"Hi what's your name" a boy with chubby cheeks ask me. It was my first day of school in a new town where I have no friends, and I don't know anyone. I hate that my dad make us move to this stupid town, I have to leave all my friends back home.
"I'm Taehyung. What's your name?" I ask him back I knew he was in my class, he was the class president, so I though that greeting the new kid and make him feel welcome was part of his job.
"I'm Jimin" he reply with a big smile that make his eyes disappeared. "Would you like some mango? I don't like it that much and my mom always make me eat them".
"Yes thank you" I said taking the plastic container he was handing me. That was the very first beginning of out long lasting friendship.
Jimin became the best thing I could ever wish in a best friend, we have so many thing in common, we made plans to go together to the same college, because wanted to study dance and music. During our time growing up, we did have our arguments, but never fought for more than a day. We told each other everything, we knew everything about each other. Even our parents treat us like siblings. It was like my mom and dad had two sons, same with Jimin's parents. Christmas, birthdays, achievements our parents celebrate together. Jimin was in my family portrait. I remember that day, a photographer came over for a family picture. Jimin was here that day watching us take the picture, making us laugh, and as a joke he walk into one of the pictures sitting in between my parents. My mom end up choosing that pictures as the family portrait because we were all laughing so spontaneous.
"Boys, can I talk you you" my mon came into my room looking all suspicious while Jimin and I were playing video games.
"Mom, can it wait? I'm about to kick his ass" I told her because in this particular game, Jimin always wins.
"Please, boys, this is important" mom insisted.
"Ok mother" Jimin said, he calls my mom, "mother" the same way I call his mom "mother" So Jimin left the game controller aside so I took the opportunity to win the game. I celebrated the moment, but Jimin just stared at me and pointed to my mom.
"Thank you dear" My mom told Jimin, and continue "Boys you're about to go to college, you'll have your own apartment together, you be on your own in a different city, I just want to make sure that you two will be ok"
"Yeah, I can't wait" I say enthusiastically.
"Me too" Jimin said showing his bright smile.
"I want you to know that I love you both. Jimin, you know that you're are like my son too, so I just want you to know that if you need anything you can let me and father know, too. Ok, sweetie" My mom kindly said. And then she grab Jimin and my hands at the same time, her tone became more serious, like what she was about to say, it's taking every strength of her to say it. "Boys, I'm gonna ask this, and I want you to be honest with me. I won't judge, or get mad. I love you two to much and I will support you, ok..." she made a pause, making an uncomfortable silence and then continue "Boys, are you in love?"
"WHAT?" Jimin and I say at the same time.
"I will understand if you tell me. Are you in a relationship?" Mom says.
"Mom, what are you talking about? Eww!! are you asking if I'm ..." I couldn't even say it. Meanwhile Jimin was laughing so hard he fell from the chair he was sitting on, and kept laughing in the floor.
Mom just stare at us, with concerned at first, but when Jimin's laughter was contagious, I began to laugh too, so my mom began to smile.
"Mother, I love this asshole, but not the way you think. He's not my type" Jimin joked.
"You're not my type either, you way to short" I say following his joke.
"Ok boys, I get it. Just remember that you have me if you need help. I love you" with that mom kiss our foreheads and left the room. Jimin and I look at each other wondering what was all that about.
***
"This is the last box" Jimin said carrying a large box with his name on it. We were finally moving in into our apartment our parents got for us, now that we are both college students. It took us two weeks to finally finish unpacking everything. Just in time to finish before going to our first day of school.
Jimin and I didn't have all the same classes, but we did share a couples of them, so in between classes we like to go to a coffee shop near the campus, just to do homework or talk about our new assignments. College life was like I dreamed. Having fun, going to parties, and having my best friend with me.
Because we have many different classes, we did meet new friends, but never grow apart. Jimin knew my friends and I knew his friends, and we always talk about them to each other, and even our new friends knew how close we were, some of them find it odd, others really cool, but nothing changed Jimin and I friendship.
"Taehyung-ah. I'm gonna skip lunch today. I need to finish this assignment. Go ahead and eat, and bring me something on your way back" Jimin text me. We usually go to the same restaurant, because Jimin don't like sushi, so I decided to go get sushi by myself and get Jimin something from somewhere else.
"Can I take your order?" A young voice call me when I was looking through the menu.
"Yes please, I will like... " I went speechless when I looked at the waiter. Never in my life did I ever hold my breath for a guy. The waiter smile at me, probably because I make him feel uncomfortable with my stare. "Sorry, please bring me one order of sushi and Miso soup" I say giving the menu back to him.
"right away" he smiled, showing a beautiful set of teeth. When he walk away I couldn't help but to stare at him a little more, I was mesmerized by him, I knew I need it to know his name. I didn't look if he had a name tag, I was lost in his eyes.
A few minute later he came back with my food, that's when I took the opportunity to check for his name. "kookie"
"It's that your name" I ask looking at his tag. HE look down at it, probably forgetting the thing was even there.
"Oh this, yes my friends here call me kookie" he said
"May I call you kookie?" I ask him maybe a little bit to forward. Probably he is used to have people flirting with him all the time, but he was nice, always smiling.
"Yes, of course" he reply
After finishing my meal, Kookie came over to ask me how was the food. To which I say.
"It was really good, thank you so much, I hope to see you next time" With that I thought that was the end of our conversation, but I was surprised when he say.
"You are a student from this college, right?"
"Yes, I'm a freshman. How about you?"
"Well, I'm only part time student." I can't afford being full time student, I need to work.
"So what's your mayor?" I ask him. I know we don't have any class together, because I never seen him before.
"I'm a dance major. But I'm taking the boring classes first, you know, history of dance, theory of classic ballet and things like that are required for the degree but no really what I enjoy to do"
"What's your type of dance?"
"Well, I'm into hip hop, kpop, and I will love to learn Salsa, because I found it really sexy, but just for fun, how about you." He ask
"My major is music, I like too write songs and sing. I can dance but my brother is the dancer, he's into contemporary, but he's good at any dance."
"That's cool, maybe we could hangout some time" He said. To which I took as a cue to take my phone and ask for his phone number. To my luck, he actually give it to me.