Childhood Friends

Chapter 2

I ended up hanging out with the maknae line of Stray Kids. We danced, sang, and just chatted, trying to get to know each other. Hyunjin and I recalled old memories that we hadn't talked about before. I even remember sharing one of those little kid kisses with Hyunjin. Recalling that memory made both of us blush. If we were to kiss now, it would mean a lot more than it did back then. Little kids always see kissing on TV and would like to try it. Around that time, I was 3, going to turn 4, and was a fan of Big Time Rush. That show is supposed to be for teenagers, but I was more mature, beyond my years. That's how I ended up kissing Hyunjin. I am realizing that I liked Hyunjin then, and I like him even more now. Like, I actually have feelings for him. I have a crush on him, but I don't know if or when I'll tell him.

♡One Week Later♡
I've been in Seoul for a week now. I only have one more week in Seoul before I go home, so I need to make it count. During my time here, I was able to travel down to Suwon to visit the Suwon Fortresses and wear a beautiful, blue hanbok for the first time. Becoming friends of Stray Kids, I sent pictures of myself in the hanbok. Hyunjin sent this flirty text in response: 너무 예뻐요😍🙈(So pretty)
Me: Thanks, Jinnie🥰
Hyunjin: You're welcome😚
I can't believe, after all these years, that I was able to find Hyunjin then fall in love with him. The song that pops into my head is My Universe from the album, IN LIFE. It's such a beautiful song, I love Seungmin and I.N's vocals, topped with Changbin's rap as the cherry on top. I recorded myself in the karaoke bar singing that song and sent it to my Stray Kids group chat. All the members sent their responses, complimenting my singing and Korean. While Hyunjin truly loved it and told me he couldn't stop replaying it.

I must find out today if Hyunjin truly likes me back or if he's just being flirty. I take the taxi to JYP Entertainment from the condo I am staying in. I arrive at JYP and march myself up to where Stray Kids are practicing. I would hate to interrupt, but I need to know. I politely knock on the door and wait for a response. Bang Chan opens the door, giving me a friendly hug, then allowing me to come in. He pauses the practice so I could ask Hyunjin what I need to.
"Hyunjin?" I asked.
"Yes?" Hyunjin asked.
"Do you like me? Like, 너는 저를 좋아하나요?" I said, making sure to repeat in Korean in case he needs the translation.
"네, 맞아요." Hyunjin said(Yes, I do actually)
"내 남자친구가 되어줄래요?" I asked(Would you like to be my boyfriend?)
"이것이 당신의 질문에 대한 대답입니까?" Hyunjin asked, approaching me(Does this answer your question?) Without hesitation, Hyunjin places his plump, supple lips upon mine, in a super romantic kiss.
"Oi~" The members of Stray Kids chorus.
"I mean, yes. I'm not sure what that last bit was." I said.
"He asked if that answered your question and you answered right." Bang Chan explained.
"Ah. . . Well, is your dating ban already over?" I asked.
"It ended last year on March 25, 2021." Bang Chan said.
"Okay, I was just making sure. I didn't want to get Hyunjin in trouble." I said.
"I'm sure JYP would be happy to hear this news." Felix said.
"But, I'm leaving next week. Are you okay with a long distance relationship?" I asked.
"As long as I can be with you, yes." Hyunjin said.

Now I know. Years after first meeting, my first love became my first boyfriend. I never really had a boyfriend before. Hyunjin has become my first and probably one of the ones I will never forget. As we were hanging out, I had spontaneously started singing Ex, one of my all-time favorite Stray Kids songs. I think it's so good. A perfect mix of that electric guitar and acoustic guitar. The vocals, the rap, just everything about this song. Even the music video pulls at my heart strings. Here is the music video: https://youtu.be/rpHztlgROH8. It makes me cry every time I watch it. Then, Mixtape : On Track, the music video for that song also makes me cry. I was at a point in my life where songs like that made me very emotional. Those songs came out when I was 16 and 17, and I was very emotional at that age. I am still emotional, but I have found ways to better control my emotions.

Later that night, the rest of the members left the practice room, now it's just Hyunjin and I. It is around 2am right now. Getting to hang out with Stray Kids all night was always a dream of mine and now I'm best friends with them. Anyways, Hyunjin and I are laying on the practice room floor, staring up at the bright practice room lights. Hyunjin puts a finger to his lips as he sneaks over the turns off the lights.
"Now, it's just us, in the dark." Hyunjin said.
"It's kinda spooky." I said.
"Don't be scared, I'm right here." Hyunjin said, hugging me.
"I've always had a slight fear of the dark." I said.
"What if. . . I make it not scary?" Hyunjin asked.
"You can try." I said.
"Okay. . ." Hyunjin said, pinning me to the floor. Oh, wow I wasn't expecting this.

By the time Hyunjin and I had finished making love on the practice room floor, it was 3am, and I'm exhausted. Hyunjin joked that we would need to come in later this morning to clean up our mess before anyone sees. I can't believe we just did that in the middle of the practice room. Hyunjin didn't have the courtesy to take me to his dorm room or anything. No, just straight up, in the middle of the practice room. Hyunjin carries my exhausted body to his dorm room and places me down in the bed. He climbs in next to me and begins spooning me. Usually, it's the taller one who is the big spoon, and Hyunjin, being close to 6'0 tall, is the perfect height for big spoon. I fit right in the nook of his body. Like I was the missing puzzle piece in his life.