“I remember the day I saw you, when I didn’t even know you.” – Sleepless Night, CNBLUE

I stared blankly at the fiery orange haired kid standing in front of me. He was smiling at me with his hand extended waiting for me to shake his hand. All because of my mom was the reason he was standing inside my house and I was out of my room.

            “Jin,” mom said. “Say hi to your new neighbor Kim Taehyung.” She nudged me forward closer to Taehyung. “Jin.”

            “Hi,” I said quietly not making eye contact with him. “Nice to meet you.” I gingerly took his hand shaking.

            “I hope you can be my best friend,” Taehyung said. “Since I’m new you can help me out around here right?”

            “Of course Jin would love to do that,” mom said. “Wouldn’t you Jin?” I nodded my head unable to force myself to say no. “Taehyung will be starting school soon, and is going to be in your same class. He’s ten just like you are. So be nice to him, yeah? I’m going to be in my room, so play nice you too.” My mom patted me on the shoulder before leaving us alone.

            “Let’s play outside,” Taehyung said opening the front door. I put on my shoes following Taehyung outside.

            “Is your hair naturally orange?” I asked looking at his orange hair blowing slightly in the breeze. “It’s very bright.”

            “No,” Taehyung said. “It’s black like yours, but I don’t like black, because it’s too boring, so I chose something easier to recognize me by.” He sat down on our lawn under the tree, my father and I had planted years ago when we just moved into our house. “What’s your favorite color?”

            “I like pink best,” I said sitting down next to him.

            “That’s a girl color,” Taehyung said laughing plucking some grass tying them together. “Why do you like pink so much?”

            “It’s not a girl color,” I said looking at him. “My dad says it takes a real man to admit he likes pink. And pink is a soft color, so it’ll never hurt you like other colors can. Like red. That’s a mean color.”

            “How can colors be mean?” Taehyung asked tying more strands of grass together, making a chain. “Colors don’t have feelings or emotions.”

            “I used to think that too,” I said quietly. “But that was before my dad died. We were in a pretty bad car crash and I survived but he didn’t. His blood was everywhere, bright red blood, that’s when I realized that colors could hurt. Seeing all his blood was enough for me to dislike red forever.”

            I’d never told anyone about my real dislike of the color red. I always had the same excuse that red was just too bright and hurt my eyes. I don’t know why I told Taehyung the real reason I hated red, I just somehow felt like I could express how I truly felt to him. He had a personality that made it easy for me to talk freely to him, unlike any other person I’d met.

            “I’m sorry about your dad,” Taehyung said quietly. “I don’t know how I would manage without my dad, he’s my favorite person in the whole world.” He stood up brushing the dirt off his shorts before placing his chain of grass on my head. “Smile sometime Jin. I bet you have a pretty smile. I have to go back home. See you tomorrow for school.”

            I stared after him as he left to head to house which was up the hill a little from me. I sat in the grass until dinner time just sitting there looking at the cars passing by and the people walking.

            “Jin come inside for dinner,” mom said. I got up heading inside to eat dinner. “Did you have fun with Taehyung today?” We sat down as mom placed the dishes on the table.

            “I guess so,” I answered. “He’s interesting, and I guess he could be a friend for me.” I began to eat the food with my mom in silence.

            “That’s good Jin,” mom said. “I’m always worried about you honey, you need to spend time with people your age and not just playing by yourself. So hopefully being with Taehyung will be a good thing for you. What is that on your head?” My mom pointed at my head with her chopsticks.

            “Oh this?” I asked realizing Taehyung’s grass crown was still resting peacefully on my head. “Taehyung made this when we were outside, and gave it to me.”

            “That’s nice,” mom said smiling. “See you like him already.” She put more food into my bowl. “You’ll become great friends.”

            “I don’t like him,” I said eating more food. “I just don’t hate him, I’m indifferent right now. I’ll have to get used to him before I can like him. Mom you know that.”

            “I know I know,” mom said. “Well get used to him quickly Jin. I think he’ll be very good for you. You need a male friend to grow up with.”

            I nodded my head thinking about what my mom said to me. Maybe being friends with Taehyung would be good for me. He was certainly interesting, so I wanted to see him again.

>_< ^_^

            Going to school with Taehyung was certainly louder then just walking by myself. Taehyung was constantly talking about everything he found interesting. I said a few words here and there, but for the most part I listened to all he had to say.

            I was more of a listener then a talker, and Taehyung was definitely more of a talker then a listener. One of the ways we equaled each other out.

            When we got to class, the teacher placed Taehyung next to me, at his request and we became desk partners. During recess Taehyung was surrounded by all the classmates wanting to play with him. I looked at him before heading over to the gym bars sitting on top of them.

            I was used to playing by myself at school, because it was more comfortable that way. Most of the kids didn’t get me and thought I was boring, so they left me alone. I wasn’t lonely, because I had gotten used to playing by myself and making my own fun.

            “Hey,” Taehyung said coming up to the gym bars sitting next to me. “Why’d you leave me?”     

            “You seemed busy with everyone else,” I said. “So I came to the bars where I always play. If you want to do something more fun with other people, I’ll understand. I know I’m boring.”

            “You’re not boring Jin,” Taehyung said. “You just have a different way of being fun. I don’t know how you can play by yourself everyday and are okay with it. That’s truly remarkable.”

            “So you don’t mind playing with me?” I asked. “Even if it’s not as fun as what everyone else is doing?”

            “Nope,” Taehyung said smiling. “With me and you, we’ll make our own fun and have more fun together then anyone else on the playground. Deal?” He extended his pinky finger.

            “Deal,” I said linking my pinky with his pressing our thumbs together.

            “Come on Jin!” Taehyung said whining. “Smile, I want to see you smile! You do know how to smile right? Because by the looks of it, I think your face doesn’t know how to turn your lips up.”

            “I can smile,” I said. “I just don’t find reasons to smile so much.”

            “Well then smile for me,” Taehyung said. “Here, I’ll tell you a joke. What do you and I have in common besides the fact we’re boys and the same age?”

            “I don’t know what?” I asked.

            “We both have a mom, and are in the same class,” Taehyung said. “And we both like each other.”

            “How do you know I like you?” I asked looking at him.

            “I just know,” Taehyung said. “Because you wouldn’t be talking to me if you didn’t.” He smiled at me, a bright colorful smile. “Am I right?”

            “Yeah you’re right,” I said smiling back at him.

            “That’s better,” Taehyung said laughing. “See I told you, you have a pretty smile. Best friend. You’ll be the pretty boy with the pretty smile, that only special people like me will ever see.”

            I smiled some more as we swung around on the gym bars for the rest of the recess. Something about Taehyung was intriguing and I was more then eager, to figure out more about him.

Each story will have a quote from a song that will go along with the story and the links to the songs will be below. Please leave a comment if you want to~ ^_^ I hope you will enjoy this story