Chapter Text
Years before the streets near Ganghak shook in fear at the sight of maroon blazers, and the halls of Eujang whispered rumors about the new quiet kid’s dark past, there was a friendship that formed between two young boys. A friendship that was like a long summer break, filled with brightness and energy, a season that felt as if it would last forever for the two boys.
The fateful meeting took place on the first day of preschool.
Sieun’s mother dropped off her young son, grateful that her child was finally old enough to attend school so she could return to her fulltime teaching job. While other parents hugged their nervous little ones goodbye, Sieun’s mother left the boy with a quick, “Be good” before turning to walk away.
Sieun stayed rooted at the spot where he was left, the only thing that betrayed the anxiousness he felt was the look he cast over his shoulder to see if his mother would look back once at him.
She didn’t.
The smaller than average child would have stayed standing forlorn were it not for the wide-eyed child that had just been dropped off a few minutes after him. The curly-haired boy had taken one look at Sieun’s large boba eyes before bounding up to him with the excitement only a happy puppy could display.
“Hi! My name is Seongje, let’s be friends! Bye Mom!” The rambunctious child exclaimed, reaching for the other boy’s hand to clasp in his own and waving goodbye to his mother with his free one. Sieun blinked once at the other boy before blinking once again at their joined hands.
“Come on, let’s go inside!” Seongje tightened his hold on his newly found human before dragging the smaller boy into the classroom. The whole way, the taller child chattered, never once letting go of Sieun’s hand or seemingly bothered by his lack of response. Sieun could only stare up in amazement at the boy that bursted into his world like a whirlwind, allowing himself to be pulled along.
“Let’s sit together okay?” Sieun gave a shy nod in response causing the curly-haired boy to light up like a christmas tree. Seongje was very pleased. His mom had told him he should try to make some friends at school and he had already found the perfect one.
“What’s your name? You don’t talk much, huh?”
Sieun ducked his head a bit before whispering, “My name is Sieun.”
Seongje's smile widened at hearing the other boy’s voice for the first time. “Pretty.” He declared. “Don’t worry, I can talk enough for both of us!”
No one had ever sought out Sieun’s company before, no one in his life had ever tried so hard to reach him. It filled the young boy with a warmth that settled over him like a soft blanket. For the first time he thought maybe school isn’t so bad .
And for the rest of the first school day the two boys stayed together as if they were glued at the hip. Seongje’s open and playful demeanor slowly coaxing Sieun out of his shell. The taller boy excitedly told Sieun about his pet dog at home, about how good his mom’s tteokbokkie was, and about how many rooms his house had and how Sieun would just love it once he saw it.
Though Sieun was quieter than his new friend, his eyes stayed attentively fixed on the other, soaking up the interaction like a flower leaning towards the sun.
Through morning lessons they sat close together and at recess they explored the playground side-by-side. At snack time when Seongje accidentally dropped his cracker on the ground and Sieun broke his to give the other boy half of it, Seongje decided that Sieun was not just his friend but his best friend . At nap time he dragged his sleeping mat to be closer to Sieun.
The teachers cooed at the little ones and how quickly they had taken to each other. Whether they were playing or learning the two little boys were inseparable. All the way up to dismissal when the time came for the children to be picked up.
While some of the other children had cried at the start of the day when they had been dropped off, Seongje cried when Sieun’s mom came to pick the other boy up.
The next morning, Sieun didn’t drag on getting ready for school. The boy actually finished his food extra quick so his mom would take him to school earlier. He couldn’t wait to see his friend.
Seongje had finally calmed down the night before when his mother explained that Sieun had his own family he had to go home with everyday, and no Sieun couldn’t just bring his whole family to live here with them even if Seongje thought their house was big enough, but he would get to see Sieun everyday at school. Now he was even more enthusiastic about getting to school so he could finally spend time with his best friend again.
When the two met at the entrance, one happily bear hugged while the other tentatively squeezed back just as hard. In the months that followed, the boys played, grew, and fought (never for long though) with each other. Both certain that they had found that missing piece they had not even realized they were searching for. They even promised under the school’s oak tree with hooked pinkies to always be friends no matter what.
Seongje absentmindedly poked a small anthill with the stick he had found on the sidewalk, crouched down low near the playground’s grass. Sieun had come out from the classroom to recess later than everyone else, as the teacher noticed his aptitude for reading and had him practice higher level books with her after morning class finished.
Sieun spotted his friend and as he approached him, he noticed the other boy’s signature grin was nowhere to be seen. There were few things that could really put a damper on Seongje’s mood, but Sieun was sure it was the same thing that had been weighing on his friend all week.
“Careful, the ants might bite you.” He stated, coming to a stop by Seongje. He carefully leaned down next to the curly haired boy before softly asking, “How is your mom doing today?”
Still looking down at the anthill, Seongje shook his head sadly. “Dad says she has to stay at the hospital now.”
Sieun’s little heart pained for the kind auntie who had always greeted him with a gummy smile and fresh snacks.
“Hospitals are for people to get better, the doctors will help her.” He softly rubbed the other boy’s back hoping to give some comfort.
Tears formed in Seongje’s eyes but he blinked fast to not let them fall, afterall, his father had told him tears were useless and that he wasn’t a baby anymore.
“Let’s make your mom a beautiful card, so she can have it while she is there and can look at it whenever she wants.” Sieun was determined to make his friend feel better the same way he had always helped him when his parents’ fights got too loud and their words too painful to hear. “If we press a flower between two books then the flower will stay pretty for a long time and we can put it in her card, do you want to try?”
Seongje slowly turned his head up to the other boy, the corners of his mouth beginning to turn up.
“Okay, let’s pick the prettiest flowers in the whole school yard!” He jumped to his feet and pulled his friend with newly found cheer towards the school's flower beds. “If we’re fast we can get some blue ones from Miss Kwon’s window box!”
Sieun lightly giggled, running to keep up with Seongje. He didn’t even care that they might get in trouble for picking the flowers, his best friend was smiling again.
The two boys couldn’t have known what the coming months would bring or how life would tear them apart.
Tension between Sieun’s parents reached a boiling point. The aftermath of two individuals who were unable to put aside their disappointments over married life, and the child they had made, was a messy divorce. Seiun was forced to move away when his father was given custody over him. He was not even given the chance to say goodbye to his dear friend before his life was upended.
Seongje’s mother succumbed to her illness, despite the best doctors working round the clock to save her. His home now left gray and completely devoid of warmth. Seongje’s father had always been a practical business man, unwilling to show any sign of weakness, a few months later he remarried and began a new family. A new family that had no place for Seongje.
And so the two grew into teenagers.
One boy threw himself into his studies and blocked out the rest of the world, just trying to survive.
The other learned to use his fists and to take what he wanted when he wanted it. Only feeling truly alive in the rush of a hard fight.
One made a friend who fell into a coma for him.
The other became second-in-command of a gang that ruled with power and fear.
Still, the memory of the youthful bond lingered in the back of the mind, like a song you didn’t know the words to but melody you couldn’t forget.
They had no idea that their paths would cross once again.