세상의 그 많은 사람들 속에

sesangui geu manheun saramdeul soge

Because among the many people in this world

내겐 오직 그대가 보여졌기에

naegen ojig geudaega boyeo jyeotgie

I could only see you

*Flashback*

10 years ago

“Taeyeon! We have new neighbours. Go and say hi to them, I heard that they have a child your age!”

“Really, Umma! Okay, I’ll go over right now!”

Taeyeon’s mother smiled at her optimism, glad that she was a friendly and open girl.

Taeyeon’s eyes gleamed with excitement as she bounded over to her neighbour’s house. The 10-year-old her was not at all the shy, quiet kind of girl. Quite opposite of that in fact. She knocked on the brown wooden door, hoping that the owner of the house would open it immediately.

“Aigoo, if you continue knocking at this speed, the door’s going to break!” A friendly looking woman opened the door and said jokingly. Taeyeon jumped back in shock at first, at the sudden opening of the door. However, after seeing the soft expression of the woman, she meekly bowed and blushed.

“Sorry aggashi, I guess I was overly excited, heh..” She scratched her head in embarrassment. “I heard from umma that you have a child my age? Could I meet her?” Her usual excitement rushed through her again.

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but my child’s a boy! And yes, you can meet him now, I think he’s up in his room playing with his toy guns.”

“Thank You agasshi!”

Taeyeon gave a goofy grin and ran up the stairs at top speed. She arrived at a room with a bright blue door with the picture of a chicken drumstick on it. She was puzzled at first, but seeing that it was the only room that seems like a young boy’s room, she pushed open the door.

Inside, a boy with brown, slightly messy hair was sitting in the middle of the room, one hand holding a big, crispy drumstick and the other holding a black rifle. “Boom, Boom, Boom! You’re dead!” He was yelling at a life-sized chicken stuff toy. Taeyeon tried to hold back her laughter as she stared at this sight, amused at his obsession with chicken. However, she failed, and she laughed loudly, rolling on the floor with tears streaming out of her eyes.

“Owww my stomach hurts so much!” She exclaimed, as she continued laughing.

Only then did the boy realise that she was standing at the door of his room, and laughing at him. He immediately stopped his actions and dropped his chicken drumstick in shock and embarrassment. He blushed a deep red, covering his face and jumping onto his bed.

“Who are you and what are you doing in my room!!! Intruder!!! Umma! I think there’s a robber in our house.. HELLLLPPPPP!!!”

“Ya!!! What are you yelling about! I’m no intruder, your mother let me in, okay! My name is Taeyeon by the way. Nice to meet you, Mr Chicken!”

“Hey! What Mr Chicken! The name’s Onew. And I realise you found out my obsession with chicken huh.. The secret has been revealed.. oh no!” Onew started bouncing on his bed, with happiness that he has a new friend, but also at shock that he revealed his obsession of chicken to her on their first meeting.

“I would have been blind if I didn’t notice it!” Taeyeon wiped the tears on her face from laughing, and stuck out her tongue at him.

“How cute!”  Onew thought to himself. “Well, save the boring introductions, let’s play machine guns!” He jumped off his bed and landed on the floor with a thud, face first. “Owwwww! That hurts so much!” (Yup, he definitely had the Onew condition since childhood) He rubbed his head in pain.

“How clumsy you are, Onew sshi. Wow, what cool guns you have, okay let’s play! I’ll be the superhero, you’re the villain!” Taeyeon whacked his head softly and grabbed the biggest gun she could find. She was never a girl with a princess attitude, and she enjoyed playing guns as much as other girls loved dolls. Honestly, she couldn’t understand what they saw in those frilly, long haired plastic humans.

“Ya!!! That’s my favourite gun! How could you! And I think I’m older than you, so don’t be so rude could you! I’m a late 89’er.”

“Hah! I’m older than you. I’m an early 89’er. But it seems strange to allow you to call me noona. Well, since you’re a guy, I’ll just let you pretend to be older, and I’ll call you oppa!” Taeyeon grinned, and stuck out her tongue again. “mehhhrong”

Onew decided that this was acceptable, and headed towards the box where he kept his guns. He then remembered the chicken drumstick he dropped on the floor, and ran towards it, picking it up and hugging it like it was his baby. “I’m so sorry for dropping you chicken, I promise never to do it again.” He said to it.

Taeyeon laughed at his comical actions and urged him to start playing with her. “Come on, save the family reunion for later, let’s start!”

And the two ran around the house like two maniacs, shooting each other with the laser guns and screaming like they knew each other since forever.

Their friendship soon established after this day, and they became the best of friends, from elementary, to high school, even till senior year.

Taeyeon hardly played with or noticed other boys, she only saw Onew in her eyes. To her, he was the oppa that could protect her and look after her, being at her side always. She hardly realised that she was getting more admirers by the years, as she became prettier, but also dorkier.

Onew also neglected the other girls, although he was becoming cuter and handsomer by the years, having many admirers. He ignored those that made lovey dovey eyes at him, or gave him goofy love sick eyes when he walked past them. He only had Taeyeon in his heart.

Like this, the friendship between these two grew even stronger, and beyond friendship…