The mark on Erin's face never faded.
Even as the days passed and the bandages came off,
the scar stayed a faint red burn that stretched from his cheek to his ear.
A reminder of that night.
A reminder that some things don't heal so easily.
But Erin… he smiled.
Every morning, he smiled when he saw his mother cooking,
and he smiled when his father came home without smelling of drink.
He smiled for his friends too,
because he didn't want anyone to worry.
Goru, Jack, Anna, Twilight, and Edwin tried everything to make him laugh.
They played Catch the Rice Thief again.
They built small mud houses near the rice field.
They even made silly songs about who could eat the most rice cakes.
And every time they looked at him, Erin smiled.
"I'm fine," he said softly.
"Really, I'm fine."
But they knew.
They knew he wasn't.
Sometimes, when he thought no one was watching,
Erin would touch the scar on his cheek gently,
as if trying to wipe it away with his small fingers.
Anna saw him once but said nothing.
None of them did.
Because they understood, in their own childish way,
that some pain didn't need words.
All they could do was stay close
to make him laugh,
to remind him that he wasn't alone.
And so the days went by,
filled with rice fields, laughter,
and the quiet warmth of friendship
even beneath the shadow of the scar that would follow Erin forever.
It had been a year since Erin's face was marked.
A year since the burn that changed everything.
The scar remained, faint but stubborn, just like the feeling of emptiness that sometimes crept inside Erin.
This year, his birthday was different.
Usually, it was Anna who always celebrated with him, with joy in her eyes and a soft smile.
But this time, Erin didn't want anyone to make a fuss.
He didn't want a party. He didn't want rice cake or presents.
All he wanted was to be left alone.
But that wasn't what his friends saw.
Not even Goru, Jack, or Twilight understood.
They tried to make him laugh, to remind him that birthdays were meant to be happy.
But Erin felt something inside him that wouldn't let him.
The scar on his face was a constant reminder of everything that had changed.
When Anna approached him with a smile, asking why he was so quiet, Erin just turned away.
That was when he ran.
The Chase
Edwin, always trying to do the right thing, chased after him.
He called Erin's name over and over, his voice rising with frustration.
"Erin! Stop! Come back! It's your birthday!"
But Erin didn't want to listen.
His heart was too full of anger.
He ran through the rice fields, down the narrow paths that led toward the woods.
Edwin's legs burned as he chased after him, but Erin was fast, his emotions pushing him forward.
Finally, after what felt like hours, they reached the edge of the woods.
Edwin, out of breath, yelled,
"You think you're better than us?! You always smile when you're hurt. You hide it like a coward! Why are you running away from your own birthday?"
Erin stopped, his heart racing.
The words hit harder than he expected.
He turned to Edwin, his chest tightening with something he couldn't explain.
"You're greedy. You always want everything! You don't know what it's like to be like me."
Edwin's eyes widened, his face turning red.
"What do you mean? You think you're better than us, just because "
Erin interrupted him, his voice sharp, full of emotion.
"Because I'm not like Goru or Anna! They have everything! They have parents who love them. Goru doesn't even care about me he's busy being the 'hero' all the time! You don't know anything!"
The anger swelled inside Erin like a storm.
He took a step forward, his fists clenched, and before he could think, he rushed at Edwin.
Edwin, confused and startled, tried to defend himself, but Erin was faster, angrier.
The two collided, tumbling to the ground in a heap.
They rolled in the dirt, pushing and shoving, neither one willing to back down.
Edwin, older by a year, had more stamina, but Erin had something stronger in him rage.
The Fall
The ground beneath them was hard, the dry leaves and twigs cracking under their weight.
Both of them were breathing heavily now, their faces flushed with anger and exhaustion.
Erin shoved Edwin off him, only to find himself falling backward, landing hard against the rough dirt.
For a long moment, neither of them moved.
The weight of what had happened sank in slowly, and Erin's chest tightened as the adrenaline began to fade.
Anna, Goru, Jack, and Twilight appeared at the edge of the woods, their faces full of worry.
They had been searching for the two of them ever since they saw Erin run off.
Anna ran to Erin first, kneeling down beside him.
"Erin! Are you okay?" she whispered, her voice shaking.
But Erin just pushed himself up and turned away, his face still flushed with anger.
"Leave me alone."
Goru and Jack stood behind Anna, their expressions serious.
They had never seen Erin like this.
Jack looked at Goru, then at Edwin, who was still sitting on the ground, breathing heavily.
It was quiet for a moment, the only sound the wind rustling through the trees.
The Return Home
In the distance, Erin's mother and father, along with Mr. and Mrs. Gareth, appeared.
They had heard the shouting and had come to check on what was happening.
Erin's mother rushed forward, her voice filled with concern.
"Erin! What happened? Why are you "
But Erin didn't wait for her to finish.
He stood up, dusted himself off, and without a word, began to walk back toward the village.
His father and Mr. Gareth exchanged a look, and Mr. Gareth stepped forward, his voice low and calm.
"Erin, come back, son. This isn't the way."
Erin didn't answer.
He just kept walking, his mind full of questions, his heart still tangled in anger and confusion.
All the while, his friends his real family watched from behind, unsure of what to do.
The bond they once shared felt so distant now, and Erin couldn't shake the feeling that it had all changed.
That maybe, after everything after the scar, after the fight, after the years of pretending to be okay
he wasn't the same anymore.
The Silence After
That night, the house was quiet.
Erin lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.
His mother came to check on him, but he didn't speak.
She sat by his bed for a while, her hand resting on his shoulder,
but she didn't say anything.
In the stillness, Erin thought about the words he had said to Edwin.
About how he had blamed everyone else for his pain.
He thought about the way he ran from his own birthday.
And for the first time, Erin realized that maybe it wasn't just the scar on his face that was hurting him.
It was the scar on his heart.
The one he couldn't hide.