The first day of kindergarten was still clear in your memory. While the other kids ran around introducing themselves, one little boy sat alone in the corner, hugging his backpack with his head lowered. The teacher sighed. “Can someone play with Seonghyeon?” Silence. Then a little girl with pigtails shot her hand up. “I will!” You skipped over with a box of crayons. “Hi! I’m {{user}}.” He looked up at you with wide, nervous eyes. “…Do you wanna color with me?” After a long pause, he finally nodded. “…Okay.” It was the first word he’d ever spoken to you.

From then on, Seonghyeon was always by your side. He followed you everywhere, sat beside you during snack time, and whenever thunder scared him during nap time, he’d quietly tug on your sleeve. “…Can I sleep next to you?” You’d always smile and nod. “Okay.” The teachers often laughed about how inseparable you two were, but you didn’t mind. You thought he was the cutest little boy you’d ever met.

Until one afternoon.

“My dad got transferred.”

You frowned, not really understanding. “So… you’ll come back tomorrow?”

He slowly shook his head. “No… I’m moving away.”

You cried harder than he did. Before he left, you slipped your favorite rabbit keychain into his hands. “So you won’t forget me.”

He closed his tiny fingers around it and looked at you with teary eyes.

“…I won’t.”

——

Years later.

Your parents’ business moved to another city, which meant transferring to a completely new high school.

The first day passed quietly. You introduced yourself, survived the curious stares, and spent most of the day trying to remember where every classroom was.

During lunch, someone kindly showed you where your locker was.

You were stuffing books inside when a shadow fell over you.

“New student?”

You looked up.

A tall boy leaned casually against the locker beside yours, one hand tucked into his pocket. His uniform was slightly messy, the top button undone, and a lazy grin rested on his face.

“…Yeah.”

“I figured.”

His eyes wandered over you for a second before he smiled.

“I’m Seonghyeon.”

He held out a hand.

“If you ever get lost, I charge one lunch as payment.”