It was a Sunday morning when Hina decided to skip her tutor sessions for tomorrow. She was playing on one of the swings when suddenly her good friend Jaemin came. 

"Hey. I heard from mom that you'll be having a vacation at Japan?" 

"Yeah. We leave tonight." Hina smiled as she offered her other banana milk to her friend

"So no tutor then?" Jaemin punctured his straw and sipped the milk while looking at Hina as she shook her head and pouted worry evident in her eyes, "don't worry, Hina-chang I'll go and tell Ms. Kim you're out of town for a few weeks, she'll understand."

"It's not that. It's just that I am so behind on my school especially with hangul writing. It's so difficult." She pouted and continued to sip her drink

Jaemin, the 5 year old kid stared at her for a good amount and smiled indicating he had an idea.

"How about I keep copies of the lessons while you're away? So that once you get back we can study it together." 

"You'd do that?" 

"Of course. We're bestfriends right? And besides, you helped me with fractions before so this is just a payback for your kindness." He patted Hina on the head and messed with her bangs earning a cute groan from the girl.

"Hina!!! Come on, baby. We need to pack your bag." Her mom called, Hina quickly stood up and smiled at the boy.

"Promise, okay?" Hina let out her fist waiting for the boy to do the same

"Promise." Jaemin smiled and they fist bump. They did not do it the typical way like pinky swears, but they knew how those action meant to them

"See you when I get back!" Hina said while running towards her mother and Jaemin replied with a loud "YES" and waved his hand until the 2 ladies disappeared.

Jaemin stayed on the swings while finishing his drink. He chuckled as he remembered how Hina and him became friends. 

"Hey! Banana Milk!" The girl exclaimed pointing at the boy's lunchbox

Jaemin, being the quiet shy one, looked at the girl weirdly and back at his lunchbox

"Want one?" He offered, which Hina smiled and nodded her head

Jaemin smiled at her cuteness and gave her his last Banana Milk

"I'm Hina. I'm new here and just moved from Japan. My mom is Korean though so that's why I'm here." She introduced herself and opened the drink, as she sip thru her straw, she waited for the boy to introduce himself

"Jaemin." He said, nodding to the girl

"I guess we'll be tutor buddies." 

Jaemin looked at her in a weird way.

"Ms. Kim? She is your teacher also right? Let me guess, Hangul lessons?"

Jaemin shook his head, "no. Math." 

"Oh. Well, I'm good at math, maybe I can teach you also if you teach me some korean words" 

"Alright you two have seem to met each other already." Their teacher suddenly came and squatted down to talk to them, "I'll be your tutor, my name is Kim Taeyeon." She said and explained that they will be classmates for the time being. 

As Jaemin studied for Math, Hina at the same time focused on her Korean Language and writing. They saw each other almost every day after classes and every summer morning. Most days after their classes they would often play and stay at each other's houses for sleepovers. Often times, they would just go to the playground and play with dirt all day. 

That's how they became best of friends. 

_____________________________________________________________

"Yah. You are so clumsy!" Hina suddenly whined and shook her head

"Pipe it down. It's not like you're the one that will be scolded for these dirty clothes." Jaemin scoffed and tried to remove the stain of cola on his uniform.

It was the first week of classes, they are currently in middle school, 5th grade, and were classmates. Jaemin suddenly opened his canned soda when he didn't realize it fizzes all over the place, spilled and stained his uniform.

"Wanna borrow my gym clothes?" Hina offered which Jaemin declined immediately

"Thanks but it won't fit me." 

They were still wiping the stained uniform to dry off when one of their classmates approached them

"I have a spare uniform in my locker. I can lend it to you if you like." 

"Really? That would be awesome, man! Thanks!" Jaemin perked up and smiled widely, he then proceeded in taking the clothes from the chubby kid and went to the bathroom to change

"Thanks for lending him clothes. He is a clumsy kid, that Jaemin." Hina said and let out her hand, "I'm Hina. Gong Hina. You're Jeno right? The new kid from Mokpo?" 

The boy nodded, fixing his glasses as he shake hands with the girl, "Lee Jeno." 

"Nice to meet you. That there is my best friend, Jaemin. Na Jaemin, he's a clumsy kid but you know." Hina shrugged and smiled at him.

"Hey thanks for this. I feel so refreshed." Jaemin came back wearing Jeno's uniform, smiling widely as he approached the boy, "as for your gratitude, let me give you this." 

"Strawberry milk? How'd you know this is my favorite?" Jeno asked, eyes wide.

"I didn't. I just bought that since there were no banana milk left. Oh by the way, hina catch." Jaemin said and threw the banana milk to the girl as he sipped his

"Thank you also for this." Jeno smiled and bowed down

"So, I heard you're from Mokpo. Why'd you move?" Jaemin sat beside Jeno and Hina followed suit.

Jeno wasn't really the outgoing type of guy since he was bullied by his chubby exterior from his past school, hence his parents decided to move away for a new environment

"That's so wrong!" Hina exclaimed and pouted

"Yeah. You're not even that fat." Jaemin added which earned a slap from Hina "ouch! Hey! What" 

Jeno laughed at how cute the 2 bickered

"No worries, Lee Jeno, from now on we'll be your friends and protector. No one will bully you and if they did bully you, Hina can slap them." Jaemin exclaimed and swung an arm around the boy, Hina nodded and laughed.

The 3 were inseperable since then. They all graduate and went to the same High school together. And even though they weren't always in the same classes, their friendship still remained. 

They did made new friends along the way but the 3 of them were the originals. 

"Friend forever, alright?" Hina let out her fist and the 2 guys smiled

"Forever." And they fistbumped.

___________________________________________________________

It was a Sunday afternoon, Hina was chilling in her house when she received a text message from Koeun.

She quickly opened her door and greeted the older girl.

"So... how'd it go?" Hina asked as she served iced tea and lounge on the couch.

Koeun sighed as she drinks her icy beverage, "Yeri's not talking to me. And neither is Mark."

Hina swing her arms around Koeun and lightly patted her arms.

"What did you exactly say?" Hina asked

"I told Yeri that I like Mark." Hina's eyes widen, "then she just smiled at me and left. Without even saying anything."

"And Mark oppa?" 

"I didn't confessed or anything- he just told me one night to tell him to not date Yeri." 

"He what?" Hina, confused, asked

"He walked me home after class, he then asked me if he should accept Yeri's date offer. I didn't speak and was about to go inside and..."

Hina was diligently listening,

"And he told me to tell him to not date Yeri. 'Just tell me to not date her, Koeun' was his exact words" 

Hina squealed and smiled at Koeun

"You're so dense, Koeun unnie. That means he likes you and not Yeri!" 

"Yeah but he's not talking to me so even if your assumption is true I still lost 2 of my bestfriends." Hina pouted and hugged Koeun again trying to console her

As they were talking, Hina cannot imagine how bad she would feel when she lose her bestfriends. She can't help but deeply sigh at the thought of them leaving her. 

"I need to tell you something."

Those words kept repeating on her mind as if it's a broken record track. She has a hint on what they will talk about but she's too scared to even know about it. 

"Hina?" Koeun called out, interrupting her thoughts

"Oh? Sorry, what were you saying?" 

Koeun chuckled, "boy problem?"

Hina's eyes widen and tried to deny it but Koeun knows her better, "is it about Jaemin? Or Jeno? I'm not sure." 

Hina sighed, "I'm just confused." 

"Why? Do you like them?" 

"No.. but yeah... I mean his my bestfriend and-"

"But you like him?"

Hina nodded.

"And does he like you?" 

Hina stared at Koeun, then sighed. 

"If he likes you, what's the problem then?"

"I don't want to ruin our friendship." 

"Aigoo my little cat is all grown up having 2 guys like him." Koeun teased which made Hina groaned loudly

"Unnie be serious. I'm in a tragic state at the moment here. I can't just reject the other one and accept the affection of the other. I'd still lose them and-"

"Life is about losing people along the way. That's called growing up." Koeun cutted and smiled bitterly, "you see, whatever choice you make, if it's rejecting them both or accepting one, you'd still lose one of them."

Hina lowered her head and sighed, she doesn't want to hurt their feelings but she also doesn't want to lose them but Koeun's words were right. She is always right. 

"Follow your heart." Koeun said and gave Hina her phone, as she stood and picked up some water in the fridge.

Hina unlocked her phone and replied to the message. 

"Alright. Meet you at the cafe, 2pm. See you." - Hina

Message sent to Lee Jeno.

Her heart was pounding as she let out a deep breathe. It's now or never. She thought.