𝓔𝓾𝓹𝓱𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓪 » 𝓔𝓷𝓱𝔂𝓹𝓮𝓷

XIII

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Sora was the first kid to share her crayons with Sunghoon when he transferred to their kindergarten.

Not because she was nice, but because she was bossy and decided he looked like someone who'd color outside the lines.

"You can use the blue one," she announced, sliding it over like a business deal. "But don't break it."

Sunghoon, completely unaware that this was a friendship application, took the crayon, nodded solemnly, and started coloring a dinosaur purple instead.

Kristina joined their duo a week later, after she got stuck on the monkey bars and Sora and Sunghoon stood below, yelling conflicting advice.

Sunghoon suggested jumping. Sora suggested staying there forever. Eventually, a teacher came, but by then, Kristina decided she liked them.
By second grade, they were inseparable.

Always in a unit, always in trouble. Sora was the mastermind, Kristina was the executioner, and Sunghoon was the one who sighed heavily but still went along with everything.

Life was simple. Days were filled with class, rece
ss, and the occasional bribe for extra fish cakes at lunch.

Nothing really changed. Except... Sunghoon started noticing something.

It started small. Just little details here and there about Sora's family. Or more specifically, her auntie, Shanna.

Shanna was there for everything.

School events, sick days, teacher conferences.
When the class had to bring family members for Career Day, Sora brought Shanna, who walked in like a celebrity, looking cool and intimidating in a way moms usually weren't.

Sunghoon, who had seen Sora's mom before, blinked a few times. Not that it was weird or anything. Just... huh.

One time, Sora tripped during soccer, and before the teacher even noticed, Shanna was already at the gate, calling out her name.

The speed, the precision—it was like she had some sixth sense when it came to Sora.

"I love how Auntie Shanna is basically a mom," Kristina pointed out one day, sipping on her juice box.

"She's always around."

Sunghoon scrunched his nose. "But sora has a mom. I've seen her before."

Kristina shrugged. "Yeah, but... Auntie Shanna's the one who picks her up. Take care of her. Feels more like a mom, y'know?"

That was the thing. He did know.

Sunghoon started to pick up on the patterns. The way Sora always called for Shanna first when something happened.

The way Shanna always talked about Sora like she was her own.

One time, at a school event, he saw Shanna standing off to the side, watching Sora with an expression he couldn't quite name.

It was too soft to be just an aunt thing. It was the way his own mom looked at him when she thought he wasn't looking.

The kind of love that filled an entire room without saying a word.

He never asked about it, never said anything. Just kept noticing, filing away all the small moments that added up to something bigger than what a second grader could understand.

But even then, deep down, Sunghoon knew.

Some things didn't need to be said to be true.

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