Jongup shivered as he huddled on the back porch of his house. The temperature was steadily dropping but he wasn’t ready to go back inside just yet. He lifted his head, watching a few lonely snowflakes drifting slowly to the ground. Letting out a small puff of air, he watched as his breath dispersed as a thin mist.

 

“Y-you’re gonna get sick…” A quiet voice rang out. He glanced to his side and saw a boy around his own age standing by the fence that separated their yards.

 

“Don’t worry. I’ve got a strong immune system.”

 

“Oh. Okay…” The boy looked down at his feet, kicking at the grass.

 

Jongup stood, walking over to the fence. “Did you just move here? I thought that house was empty.”

 

The boy nods and continues jabbing his shoe into the ground.

 

“I’m Jongup. I’m in grade 5.”

 

The boy looks up then, just briefly, before averting his gaze, “I’m J-junhong. Grade 4.”

 

Jongup stuck his hand through the fence and smiled kindly at the boy, “Hi Junhong.”

 

The boy, Junhong, glanced quickly at the welcoming hand, his own hand twitched before he tightened it into a small fist. Inhaling deeply, he reached up and grasped the other boy’s hand, “H-hi, Jongup.”

 

A smile spread across the younger boy’s face, a small one, but a smile.