Nothing worried Joohyun more than the tendency people had of trusting others easily. It was just her luck that her best friend had to be the embodiment of naivety. She wasn't the only one to worry about Seulgi, nor was she surprised, when she came over to visit Seulgi’s house for the first time and was confronted by her parents.

While Seulgi’s father reminded Joohyun of Seulgi in every way from the lingering laugh to the shape of their eyes, Seulgi’s mother had a frown that settled naturally on her face but would be foreign on Seulgi herself. However, Joohyun began to notice the resemblance between the two when she saw that the mother’s smile could be as genuine as Seulgi’s. That made Joohyun imagine Seulgi growing up with a frown on her face, her smile tired if it ever decided to appear. Joohyun shot that thought out of her mind, shaking her head. Thinking like that was rude. Thinking like that came with the possibility of that future becoming real.

“Thank you again for looking after our daughter,” Seulgi’s mother said as she set a fresh plate of cookies on the table. Seulgi eagerly sat up and had to stretch over the table to retrieve the dessert. Nearby, Seulgi’s father gave her a look that diminished into a laugh when she offered him a cookie. “You did the right thing when you ran to where all the adults could see you.”

Joohyun didn't look away from the woman in front of her despite the aroma of molten chocolate making her stomach lurch. She remembered that her own mother told her that not giving someone her full attention when they were speaking to her was disrespectful. So Joohyun did her best to listen and not show her restraint. The smile on Seulgi’s mother was real, but dim in Joohyun’s opinion. Being a grownup must be hard.

A sigh slipped out of Seulgi’s mother and the smile left as soon as it came. “I knew I should’ve left work early,” she lamented. “I always felt uneasy about letting Seulgi be alone on the park, but I thought that she would be fine because of the neighborhood and…” She didn’t finish her sentence as she closed her eyes and rubbed the wrinkle between her eyebrows.

“Hey, don’t beat yourself over this.” Seulgi’s father walked to her side and rubbed her back gently. “We should just be glad that Joohyun was there to make sure that our princess made it back to us safe and sound.”

She spared a glance towards her husband as if in thought. She smiled. “You’re right,” she said. “We just need to be more careful so this doesn’t happen again.”

Joohyun blinked. The smile on Seulgi’s mother wasn’t strained, pretty actually. It was the closest she ever was to resembling Seulgi. She turned to Joohyun. “You know, you’re this family’s hero, Joohyun.”

“I didn’t do much though,” Joohyun insisted. Nobody else saw the stranger approach Seulgi and her feet moved without thinking. Her face was burning, she just knew it. She wanted to turn her head down, but her mother’s lecture on courtesy prevented her.

Seulgi’s father let out a chuckle and reached forward to ruffle her hair. “Brave and humble,” he marveled. “You’re going to be very popular when you’re older.”

Seulgi’s mother scoffed when she saw her husband wink at Joohyun jokingly. “She’s too young to even be thinking about stuff like that.”

He shrugged. “Never too young to be prepared.”

“Thank you,” Joohyun said, albeit not knowing what they were talking about.

After turning to Joohyun with an amused look on her face, Seulgi’s mother kneeled until she was on eyelevel with her. “Please continue to look after our Seulgi, alright?”

“I—” Joohyun wondered what was the best thing to say. The first thing she thought was along the lines of “I'll try” but that hinted that her connection with Seulgi wouldn't last. But it probably wouldn't last, at least not forever. Both Joohyun and Seulgi were only kids and they didn't decide their futures. Fate did. She knew she wasn't supposed to say that though.

Joohyun looked up and met Seulgi’s eyes, who had her knees on the edge of the table again as she reached for another chocolate chip cookie. She didn't seem to be listening to the conversation, flashing a smile when she realized she was caught in the act once more. She smiled like there was nothing to worry about.

Maybe there wasn't anything. Offering a smile back towards Seulgi, Joohyun faced the former’s parents. Someone needed to look after Seulgi. She needed Joohyun. “You can count on me.”

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[Author's Note:] ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ In the beginning of a month, I made the decision at 4am to do this.