Second Year

June…

Summer had come again after a short school year. They didn’t even consider how old they were getting. Instead, school meant the end to wasting time indoors. Now they could play outside every day like they had last summer.

Ryeowook, now seven, and Hyungsik, now six, scurried around the older boy’s upstairs bathroom, torn plastic bags all around them. Colorful balloons littered the sink. In the bathtub was an army of varying sized water balloons, all of which were prepared to destroy their enemies.

After exchanging a look, the boys high fived and kept working, wanting to make even more balloons. Ryeowook filled up a particularly cute green one and pushed it aside, not wanting to add it to the massacre. “Dongsaeng, we need to hurry. They’ll be here soon!” he said, all jittery inside.

“We should have enough already, right?” Hyungsik prompted, tying another balloon closed.

“Do you think so?” Ryeowook asked, frowning uncertainly at the pile. “…okay, I guess we can go. Grab some and I’ll put the rest in the laundry basket.”

The boy nodded firmly and headed out, armed with two full arms of balloons.

In the meantime, Ryeowook did as he said he would, dragging the now loaded laundry basket down the stairs to the back deck.

When he got out, he immediately saw Hyungsik ducking behind a storage container. His ammo was all out and his head was a little wet. Laughing, Ryeowook showed his friend their incredible firepower.

“They are so going down,” Hyungsik practically roared, grabbing two of the bigger balloons and pelting them down on the older neighborhood boys. There were a few indignant cries and then super soakers were spewing cold streams of water at them.

Ryeowook covered his face, unable to stop laughing as he threw bomb after bomb. “I’m counting on you, dongsaeng-ah!” he shouted.

“I got your back, hyung!” the kid yelled back, never ceasing fire.

November…

“Ryeowook-hyung?” Hyungsik mumbled over the phone. He was sniffling and his voice was broken.

Coldness overran the young child’s body. “What’s wrong?” The kitchen suddenly seemed incredibly quiet, even though he knew his mother was cooking dinner and his father was watching television in the living room.

“M-My grandma died…”

“I’ll be there soon. Don’t worry, Hyungsik.” Ryeowook hung up the phone and ran upstairs. Finding a sweater, he zipped it up and came back down, looking at his mother who was by the stove. “Can I go see my friend?”

The news had been broken to his parents earlier, and so neither of them had a problem with Ryeowook going to see the other boy. It was late already, but the neighborhood was safe, and Hyungsik lived barely five yards from them.

Knocking on the door, Ryeowook waited in the slightly chilly night air. His friend answered immediately and then collapsed in his arms, hugging him tightly as he wailed. Ryeowook burrowed his face in Hyungsik’s shoulder, his small, chubby arms around the crying figure. They were silent on the doorstep, the dark of night enveloping them.

“It’s okay, I’m here for you,” he thought internally, “I’ll always be here for you.”

January…

“Why didn’t you tell me someone was bullying you?” Hyungsik shouted, glaring at his best friend. They sat in the younger one’s bedroom on the floor. There were some game controllers and a television near them, whilst on the other side of them was a bed and a dresser.

Ryeowook curled his hands into fists, lower lip trembling from suppressed tears. “I was used to it. I’ve been bullied since kindergarten,” he replied in a shaky, contained voice, “I didn’t think it was a big issue.”

“How can my hyung be so dumb?” he snapped. “If someone is mean to you, you have to fight back! Why would you let them make fun of you?”

“I already told you!” Ryeowook cried, covering his eyes as tears started spilling again. This had already happened once today and he didn’t want to cry anymore. When he told his parents that morning, they wrote a letter to the teacher and then the instructor proceeded to take Ryeowook and his bully out into the hallway.

Hyungsik hugged his friend, patting his back comfortingly. “If anyone hurts you again, hyung, just tell me and I’ll fix everything. I won’t let anyone make you cry.”

There was no reply though, just louder sobbing and a tighter embrace.

February

A big pink heart-shaped card was pushed towards Ryeowook. Breaking into a smile, he took it and looked at Hyungsik’s trembling scrawled words: Have a Happy Valentine’s Day! Love, Hyungsik

In return, Ryeowook handed the younger boy a box of candy hearts and a red card with pink hearts drawn all over it. “Happy Valentine’s Day!” He hugged his friend, laughing a little.

They were still at recess, hanging out by the brick wall. Around them, people were playing games and running around, but on that particular day, they had decided to just stand and observe. It was rare for them to not be part of freeze tag or some other game, and yet there seemed to be more interesting things to talk about.

“Hey, do you like anyone, Ryeowook?” Hyungsik blurted.

Pausing, he asked, “What do you mean? I like a lot of people.”

“Well…a bunch of girls in my class talk about boys they like. Do you like any boys?”

“Uhm…,” Ryeowook frowned, blushing all of a sudden, “Yeah, I think I have a crush on the boy I sit next to. A lot of people like him too though. …And I guess I like another one too. He’s really funny and nice.”

“Can you like more than one person?” The younger one cocked his head.

Ryeowook puffed out his cheeks. “Hmm…I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, right? We should all like each other.”

Thinking over those words, Hyungsik finally nodded, “Yeah that sounds right.”