Shindong: The Childhood of Lee Donghae

There were only a few more people that Jinyoung could interview, and he has some sort of grip on his parents' relationship. He is amazed at how much his parents have gone through, and he realizes that even though there are some changes, love can still last.

Even though time changes people, it is just how life progresses. Just like how he was adopted into a new lifestyle because of Donghae and Eunhyuk.

Now all he needs to know is how everything first began, leaving him to find the first of the many childhood friends of his father, Donghae.

"Didn't you know? Donghae was one of my life saviors when we were in primary (elementary) school," Shindong speaks with a giant smile across his lips.

"Why is he talking to us?" a group of girls squealed as they rushed away in the opposite direction, "He's ugly, he's fat, and it's just disgusting!"

A group of boys laughed as they watched a slightly overweight boy walk down the hallway, "I can't believe he's still coming to school. What's the point? No one likes him anyone. Watch this."

"Hey fat boy!" their leader called down to the hallway, "Think fast!"

Immediately, a large chocolate bar was thrown his way. To avoid having it hit on his head, the boy struggles to catch it but ends up falling over, earning a ridiculing laugh from the other students, male and female.

The boy tries not to cry, but he can't help but feel his heart being stabbed repeatedly. They must think that he is a food-eating machine. They must think that he wanted that chocolate bar so much that he fell over to catch it. They all must think such horrible things, and yet there wasn't a single that he could do to prove them wrong.

They wouldn't believe him anyways.

Suddenly, a pair of hands came down to cover his ears.

"...Donghae," the boy mumbles softly, the tears of sadness suddenly turning into the tears of gratitude.

After a few moments passed, his friend's hands came down and helped the boy onto his feet, "Shindong, why do you let them bully you like this? You know that you can stand up to them, right? They are the ones in the wrong, so why are you the one acting ashamed?"

"I'm sorry," Shindong replies, his eyes looking down at his feet.

He's afraid to make eye contact with him, and Donghae knows it. He knows that it's because of the bullying that made his timid nature even worse, and he hates how he can't do anymore to help him.

So instead of focusing on the sad things, he tries to help the boy make more friends. With friends come confidence, and if he has those things, then maybe, just maybe, the bullies would have nothing else to say about him.

"Come on," Donghae grins, "I'll treat you to lunch."

"Really?" the boy's eyes shimmered in the light, "You just treated me last week!"

He nods firmly, confirming the boy's wishes, filling him with delight. All the sadness and embarrassment he had felt a moment ago suddenly disappeared with everything. While Donghae was only eight, he was the angel that brought light into Shindong's dark, dreary life.

Donghae often treated Shindong to different foods, and occassionally, he would bring different friends along with him, so Shindong could socialize and meet friends other than himself. He teaches him how to befriend people, and how they will never judge him like the students who tended to bully him.

Not only that, he would take him out to different places. The park, the arcade, the shops, and more. Shindong's life suddenly expanded to much more than home and school, all thanks to Donghae.

"You know, you really saved me," Shindong smiles as he swings back and forth on the swingset, "I don't know what I would have done if you weren't there."

Donghae laughs lightly, "What are you talking about? Of course I have to help. I told you before, didn't I? I'm your friend. They are the bullies. You haven't done anything to be ashamed of, so you don't need to act like you did."

"But within the bullies, there's something personal going on too, isn't there?" Shindong suddenly pipes up, "Don't think I didn't notice."

Suddenly, the boy got really quiet. It was almost as if the cat got his tongue, and he didn't have a proper response to the boy he tries so hard to protect.

"Yeah," Donghae speaks slowly and reluctantly, "I know. It's not something I'm very proud of, and it gives me all the more reason to protect you."

Shindong gives him a soft smile, "What are you talking about? A wise person once told me that since you're the guardian and you haven't done anything to be ashamed of, then you don't need to act like you did."

His words made Donghae laugh once more, "I understand, but when you see me, don't you become filled with hatred and such? I mean, you have to, right? This is the face that hurts you too."

Shindong frowns, "Why would you think that?"

"Well, it is my twin brother who is hurting you."

"His brother was really something," Shindong sighs, "He gave me so much trouble, that Donghwa."

Jinyoung furrows his eyebrows, "Donghwa?"

He's never heard of that name before. Donghae had never brought up the fact that he had a relative at all. This was all a shock to the boy. He finds it a little difficult to find out something so big from a stranger.

"He is Donghae's twin brother," he explains, "I wonder if both of them are doing alright. I didn't even know Donghae got married and divorced in this short time period that I lost contact with him."

The boy pauses for a second, "and Donghwa? What happened to him?"

Shindong shrugs, "I don't know. He vanished on me about seven years ago. If you really want to hear more about Donghwa, you'll have to ask his closest friend, Sungmin."

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