12 years ago.

“Hello. You wanna be my friend?” asked a 5 year old boy. “I’ve never seen you here” he added. The boy was standing and looking at another little boy who was sitting in the sand and looking down. The 5 year old didn’t know if the boy was shy or he just didn’t want to be friends with him, so he pouted and was about to leave, since the other boy haven’t said or even did anything.
He was about to leave, but suddenly the other boy finally spoke up.

“I’m sorry” the boy then sobbed. “I want to be your friend” he said.

The 5 year old smiled and sat next to the other boy in the sand. The other boy was still looking down, like he was hiding his face.

“I’m Changhyun” the 5 year old boy said and was trying to look into other boy’s eyes but he kept moving his head away from Changhyun. “What’s your name?” he then asked, concerned.

“I-I’m Jonghyun” he said.

“Nice to meet you” smiled Changhyun. “How old are you? I’m five” he giggled.

“I’m f-four”

“Ah I’m your hyung” he smiled, but soon his smile faded away when he saw that Jonghyun wasn’t smiling. Changhyun titled his head in confusion. “Are you okay Jonghyun?” asked the boy, but Jonghyun still wasn’t answering. He just shook his head and got up. When Jonghyun got up he looked at Changhyun for the first time.

“I want to go back home” he said and ran away, crying. He left Changhyun there confused and concerned.
The other couple of days Changhyun had been waiting for him to come at the playground, but Jonghyun never did. After waiting for him for one week he finally decided to ask his mother if she knows him.

“Mom~” Changhyun pouted as he came home. Jonghyun still hasn’t shown up and Changhyun was sad.

“What is it sweetie?” his mother asked as she came out from the living room.

“I made a new friend”

“Oh that’s great. What’s your friend’s name?”

“Jonghyun” pouted Changhyun. “He was crying when I met him and then he ran away and now he won’t come play with me”

“Aw sweetie” his mother hugged him. “Maybe he’s just sick or something… Why don’t you visit him?” she asked.

“I don’t know where he lives” sighed the 5 year old.

“Don’t worry Changhyun-ah. He’ll come. I’m sure he has a good reason for not showing up” his mother gave him a smile. Changhyun only smiled and nodded, hoping to see him again.

But the boy never came on the playground again.

~~

Two years later Changhyun started going to school. He was in first grade finally. The boy was too excited on his first day of school.
His mother walked him to his classroom and then left. Changhyun smiled to his mother as he went inside the classroom. Some kids were already there, but the teacher still wasn’t there. Changhyun looked around as he came inside. He didn’t know anyone so he decided to sit down.
Couple of minutes later the classroom was filled with the new students and then the teacher walked inside. She first introduced herself and then read the names to see if everyone from her class is here. Changhyun wasn’t listening to the teacher, he was busy looking at his new books. Even though the boy still couldn’t read, he found the pictures in the books really interesting. 

The classes went fast and really fun for Changhyun. It was already time for lunch. There was a cafeteria in the school. The teacher already showed the students the whole school so there was no way to get lost now.
Changhyun wasn’t hungry coz he already had eaten at home. So he decided to go outside and make some new friends. Changhyun looked around and saw that already all the kids were playing with each other. He felt shy talking to all of them at once so he just decided to sit alone at the bench. On his way there he saw one familiar face. First he wondered who he was but then it hit him. Jonghyun. The boy gasped when he saw his friend who never came back to play with him. Jonghyun was also sitting alone on the grass and eating his sandwich. Changhyun smiled when he saw that the boy was alone just like him.

“Hello. You wanna be my friend?” chuckled Changhyun.

Jonghyun looked up and saw a boy smiling down at him. “Hello” he said and then continued eating his lunch. Changhyun pouted and then sat down next to him. Déjà vu.

“I’m Changhyun… and you’re Jonghyun, right?”

Hearing his name, the boy quickly looked at Changhyun surprised. “How did you know my name?” the boy asked.

“You don’t remember me?” Changhyun pouted and then started playing with his hands.

“… No” Jonghyun shook his head. “Who are you?”

“I… we met…” Changhyun paused to solve the math with his hands. “Two years ago” he said after removing two fingers. “On the playground … in the park” he said. “You were crying and since then you never came back in the park to play with me” pouted Changhyun. “I waited for you every day to come back”

“…I’m sorry”

“It’s okay… I’ll go now”

“What? Why?” Jonghyun asked surprised. “Changhyun I remember you” he then chuckled.

“B-but you said…”

“I said I’m sorry because… I left like that and never came back”

“Oh” nodded Changhyun, understanding. “Why were you crying back then?” suddenly the boy asked.

“Because I just moved here with my parents and I didn’t like it” the boy pouted. “And when I came at the park a lot of kids bullied me because I was alone”

“Really?” Changhyun widened his eyes. “If I had come earlier you wouldn’t of been alone and bullied” he pouted.

Since this day the two of them became good friends. They did everything together. And Jonghyun never left Changhyun be alone.

~~

10 years later

“Jonghyun…” Changhyun started.

“Yah where have you been? Why aren’t you going to school these days? You’re not even picking up when I’m calling. What’s going on?” yelled Jonghyun. He looked mad at Changhyun for not telling him what was wrong with him. “Are you sick?” he then asked. Changhyun only shook his head and looked at his feet. “Are you going to tell me what’s wrong?” at this Changhyun only shrugged his shoulders. “You don’t know?” sighed Jonghyun. “Are you even going to talk?” he raised his voice. “I’m sorry for yelling at you but I was so worried. You haven’t been to school the past week and you didn’t pick up your phone… I’m guessing you didn’t read my messages either and whenever I came at your house no one answered. I thought you were…gone.” A tear fell down from his eye.
After a long pause Jonghyun looked at Changhyun and saw that the boy was crying. “Changhyun I’m sorry” Jonghyun wanted to hug him but Changhyun pushed him away. Jonghyun furrowed his eyebrows and just watched Changhyun. “Please tell me what’s wrong. Maybe I can fix it”

“You can’t fix it” sobbed Changhyun. “I… I haven’t been to school the past week because… I can’t be around you anymore. I tried avoiding you but … that didn’t work out either”

“Avoid me? But why?” Jonghyun was hurt to hear that coming from his best friend. “I thought you wanted me as your friend” he sighed and was about to leave. “I won’t be in your way anymore” said Jonghyun and opened the door.

“Wait” yelled Changhyun. “I’ll tell you why…” he said. Jonghyun turned around and looked at Changhyun waiting for an answer. “I thought I wanted you as my friend too, but… it turned out that I don’t want to be your friend anymore… I… I have feelings for you Jonghyun-ah and I thought that they’ll go away and I could just pretend like nothing was wrong, but I couldn’t.” he sighed. “I saw you kiss that girl… you two were on a date, but you told me that you were sick that night, I don’t know why you lied to me…” Changhyun started to cry again.

“You… oh my god… Changhyun I don’t know what to say”

“You don’t have to say anything Jonghyun-ah… Just know that I won’t be okay being friends with you. You should leave”

That night when Jonghyun went home he saw his parents tied up on the chairs in the dining room. Three men were in the room with them as well, holding guns in their hands. Jonghyun widened his eyes in shock before one of them men knocked him down. That was the night when Jonghyun was kidnapped.