They say that people change as they grow up, that they want different things, that you don’t want the same things when you’re six and when you’re sixteen, and it might be true. Jieqiong, for example, when she was seven years old she wanted to be a circus artist, when she was eight she wanted to be an airplanes pilot, when she was nine she wanted to be an astronaut, and it wasn’t until the age of eighteen that she made a final decision. Every year she wanted to be something different, she liked a different type of music, she had a different favorite ice cream flavor and different posters on her wall. But she has always wanted to be with Eunwoo, beyond all of the superficial changes, Eunwoo had been a constant in her life. First as her best friend, later as a lot more. And she knew Eunwoo felt the same way. They grew up together wanting to stay together, through all sorts of changes, the only thing they never wanted to change, was each other.

In a very basic level they always belonged to each other. At first they would get angry whenever the other paid more attention to other kids, like the day Eunwoo decided to clay-play with Chanwoo. With Chanwoo! Eunwoo, were you out of your mind? Jieqiong spent the entire break not talking to her because she had preferred to play with that crazy clay-mixer than with her. Jealousy, jealousy because they were bestfriends and no one could get in the way. At first that was it, the ‘bestfriends’ kind of jealousy… later it turned into a worse kind, the kind of jealousy that eats you up on the inside and won’t let you sleep, eat, or even breathe without it hurting a little.

Eunwoo never liked it when people stared at Jieqiong more than they should, and they did, oh yes, they did it a lot. Both guys and girls, they stared at her when they were walking down the street or when they were drinking in a bar, they stared at Jieqiong anywhere and everywhere. But could she blame them? Yes, she could! In fact she did, and sent them death glares until they realized and stopped wearing her girlfriend out.

Jieqiong didn’t even realize the impact she caused. Jieqiong didn’t realize how incredible and absolutely beautiful she was. And if she did realize she preferred to ignore it. That’s what Jieqiong was like, the girl Eunwoo has known since forever. Their lives were one. The same memories, same experiences…

They were always together.

Jieqiong and Eunwoo at age 7.

It was a Sunday afternoon and they had been there for a really long time, in the furthest corner of Eunwoo’s yard. Jieqiong had convinced her friend to help her find bottles. Bottles of anything. Empty bottles. Eunwoo had agreed easily even without knowing what the object of such collection was. So Jieqiong, Eunwoo and Mongshi had spent the whole afternoon looking for bottles all over the surrounding area. Right, they didn’t find many so they went into the Jungs’ house and emptied a few bottles they found in the fridge while Jia and Jessica were occupied in the living room. Jieqiong drunk a coke, Eunwoo had an orange juice and they filled Mongshi’s plate with apple juice. They emptied two bottles of beer by pouring the content in the sink and they were ready. Ready to carry out whatever the younger girl had in mind.

To improve her aiming, that’s what Jieqiong wanted and the brunette had been sitting on the floor with Mongshi for almost an hour, behind her friend, watching as she threw rocks at cans with a slingshot, trying to knock them down, but not always achieving it. Alright, she almost never achieved it, but Eunwoo applauded loudly whenever one of the cans fell down. Moral support. Mongshi, on the other hand, would run to play with the cans or bottles that fell down until he’d get tired and would go back to the brunette.

“I don’t think you can work in the circus.” Eunwoo said while playing with an herb between her fingers. 
“I can, I’ll work in the circus and let you come for free.” Jieqiong insisted, closing one eye and sticking out her tongue while trying to aim accurately at a can of Pepsi, “I’ll be an equilibrist.” She sentenced. 
“No. I don't want you to be an equilibrist.” Eunwoo opposed, “What if you fall and you die?” she asked concerned. 
“Alright. I‘ll be a tamer of lions and tigers.” Jieqiong decided then. 
“No. They could eat you.” The brunette vetoed again. “I’ll only let you be a magician.” she informed her and Jieqiong threw another rock, failing the shot. 
“Okay. I’ll be a magician.” She accepted, looking for another rock on the ground.

Eunwoo stared at her, still not very convinced of Jieqiong’s professional future. The youngest observed her for a moment. She looked sad.

“What’s wrong?  I already told you I’ll be a magician.” Jieqiong reminded her.
“ Yeah… but the circus is always traveling and I would never see you” the brunette admitted, staring at her hands.
“Yes you would, you have to work at the circus with me. I’ve already thought about it, you’ll be a clown… it suits you” Jieqiong mocked her and Eunwoo playfully hit her leg. 
 

Jieqiong laughed when she got to annoy the brunette and put another rock inside her pocket. She was finding plenty. Eunwoo was too quiet, it meant she was thinking about how to tell her something important. 

“Pinky…”  There it was.
“What?” The youngest asked, focusing on her friend.

“We’re going to be bestfriends forever, right?” Eunwoo asked seriously. 

“Of course!” the black-haired girl guaranteed. 

“And we’ll live in the same place, right?” the brunette continued. 

“I’ve told you we’re going to be neighbors.” Jieqiong reassured her. “We will be able to spend the whole day together, we’ll work at the circus and live next to each other.”  She planned. 

“What if your husband doesn’t want you to live there?” Eunwoo frowned.

“I won’t marry anyone who doesn’t want to live where you live.”

“Really?” she smiled slightly.

“Really.” Jieqiong reassured her, sitting down by her side. “I know who you are going to marry, though.” She added, looking at Eunwoo and the latter frowned, not really sure that she wanted to go on with that conversation. 

“Right… who?” she asked somewhat hesitant. 

“Vernon.” The youngest informed her, as if that was on her to assure.

“Ughhhhh… no!” Eunwoo laughed, making Jieqiong laugh as well.

“Yes, because he likes you, Cheng Xiao told me” Jieqiong poked her. 

“But he eats his boogers!” Eunwoo exclaimed completely disgusted. 

“Better for you then… you won’t have to cook for him.” The youngest pointed out and laughed even more because Eunwoo’s face showed more disgust than any, any face had ever shown. “He likes you, Eunwoo, he’s going to give you a kiss.” She revealed. 

“What?! I don’t want that bugger eater to kiss me!” She deplored.

Jieqiong shrugged, there was nothing she could do about it and she felt sorry for her friend, she really did.

“But he likes you and he told Seungkwang he’s going to kiss you. Cheng Xiao told me.” She repeated.

“But…!”  the brunette started to whi