Title: The Brightest World

Author: hi98lines

Genre: au, friendship, romance

Length: 1248 words

Characters: Kai, Naeun

I think it was when I was six.

I felt that my world became brighter than before.

I still remember when she pulled my hand and dragged me away to the park in our neighborhood. When we got there, she made me sat down on a swing and she sat next to me. While swinging herself, she introduced herself to me.

"I'm Naeun. I just moved today. Hope we get along well!"

I was frozen. No one treated me like that before. I never had friends, not even one. There was a rumor that was spreading in my school and it was about my family. They avoided me, they tried hard to not talk with me — they said my family wasn't normal, they said my father kill people. Because of it, I had been a quiet kid. 

So, my reaction was, "Huh?"

Seriously, even I, myself, admit it was a stupid reaction. I earned a frown from her — which now I think it was a normal reaction, because I thought she was being weird — then, I was frowning too. 

"You should say your name too." 

I remember she said it as she was raising her eyebrow.

"Name?" 

Seriously, couldn't I be more stupid than that? 

"You don't have a name?!"

Honestly, I was scared when she almost screamed when she said it.

"Oh." Why did I say it again? But, I told her my name anyway. "It's Jongin." Though, one day I remember my mother said to not talk with stranger — "They could bring you harm, Jongin." — but, I believed she was trustworthy and she is.

She smiled, and I swore I never saw a beautiful smile like hers in my six years of living that time. "So, you have a name after all. Nice to see you, Jongin."

I would always smile when I remembered that day. Her voice was cute. She still had chubby cheeks and her not-so-short hair. Her first smile to me... This memory was so clear, it was just like yesterday.

:::

"Kim Jongin!"

I smiled upon seeing her was running to me with a beam on her face. She was always like that. Being all cheerful and smiling all the time. I wondered, did she ever feel tired because of smiling? I did ask her and she said, "Nah. I don't feel it at all.".

I stood up from the swing I was sitting on. And I just realized, I grew up so well, seeing I almost can't sit on that swing anymore. And if I saw the girl in front of me, well, she grew up well too. She became taller, as tall as my shoulder. She no longer had that chubby cheeks. Her hair became longer, and I must admit she wa