posted Dec. 19, 2012

I just changed the title... Same story, though. I mean, this is formerly knows as "Cold Mornings," but I added another chapter so, yeah, let's say that "Cold Mornings" is a compilation of kid!JRen oneshots (but they are connected too, uh... I'm not making sense. XDDD) I don't know if I'm going to add another chapter, maybe yes? Idk.

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JR didn’t like it when he was asked to wake up early on a cold Sunday morning. He was tired because of his first week in school and the cold is pulling him down to his bed again. However, his mother wouldn’t stop banging his bedroom door until he’d showed himself up. Lazily, he walked towards the door with his eyes closed and as soon as he opened it, he ran to his bed and literally dived in it. He tried to get his sleep back but the attempt unfortunately failed because of his mother’s nonstop nagging.

“Kim Jonghyun! How many times do I need to tell you that I don’t want your door locked? What if something happens and you’re inside your locked room snoring? Wake up!”

“Sorry Mom… I won’t do—“ and then he’s asleep again. As easy as that. If a person wasn’t close to him they’d thought that he’d fainted or something. His little glory didn’t last though, his mother dragged him out of his bed and pushed him out of his room.

“Go and eat breakfast now. We have to meet someone later, remember? You’ll accompany me to the market too.”

And with that JR had no other choice. He forced himself to walk to the kitchen and stuff his stomach with something he usually has everyday. He likes his mom’s fried rice. He also loves ham, but he’s so tired and sleepy that he didn’t enjoy eating that much. I shouldn’t have played that PSP the whole night.

JR’s a 7 year-old boy who just entered a proper elementary school the past week. He isn’t an active kid that’s why he finds it hard to cope up with his classmates whether it’s academically or sports-related. He’s physically fit but he doesn’t want sweating so much so he just sits as long as possible. He also has a problem in waking up early in the morning so he really hates school, and any other stuff that requires an early morning attendance.

And that date with his mother wasn’t an exception.

However, he’d rather go with his mother than to receive her unstoppable nagging when she comes home. After eating he was told to dress in decent clothes and then they were out. While walking to the bus stop, JR’s mother talked about the things he should do when they met that someone later. JR didn’t listen to it fully, all he remembered was that it being a well-mannered kid. Now he found himself sitting inside a restaurant finer than any other he’d visited. The table’s a bit high for his height so he had a hard time sitting properly.

“How am I supposed to eat if it’s this high Mom?” he complained to his mom who was busy looking at her cellphone. “And where are those we’re going to meet?”

“Hush JR, I’m going to help you eat later, okay? Now all you need to do is sit quietly.” His mother replied.

“I’m no more a child, Mom. You don’t need to feed me. All I need is a smaller table that’s it.”

JR’s mom ignored her child’s complaint as she found someone approaching them. A smile crept up on her face as soon as a lady who looked the same age as her stood in front of her. They hugged each other before they’d decided to sit down. JR wouldn’t have noticed that the lady’s with a little girl if she hadn’t carried her to be able to sit down. JR eyed the girl and saw that she had a pink mask on. Seeing that there’s nothing special about her, he listened to his mom and the lady’s conversation.

“Woah Minji-ya, it’s been ages since we last saw each other. I missed you!” JR’s mom said.

“I missed you too Jinhyun-ah! Glad my husband’s destined here this time. It’s really cold here in Seoul, isn’t it?” the lady, whom his mother called Minji, answered.

“Why? Isn’t it this cold in Busan?”

“No. It’s warmer there. My child’s skin turns red when the morning air touches it. Oh, isn’t it rude that I didn’t remove the mask?” Minji said and then removed the girl’s mask.

JR watched as Minji removed her child’s mask. True that her skin was red but she had a smile on her face as soon as the mask was out. JR noted that the child’s doe eyes complemented with her pointy little nose and her plump heart-shaped little lips. He found himself staring at her as his mom exclaimed, “Omo! So pretty! You’ve got a pretty daughter there, Minji! I’d love to be her mother-in-law!”

JR felt the heat ate up his entire face after her mother said that. Minji laughed at her friend’s reaction. “No Jinhyun, he’s not a she. I have a son, remember? And here he is. Minki-ya, introduce yourself?”

Minki stood up and bowed in front of JR’s mom. “Hello Mrs. Kim, my name is Choi Minki. It’s nice to meet my mom’s bestfriend!”

“Woah, you’re too pretty Minki-sshi, and it’s nice to meet you too! Jonghyun-ah, introduce yourself too!” JR’s mom said, but JR seemed not to hear this because he couldn’t believe that a boy could be as pretty as that. For him, Minki’s even prettier than his girl classmates in school. His thoughts were interrupted when his mom nudged him and said for the second time, “Jonghyun-ah, it’s nice if you’d introduce yourself.”

“A-ah, my name is JR, oh, Jonghyun, Kim Jonghyun and it’s nice to meet you.” He said as he bowed in front of Minki’s mom.

After their introductions, the moms ordered some food and continued to catch up on each other’s lives. JR wasn’t listening to them anymore because he was just focusing on Minki, and he’d always avert his gaze from the other every time he’d look back at him. In the end he took his PSP out and started playing anything just to erase Minki from his mind. After some time of playing, he felt someone tugging his coat. When he raised his head, he saw Minki smiling at him.

“What?” JR asked.

“Let’s play outside!” Minki cheerfully said.

“Go on JR, there’s a little playground at the back, play with Minki there.” His mom said.

“But—“ JR wasn’t able to finish whatever it is his about to say when Minki pulled his coat.

“Come on Jonghyun-sshi!” Minki said.

“Okay.” JR sighed because he couldn’t really reject, could he? He waited for Minki to put his mask on and together they went outside.

JR felt the cold wind on his face as soon as they stepped outside. Minki excitedly ran towards the swing and sat on it as soon as he reached it. He called JR and when he’s standing in front of him, he told JR to push him, because his feet weren’t touching the ground anymore.

When JR held the railings of the swing, he noticed that he wasn’t wearing his gloves. Good, I’m going to freeze later. He started pushing Minki’s back and unconsciously pushed him again and again in order to continue swinging.

“Woah woah Jonghyun-sshi! Calm down!” Minki suddenly yelled. JR stopped and saw that Minki’s swinging a bit high, actually, scarily high right now and JR started to panic.

“What should I do Minki-sshi?” JR asked.

“N-no, it’s okay. This will stop, all I need to do it to grip hard. Waaaahhh!” Minki shouted, panic evident to his voice.

JR walked in front of the swing and opened his arms while he said, “I’ll catch you if you fall down. Woah, sorry! I’m sorry I wasn’t… hold on tight Minki-sshi!”

“Don’t stay there Jonghyun-sshi! Woah. Wooah there, it’s slowing down now.”

And JR looked as the swing slowed down until it stopped. Minki hopped off it and held JR who’s standing in front of him. “It’s okay now, JR-sshi, and thank you for pushing me!” Minki said while smiling. “And you don’t have gloves! It’s too cold! Your hands are too cold I can feel it even though I have my gloves!”

JR’s eyes found its way to Minki’s hand which is covered with pink gloves. Then he felt certain warmth that calmed him down after the breathtaking scene of Minki’s swing. He smiled as he said, “You really like pink, huh?”

Minki nodded and rubbed his gloved hand to JR’s. “There, should give you some warmth.”

Now it’s JR’s time to nod. After minutes of sharing each other’s warmness, Minki suddenly pushed JR and ran. “Woahhh, catch me Jonghyun-sshi!”

“What?!” JR yelled.

“Oh, and call me Ren! I like that name better. Catch meeee!” Ren said.

“What the… you’ll pay when I catch you Minki-sshi!”

“REN! CALL ME REN!!”

“Not until I catch you!”

For minutes Ren and JR have been running until they ran out of breath. JR, being a lazy boy that he is, was a slow runner. Ren, on the other hand, runs like the wind. He wasn’t even so tired when they stopped and chose to sit on a bench.

“You’re so weak, Jonghyun-sshi.” Ren said while patting JR’s shoulder.

“Nah, my coat’s heavy. And call me JR.”

“Why JR?”

“Why Ren?”

“Because I like that name better.”

“Because I like that name better, too.”

“Woahh! Don’t copy my reason, you weakling!”

“I am not weak!”

JR and Ren kept on bickering each other until their own parents fetched them outside.

“Time to go home now, Minki.” Ren’s mom said.

The two mothers said their goodbyes so as the two children.

“We’ll be seeing each other weekly, right Minji?” JR’s mom said.

When Ren’s mom said yes, JR couldn’t hide the smile on his face. When he looked at Ren, he saw that he’s smiling too.

“It’s nice to meet you JR-sshi!” Ren said.

“You too, Ren. And I’ll practice so I could beat you next week!” JR said.

“Deal!”

As JR and his mom walked back home, he’d realized that waking up early on a Sunday morning wasn’t bad after all, well, except for carrying heavy bags from the grocery that is.