A/N: Major angst and character death ahead.

*****

The month YunHo spent at Granny Mae's went by quickly, making the two friends sad when they had to say goodbye. Everyone was anticipating the next summer though as YunHo and his parents had promised to come again. And they kept their promise as they also did the year after and before everyone could quite register it, YunHo was a seven-year-old second grader while the six-year-old JaeJoong was entering his own school life soon. During this summer the two boys kept the little village busy with running around and laughter while chasing one another. It was also the time where JaeJoong got to know how to ride a bicycle with the help of his father and YunHo. It didn't happen without scratches though.

But this summer also changed a great part of the two boys' young lives. Their friendship was tested by something no one could predict nor had even thought of for one second. It was a rainy day in August when it happened. JaeJoong just got out of his bed when the ringing of the telephone chimed through the house of the Kim family. When he went downstairs after he had finished his business in the bathroom, he saw his mother standing in front of the phone, crying while mumbling something he didn't understand from that distance.

“Why is mommy crying?” he asked curiously, startling his mother just a bit.

“J-jaeJoongie,” MiKyung choked, turning her face away when she wiped away her tears before she found the strength to talk to JaeJoong.

“Go upstairs and dress yourself, honey,” she managed to say with a trembling voice and JaeJoong did what he was told even though he was confused as hell.

“We need to tell him,” was coming out of the kitchen when JaeJoong just reached the last step of the stairs, dressed in blue jeans and a dark-red pullover. He didn't notice the hushed words when he made his way towards the kitchen.

“I know but-” MiKyung's sentence died down when her young son appeared in the door frame. JaeJoong didn't know what it was but he felt as if something was wrong, a gloomy aura darkening the mood of his family. His mother and sister were weeping silently while his father was looking sad yet solemn. JaeJoong blinked his eyes in confusion when he shuffled over to the table, climbing onto his chair and sat down while AhYoung was leaving the room, followed by the worried eyes of her mother. A bowl filled with cereals was already waiting for him, the carton of milk just a hand movement away.

He ate in silence, stuffing some of the cereals with a big spoon into his mouth while his feet were dangling back and forth.

“Mommy, can I go over to Yunnie?” JaeJoong asked when he brought his empty bowl over to the sink, tiptoeing when he placed it inside.

“I-I don't know, dear. Wouldn't it be better to stay here? It's raining,” his mother replied with a shaking voice after some hesitation. Now he was even more confused. His mother had never been against it before.

“But I wanna go,” JaeJoong whined and pouted, looking pleadingly at his parents and he once again caught the tears inside of his mother's eyes. Something was wrong and, like always, no one wanted to tell him. He was pissed.

“JaeJoongie, please,” HanKyung tried to soothe the situation as he knew why it wasn't a good idea to visit YunHo today, but he didn't have the heart to tell him why. JaeJoong was too young and he knew that JaeJoong would be the saddest of all - next to YunHo.

“But I wanna visit Granny Mae and Yunnie!” JaeJoong exclaimed with tears in his eyes before he dashed upstairs towards his room, feeling betrayed and sad. He wanted to give the cornflower to Granny Mae he had found yesterday and couldn't give to her as she was already asleep. And he wanted to play with YunHo. He really couldn't understand why today was so different.

He was buried in his beanbag, his elephant plushie flush against his chest when he stared out of the window, pouting with teary eyes. He didn't answer the soft knocking on his door; his parents would enter anyway.

“JaeJoongie?” the smooth voice of his father vibrated in his ears, his pout growing when he heard his father shuffling over to him. His eyes were downcast, nose buried in the neck of his Phantie when the feet of his father appeared in his field of vision. JaeJoong's eyes fell onto the warm yet sad smile gracing his father's lips when HanKyung gently lifted his chin with a finger. HanKyung decided that it needed to be done now; that JaeJoong had to know.

“JaeJoongie, about earlier-” he began softly but was interrupted by his young son.

“Why can't I go over?” the six-year-old wanted to know, pouting slightly when he asked with a soft voice. HanKyung heaved a deep breath, knowing that with the words he was about to say JaeJoong's little heart would shatter into pieces.

“Because it would make you very sad,” HanKyung said softly, caressing with his finger over JaeJoong's cheek when the younger one's large brown eyes were staring at him confusedly.

“Like mommy?” the small boy asked, thinking back at how sad his mother had looked when he had seen her this morning. He earned a nod from his father, cocking his head slightly to the side when he asked, “Why?”

He squished his elephant plushie tighter to his chest when his father took his hand into his, the big warm palms closing around his small one gently.

“It is because,” HanKyung began, swallowing the lump growing in his throat with the words lying on his tongue. “Because of your Granny Mae,” he said ever so softly, noticing the tension that jolted his young son's body.

“Is Granny Mae sad, too?” JaeJoong asked, the innocent question bringing tears to HanKyung's eyes. It broke HanKyung's heart into pieces to know that JaeJoong's world would tumble down because of this gloomy incident.

“Daddy,” JaeJoong's soft voice called out, ripping HanKyung out of his thoughts. “What is with Granny Mae?” the young boy asked, worry resounding in HanKyung's ears.

“Your Granny Mae,” HanKyung started, heaving a deep breath before he continued, “She didn't wake up this morning.” Seconds filled with silence were ticking by. It wasn't over yet.

“She's sleeping?” JaeJoong asked innocently. In his six years of life he didn't encounter death like this. It was sad that he had to get to know it this way. A single tear escaped HanKyung's eyes, a sad smile scurrying over his lips when he explained to JaeJoong the meaning of his words.

“Yeah, she's sleeping but she won't wake up anymore,” HanKyung said, his voice trembling when he tried to stay strong in front of JaeJoong.

“Why?” JaeJoong asked again. It was a hard task to explain death to a six-year-old child.

“Do you remember your fish, JaeJoongie?” HanKyung asked with a soft and gentle voice, hoping that JaeJoong would understand. The young boy nodded hesitatingly when he remembered the fish he had had last year. Back then he had put them into the toilet, thinking that they would have more fun in a big pool than in a little bowl.

They never came back.

Tears streamed down JaeJoong's cheeks, lips trembling and body shivering when he understood.

“She- she won't come back?” he asked with a choking voice, eyebrows furrowed in sadness as the tears kept flowing. HanKyung smiled sadly, his hand cupping JaeJoong's cheek when he shook his head. His heart sank to the pits of his stomach when he saw the crushed expression of his son, his face buried in his hands when JaeJoong ran and stumbled out of his room; crying.

Minutes later SunHee and TaeBum came over, a sad YunHo clinging onto his father. The two fathers went out of the house, staying at HyunAe's place until details were settled with the undertaker. YunHo sat silently in the living room, not knowing that someone else was hiding there in his secret place. MiKyung and HanKyung weren't worried that JaeJoong had run away; they knew where to find him. He always hid behind a large armchair that stood in a corner of the living room, pillows and a beanbag stuffed there for him to hide. He always came there when he wanted to be alone, and yet he wasn't since everyone knew where to find him.

He played with the ears of his elephant plushie, teary eyes staring into the black beady eyes and a pout gracing his lips. It had been a present of Granny Mae; his most precious possession. He sniffed slightly, wiping away his tears and over his running nose with the sleeve of his pullover. He would never be able to give his cornflowers to Granny Mae. He already missed her.

A soft sob made him turn his head to the right, his teary eyes falling onto YunHo weeping just as much as him. The taller boy held onto his Bambi plushie the same way as did JaeJoong with his elephant plushie. JaeJoong shifted to the side, making space for YunHo in his secret place. Without speaking a word YunHo sat down next to him, both just crying silently.

Hours later their parents found them curled up in JaeJoong's hideout, their arms wrapped around one another and faces snuggled together. They had fallen asleep due to exhaustion, cheeks damp with their spilled tears.

*

A few days later the funeral of Jung HyunAe was held, the sun shining down onto the people that said goodbye to her. Tears were spilled when the soft melody of a guitar was chiming through the air, guiding the family and friends of HyunAe through their farewell.

Everyone was dressed in black; dresses and suits likewise. The speech of the funeral orator had subsided under the melody of the song, the audience weeping silently and their eyes either trained on the ground or the picture standing in the middle in front of them; a photo of Jung HyunAe. She was smiling.

JaeJoong was sitting in between his mother and YunHo, his head lowered and eyes staring onto his hands that were clasping tightly onto his bouquet of cornflowers; six in total, all dark-blue and shining brightly under the sun. His lips were formed into a small pout, eyebrows furrowed and eyes teary. He let his tears spill freely first when he placed his bluish bouquet of cornflowers onto the grave his Granny Mae was now resting in. HanKyung heaved him onto his arms as did TaeBum with YunHo. But farewell wasn't over for the two boys yet.

Just a few weeks later they had to say goodbye again; this time for an amount of time no one knew of. It wasn't sure if YunHo and his family would ever come back. Both boys were sad, waving at one another when the car YunHo was sitting in departed.