The first Christmas after Donghae meets Hyukjae, he gives Hyukjae a gift and laughs when he is embarrassed he has nothing to give in exchange.

They’ve only known each other a few months, but it already feels like half a lifetime; they hardly remember what it was like before the other one was always there. What Hyukjae does remember though, is entering the school cafeteria one lunchtime and being approached by a boy who looks about twelve years old and has one of the shyest, most hopeful smiles Hyukjae’s ever seen.

‘Hi, I’m Donghae,’ he’d said timidly. ‘Can we be friends?’

Later, Hyukjae would wonder how many people Donghae had approached and been rejected by, with his crooked teeth and long hair and regional accent. At the time though, Hyukjae just looked at him in astonishment.

‘Sure,’ he says, because he has had a falling out with his usual friends over Donkey Kong and he has nobody to sit with that day either.

Donghae’s face lights up in surprised delight and Hyukjae finds himself grinning back, belatedly clapping a hand over his mouth self-consciously. Donghae doesn’t say anything about his gummy smile, already asking him about the teachers, about lunch, about his hair (a teased, straggly cut Hyukjae is very proud of but will look back at in horror in a few years). Donghae’s family has just moved from Mokpo for reasons Donghae is vague about but he turns out to be fourteen, the same age as Hyukjae, just small, and Hyukjae is glad because he is no longer the shortest.

When Hyukjae’s friends reconcile with him a few days later, they are surprised to find themselves almost redundant; it is now Donghae that Hyukjae plays video games with after school, it is Donghae who he meets every lunchtime, it is Donghae who he saves a seat for on the school bus.

‘What’s so great about him?’ Hyukjae’s former best friend Junsu grumbles.

Hyukjae shrugs. He doesn’t know. Despite his innocent face, Donghae has a temper. He’s emotional and cries easily and wants to share everything. In contrast, Hyukjae has always been passive and likes to keep his thoughts to himself. He enjoys the summer sun an