When I was 5 years old I was presented with a little white-haired puppy for my birthday and said that from that day on, all the cares for him would fall on my shoulders. I was so happy that finally, after so many persuasions and requests, they gave me a puppy that I agreed without thinking. Although at the age of 5 you think about something, except about a puppy. I called him Gucci and everywhere I dragged with him.

***

When I was 7 years old, I was allowed to take Gucci for a walk on my own. We went out to the park and walked there, sometimes we visited ducks in the pond, he would always be on my leash. Under the watchful eye of parents. Until one day, a couple of weeks later, my parents were convinced that I was not going to go beyond the prescribed route, they allowed me to walk myself, only after every half hour to call.

On one of such joyful days, I walked Gucci, the sun was shining, but the day was not hot, refreshing. Around not a soul. I thought, why not remove the collar, let my dog ​​walk up. It did so. His white coat sparkled in the rays of sunlight, he stood out among the tall grass, even if he was hiding behind the trees. I ran after him, having fun until I got tired, sat down on a bench, just watching my tomboy. Several hours passed, we had to return home, I called Gucci, but no one came running to my call.

- Gucci, boy, come to me! - called, but all without result. I became worried, began to look for him, my heart pounded with fear that I could lose him. “Gucci, baby, don’t scare me like that!” Where are you, Gucci?

I ran for a long time until I heard an evil growl and a mournful whining. I immediately ran in that direction and saw a big angry dog ​​stick to my Gucci. She snarled, hung over him, frightening her height. A little more and would open and tear my Gucci, if not for the little girl who stood up for my Gucci.

She was shorter than me , in shorts and a voluminous T-shirt, if not for her loose black hair, she would have thought that this was a boy. Putting her small hands on her hips, spreading her legs, she looked menacingly at the dog and tried to push him a little stutter, pointing her finger at the dog's face:

- Don't you dare touch him! He is still small and cannot fight back! Go and find someone worthy of you! Go away - stamped her leg.

Either the confident appearance of the girl, or something else, but the dog, tail-tail running away. The girl sank down, picked up Gucci in my arms, came up to me, handed:

- Your dog? I nodded, sniffing my nose. - Do not cry, everything is fine with her. Better go for a walk next time, okay? - I nodded again, she smiled broadly at me, waved her hand, and left.

I would like to ask for a name, but I caught myself too late, the girls and the trace caught a cold. I hoped that the girl here, often comes here for a walk, maybe we will make friends. Now I had only one friend, Chaeyoung, her mother and my mother once studied together too.

***

When I was 10 years old, I met that girl again, my Knight in shining armor. She saved me again. Only not from the dog, but from the hooligans who were pestering me, mocking my skin color. Chaeyoung was not around, so they chose a good moment when I was going home alone. They oppressed me, squeezed me into a corner, pulled my hair, calling:

- Yield! Why are your ears so long? You're Yoda, huh? Are you an alien? Ha ha ha, look at her, ha ha ha.

This went on for some time, while my legs gave way, sat on the dirt and dusty ground, hid her head between my legs, cried quietly. I did not understand why I was being bullied, what I did to them wrong. Over time, I began to hate my nickname, Yoda, I hate him.

“Ha ha ha, she cries, why are you roaring, Yoda?” If you snag, will it be worse, truncated?

- Hey you, leave her alone! - I heard a familiar voice, looked out from under the overhanging hair at the little girl who was running towards us, the same one who had saved my dog ​​3 years ago. She has not changed, the same low, the same clothes and the same black developing hair.

- Go your way! /Do you know her? / Hey, you don’t need to mess with her, let's better leave - quiet voices rushed from all sides .

- Do not pay attention to them, they simply envy our beauty and unusualness - the girl comforted me my head. - Everything, don’t cry, they won’t come anymore. All right. You know, they should be afraid of you, and not vice versa. Do you know why? - removed the hair from her eyes, peered into my eyes. “You're taller than them, that's why, ha ha ha.” Come on, get up, you need to put you in order. Come on, I'll take him to the restroom.

“I ... I ... thank you,” she managed to squeeze out words of gratitude. I would like to ask a name, but courage was enough only for these words.

- Do not be afraid, I will be there, if that!

***

When I was 12 years old, my Knight in shining armor helped me again. She took out my ball, which caught on the high top of the tree. We walked with my parents in the park, dad bought me a balloon that looked like a cute dog, I held it in my hand, but a strong wind blew out of nowhere, pulled it out.

- Oh my ball! I exclaimed, pointing to a flying ball . - Dad! Mama! Ball!

“Leave it, buy it again,” my father replied, but I only wanted him, so we went after him. He didn’t have to go long, they immediately found him, caught on a thread on a branch of a tall tree.

“I would get it for you, but too high,” my father shook his head, my mother gently patted her shoulder, I, with my head down, did not argue. Looking again at the ball, she sighed, followed her parents. Not even a couple of steps from the place I heard:

- Wait! - a girl with unusual hair, the color of a sea wave, ran to me in all pairs. Her broad smile lit up her fair skin. She was all shining. - that is yours? - holding my ball in her right hand, she asked.

“Yes, mine,” she confirmed. She shone even brighter, handed me a ball:

- Hold tight, do not let go, the next time you may just not get lucky - she waved her hand and disappeared again. “I may not be there.”

***

At the age of 14, I finally found out the name of the girl that I wanted to be like since childhood. I don’t think she remembered me, and I didn’t talk about those cases. I was shy. I was silent and looked, admired her from afar, already rejoiced that we became friends. And who would have thought that all this time Chaeyoung knew her. And what exactly does Chaeyoung bring her to me, with ridiculous waved hands and a loud call to their table during lunch at school:

- Unnie! DaHyun-unnie! Hey i'm here! Here! I took your place!

“Who is DaHyun-unnie?” She asked curiously, chewing her food.

“I have long wanted to introduce you to her, but you always had some business, and you did not come to our meetings.” But now you won’t get away. I'll introduce you now.

“Chaeyoung, why yell at the whole dining room - a girl was approaching us, carrying a tray full of food in her hands.” This time her hair color was multi-colored, but I still recognized her, my Knight in shining armor. “Hi, I’m DaHyun, and you must be the best friend of Chaeyoung Yong from Taiwan, right?” The one you wanted to introduce me to? - She smiled affably, sitting down next to Chaeyoung and immediately taking a pancake from her plate.

- Hey, this is mine! - she was indignant, trying to intercept the pancake, but DaHyun was faster, putting it in , smiling happily.

“Hello, I Tzuyu, nice to meet you.” She bowed politely, thinking to herself that she did not recognize me.

- Hello, Tzuyu. Hmm, I think your face is familiar, have we met before somewhere? - DaHyun said thoughtfully looking over my face, chewing on a stolen pancake. - I don’t remember, maybe they just passed by in the corridors or met somewhere on the street, okay, then I’ll remember. And now I'm interested in a completely different issue, and it is the most important.

- What's question? - revived Chaeyoung, fully concentrating on the words of a friend.

“Did you miss me, tiger?” - flattening her cheeks with her palms, she asked.

“Unnie, let go!” - the girl burst out, but no forces could push the older girl away from her. She finally gave up, nodded her head:

- I missed you.

“Thinking of me?” - still did not lift her hands, carefully examining her face.

- I thought.

- Good things? - here DaHyun saw how she was confused, and after a minute delay, she nodded. - You are lying! What did you say about me this time? - Tickled her thumbs behind her ears, she giggled. - Tell the truth!

“Ha ha ha, unnie, that's enough, I won’t say anything anyway - I curled up from tickling, laughing, refused to answer Chaeyoung.

They looked so cute and comfortable with each other, and yet I was interested in one question, and my jealous heart asked before I thought it over :

“Are you both dating?”

- Ha! / What? / No! - both stopped their fun, stared at the tall girl, then looked at themselves, bounced off each other, waved their hands.

“ Ahem , we are always like this when we meet during a break,” DaHyun explained, clearing , not looking at Chaeyoung. “Chaeyoung, like a little brother to me.”

“The same thing, unnie, she's my bro .” You would know this for a long time, if you had agreed to meet DaHyun-unnie long ago - you pointed a finger accusingly at her.

They do not meet, my poor heart rejoiced. Although I myself did not understand the reason.

After that day, we began to see more often, my confirmation that DaHyun Knight in shining armor was always confirmed. She noticed any trifle, always took care of us, deviated branches from my path, protected Chaeyoung from falling or accidental collision with a pillar. I always came to the rescue, at the first call from their classmates, when they ran to her, screaming on the go that Chaeyoung again got into a fight or had problems. Yes, she was exactly the person whom I imagined myself, and whom I wanted to equal.

Our friendship developed, and soon our trinity became known as the School Food Club. Kim DaHyun was the leader, Chaeyoung was the secretary, and I took the place of honor and I saw the youngest, although Chaeyoung and I are the same age. Oh, what we just did not do! What just did not invent! What just did not do!

I was glad every moment spent with them.

I enjoyed and thought that this comfort lasted a long time, until the end of our graduation from school.

But one case has changed everything. He made our meetings empty and unfriendly, the fun all disappeared. And I felt terribly lonely, although Chaeyoung and DaHyun were next to me. Nearby, only apart.

It happened when I was 16 years old.

***

DaHyun ran headlong, pushed all who were in the classroom, ran up to Chaeyoung Yong sitting on the floor, knelt down, tearfully asking:

- What happened?

“It's okay, unnie, she just twisted her ankle, and that’s it - she dismissed her concern, raising her eyes to the crying girl, then she kept a sharp eye on Tzuyu. “I asked you not to tell them anything.”

- Chaeyoung, you need to see a nurse, but what if it’s not a stretch, but something else - without asking a friend, she grabbed it under her knees and carried it out of the classroom. - Warden tell the teacher that I will take care of Chaeyoung.

- Let go, unnie, do not disgrace me - blushing, cried Chaeyoung, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend's neck and hiding in the neck. “I'm fine, honestly.”

- Tzu, how did it all happen? Why was Chaeyoung sitting on the floor? Someone pushed her, huh? Those girls that bothered her, huh? - quickly rearranging her legs, she hurried to the nurse, was interested in me.

- Nothing has happened! And no one clung to me, it happened so! Therefore, put me on the ground, I myself will come! - grumbled Chaeyoung Yong, trying to break out of her arms. “DaHyun-unnie, I'm telling someone, let me go!” And you - do not dare me!

“Tzu, tell me the truth,” she asked, and I gave up, I just could not bear the begging look from her.

- In general, nothing significant happened, just someone said something and Chaeyoung slapped a slap in the face, received the same blow in response, but instead of holding back, her body was knocked down, and, well, she accidentally fell - uttered confusedly I, keeping the secret of Chaeyoung.

Honestly, I heard perfectly what was said, and if it weren’t for Chaeyoung, I would have hit myself, but my friend was ahead. No one dares to say such a thing about my Knight.

“Is that all?” I won’t hear anything else - I shook my head, DaHyun sighed , accelerated even more. - No means no. Hushed up - but I will find out who and what struck my Chaeng -Chaeng.

The nurse said that there was nothing serious, just a bruise, in a day or two it would pass. Overjoyed, we took a friend out of the room, who frowned all the way, while DaHyun held her arm, and kept repeating caution.

I followed, as always silent, just watched them with an attentive look.

We went down to the first floor, passed the corridor, went outside, went out of the gate, stopped at the crossing to cross to the other side, and while waiting for the green light, Chaeyoung broke through:

“Onny, how much you can repeat this word, I said, everything is fine with me!” No need to follow me as if I were some kind of child! I'm not a child! - finally pulled out her hand, pulled away, stumbled upon going to the rear Tzuyu.

“Chaeyoung, don’t be angry, I’m just worried about you,” she conciliatoryly raised her hands up, taking a small step closer, but Chaeyoung shook her head, her frowning more, her hands on her hips .

- No need, I can walk myself - taking a confident step and almost falling, screaming with annoyance. DaHyun immediately hugged her, pressed her, but Chaeyoung escaped, and, curving in pain, she did it her own way.

“What is wrong with you?” Why don't you want to accept my help? Well, if not me, then maybe Tzuyu will help you? - Tzuyu confirmed with a nod, laying her hand on her friend’s shoulder, squeezing it a little.

- I do not need anyone! I can handle it myself!

“But, it hurts you and you can’t strain your leg,” the voice thoughtfully sounded, which made Chaeyoung even more annoyed.

- DaHyun-unnie! - shouted loudly, frightening peacefully walking pigeons nearby. - No! Are you deaf? I do not need your help! Why are you bothering me ?! I who am you - your girlfriend, no, just a girlfriend, nothing more. Be behind me already!

“Hey,” she tried to calm Tzuyu's girlfriend, but she resolutely began to leave them, adding nothing more. I turned to DaHyun, who stood as if stunned, pale skin was almost gray, and the smile faded. - DaHyun-unnie, she didn’t want to say that, probably just to be in a state of shock - she tried to justify.

“ Don’t, Tzu, leave it, ” a voice muffled, “let's go home.”

“I am sure that tomorrow she will run to ask for forgiveness.” She already regrets what was said.

- I don’t know if I want to hear an apology from her - quietly, but I heard. “She wouldn’t say that if she hadn’t thought about it.”

As I expected, Chaeyoung regretted the words, calling me in the evening when she went to bed. A message came from her that she wanted to talk to me in our general chat.

ttalgichaeng

I am ashamed, I never thought what was saying DaHyun-unnie "TT sign"

Guchitzu

why are you angry?

ttalgichaeng

I do not know. It just seemed to me that they were too taken care of by me. Zi , is she very upset?

Guchitzu

We broke up right after you left. Call her, ask for forgiveness.

ttalgichaeng

No, tomorrow, it's too late. Dubu-unnie is already sleeping at this time.

Guchitzu

How is your ankle? Did you drink pills?

ttalgichaeng

Yes. I smeared with ointment, now I'm lying on the bed, my leg lies comfortably on the pillows.

ttalgichaeng

How will I look into her eyes tomorrow?

ttalgichaeng

You know, I didn’t want to say that.

Guchitzu

Take a deep breath and dial unnie's number. I know you won’t fall asleep until you’ve settled everything with her. And if you don’t call her now, tomorrow will only get worse.

ttalgichaeng

Maybe you're right, Tzu. Now I’ll call or write. Good night.

Guchitzu

Write me a response. I will wait.

In a few minutes:

She didn’t answer. Probably sleeping.

Lying. She doesn’t sleep, because immediately after leaving the chat, Chaeyoung wrote DaHyun-unnie:

Tzu, do you want to go to the movies tomorrow? After school?

I was surprised, because after school, the three of us wanted to go to the new cafe, which opens tomorrow. We chatted about him all week, so we wanted to try a new taste of chocolate-strawberry cocktail.

Good - printed, hoping that by the end of tomorrow they will face off.