I like to call our fist meeting with Jinhwan is not a coincidence. I think Fate has predestined to bring us together.

It was in early winter, the time when it wasn't too cold enough for the snow to fall from the sky and it was too cold for a comfortable autumn breeze. It was the time when we were having a winter break, waiting for the results of our entrance exams to a local junior high school. I was in a deep peaceful sleep when I heard a low whisper in my ear.

"Let's go to the beach Hanbin-ah." It was Jiwon.

He was used to slipping into my room through small stairs next to my window since we were little. Our parents were used to find Jiwon in my room, but it seemed that I hadn't got used to his presence in my room. At dawn.

Each time Jiwon was depressed or stressed, he would ask me to go to the beach to accompany him. He would sit there for hours. If it was spring or summer, he would swim or catch some sea urchins to make seongge miyeok-guk - sea urchin and seaweed soup. After he had calmed down, then he would go back home.

In this case, he was worried about his exam, heck, he had been talking about this since the break.

"Wae? Are you worried you won't pass the exam?" I while yawning.

He pouted. "Of course not! Because I've learnt from my tutor." He was talking about me. "My tutor can teaching any subjects."

I chuckled. "I am awesome."

"Who said that I was talking about you?"

I turned around and shut my eyes, pretending to sleep again. "Oh, come on, Hanbin-ah!" He started to whine. "Hanbin-ah, Hanbin-ah, Hanbin-ah, come on!" It took only five minutes for me to give in. "Okay, okay. Wait downstairs. I'll get ready."

***

We walked slowly side by side to the beach, his fingers almost intertwined with mine.

"Hey, aren't you cold or something?" Compared to me who wore red and black Mickey Mouse scarf and a pair of white wool mittens, he looked like he was on a summer break with plain white T-shirt, shorts and a pair of flip-flops.

He only snorted to my question. "Why? Should I feel cold-" he stopped in the middle of his sentence. "Hmm? Who is that?"

There was a boy about our age sitting hunched on the sand. From his narrow shoulders, I was sure he was younger than us. He was hugging his legs, his head buried in his knees. We both walked and squatted quietly in front of him.

"Hey!" Jiwon said, almost shouting, making the boy jolted in surprise and looked at us. His eyes were puffy red, tears rolling on his cheeks. I couldn't help but noticed a heart-shaped mole on his left cheek. I never saw this boy before. He must be from another town.

"Why are you crying?" He added.

"My parents," he paused. "They are gone." Tears began to roll again on his cheeks, his shoulders trembled as he cried. I couldn't imagine myself if I were on his position, having no parents in such a young age. I shivered at this thought.

"Ah, you see..." Jiwon said with the most soothing voice I had never heard before. "Suffering from a loss changes the people who are having it, but they have to get through it and keep moving on. Sure, it's very horrible, but I'm sure your parents won't be happy up there if they see you sad down here." He pointed at the sky.

For a quiet boy like me, I was jealous with Jiwon's ability to talk to stranger, especially the way he soothed this boy in front of us. I couldn't even tell when the boy stopped crying.

"What's your name? I'm Kim Jiwon - you can call me Jiwon hyung. And this is Kim Hanbin - just call him whatever you want. He's my loyal dog." I smacked his head hard and earned a groan from him. I saw his lips curled slightly on both sides.

He looked quite appealing with a smile on his face.

"I'm Jinhwan, Kim Jinhwan."

"Woah, we have the same family name! Three Kim's! I'm sure we will be good friends!" He smiled widely. "Oh, wait a minute."

He took off his flip-flops and ran toward the sea before I could stop him. He swore a lot as the water touched his legs. "Ah, ! So cold! So cold!"

I shouted. "You stupid Kimbap! What are you thinking!"

"I want to eat seongge miyeok-guk - Ah! So cold!"

"There is none in winter, idiot!" I shouted back.

A light laugh from Jinhwan stopped me from cursing Jiwon. My face red from embarrassment because I never behaved so rude in front of a stranger. "I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for?" He chuckled and added. "Do you want to sit? Your legs must be tired from squatting."

"Ah... okay, I'll sit." I took a seat on his right.

"You have such a unique friend, Hanbin hyung." He started a conversation. "It must be very nice to have one." He looked at Jiwon and smiled.

I felt envy once again at Jiwon. "Ah... yeah, it's quite... nice."

***

Both of us engulfed in silence with Jiwon's screams in the background. I took secret glances at Jinhwan who was trembling.

"Are you cold?"

"No, I'm not, hyung. Thank you for asking." He hung his head low and chuckled. I took a look at his face. I noticed a tear rolled on his left cheek, passing his heart-shaped mole and quickly swiped it away.

He was just holding his tears.

I took off my scarf - my favorite scarf, and wore it around his neck.

"H-hyung?" Taken aback in surprise, he looked at my direction. His eyes filled with tears that was threatening to spill. "But I'm not cold-"

I wipe his tear stain on his left cheek. "I know you are not. Just wear it so Jiwon won't see you crying." I cupped his small face with my hands and I leaned closer to his face. "It's okay to cry now... but please don't cry anymore."

He shut his eyes and let his tears flowed. "Hanbin hyung." His voice trembled. "Thank you." He placed his small hands over mine. His cold small fingers squeezed my hands softly.

For the very first time I wanted to protect someone so badly, so nobody could ever hurt him. I really hated everything that made him sad. I wanted to see a smile on his face, not tears.

"Hey, Mickey Mouse looks good on you." I tried to cheer him. "You can have it."

He faintly smiled in his tears. "Thank you. I'll take good care of it." I laughed with him and wiped his tears. My eyes were fixated on his as he muttered a 'thank you' once again.

The sun had risen from the horizon and the sunray hit his small smiling face. He looked so...

Endearing.

I felt my heartbeat gone faster. I took my hands off his face.

***

"Yah, Hanbin! Look who is stupid now!" He ran towards us, his hands were full with sea urchins. "Hey. What are you doing with Jinhwan? Why are his eyes red?" He looked at me as if I had done a deadly sin. "You are dead Kim Hanbin!"

"What-"

"E-eh, wait, Jiwon hyung, did you say something about seongge miyeok-guk? I can make some if you want it."

"Really?" He seemed to forget about earlier. "You can make it? Please make some for me!"

I should thank him later for saving my life.

In the end, he forgot about his entrance exam just like that and ate four bowls of seongge miyeok-guk in Jinhwan's grandparents' house.

***

That was how we knew Jinhwan and befriended with him. In the beginning of April, we became junior high school students and entered the same class.

A week after that, we learned that Jinhwan was older than both of us.

A/N: His Mickey Mouse scarf will have an important role in this story. Please give any comments! Don't be a silent reader, okay?