“If you see my heart, and feel my true heart

If you see my heart, and find your way to me

I want to give you all of my heart,

If you can stay by my side,

Forever...”

Taeyeon – All With You

~ Summer-1998 ~

Amber, her “favourite chingu” from the elementary school, invited her over for a playdate in the weekend, and that’s how she ended up running around in this house, a few lanes away from her own place.

Amber’s parents adored this little girl who ran around their place, shrieking in laughter and giggling cheerfully all the time, dressed up like a Japanese doll, unlike their tomboy daughter who preferred boys’ clothes and troublesome sports.

Yet the two girls were bonded so dearly, like sisters who had been raised in separate families. (Even later on in her life, Amber was the one who would always hit her with the facts most straightforwardly, and the only one who could knock some sense into her, showing the reality.)

“Oh!” The little girl clapped both her hands onto , when the ball Amber kicked went straight over her head and flew out to the streets over the ivy-covered wall.

“Mian! I’ll bring it.” Amber took a step forward to run for it, but her friend prevented her and ran straight out of the gate.

“It’s alright! I’ll fetch it!”

And there it was, the rainbow coloured rubber ball was dribbling by itself on the isolated street, and the little one ran to pick it up. Once she turned around to return inside, she automatically came to a stop hearing loud sobs coming from behind the far corner of the street.

Curiosity took the best of the little girl, and she slowly followed the sound of the sobs and finally approached the source of them.

“Oh! I know him.”

The exclamation was whispered to herself, as she stood a few feet away from the little boy who was sitting in front of a small gate to an unknown house, crying his heart out.

His hair messy and overgrown just like it had been a week ago, clad in the same dusty and faded clothes he had on in the park, tears washing down the unwashed plump cheeks as he sobbed as loud as possible.

Hugging a dead puppy in his arms.

“Did... did he... die?”

The reddened dark brown eyes looked up at her, and tears welled up in them even more when he recognized the girl.

“A car hit my Doldol...and he’s not waking up...”

Biting her lip uncomfortably, she slowly walked over and sat beside him.

“Don’t... don’t cry... Omma says children are pretty only when they smile. And she also says crying makes you sick... What if you become sick and end up in the hospital?”

The sobs only intensified, and the little boy was bawling his eyes out once again, hugging the corpse of his pet even closer to his chest with blood stained tiny hands. “I want my Doldollie back...”

“Tell you omma to buy you a new Doldollie.” The girl suggested suddenly with widened eyes. “She definitely will... I’m sure.”

His eyes landed back on her, showing the signs of utmost helplessness that the little girl did not understand.

“I don’t have an omma.”

Once again she was feeling uneasy, totally inexperienced in consoling someone who’s in pain.

“Don’t... Just don’t cry... What if you get sick? Hmm?”

Imitating her own mother’s tone when she consoled her, the girl enclosed the space between them, pulling the boy into a tight hug.

“It’s alright... don’t cry...” she patted his back, making the boy cry even harder against her shoulder. “It’s alright... now don’t cry...”

Repeating the same set of words, she continued to comfort him, until the sobs died down slowly.

* * * * * * * *

~Autumn – 2010 ~

“It’s alright... Don’t cry...!”

Mina held Chanyeol’s hand, as the two of them sat on the bleachers of the basketball court.

Chanyeol brushed away his tears hastily, embarrassed by his own behaviour when he strictly believed in the fact that men should not cry.

“You’re not the first child whose parents got divorced Chanyeol... I mean, I’m not trying to be rude, but you’re old enough to understand this. You’re eighteen now!”

The boy nodded, unconsciously staring at the hands those were holding onto his hand on his thigh. Mina leaned closer, peering into his reddened face. “It’ll hurt for a while, but you’ll eventually get over it. Believe me.”

He nodded in silence.

“Do you want me to give you a hug?”

And he nodded again.

And she pulled him closer, totally unbothered by the evening training going on in the basketball court, and Chanyeol gave in at once, holding her smaller torso tightly against his larger one.

“Everything will be fine Chanyeol... you know I’m here for you right?” she whispered soothingly.

“It’s okay... Don’t cry.”

Everyone was busy engaged in the training and no one was interested in the couple sitting in the deserted bleachers at all, exce