stuff upstairs," said Yeonjun, "just make yourself at home until then." With those words Yeonjun ran up the stairs and disappeared from sight, while Taehyun stood alone in the hallway, trying to get himself to take a step forward.

When he finally pulled himself together and walked into the house, he noticed the TV playing in the living room and he slowly neared it. As he did, the silhouette of a person became visible on the couch in front of the TV. Dressed in grey sweats, a large white T-shirt and long brown hair, so ill-kempt it looked like a birds nest, a woman was lying on the couch. Her legs were wrapped around the blanket, which was lead all the way up to her head where she used it as a pillow alongside her right arm. For several seconds, no movement was seen and Taehyun was starting to wonder if she was in fact alive. Until suddenly, she reached out to the table between the couch and the TV, grabbed a handful of chips and brought them to her mouth whereafter she munched every last one of them down.

Taehyun again looked up at the TV and sqeezed his eyes together, trying to figure out why the scene unfolding in front of him felt so familiar.

"Ah, I know it!" exclaimed Taehyun loudly, "I've watched that show already!"

The woman on the couch nearly fell down on the ground, as she tried to sit up while taking a look at the person standing next to her.

"What on earth, you're not Yeonjun," said Yoo Jin while brushing her hair behind her ear.

"Ah, no, you probably don't remember me, I'm Kang Taehyun," said Taehyun.

"Taehyun? I do remember you, but you were much younger last time I saw you," said Yoo Jin, "you're still pretty short though."

"What?"

"She's right, you're a shorty," said Yeonjun who he appeared behind him in the same second, resting his arm on Taehyun's shoulder.

"Yeonjun, you dumbhead," yelled Yoo Jin when she saw her brother, "at least tell me if you're inviting people home."

"Man, life was so much easier when you lived in Seoul," said Yeonjun and sighed, "now scooch over, we're gonna use the TV."

"Um no you're not," said Yoo Jin and grabbed the remote before Yeonjun could get it, "I'm in the middle of a Drama."

"So what? You've had the TV all day," said Yeonjun.

"Not exactly, I didn't get out of bed until noon, so in fact, I've only had the TV for a few hours."

"That's not my fault, is it?" said Yeonjun and reached for the remote, but Yoo Jin just held it further away from him, "maybe you should spend a little more time looking for jobs, rather than sulking around the house."

"Maybe you should just stay out of my business."

Taehyun looked back and forth at the two siblings who threw one insult after another against each other, while the young boy's heart kept beating faster, trying to think of some kind of solution.

"Just give me the remote," said Yeonjun, but when he moved closer to Yoo Jin, she got up from the couch and walked away.

"It moves," said Yeonjun and Yoo Jin's face immediately turned blood red.

"You little-"

"Noona, watch!" exclaimed Taehyun all of a sudden, in a loud and excited voice as he made a card appear in his right hand. While Yoo Jin watched in utter shock, the young boy in front of her, flickered the card with his fingers and turned it into a completely different one.

"Ta-dah!" said Taehyun with a large smile on his face, while Yoo Jin still stared at him, trying to process what had just happened. Yeonjun was just observing from the sideline, constantly looking at his sister, trying to read her expression.

"I know other magic tricks too," said Taehyun after no one had said anything for a while, "do you want to see?"

"No!" said Yoo Jin quickly, "no... I'm fine..." Yoo Jin turned around and looked at her brother, whereafter she handed him the remote.

"There," she said while grabbing her blanket from the couch, "you guys can use the TV if you want. I'll be in my room." Yeonjun watched in awe as his sister walked upstairs and then shifted his head to face Taehyun who was still standing with the card in his hand.

"Okay, how did you do that?" asked Yeonjun with eyes wider than the moon. Taehyun just looked at him with a smirk on his face and then said:

"Magic."

Hello everyone,

I hope you liked chapter 1, if you did, please leave a comment below.

And if you have any suggestions or constructive criticism, feel free to comment that as well.

Love, Annalise~