The sun blazed in the clear sky on that particular Tuesday afternoon. A little boy, perhaps around the age of five years old, with large brown eyes and dark brown disheveled hair was playing happily by himself in a sandpit in a playground while his nanny watched him from a distance not so far away. The little boy seemed to be enjoying himself as he continued to scoop sand into his yellow truck and pour the sand back into the sandpit innumerable times, not at all bored by the repetition of the game he was proud to have announced that he invented. Other children played around him in the playground, among their own circle of friends but he looked much joyful than them playing by himself. Suddenly, the little boy looked up to find that a young pretty girl with long black hair pulled up into a ponytail and who was wearing a blue frock, was crouching down beside him, observing his toy with large eyes of curiousity.

The girl noticed that he had become aware of her presence and looked up at him to give him a big toothy grin.

"Hello, my name is Krystal," she beamed, "What's yours?"

"Minho," Minho said bluntly, as he continued on with his game. The little girl waited, hoping that Minho would ask her whether she wanted to play with his truck too but he never did; he went on ignoring her as he pushed his truck along the sand.

"Can I play with you, Minho?" she asked him, innocently and breaking the silence all together. Minho looked at her and raised an eyebrow; the girl was eagerly waiting for his response.

"I'd rather play by myself, thanks," he said, with a menace that etched at his throat.

"But why?" Krystal shrugged, "Isn't it much more fun to play with your friends? My Mummy says -"

"You talk too much!" Minho snapped and stood up to go play somewhere else with his toys. As he was walking away from the sandpit and was trying to get as far away from the talkative Krystal girl as much as possible, he suddenly saw a large black dog running towards him. Immediately, Minho's legs felt like jelly as he saw the huge newfoundland dog, running towards him, perhaps wanting to leap on top of him? The dog was approaching closer as a hundred thoughts raced inside Minho's mind. He didn't know what to do or where to run to for that matter, so he simply let out a blood-curdling scream that seemed to have echoed through the playground. As the dog fell on top of him, Minho heard himself sobbing and screaming for his nanny, Yu Jin but the Krystal girl came to his aid first. Minho sobbed, hugging his knees to his chest as he watched Krystal push the dog away from Minho and pet it, gently. She coaxed the dog to leave Minho alone and hugged the huge newfoundland which was perhaps even taller than her while showing no sign of fear or intimidation.

Yu Jin quickly rushed to Minho's side and pulled the traumatised child into her embrace.

"Minho-Ah," she said, in between heavy breaths, "Are you alright? Are you hurt? Ommo, you have so much cold sweat on your face,"

Suddenly, the dog's owner, a lean man in a jogging suit, came running over and apologised.

"Yah, don't you keep that dog on a leash?" Yu Jin screamed at the man in the jogging suit, her face boiling with an angry red, "What if something worse happens to Minho? Is that dog even tamed?!"

"Please don't shout, ahjumma," Krystal pleaded as the dog's owner continued to apologise. The owner called the newfoundland to go with him and leave before apologising one last time to Yu Jin and Minho. Krystal waved the dog goodbye as she watched the dog and his owner leave, then she turned to face the traumatised little boy, who was watching her with newfound respect.

"Are you alright, Minho?" she asked, as she crouched down in front of Minho and Yu Jin. Minho nodded, slowly. Krystal took out a handkerchief from the pocket of her frock and began wiping the sweat off Minho's face.

"Thank...Thank you," Minho smiled. He gave his hand to Krystal who took it and shook it gently. The two five-year olds shook hands, not knowing that it was a gesture for the beginning of a beautiful friendship.