***

School bell rings, walk me home
Sidewalk chalk covered in snow
Lost my gloves, you give me one
"Wanna hang out?"
Yeah, sounds like fun.
Video games, you pass me a note
Sleeping in tents

It's nice to have a friend.

***

"Things have been pretty hard lately and I have no idea where to start?" said the little girl while swinging on the swing. Her eyes were misty but she was holding them back, not wanting to show her tears to this..

This stranger.

She immediately stopped her swinging. Her eyes scanned this stranger who was sitting on the next swing from head to toe, lastly landing her scrutinizing eyes to his face. "You know, now that I think of it? My mum said not to talk to strangers and you sir, is a stranger to me", she said, suddenly wondering why on earth is she opening up to this guy anyways?

He stares at her, dumbfounded. What a funny girl. She was the one who asked him to hang out after school and now suddenly he's a stranger? Amused, he finally answers, "My bad, let me introduce myself to you".

He stands up, knocking off the new fallen snow on his lap and approach the little girl next to his swing. Holding his hand out for a handshake, he introduce himself.

"Hi, I'm Kwon Jiyong. Apparently your mum and my mum were best of friends in high school. Since you just moved here, they both asked me to look out after you. Get you settled in and befriend her and all that jazz", he smiles.

"I know. I'm just messing with you. My mum told me about you actually. I'm Sandara Park but you can call me Dara", she grinned and immediately shook his hand.

"Well Dara, since we're no longer strangers, you can call me Jiyong."

***
 

Light pink sky up on the roof
Sun sinks down, no curfew
Twenty questions, we tell the truth
You've been stressed out lately? Yeah, me too
Something gave you the nerve
To touch my hand

It's nice to have a friend.

***

It has been fifteen years since Kwon Jiyong and Sandara Park became friends. They were inseparable. Make Dara cry? Jiyong will pay. Make Jiyong sad, Dara will raise chaos. The whole high school they went to accepted the fact and even the teachers acknowledged that. They were some whispers down the school hall of the nature of their friendship and rumours were circling around about them dating.

The rumours never died. It continued to their neighbourhood.

But both Kwon Jiyong and Sandara Park couldn't care less. Let them talk all they want. The truth was only for them to hold.

They were both now in their final year of university.