Imagine a village, far-off big cities and busy streets that held a few hundred souls. Everyone knew each other, news and rumours spreading around in the split of a second. Every little house had its own wide garden, some as big as farms which were holding several animals: cows, chickens, sheep and pigs. Several hills were surrounding the little village, a forest resting behind it from where rabbits and does found their way onto the open meadows every now and then.

The air was always fresh, never intoxicated with smog like the bigger cities. It was a paradise for children and the perfect place to let them grow up healthily.

“Oh, look. There he runs again,” was always whispered with smiles gracing the lips of the elder women whenever a small boy was running through the fields and the village. He was the youngest in the village and the only one of his age group. All other children were older by a few years, just like his sister.

“Granny Mae! Granny Mae!” the energetic four-year-old remarked loudly when he stormed towards his neighbour's house, an elder lady of 80 years. Her closest family lived in Seoul, a several hours drive away from the little village and she refused to leave her and her deceased husband's home.

A smile tucked on her lips, her wrinkles deepening a bit more when she caught sight of the small boy running on his small legs up the hill towards her. Dirt was evident on his trousers and shirt, little dark spots gracing his round face. The brown haired little whirlwind reminded her so much of her own little great-grandson.

“Granny, Granny! Look, what I found!” he shouted excitedly, almost stumbling over his running feet when he was about to reach the elder lady whom he loved like his own grandmother. He never had met his own grandparents or great-grandparents since they were either living abroad or had already died. Therefore Granny Mae, the name he himself had given her, was the only one he knew.

“Slowly, dear, or you might fall,” she said worriedly, a smile lying on her lips when the little boy walked slowly further until he stood in front of her. “Will you sit down with me? Your Granny's legs are hurting a bit,” she said softly when she felt the protest of her old bones.

“Uh-huh. I g-g,” the small boy replied, stumbling over his tongue when he tried to think of this difficult word. His eyebrows were furrowed and cheeks puffed when he pondered.

“Guide me, sweetheart?” Granny Mae helped out, earning herself a wide toothy grin when the little boy nodded.

The soft-skinned chubby hand of the little boy held tightly onto the wrinkled big palm of Granny Mae when he slowly guided the elder woman to her terrace and the wooden bench standing in the shadows. Once Granny Mae was securely sitting on the wooden furniture, the little boy climbed up and settled down next to her, sitting on his knees.

“And, what did you find, dear?” Granny Mae asked, reaching for the handkerchief in her pocket to clean the whirlwind's face. The small boy scrunched his nose when Granny Mae caressed with the white cloth over his cheeks before he could answer.

“I found cornflower! Look, soooo pwetty,” the brown haired said enthusiastically, holding out his fisted right hand. The long green shaft was tightly clenched in the small hand, the blue petals shining brightly in the sun. The deep violet of the inner petals was lovingly embraced by the blue outer petals, both reaching out to gain some of the summery sunlight.

“Oh my. You really found a beautiful exemplar,” Granny Mae remarked, her old greyish-brown eyes sparkling. She blinked in confusion for a few seconds when the four-year-old slightly the flower into her face. “For me?” she asked bewildered, a smile tucking on her lips when her young counterpart nodded.

“Uh-huh. Granny Mae said she li-likes cornflowers, so this for Granny Mae,” the brown haired replied, grinning toothily when he gave the beautiful blue flower to Granny Mae.

“Thank you, sweetheart,” Granny Mae remarked when she took the flower, patting the brown locks lovingly before she planted a peck onto the soft-skinned cheek of the young boy.

“Here you are, you little whirlwind,” a warm female voice remarked, causing the two on the bench to turn towards its origin.

“Mommy!” the young boy exclaimed, jumping off the bench before he stormed into the open arms of his mother.

“Ah, look at you. Seems like you had lots of fun in the fields, little mucky pup,” the young woman with long brown hair said with a soft smile when she heaved her small giggling son onto her arms.

“I hope he wasn't a bother, HyunAe-ssi,” she said to the elder woman when she guided her towards the door of her home. The young woman spent lots of time at HyunAe's home, too, whenever she had free time to help the elder woman out.

“Oh no. Not at all, MiKyung. It is nice to have him around,” HyunAe replied, caressing the small boy's cheek who hung like a little koala bear on his mother's upper body and looked with his brown eyes at his Granny Mae.

“Don't you want to come tomorrow, too? My little great-grandson is coming with his family. He is just as old as you,” she said with a soft smile, noticing the sparkle in the large brown eyes.

“Can I play with him?” the small boy asked excitedly, already anticipating the arrival of the other boy.

“I'm sure, dear. Now let's go,” MiKyung said before she made her way together with her son towards their own home after both had bid Granny Mae goodbye.

*

“Do you have the cookies, sweetheart?” MiKyung asked her son before they left their home to go to Granny Mae. She earned a small nod and grin from the four-year-old who held tightly onto the big box in his small arms.

“Hello, HyunAe-ssi,” MiKyung greeted the elder lady when she entered the old house together with her son.

“Hello, MiKyung dear. Would you like to have some tea?” HyunAe asked, her eyes soon falling onto the brown haired hidden behind a big box. “And why is my little whirlwind hiding behind such a heavy box?” she remarked in amusement, ruffling the soft brown locks of the boy lovingly.

“For Granny Mae,” the four-year-old replied when he handed the box to HyunAe.

“But MiKyung. You really didn't have to-” the elder woman said when she took the box but was interrupted by the younger one.

“Just see it as a thank-you for watching over my son when I'm not at home,” MiKyung replied with an affectionate smile, kissing and hugging HyunAe whom she loved like her own grandmother.

“Thanks for your invitation, but I need to go now. Be a good boy, sweetheart,” MiKyung said goodbye to her son, kissing him lovingly before she bid HyunAe goodbye, too, and left.

It was in the afternoon while HyunAe and her little guest were sitting outside on the bench after the brown haired had woken up from his nap, that a car arrived at the elder lady's house. It was HyunAe's grandson together with his family who were visiting her this summer and would stay for a month.

“Grandma, it's nice to see you,” a young man and his wife were greeting HyunAe, hugging and kissing the elder woman lovingly. HyunAe greeted them back likewise.

“Oh, and who's that young man?” the young woman with shoulder-length brown hair asked as soon as her eyes fell onto the small boy standing next to HyunAe. She crouched down to be at eye level with the small boy who seemed to be as old as her own son.

“Kim JaeJoong. Ni-nice to meet you,” the small boy replied, bowing lightly as this was what his mother had taught him.

“So polite. It's nice to meet you, too, JaeJoong. I'm Jung SunHee,” the young woman replied with a smile. It was then when JaeJoong noticed another person standing behind the long legs of SunHee's husband or rather hiding behind them. The other boy was just a little bit taller than him and had light-brown hair. He hid further behind his father's legs, clutching onto the jeans his father was wearing, when JaeJoong tried to approach him as the curious little boy he was.

“My, my. Since when are you so shy, young man?” the young father asked his son, an amused smile lying on his lips when he looked down at the small boy hiding behind him. He earned amused chuckles from his wife and grandmother while JaeJoong was shortly looking up, bewilderment written on his face, but retrieved his gaze soon again. The language of adults was still a mystery to him. His eyes locked shortly with another brown pair when the other boy looked shortly at him just to hide once again. A small blush was decorating the other's smaller face, a little mole resting above his lips.

JaeJoong grinned toothily when he thought of something and skipped away soon afterwards. He didn't notice the spoken words behind him when he was on his way to grab a big cookie. When he came back, he saw the father of the other boy crouching in front of his son, patting the light-brown locks when he asked something JaeJoong didn't understand quite well.

“You think he's pretty, neh? Pretty like your mother,” the young man remarked, earning himself a mumbled 'Pabo' and light slap on the back of his head from his flushed wife while his son was just nodding as a response.

Oblivious of the happenings around him, JaeJoong approached the other boy once again, holding out the big cookie in his small hand. Wide brown eyes were staring at him when he held the cookie right under the nose of the other boy whose lips were slightly parted and cheeks shining pinkish.

“You get it when Joongie g-gets your name,” JaeJoong said, pouting slightly which he always did when he didn't get what he wanted in an instant.

The other boy hesitatingly took the cookie into his hand, munching a little on the yummy pastry before he gulped the small bite and stared at the waiting JaeJoong.

“Y-yunHo,” he said softly, biting into his cookie once more to hide his small blush when JaeJoong's wide grin was shining too brightly on his round face.