Them ° SVT Vernon

01

Hansol Chwe and Han Miyu had always been rivals.

Ever since their first encounter on the neighborhood sidewalk, with Miyu behind her mother's legs while Hansol with his head low towards a thick rimmed encyclopedia, they both knew they won't get along.

The moment Hansol's straight unexpressive gaze met Miyu's sharp untrusting glare, even their mothers felt the sudden chilling flare that seemed to snap in between the air. But even then, whenever it's just both of them, their mothers always talk about how cute they would be as a couple if they did get along.

Hansol Chwe and Han Miyu had always been rivals.

Not in academics per se, as Hansol was always the straight-A overachiever while Miyu couldn't keep her eyes peeled open for even half a period of class.

Not in sports either, as Miyu was a natural born athlete who loved running around in adrenaline while Hansol couldn't handle a soccer ball to save his life.

Perhaps in arts, as Miyu loved playing the violin and Hansol loved dancing, but not so much.

But mostly, they were rivals in small things, like who can eat cereal the fastest.

- - - - -

It was Miyu's parents' anniversary today, so they dropped her off at the neighbor's home while they go on the lovey-dovey all-day date they've awaited for a while now. And of course, that neighbor is none other than the Chwe family.

"I'm gonna go wash the dishes, okay? You kids get along and finish your breakfast." Mrs. Chwe said with a sweet smile, which Miyu responded with the same candy grin.

"Okay, Mrs. Chwe!" The seven year old brunette replied, her front tooth visibly missing from bumping into a tree last week. She didn't cry, of course, she wasn't much of a crier.

The moment the woman stepped out of the dining room and into the kitchen, the air turned cold. Both of them were purposefully ignoring the other, and to be honest, that was the best possible scenario in a room of Hansol and Miyu.

But then they made eye contact.

Hansol scooped in a spoonful of cereal, and Miyu, being the petty child she is, scooped in a spoonful twice as fast.

Of course, he refused to back down.

With bowls half empty and spoons speeding up, Hansol and Miyu kept their glare hardened at each other while they gulfed down their respective portions. Seeing Miyu already downing the leftover milk from the bowl, Hansol panicked. He refused to lose. Not to her.

So he attempted to swallow a mouthful of cereal at once. And of course, he choked.

As Miyu let out a satisfied breath at her finished bowl, Hansol found himself unable to breathe.

Luckily, his mother came into the room just in time.

She gasped. "Hansol!" Throwing down her gloves recklessly on the counter, she proceeded to then do the heimlich maneuver on her son, who thankfully spat out the stray cereal that got stuck in his throat.

Right into Han Miyu's left eye.

"OW!" She wailed, pouting tearfully as she held her aching eyeball. She then glared at the boy who was gasping loudly. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?!"

Hansol's eyes widened at her baffling accusation. "How would I purposefully aim and spit out the cereal lodged in my throat right into your eye?!"

"I don't know! You threw your shoe at my butt last week!"

"That's a different thing!"

The bickering proceeded to resume for another thirty minutes, of which Mrs. Chwe could only look and sigh. She's experienced enough in this Hansol-Yoora combo to know that trying to break them off will only worsen their fight. So she stayed quiet.

They stopped fighting after Mr. Jo next door gave them each a piece of liquorice to chew on.

- - - - -

Or perhaps, who can get their housewarming gifts to the new neighbors the fastest.

- - - - -

"Take these to the new neighbors, would you, sweetheart?" Mrs. Han told ten year old Miyu as she begrudgingly took the basket from her mom's grip. "Tell them they're fresh, handpicked by grandpa."

"Alright." Miyu mumbled as she inspected the various fruits inside. Walking down the sidewalk, she was grateful it was morning, as the sun wasn't all that annoying for her eyes.

But then she spotted, a few feet right from her part of the sidewalk, the annoying neighbor boy she just couldn't get along with. It looks like he was carrying a box of.. cake? She wasn't sure.

Scoffing to herself, she ignored him.

But once Hansol spotted her in the same pace as him, he began to speed up.

She took this as a challenge.

Miyu sped up also, purposefully making herself just a bit faster than him to piss him off, and it worked. He sped up, which made her speed up also.

Eventually, it became a race.

"Stand down, Chewchew! This is my race now!" Miyu called out, now running with the basket gripped in her hand.

"No way, Madcap! I'm the better runner here!" Hansol shot back, determination as unwavering as hers as he caught up beside her.

A couple of petty kids they are.

It's unknown how Hansol ended up a foot forward than hers, but as he victoriously stood at the front porch of the new neighbor's house, Miyu forgot her brakes.

The one second proud grin on his lips were wiped clean when he saw the surprised look on Miyu's face, then the moment was followed by Hansol pathetically collapse under Miyu's sudden force, and the basket in her hand to fly out into the air.

Right onto the box of cake he had dropped.

The cake was smashed, the fruits all scattered, and two petty kids on top of each other.

It was understandable the two got an earful by their parents that afternoon.

- - - - -

And maybe even going as far as who can impress their art teacher the best, even though neither of them can paint. But that's a story for another day, a story ending in paint on everyone's faces and two months of detention for both of them.

You get the point.

Hansol Chwe and Han Miyu had always been rivals.

But this story isn't all about that.

This story is how they both overcame their differences and began to develop a friendship, and even something more.

This is the story of Them.