“If you want to be my friend, you have to follow one rule.”

Jungkook huffs. He’s new to the neighborhood and he needs a friend. Whatever the rule is, it shouldn’t be hard to follow, he thinks. “Okay.”

“It’s simple! What’s yours is mine and what’s mine is yours. Deal?”

Jungkook thinks of his toys. Well, he doesn’t have a lot of toys anyway and his mom has said to him many times that sharing is caring. Seven year old Jungkook nods his head firmly. “Okay, deal.”

*

Chaeyoung excitedly shows him her tree house built by her father last year located in their backyard.

“Now that you are my friend, this tree house is yours too! Feel free to come up here whenever you want, Jungkook,” Chaeyoung beams at him.

He returns the smile but wider as he tilts his head up, looking at the large tree house in awe. He has never been in a tree house before. He’s always wanted one, but his father told him that a tree house would be a waste of energy to build and he can just hang out in the house.

He hesitates to climb up the ladder, looking back and forth between his new friend and the huge tree house. Chaeyoung seems to notice and she steps closer towards him with her teddy bear hugged close to her body.

“Are you afraid?” she asks. “Don’t be. It’s not that high.”

Jungkook shakes his head. “I’m not afraid of heights.”

“Then?”

He looks back at the tree house and thinks if he’s allowed to go up there. Of course, Chaeyoung has told him that the tree house is his too now but he might get into trouble if his mother knows.

“My mom will scold me,” Jungkook says. “She doesn’t like it if I disturb someone else’s toys or –”

His hand is grabbed by Chaeyoung before he could finish his sentence, her hand tightens as she pulls him and runs.

“Where are we going?” he asks in confusion.

She doesn’t answer and they keep on running until they stop in front of their mothers who are busy talking to each other. She lets his hand go and approaches his mother, pulls her shirt to grab attention and Jungkook’s eyes widen as he watches Chaeyoung whispering to his mother.

His mother furrows her brows and when Chaeyoung pulls back and his mother stands up straight again, the woman turns to him and a slow, genuine smile is displayed on her face. “Go ahead, Jungkook,” his mother says, nodding her head to where the tree house is located.

He has known Chaeyoung for less than an hour but he feels like their friendship is going to last long.

*

Chaeyoung is such a lovable person and Jungkook will never want someone else to replace her as his best friend. But, of course, there are times when she annoys him the most, and most of the time, it’s because of that rule she made.

They are in the tree house, each with their own coloring books and with their own set of color pencils.

There are times when Jungkook hates the idea of sharing and today is that one of those times. He finally gets a new set of color pencils after the old set has been stolen in school by the bullies. Jungkook doesn’t care if Chaeyoung wants to try his color pencils but it doesn’t mean that she gets to use them first before him. They’re new and Jungkook wants to use them all before he lets her try it.

So when Chaeyoung grabs the pink one and colors her book with it without his permission, Jungkook snaps at her.

“That’s mine, Chaeyoung!”

Chaeyoung is surprised for a second before she laughs. “What’s yours is mine too, Jungkook. And what’s mine is yours.”

Jungkook swats her hand that’s holding the pencil. “That doesn’t mean you can use it first!”

Her eyes are wide in shock as she stares at him and he can see that she’s trying to hold herself from crying but he doesn’t care. There’s limit to everything, including the stupid rule she has made and she needs to know that.

“What would you feel if I use your book even though you haven’t written anything in it?” he asks angrily at her.

“I…” she pauses, blinks a few times as a sad frown takes over her cheerful expression. “I don’t mind.”

Jungkook grits his teeth and grabs her coloring book and throws it out the window. Chaeyoung gasps, stares at him in shock and cries silently. He glares at her and climbs down the ladder in hurry, and runs back home.

Hours later after dinner, there’s a knock on their house’s door and it’s Chaeyoung’s mother.

“Chaeyoung doesn’t want to leave the tree house up until now. Can you help me get her, Jungkook?” her mother asks him with a worried expression.

Guilt washes over him and he is embarrassed to face her again but it’s impossible to say no to her mother. Besides, his own mother pushes him out of the house and tells him to see Chaeyoung and tell her to go down.

Jungkook sees her coloring book on the ground and he picks it up slowly. Swallowing the thick lump and embarrassment down his throat, he climbs up and sees her curling in the corner, facing the wall. He hears sniffs and hiccups. Slowly, he approaches her figure on the floor and sits behind her.

“Chaeyoung,” he begins and she is quick to turn around to face him.

He knows that she’s been crying but he doesn’t expect to see her face to be so wet and red.

“I’m sorry, Jungkook,” she says through her sobs. “I’ll buy you a new one, I promise. But please don’t hate me.”

He totally doesn’t expect that and it makes him feel even bad for what he did. Slowly, Jungkook shakes his head as he looks down. “I’m sorry for throwing your book. And for getting angry.”

Chaeyoung rubs her eyes with her wrists. “Do you hate me?”

He looks at her tears-filled eyes and shakes his head as he tells her the truth. “No. I am still angry but I don’t hate you.”

“Are you going to stop being my friend?”

No one has ever cared about him leaving before. The appre