Busan || jjk

III

May 2007, Busan.

"Why don't we have cool nicknames for each other? We're best friends."

Jeongguk's words fall on deaf ears, mostly because the crunch of Hana's candied strawberries is so loud. She hums, partially in response to her best friend but mostly because the strawberries taste so good, the zing of the fruit mixed with the sweetness of the candied coating on top.

"Are you even listening to me?" Jeongguk's hand reaches out to hold her free hand to get her attention, nimble fingers squeezing her own.

Hana takes a break from her eating, light brown eyes even lighter in the sun and resting on Jeongguk's moon like eyes. "We already have nicknames for each other, I call you Guk and you call me Hana Bananas."

Her voice stands out even in the happy noises of the busy food street. This one in particular is their favourite because it sells all of their favourite food and because they've been coming here for so long, the sellers always give them some sort of discount.

The twelve year old girl is very serious with her statement. She also looks very pretty, Jeongguk thinks when she turns her body to face him from where they're sitting on the sidewalk, she's wearing a red summer dress that blows lightly with the slight wind. Her hair is tied back with a red pony, her cheeks tinted red from the slight heat and all the walking the pair did.

She looks like a tomato, the boy thinks for a second until he remembers the taste of tomatoes, something he doesn't really like and he instantly dismisses the comparison with a small scrunch of his nose. He dislikes tomatoes but he likes Hana a lot.

The stick of strawberries in her hand seem to complete her red look and Jeongguk decides Hana looks like strawberries. He likes that thought because strawberries are nice, they're sweet and a little tangy just like Hana. They're also very pretty and tiny, also just like Hana.

"Okay, but we should have more nicknames for each other. You should call me," the dark haired boy flips his hair out of his face to think, "JJ, Jeon Jeongguk."

Hana scrunches her small nose in rejection. "No, I like Guk."

"Fine." The boy accepts reluctantly but he forgets quickly when he picks up the Polaroid camera he's been carrying with him. It used to belong to his father but he gave it to Jeongguk, telling him it had been some time the camera had been taken out to capture some memories and that it needed fresh new ones.

The boy didn't hesitate to do just that. He had carried it with him the whole day, and taken pictures of everything. Most of his pictures were of Hana though, of her walking next to him or of her making funny faces at the camera whenever he raised it to her face.

He picks it up again, holding it against his face and pointing it at Hana who is on her last strawberry. He doesn't hesitate to take another picture of her, the click audible and he waits excitedly for the film to come out. This picture would be called 'Strawberry Hana.'