13 years ago (3rd POV)

"Hyunsik ar~ Come and meet our new neighbours~" A woman in her mid-30 asked the 5 years old son to the front door. The little boy ran to the front door and saw a girl hiding behind her mother. "This is my son Hyunsik." Hyunsik's mother introduced and slightly push him stand next to her.

"Hello! I'm Kim Hyunsik." He bowed to the woman in front of him.

"Oh he is really a good boy. Heeyeon-ah also say hi to them." Heeyeon's mother urged her daughter who hid behind her. But Heeyeon kept hiding and said nothing. "Sorry, our Heeyeon is a bit shy."

"It is okay. I am sure she is a good girl too." Mrs. Kim replied and kept chatting with random stuff. Hyunsik kept looking at Heeyeon when she popped her head out from the back. He waved at her. Heeyeon was a bit scared and moved back. It confused Hyunsik and he tried again with his smile, a warm eye smile. This time Heeyeon did not move back and waved back to him. The smile on Hyunsik's face grew bigger and reached out his hand. HeeYeon was a bit hesitate at first, but slowly, she shook his hand.

"Let's be friend!" HyunSik suggested with a big innocent smile. HeeYeon nodded and smiled. This was the first time in HyunSik's life that he felt a groove of heat rushed to his face and felt shy.

From that day onward, the two kids stayed by each other whenever they had time. One day after their homework time, HyunSik brought HeeYeon to the playground in the podium level to play. When HyunSik was climbing up to a slide, HeeYeon who was on the other side screamed. He rushed to the girl and saw an insect was crawling toward her. "HeeYeon ar! Hide behind me!" HeeYeon did as she was told. Actually HyunSik was so scared and was shivering, but he told himself he had to protect HeeYeon and couldn't let her get hurt. Fortunately HeeYeon's mum passed by and guided the insect away.

"HyunSik-ah were you also scared just now?" Heeyeon asked. HyunSik caught off guard and nodded. "So why did you still protect me?" She asked again and HyunSik looked into her eyes.

"Remember, I will never left you in any danger and will protect you forever!" He vowed.

"How can I know you won't break your promise?" She asked. He raised his pinky.

"Let's make a pinky promise and I will never never never break any promises that I have made to you. And this is the first one." He hooked HeeYeon's pinky.

-

One day, HeeYeon's parents were on their anniversary trip. They asked HyunSik's parents to take care of HeeYeon when they were out. HeeYeon felt very nervous as this was the first time her parents left her for more than a day and she needed to stay in other's house. That night, when she was in the guest room, HyunSik brought Monopoly and played with her to ease her nervousness. "HeeYeon ar, are you okay to sleep by yourself?" HyunSik asked. The girl shook her head.

"I am so afraid of darkness. Usually I have a doll that I hug to sleep every night. But I forgot to bring it here…"

"We can go back and take the doll." He suggested.

"No… I don't have a key."

"Ar… Maybe you can hug me to sleep!" HeeYeon face immediately brightened and hugged him.

"Thank you!!" From the closeness, HyunSik's cheeks has a pink tint and clearly his heart was jumping in a crazy speed that it might jump out in anytime.

After a few more rounds of Monopoly, HeeYeon felt tired and crawled to the bed. HyunSik turned off the light. Luckily both of them were thin enough to fit the bed. HeeYeon hugged him closely. "So lucky I can have you be my neighbor." HeeYeon said softly, only enough for HyunSik to hear.

"Me too."He smiled unknowingly.

-

In HeeYeon's 5 years old birthday, HyunSik brought HeeYeon to the back hill of their estate. "Are we there yet?" HyunSik covered HeeYeon's eyes and slowly guided her to a tree in the peak.

"Almost there~~~" When they reached the peak, HyunSik left HeeYeon and settled down under the tree.

"Can I open my eyes now?" HeeYeon asked due to her fear.

"Now open your eyes~" HeeYeon saw him sitting on the ground with a brush of white flowers with his guitar when she opened her eyes.

"You can play guitar?" HeeYeon was so surprised when she saw HyunSik carried a guitar that was larger than him.

"Act…actually I… I have practiced a song for you." He cleared his throat and played a C chord to begin.

"I'm gonna make you love me

I love you,

I'm only happy when you are here

I always just need you.

Even though I can't say it right now,

even when I keep getting nervous looking at you

I always think of you,

you don't know yet,

you don't know my love,

I just need you

Umm.

I want you like this,

I just keep seeing you

In my head, it's filled with the thoughts of you.

I'm so happy all day,

I sing a song for you

Anytime –

I'm gonna make you love me

I love you,

I'm only happy when you are here,

I always just need you –

Because of you you you you

I only think of you

you you you Now

Love me,

love me,

only look at me (Beast - You)" HeeYeon just stood there, looked at him and clapped her hands.

"Waaa~~~ HyunSik-ar your voice is very beautiful!"

"HeeYeon-ar I… I think I love you." He confessed and his cheeks were painted in red. But of course, HeeYeon was too young to comprehend the lyrics, or even know the concept love. She just thought that HyunSik can sing really well.

"I love you too HyunSik!"

"So when we grow up, I will definitely marry you!!" HeeYeon just nodded as she didn't know what was marry. HyunSik reached to his pocket and took out two grass rings.

He slowly took HeeYeon's left hand and slipped the ring on her ring finger. "Let's make a pinky promise." He raised his pinky and HeeYeon just hooked it without hesitation because she knew HyunSik would keep his promise no matter what happened.

-

Two months after HeeYeon's birthday, HyunSik came back to home after he sent HeeYeon back from the primary school they both attended that year.  "Mum~~ I'm ba…" A mug was smashed on the ground and he saw his mother was crying. "Mum! Are you ok?!" When he approached his mother, he saw the photos his mother was holding. It was his father who was hugging another woman on bed. He hugged his mother who kneed on the ground as she was too fragile from all the crying.

"HyunSik ar… let's leave this place… Now go pack your things…" His mother pushed him to his room and pulled a luggage.

"But… But where are we going?" He concernly looked at his mother.

"Go back to your grandmother's home." After they packed their things, they went straight to the bus stop. At that time, HyunSik forgot HeeYeon and left without saying goodbye.

-

The next day, HeeYeon wanted to go to school with HyunSik. When she went to his house, she only saw a few men were moving boxes out from HyunSik's house. "HyunSik~~ HyunSik ar~~~" She called.

"Are you looking for the owner?" A mover asked HeeYeon and she nodded. "They have already moved out. You cannot find him here anymore." HeeYeon frozen and she knew that she could never see him again.

-

Few years after HyunSik mother's divorce, she married to another man and became Mrs. Im. Luckily, HyunSik's stepfather treated him nicely. HyunSik could never forget HeeYeon. He always keep the ring in his room and waited for the day that fate would bring her back again.

Now HeeYeon finally realized that this guy was actually her childhood friend. "Heol!! That's why you look so familiar when I first saw you!"

"You remember me thanks God." He smiled again and felt relief.

"How come you leave me without any notice? Do you know I was so scared that you had had some accident…" HeeYeon pouted.

"Nonono~ I just wanted to bring my mother away from that place at that time. Sorry I left without telling you." He ruffled her hair gently and she nodded. "But this time I won't leave you again~" He showed his eye smile again. HeeYeon melted immediately when she saw it.

"How can I know you are not lying? And why do I care about you leaving me or not?" She looked away and pretended to be angry.

"Oh! That's hurt!" HyunSik covered his chest and pretended to be hurt. HeeYeon burst out of laugh and they both giggled. "Okay~ Come on~" He raised his pinky and HeeYeon hooked it immediately. At that night, she hugged HyunSik and slept peacefully.