**9 years ago….

“Ya! Why do you keep hanging with us? You’re a girl!” 10 year old Lee Jan said annoyed at the lanky kid who kept tagging along Shin.

“Yea, you’re only going to slow us down.” Lee Hon his twin added

“I don’t want to “hang” with you numbskulls. Shin Hoon kept nagging me to go.” 9 year old Yoo Rin replied

Shin Hoon just turned 10 years old and thought it would be great to go exploring his uncle’s villa in the south. He invited Yoo Rin and his new friends the Twins to get them acquainted.

“Ya! We’re not here to argue, right? We’re here to explore!” Shin said making peace.

“You better not slow us down, girly” Jan said pointing a rude finger at Yoo Rin. Yoo Rin lifted her foot out and tripped Jan. Who fell head first in the dirt.

“Yaaa! You tripped me!” Jan accused Hon went to his aid glaring at Yoo Rin.

Yoo Rin stuck her tongue at both of them. “You guys are so full of yourselves!”

“Why you!!!” Jan started for Yoo Rin. Shin Hoon stood in front of Yoo Rin to block Jan. Yoo Rin stuck her tongue out at Jan. “Let me at her!!!”Jan said furiously. Shin Hoon and Hon tried to keep them apart.

Then they heard loud barking coming closer.

“Oh-oh” Shin Hoon said slapping a open palm on his forehead.

“What do you mean oh-oh? That sounds bad.” Yoo Rin asked looking at Shin Hoon’s face.

“I forgot to tell the keepers we would be walking here today! Now they let out the dogs!” Shin Hoon said worried

“Ehhh? Dogs. You mean cute furry cuddly ones?” Jan asked hopefully

Shin Hoon shook his head. “Dogs as in large, foaming in the mouth vicious guard dogs!”

“Ya! Shin you Babo! What do we do now?” Yoo Rin asked in panic. She has seen the dogs, there were 8 of them large bull mastiffs who would trap you in its jaws and drag you around before asking questions. This is bad.

“Run!” Hon said as he started running towards the trees, the sound of the dogs getting closer. Shin Hoon grabbed Yoo Rin’s ran firmly and ran. Jan was slower. His leg hurt having been tripped earlier.

“Wait for me!” Jan said trying to catch up.

It felt like they were running for hours and the dogs were coming closer. It was Yoo Rin who thought about climbing the trees.

“I don’t want to go up a tree. Maybe we can out run them.” Shin Hoon said nervously. He never liked being in high places made him feel dizzy. Hon was already moving towards a branch.

“Ya! Keep dreaming! I read about these dogs, they are trained to run and maim their prey. But they were never taught to climb trees.”Yoo Rin assured pulled Shin Hoon towards a tree.

The sound of the dogs barking is coming closer, that made Shin Hoon start moving. Yoo Rin was already up one of the thicker branches and was pulling Shin Hoon up by his shirt collar when she noticed.

“Where’s Lee Jan?” Lee Hon asked worried. He was hugging a tree branch looking for his twin worried.

“Heeeellllpppp!” Jan screamed

Yoo Rin by that time has gotten Shin Hoon settle on another branch. Lee Jan was still running with a large bull mastiff after him. It’s my fault Yoo Rin thought, She jumped down to help Jan!

“Ya! Yoo Rin No!!!” Shin Hoon yelled trying to catch her hands but Yoo Rin has jumped from the tree and was running towards Lee Jan. Shin watch helplessly as Yoo Rin threw a small rock at the dog to lead it away from Jan.

“That one brave nutty girl!” Hon said relived that his twin was safe.

Shin Hoon closed his eyes planning to go after Yoo Rin when he head the dogs barking and jumping from below. Shin Hoon’s eyes snapped open he scanned the other trees. If the dogs are here where was Yoo Rin? He felt something twist inside him.

They stayed trapped in the trees for almost an hour before his uncle’s dog keepers took the dogs away. Shin Hoon’s entire body was filled with sweat and he felt sick inside. Yoo Rin.

“Uncle! Yoo Rin! Where is Yoo Rin?” He asked his uncle desperately

His uncle looked at Shin. “Ya! You’re icy!” then he lifted Shin up in his arms.

“Yoo Rin. Where is Yoo Rin uncle?” Shin Hoon said panicking and struggling in his uncle’s arms. Then he saw her. Yoo Rin with a big bright smile on her face being held by her Appa.

“Ya! Shin Hoon, Here I am.”

Yoo Rin’s face was the last thing he saw when he passed out.

----------------------------

Shin Hoon opened his eyes slowly, his body ached but he felt a warm small hand holding his.

“You’re awake. Feeling better? I’ll call uncle sam chon and my Appa.” Yoo Rin said letting go of Shin Hoon’s hand.

Shin gripped Yoo Rin’s hand before she could let go! “Don’t. Don’t leave me alone.”Shin Hoon said holding Yoo Rin’s hand with both hands. Yoo Rin sat back down Shin Hoon’s bedside.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of. I’m here, I’ll protect you.”Yoo Rin said confidently.

“Do you swear?” Shin Hoon asked with his left pinky finger out.

Yoo Rin stared at the pinky finger and made a face. “Tsk. Aren’t you over acting a bit Shin.”

“Swear. Swear that you’ll always be with me.” Shin Hoon stated firmly.

“Why?” Yoo Rin asked puzzled.

Shin Hoon lifted Yoo Rin’s left hand and repeated. “Just swear. You said I was your best friend. Promise. Swear that you’ll always be with me.” Shin repeated

Yoo Rin lifted her pinky finger and entwined her pinky finger to Shin Hoon. “I swear, we’ll always be best friends.”

Shin Hoon shook his head. “It has to be the same promise. Swear that you’ll always be with me.” He insisted

“Ya! Did you hit your head or-“Yoo Rin stopped short then looked her best friend’s solemn face. “I swear, that I’ll always be with you.”

They sealed the promise. Shin Hoon gave Yoo Rin a happy smile and fell back to sleep.

**1 year later…

“Ya! America? Are you sure you can survive the place without Yoo Rin?” Jan asked munching on a carrot stick.

Yoo Rin put the Twins on a diet since they were rapidly gaining weight and being called “dynamic porkers” by their classmates and getting into fights.

“Waaa! Don’t listen to him. Lots of hot babes! Blondes, redheads of all shapes colors and figures! Can’t I come with you?” Hon said poking at the snack plate ajumma set up for them as per Yoo Rin’s advice even insisting that they need to take up tennis and swimming to get rid of their extra blubber. Even at 11, Yoo Rin can be bossy with the Twins.

Jan tossed a celery stick at Hon. “Ya! You want to leave me with Han Yoo Rin?! I’d die before the year is up!” Jan said miserably.

Shin Hoon stayed silent.

“You haven’t told her you’re leaving?” Hon asked “Ya! You are so dead!” Hon added shaking his head then taking out his stash of potato chip from under the coffee table.

“Ya! You had that all along! Gimme! Gimmee!” Jan said fighting Hon for the bag of chips.

“Ya! Hide your own stash!” Hon replied struggling with his brother.

“Don’t you think Yoo Rin is getting prettier?” Shin Hoon said out of the blue.

“Deh?” the Twins replied baffled. They never really thought Yoo Rin in that way. She was always just Han Yoo Rin to them, their best friend.

Park Shin Hoon was always a strange kid. Always solemn the only way they could get him to do anything is if Han Yoo Rin would come along. It puzzled the Twins at first what Shin saw in the skinny, lanky short haired girl, that is until the incident with the dogs. Yoo Rin earned the Twins respect forever, Yoo Rin was not just a girl, and She is their EQUAL.

“Can you two promise me something?” Shin Hon said with a serious face. He’s been bracing himself to leave. His Omma has shown him their tickets they were set to leave for Boston in a week. Shin Hoon felt he was getting harder to breathe whenever he thinks about leaving Yoo Rin.

“Ya! We’ve been friends since we started first grade-“-Hon started

“-you can ask us anything.” –Jan concluded

“Protect Yoo Rin.” Shin Hoon said

“Protect Yoo Rin? Ya! That girl can beat the lights out of anybody, why'd she need protection?” –Hon said grinning.

“Hon, I don’t think, he meant it just in the literal sense.”-Jan told his brother then turned to Shin. “You want us to protect, you actually mean guard don’t you?”

Shin nodded glad one twin understood.

“Guard? You mean-“- Hon stammered

Jan hit his insensitive brother on the arm. “He means what we think he means.”

“Do I have your word?” Shin asked

“You have it.” – the Twins said simultaneously and they clasped hands in a brotherly fashion.