"Even if reality deceives me. My morning will be as bright as the sun. We’ll have a child who resembles you, who will wake me up in the morning."
~ Yegam

Jiyong's POV

"Appa!" I was welcomed with a tight hug as soon as I got home. 

"Seungjae-ah it's getting late, why are you still awake?"

"I want you to meet my new friend." he said before taking my hand, leading me to our bedroom. 

"Eomma bought me this one." he was giddy to show me his new dinosaur toy. "Appa meet my chingu-yah."

"Nice to meet you, Seungjae's chingu. Have you thought of a name for your friend?"

He shook his head. There was a light knock on the door, "Seungjae-ah it's time for bed. Your appa must be tired, he needs rest too." he quickly obeyed his mom and went straight to bed. 

"Good night eomma. Good night appa. Seungjae loves both of you." he said, rubbing his eyes.

"Good night my precious son." I said as I kissed his forehead. Then he drifted to dreamland. 

- - -

I know my wife and my son hated that I drink, but I decided to bolt down a soju to alleviate my stress, work has been hectic for the past few days. I was about to grab another bottle when my phone buzzed. I got a call from Sunghoon.

- - -

“How many bottles did you finish tonight?” I was quite startled upon seeing my wife, I haven’t heard anything as she went out of the bedroom. “I just had two.” I quickly told her.

“Just two, huh?” she said, crossing her arms.

"Yeobo?"

"Ne?"
"The guys have been planning to reunite."

"That sounds great! I'm glad that it's happening. You haven't seen each other for so long." my wife sat beside me.

"They also want to see Seungjae."

"Oh how Seungjae wants to see them too. He wanted to meet his samchons, you’ve told him a lot of wonderful things about them .. yeobo, is something bothering you?"

“I’m glad that I’m finally going to see them again. I’m actually thrilled that the time has come for them to meet Seungjae. But it’s uncertain if Jaeduck hyung will come, it would be better if everyone is there. Especially knowing that ..”

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23 years ago

"Guess I'll be stuck with you until college." Jiyong said as he saw that he and Sunghoon are still classmates. Both of them have known each other in primary school.

"I hope you're not tired of seeing this face Jiyong-ah." Sunghoon said dramatically before smiling widely at his friend.

How time flies, they are freshmen now. Both of them roaming the halls, looking for their classroom.

“How was your vacation Jiyong-ah?”

“It was great! I got to spend it with my grandparents. Halmeoni prepared a lot of delicious food.” 

“Looks like you haven’t eaten anything. You didn’t even gain weight.” Sunghoon teased Jiyong.

“Yah! I did eat a lot. I don’t know what’s wrong with my body. How was your vacation anyway?”

“I actually got to learn a lot, eomma made me study so I did.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me. You? Studying? Kang Sunghoon studying on summer vacation. That doesn’t sound right. Someone pinch me, I must be dreaming.”

Sunghoon rolled his eyes before pinching Jiyong firmly on his cheeks. “You’re not dreaming chingu-yah.” Jiyong flinched in pain. “What was that for? It hurts!”

“Just to let you know that you’re not dreaming.”

“I think my face is swollen or it’s going to have a bruise.” Jiyong frowned at Sunghoon who was rummaging his bag. “Aww poor Jiyongieee .. ” Sunghoon bit his lip upon seeing what he has done. “Mianhaeyo Jiyong-ah, it’s having a red mark already.”

- - -

Sunghoon and Jiyong were lining up to get their lunch at the cafeteria, when they run into some of their friends from pirimary school. “What happened to your face Jiyong-ah?” asked one of them, as he noticed that Jiyong was applying an ice pack to his face. Sunghoon laughed nervously. “I kind of pinched his cheeks hard.” After a small talk with their friends, they went looking for an empty table. 

“Have you noticed that Suwon kid?” asked Sunghoon.

“The one sitting in front?”

Sunghoon nods.

“Why are you calling him a kid? He’s just the same age just like us.”

“He keeps on staring at me back in class. Is there a dirt on my face or something?”

“Do you want a red mark just like what you did to my face? I can pinch you right now.” Jiyong reached for Sunghoon’s face but he was quick to cover it.

“Maybe he hates you.”

“I’m not even doing anything.” Sunghoon shrugs.

“He probably likes you.”

“Jiyong-ah!” Sunghoon glares at him. 

“Pabo-yah! Not the way you’re thinking right now. Have you heard of admiration? Someone you can look up to?”

Sunghoon laughs out of embarrassment.

“Ask him why he’s acting like that. I guess that won’t hurt.”

“You’re right Jiyong-ah. Let’s go then!”

“Wait, let me finish eating first.”

- - -

They both followed Suwon after their class dismissal. Sunghoon wanted to get some answers from him.

“You’re being suspicious. It’s like we’re doing something bad to him.” Jiyong whispered.

They followed him to the bus stop. But Jiyong can’t take it anymore, the situation had made Suwon uneasy. “Uh, excuse me? My friend right here, wants to ask you something.” he smiled awkwardly before dragging the flustered Sunghoon in front.

“Jang Suwon, right?”

The anxious boy nods in response.

“Sorry if I’m being nosy, I just noticed that you kept on staring at me back in our classes. It made me wonder if I had done something.”

“I .. I was ..”

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not mad.” Sunghoon said as he noticed Suwon’s reluctance.

"I just think that both of you looks cool to be friends with." he muttered. "I'm sorry if it made you uncomfortable. I thought you got lost and entered the wrong class, that's why I kept on staring. I thought you were a 7th grader."

Jiyong erupted in laughter upon hearing the boy's response. "That happens a lot to him. Aside from hearing how handsome he is or how he does have a killer smile. He's often mistaken as a kid. Right Sunghoon-ah? "

"Ha ha ha shut up Jiyong-ah."

"Sorry if I haven't properly introduced myself,  I'm Jang Suwon."

"Nice to meet you Suwon. I'm Kang Sunghoon."

"I'm Ko Jiyong, pleased to meet you."

That fated day marks the start of their friendship. They'd always come to the bus stop together, with smiles on their faces.