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One afternoon, at the monkey bars in a children’s playpark in one of Seoul’s somewhat posh residential areas, six kids are playing. And many other things.
“Namjoonie, you are so careless! You wounded your knees again,” a 8-year-old boy named Seokjin mumbles, glaring at the 6-year-old boy named Namjoon, while tending to the said wound. “Yah! Stop moving!”
Namjoon bit his lower lip, trying his best not to hiss from the pain as his older friend is applying a disinfectant to the scrapes he got from running and tripping. “Jinnie hyung!”
“I told you not to run, but you didn’t listen.”
The statement earned chuckles from the other four kids- 8-year-old Yoongi, 6-year-old Hoseok or Hobi, and 5-year-olds Jimin and Taehyung. These kids don’t have the same ages, but the fact that their parents are all good friends since high school, these kids did so too. All those weekend afternoon and holiday gatherings weren’t for naught.
“Sheokjin hyungie ish shcolding Namjwoonie hyungie again,” giggles Jimin, or Chim-chim, covering his mouth with his tiny fingers while doing so. He is joined by Hobi and their youngest friend, Taehyung or Taetae.
Yoongi, who is lying on the ground with his Kumamon plushie shoots the five a look, scoffs, and closes his eyes. “Noisy.”
Chim-chim hears it and pouts, before a mischievous smile takes over him and joins his favorite gwumpy hyungie on the ground. Hobi follows suit, tackling both Yoongi and Chim-chim which made the older shout and the younger squeal..
The youngest of the group, Taetae, who is currently seated on the swingset, stares fondly at all his hyungs while clutching on his tiger plushie. Hyungies al the besht hyungies he mumbles inaudibly. He proceeds to play with his tiger plushie and Chim-chim’s chick plushie when he hears something.
“Nuuuuuuu pwish not my Bun-bun!” a tiny voice pleads, sniffs apparent.
This catches Taetae’s attention, ears all perked up as he searches where the little commotion is coming from.
“Your momma isn’t here, big nose!”
“H-hyung.. Nuuuuuu.. M-m-my n-nose ish not bwig. A-and pwish give me Bun-bun..”
“You are ugly just like your toy!”
“N-nuuuuuu R-rawon h-hyungie, B-bun-bun i-i-ish n-not ugwy. P-pwish give m-me m-m-my Bun-bun,” the tiny voice still pleads.
Little Taetae stands up and turns around and pouts when he find where everything is coming from.
Just across the side of the playpark where the monkey bars are, Taetae sees three guys whom he knows are from his Yoongi and Seokjin hyung’s class, and an unfamiliar little boy. The Rawon guy is holding what appears to be a bunny plushie, the other two bigger guys named Seulong and Jaewoon are laughing. The three boys are sort of cornering the little boy who is half-crying and pleading while trying to jump and get the bunny plushie from Rawon.
Taetae pouts even more. “Those guysh al meanies.”
The three bullies proceeded to throw to each other the bunny plushie which had the little boy running, trying to catch his toy. Taetae’s tiny fists are suddenly gripping firmly onto the two plushies that he is holding, especially when the little boy suddenly tripped. The little boy quickly stands up though and continues to run to each of the bullies’ side, muttering Bun-bun with the hopes of finally being able to catch it.
But then..
“Nuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!”
Taetae’s eyes widen as he sees the three bullies do the unthinkable.
The Rawon kid throws the bunny plushie a little too far and it ended up landing near the slides. The little boy screams while running towards where the plushie landed before tripping, landing hard this time to the cemented ground part of the playpark. Little Taetae hears the three bullies laugh at the little boy, and when they see how tears are slowly forming the kid’s doe eyes, he loses it.
“Hyungiiiiiiieeeeessssssssssss!” Little Taetae shouts, which gathers all the attention of all his hyungs and some other kids who are playing near the monkey bars.
Seokjin, who was done with tending to Namjoon’s wound, places his first aid kit to the ground and walks towards Taetae. “Yes, Taehyungie? What is wrong?” he asks.
Taetae looks at his Jinnie hyung and pouts before pointing to the three bullies and then to the little boy who is currently having a hard time standing up due to his wounds. “Those meanies bullied the bwoy thel(there)!”
Seokjin gasps. “Oh my!” He then turns to glare at the three bullies before looking at Namjoon and Yoongi. “You need to accompany me. I need to give those meanies a lesson.”
Yoongi and Namjoon tilt their heads in confusion. But then Seokjin points to the three bullies and both boys understood what he means before standing up from where they are seated.
Yoongi hands his Kumamon plushie to Chim-chim and Hobi. “Take care of my plushie,” to which the two responded with a nod.
The hyungs walked off to catch up on the three bullies and at this, Taetae turns to his other two hyungs.
“Hobi hyungie, Chim-chim hyungie,”
Hobi stands up and approaches his dongsaeng. “Yes Taehyungie?”
Taetae hands him the plushies he was holding. “I need chu go chu the bwoy thel and help him. Pwish take care of my twoys.”
Hobi takes the plushies from Taetae and nods. Taetae then walks towards where the bunny plushie was thrown. He picks it up, dusts it off and approaches the now crying little boy. He squats a little but just so he can be at the same level as the other kid is. He can see the kid’s flushed cheeks, teary doe eyes, and bunny teeth because he is crying while his mouth is open.
“Cute.”
A young woman in her mid-20s puts on a towel at the back of her adorable toddler’s shirt. She also doesn’t forget to splash some cologne to the kid’s neck, wrists, and his clothes. Lastly, she hands him a bunny plushie, which the kid excitedly receives.
“Okay so Jungkookie?”
Big doe eyes stares at his mother with an adoring smile. “Yesh mommy?”
The young woman coos a little and kisses her child on the nose. “So mommy has to talk to those ahjummas so I can ask them the details about moving you to the the daycare center.”
“Eung!” the kid replies as if he fully understands.
“Yes baby, so that mommy can concentrate with her new work, alright? Then I can pick you up in the afternoon.”
“Eung!”
“And then by evening, daddy will join us.”
The kid smiles a bunny smile while he nods. “Eung!”
The young woman chuckles at the adorable kid’s gestures. “So can Jungkookie be a good baby boy and play with Bun-bun while waiting for mommy? It won’t take me long.”
Jungkook, or little Kookie nods enthusiastically. “Owlayt! Yesh mommy! Kwookie ish a good bwoy! I will wait fol mommy hele(here),” he replies with a huge smile on his face, showing off his cute bunny teeth.
Kookie’s mommy claps her hands in delight. “Aw, my baby boy is growing up so well! Alright baby Kookie. Stay here.” She kisses the toddler one more time before she sets off to where she needs to go. She shoots her son a glance every once in a while to make sure he doesn’t run off.
Little Kookie’s eyes didn’t leave his mother as he watches her approach a group of ahjummas. He smiles when he sees how she was warmly welcomed. His mother is a really shy person, but since they know nobody in the city after recently moving from Busan, she tried her best to shake off the shyness away, all for her little Jungkookie.
“Kwookie should be blave jush like mommy. Kwookie will wait fol mommy hele,” he mutters with a small smile, squishing his bunny plushie. “Kookie ish a blave bwoy. Mommy will be ploud of baby Kwookie fol being a blave bwoy. Bun-bun will make shul(sure) Kwookie ish owlayt, layt Bun-bun?” He then makes the plushie’s head move, as if it is nodding to the little boy. Kookie giggles at that.
He looks around and sees kids that are either older or younger than him. Most of them are with their parents, some of them are with their friends. He is envious of them. Little Kookie never really had any playmates since most kids his age in Busan tend to make fun of his teeth and his nose. He tries to make friends, but he gets nervous all the time and because he is a little too small. He pouts.
“I wish Kwookie and Bun-bun will have mow pwaymates hele,” he mumbles before he decided to start playing with Bun-bun.
He was having a fun time on his own when he sees three looming shadows over him and Bun-bun. He looks up and sees three older boys and gasps because they all look very familiar.
“R-rawon hyung?”
The Rawon kid smiles in the way that makes little Kookie so uncomfortable, he clutches on Bun-bun.
“Hello, ugly boy.”
Kookie pouts. “I-i’m not ugwy.”
The other kid, Seulong, snickers. “But you have a big nose and an ugly set of teeth. You’re ugly.”
The third kid named Jaewoon laughs. “And the way you talk is also ugly. From which planet were you from?”
Little Kookie’s pout goes deeper. “Kookie ish not fwom othel pwanet. Kookie ish fwom Bwushan.”
“Right.”
Rawon sits next to Kookie. “Okay, kid. We’ll believe you and agree to play with you. But we want one thing.”
Kookie’s pout disappears and his eyes blink. “You.. Y-you’ll pway with me?”
Rawon smiles and nods. “Yup. All you have to do is to give us,” points to Bun-bun, “that toy.”
“Uhm..” Little Kookie stares at Bun-bun, the three boys, and back to Bun-bun. He doesn’t like the idea of wanting to give Bun-bun to another person other than his mother and his father. “B-but..”
“Your choice, kid. If you don’t give us your toy, we will leave you alone and you won’t have playmates,” Seulong says with a fake pout.
Kookie does the same action he did earlier, he stares at Bun-bun, the three boys, and Bun-bun again. He is enticed with the idea of having new playmates. But something about the three boys made him feel extremely uncomfortable and he doesn’t even know why. He puffs his cheeks before taking a deep breath. He smiles at the three boys, cute bunny teeth showing a little before shaking his head.
“No, thank you hyungies. B-but mommy says Kwookie cannot pway with people he doeshn’t know. My mommy will be angwy is she doeshn’t fwind me hele," he explains. He stops when he sees the mean expression from the three boys. “Uhm-”
He then falls to the ground after a harsh pull. The next thing he knew, Bun-bun is no longer within his grasp. He stares up at the three boys and he can see the mean smiles on their faces, taunting or mocking him.
“We don’t really care, ugly boy,” Rawon says. “Now, we have your ugly plushie and you have no playmates!”
Kookie stands up and tries to reach up to his plushie. “Pwish give me Bun-bun.”
The three kids laugh at the small kid. Jaewoon smirks. “Nope, you won’t have your toy back.”
The little boy shakes his head. “Pwish give me bwack my Bun-bun. Mommy will not like it if Kwookie doeshn’t have Bun-bun.”
Seulong blocks Kookie. “We don’t care. Your mommy isn’t even here.”
“N-nuuuuuuuu my mommy ish thele,” he answers, pointing to where his mother is. “Give me Bun-bun, pwish?” he pleads softly.
“No, ugly boy! We will take your Bun-bun with us.”
Little Kookie felt weak at the words. Nu pwish dun take my Bun-bun. Kwookie hash no pwaymates. Kwookie hash no fwends. Pwish don’t take my Bun-bun away fwom me he chants in his mind. Bun-bun was given to him by his late favorite uncle, his father’s younger brother, before he passed away almost a year ago due to leukemia. It was one of his most treasured gifts and he knows it will break his little heart if Bun-bun is taken away from him. He internally shakes his head again and is determined to take his plushie away.
He jumps a little higher, tries to grab Bun-bun, but to no avail. Rawon smirks.
“Aw the baby wants to get his ugly toy,” Seulong mocks.
Jaewoon gives his two friends a high five before turning back to Kookie. “Sorry kiddo. We don’t want to give you your toy back.”
“Nuuuuuuu pwish not my Bun-bun!” little Kookie pleads again while sniffing. “My mommy ish coming back shoon sho pwish give me Bun-bun..”
“Your momma isn’t here, big nose!”
Kookie frowned at the words and over the fact that the older boys are still not giving him his bunny plushie yet. “H-hyung.. Nuuuuuu.. M-m-my n-nose ish not bwig. A-and pwish give me Bun-bun..”
“You are ugly just like your toy!”
“N-nuuuuuu R-rawon h-hyungie, B-bun-bun i-i-ish n-not ugwy. P-pwish give m-me m-m-my Bun-bun,” he continuously pleads, arms still trying to reach his beloved plushie. He could almost feel himself crying, but he tried to control his tears.
Just then, the three boys started passing the toys to each other and little Kookie could do nothing but the run to where each of them would throw the toy. His legs are getting a little dirty and tired from the running, his throat a little hurt from the tiny screams, and his nose a little runny.
I have chu get Bun-bun. You can do thish Kwookie. Fol Bun-bun.
The throw-pass and running went on for minutes but Rawon’s next action made Kookie feel like his soul left his body.
His beloved plushie is flying off a little far.
“Nuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!” he screams before tears finally escaped his doe eyes.
He sees his plushie landing to where the slide is. He makes a run towards it, wiping his tears, but he suddenly trips. He landed so badly to the ground so when he tries to stand up, he sees his knees with scrapes. This made him cry.
Little Kookie feels so heartbroken. He can hear the mocking laughs of the three boys as they finally leave him alone but he paid no attention to it. All he wants is to be able to stand up to get his now dirty plushie. He bites his tiny lips as he struggles to stand up.
I’m showwy Bun-bun. Kwookie ish sho weak chu defend chu. I’m sho showwy.
All little Kookie wants is for his mommy to just finally arrive and take him home, wrap him in blankets, and give him lots of banana milk. He wants his mommy to sing him to sleep and hug him as he sleeps.
He was weeping and weeping. He didn’t notice another little boy, a little older than he is, taking his plushie. He didn’t hear the foot steps approaching him. He just wants to go home.
“Cute.”
The word stops Kookie from crying and his teary eyes meets the other boy’s and he takes in his boxy smile.
“Al yu owlayt?” the kid asks, concern very evident on his eyes.
Kookie blinks his eyes in confusion. “Who al yu?” he asks.
The other boy smiles at him. Then he hands him Bun-bun.
“Bun-bun!” Kookie squeals. He takes his plushie from the other boy and hugs it tightly. His cheeks suddenly flushed. “T-tenchu..”
“Ish owlayt,” the kid replies. “But al yu owlayt?” he asks again.
“Eung!” Kookie happily nods in response, now forgetting his broken little heart earlier. "Kwookie ish thankfwul chu hyungie."
The other kid smiles but also tilts his head in confusion. "Ish owlayt.. Kwookie?"
“Eung!” Kookie nods with another toothy bunny smile and the sides of his twinkling doe eyes are forming cute lines. "Yesh ish Kwookie. I’m thwee yeals owd. What ish hyungie'sh name?"
Taetae finds the kid really cute, just as cute as he is. He smiles and ruffles the bunny boy's cute curly locks. "I'm Twaehyungie. But chu can call me Taetae. I’m fwive yeals owd," he states, introducing himself.
“TAETAEEEEEEE!”
Taetae turns to see both Hobi and Chim-chim calling him. He also sees his other hyungs returning to the monkey bars. When he turns further, he can see the three boys who bullied Kookie. They are shivering and looking super scared at Namjoon, Yoongi, and Seokjin. He turns back to Kookie.
“Those meanies will no longew bothew you, Kwookie,” he tells the other while pointing at the three bullies.
Kookie smiles. “Tenchu, Taetae hyungie! Tenchu fol helping Kwookie.”
Taetae smiles back. “Yol welcome Kwookie.” He looks back at his friends who are calling him again. "Ow, Kwookie I need chu go now."
Little Kookie gasps and sees the other kids who are calling Taetae. Ow. Taetae hash fwends. Kwookie doeshn’t have fwends. Taetae hash to weave Kwookie fol hish fwends. He frowns. "B-but.. Kwookie has no pwaymwates," he mumbles almost inaudibly, clutching a bit on Bun-bun.
But Taetae actually hears him. Huh? Kwookie hash no pwaymates?
Oh, he almost forgot! Kwookie ish pwobabwy new to the neighbolhwood.
He pouts at the realization and his frown grows apparent when he sees how upset Kookie looks like, lips jutted, cheeks puffed, eyes that has little to no sparkle that it has earlier. His entire facial expression looks crestfallen. "Where ish your momma, Kwookie?"
Kookie’s head is bowing down. "She'sh twalking chu those ahjummas ovel thel,” he answers while pointing to the hall where his mother disappeared. “She said she will ashk about the.. The d-daycel shentowl (daycare center) that Kwookie will be going chu when she stalts woking.” He nervously looks at Taetae. “Can Taetae hyungie shtay with Kwookie?" After that, he looks at the older with his pleading doe eyes and a pout.
Taetae stares at Kookie and his heart swells not just at the cuteness, but also because he feels bad for the younger being new and not having playmates. An idea pops in his mind.
“Do you wanna pway with my hyungiesh?”
The question made Kookie gasp. He never had been close to anyone other than his late uncle. None of the kids in his former neighborhood ever wanted to play with him or even invited him to play with them. It took him seconds and lots of eye blinks to gather his thoughts.
“T-taetae wantsh Kwookie to.. To pway with.. Him and.. Hish hyungiesh?”
Taetae smiles and nods. “I’m pweety shul my hyungiesh wouldn’t mind having you alound. You can alsho take Bun-bun with chu.”
A small smile slowly formed on Kookie’s lips. He stares at Bun-bun then at Taetae. “Bun-bun, did chu heal that? Kwookie was invited by Taetae hyungie chu pway with him and hish fwends. Kwookie will have pwaymates!” He jumps a little, kissing the nose of his plushie.
Taetae puts his hand out, offering Kookie to take it. The younger did not hesitate to do so. Then Taetae calls out all his hyung, asks them to come over, which they did. He introduces little Kookie to all his hyungs, and he was right, they all liked Kookie. Seokjin tended to his wounds, Hobi and Chim-chim cooed at him like an actual baby. He sees little Kookie’s smile getting wider. When Kookie stares at him, he sees the younger mouthing Tenchu Taetae hyungie. Kwookie ish happy now. Kwookie hash fwends now tench chu Taetae hyungie.
* * * B O N U S * * *
Days, weeks, and months go by, little Kookie has settled into Seoul, his new neighborhood, his school, and his friends. Of course, his bestesht fwend is Taetae. As a token of gratitude for what Taetae has done to him, Kookie would often give him something- cookies, strawberry milk, chocolates, a lunch set from his mommy, little items from his breakfast cereal, you name it. They even became the closest among their circle of friends so the beshtesht fwend isn’t just a made up title but a real thing. They are even the sweetest to each other. Not that the gang disapproves.
"Shomedway, Kwookie and Taetae will bwecome bwoyfwens,” Chim-chim mutters as he was looking over the two maknaes acting like they are in their own world, laughing and giggling while playing with Bun-bun and Taetae’s tiger plushie that he named Tigger.
At first, everyone was weirded out with what Chim-chim said, but they can also see how fond Taetae and Kookie are with each other and they all agree, it's cute.
The moment Kookie goes up to grade school, Taetae would always go out of his way to defend him from the mean kids, along with Chim-chim.
[Taehyung] “Kookie is not ugly!”
“But his nose is so big! His teeth too!”
“Yes, his teeth is like those of the rabbits.”
[Jimin] “I suggest you take that back, Kangmin.“
“Huh! Like Taehyung can even-”
*commotion*
[Jimin] “No one insults Jungkookie and not be punched for it.”
[Taehyung] “Because Jungkookie is the cutest smol bean, okay?”
But then, come high school and the tables have turned.
Taetae, who now prefers to be addressed by others as Taehyung(unless you are his closest friends), has grown prettier and more adorable. And very prim and proper. Well, he is still manly, but he is so cute that a lot of people can’t help but be smitten whether he does aegyo or not. He’s got lots of admirers too. And while he can be straightforward at times, he tends to be more quiet and doesn’t fight, unless his Jungkookie is involved.
And speaking of Kookie or Jungkook, or Jungkookie. The kid who used to be very shy, meek, and totally adorable is now more outspoken and stronger. He has even grown a lot manlier. If people used to make fun of him and he would just chew his lip or pout, not anymore. He’s grown really handsome and well-built, thanks to endless amount of workouts and being into sports(but he flatout refuses to join the athletics team).
The adorable and shy little boy Taehyung used to protect is now the guy who protects him from all his admirers. That went on for the rest of their high school years and even until Taehyung was in college. Jungkook would go out of his way during his breaks or after his classes to visit the university where Taehyung studies to make sure he fends off any man or woman who tries their luck on Taehyung.
“Who are you in Taehyung’s life anyway?”
[Jungkook] “I’m his future boyfriend, you dumbass.”
“Huh!”
[Jungkook] “Listen, if you know what’s good for you, you will stay away from my Taetae. Unless you want me to expose you by playing a recording of your convo with your friends about wanting to get into my Taetae’s pants.”
“I-”
*guy runs off*
[Jungkook] “Good.”
[Taehyung] “Kookie.. Did you scare that guy off?”
[Jungkook] “Taetae hyung, I’ve got you your strawberry milk and your favorite cookies!”
[Taehyung] “OHMYGOD KOOKIE! THANK YOU!”
And when Jungkook graduates from high school, it’s when they officially break to their friends that they have actually promised to become boyfriends once he enters college. Their friends, with the exception of Jimin, were all surprised.
Jimin snickers. "I told y'all. They will become boyfriends. Now pay me," he orders them, hands up, waiting for his cash, much to the displeasure of the hyungs.