Growing Up

5 year old Taeyeon; 6 year old Baekhyun:

“Mommy, is someone moving here?” Taeyeon asked after she saw a car with many boxes on it through the window. Mrs. Kim, who was cooking at the time, smiles warmly at her daughter before she nods her head.

“We will have a new neighbor, honey. You’re going to have a new friend! Their son was just around your age.” Mrs. Kim said cheerfully and Taeyeon’s eyes widened.

“Will he want to play with Taeyeon?” The innocent little girl asked and Mrs. Kim chuckled at the sigh before she nods gently.

“He will, come on! Let’s greet them now, Taeyeon.” Mrs. Kim said and holds out her hands as Taeyeon softly slips her hand on her mother’s. The two went out from their house and approaches the new unfamiliar looking family right beside their house.

“Ah, hello, I’m Kim Taehee, the one who lives right beside your house.” Mrs. Kim introduced herself and the new family smiles before the two bows to each other. Taeyeon notices a boy around her age, who is somehow rather tall leaning against the tree coolly.

“And this is my daughter, Taeyeon.” Mrs. Kim continued referring to Taeyeon who was snap out from her mind as she bows politely.

“Ah, she’s so cute! She was just around our son’s age- Baekhyun, come here!” Mrs. Byun called out and the handsome – or at least Taeyeon found him so – kid walks toward them.

“Come on, sweetie, introduce yourself.”

“Hello, my name is Byun Baekhyun.” He said as he bowed and flashed a small smile.

“Oh my god, he is very cute! By the way, do you need help with the boxes? I can help, we can just let the two of them play by their own.” Mrs. Kim said and Mrs. Byun agreed with the offer – since there are also so many boxes out there.

And there, Taeyeon and Baekhyun were the only one who left. Taeyeon took a step forward before she greeted the boy.

“Hello!” She said cheerfully but was very disappointed by the other’s reaction – a silence.

“How are you?” She decides to just ask this time, but like earlier, she was ignored. The girl bit her lower lips and pout when the boy leaves her.

Seems like I won’t get a new friend, and dejectedly, she walk to her house again.

7 years old Taeyeon; 8 years old Baekhyun:

“Oppa, wait for me!” The cheerful girl shouted and Baekhyun stopped in his track. Taeyeon then run up to the older boy as she shows him her bright smile, before she slips her hands into his making the older one out of the two shocked.

“Now, let’s go!” She said as she drags him. The two was on their way to the park; they have gotten much closer after 2 years. Baekhyun was stuck with her like a gum stuck on the shoes.

“Oppa, look! It’s a cotton candy, I want to buy it!” Taeyeon said, her face looking up to Baekhyun who was very engrossed with the cotton candy. Searching for some money on her pocket of pants, Taeyeon pouted when she felt nothing else was there, unless the soft fabric of the pants itself.

“You don’t have your money with you?” Baekhyun asked and the girl shook her head. Baekhyun smiled a little before he takes out his money and flashed it to her.

“Come on, I’ll buy it for you.” He said and Taeyeon swears she was so flustered after he flashed his wide smile.

Why do I feel like this? Her little thought was ruined as Baekhyun quickly drags her to the cotton candy stall.

9 year old Taeyeon; 10 year old Baekhyun:

“Oppa?” Taeyeon called out and Baekhyun turns to faces her.

“Yes, Tae? Is anything wrong?” Baekhyun asked her and the younger girl shook her head but sighed.

“I don’t think this will be good, will your friend even likes me?” Taeyeon asked. That afternoon, Baekhyun had told the girl that he will go out with his friends but since he didn’t want to leave her, he asked her to join him instead. Taeyeon agrees happily at first but as it was almost the time, she felt nervous and somehow scared. Baekhyun is a boy and she is a girl, it was somehow a bit wrong, right?

“They will, come on.” Baekhyun said before he drags Taeyeon to the soccer field near their home. There are already some boys who are around Baekhyun’s age, and Taeyeon somehow felt scared.

“Hey guys!” Baekhyun greeted and the other boys greets him too, that until they noticed Taeyeon.

“Hey, Baek! Who’s that? Your new play mate, uh?” One of them suddenly said and smirked.

“Well, you know, Oppa is a lot of better than Baekhyun.” Another one said as he tries to approach Taeyeon.

“Don’t touch her, Jiwoong!” Baekhyun shouted as he grabs Taeyeon’s arm tightly.

“Well, but you know, she was so pretty. I’m pretty sure she would-” “Enough of it, I’m just going back and don’t ever think about her being yours!” Baekhyun shouted before dragging Taeyeon out of the field, to their way home.

“Oppa, isn’t that a bit rude for them?” Taeyeon said and Baekhyun stopped in his tracks, making the girl followed after his actions. He turns to faces her before he grabs her face, making her look at him and she bit her lower lip – somehow nervous.

“You know that Oppa is just protecting you, right? Trust me, Oppa do it because Oppa wants you safe.” Baekhyun said before he pulled the girl into his arms and Taeyeon felt so shy that her cheeks even redden at the moment.

Why is my heart thumping?

11 year old Taeyeon; 12 year old Baekhyun:

“Taeyeon!” Baekhyun shouted for her yet the other girl didn’t listen. Taeyeon keep walking ahead, she didn’t even bother to spare a glance as her eyes didn’t caught any glimpse of the other side.

“Kim Taeyeon!” He shouted once again but the girl ignores him as she continues walking ahead.

Sensing that he was going to caught up with her, Taeyeon run and run ahead. Why are they like this? It was actually a misunderstanding. She herself didn’t even know why she act like this, she got so furious when Baekhyun actually had accidentally leave her alone in the school while she was waiting for him yet when she was home, she was greeted by a very  unpleasant situation.

For some quite time, her parents are fighting. She thought her family issue was over already but it proves her that she was wrong. And her only comfort was Baekhyun, and she had forget of what happen to her and Baekhyun awhile ago, yet she never know that going to him will just increase her hatred towards him.

That probably explains what happen now. With the rain pouring down hard and them running, it was so dangerous, but even if he called out for her she won’t stop. Taeyeon didn’t care anymore; the day was already bad enough for her.

“KIM TAE- TAEYEON!” All that Taeyeon could hear was Baekhyun screaming her name in panic and her eyes was greeted by a blinding flash of light; a machine with a wheel was a step away from hitting her and she was pulled back by a strong grip on her shoulder.

She falls, not on the road though but rather on top of another body. The person below her whimpers at the pain and she knows exactly that it was Baekhyun. The girl quickly rolled over, as she was now lying on the road.

“O-o- Oppa, are you okay?” Taeyeon asked worriedly, as she was now sitting and checking over to the boy beside her.

She scoffed when she saw no car on her sight; it probably has driven away already.

“.” The girl muttered under her breath and Baekhyun chuckles at her, taking her surprised. “Don’t curse, Tae. And yes, I’m okay.” Baekhyun said, smiling, reassuring her but the girl frowned.

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