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Y/N, only nine years old, ran barefoot through the long hallway of her house, her hair bouncing behind her. The scent of food wafting from the kitchen only made her faster.
"Halmeoni!" she called playfully, sliding into the large kitchen, her cheeks flushed with joy. "What are we having for dinner?"
The old woman was stirring something in a large pot. She turned around and wiped her hands on her apron. The woman was her family cook.
"Braised tofu, rice, and seaweed soup," she said warmly.
Y/N gasped. "Yesss! My favorite!"
But just as she turned to leave again, her eyes caught someone in the corner of the kitchen, a small boy about her age, his oversized shirt slightly wrinkled, his hair too long and covering his eyes.
He stood awkwardly, not saying a word. Y/N blinked. "Who's that?"
The old woman smiled and gestured to him. "This is my grandson, Jungkook. He came to visit me today. You can play with him if you'd like."
Jungkook gave a polite bow, but didn't look up. Y/N tilted her head. "Why's he hiding his eyes?"
"Just shy," the grandmother chuckled.
Y/N didn't hesitate. "Come on," she said brightly. "I'll show you the garden!"
She grabbed his wrist and tugged him through the house and out into the backyard.
The garden was enormous, filled with flowers, has a stone path and an artificial pond. The air smelled like jasmine and wet earth.
Jungkook stopped in his tracks, eyes wide. "W-woah... all of this is... yours?"
Y/N turned to him, confused. "Why are you surprised? My friend Soojin's house is even bigger. I don't like her, though. She acts like it. But her house is so pretty."
Jungkook blinked at her honesty, unsure if he should laugh.
She took a few steps toward him, reached out with both hands, and gently lifted his bangs away from his eyes. Her fingers were small and soft.
When she saw his gentle brown eyes, she smiled wide.
"I like your eyes," she said without hesitation. "You can be my friend."
Something in him shifted. The stiffness in his shoulders melted.
Then he spotted the pond. "Fish?!" He ran toward it, crouching by the edge. "Real ones?!"
"Of course! I feed them bread crumbs sometimes," Y/N said proudly.
Jungkook laughed, reaching toward the water. "They're swimming so fast! I used to go fishing with an appa!"
It was the first time he'd laughed since coming there. He touched the cold water and was happy to see pretty fishes.
"Who is this?" Y/N's mother stood in the doorway, her perfectly styled hair. Her gaze fell on Jungkook, then narrowed at the sight of his wrinkled clothes and muddy shoes.
