At age 14, Jongin’s life made a huge turn when his father lost his job, resulting that he and his mother needed to move to his mother’s hometown to live with his grandfather while his father stayed in Seoul and tried to find another job that could afford the whole family. “It will be temporary,” his father said, but Jongin knew temporary meant two years, minimum. It’s not the friends that he’s afraid to let go, not even the life style; Jongin’s not an ungrateful child, as long as he could go to school, had enough food and clothes and a place to live.

It’s dancing that he’s afraid to say goodbye to.

***

Everything was too soon and his first day at school came sooner that he wanted it to be, only two days after his arrival – and he moved in the middle of semester. The last two days he was too busy unpacking things that Jongin had no time to think about the changes around him, and he only went out once to the convenience store and the second time to memorize the walk from his house to the school. It was a 15 minutes walk and Jongin wondered if he could ask for a bicycle. 

“My name is Kim Jongin, my father changes his job so our family move here, please take care of me.”

Compulsory claps, curious whispers, subtle glances.

After his brief introduction, Jongin walked to the appointed seat, second row near the window. The girl that sat behind him threw him a smile that Jongin replied reluctantly. Jongin always bad at making friends; partly because he was indeed bad at it, partly because his default cold and cocky expression, and partly because his hobby of dancing that apparently wasn’t manly enough for some boys. And honestly, Jongin didn’t have the intention to open a new page, change his attitude, and make a million new friends that didn’t know about his old self. Friends were just never in his list.

To avoided being questioned, Jongin slipped out of the class the moment the lunch break started, and he walked around until he found a secluded area behind the gym. He ate his lunch box there, listening to music with his earphones and imagining the dance moves in his head. When he came back, the girl behind her was chatting energetically with her friends, but she glanced at him and threw him another smile. Jongin avoided her gaze.

He did the same thing when the school ended, running away from the obligatory to socialize. He didn’t want to go home just yet, so he went back to his ‘secret place’, glad that again there’s no one there. There’s an old bench, though, where Jongin sat and shoved his earphones into his earlobes. Now that’s the rushing over and he’s all alone, the weight of reality hit him and he rubbed his eyes harshly before the tears fell down.

He stayed there probably an hour, and after he realized he had to go home sooner or later, Jongin grabbed his bag from the ground and started to walk home.

Jongin had his hands shoved into his pocket and still with earphones on, walking pass an empty lot that the kids used to play football on his way home. Someone kicked the ball right to his direction, and the ball rolled to him, stopping just a step away in front of Jongin.

He looked up to the field. A girl in the middle waved to him with two hands, and Jongin put off his earphone.
 

“Hey, Seoul Boy!” it was the girl that sat behind him. She tied up her shoulder length hair into a messy bun high on top of her head and Jongin thought it’s a little bit funny. “The ball, please?” She jogged to get closer with Jongin.

Jongin picked up the ball and threw it to her.

“Do you want to join us?” she asked, showing Jongin the same smile he received this morning if not wider. Jongin narrowed his eyes, the setting sun’s light was getting into his eyes but he could see that the girl was the only girl in the field.

“Come on, Bomi,” Jongin heard another boy behind the girl grunted, scowling at Jongin, possibly to show his disapproval with Jongin’s presence.

Jongin shook his head.

“Okay, well, see you later, Seoul Boy!” the girl waved again, and this time Jongin automatically waved back – albeit not as vigorously as the girl. The girl grinned and Jongin felt stupid for waving, so he quickly took back his hand.

When Jongin walked away, he could hear the girl shouted to his back, “I’m Yoon Bomi!”

Jongin turned his head and bowed a little.

It’s not until he arrived at home that Jongin wondered why Bomi said ‘later’ instead of ‘tomorrow’.

***

“Did you make friends today, Jonginnie?” his mother asked, later that night over dinner.

Jongin swallowed down before answering. “… yes?” He knew that his parents were worried about him coping with their decision, fully aware that Jongin’s virtue was definitely not on making friends.

“That’s so great! You could ask him to play over, Mom will make cookies,” Jongin’s mother smiled widely. “What’s his name? Your grandpa might now the family.”

“Um. It’s a girl. She… sits behind me in the class. Yoon Bomi?” 

His grandfather chuckled. “Well what a coincidence. Remember when I told you yesterday, the family next door has a daughter just your age?”

Jongin’s eyebrows rose as the answer.

***

After dinner, when Jongin just checking tomorrow’s schedule, he heard a voice calling out for him.

“Seoul Boy!”

Jongin frowned when he heard the voice, because, he’s in his own room, where’s the voice come from?  He eyed the glass door in his room that led to a small porch. “Seoul Boy!” the voice called again, and this time Jongin realized two things: the voice indeed came from the outside, it’s calling him and who else called him Seoul Boy instead of—scratched that, she’s the only one that called Jongin today.

Jongin opened the curtain, walked out into the porch, and he saw Bomi on the other porch that identical with his own, side by side with his porch with two meters gap. Her hair’s still in a bun and she wore oversized blue sweater on top of a pajama pants.

“You didn’t tell me that we’re neighbors,” Jongin said.

“You didn’t exactly give me the chance,” Bomi smiled playfully. “Where did you go during lunch? I didn’t see you at the canteen.”

Jongin only glanced and looked down, shoving his hands deep into his jeans’ pocket.

Bomi’s smile didn’t falter one bit with Jongin’s quietness. “Do you want to eat lunch with me tomorrow?”

“It’s fine, you don’t have to.”

“Are you one of those kids that prefer to eat alone?”

“Not really.”

“Or maybe you don’t want to eat with me because I’m a girl? I usually eat with the boys, though. Oh, you’re not thinking that we’re not at the same level with you because you’re from Seoul, right?”

Jongin was a little taken aback with the accusation. “Of course not.”

“Then eat with me! Food tastes better if you eat with another person, trust me. Unless you’re on a diet, because eating together apparently increase your appetite by 40%! Um, or is it 70%... Eh, you get my point. Ah, you haven’t looked around the town, right? Want me guide you? What about next Saturday?”

Jongin stared at Bomi. “You… talk a lot,” he blurted, and Jongin quickly covered his mouth after he said those words.

But Bomi just grinned. “Yeah, I am. I heard that a lot, actually. Oh, I just remembered, do you have all the books? Do you need help with school, I can tell you where are we in our lessons. I can go there right now—”

“No, I’m alright,” Jongin quickly said before Bomi went back to her room to prepare.

“Really? Well, but if you need anything, just ask me, okay?” when she smiled, her doe eyes turned into a mere slits although it’s not a crescent shape. “Hey, let’s go to school together tomorrow!”

Jongin couldn’t find a reason to not to, so he only nodded like an obedient puppy.

“Great! See you tomorrow, Seoul Boy! Good night!” Bomi waved and again, Jongin found himself replying the gesture before he fully realized it.

***

The next morning when Jongin got out of his house, still in the middle of wearing his shoes, Bomi was already waiting outside, greeting him with a big smile and a loud, “Good morning!” Jongin greeted her back in a mumble, and they started to walk together.

Bomi talked enough for the both of them, explaining things in the neighborhood, “The gramps that live here can be very scary, but I think he’s just lonely and the younger kids are mean to him,” she said while pointing to one house in the corner, “This family is so mysterious! They rarely out during the day, that’s why the kids keep saying that they’re vampires,” Jongin couldn’t help but snort at this point. “Ah, can we pick up my friend? His house is just over here,” Bomi already dragged Jongin to follow her.

Bomi’s friend was the same boy that scowling at Jongin the previous day, and Jongin wondered if the expression was permanent because this morning too, he was scowling at Jongin – at everything. Oh Sehun was a year below them, and he’s a pretty boy – fair skin, paler than Bomi, high nose, sharp eyes, pointy chin, and he’s too thin for boys their age that Jongin thought Sehun could break any moment.

They continued walk to school and Jongin learnt that the two were childhood friends. Sehun didn’t talk a lot either; it’s Bomi again that filled the conversation. But his gestures clearly showed that he paid attention to whatever she’s blabbering about (“The rice cakes in that store are so delicious, the kids say it can make you grow taller!”).

Before they walked in into the classroom, Bomi turned to him and smiled, “Join us when you’re ready, Seoul Boy.”

And then she didn’t talk to him for the rest of the day.

Jongin was secretly thankful.

***

It happened for a week; Jongin would walk to the school with Bomi and Sehun but that was it. Jongin still ate by himself during lunch and he even found some other places like the music room or the hallway in front of the chemist lab. If there’s self-study time he always used his earphones, world-wide gesture for ‘leave me alone’. It worked, because for a week in class he only talked to Bomi, if Bomi got bored in the middle of the class and decided to disturb him, Jihoon, the kid that sat across him, he’s quite nice and he answered to Jongin’s study-related questions, and once to Jiyeon, the girl in front of him to borrow a pen.

After school they would walk home together again, but at Tuesday and Thursday Bomi and Sehun had soccer practice – both were in the school’s club – so Jongin walked home alone.

The second week, they had a group assignment of two.

“Hey, Seoul Boy,” Bomi kicked the leg of Jongin’s chair lightly. “Let’s do it together, what do you say?”

“… Are you sure it’s alright?” because honestly, Jongin had no other friend apart from Bomi, and he wasn’t even sure if he and Bomi were friends, so he’s quite relieved if Bomi would want to do it with him.

“Yeah, why not? I’m sure it will be fun.” Bomi grinned. She turned to the boy that sat behind her, “Daehyunnie, I will do it with Jongin.”

The boy with thick lips that Jongin knew named Daehyun – because Bomi always hang around him and called him loud enough for the whole class to hear – looked at Jongin then back at Bomi. “Okay, I can do it with Youngjae.”

Sehun said he would play with his friends, and that day Jongin walked home with Bomi alone.

“Seoul Boy—”

“Why do you always call me Seoul Boy?”

Bomi laughed. “Well you are from Seoul, and you are a boy.”

“I have a name, you know.”

“I also have a name, but you never call me either.”

That silenced Jongin.

“Should we work on the assignment at my place or yours?” Bomi asked.

Jongin remembered about his mother, who’s still trying to find a job in the town and spent every day at home now, cleaning the house and cooking or just watching TV with his grandfather who already retired. Even though his mother always smiled in front of him, Jongin knew his mother took it hard. Maybe if she knew Jongin had a friend, at least it could lessen one of her worries.

“Is it okay if we do it at mine? My mother… She will like it, if I have a… friend.” Jongin was staring at the ground and he scratched his nape. He glanced at Bomi warily, both from the idea and from calling her his friend, but he only saw delighted eyes and a big nod from the girl. 

“Mom, I’m home,” Jongin called out, taking off his shoes in the entrance. “I’m with a friend…”

“Welcome home…!” Jongin’s mother showed up, and she smiled excitedly at Bomi. “Oh, is this Yoon Bomi that I heard live next door?”

“Hello, Mrs. Kim, my name is Yoon Bomi, I’m Jongin’s friend,” Bomi bowed politely to Jongin’s mother.

“Please, just call me Aunty,” Jongin’s mother quickly ushered the girl inside with a friendly manner. “You come right on time, Bomi-ah, I just baked a cake, do you want some?”

Bomi jumped in her place, “Wah, I’d love some, Aunty! You bake cakes? Woaah, Jongin is so lucky!”

Jongin saw his mother smiled bashfully at the compliment. “I’ll bring the cakes to Jongin’s room. What do you want to drink?”

“Do you have anything’s cold, Aunty?”

“That’s right, it’s still quite hot outside, right? What about some orange juice?”

“Yes please!”

Jongin waited until Bomi was done talking to his mother, and then he led her to his room. “This way,” Jongin said while Bomi was distracted, looking around.

“It’s kind of weird, because our houses are similar, just the opposite,” Bomi said when she walked into Jongin’s room. “… Hum, I guess you’re a boy after all,” she smirked when she saw the condition of the room; it’s not exactly messy, but it’s definitely not neat either.

Jongin grabbed his pajama from the bed and his pants from the chair in his last-minute cleaning. “You can sit…,” Jongin looked around the room, suddenly aware of the fact that there’s a girl in his room, it’s his first time, “… wherever you want to sit.”

“Ooookay,” Bomi sat on the carpet, already pulling out her books from the bag. “Do you have any idea about the assignment? To be honest I’m not that smart, I usually ask Youngjae to teach me, so maybe I’m a bad idea for your partner after all…”

Jongin sat beside her and took out his own books. “Actually, I’ve learnt this before in my previous school, I’m not really sure about the rest but I know where we should start.”

“Wah,” Jongin turned and saw Bomi’s clapping, “As expected from Seoul Boy.”

“Stop it.”

They started to work on the assignment with Jongin’s guidance, and Jongin expected Bomi to be the type that easily distracted and talked a lot, but no, during their study time Bomi was fully concentrated and listened carefully at everything Jongin said. They stopped when Jongin’s mother came in, and Bomi quickly ate the chocolate cake Jongin’s mother made and complimented it in front of her.    

“Aunty, if you sell this cake, I will buy it,” Bomi said, taking the second piece, “It’s so delicious, I swear, Aunty, I’m not kidding! Can I bring home some, so I can give it to my mother? My mother can’t bake,” she pouted.

Jongin’s mother laughed, “I should bake one cake for your family, what kind of cake do you want, Bomi-ah?”

“Ah, Aunty, anything’s fine if it tastes like this.”

Jongin’s mother left the room with a huge smile.

Bomi was about to bent down back to her work, but she noticed Jongin’s stare at her.

“What? I have something in my face?”

Jongin shook his head. “Is every girl like you? I’m pretty sure you already have my mom’s heart.”

Bomi just grinned coyly, humming to a random song. They went back to their assignment.

“Thank you. It’s been a while since Mom smiles like that.”

“Hmmm… You’re welcome,” Bomi didn’t look at him and Jongin didn’t look at her, but he could hear the smile.

***

Jongin’s mother did bake a whole cake for the Yoon family a few days later.

It turned out that Bomi’s family owned a small convenience store. And somehow, after a long discussion between Jongin’s mother and Bomi’s parents, Jongin’s mother would sell her cookies and cakes at the store, and she could help around in the store too.  Jongin’s mother could make money now, no matter how small it was, and Jongin could tell that she’s happier and more relaxed with the development.

Later, Jongin learnt that Bomi was the one who gave the idea to her parents about selling Jongin’s mother’s cakes.

***

Jongin started to eat lunch with Bomi and her friends; Daehyun, the thick lips boy, Youngjae, the one with fluffy cheeks that Daehyun and Bomi liked to pinch, there’s also this thin boy named Chansik, and the other girl beside Bomi was Youngwon.  

It’s easy to be around Bomi, Jongin noticed.

She filled the silence that Jongin created.

Bomi liked to joke around, but mostly she made a fool of herself to make her friends laughed. She also had a lot of friends, Jongin could tell by the amount of ‘Hi, Bomi!’ she got when they walked together in the morning, or during lunch.

“You haven’t joined any club?” Bomi asked one Tuesday afternoon after school. The soccer practice wouldn’t start until an hour later, and Bomi spent the time for working on her homework in the library, Jongin tagged along because Bomi dragged him with her.  

Jongin used to be in the science club in his old school just to fill his report card, and honestly he didn’t want to join the same club right now.

“You’re not interested in anything?” Bomi asked again, and Jongin just lowered his head, writing down the answers to their math homework. “Well,” Bomi continued talking when it’s clear Jongin wouldn’t answer her, “It’s true that our school doesn’t have that many club, but it’ll be good if you join one. Friends, killing time… Additional skills, I guess, depend on what club you join.”

She bid him goodbye after an hour.

Jongin walked home alone, by the time he reached his home he remembered that today Sehun was absent because he’s sick. And then the sky got darker, and before long the rain started to pour.

When Bomi finished her soccer practice – they had to share the gym with the basketball team because of the rain, Jongin was already waiting in front of the school’s gate under a big blue umbrella. Bomi ran to him happily, because she didn’t carry an umbrella.

“You came back for me?” Bomi asked as soon as she’s beside Jongin.

Jongin wasn’t really sure, but suddenly he felt a little embarrassed by his action, so he just muttered something about Sehun being sick. Thankfully Bomi didn’t say anything anymore, she’s just grinning to herself. Jongin leaned the umbrella to her side. 

“I used to be in the science club,” Jongin suddenly said. Bomi turned her head to him and Jongin kept his eyes on the road. “I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it either. It’s just something I did for my report card.”

“Hm, then what do you love to do?”

Jongin took a glance at Bomi. “… Dancing.”

“Seriously?” Bomi’s tone made Jongin looked at her. “That’s like… so cool! What kind of dance you do? Like in the movies? Pop pop pop, like this?” Bomi made some vague movements with her arms, which Jongin presumed was popping.

“I can do that. But mostly… I do ballet.”

“Ballet?” And Jongin braced himself for the teasing that would follow. Except it didn’t happen. “Seoul Boy!” Bomi punched his arm lightly. “Can you get any cooler? So, you can do the… turning around thing?”

“… Pirouette?”

At this point Bomi was beyond impressed. “You do know ballet! Oh my God, I can’t wait to tell Sehun about this… Hey! The K High School, they have a dance club! In fact, the club was quite famous, like they win a lot of championship and they get to play in other cities, you should go to K after we graduated. It’s a little bit far from here but I guess if you take the train it’ll less than an hour…”

Jongin was slowly accustomed to Bomi’s bullet-speed talk, but now he only creased his eyebrows a little. He always thought by the time he graduated he would return to Seoul, so he never tried to find information about the high schools around the area.

“You can join soccer club for now,” Bomi said again, she’s been staring at Jongin’s face. “Even if you don’t love it, it’s not that bad, right? Besides, there’s me. And Sehun. I can talk to the coach if you want to try it out first.”

Jongin looked at Bomi. She’s still staring.

“Thank you, … Bomi.” Mostly because Jongin rarely found someone who didn’t mock him for being girly with his choice. But maybe for everything she did for Jongin since the first time they met.

She smiled wider.

“Anytime, Jongin.”

***

Jongin ended up trying out the soccer club. He ended up liking it. He ended up joining.

Jongin overheard his mother talked with his father on the phone. He heard his mother said, ‘Maybe it’s better if you move here with us…’

Jongin ended up looking up information about K High School.

***

“But why K High School?” Jongin stopped in his track on his way to Sehun’s room. He and Bomi was coming over to play that day, and he just came back from the toilet, but something in Sehun’s tone made Jongin hesitated to walk in.

“Hmm… why not?”

When Jongin left, Sehun was on the floor, leaning back to his bed while Bomi was laying on Sehun’s bed on her stomach, knees bended, feet up. He could imagine Bomi flipped the magazine she read casually, sometimes twirling the strands of her hair that didn’t get tied up into a ponytail.  

“Well… it’s far.” Sehun must be frowning.

“Sooo…?”

“I can’t walk to school with you anymore,” Sehun voiced out his complaint.

“Then you should go to K too after you graduate, silly. It’ll be like the usual, except we can ride train instead, surely it’s more fun than walking?”

Sehun was quiet for a while, thinking about Bomi’s words. “K has a dance club,” he suddenly said.

“Umm, yes?”

“… Jongin dances.”

“Yeeeessss…?”  

“Bomi,” Sehun always called Bomi and Jongin with their first name in private. “K doesn’t have a soccer team for girls.”

“Sehun-ah,” Bomi cut him, “Do you know K also has a good cheerleading club? I want to try it. Let’s make a deal, I’ll be a cheerleader, you play soccer, and I’ll cheer for you later, how about that?”

Sehun grumbled and Jongin couldn’t catch what he said, but he must be agreed in the end because Bomi said, “Okay, it’s a promise!” cheerfully after that.

Jongin counted to ten before he went in into Sehun’s room, as if he returned from the bathroom just then. Bomi was humming to a random song while Sehun read his comic, still frowning. Jongin grabbed another comic and rested his head on Sehun’s lap, the younger frowned deeper but said nothing.

At age 14, Jongin realized he’s a selfish guy.