Mochi

PROLOGUE

NINETEEN YEARS AGO

"Oli, why are you crying?" Jimin asks sorrowfully.

His pudgy fingers reach out for my own, pinch-worthy cheeks a righteous shade of angry red. We are only five years old, and we've been friends since diapers and tummy time.

"Who made Oli cry?" He yells furiously, little eyes glaring like daggers at the rest of the classroom as the teacher looks upon the scene with absolute panic upon his face.

The last time someone made me cry, Teacher Kim had been forced to explain to five sets of parents as to why their kids were wearing black eyes and covered in glue.

Park Jimin, my best friend, is a bully. Though, in truth he only retaliates against those that cause me anguish, standing up for the pathetic me that is too timid to retaliate.

"Park Jimin!" Teacher Kim shouts in exasperation. "Sit down! Don't make me call your mother!"

Jimin turns his incredibly furious gaze to the teacher, almost as if daring him to follow through with that threat.

For a moment the situation is as tense as the string of a bow that is pulled taut and held for too long. The silence is deafening, everyone is watching to see what my wildling of a bestie will do.

"Jiminie, " I sniffle feebly, wiping my nose with the back of my hand. "It's okay. Don't worry about it..."

"No!" He shouts, grabbing my hand blindly and completely ignoring the fact that I'd just used said hand as a snot rag of sorts. "Whoever picks on Oli picks on me! Which of you stupid heads made Oli cry?"

"Shut up already pabo! Maybe nobody would pick on her if she wasn't an ugly foreigner!" One little boy yells.

I can't tell if he is brave, or just stupid.

"My daddy says that foreigners should just go home!" Shouts another boy, clearly too new to be afraid of my staunch defender.

"Who's a pabo?" Jimin screeches angrily. "How can Oli be a foreigner when she was born here? Is your brain for decoration or something?"

"It's true!" And this time, it is a little girl who pipes in. The same girl, in fact, that I'd shared my sweets with only hours before. "My mommy says people like that don't belong here! She says that Olivia's mommy was just a goal-digger!"

Teacher Kim's left eye begins to twitch in stress at the scene before him.

"Firstly Nari, I think the term your mother probably used was gold digger, and secondly that is incredibly inappropriate! Everyone settle down!" He shouts, hopelessly trying to contain the situation with forcefully issued commands.

Unfortunately, Jimin is already riled. Also, five-year-old Jimin doesn't seem to have any qualms in hitting a girl.

Hurling himself out of his seat, he launches his tiny body at the nearest of my antagonists. Lee Nari.

She screams as he begins to pull her hair, clawing against him like a maniac in order to free herself. Jimin, who is completely unfazed by the scratches she is leaving upon his only recently healed arm, instinctively does the one thing that Park Jimin is known for above all else. He bites her.

One of the boys from before, Jeon Jeonguk, flings himself into the fight and to Nari's aid. Sadly for him, Jimin's rage is fuel enough to soundly best the boy, even before Teacher Kim's timely intervention.

"Principals office, now! All of you!" He shouts breathlessly, struggling to contain a flailing Jimin as I uselessly pound against his leg with my own chubby fists.

LATER THAT DAY

"Don't worry about them, " Jimin tells me kindly, rubbing my back in an effort to soothe me. "They're just big meanies! Being so cruel to such a cute girl! They oughta be ashamed!"

We sit together upon our favorite bench in the park nearby my house. Every day after school Jimin's mommy picks us up together and takes us to the park to wait for my daddy to get off of work.

She's a really nice lady, and she always smiles so brightly. Just like Jimin.

Sniffling once more, I turn my face directly into Jimin's gaze with round and shining, hope-filled eyes.

"You don't think I'm an ugly foreigner?" I ask, rubbing my eyes as if it will make my tear induced irritation disappear.

Mommy would have told me not to rub them at all.

"No way you're an ugly foreigner!" He shouts, adorable cheeks flushing red just like they always do when it is the two of us. "Didn't I already say it?"

He smiles at me sweetly, eyes twinkling with genuine happiness.

"When we grow up, you're gonna be my wife right?" He asks, referring to the promise we made only a few days ago in the garden behind Jimin's house.

I nod quietly, happy that he remembered.

Jimin's little chest puffs up with pride and he grabs my hand, lacing his podgy fingers into my own before continuing. "There's no way that your future husband would pick an ugly foreigner to marry, so you can't be one at all. Right?"

And this time, we smile together.

A/N- Okay, so, I know that it probably isn't the wisest idea to go ahead and release this, but I just can't wait anymore! 🤣

But seriously, I've been planning this story for so long and I really hope that you guys enjoy it! Do keep in mind that updates won't always be speedy, and will probably be irregular as all hell, but nevertheless, I intend to see this through.

So, without further ado, I give you:

Mochi

Enjoy!