Chapter Text
"Are you sure you want to wait for your parents here outside, Minjeong?", Miss Jane carefully said.
"I... I don't know, teacher.." the little one said in almost a whisper. She kept her eyes down, clutching the strap of her bag. The teacher let out a sigh to herself and lowered down to make eye contact with the little girl, offering her a reassuring smile.
"Then can you wait here for a second? Miss Jane will just turn off the lights in her office, yeah? Can you do that for me?", Minjeong nodded with her eyes still looking down.
"I'll come back fast, alright? Stay right here.", then Miss Jane immediately ran fast after seeing Minjeong shyly agreed.
Minjeong only watched her teacher as she ran fast to her office. With that, she gripped the strap of her pink backpack tighter and roamed her eyes around.
Her eyes slowly scanned the hallway, taking in the emptiness of it. With cautious steps, she moved to sit on a stool nearby. Her thighs closed together and her little hands placed above it carefully. Elegantly. But deep inside her, she was panicking. Definitely panicking.
This is the first time that her parents weren't on time to pick her up from daycare. This wasn't also the first time that she was left alone.
Her first day in daycare was what she called her worst day of her life (in her tiny little world). She felt betrayed, that is. If only she had known that her parents will only drop her off then leave, then she shouldn't have been excited for school. Shouldn't have agreed to go. That day, she cried while being held by Miss Jane until her parents came by to get her.
But that awful day ended when her parents offered her a peace treaty. She was consoled with her favorite pink fairy ice cream, well, that's what she calls it. It's a strawberry flavored ice cream sprinkled with pink sprinkles and pink edible glitters. As a little kid, she was bribed with it. Her parents can only sigh in relief when she finally approves of the bribe.
Today, she totally can't let this pass by. Her tiny hands can't stop trembling, and a faint layer of sweat gathered in her forehead. She's definitely not fine with this.
As she carefully pretended to appear calm, she brought her left wrist up casually to her eye level to look at the time in her strawberry shortcake themed digital watch like she understood what it meant. She sighed quietly like she actually had the whole world behind her back.
She let out a soft sigh again, trying to steady herself. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Miss Jane or the daycare, but there was something unsettling about being left behind. She'd never really liked waiting, especially when she's not familiar with her surroundings. The longer she sat there, the more she felt her eyes tearing up.
Minjeong Kim doesn’t cry!
As she thought that to herself, she didn’t catch herself actually murmuring those. As little as her, she's only 4, so who cares? A kid murmuring to herself with her forehead meeting each other and loudly stomping her feet, well...
Well, at least she's cute. That’s what matters, as her parents say. Every time she pouts or scolds herself. That's her asset—being cute whatever she does.
Though in reality, she might actually cry because she thinks that Miss Jane is taking forever to come back. As she tapped her toes on the floor, she heard someone not far away from her.
"Are those enough? I can’t give you coffee though, little one. That's all I have here. Maybe I can get you some jellies from the cafeteria?", as she followed the voice, she saw a man wearing a black pair of uniform with a... stick? Sitting inside the small house (it's a guard booth).
Minjeong then followed where the guard was looking. It was a student, just like her. He was sitting alone in the bench where the guardians are usually staying when they fetch their kids in daycare.
She carefully looked, stared, at the kid who's holding a bread and a grape flavored juice in each of his hands. The kid only looked at the guard and shook his head, declining his offer.
The kid then started munching on the bread. After a while she saw him struggling whether to put the bread in his lap so he could put the straw in the juice pouch. After struggling to decide, Minjeong was shocked when she saw the kid bite the edge of the bread and skillfully jabbed the straw into the pouch.
Her eyes lingered on him. There was no one else near him. It was only the guard who’s placed just across the bench.
Minjeong then continued watching the kid, but eventually, the kid turned to her and looked her directly in the eye while munching the bread.
Minjeong froze. She panicked and fell directly on her bottoms.
Ouch...
"Minjeong! Are you okay, honey? I'm so sorry I took too long," Miss Jane rushed back and knelt to help her up, brushing off her skirt and checking for scrapes. Minjeong sniffled but said nothing, still a little stunned.
She then peeked one last time over Miss Jane’s shoulder. Only to find that the boy was still watching her. Still chewing his bread.
And for some reason, she didn’t feel quite as anxious anymore.
————————
The next day, Minjeong was exceptionally excited to go to daycare. It's not like she wants to see someone . Of course not.
She had woken up earlier than her parents, made her bed with great care, washed her face, brushed her teeth, and sat patiently on the edge of her bed, waiting for her mommy to help her with the bath.
Mommy and Daddy Kim were beyond shock with her actions, and her mood.
Minjeong wasn’t the type to bounce out of bed, much less be excited for school. And she definitely wasn’t the type to socialize with people she didn’t know. Even after months in daycare, she hadn’t really found a friend she played with consistently.
So, to witness their daughter to be this giddy this early in the morning and thrilled at the idea of going to school is a whole different level of shock in their whole life of parenting Minjeong. This was the kind of miracle that would be written in their parenting journals forever, that will make them tear up while writing it.
After her bath, they all went in the kitchen for breakfast. Minjeong was humming softly to herself while spooning her strawberry-topped oatmeal into her mouth when Daddy Kim finally voiced the question both parents had been thinking.
"Did something happen at school, sweetie? You seem very excited to start your day today."
Minjeong froze for a split second, mid-chew while the tip of her spoon was still resting against her lips. Her eyes looked up at her daddy.
Her cheeks—already naturally rosy—took on a slightly deeper shade of red.
Not that she was hiding anything.
She quickly swallowed, then gave a shake of her head. Absolutely not.
No reason to be excited. Definitely not thinking about the kid with the bread and the grape juice. Or how he’d looked straight at her. Not at all.
Mommy Kim narrowed her eyes slightly and lips twitching in amusement. Daddy Kim just shared a look with her over the table.
Meanwhile, Minjeong very calmly continued eating her oatmeal. Like she hadn’t been caught red-handed by her own flushed cheeks.
After finishing their breakfast, Minjeong made her way back to her room and grabbed her pink backpack. But just as she was about to leave, she saw something on her small study table, it was a pack of jellies.
She paused and thought for about a few seconds before walking towards it. With her careful little hands, she picked it up and tucked it into her bag.
I'll give this to him when I see him around.
Silently muttering to herself.
She even closed her small fist, held it in front of her, and gave herself a good luck gesture. Just like how she'd seen in cartoons. Right there and then, there was a quiet and hopeful determination blooming inside her.
————————
But to her disappointment, Minjeong didn’t see the kid anywhere. Not in their classroom, not in the cafeteria, and not even in the bench where he had sat yesterday.
Mind you, she even went and gave a huge effort just to see a glimpse of him. Because she had actually gone to the cafeteria just to check. Which she never did. Minjeong never went out of her way to get snacks. But today, she let herself wander around with the tiniest blob of hope just to maybe see him.
By the time the sun began to set, Miss Jane came to sit beside her as they waited for her parents. The excitement that she had when she woke up, has now drained into a quiet sort of gloom.
Minjeong was sitting with her bag on her lap, hugging it tightly with her lips pouting ever so lightly. Yet Miss Jane obviously noticed it.
She leaned down and gently tapped Minjeong’s shoulder, “Is there something wrong, Minjeongi?”
Minjeong only shook her head without uttering a word, her pout deepened. Then that answered Miss Jane, she didn’t ask any more. She just smiled knowingly and brushed Minjeong’s hair behind her ear.
Well, kids do have their own quiet worlds within them. And today, Minjeong’s seemed a little heavier than usual.
After a few minutes, there goes a black Volvo XC90 that pulled up just in front of them. That was the cue for Miss Jane to stand up, to greet the Kim's. As she’d already gained closeness with them for always looking out of their daughter. Which the Kim's were grateful for.
As Minjeong saw her teacher standing up, she followed after. Not really grasping that their car is already just in front of them.
Even still inside their family car, Minjeong’s parents can already tell the heavy gloom coming out of their lovely daughter. Mommy Kim is the first one to get out, while Daddy Kim went his way to park their car.
Mommy Kim crouched down to her daughter's height and asked softly, “Hey, honey. What's wrong?”
Obviously, she figured out that there's definitely something that happened for their daughter to act like this. The way she acted from yesterday to this morning, and now? She's feeling extra gloomy. As she wondered, her daughter shot a look at her, slightly startling her.
This kid, really.
“There’s nothing wrong!” Minjeong covered her mouth from shock about what she just said. She also realized that she accidentally raised her voice at her mommy, which she definitely knows is bad manners. Well, she blames this —what she's feeling right now.
Minjeong could only lower her head down on how bad she felt, she softly whispered, “I’m sorry, mommy..”
Her mom reached for her cheeks and caressed it, reassuring her that it’s totally fine. That it’s fine that she’s feeling like that.
“It’s alright, honey. Do you want to talk about it?”
Mommy Kim stood up and gestured her hand for Minjeong to hold. Her daughter only shook her head, declining the question. She then looked at Miss Jane and bid their thanks as always. The teacher could only nod and lean in a little, lowering her voice.
“She’s been like that after their class shift. She even went out when it was break time.”
With that, Mommy Kim was definitely shocked with the new information laid out for them, “She did..?”
“I was shocked too,” Miss Jane replied while nodding carefully.
By then, their car returned in front of them. The driver's window rolled down with Daddy Kim showing his blinding smile to his family. “Well, is Princess Minjeong ready to drive downtown for some pink fairy ice cream?”
But as a reply, his wife only shook her head and carefully carried Minjeong in her arms, opening the back seat to settle her in. He then saw the gloom in their daughter’s mood in his rearview mirror. Something’s really bothering her.
His wife slid into the passenger seat, still troubled, “Jane told me that she’s been like that after their class shift. She also went out during their break time.”
And with that new news, Mr. Kim let out a light gasp, not wanting to let Minjeong hear from the back, who still had her head low, sighing. With her arms crossed, hugging her bag still.
The 5 minute car ride had been wrapped in total silence. Then, at a perfect timing, Mommy Kim then broke the silence, her voice was soft as she glanced back at their daughter, “Honey? Do you really not want to talk about what’s bothering you? Mommy and Daddy are getting worried about our princess.”
As soon as Minjeong heard her mom, she looked up with her slightly teary eyes. Her long lashes were damp, and her eyes were glistening with the tears that she tried so hard to hide. She slightly parted her lips, trying to say something but only to close it again, hesitating. She shook her head, again.
Her parents then exchanged a quick and knowing look. They totally get it. Sometimes, Minjeong is just not ready to talk about some things. But still, the thought of only watching their only child carry it alone just doesn’t sit right. Although they understand, they just can’t bear to just look.
They had promised to themselves that they wouldn’t aim for such perfect parenting, but to counter it, they want honest parenting. The kind that can make Minjeong feel safe enough to open up to them when she’s ready.
Daddy Kim then found the chance to butt in on their conversation, “Then… can Princess Minjeong grant a wish for her king and queen?”
Minjeong then sniffled and was definitely caught off guard with the question. Her shoulders slowly rose and fell as she hesitated and soon gave them a slow nod. She was shocked because their house rule was suddenly brought up. It is a family rule that they had made altogether. Each month, the King, the Queen, and their Princess were allowed three wishes to be granted by them, with no hesitation and no questions asked.
This family rule isn’t really just about the rule itself. It was a reminder that no matter what, even if words are hard, their love and understanding will always win. Despite it being hard to voice out, they’ll always find a way to communicate with it.
When Mommy Kim saw their daughter nod, she gave her husband a gesture to continue, it was affirmative.
“How about we start the wish with eating ice cream, love?” Daddy Kim suggested with his tone slightly playful.
Mommy Kim could only chuckle at the silliness of her husband, because by then, Minjeong shot up her look to them. She pursed her lips into a pout and was clearly bothered that she was not part of the ice cream party. Then they heard a loud huff from their back seat. The parents were now laughing at each other, on how this always works whenever and every single time.
“Oh, did you hear something, love?” Mommy Kim then pushed the joke and playfully teased their daughter more, to somehow ease her mood. And with that, she looked over her shoulder.
There, lo and behold, they found their daughter with her forehead wrinkled into deep creases, slumped forward, crouching in her seat with the biggest pout she could ever do.
Daddy Kim playfully added, “Well, I guess someone wants to be invited to the ice cream party.”
“Minjeong-ah,” Mommy Kim cooed ever so lightly and continued, “Are you upset that you weren’t invited to the ice cream party?”
Their daughter didn’t answer right away, and only tightened her pout more than she could. She carefully eyed her parents whether she would forgive them or not.
Slowly, Daddy Kim pulled their car over to an empty space just so he could look at their daughter, leaning slightly to his seat and having this wide grin, “Then I guess, we’ll have to change the plan and make it your ice cream party, hm? Well, only if you want to.”
And with that, it worked like magic. Their daughter’s pout melted away and was replaced with sparkles in her eyes. Her teary eyes are long gone.
“Of course, I do! Can we go now, Mommy, Daddy?” she chirped, almost bouncing in her seat with her uncontainable excitement.
Mommy Kim laughed, exchanging looks with her husband. And as always, their trick never failed.
————————
Later, as they enjoyed their ice cream party, Minjeong had finally opened up about the reason for her foul mood. And between her spoonfuls of the pink fairy ice cream , she told her parents about the kid whom she saw the day before—the boy who occupied her thoughts.
She told them that the kid didn’t show any malice or any ill intentions towards her. He hadn't spoken a word. The boy only looked at her blankly, no words, no trace of judgement. He just stared. And strangely enough, even without knowing him personally, she felt calm, and safe. Unlike those other kids who love to talk.
You know, the kids that boast their parents’ wealth and many more. Talking about things just so they could fit in. The ones who loved attention only when it was theirs. The complete opposite of Minjeong, who sits quietly in a corner, doesn’t want attention or even associate herself with them. Never seeking to be part of the crowd.
And if she ever did have to deal with them, she wouldn’t hesitate to make her dislike perfectly clear.
After Minjeong's very adorable storytelling, her parents couldn't help but be amused, especially that their little girl has taken a liking to someone (not technically but you know). And that she's a little bit dreaming while she's awake..? Not exactly in a romantic sense, but in that dreamy, wide-eyed way that children sometimes do. Where something or someone sparked fascination inside them.
Later, while Minjeong was busy playing on the playground, her parents found a quiet moment on a nearby bench. Daddy Kim let out a soft huff, folding his arms across his chest as he glanced at his wife.
“So let me get this straight, “ he said, narrowing his eyes slightly. “She likes a kid who didn't even talk to her? Like, he just stared then viola?” He shook his head incredulously. “That’s kind of rude, I might say.”
Mommy Kim laughed and gently hit her husband's arm. “Oh, come on. Aren't you way too judgmental for a kid?”
“Still,” he muttered, “kids like that grow up into boys who think brooding is a personality trait. I'm just saying—red flag potential” he shrugged.
She chuckled again, more fondly this time, she leaned her head in on his shoulder. “Sweetheart, he's probably just shy just like our Minjeong. Let's not go and overanalyze a kid's action, hmm?” caressing her husband's arm.
“Well, aren't you just jealous that someone got our princess’ attention with just one look,” she teased. “That says something doesn't it?”
He sighed dramatically, but came along with a soft smile, “I don’t like it. I already don't like this kid.”
His wife then looked at him and playfully grinned, holding a laugh, “You're being childish, honey” Mommy Kim then held his cheeks and pressed a soft kiss on it.
Just then, they both noticed Minjeong waving at them from across the playground. And in the next second, she suddenly broke into a sprint, pushing her legs as fast as they could go. She stopped just right in front of them, her cheeks were flushed, and panting softly as she smiled giddily.
Mommy Kim then removed her hold to her husband and fixed Minjeong’s strand of hair that had stuck on her face, tucking it carefully behind her ear, “Are you done playing, baby?”
Minjeong quickly shook her head with all the energy she had, “Not yet,” she said proudly. After taking a quick breath, she added, “Mommy and Daddy needs to play with Princess Minjeong now!”
The couple exchanged an amused look, their hearts full. Because this time, it was not a wish from the house rule. It was just a simple wish of their beautiful daughter.
That day, they spent their time playing in the playground, laughing, chasing one another until their little ball of sunshine had completely worn all of her energy out. And by the time the sky completely set up, they decided to head to a nearby diner to eat for dinner.
By the time they got home, Minjeong had completely fallen asleep in her seat, letting out soft snores. Daddy Kim gently carried her in his arms, carefully not to wake her up. He then reached out for his wife’s hand to hold as they went inside their humble home.
Mommy Kim then whispered, not wanting to wake their daughter up, “She must’ve been really disappointed for not seeing the kid around.”
He then nodded, squeezing his wife’s hand, “She’ll be fine. She might even forget about the kid when she wakes up or when days will pass. Kids don’t usually have a sharp memory.”
————————
As the weekend went by, MInjeong had occupied herself with her homeworks, played along with their golden retriever, Hugo, running around the house, leaving his trails of fur everywhere, making a mess and even. Then they got news that they have a new neighbor that just moved in. and just like their family, they were also a family of three, except that they don’t have a Hugo in their house.
And just like fate, they have a little girl the same age as her named Ningning. Something about their new neighbor piqued Minjeong’s curiosity and told her parents to invite them to their house.
When the Kim’s invited them in, Minjeong was the one in charge of talking to Ningning. And right there and then, Minjeong eagerly took the lead talking to Ningning while their parents exchanged polite words. To her delight, Ningning trailed after her without hesitation. Ningning wasn’t the type of kid that hides behind her parents but she does cling around them when she’s not comfortable with your presence. But with Minjeong, she definitely wasn’t. She’s super comfortable with her.
“Woah… Minju, your house is like a castle,” Ningning breathed out in awe, her eyes roaming around the high ceilings and polished furniture that complimented its architecture.
Minjeong straightened at the compliment, feeling proud. But then her smile faltered as the words sank in. Minju?
Softly, she turned to correct her. “Ningning-ah, my name is Minjeong . Min-jeong”, she said carefully, emphasizing each syllable, making her new found friend to remember.
Ningning tilted her head to her shoulders, her lips pursed in thought. To her, it really did sound the same as what Minjeong just said. And with a tiny frown, she asked, “But… that’s what I said. Minju.”
Minjeong giggled at her confusion, covering her mouth just like how her mom always tells her to do when laughing. “You’re silly, Ningning-ah. It’s not Min-ju. It’s Min-jeong.” she emphasized the last part making cheeks puff slightly as she drew out the right sound so the latter could follow.
The little girl blinked at her as she mimicked, “Jeong…” then unintentionally, her accent wrapped around the Jeong.
Minjeong clapped her hands together excitedly and beamed at her new friend as though Ningning had just accomplished something big like winning a competition. “That’s it! It’s Minjeong.”
Ningning then repeated after her, “Minjeong,” this time with more certainty. A grin spread across her face like she just won a key to Minjeong’s life.
As they continued to roam around the house, Minjeong found herself leading the way to her room, which was really not a bad idea. Not until..
“Minjeong, who is that in the paper?”
The question caught her off guard, literally. She froze for a second before hurriedly grabbed the sheet of paper off her desk, clutching it tightly to her chest. It was her drawing, the one she’d been working on this weekend for their art class. The one she doesn’t want anyone to know about, yet.
With the thought of Ningning seeing the artwork she drew made her cheeks warm up and looked away. But thankfully, before she could answer (she doesn’t want to) Ningning, someone knocked on her door.
“Girls?”
The sound of her mom made Minjeong jump, she scrambled to hide the paper, tucking it carefully inside the drawer of her desk.
“Minjeong, mommy’s coming in.”
Both girls turned their heads toward the door, waiting for Minjeong’s mom to come in. Minjeong’s heart was still racing like she just ran an entire marathon. While Ningning could only stare at her with curiosity.
Then the door creaked open, and Mrs. Kim peeked inside, testing the waters if she could fully come in. She softly smiled when she saw the two girls, “How are you girls doing? Did you have fun?”
But before Minjeong could answer, Ningning went on first, “Yes, Mrs. Kim.. it was— a lot of fun. Minjeong made it fun…”
Minjeong could only sigh in relief when Ningning caught on. She’s definitely not ready to be confronted due to her flushed face. She then slowly stood beside Ningning and looked at her mom with her sparkling eyes.
Mrs. Kim’s smile heartwarmingly at Ningning’s effort to tell her what’s on her mind. The kid didn't seem like the type to talk to people whom she’s not familiar with, but to witness her trying her best, it only made her heart warm. What a brave girl.
“Well then, I’m really glad to hear that, Ningning-ah. Have our Minjeongi here taken care of you well?"
After hearing her mom, Minjeong let out a loud huff followed by a long pout. “Mommy!” she whined.
Ningning looked at her, her lips twitching as if holding back a laughter, yet the corners of her mouth had betrayed her. Minjeong then caught it.
“Hey! You’re laughing at me!” Minjeong pointed at her with mock offense, her pout deepening. And with that, Ningning finally broke out of her shyness, she let out a soft giggle. Her eyes sparkled with amusement.
With that, their day went on pleasantly. The Kim’s invited them in for dinner which the Yizhou family happily accepted. That evening, even though they hadn’t expected it, there was a bond that began to form. Not only with the parents but also with the two girls. Minjeong and Ningning started to grow really comfortable with each other, sharing smiles, laughter, and Minjeong also let Ningning meet Hugo which was a little personal.
————————
Monday came by easily, and now, Minjeong was carefully putting her homework into her bag. She moved with exaggerated caution, glancing around as if anyone might catch her in act any time. In her own little world, she imagined herself as a spy on a secret mission, sneaking away some evidence that absolutely could not be exposed.
After packing everything she needs for her class today, she hurriedly went down to their pantry room. Where their snacks were all placed and neatly organized. She scrambled her way in where she exactly can find her stack of jellies. It’s not like she wants to bring some with her and find—nevermind.
Definitely not about wanting to see the kid from last week.
“Honey?” Minjeong froze. Her heart skipped a beat. Why? Because she’s not normally allowed in the pantry unsupervised when picking up some snacks. Well, it’s because kids like her aren’t allowed to scramble their way and eat stacks and stacks of sweets and snacks that could harm their health. As for Minjeong, she does get her rewards, but only if she has Mommy and Daddy’s help in picking them out. Sneaking up on the pantry was strictly off-limits.
“Mommy…” she looked up at her mom and gently put the pack of jellies she just held back into the drawer, guiltily.
Mommy Kim then crouched down to meet her daughter’s eyes, her voice ever so softly, “What’s wrong, sweetie? Is your packed lunch not enough?”
Minjeong could only shake her head and her shoulders slumped down in defeat. “I… I just.. Minjeong wants to get one just in case the kid comes back…”
Her mom reached out to her, resting her hands on Minjeong’s shoulders and gently lifting her chin to look into her eyes. “Honey, you can just ask mommy or daddy, alright? It’s not like we’re going to get mad at you for asking, yeah?”
Minjeong blinked and her little body now relaxing as her mom’s words sank in. The relief had downed over her, and then a shy smile tugged at her lips.
“Really, Mommy?” Minjeong’s eyes wide with hope. Mommy Kim then nodded in response, smiling softly at her daughter. “Then, can I have one?”
“Of course, sweetie,” she replied, chuckling softly at her daughter’s escapades. Then at the affirmation, Minjeong carefully picked up a pack of jellies then put it into her bag, gently.
She turned to her mom with her eyes sparkling with eagerness after getting the jellies, “Thank you, Mommy! I’ll give this to him when I see him…”, but after a moment, Minjeong’s mood went down as she realized that there was no guarantee that she could meet the kid today, just like last week.
Mommy Kim saw the sudden change of her mood, “It’s okay, honey,” she said gently, not wanting to worsen her daughter’s sadness. She brushed a strand of hair from Minjeong’s face. “Maybe he’s just busy, that's why you’re not getting a chance to see him. You can still have fun at school, and who knows—maybe you’ll see him the other day or.. Today.”
Minjeong let out a small sigh and nodded, clutching her bag a little tighter.
Minjeong’s day went on as usual, coloring, drawing, reading, tracing and any other activities that filled the classroom with fun and busy interaction. And one at that, they got the chance to post their homework onto the board that Miss Jane had carefully put in their classroom. Each and one of them got their respective place.
But Minjeong, she only watched as the other kids confidently pinned up their drawings.
Then eventually, when the crowd thinned out and the classroom felt quieter, she took a deep breath and stepped forward. She carefully pinned her artwork in its place. Her tiny hand trembled slightly, but once it was secured, a small smile tugged at her lips.
She stared at her work.
It was a doodle of the little boy’s face in it with a juice pouch and a bitten bread. There were scribbles around it, stars, flowers, a sun and a heart.