5 Years old

"Done!" The tiny elf-eared toddler chided as he pulled up the bucket, revealing the last tower of his sandcastle. The construction was a little crooked and looked quite unstable, but at the moment, Chanyeol felt as if he had just build the eighth Wonder of the World. He was grinning proudly, showing off a range of white little beads that was already his signature toothy smile, kneeling in front of the masterpiece.

But joy was short-lasting when out of nowhere a foot appeared, kicking into his sand structure.

Startled, he looked up, meeting with the mischievous cat-like grin of another kid he had never met before.

"Your castle is dull!" The boy sing-sang before sticking his pink little tongue out.

Chanyeol looked at his destroyed construction. It had completely collapsed, returning back to the state of a mere sand pile. He struggled to keep a strong front as the unknown boy kept on jumping on his late castle but he couldn't help his lower lip from wobbling, a pout ravaging his cute baby facial features. Soon, tears started streaming out of his squinted eyes and whines fused out of his mouth, melting with his cries. But it didn't seem to bother the bully who in fact began to make fun of the crestfallen boy, which had the latter's cries intensify. But that was until a determined voice appeared behind the mean kid:

"Leave him alone, you meanie!"

A tiny boy was standing there, fisted hands on his hips and a disappointed frown between his thin eyebrows. But his expression quickly turned menacing -as menacing as a puppy-faced toddler could look like- while he lifted his mini fist in the air:

"Meanies should go to jail!" He slowly paced toward the criminal. "Hyunnie's daddy is the town officer. Hyunnie will tell his daddy what you did and daddy will smack you ten times in the face and then he will lock you in the jail!" He menaced. The boy started trembling, eyes watering:

"Taeminnie doesn't want to!" He began bawling, mouth stretched wide. "Taeminnie doesn't want to go to jail and be smacked. Wah!"

Chanyeol was still kneeling on the soil staring at the scene, big eyes sparkling in admiration.
The little savior brought down his fist, setting his hands on Taemin's shoulders with a serious face:

"Then say sorry to him." He said mentioning with his head toward the young architect. "And promise you won't do anything mean anymore."

The crying culprit nodded vehemently, rubbing the tears away from his eyes while he mumbled a shy but honest -and scared- 'sorry' before running off, leaving behind the victim and his hero.
Because that's what was proceeding in Chanyeol's childish mind. As of today, the boy in front of him, even if he was too small and too cute, was officially his hero. And Chanyeol would venerate him till the end of his life.

"Yah, you have snot running down your nose." The other broke his mooning whilst handing him a paper tissue with a fake detached look, not as if he was giving his precious Pororo designed tissue away. The previously crying kid took it with a shaky hand, mumbling a little thank you. But then he swept the snot away with his sleeve, still holding tight onto the tissue without using it. The other gaped, perplexed:

"Why aren't you using the tissue?

"It has Pororo on it. I can't do that to Pororo..." Chanyeol explain with a concerned pout, his cheeks still a bit tear-stained.

"You are right!" The other realized in shock. "Hyunnie will never brush away his snot on Pororo either! Poor Pororo..." He pouted for a second, looking with grief at his tissue packet. But he quickly brightened up. "Do you like Pororo?"

"Hmm." He hummed with a last sniff.

"Baekhyun likes Pororo too!"

"Baekhyun?" Chanyeol's brows arched in confusion.

"My name is Baekhyun! But Mama and Papa call Beakhyun Hyunnie." The tiny boy chirped with a bright smile showing off his milk teeth. "Hyunnie is a Pororo fan and Hyunnie wants to become a Super Hero when he grows up! Or a policeman like Hyunnie's Papa. But Super Heroes are cooler because they have super powers! And you who are you? Hyunnie has never seen you here..." He tilted his head on the side, a small lopsided smile curling the corners of his pink lips.

"I am Chanyeol and I just moved here with my Mama and my Papa." He muttered, eyes cast down while pink dust started covering his cherubin cheeks. "I like Pororo..." He whispered with a shy sheepish smile. "And I like..." The smile slowly vanished as tears threatened once again, which had little Baekhyun react automatically as he kneeled in front of him, setting is little palms on his stooped shoulders. "I like sandcastles..."

"Don't cry don't cry!" The other cheered, shaking him gently, his happiness contagious. "Let's rebuild Channie's sandcastle, okay? We'll make it even bigger and even more beautiful!" He moved his arms in wide gest, his eyes turned into little moon crescents, shining with life. "Hyunnie will help you!"

"Hyunnie will do that?" Chanyeol looked up at him, rubbing his eyes that were now shining with hope.

"Of course Hyunnie will!" The said toddler emphasized, taking him by the hand and leading him merrily toward the sand pile.  Something in that tiny but warm hand made Chanyeol's heart melt. It felt good in his own. It felt safe.

Of course... Because Baekhyun was a super hero.

***

"Hey Channie!"

"Hey Hyunnie!" He greeted back waving vehemently at his now best friend. The latter was wrapped in his winter green duffle coat, a blue wool scarf carefully wrapped around his frail neck and wearing matching puppy head-shaped mittens and wooly hat. Baekhyun was only five, actually turning six that day, but had already melted the hearts of many girls, younger and older. He was just too cute to be true. And Chanyeol could only agree. His hero was the cutest.

As they had discovered after their first meeting, it turned out that they were neighbors, Chanyeol's family having moved into the house right in front of the Byun's one. And it also turned out that the two boys were the same age, Baekhyun born just one day before Chanyeol, on Christmas Eve. Considering that they were getting along so well, Chanyeol always following Baekhyun around, the two families had decided to spend Christmas together, celebrating their sons’ birthdays all reunited. They just couldn't find the heart to split up the two friends.
The small Chanyeol gathered all his courage before extending his hand, cheeks burning crimson. Baekhyun stared at it for some seconds before a wide grin spread to his ears, eyes turning in the same moonlike crescents Chanyeol liked some much, before he settled his tiny hand into his friend’s bigger one. The taller put on a serious frown, nodding his head as a man on a mission:

"Channie will lead Hyunnie to his room."

Baekhyun hummed, chuckling lightly in merriment. Even if they were neighbors, it was the first time that he actually went to Chanyeol’s house since they preferred spending their time at the playground. So Chanyeol started going up the stairs, leading beside him a curious puppy-like toddler, their hands still tightly intertwined. When the room's door was opened, the latter gasped, eyes as big as saucers. Chanyeol’s room was incredibly cool, he thought. He glanced everywhere, too marveled to hide it. Suddenly, something caught his attention on the small navy blue bedside table. But Baekhyun was too shy to touch anything. Thankfully, his friend was quick to notice:

"Hyunnie likes the Super Ranger?" He asked in a small voice, pointing at the figurine. The said-one simply nodded, biting anxiously at his bottom lip. "Then Hyunnie can play with it, it's okay." Chanyeol beamed.

"Really?" The other had stars in his eyes, but was still too shy to intrude.

"Of course." He hummed. "Since Hyunnie is Channie’s friend."

The smaller one didn't need to be told twice. Apprehensively, he approached the Graal and cautiously took it between his two tiny hands, looking at it with awe. Chanyeol who was witnessing the scene couldn’t understand why Baekhyun was so enthralled. Indeed, this figurine wasn’t a rare item, you could buy it at a cheap price in every store. But he didn't really care. Seeing Baekhyun’s happy face and little moon-like eye crescents was worth everything.

"Does Hyunnie wants it?"

The said-boy made a 180 degrees spin on himself, starry-eyed, but an inner conflict was quick to invade his mind. Lowering his gaze toward the toy, he started nibbling on his lower lip, hesitating:

"But it's Channie's..." He whispered with a pout. The other smiled confidently, showing off his wide range of milky beads:

"It's okay." He chirped. "Hyunnie can have it since today is his birthday."

"Really?" He gasped, locking gaze with his friend. "But I don't have anything to give Channie in return." He frowned.

"It's okay! Channie only wants to see Hyunnie happy and smiling."

Baekhyun's eyes widened before they turned into his signature moon-like crescent, making Chanyeol's heart pound secretly. Then, he slowly paced toward the latter, setting his tiny hands on the taller's shoulders, placing himself on tiptoes. It was faster than the blink of an eye, but for Chanyeol, it was as if the world had stopped, letting him become infinite. Baekhyun's soft plush lips were pecking him on the cheek.

Byun Baekhyun, his hero