Taemin: Age 8, Eunsook: Age 11, Taesun: 12

Taemin turns eight and he has a big birthday party at the neighborhood pool with all of his friends and family.

Eunsook and her parents walk over to greet Taemin and his family when they arrive. She hides behind her mother, finding something fascinating about the backl of her mother’s shirt.

“Eunsook, say hi.” Her mother says with a laugh, placing her hand on Eunsook’s back and guiding her forward.

Eunsook stumbles around her mother, almost tripping on her feet, but she manages to get them back underneath her quickly.

“Oh, hi!” She says not-convincingly like she has just now seen them. “Happy Birthday, Taemin!” Eunsook says with small smile, there’s a slight stammer in her voice. She fidgets in her new one-piece bathing suit.

“Thank you, Sookie Noona.” Taemin says, eyes drifting to the front of her bathing suit, his eyes going wide. She has the beginnings of little puffy s visible.

Taemin looks down at his own chest and sees that his own s are flat.

What makes hers do that?

Taemin goes to show her where she can put her present, pointing out all the various gifts he's received already and who they are from with excitement.

Next to them, Eunsook and Taemin’s mother chat.

“Eunsook is developing early. We had to go shopping for her first bra already.”

“Oh, really? Poor thing. Welcome to a lifetime of constantly adjusting your bra straps and uncomfortable underwire.”

“I know, right? My little baby is becoming a woman.”

Taemin and Eunsook play in the pool later. He gets out, Taesun and his friend come up to him.

“Is that Eunsook?” Taesun’s friend asks, looking over at her.

“Yea.” Taemin answers.

“Can we play too?” Taesun asks.

“Errr, Hyung, I think Umma is calling you.”

“She is?” Taesun disappears to go find his umma, his friend follows along with a last look at them before he turns to join Taesun.

Taemin whisks Eunsook away to play in a corner with his new water guns. He doesn’t know why he lied to his brother. He just didn’t want to let his brother and his friend play with Eunsook. He likes it best when he plays with her by himself.

They take a picture, all of Taemin’s friends and family surrounding him as he blows out the candles on his cake. Eunsook smiles broadly in the corner of the photo with her parents, while she’s piggy-backed by her father. They have identical eye-smiles.

“Taemin’s Eighth Birthday”

This is when you get inklings that the dynamics of their friendship will inevitably change as they get older. Eunsook goes through puberty and Taemin’s subconscious jealousy/possessiveness.