He was only six when they first met.
That day, the weather was fine, and the breeze was blowing softly.
That day, the sun was shiny, and he smiled at him.
With his back facing the bright sun, he reached out his hand to him, smiling more dazzlingly than sunshine.
"Hi! My name is Na Jaemin, what's your name?"
He has the kind of smile that seems to radiate happiness.
He stared at his hand for a few seconds, then raised his head to face his charming face.
He hesitated for a while,"I'm Park Jisung."
He was still young, he didn't notice that a certain feeling had already grown silently between the two of them.
Until the last deep into the bones, unforgettable.
___
"Let's go to the park today!"
"Of course!"
Two young voices sounded.
"Hey, step aside, you're blocking our way." A group of guys appeared.
"Who are you guys? Can't you pass by the side?" Jaemin offhandedly hid Jisung behind him.
Under the sun, a small figure shielded another small figure.
"Now now, who do you little kid think you are to raise your voice at me?" With that, he pushed Jaemin to the floor harshly.
The little boy was knocked to the ground and small wounds appeared on his fair skin, followed by tingling.
Jaemin stood up, but the other boy standing beside him pulled the hem of his shirt, "Let's go home Jaemin hyung, it's time for dinner."
He was also afraid, but he was even more afraid of seeing Jaemin injured because of him.
"You can go home first Jisungie, but let me get rid of these bad guys." He didn't look back, and stood firmly in front of the younger. The sunlight landed on his body, as if it was plated with golden light.
"I will protect you, Jisung."
On Jaemin's face, Jisung saw an unyielding and calmness that does not belong to his age.
"Awww this kiddo is so funny~"
Jaemin tried to resist the kicks and punches, but he was only a child after all, and his power was weak. It's obvious that he could not match the strength of the adults.
"You can't even protect yourself, how can you protect your little boyfriend over there?"
Jisung saw a wooden stick not far away, he picked up the stick and yelled, "The police are coming!! Why aren't you leaving?"
"Police?? Hurry up let's go." They ran away.
"Jaemin hyung!" he ran towards the older, "You're injured."
Jaemin covered the bleeding wound with his hand and another one went to hold on Jisung's hand tightly. He smiled, "I'm fine. They're gone, let's go home too."
The big smile remained on Jaemin's face, "Jisung ah, you don't have to be afraid, Jaemin will protect Jisung. Did you not see how impressive I was just now?"
"Not at all you idiot! You hurt yourself!" he stared worriedly at the wounds on his body.
Na Jaemin, you're an idiot.
___
The warm sun on March isn't too hot.
"Jisung-ah, what do you wanna be when you grow up?"
Jisung tilted his head while thinking, "An artist! I want to draw many different things."
"I wanna be a doctor and save people around the world!"
Jisung saw the movements in the older's hands.
"Hyung what are you doing?"
Jaemin then faced Jisung with piercing eyes, and handed him what was in his hands excitedly.
"Guess what I just made."
He took a closer look, in Jaemin's hands are obviously a pair of unknown objects woven with grass.
"And what's this?" Jisung stared at the object curiously and asked.
"Uhh.. They're a pair of rings, can't you tell?" Jaemin caressed the grass ring softly.
"I really can't tell. Why did you make this thing? Isn't this something an adult wears after getting married?
Jaemin smiled mysteriously, eyes full of expectation.
"I'm thinking, will we get married when we grow up?" Jaemin lifted his head, staring at the clear blue sky, a garish sunlight shone on his smiling cheeks.
"Married?"
Young kids probably didn't know the meaning of a marriage, so it's always easy to blurt it out.
"Yeah! I'll be very very good to Jisungie, just like mom and dad." His eyes were full of joy and longing.
"Jisung-ah, shall we make a promise?" He reached out his pinky.
Actually, the younger did not understand the meaning of marriage, the significance of the rings, and the feelings between a married couple.
He only knew that the boy in front of him had bravely protected him once.
"Sure."
That's enough, isn't?
He reached out his pinky and hooked it against the older's.
Jaemin smiled happily, as if he just discovered a treasure.
Then he took the grass ring and placed it on the younger's ring finger.
Grass rings, Na Jaemin, Park Jisung.
They were ignorant and innocent, they didn't know what love actually is.
They don't know some promises, once made, will become a lifelong commitment.
___
It's been very often these days, when Jisung comes back to his mind while sketching, Jaemin's beautiful features appears in front of him.
The person in his sketch book happened to be Na Jaemin who comes up to his mind every now and then. The beaming smile that appeared in his mind for the nth times.
The smile on Jaemin's face that always has a stunning effect on Jisung.
It's been five years.
Why? Is it because he misses him? What is the point of missing him?
He teared the sketch of Jaemin from the book and simply placed it on the desk beside him.
He took a deep breath, shakes away the thought in his head, and picked up the pencil again.
I shouldn't be distracted.
Just when his pencil touched the sketch book, his phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Jisung, quick, come to the hospital! Your parents had a car accident!"
Mrs. Na?
"Which hospital?" he dropped the pencil in his hand and stood up immediately.
After getting the answer, he went straight to the destination.
Doctors are used to behold lives and deaths parting away that people cannot easily accept.
But compare to the others, he always thinks that death is one of the ways to get rid of the pain.
"Sorry, we tried our best." Taking off his face mask, he told his parents.
"Jaemin-ah,"
He stopped his steps and looked back at his mother.
"Thanks a lot." There were tears on her face, and his father supported her by her side.
Jaemin froze for a second, "Yeah. I got it. I'll head back to work..."
However, before he could even finish his words, he was interrupted by a rush of footsteps in the corridor.
He turned to the direction of the sound and saw a childhood friend he hadn't seen for a long time.
Jaemin didn't know why, but he recognized him just by a glance.
"Mr. and Mrs. Na! Where's mom and dad??"
Obviously, he didn't notice Jaemin at first.
"They left not much time." Jaemin spoke softly.
Jisung stumbled into the operation room.
"Jaemin-ah, you grew up with him, go comfort him."
He pushed open the door, as expected, he saw the younger kneeling down beside his parents' beds, but he didn't cry.
He walked towards him and stood quietly beside him.
"Mom... Dad.." Jisung voiced, eyes with tears.
"You- you know you can't just leave me here." he cracked his voice as he hold on his parents' hands.
But they remained unconscious.
He bit on his lip, so hard that it bleeds. Without making a sound, he shed a tear and wiped it with the back of his hand quickly.
"Beeeeep-"
All of a sudden a group of people rushed in. In a trance, someone gently pulled him up and helped him to leave the room.
"Jaemin, what happened-"
Facing his mother's question, he only shook his head lightly.
"Mom, I'll go check on them. Look after him." he said to his mother before entering the operation room.
"Mrs. Na, what do I do without them?" Jisung shakily asked, sounding so tiny and lost.
"Don't worry honey, you still have us, you still have Jaemin! He will be by your side."
Jaemin?
Na Jaemin?
These words burst into his mind like a strong wind, sweeping away all of his thoughts.
"Jaemin hyung...?"
Will he?
They haven't seen each other for years, does he remember him? Or did he forget him long time ago?
Jisung was't sure, he only knew that he has never forgotten Jaemin.
___