TL cheev4  •  ED pomegranad
Read at bigbutad0rable . bl0gspot . c0m

I was only seven years old when I took an interest in sports and fell in love with them.

And it was said that growing up early ran in my father's family. That was why I was much bigger than the other kids my age back then. It made them scared of me easily.

Choi was the exact opposite of me. He was much smaller and thinner than any of the other kids, was always alone, and...cute.

He was, in a word, an easy target.

'Hey, isn’t your mom that one actress?.'

'I heard your dad left you.'

The first time I met Choi Suho was on my way back from the training centre. It was in winter, snowing like today. A corner of a playground was buzzing.

'You really don't have a dad?'

'Are you a foreigner?'

Choi Suho was in the middle of four other kids who loomed over him. At first, the boys were just playfully stroking Suho's bright and different hair but slowly it changed into grabbing. It was simple curiosity at the beginning, like encountering a rare species.

But for some reason, the kids wouldn't leave Suho alone.

Suho remained unresponsive. He didn't answer, nor look back. I vividly remember how his sad eyes were dropped, pitifully staring at the ground.

The boys' taunts gradually grew louder, as if trying to fan a pile of cinders in hopes of igniting at least a little flame, to force Suho to open his mouth.

'I...don't have a dad,' Suho finally opened his mouth. Contrary to his face which was scrunched up, trying so hard not to cry, his voice was trembling.

And the next thing I knew, I was already standing in front of Choi Suho.

'Stop it.'

This was all because my instructor always told us not to bully the weak.

"You must never hit a girl."

And to never hit a girl.

Afterwards, the bullies and I had a snowball fight and in the end, they gave up and left the playground first. The judo uniform I was wearing at the time probably played a big part too.

Then, I took Suho's hand bravely so I could take him home.

'Where's your house?' I asked, turning my head to look at his face but, "Wow."

He was so pretty, he struck me dumb.

His hair shimmered like gold thread in the pouring sunlight, his darker eyes were big and pretty, and his not-so-chubby cheeks looked pale.

My head was spinning because of the sudden blood rush. Choi Suho supported me as I accidentally almost stumbled.  

"Are you okay?"

Oh, how pretty his voice was too.

I imagined that if a princess from a cartoon had suddenly come out of the TV and stood right in front of me in all of her jaw-dropping glory, it would’ve felt a little something like this. In cartoons, when you fall in love for the first time, often would you hear wedding bells tinkling away in the background.

I swear, I really heard bells ringing in my ear. Wrong, wrong, wrong. My head was buzzing and I couldn't keep my balance.

I hate to admit it but, because of that damn pretty face, my first love was Suho.

Growing up, I was rarely sick. And my brother who saw me limping in the middle of the road and unable to say a word was panicking. He grabbed my hand and ran straight to my mother. Choi Suho followed us. I was going to ask him why he was running with us, but before I knew it, we were already in front of my apartment.

My mother who was folding the laundry was confused seeing me, my brother, and Suho panting hard from all the running.

'Did you get hot?' my mom said even before my brother could say anything. She's always been very quick-witted when it came to diagnosing.

After that, she came back with three glasses of iced apple juice. The three of us sat down together and drank it.

'But who are you? This is the first time I’ve seen you. Are you Yeol's friend?'

'Ah...'

Choi only opened his eyes wide. Perhaps only now realizing that he had just found out my name.

'I'm cooking now, it'll be done in just a minute. Do you want to eat with us?" My mom finally suggested seeing as Suho did not answer.

So, from then on, it became Suho's habit to eat at my place.

'Why are you so skinny? Oh my God, you must not be eating properly huh?'

'Your name is Suho?'

'Would you like to eat anchovies?'

'Jung Jin! How many times have I told you not to make others eat the food you don't like!'

'But they said anchovies can make you taller. Suho is small.'

'Suho, what's your favourite food? Do you want more?'

'It's okay.'

'You live around here? We're neighbours then. Come over to play often. By the way, your parents must be worried. Do you want me to call your home?'

'It's okay. No one's home.'

'No one’s home?'

'I don't have a dad and my mom doesn't come home often.'

'......'

'......'

'So there’s no one at home...'

The next day, the day after, the next week, the next month, he came over to my house a lot. It was my job to pick him up. I would run straight to his apartment after my training finished. It was not because my mom forced me to but, it was because I had a crush on Choi Suho.

Back then, I was so into playing the role of a knight protecting his princess.

It turned out that wasn't the first time Suho was bullied. He said he moved around a lot, and he stood out wherever he went. Fortunately, that time I was there to protect him.

Despite the nice clothes he always wore, and the fact that he went to a private kindergarten, and had a driver, it's funny that I thought he was a poor kid. Now, that I think about it again, it must be because of his pitiful expression.

Suho always kept his head down. He was gloomy and pitiful. Plus it was because that kid never wanted to fight back when bullied as if he had accepted his fate of being treated like that.

Whenever I came to help him, Suho often cried.

'Why are you always helping me?'

I was caught off guard by the unexpected question. Little Suho didn't talk much.

'Because I like you.'

Oh, how innocent and silly I used to be.

Suho cried even more at my answer. Tears welled up in his big eyes.

I remembered using my sleeves to wipe away the tears.

'Don't cry.'

But Choi Suho kept on crying.

Then, I unexpectedly brought my face closer to Suho and kissed his lips. A sweet taste, either lemon or strawberry, spread from the tip of my lips into my mouth.

At that time, as we held each other's hands and kissed, the whole world seemed to belong to just the two of us. My world only revolved around Suho.

'Will you marry me when you grow up?'

That was my first embarrassing childhood experience with Choi Suho.





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