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Friends.

Han Soo Ah smiled when she looked at the words she scribbled on her notebook. It reminded her of how she befriended the notorious Chanyeol and the timid Jongin. They were her precious childhood friend. Soo Ah was close with all of them. But, Jongin was the one she was familiar with.

Soo Ah and Jongin met in kindergarten before they came across Chanyeol in their middle school first year. Chanyeol was a bit rowdy and wild. He and Jongin had trouble at first. They lacked communication. Jongin was easily misinterpreted of disliking Chanyeol’s and Chanyeol was quick to ball his fist against the spectacle boy.

Soo Ah was the hero of the day. She’s always there to save Jongin and stopping Chanyeol from hitting Jongin. It was tough at first. She didn’t even want to make Chanyeol a part of their group. However, before Jongin and Soo Ah had realized it, Chanyeol was like their own.

They spent a lot of time after school, talking and doing homework together. Jongin and Soo Ah sometimes had to go look for Chanyeol and made sure he stayed out of trouble. They also loved to hang out at Byun’s Tofu. They really liked the food served there - especially the fried tofu of the Byun’s. If not at the Byun, their rendezvous was sure at Angel’s Smile.

Angel’s Smile was the Black Lily’s favorite café. It was located at the heart of the town. It was popular to students. The trio usually ordered mocha and some sweets while chatting at the outside parlor of Anle (the abbreviation of Angel’s Smile). It had been four years since middle school days and today, Soo Ah was waiting for the two at their usual table.

Writing a few sentences about the word friends, she heard the chair in front her was dragged. Soo Ah looked up and saw Chanyeol with his messy red hair and his untidy appearance.

“Your shirt is wrinkled again today. Are you sure you’ve been properly ironing your shirt?” Soo Ah raised her eyebrows. She was analyzing Chanyeol from up to down. Chanyeol shrugged as he sat on the chair while sipping to his café au lait.

“What’re you doing?” Chanyeol eyed Soo Ah. The girl immediately closed her notebook and kept it in her school bag.

“Nothing. I’m just jotting down something.”

“You’re always jotting down something.” He grinned. “Except for History.”

“Everyone loves History.” She deadpanned.

Chanyeol shook his head. “You’re the fanatic one.”

Everybody in Soo Ah’s class knew how much she loves History. History is the subject that everyone often fail to get an ‘A’ even though the facts were there, as clearly stated by their History teacher. Well, if everyone just have a brain like Soo Ah when it History came in, it will become in handy.

Chanyeol and Jongin were jealous of Soo Ah when History enters. It’s like the girl became a genius suddenly!

She can read a chapter and answered all of the questions correctly. Even the boys wondered how her brain worked in actuality since she always had to go for supplementary class on summer when she failed Math. Soo Ah was also famous in the town because of her addiction towards antique things. The thing that looked unique was one of her favorite things.

The tall lad couldn’t help it when Soo Ah dragged him and Jongin to accompany her to Lapis Lazuli. The shop that was run by an old woman and the towns’ people were scared of her due to her looks. Nonetheless, the boys will knock some sense to the girl before she started spending her savings like crazy.

Jongin once told Chanyeol that he didn’t believe that Soo Ah nearly spent her money just to buy a classic English table with an antique clock. He didn’t even see it as attractive. The spectacle boy was complaining regarding the girl that wasn’t like any other girl. Chanyeol just took that chance to tease Jongin about what kind of person he likes. Of course, the matter wasn’t revealed to Soo Ah. Chanyeol remembered it like yesterday, two years before they became second year high schoolers.

It was that when Chanyeol noticed how Jongin easily flustered with Soo Ah around. He would fanned himself and murmured ‘Calm down’ to himself which the tall lad found very funny when the girl wasn’t looking. His face easily turned red when Soo Ah said he was cute.

The delinquent just laughed when he heard that. Jongin will glare at him to make him stop laughing. Despite of that, he still laughed till Soo Ah had to kick his leg a little.

“You’re smitten with her.” The boy whispered to the nerd ears. Jongin just replied Chanyeol with a weak denial.

The lad was woken up from his trance when Soo Ah greeted someone.

“Jongin! I miss you.”

Jongin made a high five with Chanyeol before sitting and smiled infectiously to the brown haired girl in front of Chanyeol.

“You don’t miss me?” Asked Jongin - His bangs always covered his forehead and his spectacle was big and it had square frame. He had an average stature but had lithe form. Soo Ah sensed the boys becoming taller these days.

“Always do.” Chanyeol grinned. “When you’re put with a girl that complains about her inferior complex of how her boyfriend will become, it made you think twice to hang out with her.”

“Meanie!” She shouted. Jongin beamed.

“I miss you too, Soo Ah.”

Soo Ah felt her heart leaping with glee. Her excitement and joy can be shown in her eyes. Chanyeol sipped on his drink. Who’s the one that cried herself two weeks ago just because Jongin can’t be home? He commented as he watched the couple.

Before the three of them entered high school, Jongin got an invitation letter from the famous boarding school in the city. The school will give Jongin a scholarship that will cover all of expenses since they had their own foundation for the students. The school also allowed the students to go back in the weekend on certain month.

Jongin’s parents encouraged him to go because that was the school where the best students go. Jongin was smart. Thus, Chanyeol and Soo Ah felt really guilty if they forced Jongin to stay just for the sake of being together. They supported him to go and told him to do his best at his new school.

On the last day of their break, Jongin confessed to Soo Ah and started dating her. Chanyeol was the backbone to Jongin’s courage. Jongin left the town with a smile, the tall lad promised him that after all.

When the new school year began, Chanyeol and Soo Ah continued their studies at Ivory High School in the town while Jongin studied at the city. It’s becoming difficult of them to hang out together due to Jongin always not there in the group.

When Jongin came back, they always made sure to meet and share their stories. They still went to Anle and Byun’s Tofu. Not as much as the old days, but it was still meaningful for them to be together.

“So…” Chanyeol began. Taking a bite of the caramel pudding, he eyed both of his friends. “June is coming, right?”

Jongin dropped his spoon as he glanced at Soo Ah. “I just hope both of you can celebrate it at my house as usual.” She uttered.

“I’m amazed of your ultimate wish, Soo Ah. The same all year, not that it’s boring. But, I guess that was one of your normalcy.” Chanyeol commented as he dig in his pudding.

“Everyone’s here just enough for me.”

“Oh, please.” Chanyeol snorted.

“Chan, you’re being rude.” Jongin whispered. Chanyeol bit his lips.

“I’m not.”

“Back to the topic, guys.” Soo Ah meddled.

“So, what present do you want?” Jongin queried.

“Yeol and me was looking around at Lapis Lazuli. I found this flower vase. It’s beautiful and breathtaking. I couldn’t take my eyes off the vase.”

Jongin raised his eyebrows as he observed Chanyeol. “I tried to get her out of that granny’s shop for one hour.” He informed.

“A vase, Chan.”

“The price was far from we can afford.” The tall boy stated. Jongin shook his head.

They’re willing to give the girl prize this year due to her lack of present when she celebrated her birthday.

The question was, how can they find a quick money for that vase?

That’s insane.

Jongin glanced to the blue sky above.

The best present, huh?