Hakyeon was 5 when he first met Jung Taekwoon.

They were neighbours, and as you might have expected their mothers were friends.

The first meeting was, to be completely honest, anything but ordinary. 

They stared at each other for quite a while before Hakyeon reached out and held his arm next to Taekwoon’s.

“Woah, you’re really pale.”

That was the first thing he had said.

In reply to that, Taekwoon’s first sentence to him was: “No I’m not, you’re just too dark.”

Being a 5 year-old boy who had lots of self-pride, Hakyeon got offended and proceeded to hit him immediately, planting a karate-chop on his neck.

To his surprise, Taekwoon had teared up.

“Y-yah…” He felt a little guilty, but who would have thought that a 5 year-old boy would cry so easily? “Are you okay?”

Taekwoon ran off and went to find his mother, tugging at the middle-aged woman’s dress as he cried.

“Oh, Taekwoonnie, what’s wrong?”

Hakyeon stood behind him, frowning.

“It’s my fault… I hit him because he said I was dark… I’m sorry.” He admitted.

“Oh, Taekwoon. Hakyeon’s just playing with you, why are you taking it so seriously?” Mrs. Jung hugged his son and patted Hakyeon’s shoulders. “It’s okay, Hakyeon-ah. Taekwoon’s just a little sensitive because he’s been made fun of by the kids in the neighbourhood…”

“Made fun of?” Hakyeon crooked his head to one side. “You mean, they bullied Taekwoon?”

Mrs. Jung nodded and ruffled the five-year old’s hair. “Hakyeon’s vocabulary is pretty good. Now, do you mind taking Taekwoon to the bathroom and clean him up? Then you two can play till we call you back for dinner.”

Hakyeon replied with a ‘yes’ respectfully and took Taekwoon’s hand in his to pull him to the bathroom. He glanced back at the other and caught him rubbing his eyes.

“Oh, you can’t do that.” He pulled Taekwoon’s hand down. “My mother said it’s bad for your eyes.”

Taekwoon listened to him although he didn’t say anything, and followed Hakyeon into the bathroom quietly.  Hakyeon searched high and low for another clean towel he could let Taekwoon use, but found none. He pursed his lips as he took his own towel down from the rack and washed it carefully before handing it to Taekwoon.

“I couldn’t find a new towel, so use mine. It’s clean!” He opened up Taekwoon’s palm and placed the wet towel in it.

Taekwoon doesn’t move as he continued to sob softly.

“Yah, you’re not going to clean your face?” He asked, leaning close to him. Taekwoon shifts back slightly.

Hakyeon sighs. “Alright, then I’ll do it for you.”

He took the towel back and held the back of Taekwoon’s head gently but firmly, trying to remember how his mother does it for him.

“Close your eyes.” He told the boy and smiles when he did as he had been told.

Hakyeon wiped Taekwoon’s face as carefully as possible, afraid that he might start crying again if he hurt him. He tried to not think of how his towel is now full of the other boy’s snot and tears, and gave his back a gentle pat when he’s done.

Taekwoon’s eyes were swollen and red and Hakyeon resisted the urge to about it.

“What do you like Taekwoon? Playing? Reading? Drawing?”

 He doesn’t get a reply, so he shrugged and pulled Taekwoon to the living room. He fished out all the toys and coloured pens and books he could find and placed them all in front of the other boy.

Taekwoon only bit his lip.

Hakyeon sighs and plopped down next to him on the floor as he looks around at the toys and books he had found.

An idea struck him and he told Taekwoon to wait for him before he ran to the kitchen to bring out two packs of his favourite banana milk. When he returned he’s delighted to find Taekwoon playing with a soccer ball.

“There, they’re my favourite, so I hope you like them too.” He smiles as he placed a pack next to Taekwoon.

“… Thank you.”

Hakyeon’s smile widened when he heard him speak. He looked at the soccer ball between Taekwoon’s feet and got curious.

“Do you like soccer?”

Taekwoon nods as he took a sip of the banana milk.

“Can you play soccer?”

“A little…”

“Oh…” Hakyeon puts his milk down and sulked. “I’m bad at soccer; my brother teases me about it all the time. It’s annoying.”

“I can teach you…” Taekwoon offered, much to his surprise.

“Really?”

Taekwoon nods.

“That’s great! Thanks bud’.” He nudged him gently, and Taekwoon nodded.

Comfortable silence followed as Hakyeon watched Taekwoon fiddle with the soccer ball in his lap, banana milk in his tummy and the plastic container thrown away.

“You know, I get made fun of by those kids too…” Hakyeon said, suddenly remembering what Mrs. Jung had told him.

Taekwoon stopped playing and turned to look at Hakyeon.

“They always say I look too dark and that it’s ugly, so I got a little upset when you told me that just now. I’m sorry.”

Hakyeon was shocked when Taekwoon reached over to hold his hand.

“I’m sorry too. I don’t think it looks ugly, it’s unique.”

Hakyeon brightened up. “You really think so?”

Taekwoon nods, looking at him seriously.

Hakyeon laughed.

“But I’m a little curious,” he leaned closer to Taekwoon again. “Why do you get made fun of? You seem perfectly fine to me…”

The other boy stiffened.

“… They say that I’m weird because I’m too quiet.”

“Eyy!”

Hakyeon’s sudden exclamation caused Taekwoon to jump.

“How’s that being weird? Being weird is… is…” He struggled to find an example of ‘weird’ behaviours.

“Anyway, you being quiet isn’t weird. You’re just unique! Like me!” He adds the last two word as an afterthought.

Taekwoon perked up slightly. “Really?”

Hakyeon nodded his head earnestly. “So the next time anyone tells you you’re being weird because you’re quiet, let me know. I’ll tell them that it’s not weird, it’s unique. This is called helping a friend; Taekwoon is my friend, so I must help him. That’s what my dad told me.”

“Then…” Taekwoon looked as if he was deep in thought. “Then I should help you too, since you’re my friend.”

“Of course!” Hakyeon exclaimed, grinning. He held up his pinkie. “Promise?”

Taekwoon stared at it for a moment before hooking his own pinkie around it. They pressed their thumbs together, and Hakyeon proceeds with the last step of the pinkie promise.

“Whoever breaks this promise will have bad luck for the rest of his life.”

And for the first time in his life, Hakyeon saw Taekwoon smile. 

i tried. lol. 

so yeah i've made plans to continue this to become one of those high-school bffs love story, because somehow i don't see any of this sort for leon lol if anyone has seen a good one before rec it to me please? haha

im just going to put this as completed first, since im not sure if i really want to continue this. 

honestly i wrote this because i wanted leon fluff. i have tons of character death plots and ideas in my folder lol it scares me a little. 

comments are loved~