Jongin’s five and a half, his sister is turning eight and today is her birthday party. He eyes the Mario T-shirt and overalls laid out for him to wear. He doesn’t want to wear that.

Instead, he crawls over to his big box of favorite things and fishes out his favorite dress. It’s the pink fairy dress his big sister outgrew. He takes out the fairy wings, too.

Fairies are pretty, overalls are not.

He dresses himself, as he’s totally big now, brushes his hair and puts on some baby powder on his face. When he’s fully satisfied with himself, he goes downstairs and out to the garden, where the party is.

He starts looking for Kyungsoo, the boy from next door, but before he manages to find him, Jongin’s mother stops him on his tracks.

“Jongin!” she looks equal parts shocked and awed, and scans him from head to toe. She heatedly whispers, “What are you wearing?!”

“My favorite dress…?”

“Boys don’t wear dresses! Go change into the overalls I ironed for you.”

“I felt like wearing a dress today. I don’t wanna change,” he pouts.

His father comes up. “Jongin?!”

His mother gives his dad a look, one of those strange looks they like to share sometimes. His father, too, crouches down in front of Jongin, “Jonginnie, go change, we’re about to sing the birthday song now.”

“But I don’t wanna change!”

His defiance causes guests standing nearby to stare.

His dad gets up, “Come, let’s talk this out inside, where it’s quieter.” He holds Jongin’s arm and tries to drag him inside, but Jongin protests. He knows that if he were to go inside with his dad now, his dad will somehow make him change out of the dress.

He uses his best weapon: he starts crying.

More and more people look their way, and the kids too, and his sister looks mortified, but Jongin doesn’t care. He wants to wear this dress!

His parents try consoling him. His dad tries picking him up, but Jongin fights. His fairy wings fall off.

It’s his grandma who finally says, “Oh, just let him wear it!”

Jongin trails to a corner to finish his sobbing.

The guests settle down, they resume their small talks and the kids resume their big talks. His dad calls everyone to sing the birthday song.

That’s when Kyungsoo from next door walks up to him.

“Hey.”

“Hi,” Jongin hiccups and wipes his eyes.

Kyungsoo leans closer to him and whispers in his ear, “You’re the prettiest in the whole entire party,” then he leans back and flashes Jongin his big, heart shaped smile.

“Squishy…” Jongin mumbles.

Kyungsoo doesn’t stop there. He leans in again, kisses Jongin on the cheek and grabs Jongin’s hand in his.

Jongin’s heart starts beating fast for the first time in his life. Faster than fairy wings.

They go to the pond behind Jongin's house and watch the fish swimming there.

(∥￣■￣∥)

lol