"Jungmo oppa!" five-year-old Dayoung squealed as she saw her favorite friend walk through the door. She tottered through the pile of toys surrounding her and made her way to Jungmo.

"Dayoungie, I missed you," Jungmo said, smiling down on his little friend. He set his guitar down on the couch, knelt in front of Dayoung and spread his arms out. Little Dayoung ran to him and he wrapped his arms around her tiny frame. Dayoung embraced him too like there was no tomorrow.

"How has my little princess been? Have you been listening to your mommy?" Jungmo asked, pulling away from the hug but still keeping his hands affectionately on her small shoulders.

"Neh, oppa," Dayoung said with a smile. Her eyes sparkled with joy. She was always happy when Jungmo came to visit.

"Dayoungie, Jungmo's too old to be called 'oppa.' You should be calling him 'uncle,'" J-Min, Dayoung's mom, said as she walked into the room.

"Yah!" Jungmo shot back. "Don't say that. I'm not even thirty yet. Isn't that right, Dayoungie?"

Dayoung nodded in approval which made Jungmo grin from ear to ear as he gently pinched Dayoung's cheeks. Dayoung wore a serious expression, as if to say that she would defend her Jungmo oppa no matter what. In her heart, Jungmo was like a father, a brother, and a friend all wrapped up in one. To Jungmo and everyone else, Dayoung was a beautiful, loving and adorable child--innocent, pure, and honest. 

"Ah, my Dayoungie is so cute!" Jungmo sighed in admiration as he carried her and kissed her cheek, falling for Dayoung's irresistible charms.

J-Min smiled as she watched the scene. She loved how Jungmo, her best friend, loved her little daughter with all his heart as if she were his own child. J-Min was a single mom. It was difficult for her to raise her beloved Dayoung on her own, yet it was all bearable since Jungmo was always there to help. When Dayoung got terribly sick, J-Min called Jungmo in the middle of the night. And although he was still at Shim Shim Tapa, Jungmo ditched the program and rushed to their house to drive Dayoung to the hospital. Even when Jungmo was still doing promotions for TRAX’s album or practicing for his musical, he would always find time to visit Dayoung.  

"Saranghaeyo, Jungmo oppa~!" Dayoung said sweetly before she kissed Jungmo back on his cheek.

"Aish! It's not 'oppa' for you, Dayoung. It should be 'ahjussi,'" J-Min joked as she, setting aside Jungmo's guitar, sat down on the couch near them.

"Aniya! Jungmo oppa is not old!" Dayoung said in defense of Jungmo.

Jungmo laughed. "See? Dayoung loves me more!" He sat down beside J-Min and placed Dayoung on his lap.

"Ara," J-Min said. "Everyday this little girl looks for you." She lovingly her daughter's hair. "She even says she wants to learn how to play the guitar 'cause she wants to be like you."

"Is that true Dayoungie?" Jungmo asked, overjoyed that Dayoung was taking interest in playing his favorite instrument.

"Neh! You'll teach me how to play, right?" Dayoung asked, filled with expectation and anticipation.

"Of course I will! I'd do anything for my little princess," Jungmo said. "When do you want me to start teaching you?"

"When mommy buys me my own small guitar," she said smiling at J-Min. "Your guitar is bigger than me, so I can't use it," she stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Can you buy me my guitar tomorrow, Mommy, so Jungmo oppa can teach me on Saturday?" Dayoung asked her mother excitedly.

J-Min and Jungmo exchanged glances. J-Min exhaled in exasperation, while Jungmo bowed his head glumly.

"But, Dayoungie, Jungmo won't be here anymore on Saturday," J-Min wanted to say, but she knew it would break Dayoung's heart. Jungmo was enlisting the day after tomorrow. Little Dayoung would barely see him for the next two years. Jungmo hated that he'd be away from his darling princess and his fans, but there was nothing he could do about it. He'd have to enlist sooner or later, anyway. 

"Mommy, is there something wrong?" Dayoung asked, sensing the tension in the air.

"Oh! Dayoungie, Mommy has to go now. I have a recording at 5," J-Min said, driving the topic elsewhere to distract her daughter. "Jungmo oppa will watch you tonight."

Dayoung's face brightened upon hearing that she'd get to spend lots of time with Jungmo. She smiled at Jungmo, but Jungmo just looked at her with a sad expression. How would he break it to Dayoung that he was going to leave so soon?

"Maybe J-Min was right," he thought. "I should've told Dayoung earlier."

J-Min picked up her guitar which was in its case and slung it over her shoulder. She took her purse which was on the table and motioned her friend and her daughter to walk her to the door.

"Be good to Jungmo oppa, okay? Listen to him and eat lots of veggies at dinner," J-Min reminded Dayoung. Dayoung nodded obediently.

"You should tell her now," she whispered to Jungmo.

"I know," Jungmo said. "Take care on your way to SM. Don't worry about Dayoung. I'll watch her well."

J-Min smiled at Jungmo as she gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder. She and Dayoung hugged before she went out of their apartment and headed towards the elevator.

"Bye bye Omma~" Dayoung called out. J-Min turned around and waved goodbye to both Jungmo and Dayoung.

"Saranghae!" Dayoung said as she placed her hands on her head to form a heart.

J-Min did the same. "Nado saranghae."

J-Min disappeared into the elevator. Jungmo and Dayoung went back hand-in-hand into the apartment. "Dayoungie, let's watch Pororo together!" Jungmo said cheerfully despite his apprehension on telling Dayoung the truth.

"Yipee!" Dayoung said excitedly pulling Jungmo towards the living room where the TV set was.

Dayoung’s brown eyes were glued to the screen as she watched her favorite cartoon. She giggled at Pororo’s antics, and pouted when it was time for the commercial break. Jungmo scooted closer to her, moving his long legs sidewards so they wouldn’t hit the coffee table.

“Jungmo oppa,” she said, “why are you so tall?”

Jungmo laughed at her question. “You don’t like me being tall? You don’t like tall boys?”

Dayoung shook her head. “I don’t like boys at all. They’re stinky and yucky.” She wrinkled her nose and made a disgusted face.

“Jinja? But Dayoungie, Jungmo oppa is a boy too!” Jungmo answered.

“You’re the only boy I’m ever gonna like,” Dayoung said with a sweet smile as she gently patted Jungmo’s face with her hands.

“You’re only saying that now, Dayoungie. But when you grow up, you’re gonna meet lots of boys, have a crush, then a boyfriend. Then you’ll forget about Jungmo oppa,” Jungmo said as he made a sad face.

“Nooo! I’ll never forget about Jungmo oppa,” Dayoung reassured her older companion.

Jungmo smiled as he pulled Dayoung into a hug. “When I come back, you’re gonna be so big already.”

“Wae? Is Jungmo oppa gonna go somewhere?” Dayoung asked, worried.

“Ah, ah…aniya!” Jungmo lied. “Aish…how on earth am I supposed to tell her?” he said to himself.

Pororo came back on TV, and diverted Dayoung’s attention. All her concentration was on the show, and her sweet face shined with glee as she watched. Jungmo couldn’t help but smile at her. How he wished that he’d never have to leave Dayoung.

Jungmo left Dayoung in the living room as he walked to the kitchen to reheat the food that J-Min cooked for their dinner. He set the table for two, carefully carrying the food from the stove. A single tear drop fell on his face as he remembered that this would be his last dinner with Dayoung for the next two years.

“Dayoungie,” he said while composed himself, “come here. It’s time for dinner.”

He and Dayoung sat side-by-side at the table. He watched as Dayoung cautiously blew on the rice before she placed it in . She picked some meat up with her chopstick and ate it too.

“Do you want Jungmo oppa to feed you?” Jungmo asked her.

She shook her head. “I’m not a baby anymore. I can eat by myself,” Dayoung said proudly.

“But you’ll always be a baby to Jungmo oppa. Can Jungmo oppa feed you just this once? Please?” Jungmo tried to do aegyo, but failed by a mile.

Dayoung burst out in laughter, but she conceded.

“Here,” Jungmo said as he scooped up rice with his spoon and added some vegetables on top of it. “Dayoungie, say ‘aaah’”

“Aaaah,” Dayoung said, opening wide. Jungmo smiled as he watched Dayoung eat. “Is it delicious?” Dayoung nodded as she chewed.

“I’ll feed you too, Jungmo oppa,” she said excitedly as she spoon-fed her beloved oppa.

“Mmm. It tastes good,” Jungmo said as he nodded and chewed. The two ate happily until they finished all their food.

Jungmo helped Dayoung brush her teeth, wash her face, and get ready for bed. He tucked Dayoung in and kissed her forehead.

“Jungmo oppa, can you sing me a song?” Dayoung requested.

“But Dayoungie, Jungmo oppa doesn’t sing as well as Jay hyung or your mom.”

“It’s okay. I still like your voice.”

“Arasseo,” Jungmo said and he started to sing:

“So one hadeon two my girl
Three nuni busin rorellai oh
Hey lady four my love five bunman mannajullae?

Jigyeowotdeon ibyeol sangcheo nunmul modu Stop
Neo wonhandamyeon eodideunji I will go
Uh! Neol barae neol wonhae na wanna wanna wonhae neol

Nuni nuni neoman baraboge haneun Girl
Nae mami mami neoreul gadeuk chaewobeorin geol
Badajwo nae mam aetage neol Waiting Baby
Nuni nuni neoman barabogo inneun Boy
Nae mami mami geunyeo maeum ppaeseobeorin Boy
Oh jebal nan deo jichineun geon No More Baby
O! Naui Dayoung”

Dayoung clapped when she heard the last word replaced with her name. “Thank you, Jungmo oppa~!”

“Dayoungie, Jungmo oppa has something to tell you,” Jungmo started nervously. There was no other time to tell her but now. He couldn’t put it off any longer, nor could he visit Dayoung the next day since he’d be busy making preparations for his enlistment.

“Do you think Jungmo oppa will look good with all his hair shaved off?” Jungmo said, trying to tell Dayoung the truth as gently as he could. “You’ve seen me with blonde, brown, gray, and black hair. Do you think I’ll still be handsome without any hair?”

All of a sudden, Dayoung started to cry. “You’re going to the army aren’t you?”

Jungmo was shocked that Dayoung found out before he said anything. He didn’t say a word; he just nodded silently.

“Heechul ahjussi shaved his hair before he went to the army,” Dayoung said in between sobs. “And Jay ahjussi too.”

She started to cry even harder. “Mianhe, Dayoungie,” Jungmo said, holding her hand tightly.

“You lied to me!” Dayoung said. “You said that you weren’t leaving.”

“I didn’t lie to you…I…I just didn’t tell you the truth,” Jungmo said in a small voice.

“But not telling the truth is lying!” Dayoung argued. Tears fell endlessly from her eyes. She sobbed loudly. Jungmo tried to hug her but she moved away.

“Mianhe, Dayoungie,” Jungmo said. “I just didn’t want you to be sad.”

Dayoung shook her head as she rubbed her eyes and continued sobbing. She was crestfallen. Jungmo who she had trusted so much had kept a secret from her.

“Please forgive me, Dayoungie,” Jungmo pleaded. He started to cry too. He hated himself for not telling Dayoung sooner. He hated himself for disappointing his sweet little girl.

____________________________________________________________________

Dayoung sat quietly coloring her drawings with crayons. She didn’t speak. She didn’t smile. The kids around her had tried their best to convince her to join their game, but she didn’t budge. So they left her alone in the classroom with their teacher who was getting worried by Dayoung’s unusual sadness and bitter mood.

The classroom’s walls were decorated with cut-outs of the alphabet, numbers, pictures of animals from cats to elephants. But what really caught Dayoung’s eye that day was the picture of a guitar. She bit her lip to stop herself from crying. The picture reminded her of Jungmo.

For the first time in her five years of existence, she was angry. What made it worse was that she was angry at someone whom she really loved. Jungmo had apologized to her over and over again. He had even cried a bucket of tears in front of her. She told him it was okay…but her young heart was still hurt. She didn’t hug Jungmo when he left that night, nor did she agree to her mom’s proposal of seeing Jungmo off before he left for the army.

“Annyeonghosayo.” Dayoung turned around upon hearing her mom’s voice. She wondered why her mom was so early today. It wasn’t even time for dismissal yet.

“Is it okay if I take Dayoung home early today?” J-Min asked the teacher.

“Yes, of course, Ms. Oh,” the teacher answered. “Dayoung doesn’t seem to be feeling well today. She won’t talk or play with the other kids. I hope she’ll get better soon.”

“Neh, thanks for your concern,” J-Min answered. She knew exactly what was wrong with her daughter. Dayoung wasn’t sick, she was just sad. And J-Min knew Dayoung would be sadder if they didn’t leave soon.

“Dayoungie, let’s see Jungmo oppa one last time before he leaves,” J-Min suggested as she picked up Dayoung’s pink backpack.

“Shiro. I don’t want to,” Dayoung answered coldly. J-Min sighed.

“Dayoung, you’re not gonna see him for two years,” J-Min reminded her. Still, Dayoung disagreed to go. She was being stubborn. She stood firmly on her ground.

J-Min knelt in front of Dayoung so they were face to face. “Dayoung-ah, Jungmo oppa will think that you don’t love him anymore if we don’t go.”

Dayoung stayed silent for a moment, then she suddenly started to run as fast as she could.

_______________________________________________________________________

“Neh, Omma. Don’t worry too much about me. I’ll take care of myself,” Jungmo said as he hugged his mother. “I’ll call you as often as I can.”

He walked to his father and gave him a hug too. “We’ll be fine, son,” his father told him. “You don’t need to worry about us either.”

Jungmo waved one last time at his fans who had come to see him off. The all waved back and shouted, “Saranghaeyo!”

“Nado saranghae!” he shouted back.

He picked up his bags and started walking towards the bus that would take him to Busan where he would have his two months of mandatory military training. He looked back one last time, hoping to see any sign of J-Min and Dayoung. They weren’t there. He sighed miserably as he handed his bags to the driver who loaded them into the bus. Just as he was about to go in…

“Jungmo oppa! Wait!”

He turned around to see J-Min and Dayoung. Both mother and daughter looked like they came from running a marathon.

“Don’t go Jungmo oppa!” Dayoung wailed as she started to cry. Jungmo picked her up and embraced her.

“I’m so happy you’re here,” Jungmo told the child.

Dayoung hugged him tightly, not wanting to let him go. “Jungmo oppa, please stay. I’ll do anything,” she begged. “Just please don’t leave me.”

Jungmo started to cry too.

“I promise I’ll be a really good girl. I’ll always listen to mommy, to teacher, and to you. Just please don’t go. Jay ahjussi isn’t even back yet…I’ll have no best friend left.”

“I’ll miss you too much if you leave me. I’ll be really sad,” Dayoung continued.

“Oh, Dayoungie,” Jungmo said, kissing her tear-stained cheek, “if I had a choice, I wouldn’t go.” He exhaled. “Dayoungie, you have to understand that it’s the duty of every Korean man to go and enlist.”

“You’re a smart girl,” he said as he placed the stray locks of her hair on her face behind her ear. “You know that, don’t you? And besides, I won’t be gone forever. It’s just two years. Time…time flies really fast. I’ll be back before you know it,” Jungmo reassured Dayoung.

Dayoung hugged him again. “I’ll really miss you,” she told him.

“And I’ll miss you too,” Jungmo replied. “Be a good girl, okay?”

Dayoung nodded. “You be a good boy too, Jungmo oppa. Drink your vitamins and eat your vegetables…and sleep early too so you won’t have tummy aches and other aches.”

“Aigoo, my little Dayoung sounds like a mommy,” Jungmo said laughing after hearing what Dayoung said. “I’ll be a good boy. I promise. I’ll take good care of myself. You take care too, arasseo?”

“Neh,” Dayoung answered as Jungmo put her down.

“I really have to go now…or the bus driver will get mad at me,” Jungmo said as he wiped his tears away.

J-Min walked to him and gave him a hug. “Be back soon, ahjussi,” she told him jokingly. “And you should stop carrying your guitar with you all the time.”

“Yah, I’m leaving already, but you’re still teasing me.” Jungmo kissed her cheek, which made her face turn red in surprise.

Jungmo hugged and kissed Dayoung one last time before he left. “I love you, Dayoungie.”

“I love you too, Jungmo oppa,” Dayoung said as she handed him a drawing of a heart that she made. “You’ll be in my heart.”

Jungmo smiled at her, then finally rode the bus. Dayoung waved goodbye until the bus drove away too far to still be visible to them.

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So this turned out longer than I expected it to be. I hope you think it's okay. I did my best writing this, but I don't think it's that good. I made this for Jungmo as a "going away gift" (even though he's still coming back :D) 

I'm Jay biased, but I didn't make Jay a fanfic before he left

Please check out my other fanfic. It's about Jay Kim :) It's entitled Cold Rain