Dating an Idol

Two: TEMPORARY BEST FRIEND

[FLASHBACK]

Setting: Seoul, Korea

POV: 8-year-old Yuri & 10-year-old Skye

[Author's Note: Conversations which are supposed to be in Korean will all be written in English]

I woke up to my pet dog's loud barking. Which is unusual because she's usually quiet. She was outside the house as of the moment but I could hear her from my bedroom.

She's a Sapsali. I named her Bingsu.

I got her on my eighth birthday. I've always wanted a pet dog but my mom doesn't want one. But on my eighth birthday, my dad finally gave me the best birthday gift ever! My very first pet. My best friend! I was so happy!

I don't usually get out of bed this early but Bingsu's constant barking got me worried. So I hopped out of bed, got out of my room, ran downstairs, and went straight out of our main door.

The moment I reached our front yard, I saw an unfamiliar boy around my age running towards my direction. And going after him was Bingsu. She was loudly barking as she ran after him.

"Stop! Stop!" the boy screamed as he ran past me.

I froze. I didn't know what to do.

And then I saw the boy tripped and fell on his butt.

"Don't come near me! Don't come near me!" he yelled at Bingsu who was still coming towards him fast.

"Bingsu, no! Stop!" I said. She didn't hear me.

I ran after her but she was too fast.

And before I knew it, the boy grabbed a stone and threw it at her. It hit her right on the head. That automatically sent her away crying in pain. To my horror, I saw blood dripping on her face as she ran away from us.

That's when my mom, and another woman, came out of the house to check on what happened.

A few hours later, I was sitting on the couch with Bingsu on my lap. She had bandages on her head.

My eyes were puffy from too much crying. I cried on our way to the vet earlier. I really thought Bingsu's going to die.

Even after the vet told me that she's going to be fine, I still cried. And now, even if we're already home, seeing that bandage on her face makes me want to cry again.

That boy, whose name is Haneul… well, I just heard his mom call him by his name but not that I cared… already said sorry to me and Bingsu. He said he didn't mean to hurt her.

Nope, his sorry doesn't change anything. I am still mad at him.

I thought he's not going to be here anymore when we get home from the vet. To my disappointment, he's still here.

And now, we're all gathered in the living room. That boy, his mom, my mom, and I with Bingsu on my lap.

"Haneul and his mom are gonna stay with us starting today," my mom said.

I could feel my eyes widened with surprise.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because her mom needs a job and we need help here in the house," my mom said.

My mom said so many things but they don't seem to register in my mind. All I can think of is the fact that I'm gonna live with this boy starting today!

"No way!" I said out loud.

"Yuri, you're not supposed to say that," my mom reprimanded me. I don't normally talk back so she was shocked. "That's not very nice. You say sorry to them."

I just pouted. Why would I say sorry to the boy who almost killed Bingsu?

"Yuri," the boy's mom came towards me and squatted right in front of me so we were at eye-to-eye level. "I'm sorry about what happened earlier. But I assure you, Haneul is a good boy. You will surely get along together. You might even become best friends."

Ewwwww! I would never want him as my best friend! No way!

But I didn't say that out loud. I don't want to upset my mom even more.

But I swear, with every strand of Bingsu's hair, I would never be friends with that boy!

I picked up Bingsu, got up from the couch, and ran to my bedroom upstairs. I heard my mom call out my name and ask me to come back but I didn't listen to her.

A few hours later, I found the boy in my favorite spot. We have this long wooden bench in our front yard. I would usually read books there when I'm bored.

That's what I was planning to do earlier. I grabbed one of my favorite books and went outside to read only to get annoyed to find him on my favorite spot!

"That's my spot!" I said as I stood right in front of him.

He looked at me and, without any protest, moved to the other side of the bench. Then he went back to drawing. He has this sketch pad on his lap.

I sat down on the bench and started reading. Or pretended to do so.

I don't want to sit beside him but if I leave now, it's like giving up my favorite spot!

No, he has to know that this spot is mine! And that he can't have this place. Because this is mine!

He can sit anywhere but here! Definitely not here!

I tried to read but I can't seem to concentrate. I couldn't help but check out his drawings. I hate to admit it but he's good.

"Who are they?" I asked, referring to his drawings. I saw him draw three boys.

"My best friends and I," he said without taking his eyes away from his drawing. "I'm gonna miss them."

"Why?" I asked.

Well, I am just curious. That's why I asked. But I still have no plan of being friends with him.

"Because I have to transfer school," he said while still drawing.

"Why are you transferring school?"

"Because we moved here. And my old school's far from here."

"Why do you have to move here?"

"Because we have nowhere to live."

"Why? What happened to your house?"

"We got kicked out by our landlord."

"Why?"

"Because we weren't able to pay the rent."

"But why?"

He stopped drawing and raised his face to look at me. For a Korean, his eyes are quite big. He must be annoyed by my unending questions.

"Okay, you don't have to answer. I'm not curious anyway," I said as I pretended to go back to reading.

"Since my father passed away last year, my mom's having a hard time making a living," he said. The sadness in his voice caught my attention.

That had me looking back at him. And for a few seconds, I kind of felt sorry for him.

But no, I still don't want to be friends with him, I reminded myself.

I didn't say anything. Suddenly, I don't know what to say.

He stopped drawing, closed his sketchbook, and looked up in the sky.

"The sky looks beautiful today," he said out of nowhere.

I looked up, too, but I didn't see anything special about the sky. It was still… you know… just plain sky.

"Do you know that the English word for my name is sky?" he said.

"I… I know…" I said.

I lied. I didn't know. I reminded myself to pay attention to my English lessons from now on.

"But I'm not curious," I said. "It's not like we're gonna be friends."

"What's the name of your best friends?" he suddenly asked.

That caught me off guard. I tried to think of a name but I couldn't think of anyone. I haven't really realized until now that I have no best friends.

"Don't tell me you have no best friends?" he said when I couldn't answer him.

"I… I have friends… but…" That's when Bingsu ran past us. "Bingsu! Yeah, Bingsu! She's my best friend!" I said, pointing at her.

That cracked him up! He laughed so hard that his face turned all red.

I got up and put my hands on my waist.

"And what's wrong in having her as my best friend?" I snapped at him.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" he said as he tried to contain his laughter.

He stood up to face me. "Don't worry, I can be your best friend starting today."

"But I don't want you to be my best friend!"

"It's not that you have any choice," he said. "But don't worry, you can dismiss me the moment you find a real best friend. But for now, I can be your temporary best friend."

He ruffled my hair without any warning and then left with his sketch book in hand.

"But I don't want you to be my best friend!" I shouted after him.