Joon’s paw lands on the white and silver diagram.

“Are you sure about your choice, Joon?” teases the boy, rubbing the dog’s fluffy head.

Joon frowns, nodding and wagging his tail impatiently. The boy relents and chooses a dark purple colour. Slowly, he follows the instructions and folds the intricate bits. Finally, an origami crane is produced, albeit slightly crooked.

“Look!” semi-yells Wonpil. “Not too bad, if I daresay so myself.”

Joon barks in amusement, rubbing his head against the boy’s hand. He sneakily picks it up in his mouth, smiling. The boy stares at him carefully.

“As long you don’t eat him, you can bring him along for a run,” warns the pianist.

And so Joon does. Scampering around like a mad one given a new toy, he flies past the other four boys.

“Joon, don’t eat strange things,” says Dowoon worriedly, walking after him.

Although he is led around the apartment unit foolishly, he ends up returning to where Wonpil was. He grins at the drummer, in the midst of folding his fourth one.

“Make more origami cranes with me?” he asks, wide-eyed. “They say if we make enough and tie them in a bunch, wishes can come true.”

“What kind of wish would you want to wish, Wonpil?” asks Dowoon in an almost childish giggle, taking a green piece of paper.

“I can’t tell you, or else they won’t come true,” he says solemnly, his eyes turning a curious dark. “But you already know one of them. I would definitely love you to become my little brother, Dowoon!”

The other three members laugh upon hearing the drummer’s loud protests for being piggybacked by the self-proclaimed older brother.

[click here to continue]