Seo and Jung family lives in a small island consisted in 3 villages. In their village there are only approximately 200 people, all knew each other and are friends. The nearest school is approximately 1 mile away.
Joo Hyun and Yonghwa grew up together in that small barrio. They are playmates, classmates and neighbours. Their parents are the best of friends.
“Yah! Hurry up! We’re going to be late for the flag ceremony.” Joo Hyun said rushing Yonghwa. She is a couple of inches tall and has long strides than him.
“Yah! Wait for me!” Yonghwa yelled and hurriedly walked beside her
As soon as they arrive, he immediately went to his place, the first person in line.
“Wah! Yonghwa is so short!!!” a boy teases him but he just looked and showed his tongue on him, when the boy looked at Joo Hyun, she showed her fist that made the boy stop teasing.
Joo Hyun was always there by his side, his protector. They go to school and come home together and play together. They are inseparable.
Joo Hyun on the other hand grew up tomboyish. She has adopted her cousin oppa’s ways and because she needed to be tough to protect Yonghwa. She doesn’t even know how to dress up as a girl properly. All the boys at school are afraid of her temper, girls avoided her.
Yonghwa albeit the shortest one, he is always the smart one in class. But has grown taller after he was circumcised at the age of ten.
-
They are now 12 years old and he is starting to avoid Joo Hyun because he doesn’t want their classmates to misunderstand and tease them.
--
“Yah! Let me through!” Joo Hyun said to the boy that is trying to block her way.
“No way!” he then grabs her bag and ran “Come after this if you can!”
She ran as fast as she could but to no avail, the boy is faster than she is. She opted to pick a stone and aimed it to the running boy. “Ouch!! Why you little!!!” the boy walked to her slowly, anger on his eyes. He lifted his knuckle and swung it towards Joo Hyun straight to the face.
Joo Hyun closed her eyes, waiting for the punch to land when a familiar voice immerged.
“Only cowards hit girls!” Yonghwa said while holding Kyu’s knuckle preventing it to land on Joo Hyun’s face. The two boys fought as she watched, she noticed how Yonghwa have grown handsome and tall.
“Yah! Change your ways, will you? You’re not a kid anymore, stop getting yourself into trouble. You’re lucky I passed by when it happened.” He then walked pass through her as if nothing happened.
“Yah! Wait for me” she followed him as she was afraid Kyu might cause trouble again. She looked at his figure admiringly.
-----
The next day, she woke up earlier; she took a bath longer, used conditioner on her hair and used cologne.
After breakfast she went to Yonghwa’s house. “Good morning Auntie! Is Yonghwa there?” she asked
“Omo! You just missed him! He thought you were not coming to school since its quiet late.” She answered.
When she looked at her watch, it’s less than 30 minutes before the ceremony; she’s truly going to be late unless she runs. “Bye Auntie!” and she dashes her way to the school. First period was about to start she was panting hard, her hair unruly and she’s sweating profusely. She looked up and saw Yonghwa looking at her, disgust on his face.
She felt her eyes warm signalling of tears about to fall but she held it. She looked straight to everyone and sat on her designated seat. Her hard work earlier wasted.
As much as Yonghwa wanted to avoid her, at lunch time they share the same spot, under the mango tree since they were children.
“Yonghwa-yah! Now I have decided to accept you as my boyfriend.” She said looking seriously on his eyes
