Work Text:
Name: Shen Quanrui Date: 2/8/2026
How do you remember it? Please check all that apply.
[10/14/2010] You meet Gyuvin for the first time at the elementary school playground.
☒ On the playground, Gyuvin says, “Hi, want to be friends?” Ricky replies, “Yes.” And they become friends.
☐ On the playground, Gyuvin says, “Hi, want to be friends?” And Ricky finds himself replying almost instantly. He remembers Gyuvin from the dentist’s office. He was crying, a single bloody tooth in his palm, sobbing, “Mom, will they put it back in? When will they put it back in?” Petting the tooth like it was a dying puppy. Seeing him, Ricky thought he was stupid. Idiot. The tooth will grow back. Just throw that bloody one away. He doesn’t say this out loud, but he says it with his eyes, staring at the boy like he’s a zoo animal. Then Gyuvin looks up. They make eye contact. In the bright lights of the dentist's office, something in Ricky’s stomach comes alive. But, right now, next to the monkey bars, Ricky nods cluelessly like this is his first time ever seeing Gyuvin. “Yes,” he says. “Yes, Qubing. I’ll be your friend.”
☐ Unicorns. Rainbows. They’re defending Lollipop Tower, and must team up as the two most powerful, most coolest knights from their respective kingdoms. They unsheathe their blades and go to battle, connected by their will and spirit—slashing through the bushes, the wolves, the monsters, until there’s nothing left but Gyuvin and Ricky; Ricky and Gyuvin.
☐ Gyuvin doesn’t really like him at first—he can see it in his eyes. He thinks Ricky is weird. Odd. Everyone loves Gyuvin, from their classmates to their teachers to even Ricky’s own parents. Yet Gyuvin extends an offer of friendship to him anyway because he's just too kind. Too nice. Too empathetic, even though he’s only six years old. Too empathetic for his small, soon-to-be tall body. Too empathetic for his own good. He’ll grow larger in the future, but his body will still be too small to hold him.
[01/18/2011] You have your first playdate with Gyuvin.
☐ The big bad robot is about to destroy the city. Massive metal boots pound on the streets, smashing cars and pedestrians to bits. Little does it know, two hero robots are here to save the day. They’re smaller, but more agile; they wrap the robot’s legs in tape until it loses balance and falls over, breaking into pieces on the asphalt. The heroes high-five. The citizens cheer loudly. They’ve saved the day.
☒ Gyuvin says, “I’m from South Korea. But we moved here last year.” Ricky replies, “Why?” Gyuvin shrugs and says, “I don’t know.” They go back to playing with their robots and cars.
☐ Gyuvin tells Ricky that he’s from South Korea. That it’s been a year, but he still doesn’t know his way around. The English signs, the English writing, the English-speaking people—everything is all so confusing. The warmth of his parents’ arms feel safer. Ricky puts his robot down for a moment to reply. “I’ll show you around, then. My English is good.” Then, Gyuvin replies, “I want to go back to Korea.” Something sits heavy in Ricky’s gut. He doesn’t want Gyuvin to leave. He wants Gyuvin to stay with him forever, on the white, scratchy carpet in his bedroom, making little brrrrrr sounds with his lips as they zoom toy cars along the ground.
☐ He wants Gyuvin to tell him about his childhood home in Korea. He wants to know the names of all of the stuffed animals Gyuvin had to leave behind when he moved. The best hiding spots. The coziest corners. Where he ate lunch, where he slept, where he kept all of his toys. Why did they move? Gyuvin probably doesn’t remember anymore, it was such a long time ago—and he was so, so young.
[11/29/2012] Gyuvin tells you his middle name.
☐ He doesn’t remember.
☐ Ricky doesn’t remember Gyuvin’s middle name.
☐ He remembers the scenery. They’re in the play area, talking during recess. The floor is checkerboarded red and blue. The walls are off-white. There are some other kids around them. He asks Gyuvin for his middle name. Gyuvin says that he doesn’t have one. Ricky tells him to make one up. Gyuvin does, and happily tells him his newly-acquired middle name.
☐ He didn’t care, back when he was a kid. When he could just ask Gyuvin again if he, for some odd reason, needed his middle name for something. Gyuvin’s made-up middle name funneled into one ear and flew out the other. Like a dove.
☐ He wishes he knew Gyuvin’s middle name, even though it was fake. He remembers thinking that it was pretty.
[12/01/2012] You have your first sleepover with Gyuvin.
☒ They don’t do much. Ricky showers, brushes his teeth, dries his hair, and goes to bed. His mom sets a mattress at the foot of his bed for Gyuvin to sleep on. Last year, Gyuvin dwarfed the mattress, but these days, it’s barely big enough to fit Gyuvin’s growing body. They talk until 11pm, and then it’s lights out.
☐ To an outsider, it doesn't seem like they do much. Gyuvin’s been to his house enough times to have memorized everything about it, so the novelty of it all has diminished. But, to Ricky, he and Gyuvin do everything during this sleepover. Once the lights go out and his mother pads back to her bed, they pretend to sleep for ten minutes, before getting up. Except Gyuvin doesn’t get up; Ricky has to shake him awake because he actually ended up falling asleep in those ten minutes. Ten minutes. Gyuvin must feel so safe here to fall asleep so easily. Once Gyuvin’s awake (with drool still dripping down his chin), they begin. They tell each other secrets. Stories. Gossip. Ricky once shoplifted a plushie from the store across the street and it’s hidden under his bed. Gyuvin’s been slowly unscrewing one of the screws on the underside of his schooldesk over the course of a few months. Ricky hates their homeroom teacher with a burning passion. Gyuvin has a crush on the quiet girl from math class. They chuckle and giggle and squeal in the dark. At some point, Ricky starts lying just to get Gyuvin to laugh even more, to like him even more, to think he’s impressive for all the cool things he’s done. It works. Ricky falls asleep with a bright smile and a full heart.
[07/09/2015] You and Gyuvin have your last sleepover together.
At 2:31am, Gyuvin kisses Ricky.
[07/10/2015] You move to China.
☒ Gyuvin hugs Ricky so tight that he can barely breathe. Gyuvin cries. Ricky doesn’t. Ricky follows his mom to the car and that’s it. It’s nothing special. It’s nothing special.
☒ It’s nothing special. Ricky always thought Gyuvin was kind of a crybaby. Gyuvin always went along with whatever Ricky wanted to do, following him around at school, following him around in the neighborhood, following him to his house so that he could say his last goodbyes. It’s weird. It’s annoying. It’s not like Gyuvin can’t make other friends—he’s the most extroverted, loving boy Ricky’s ever met. It won’t take long before he moves on and finds someone else to latch on to. Ricky will find someone new in China, too. Gyuvin just won't stop crying as Ricky precariously slides out of his arms. Ricky doesn’t care. He leaves with his luggage and doesn’t look back.
☒ You can barely remember that day. It’s nothing special.
[07/11/2015] You arrive at your new house.
In the dead of night, you press your lips against your own palm and pretend that it’s Gyuvin. It’s not the same.