Chapter Text
Xiaoting finally looked up after multiple hey's and taps on the shoulder, her eyes knitting together in annoyance as she sniffed and wiped away a tear.
"Finally! Why are you sitting here alone?" the girl asked, her smile reaching his eyes
"Hey what the-!" she exclaimed after Xiaoting had dropped her head again, "Are you kidding me.. I tried so many times and you looked back down.."
She heard a soft sigh, before silence followed. Feeling the presence of the other gone, she lifted her head, searching the playground. She had almost jumped off the swing after turning around and finding the girl sitting beside her, her mouth agaped and eyes towards the sky. She blinked, leaning further away from the girl.
The girl seemed to notice the pair of eyes on her as she had turned around, her lips curving up into a bright smile again.
"You looked up again!" She pointed at him, her laughter growing louder.
Xiaoting quickly looked away, sniffing angrily, "W-Who told you you could sit there?"
The girl gasped, jumping from the swing, "That's a little mean.." she said, this time squating infront of Xiaoring, her chin laying comfortably on her knees. Being far too surpirsed, Xiaoting couldn't look away.
"What's your name?" the girl looked up at her again, her eyes filled with glee
Xiaoting didn't answer, instead she poked at the girls forehead, causing her to tumble over onto he back. She began laughing hysterically, her laugh almost turning into a cackle as the other girl rubbed her back with a pout. She wiped away a tear, this time of joy instead of sorrow.
"Oh shoot!" she heard the girl say as she ran behind him, "My mother's here! She doesn't know I went outside" she felt the girl clutch onto the fabric of her clothes as she peeked over her body.
"Kawaguchi, Yurina." her eyes darted to the woman, Kawaguchi? Yurina? she repeated the name in her head, questioning whether it was the girls name or not.
Her questions were quickly answered when the girls mother sternly called for her, the little girl peering over her shoulder cowardly before making her way to her mother. Xiaoting could hear the girl's mother scolding her as the girl hung her head low.
"..Go apologise to that young woman for disturbing her this instant!" the womans voice was stern, it almost sent shivers down Xiaotings spine and it wasn't even her who was being scolded.
Yurina kneeled down infront of her, bowing her head until it touched the ground, "I'm sorry for annoying you!" Xiaoting grew flustered, yet she couldn't help but feel victorious, a smug smile played on her lips, "serves her right", she thought.
Yurina quickly got up, dusting off her pants.
"Well, see you later, penguin girl!" she called as she ran off after her mother, a hand in her mother's whilst the other bid goodbye.
Penguin girl ?! Xiaoting thought, what an absurd name! Where did she even get that from? She huffed, no longer feeling sad, instead quite annoyed.
She kicked at the rocks as she made her way home, her hands stuffed into her pocket.
"That Kawaguchi Yurina was really something.. I really hope to never see her again!"
--
"You're here again?" Yurina smiled, pointing his finger at Sunghoon
It had been almost month since they'd last seen eachother, and to be honest Xiaoting could barely remember her at first glance..
She made a sound of realisation before quickly shooting up from her seat, walking away from Yurina. She mumbled some inaudible things, sometimes glancing back at Yurina with an annoyed glare.
Yurina was speechless, nonetheless she followed him, holding onto the end of Xiaoting's elbow.
"Why are you running away ?!" She spun her around, a pout forming on her lips
As Xiaoting met with Yurina's face, she couldn't help but grow more annoyed. "Stupid Penguin girl?" she muttered, attempting to turn away again. Whether it was because Yurina was more older than her, or she was just simply stronger, she seemingly couldn't escape from her grip.
Yurina let go with one hand, using it to search her pockets for something. Her face lit up as she made a small "ah", pulling a wrapped candy out from here pocket.
"Here.. My parents gave me three today!" she shoved it into Xiaotings hands, clasping her own over it.
Xiaoting looked at her confusingly, before turning her attention to the piece of candy in her hands. She frowned, before slowly unwrapping it, keeping her eyes trained on the latter.
Yurina, frustrated, swiped the candy out of her hands and unwrapped it for her. In what seemed like a second, a grape flavoured candy was stolen and shoved into Xiaoting's mouth.
Xiaoting opened her mouth to scold Yurina, but the burst of flavour which set into her mouth was far too delicious. She swirled it around her mouth for a bit, taking small bites to savour the flavour.
"Is it good?" Yurina asked, looking at her in anticipation
"Well.." Xiaoting murmured, diverting her eyes to the leaves on the ground
"It is right! Hold on" Yurina glanced to the playground, before grabbing onto the latters wrist and dragging her towards it.
"H-Hey where are you going huh?!" Xiaoting squirmed, lightly hitting the hand which was grabbing her's.
With an abrupt stop, Yurina waved towards someone
A small set of leaves were heard crunching, each step coming closer and closer before Xiaoting finally looked towards it
"Youngeun! Meet my new friend!" Yurina jumped up and down, signaling towards Xiaoting.
"Friend?! Who said I was your friend!" Xiaoting shouted, pulling her wrist away. If she was annoyed before, she was incredibly irritated now.
Yurina turned to her, her eyes almost watering and her lips turning into a frown, "B-but I gave you candy.."
Xiaoting looked at her, baffled, "Who would become friends after just eating candy? Gosh.."
Then, a devious plan came into her mind, "I will be your friend-"
"Really?!" Yurina jumped, holding on to the sides of Xiaoting's shoulders.
"..If you give me another candy." Xiaoting smirked, her arms crossing together
Yurina's energetic jumps quickly stopped, her whole body deflating with a sigh. "I don't have anymore.. I gave one to Youngeun, you, and one for me" she pouted, scrunching her hair together out of frustration.
Xiaoting patted herself on her shoulder, "Guess I don't have to be friends with you" she smiled, basking in victory
"Oh right!" Yurina's eyes lit up, she smiled before pulling Xiaoting to sit at a swing set.
"Wait right here"
-
Was it curiosity? or nativity, because for whatever reason Xiaoting had decided to settle down on the swing seat as Yurina quickly left the park, leaving a confused Xiaoting.
Xiaoting had sat for what seemed like hours, slowly swinging, and sometimes kicking the bark which layed below her. She impatiently tapped her foot, huffing at the amount of time the latter was taking.
And like a mircale, Yurina jumped from behind her, a jar of sought in her hand.
"Surprise!" Yurina smiled, her eyes crinkling, jar raised
"What th-" Xiaoting could barely finish her sentence before the jar was shoved into her stomach, her arms natrually wrapping around it
"Hurry just look inside!" Yurina bounced, tapping the top of the jar
Xiaoting lifted the jar up, inspecting it through the night light. She clicked her tongue before "unwillingly" turning it, each second filling with anticipation.
Xiaoting almost dropped the jar (and her jaw) at what had finally been revealed.
Yurina had come back, with not just one grape candy, but a whole jar!
"A-are you crazy?!" She asked, eyes glancing up at Yurina's
She tried searching for something, regret hopefuly, but Yurina only looked prideful, any trace of regret gone.
"Wanna know how much there is?" Somehow Yurina's smile grew much more wider, her arms wrapping behind herself, "..32! Can you believe it?"
Xiaoting frowned, scratching her hair, "How'd you even get this?"
"Easy peasy~" Yurina sang, "I went around the whole neighbourhood asking for just one!"
Xiaoting almost scoffed at her method, "What an idiot.."
"Oh but you know what that means right?" Yurina's face had suddenly turned serious, her eyes honing in on Xiaotings, "For 32 grape candies.. We have to be friends for 32 years!" Yurina's cold expression disappeared, she smiled again raising both of her hands up in victory.
Xiaoting shook hee head, "32 years is way too much!"
..or was it too little?
Yurina shurgged, "That was our agreement, there's nothing we can do Mrs. Penguin!"
"What! We never made that agreement!", is what Xiaoting wanted to say, but her mind could only focus on that stupid name..
She paused, "What happens after 32 years then?" Xiaoting replied with a snarky smile
Yurina paused, humming as she thought of a solution, "..Well by then, i'll be an adult and i'll buy you a hundred grape candies!"
Xiaoting lightly flicked Yurina's forehead, "You're just buying my friendship now.." she lightly shook her head, "That's not how friendships work"
"But that's the only way.." Yurina pouted, rubbing her forehead, "What should I do then?"
"I'll tell you in 32 years, since you've already given me these candies" Xiaoting giggled, taunting the candies infront of her.
"Seriously? 32 years?!" Yurina jumped in excitement, clapping her hands, "Ah wait.. that's way too long!" Yurina whined, shaking her head.
"Who's fault was it for giving me 32 candies?" Xiaoting stuck her tongue out, "I only asked for one"
"Then.." Yurina said as she glanced down at her watch, "32 years from the 8th of december.. 2012, 2:47 PM, you'll have to tell me!"
Xiaoting shrugged her shoulders before ultimately agreeing, "Okay fine.. but it's getting late now, where's your parents?" she asked, peering behind Yurina, ".. don't tell me you left without your parents permission again"
Yurina could only smile awkardly, her eyes avoiding Xiaotings. She heard the latter sigh before she felt a tug on her hoodie.
"Wha- Hey!"
"I'll take you home, it's too dangerous for you to go alone." Xiaoting said as she dragged Yurina by the hoodie.
"I'm older than you, it's fine I can protect myself!" Despite her vocal protests, Yurina did nothing but let Xiaoting drag her away from the park.
--
As they walked home, Xiaoting suddenly asked, "Hey.. why did you call me Penguin girl the first time we met huh?" she lightly nudged Yurina, "Do you know how annoyed I was? My name is Shen Xiaoting, S-h-e-n X-i-a-o-t-i-n-g!" she huffed, emphasising each letter with her hands. Yurina kept quiet, opting to shrug it off with a laugh, running off far a head of her. Xiaoting just huffed, before chasing her down around the corner, their laughs filling the quiet, night sky.
They, were 8.
Who knew that day would bloom such a sweet friendship.. if only they were prepared for what was to come.
--