I.

As long as you continue to live here in this cruel place even though, your soul is lonely and dead inside your body. There will come a time that someone will enter your life and paint it with bright colors instead of plain black and white as soon as you let him or her enter it to change your life.

"One flower is enough for me to stop feeling sad and lonely..."

The voice can be heard by the thirteen years old Yunho who is walking alone in the field of flowers with his small backpack still hanging on his two shoulders, watching the little boy count his flowers whom he assume to be a girl because of the long hair covering the face of the other little kid.

"Two is enough for me to stop crying..."

Yunho tilted his head because of curiosity by the words he just heard from the other kid which is kneeling down in the center of the field just a few steps in front of him while his beautiful flowers lay on the ground.

"Three is enough for me to be happy..."

Yunho thinks for a moment before deciding to approach the kid, thinking that they can be friends if he helps the kid to stop crying. "Hey!" He exclaimed, trying his best to sound cheerful and friendly to get the attention of the other kid.  

The other kid stops on counting his flowers before immediately wiping the tears in his cheeks as he heard the voice, "It's probably his father going to beat him up again," he thought. The little boy slowly got up, leaving his flowers on the ground and tucking his long bangs behind his ear to reveal his pretty face even though his arms are filled with bruises because of the continuous beating he received from his father who started to hate him after the death of his mom which occurred after giving birth to him, "Y-yes?" He stuttered, still looking at the ground as he starts fidgeting his little fingers nervously.

Yunho's mouth was left open after seeing the beautiful and pretty face of the other kid, almost having a crush on the other kid which he still assume as a little girl despite of the bruises located in the arms of the boy's frail body in front of him that he later saw making him shook his head and blink his eyes for a moment, not believing what he saw in front of him. "I-I’m Yunho." He said nervously, introducing himself to the little kid as he reach out his hand for a handshake and focusing his eyes on the boy's pretty little face with a smile still painted on his face.

The little boy look up and nodded his head in response, unsure of what to answer or replied being surprised by the fact that the voice came from another kid which even introduce himself despite seeing the bruises on his body. "What's your name?" He heard again, before deciding to answer the boy.

"Jaejoong."

Yunho smiled because of the answer he received making his heart beat faster and his stomach be filled with little butterflies although, the other didn't even reach out his hand also to receive his handshake, "You have a nice name and also a pretty face for a little girl." He commented, wanting Jaejoong to feel comfortable around him by his kind words.

Jaejoong felt his cheeks blushing as a result of the other's sweet words, "I-I’m a boy," he admitted when he realized that the other boy thinks his a little girl. "B-but, I'm a good kid!" He said like he was defending himself, wanting to be friends with the boy.

Yunho chuckled in seeing how the cheeks of the other boy turn into bright red, suddenly being shy also when Jaejoong said he was also a boy. "Y-yeah, I-I’m a good kid also!" He said, raising his right hand to show the star in the back of his hand which was gave by his teacher who often comfort him when he is sad, "See?"

Jaejoong look at the back of his right hand also, just to see a bruise on it instead of a star making him slightly jealous of Yunho. "I don't have a star," he replied, biting his bottom lip because of embarrassment before turning his head around to see his flowers on the ground and forming his lips to a small smile, "But, I have many flowers!" He exclaimed, walking towards his flowers and kneeling down on the ground just beside it. "See? I have many of it!"

Yunho pouted before running towards to Jaejoong, kneeling in front of him. "It's all pretty and beautiful!" He commented, admiring the beauty of the different flowers in front of him.

Jaejoong felt proud by the comment, feeling happy because someone had finally admire his flowers not like his father who often kick it to make it scatter in the ground, accusing the little Jaejoong for making him remember his wife again who is very fond of flowers when it was still alive, "Do you also love flowers? I have a book here about it but, some of its pages are torn." Jaejoong said, getting the old book which originally belongs to his mom.

"Nope." Yunho answered, "But, you can teach me about what you know about flowers and in exchange, I can give you a star." He offered, opening the zipper of his backpack to get a stamp and a small ink pad, "My favorite teacher gave me this, so, whenever I feel sad or whenever I don't have a star from school when I was in kindergarten," he said, holding Jaejoong's right hand. "I can have my own star." He smiled, putting a star on Jaejoong's tiny hand.

Jaejoong smiled at the star located in the back of his right hand, tracing it with the little fingers of his other hand because of amazement in seeing the star in his hand, keeping in his mind that if ever his father beat him up again saying how much he was such a bad kid, he will let him see it for him to understand that he is a good kid now. "So, I'm a good boy?" He asked Yunho, feeling the tears of joy forming in his eyes for the first time before he hug Yunho tightly mumbling how thankful he was just by giving him a star. Jaejoong never felt this way, maybe his crying because he never felt important like that to anyone or because he was hoping that maybe, just maybe his father will stop beating him up for being such a bad kid. 

Meanwhile, Yunho doesn't know what to do as long as he finally felt the arms wrapping around him tightly and feeling the tears that are trailing down from Jaejoong's cheek to his shirt making a part of it slightly wet, "Yeah, you seem nice. In fact, I want to be friends with you." He answered him, unsure of how to approach the little boy who is hugging him and instead, he let his arms wrap around him, his hand rubbing the back of Jaejoong soothingly to comfort him just like how he remembers how his mother comforts him in the past, when they are still a happy family. 

"Friends?" Jaejoong asked him, unaware of the meaning of the new word he just heard from Yunho, "What does that mean?" He questioned him, pulling away from the hug and taking a few steps backward from Yunho, making sure that if ever the other will make any move or try to hurt him, he still has the time to run away.

"I don't know. My friends before left me so, I have no idea what is the complete meaning of it." He answered, "I just know that as soon as you find someone you want to play with, he or she can be your friend." He added trying to convince Jaejoong in being his friend. In the other hand, Jaejoong still doesn't get it, "D-does it hurt?" he questioned him, looking at his eyes, giving him a very curious look while hugging his mother's book. 

Yunho tilts his head, thinking for a moment, "If you are a true friend and I am a true friend to you then, it wouldn't hurt." Yunho answered, giving him a smile, "My teacher said that true friends never leave each other nor they never say goodbye, that's why it's precious and it doesn't hurt you." He added confidently, repeating just how the teacher explained it to him, "Don't worry, I am a true friend." Yunho said, reaching out his hand again. 

Jaejoong plays with the hem of his shirt, thinking whether to accept Yunho's hand or not, "Do you trust me?" He heard Yunho's soft voice, just enough to make him feel secure and safe as he met his eyes as he look up at him, nodding his own head in response and reaching out for the other's hand which is just waiting there. 

"I trust you."    

II.

They all say that pain is inevitable and only the suffering of an individual is the optional one but, how can one not suffer if the cruel thing about pain that leaves you despondent is that it always demands to be felt?

Jaejoong and Yunho slowly form a bond as days pass by so quickly, giving them just enough time to become comfortable with each other and to be friends with each other, enabling them to have a closer relationship. Yunho being the masculine and tougher one, always comforts Jaejoong when he is crying and even treat his wounds and bruises every single time they see each other or sometimes teaching him about the new things he discovered in school while in exchange, Jaejoong continues to teach Yunho about what he know about the different kinds of flowers.

"Yunho," he mumbles, looking up at Yunho who seems to be not listening to what he was explaining about the flowers, "I-is something bothering you these days?" he asked him receiving a glance at Yunho who nods his head in response.

"It's just nonsense so, don't worry." Yunho assures him for Jaejoong to not worry about him. 

"I want to know about it," Jaejoong insisted, moving besides Yunho and hugging him as he rests his head in his shoulders, "I mean I want to help you because you are my friend.” He said, waiting for his answer. 

Yunho bit his lip, remembering how all of his friends before left him as soon as they knew about what is happening to their family and Yunho didn't want Jaejoong to leave him just like how they did. "You might leave me," He blurted out, the tears in his eyes starts trailing down to his cheeks, "And I don't want to be alone and to not have any friend."

"I won't leave." Jaejoong smiled assuring him, "Yunho didn't leave me even though he saw my bruises."

Yunho smiled, remembering the times when he is very curious to know about the scars and bruises on Jaejoong's body