WHEN I NEEDED YOU THE MOST | PJM

The Beginning

"Eomma! Can Jiminie come play at our house?" the 7 year old Kim Yoonji asked her mother after she got picked up from preschool.
"Sure. Jimin-ah, would you like to go with us and stay for lunch?" Yoonji's mother asked Jimin.
"No, eomonim. Appa wouldn't like that. I need to go straight home. But thank you. Annyeonghi gaseyo" Jimin said and hugged Yoonji and bowed to the mother before waving goodbye and running home.

The next day Yoonji's mother brought her to preschool before the mother had to go to work.

"See you later, eomma!" Yoonji smiled and kissed her mother's cheek.
"Mmh, have a great school day, Yoonji-ah. Eomma will pick you up later. Stay with Jimin Oppa okay honey? If someone bullies you, what do you do?" her mother asked her.
"I won't cry and I won't fight, I just ignore them and stay with Jiminie." Yoonji looked down to her shoes while answering.
"Yoonji-ah, Jiminie is older than you. He is an oppa to you." her eomma said.
"Yes, eomma." she nodded but still looked at the ground.
"Don't be shy and don't let them get to you. Ihae hageni?" her eomma asked grabbing her tiny shoulders looking into her eyes and smiled at her. Yoonji nodded and smiled back.
"Good, eomma will be back soon. Eomma loves you!" Yoonji's mother said and gave her a kiss on her forehead.
"Annyeong!" Yoonji said and went inside looking for Jimin.

"Yoonji-ah!" someone said. Yoonji turned around and saw Jimin. Her eyes lit up and she showed her bright smile to him.
"Jiminie!" she said and hugged him.
"Urgh... Mwo? I'm your Oppa, Oppa! Jimin Oppa! Araji?" young Jimin tried to conceal something by teaching her to call him oppa.
"I know, but Jiminie is cuter.." Yoonji smiled.
"Ani! Say Jimin Oppa. Repeat what I said." Jimin said frustrated.
"Ji...min...ie" Yoonji said making Jimin roll his eyes and walk away from her.
"Jiminie, wait for me!" Yoonji said as she took off her shoes and put on her slippers before she entered their class and followed Jimin.
"Yah.. Jimin are you ignoring me now?" she whispered since she was never comfortable around the girls who were in her class, also known as her bullies. Jimin and Yoonji took a seat at a table where they both usually drew together.

"Chimchim?" Yoonji asked.
"Huh? What did you call me?" Jimin stopped coloring his mandala and asked her to repeat herself.
"Chim-chim?" she repeated insecure.
"Why are you calling me that now?" he asked her out of curiosity.
"Because you said that Jiminie was not a cute nickname and chimchim is much cuter, don't you agree?" she asked.
"Aigoo.. Uri jageun du (Our young couple). Kids, why don't you two play with the others for once?" an auntie asked them.

Yoonji got nervous and felt bad looking at her tiny thighs as if she did something wrong. Jimin could sense that and spoke up for the both of them.

"Auntie, I'd much rather stay here with Yoonji. We don't like to play with others. Drawing is more fun." Jimin said and smiled at Yoonji, assuring her that everything was fine.
"Well, I tried. But you'll call me if you need anything, alright" the aunt said and smiled at the both of them. Jimin nodded.

Later that day it was time to get picked up by their parents. Yoonji was waiting outside with Jimin for her mother to pick her up.

"Jiminie, why does your appa not pick you up?" she asked him.
"He is a very busy man Yoonji-ah. Plus, I can go home by myself now. I don't live far from here." Jimin assured.

Yoonji tightened her grip on the straps of her backpack. For some reason her eomma still didn't show up.

"And your eomma told you she would pick you up today?" Jimin asked carefully.
"Yes! She always does." Yoonji said stubborn.
"But we've been waiting for ten minutes now. Eomonim is usually here before we get out." Jimin said looking at the sky.

Seconds later Jimin noticed that Yoonji was sniffling and it was not spring anymore, it wasn't her allergy that made her sniffle. Jimin looked next to him and saw Yoonji crying silently.