Maybe
We were never meant to be
together forever,
But I thank you for giving me the
best memories of my life.

 

- Satyam Anand

 

*****   *****

 

A 10-YEAR OLD BOYunder the autumn breeze played around his home's front yard with his mother along with him while his father inside in his office, papers littered on his table, and the window open to be able to hear his wife and son's laughter.

 

The boy's eyes landed on a moving truck and a car parking in front of the house that is on sale across the street. The car's door opened and there steps out a young girl that seems to be the same age as him with raven hair, pale skin, and plump lips. Another stepped out, a woman which probably be the girl's mother, followed by a man also stepping out of the driver's seat.

 

The young boy furrowed his eyebrows and prod his mother by the wrist. "Mom, who are they?" he asked and pointed his finger towards the family who are helping to carry the boxes except for the girl who is bouncing in excitement.

 

His mother replied, "New neighbors, Yixing. Let us welcome them, shall we?" 

 

Yixing bit his plump bottom lip and looked at the family with a nervous look. The mother noticed and rests her hand on his shoulder and bends to look Yixing in the eye with a comforting smile, "Yixing, this is your chance to have a new friend, don't ruin the chance, okay?" 

 

Yixing is a shy boy, he only has one friend, which is Kyungsoo. They met when they were at the age of seven when Yixing moved to Korea from China, Yixing struggled to speak in Korean back then but Kyungsoo and his mother helped him and visited them often.

 

The boy nodded and his mother held his hand and led him towards the new neighbors. They approached them and Yixing's mother greeted them with a rusty Korean but they seem to understand.

 

"Hello, Welcome to the neighborhood." Yixing's mother said with a smile on her face.

 

The family (except the girl who is busy exploring the house inside) bowed with a smile and greeted them back, "Thank you. You must be our neighbors."

 

"Yes, we live just across from you." Yixing's mother nodded her head to their home across the street. "Ah, my name Zhang Meili, my husband is currently busy inside his office and this is my son Yixing."

 

"You're not from here then? Your names are not hangul." 

 

"We're from China, we moved three years ago."

 

"Mom! Dad!" the girl came out of the house ran towards them. The girl spotted Yixing and his mother. "Who are they?"

 

The girl's mother answered, "They're our neighbors, Jun."

 

The young girl's face lit up when she saw Yixing, "Hello! I'm Kim Jun-Yi. Let's be friends!" She said cheerfully.

 

Yixing face flushed, "Zhang Yixing.." he said his name shyly.

 

Their parents smiled at the interaction.

 

*****   *****

 

ONE YEAR HAS PASSED, JunYi and Yixing grew inseparable, of course, Kyungsoo is still Yixing's best friend, but to Yixing, JunYi is the bestest. Kyungsoo pouted at that.

 

But there's something odd when Yixing is around JunYi. When he is around near her, he can feel this weird feeling, his heart started to beat kinda fast when she hugs him or held his hands, he asked his mother and father about it but all they do is smirk at each other and say, "You'll find out soon enough," 

 

And then he thought about asking Kyungsoo but decided not to, reckoning he won't be able to answer his question so he went to Kyungsoo's mother instead and surprisingly, she answered his question, "It means Yixing, you have a crush on her." she then patted his head and left. Leaving him confused.

 

'I have a crush on JunYi?' he repeated in his head. 

 

Yixing arrived in his room and pulled out his journal from the drawer of his desk. He has a habit of filling his thoughts and so he asked his mother if he could buy a notebook for him.

 

Dear Journal,

 

I asked Kyungsoo's mom and she replied that I have a crush on JunYi. She's probably right, I do have a crush on her, but it's just a crush, right? Jun is my best friend, I can't have a crush on her. What will she think if she finds out? 

 

"Yixing!" a loud voice reached his room. JunYi.

 

Yixing quickly hid his journal back in his drawer and turned when his bedroom door opened revealing JunYi with a smile on her face. She always has that smile on her face, showing her teeth, she rushes towards him and pulled him into a hug. Yixing feels his arms chill and his stomach bubbles with warmth.

 

'It's just a small crush. It will just go away..' he thought and hugged her back.

 

Boy, is he wrong...

 

*****   *****

 

ZHANG MEILI buttoned her son's white-colored blouse. Yixing ed the first and second button feeling the collar tighten around his neck, his mother noticed and moved up her hands to button them again, Yixing complained, "Mom, don't. It's uncomfortable." Meili complied and rolls the sleeves until it reaches his elbows.

 

The Zhang's are attending a wedding today. The wedding of JunYi's aunt and they have been invited by JunYi's parents to attend and Yixing's parents accepted the invite and here they are preparing for the event. Yixing's father, Zhang Yong entered the room dressed in a formal suit with car keys in his hand. "Are you both ready?" the father asked. The mother turned towards her husband with a small smile in her face and nodded, grabbing her purse and a wedding gift. "Come now, Yixing."

 

The family exits their home Meili locked the door and entered the car with Yixing sitting at the back closing his eyes and falling into a quick nap. Yong looked at his son with an amused smile, "He falls asleep quickly."

 

Meili chuckles, "Well you know our son."

 

When they arrived, they were greeted with loud chatters. The whole room was decorated with fake flowers, ribbons, and lights. Yixing looked around, trying to find a familiar face. And there are JunYi's parents speaking to the guests, JunYi looking bored with all the boring talk spotted Yixing on one of the crowd and ran up to him and tackled him into a hug.

 

"Xing!"

 

"Jun!"

 

They greeted each other and pulled away. JunYi looked like an angel with her peach dress with a flower crown on her head. Yixing can't help but blush. JunYi's parents walked towards and greeted Yixing's parents.

 

"Come, We'll lead to your seats. Jun you need to go to the back of the entrance for the flower girls."