Jiyong has mainly fond memories of his childhood.

He grew up in a fairly quiet neighbourhood of Seoul and had no problem in finding friends from the first day he stepped into kindergarten. His mother always told him that he was constantly full of energy and that it sometimes was a little hard to tame him. They lived in a house at the very end of the street, with a backyard that was big enough for Jiyong to go wild and a large tree growing just in the middle to the other property. Jiyong always secretly hoped his father would build a treehouse with him but their neighbour refused, much to Jiyong’s displeasure.

That changed when one day, vans started to park in front of the house and men started to move box after box outside leading to only one conclusion - the greasy neighbor finally moved out. Jiyong watched with a huge grin on his lips as the last boxes were placed in the red vehicle and they drove off, leaving the place empty.

And it didn’t take long for someone to move in either.

Jiyong remembers how hot it was that day and that he has been playing with a few kids from the neighbourhood on the street. An old pickup was driving down the street and stopped right in front of the house that has been empty for the last three weeks.

Stopping in his tracks, Jiyong looked over to where a woman was getting out of the driver’s seat, followed by a young girl that looked like his own sister’s age. And then a boy was rounding the car, his gaze wandering around nervously before his eyes landed on Jiyong. They stared at each for a brief moment before Jiyong’s frown split into a huge smile and he waved over at the new face. He has secretly been hoping for a family to move in because that would mean just maybe his dream of having his very own treehouse would come true after all. And seeing the boy standing there, with a backpack slung over his shoulder, taking in his new surroundings, made another hope bloom.

Finding a new friend.

The boy returned a shy smile of his own and waved back.

Jiyong’s room was located on the first floor, with his window facing the house the new family just moved into. He always had the perfect view into the room that was facing him and that the previous owner used as his office, even though he mainly had the blinds pulled down. More often than not he gave Jiyong the stink-eye for watching him but Jiyong couldn’t care less.

To Jiyong’s delight, he spotted the boy coming into the room the following day, unpacking a box full of stuffed animals. He ran to the window and watched him for a little bit, moving around his new room and putting away some action figures next. Jiyong secretly wondered if he was the same age as him and if he should go over and introduce himself.

Tearing his eyes away, Jiyong ran downstairs to the living room to find his mother wrapping up a strange looking plant he’s never seen before. The large fronds were covered in oblong shaped holes and it looked like a worm had its lunch destroying the poor plant.

“What are you doing, eomma?” Jiyong asked, his curiosity unleashed. His mother chuckled and pointed to the plant in front of her.

“I am wrapping up the housewarming gift for our new neighbours. They invited us over for this afternoon. I expect you to dress nicely and behave,” she explained, eliciting a pout to form on the young boy’s lips that quickly devolved into an excited smile. He would finally be able to meet the boy and maybe they would become friends.

He really hoped they would.

A few hours later, when his father also returned from work, the Kwons rang the bell at their new neighbour’s place. Still being the small boy he was, Jiyong couldn’t exactly catch the last name of the family but then again he didn’t care for now.

A woman opened the door and they all bowed to each other. She wore a warm smile that reminded Jiyong of his own mothers and greeted them in a calm voice.

“Welcome and thank you for joining us. Please come in.”

Following the woman inside, Jiyong glanced around the hallway. There were paintings hanging on the wall, abstract and highly confusing so Jiyong didn’t pay them much attention. When they reached the living room, he already saw some of the other neighbours gathered around a table, chatting with each other.

Jiyong also spotted the boy with the backpack and looked up to his mother.

“Can I go talk to him?” he asked while pointing to the boy and his mother nodded. “Go make a friend, Jiyong-ah.”

With his ever positive nature backing him up, Jiyong strode over to the boy and tapped his shoulder. He bit his lip as the other flinched but turned around, eyes wide and a hint of uncertainty swinging along.

“Hi,” Jiyong said and bowed, his parents raised him to be polite after all. “My name is Kwon Jiyong and I live next door with my parents and sister. What is your name?”

The boy who was taller than him, Jiyong noticed that as he stood right in front of him, stared at him and for a moment Jiyong feared he might have scared the poor boy too much with his bright and sunny personality. But then the other bowed back at him and mumbled.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Choi Seunghyun.”

“Cool,” Jiyong grinned, fiddling with his hands as he sensed Seunghyun was still a little uneasy.

“You look like you’re older than me. So I will call you hyung, okay?” he continued which eventually brought a small smile to the other boy’s lips.

“Sure, I don’t mind.”

Silence settled over the two boys and Jiyong wondered what else he could say to make the other speak. He wasn’t used to someone so quiet but that was alright, he was determined to become his friend anyway.

Jiyong was 5 when he became friends with Choi Seunghyun, the quiet boy from next door.

~

“Penny for your thoughts?” a deep voice pulls Jiyong out of his daydreams and he quickly shakes his head. He didn’t realise that he kept standing in the doorway, lost in memories of his own childhood and how he met Seunghyun the first time.

Taking a step aside, he lets Seunghyun slip into the warm room as well while he clenches his own hands, his fingers have started to go numb by the few minutes they spent outside.

“Oh well nothing big, I just thought back to the time you moved in next to us and you were still pure and innocent,” Jiyong says, the obvious teasing nature of his voice making Seunghyun laugh.

“What do you mean I was ? I still am pure and innocent.” Forming his lips into an adorable pout, Seunghyun gives Jiyong the most innocent look but instead of laughing at his ridiculous antics, Jiyong just stares at his friend. In this moment, there is something even more charming and handsome coming from the older man, slithering right into Jiyong’s heart.

Seunghyun seems to notice that his words don’t have the desired effect and his pout quickly transforms into a worried frown.

“Jiyong, are you okay?”

With another quick shake of his head, Jiyong pushes the back of his hand against his cheek and forehead to distract himself from the weird feeling starting to pool in the pitch of his stomach.

“I’m fine ah...I think the quick change from the cold outside into the warmth inside made me a little dizzy, that’s all.”

“Do you wanna sit down?” Seunghyun asks, worry swinging in his voice now while his hand reaches out to rest on Jiyong’s hip. Not waist, hip .

Jiyong’s eyes zero in on Seunghyun’s warm brown ones and it’s just like a few minutes ago outside, a moment just between the two of them. His mouth opens and closes but there’s no sound coming out, his brain is suddenly wiped of all rational thoughts.

“Jiyong,” Seunghyun murmurs again, now pushing against his hip to lead him towards the bathroom.

Once the door falls shut behind him, Jiyong snaps out of his stupor and sighs. His mind is a whole mess of questions and confusion towards this complicated man who still has this worried expression on his face.

He reaches for the tap and leans down to splash just a little water on his cheeks without ruining his make-up. Even though he didn’t outdo himself for tonight it’s still there, very decent but there.

“Maybe you shouldn’t drink much more if you feel dizzy,” Seunghyun says and Jiyong rolls his eyes.

“Don’t worry, hyung, I can handle my alcohol. Besides, it’s no fun without alcohol,” he chuckles, his subconscious jumping of joy because of the worry Seunghyun is having for him like a real boyfriend.

“You’re having fun...right? With me here?”

There it is again, the question Seunghyun just asked him earlier on the balcony. Looking up from the sink, Jiyong glances to the older man leaning against the door, a frown back on his handsome face, eyebrows knitted in a way Jiyong hates to see. It means Seunghyun is doubting himself again with whatever crazy thought he has right now, overthinking and he suddenly remembers that it’s nothing new, actually.

~

It’s been a few months since the Chois moved in next door and Jiyong made it his personal goal to develop a friendship with the big boy. There was something Jiyong couldn’t quite explain about the other boy that made him want to spend time with him. Maybe it was his constant goal to put a smile on the older boy’s lips or elicit a laugh from him.

He sure did have a beautiful laugh.

They spent time together in their rooms whenever Seunghyun was done with his school work and was allowed to have him over. They often played with Seunghyun’s toys or Jiyong’s legos, sometimes they found their way outside in the backyard and lingered on a huge blanket while pretending to be pirates or knights.

And ev