The five-year old Kang Hana was playing by herself on the porch on one hot summer day. She had been an only-child, so she was content of spending time alone. Her family just moved to this house a week ago, so Hana had to be satisfied playing only with her dolls because she didn’t have any friends yet in the area.

She was having a tea party with her favorite doll, Bomi, when suddenly she heard something crashed outside the gate of her house. The sound was alarming, making Hana jumped in surprise and quickly stood on her feet. She made her way to the front of the house to witness a boy around her age stepped out calmly from his toy-car—which looked expensive and really nice. The bumper of the car bent slightly from the forceful contact with a lamppost in front of her house.

“Ugh… I should ask Father to get this replaced,” the boy mumbled, not noticing Hana yet.

“Are you okay?” Hana timidly asked.

The boy whipped his head to her direction, his facial expression remained unbothered. “I’m fine, but my car is crushed.”

“Jumin!!” Another voice averted the boy and Hana’s attention. He jogged to where ‘Jumin’ stood and laughed at the scene in front of him. “I told you not to go too fast.”

“It’s fine,” Jumin, the black-haired boy who bumped his car, replied nonchalantly.

“Oh, who’s this?” the other boy, whose hair was mint-colored, asked Jumin while nudging his chin to Hana. Hana wanted to answer him, but she was too mesmerized by his presence. His skin was fair, his also mint-colored eyes were sparkling, and his smile was gentle. Hana watched his hair ruffled naturally by the wind, as if she was watching him in slow-motion.

“I think she lives in this house,” Jumin’s answer snapped Hana back to reality, realizing a little late that she had been not answering the mint-haired boy.

“We just moved here,” Hana mumbled, not quite sure why her voice suddenly giving up.

“Ah, that’s why I never see you around,” the mint-haired boy again flashed his kind smile and skipped toward Hana. “My name is Jihyun. Kim Jihyun. I’m 5 years old, Jumin is also 5. He’s my best friend. What’s your name?” Jihyun offered his hand.

Hana stepped forward to shake Jihyun’s hand. “My name is Kang Hana. I’m also 5.”

Jihyun beamed with excitement. “We are all the same age! Then, let’s be friends!”

“Yeah, we can play together,” Jumin added, though his expression remained flat.

Hana smiled warmly at the two boys in front of her, her eye-smile became prominent. “Sure!”

Since then, the trio had spent more time together. Although Jumin and Jihyun was home-schooled by a very competent tutors before entering elementary while Hana went to a nearby daycare, the three of them managed to play together in each other’s home in the afternoon. It was easy for Hana to be warmed up to Jihyun since he was quite friendly, but Hana still found Jumin slightly intimidating. Thankfully, slowly but sure, the three of them enjoyed each other’s company as if it was the most natural thing ever.