"What took you so long, I've been waiting here for ages." Kyu with a pout looking peeved said to Tin.

"Annyong Oppa, Nujoso mian hamnida!(Sorry, I'm late!)" She greeted him. "My mom prepared extra food for us and I waited for it. Please don't get mad." She  showed the bag she was carrying.

"Hhmmm" Kyu was quiet for a moment, but since the reason she gave was good enough, he's going to have to forgive her. "Kwaen ch'an sumnida (That's all right). Kaja! (Let's go!) Soduruseyo! (Hurry up!) " He answered her. They walked fast almost running to go to school. 

He had always waited for her at the corner of the road and together go to school. They're childhood friends. They grew up together, their families were neighbors and often they played with their other friends in the neighborhood. She often brought extra food for him  and they would share their lunch. The other kids would tease them about it, but they don't pay attention to them. He actually enjoyed the attention that she was giving him. He did not know why, but he liked  that she was often with him.

"Aahhh The couple is eating their meal." Irene said smiling.

"Oohh Maybe when we are not looking, they will feed each other." Nallie said smiling, pointed at them with her lips.

He felt he was the older brother and he promised himself to protect her, and would always be there for her.

"Yaah, Stop it!" He said to them.

The other kids laughed at Kyu's reaction. He was always so protective of Tin, who was a little embarrassed, but still continued to have lunch with him.



Kyu's birthday was coming really soon, and Tin was saving her allowance to buy him a birthday gift. She was mulling over what she would buy him. Tin had saved enough to buy a good gift.

One day, when her mom went to the other town, where there was a big market, she came along with her, and had asked, "Mom may I come along with you? I'd like to buy something from the market." She asked her mom.

"Yes Tin, you may come with me and I need help anyway with all the groceries and things I would be buying. You can help me carry them."

There, Tin looked for Kyu's birthday gift. She visited different stores to look for her gift. She did not know what exactly she wanted to buy for him

"Would Kyu like this? ...Hmmm... Or maybe this one?... Hmmm ...I like this one... But i don't know...AAAhhhhaaaa...I don't know what to buy him..." She was having a delima on what to buy for him.

After having been to several stores already, and soon they will be going home, she was getting frustrated. There was one last shop she hadn't been to. After taking a deep breath, felt a little down and thought she would never find the right gift for him, walked in anyway, because it was the last shop, she felt she will lose nothing to just look around. She was already thinking of going back to one of the stores she had been that day, and buy one of the items she thought as a possible gift for Kyu, when she spotted something. "Ooooh This is the one I'm looking for. This is the right gift for Kyu. hahahahaha I'm glad I did not give up." She bought her gift. She went home smiling, and she was very happy with the item she bought.



On Kyu's birthday, Tin already had her gift wrapped and was ready for the birthday party. She was in her room changing to her party dress, when she heard the phone ring. Her mom answered the phone.

"What?! What happened?!" She heard her mom shout.

She rushed out of her room wrapped only in a towel. "Mom?..." She asked her. She was listening to her mom's side of the conversation, and her mom was crying. Something happened to her dad at work, and she started crying, too. "Mom...Dad..."

They had to go to the hospital, where her dad was taken. She was not thinking of anything else at that time, but her dad. She was crying changing to a traveling clothes. She was anxious for the health of her dad, and forgot Kyu's birthday party.



Kyu was waiting for Tin to arrive. His other friends were already there at his house. He was a little uneasy anticipating what her gift might be. "Tin would not dare give me a silly gift. hahahahaah I can't wait for her gift!" But even after waiting for some time, there was no Tin. "Where is that girl?" Kyu was getting annoyed. He was looking after his guests, but was still waiting for her. And often, he would glance at the door for her. He didn't know that at that exact time Tin was on her way to see her father.



After a few days, Kyu saw Tin. "Annong, I heard about your dad. Mianhamnida! (I am sorry!)"

Her head bowed, and was looking at her feet, and could not look at him, whispered, "We will be moving,"

"Mout?! (What?)" He spoke out loud, and was surprised by her words.

"We need to be close to the hospital. And, we will be staying at my auntie's house for the meantime. Mom will need to find a job soon..I may not be able to come back..." In a soft voice she said to him. He was silent.

"Wait here." She said to him, and went inside the house. She brought out the gift she had bought for him. "Here this is for you, belated happy birthday." She said to him, and giving her gift.

Kyu accepted the gift, but was still silent.

"Tin!" Her mom called for her.

"I have to go. We are packing our things that we will bring with us. We'll come back for the rest."

"Thank you for the gift, Tin." He said at last.

She left him, and turned  to go inside to help her mom packing. He was standing there looking at her back, and even when she was already inside,  he was still outside looking at the door holding his gift.

Kyu went home feeling depressed. He could not understand why he felt he was about to lose something very important. He held Tin's gift and embraced it really tight. After awhile, he then opened her gift and started crying. he hugged her gift really tight and could not stop crying. It was a bear.

********

Writer's Note: Why a "bear"? I saw  Kyu sleeping with a big stuff toy bear in YT. Just thought of writing a story about the bear.