January 12th, 2004

The ringing of the school bell erupted through the elementary school's silent corridor. At that exact moment, students scrambled out of their seats as they lifted their satchels on their wooden desks. All the children were eager to go home, but at the corner of the classroom, there was this certain boy who was still seated down on his seat. He looked out of the window and didn't move an inch.

He was just a tad smaller in size compared to the boys in his class. Today, the young boy had his hair styled in a sleek fashion. It wasn't everyday he would do this to his hair, that was why he had received several compliments from his classmates saying that he looked exceptionally handsome today. At least his efforts didn't go to waste without any compliments since he spent hours on his hair in the morning.

Because today was a special day, an important occasion that only came once a year.

It was Do Kyungsoo's birthday.

The little eight year old Kyungsoo looked out of the window from the empty classroom where students walked and talked among their little groups of friends. Kyungsoo didn't have a group of friends unfortunately. Sure, everyone he knew in class were on good terms with him, but he didn't have a genuine friend he could fool around with in his class, or maybe talk about his problems with. Most boys enjoyed football or basketball whereas Kyungsoo had taken an interest in cooking when he watched his mother work in the kitchen. The girls in his class favoured discussing about ballet and dolls, flower picking was even mentioned, which made the poor boy gag at the thought of him joining their social circle. It was okay anyway, he didn't need to fit in, because he knew he would get out of this hell hole of a country sooner or later.

At the age of eight, the things stored in Kyungsoo's mind were more mature than the other students in his class. He had already understood that his country was dangerous, and he wanted to escape any oppurtunity he would have. Even now he wouldn't mind if he and his parents fled to South Korea. For all Kyungsoo knew, it was a much better place than the north.

"Hey, Kyungsoo?" A hand waved in front of the eight year old's vision, causing him to blink multiple times before looking up at the intruder.

"Oh, Hakyeon hyung," Kyungsoo turned to his friend, only to see someone else beside him too.

Cha Hakyeon was one of Kyungsoo's closest friends. His skin was a little darker than most people because Hakyeon liked spending time under the sun playing basketball even when the weather was scorching hot. It made Kyungsoo puzzled why he wasn't ever on the verge of passing out. Pushing that aside, Hakyeon liked to talk a lot, and when Kyungsoo meant a lot, he meant hours of endless talking which could drive someone crazy for the first half an hour. But as time passed, Kyungsoo got used to it ever since he was three.

Next to the tanned boy was someone unfamiliar, Kyungsoo had never seen him on the school grounds before.

"I haven't introduced him yet have I?" Hakyeon slung an arm over the new boy's shoulder, "This is Lee Hongbin, isn't he a handsome one? He just transferred from the suburbs today, and you know they don't have much education or jobs there so he came here with his parents and his two sisters. Also, he's the same age and you! Isn't that great? You've got a new friend already-"

Kyungsoo lifted a hand which made Hakyeon stop from opening his mouth any longer, then he extended a hand out to the new boy, "Hello, I'm Do Kyungsoo. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'