I can still remember the day that we became best friends.

We were both five years old. I had just moved to Busan from Jeju and I didn’t know anyone. Everyone seemed to have a best friend to play with except for me. I can still remember the feeling of loneliness as I stood at the side of the playground watching all of the other children playing together.

I nervously tugged on the end of my skirt, the newly starched material of my new uniform making me feeling itchy as I sweated in the humid heat. I took a hesitant step onto the tarmac of the playground, the tiny step sapping all my courage from my small body. My eyes darted back and forth between all of the children running around, squealing with happiness as they ran in front of me like I didn’t exist.

I spotted a free swing and quietly made my way towards it. I was so shy back then, so different from how I am now. I sat on the swing, enviously looking out over the playground. I didn’t notice as a group of older boys approached me. “Oi, these are our swings.” The tallest of the boys growled at me as he glowered down at me. I jumped out of the swing and managed to squeak out a tiny apology in my Jeju dialect, making all of the boys burst out laughing. “What did you say? Was that even Korean?” one of the other boys taunted. I bit my lip as my eyes watered. “Yah, say something else.” A third boy said as he nudged me. I flinched away from him as if I had been electrocuted.

I shook my head, my pigtails slapping me in the face which only made them laugh harder. The tallest boy nudged me, a little harder than his friend, making me stumble a couple of steps. “We said, say something else. Hurry up.” he yelled at me. My small hands fisted into my skirt as I stared down at the ground beneath my feet, desperately wishing that I was back in Jeju.

That’s when it happened.

The tallest boy yelped in pain as a ball collided with the back of his head. “Who was that?” he roared as he spun around, his face red with embarrassment and anger. You calmly approached us, a small bear tucked safely under your left arm. I blinked at you through the crowd of boys that surrounded me. You gave me a quick smile before turning back to the leader of the gang of boys.

“Hyunwon-yah.” You said in your beautifully childish voice. “If you don’t go away I’m going to tell teacher Kim that you were being mean to the new girl and she’ll probably take away your gold star from this morning.” You said. The tall boy paled at the thought. Although I was new, I knew that the gold stars were coveted by every child in the school. When they collected enough of them, they received a certificate they could take home to present to their parents. Losing a star was the biggest embarrassment back then, as one of the stars on your chart was covered up by a big, black sticker which stuck out like a sore thumb.

The tall boy muttered a childish curse and sulked away, obviously more concerned about the possibility of losing a star than tormenting me any further. You watched the boys as they walked away before you approached me. “Are you okay?” you asked, peering at my face. I nodded and muttered out a tiny, almost inaudible thank you. “Wow, your accent is pretty!” you said, no hint of teasing in your voice as you gave me the cutest smile I have ever seen.

You pulled your bear out from underneath your arm and held it out for me. “Here.” You said as you pressed the bear into my hands. “From now on, we’re best friends!” you announced happily.

From that day on, we were inseparable.

From then on, you were the person that I spent the most time with. Even though you would often tease me because I had kept that bear, which I had affectionately named bunny, because it reminded me of your adorable smile.

That bear now sits in the crib of our soon to arrive first child, symbolising the beautiful start to our friendship and the hope that our child has the same kindness in their heart that you showed to me on that day, all those years ago.