calendar ↠ the boyz

one

Ji Changmin came into her life at the start of January, where the snow would cease to melt even under the winter sun.

She remembered hearing his high pitched laugh from across the canteen, her eyes widening when she saw where it came from. "A boy?"

Every day after that, she could pick him easily out of a crowd. She heard him before she seen him. It was intriguing, nonetheless.

Although Jinae would never talk to him, she was somewhat fascinated.

He had just moved to her school, the new year bringing in only a few new faces - none of which would become a new friend. But that was okay, she liked being alone.

She just envied that he seemed to fit in so easily, that was until he decided to sit beside her.

"What 'ya eating?" He asked so casually, inspecting her plate. "Wow, save some kimchi for the rest of us."

In disbelief, the girl struggled to chew her food. "Are you alright?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" The smile she had watched for weeks now was even brighter up close, his dimples prominent and his teeth so white they were blinding.

"Uh..." she glanced around, paranoid that this was some sort of set up. "Don't you have friends to sit with?"

"Yeah but you don't," he spoke abruptly even with that stupid smile upon his face. "Are you opposed to me sitting here?"

"No, I-"

"It is a free country after all," Jinae was right in her observations - he didn't shut up. But she enjoyed it. "So I'm going to sit here and probably steal a bit of your kimchi since I didn't take enough. Or maybe there was none left after you..."

She watched the boy rambling, her mouth slightly agape yet the corners tugging upwards when she realised that in all her years here he was the first person to ever approach her like this.

"... and you better get used to it," Changmin continued, popping the straw into his milk. "You're not getting rid of me so easy."

"Is that a threat?" Jinae chuckled, proceeding to take a bite out of her food.

The boy beside her smiled lightly, noticing how her shoulders relaxed with every passing second.

For he too had observed her from across the room for the last few weeks. He noticed how nobody spared her a glance, and she too didn't look up from her plate or her book.

"Is friendship so threatening?" He asked, tilting his head.

Jinae smiled weakly, shrugging her shoulders. "I wouldn't know."

"Well strap in," Changmin patted the girls back delicately. "You're about to find out."

And she did. For years later they found themselves together almost every passing moment.

Shoulder-to-shoulder in the canteen, sharing earphones as they walked side by side around the school football field - mostly every day. Except for today.

"It's January, it's far too cold to go out there!" Jinae complained to her best friend.

"I'll hold your hand," Changmin groaned, his eyes pleading. "Let's go."

She watched as he grabbed her hand, attempting to drag her. "I can't."

The boy turned on his heels, letting go of her hand as he noticed her nervous eyes. It was then that his softened. "I'm with you. He won't say a word."

"I know he won't, he never does," Jinae sighed, looking out to the field where she saw the boy training in the cold weather. "He's too nice."

"Then what are you worried about?" He sighed.

"You're right," she sucked in a breath of 'courage'. "Let's go a walk."

With a smile, the two began their lunchtime adventure. The song playing in their ears hasted the need for conversation. They spoke so much yet never ran out of words to say, but moments like this were still treasured nonetheless.

The girl kept her eyes down as Changmin subtly looked across the field, noticing the boy she dreaded to see.

He squeezed her hand to let her know it was okay, and she knew with him by her side - it always would be.