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at the age of nine, hyungwon moves into changkyun's neighbourhood. he joins in when changkyun plays basketball outside and they bicker over how hyungwon has a height advantage but ultimately agree that it's fair since hyungwon isn't as good as changkyun anyways. hyungwon moves into changkyun's school and class; they're inseparable.
at the age of ten, they have their first fight. it's a stupid one, because changkyun thinks pasta is better than pizza but hyungwon says so otherwise. they don't talk to each other for a good three hours and take glances at each other to see if the other is still mad. hyungwon apologises first with a small flower he picked from the school yard. they didn't realise how much they missed each other in those three hours.
at the age of eleven, they promise each other to let death bid their goodbyes for them. it sounds like vows from a wedding and frankly, eleven year olds shouldn't be thinking ahead this far but they're both so important to each other. apart from these serious promises, they continue to play footsies under their school desk and trade snacks with one another.
at the age of twelve, they separate. changkyun flies to america for two months. hyungwon misses the younger more than ever and changkyun tries to send him a letter every few days or so. Hyungwon, I miss u. lets never get separated again. from, your favorite changkyun :P they both count down the days until they reunite again, despite their parents saying that these two months are a time to make new friends. when they meet, they're in each other's arms with big, goofy grins.
at the age of thirteen, they finally decide to expand their friendship group. hyungwon introduces changkyun to his classmates from his dancing school, hoseok and hyunwoo. changkyun introduces hyungwon to his friends from his maths class, jooheon, minhyuk and kihyun. the group of friends end up becoming closer but the duo slowly feel more apart. they still have movie nights every thursday and visit each other at any given chance but it doesn't feel the same anymore. it's like something is missing, but they don't know what.
at the age of fourteen, they both get their first job. they're young, but they want to save up to go to japan when they're older. hyungwon works at a cafe and changkyun works at the ice cream stand in front of it. occasionally, hyungwon runs over to changkyun's cart and gives him a piece of cake and coffee. changkyun signals hyungwon to come over so he can treat the latter with some ice cream. their managers find out and they get scolded a lot, but they both laugh it off.
at the age of fifteen, they reminisce about their childhood. changkyun sits on the swings and hyungwon pushes him, the sun is setting and the light is perfectly reflecting on both of their smiling faces. hyungwon pushes changkyun a little too hard and he falls off the swings; hyungwon sticking his tongue out as changkyun flips him the bird. he apologises to changkyun by giving him a flower that he picks off the garden bed near the playground.
at the age of sixteen, hyungwon gets into his first relationship. it's expected, since almost everyone he knows fawns over his visuals. slowly, they both stop having movie nights and basketball games. changkyun watches the elder kiss his girlfriend, hold her hand, hug her during cold nights. he congratulates them during their first month anniversary, with a smile coated with sadness. he thinks it's jealousy, since he's used to being with hyungwon almost every second of the day. changkyun is now closer with jooheon and minhyuk; hoping that maybe, amongst all of hyungwon's happiness, the latter would miss him as well.
at the age of seventeen, changkyun understands the concept of love. hyungwon breaks up with his girlfriend, since she apparently only dated him for his looks (something changkyun expects from day one, but he never says a thing). changkyun realises that it isn't jealousy that drives them apart, it's love. changkyun loves hyungwon.
at the age of eighteen, they both kiss each other for the first time. it happens suddenly, but changkyun tastes like hyungwon's favorite bubblegum flavor and hyungwon's flowery cologne is making changkyun yearn for more. they become a giggling mess and tangle in each other's arms. they clumsily kiss a few more times within the year, noses bumping and smiling during their kisses. it's infatuation.
at the age of nineteen, changkyun goes through his first heartbreak. hyungwon starts dating hoseok, and changkyun should be happy since hyungwon is happy. every time he sees the couple kiss, he remembers their kisses and his heart aches a little more than before. every time they hold hands, he wishes that it's his hand that hyungwon is holding. every time he sees them together, he slowly falls out of love with hyungwon.
at the age of twenty, their promise that they've made at eleven years old fulfills. hyungwon experiences his first heartbreak and eventually breaks up with hoseok. he realises how much he misses changkyun and how much he loves the younger. it takes him months to stop crying, to stop grieving, to stop guilting over the loss of opportunity to requite the love that existed since they were nine. he apologises to changkyun when he visits him with flowers. this time, with a bouquet.
at the age of twenty-one, hyungwon meets changkyun. he apologises to his family and friends with a note and a flower. they're happy and their love is now eternal.