Seohyun watched as her six-year old daughter kept on staring into thin air. She had a book placed on the study table but her eyes were nowhere to be found on the book. Seohyun watched as her daughter let out sighs after sighs. It was quite funny actually to watch such a young girl sighing like an old ahjumma but deep down Seohyun just knew that her daughter was troubled by something.
***
Jung Hana continued to ponder. At times she would let out sighs which she felt was necessary especially when people were thinking. She always watched that on television. Adults do a lot of sighing when they are deep in thought, just like her. She looked down at her book once again to see that note which she had received earlier during class. Her pretty and round eyes stared at the note curiously. She pushed her fringe back to stop them from covering her eyes.
Hana sighed again before closing the book shut, leaving the note in between the pages. Her cute ruby lips started to pout as she laid her head on the study table. She thought of that moment in class again…
****
As usual, her pretty mother, Seohyun, would drop her off at her pre-school. After saying her usual routine of goodbyes to her mother and to her baby brother who was sitting back comfortably in his pram, Hana quickly ran towards her classroom to greet her teacher.
Mrs Seo gave her a fond look before gesturing for her to keep her things inside her pigeon hole. Hana smiled wide and obeyed her teacher. Hana was indeed a polite girl and of course, knowing it was the daughter of the famous Jung Yonghwa and Seo Joohyun, Hana was always the apple in her teacher’s eyes.
Once she had safely kept her things, Hana skipped towards her bestfriend Chaeyoung who was busy reading at the library corner. Chaeyoung looked up happily before patting a space beside her, gesturing for Hana to sit. Hana complied and soon the two friends were happily reading the books together.
Their happy time were soon interrupted by a few boys who were always there to tease them. Hana pouted and Chaeyoung placed her hands on her hips. They looked angry but the boys just continued to disturb their peace. But luckily, Mrs Seo noticed the commotion and hurried over to talk to the boys. She made the boys apologize to Hana and Chaeyoung and soon the two girls were left alone again. Lessons started and class activities were in full swing.
Snack time came and the children were told to sit at their respective places on the chairs as the teachers would be serving them the snacks shortly. Hana were assigned to sit beside one of the boys who had teased her earlier. His name was Jinki and Hana was not very fond of him. He wais very mischievous and would always upset her. He would often mess up her drawings or even hid her Keroro pencil case. Because of that, she would always give him the cold shoulder and she would always ignore him most of the time. She had numerous times came home and complained to her mother and her mother would just tell her to be patient and to tell him nicely to not tease her again.
Hana did follow her mother’s advice and talked to him nicely. But he just stared at her cluelessly before grinning wide and soon he was hiding her things again. She had no choice but to endure it until Mrs Seo came to her rescue once again.
So that day, snack time was still the same. They had strawberry jam filled biscuits and a cup of hot chocolate. It was Hana’s favorite snack. While Hana was enjoying her snack, suddenly she felt eyes looking at her. She turned to see Jinki grinning at her. She groaned as she thought that he was going to do something horrible to her again. But surprisingly, he placed one of his strawberry jam filled biscuit on her plate. Hana looked at him curiously.
“Why are you giving this to me?” Hana asked in her cute, girly voice.
“I like you.” Jinki had said cheekily before turning away from her and drank the hot chocolate from his cup.
Hana frowned. Jinki had never been this kind to her. She thought that maybe he finally wanted to be her friend. Hana smiled.
It was time to go for their outdoor activity. Hana loved outdoor plays too! She always enjoyed when her father brought her, her mother and her brother out to the park to play at the playground. Outdoor plays were fun!
Mrs Seo told the children to find a partner to do the activity together. Hana started looking around the crowd of children for her bestfriend, Chaeyoung, when suddenly her hands were grasped by Jinki. She frowned.
“Let’s be partners today!” Jinki exclaimed and Hana just nodded.
They played the games together and Hana actually had fun. She thought that Jinki was a good friend and that he was good at games too. They won a few of the games and Mrs Seo presented them with candies.. Hana beamed. She loved candies but unfortunately her mother never encouraged her to eat them. However her father would always smuggle candies home and gave them to her in her room. He would always made her promise not to tell her mother about it. Hana would always comply with a grin.
Just then, Hana felt a few candies being pushed into her pockets. She turned to see Jinki smiling. She frowned again.
“They are yours, why are you giving them to me?” She asked innocently.
Jinki shrugged. “I like you.” And with that he ran off again.
Finally, it was time to go home. Hana and Chaeyoung walked together hand-in-hand towards their pigeon hole to gather their things. Unknown to them the boys who were always teasing them were right behind them. Hana turned and gasped when she saw them. Jinki was right in front of the group, smiling sneakily.
“Why are you boys always disturbing me and my friend?” Hana asked with her hands on her hips. She was glaring at them.
“I told you. I like you.” Jinki answered and his friends grinned.
“But we don’t like you!” Chaeyoung answered for Hana who was biting her lips.
“Here.” Jinki said as he pushed a piece of folded paper into Hana’s small hands. Hana took it and looked at Jinki questioningly. “We’ll see you tomorrow! Bye!” He waved and soon he and his friends were gone from sight.
“Pali! Read the note!” Chaeyoung exclaimed as she leaned over towards Hana.
Hana unfolded the paper and read the simple writings of Jinki. It read:
Dear Hana,
Jeongmal joahae.
Will you be my friend?
Lee Jinki
Chaeyoung smiled. “He is a good boy afterall.”
“Hm, maybe.” Hana nodded. “He shares his things with me today.”
“He’s a good boy.” Was all Chaeyoung answered. And soon the two girls headed out of their school and walked over to their mothers.
****
Seohyun walked into her daughter’s room with a soft smile. She stroked her daughter’s soft curls and that made Hana looked up. She smiled. She loved to see that smiling face of her mother. It reminded her of the pretty dandelions.
“You look troubled.” Seohyun said before sitting herself down on her daughter’s bed.
“Aniyo omma. I was just thinking.” Hana replied with a shrug. She headed towards her bed and sat down beside Seohyun. She snuggled into her mother’s side and Seohyun just laughed.
“Why suddenly so clingy?” Seohyun asked as she wrapped her arms around her little princess.
“Omma, is it okay if be friends with boys? Even naughty ones?” Hana asked, blinking her eyes.
Seohyun raised an eyebrow. She was indeed surprised to hear that question from her daughter. “Well dear, it’s okay to be friends with everybody. Even the naughty ones.” Seohyun nodded her head. “Besides, if we are friends with those naughty ones, we could always help change them to be good.”
“Jeongmal-yo?” Hana widened her eyes.
“Of course my dear.” Seohyun said as she bent down to kiss her daughter’s head.
“Ah! So it is definitely okay for me to be friends with Jinki?” Hana asked again.
“Jinki? It’s that boy you always complain to me about right?” Seohyun asked with amusement.
“Ne omma. He did not tease me that much today. In fact he shares his things with me.” Hana told her with excitement. “He also became my partner during outdoor and we won a lot of games. He’s good at playing games omma!”
“Ah sinchia-yo? Then you better accept him as your friend then!” Seohyun encouraged with a hidden knowing smile beneath her poker face.
“Ahrasso omma. I will tell him that tomorrow.” Hana said before yawning and Seohyun nodded.
“Aigoo! It’s time for your afternoon nap.” Seohyun said before adjusting Hana to lie down on her bed properly.
“Ne omma.” Hana yawned again. “Omma, when is appa coming home?”
“He’ll be back soon.” Seohyun smiled before giving a light peck on Hana’s cheek. “Now sleep.”
Hana nodded again before finally dozing off. Seohyun finally let out a small chuckle. She could not help but find it funny. Hana’s explanations were funny but cute at the same time.
Seohyun walked over to the Hana’s study table. She picked up the book Hana was reading earlier and was about to place it back into the shelf when a piece of paper dropped out of the book. Seohyun picked the paper up and read it.
Dear Hana,
Jeongmal joahae.
Will you be my friend?
Lee Jinki
Seohyun gave another chuckle before placing the note back into the book again. She put the book on the table again and looked at her daughter’s sleeping form before heading out of the room.
******
It was night time and Yonghwa and Seohyun were soon snuggled up in bed together. Yonghwa gave a sigh as he placed light kisses on Seohyun’s neck. Seohyun grinned before moving away from Yonghwa and turned on the lamp just beside their bed.
“Why’d you do that?” Yonghwa asked gesturing to the brightly lit lamp. “Let’s sleep already.”
“I need to tell you something about Hana.” Seohyun told him and soon Yonghwa was immediately sitting up straight on their bed. When it came to his precious Hana, he needed to be alert at all times.
Seohyun noticed her husband frowning and laughed. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing bad.”
“Then what is it about?” Yonghwa asked with a slight frown.
“It’s funny actually.” Seohyun said. “She asked me if it’s okay to be friends with boys, even the naughty ones.”
“Ne? Boys? Then what did you say?” Yonghwa asked gaping.
“I told her it’s fine to be friends with boys.” Seohyun shrugged.
“Bo? How can you say that? It is never fine for my daughter to be friends with boys!”
“Jung Yonghwa, your daughter is only six for God’s sake!” Seohyun widened her eyes.
“Yeah so? She needed to be trained not to be too friendly with boys from young.” Yonghwa shrugged. “Who’s the boy anyway?”
“It’s the same boy she had been complaining to me about.”
“That boy who always tease her?” Yonghwa raised an eyebrow.
“Ne. His name is Lee Jinki.” Seohyun said.
“I am so going to find out where he lives.” Yonghwa mumbled before throwing his body down on his side of the bed.
“Jung Yonghwa! That boy is only six years old! Besides he only wanted to be her friend.” Seohyun glared at her husband.
“She should have boys liking her when she turned nineteen, not when she’s six.” Yonghwa continued to grumble.
“You better stop that now Jung Yonghwa.” Seohyun warned.
“I am so informing Jungshin and Minhyuk.” Yonghwa continued with his grumblings making Seohyun rolled her eyes.
“Good night yeobo.” Seohyun said turning off the light. “I will make sure not to tell anything more about Hana to you.”
“Bo? I’m her father, you should tell me whatever she told you!” Yonghwa exclaimed as he turned to face his wife.
“Then stop being a jerk okay? Fathers give encouragement, not the other way round.” Seohyun told him. Through the darkness, Yonghwa could still feel Seohyun’s glarings on him.
“Ahrasso. I’ll be the ultimate understanding appa for our beloved Hana.” Yonghwa said as he pulled Seohyun closer to him. “Okay?”
Seohyun smiled against his chest. “Okay. You’re the best appa in the whole world.”
“I know.” Yonghwa chuckled. “And you’re the best omma in the whole world.”
“Heh! I know that too.” Seohyun grinned.
And when the night suddenly got a little quieter…
“But I’m still telling Jungshin and Minhyuk about that Jinki boy.” Yonghwa muttered.
“I heard that Jung Yonghwa!”
