#everywhen

1997 - first day of grade one

It was your first day of grade one. Surrounding you in the school yard, there were parents crying as they sent their children off into the educational institution for the first time, embarrassed children begging their parents to stop crying, and teachers talking to parents. The principal came out and called for everyone to find their new class using the lists on the wall. Walking over to the lists with your parents, you found your new classroom. Sending a nervous smile to your parents and giving them one last hug, you entered and found your name on a desk.

Once you had taken out your crayons and were colouring contentedly, a boy sat down beside you. Jaehyung his name card said, not that you could read it given you were in grade one.

“Hi! I’m Jae,” said the boy with a big, goofy smile on his face.

“My name is y/n,” you said, remembering how your mother taught you to introduce yourself. “Do you want to be friends?”

Let’s be best friends!”

“Forever?”

“Forever!”

2002 - last day of grade five

“...and that you be as successful in middle school as you were here,” your principal finally concluded. With the end of her speech, names were called for people to come on stage and collect their diplomas. When that was over, awards were handed out along with a few more speeches. Finally, finally, you and the rest of the graduating class were released into the waiting arms of your proud parents and relatives.

“Y/n!” A voice called and you turned to see Jae sprinting towards you, family in tow, stopping to catch his breath once he was in front of you. “We did it!”

“Only seven more years to go,” You grumped, wishing you could be free from the hell that is the school system.

“Oh, don’t be such a sourpuss,” Jae teased, lightly poking you. “Where’re your parents?”

“They went over to the food tables.”

“Oooo! There’re snacks!”

After eating your fill at the snack tables, you and Jae wandered off towards the climber in the corner of the school yard. Climbing on top of the monkey bars, you and Jae sat next to each other, laughing about something that happened in grade three.

Talking a moment to pause, Jae asked “we’re still gonna be best friends in middle school, right?”

“Of course,” you replied without hesitation, thinking it was silly for him to even think of you two not being best friends. You’ve been best friends forever! Your house was his house, and vice versa! Your families knew each other, and your moms were basically best friends, too! Of course you’d still be friends in middle school! What a stupid question.

“Just checking to make sure you won’t ditch me for someone else.”

2003 - November of grade seven

“Why are you friends with a boy,” your friend Kira asked, standing with you in the school yard. “Don’t you know boys have cooties?”

“He’s my best friend, and he doesn’t have cooties,” you replied. “That’s just stupid.”

“I just think it’s weird.”

“What’s weird,” Jae asked, walking up to you and Kira. “You ready to go?”

“Nothing,” you respond, picking up your lunch box. “Lets go.”

Walking home together was the norm for the both of you. Jae’s house was far away and his parents worked late, so he would come to your house, do homework, eat dinner, and hang out with you and your family until one of his parents or his older sister could pick him up.

“Kira says boys have cooties,” you explained to Jae, sitting in your living room, homework spread out around the two of you.

“That’s dumb,” Jae said, distracted by the paper in front of him. “What’s eight times four?”

2004 - October of grade eight

It was around this time when everyone in your class had a “boyfriend” or a “girlfriend” and was having their first kisses. You, on the other, had no such thing. Unsurprisingly, neither did Jae. “I’m waiting for someone special,” he would say every time one of his friends asked. “I just don’t like anyone enough to kiss them.”

Strangely, his statement hurt you. What about you? Were you not special enough for a first kiss? Am I that unkissable?

You decided to ask him.

“Am I unkissable,” you asked him one day at lunch.

“No, why’re you asking me,” Jae replied, looking up from his sandwich.

“It’s just - no one seems to want to date me,” you said, crestfallen. “It made me think that maybe no one wants to date me because I’m unkissable.”

“Listen, all of these ‘relationships’ last less than a week and the guys are just trying to get laid.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah,” he said taking a bite of his sandwich. “If it means that much to you, I’ll be your first kiss. If you want, of course.”

Well. That was unexpected.

2005 - grade eight after winter break

When you went back to school after winter break, you were absolutely dismal. Not only did you have to go back to this hell, but you haven’t spoken to Jae for two weeks. Over break, you had been with family and Jae had been in Buenos Aires, so keeping contact was a little difficult (though you did receive a postcard).

Walking through the doors of you classroom, you spotted Jae instantly. Upon seeing you, your best friend stood up and yanked you into a bear hug, crushing your ribs and lungs.

“Jae-can’t-breathe-“ You spluttered out, him releasing you from the bone-crushing hug.

“How was your break,” Jae asked.

“It was okay. I got your postcard!”

“Did you like the picture?”

“It was really pretty. Where was it taken?”

“Plaza de Mayo. You’re prettier, though.”

Hold up. Jae, your best friend since forever just said. That you, y/n, are pretty. Prettier than Plaza de Mayo, one of the most beautiful places you’ve ever seen.

While you processed his statement, Jae handed you a rather large gift bag with colourful tissue paper stuffed inside. “This is for you.”

Shaking yourself out of thought, you took the bag from him and pulled out the tissue paper. Inside there was a wooden box.

“Open it,” Jae encouraged. “It’s not cursed. Probably.”

Shooting him a weak glare, you reached in a pulled the box out of the bag. The box itself was the size of a small shoe box and made of a dark hardwood. Practically buzzing with excitement, Jae urged you to open it. Proceeding with caution and curiosity, you lifted the lid and peered inside, a jumble of random trinkets meeting your eyes.

“What’s all this,” you ask with a laugh.

“They’re things I found in the markets that reminded me of you,” Jae explained, cheeks turning a rosy colour.

Pulling out a small wooden fish, you ask why it reminds Jae of you.

“Remember when we went fishing and you caught a fish? You cried so much because you thought you’d killed it even though it was still flopping around!”

“Oh yeah,” you admitted, bashfully. Pulling out a smaller box covered in red fabric, you asked what it was.

“Open it,” was all Jae said.

So you did. Sitting inside on a cushion of the same red fabric, lay a necklace with a gold chain and a gold charm of half a heart. Gasping, you gently extracted the delicate jewelry. “Jae!”

“It’s a friendship charm,” Jae explained, bringing the other half of the heart out of his shirt. “I have the other half.”

“Why?”

“So we can always be together.”

2005 - November of grade nine

“What’re you doing this Friday,” asked Cody, the guy currently in front of you, attempting to ask you on a date. He was okay looking and somewhat popular, but you just weren’t interested in him at all.

“I have plans.” You did not have plans.

“Another time, maybe?”

Boy he was persistent. “I’ll let you know when I’m free.”

“Oh, okay. See you around, then.”

Thank god he’s gone, you thought, walking to your next class. Taking your seat, Jae plops down on the connected table, smile on his face.

“What did Cody want?”

“I dunno. He asked if I was free on Friday.”

“And?”

“I told him I have plans.”

“Do you?”

“Pft. No.”

“Okay. Cool. See you.” Jae hopped off your desk, still smiling and shooting you some finger guns.

That’s weird, you thought. Usually Jae stayed at your desk until the teacher told hime to move. Maybe he wants to hang out on Friday.

Friday came and you and Jae made the trek to his house (his tv is better).

“So, wait. You never got your first kiss,” Jae asked, completely shocked. “I thought - what about Matthew?”

“Nope,” you said, popping the p. Matthew had been your “boyfriend” for two weeks in grade eight. Jae had been right about the guys just trying to get laid, so you dumped his ass before you’d had the chance to kiss him.

“If you’re ready to take me up on my offer from grade eight, it still stands,” Jae said, ears turning bright red.

“I mean,” you said lost in the thought that it might not be so bad to kiss him, but worried it would affect your relationship.

Jae leaned in and, not seeing an objection from you, gently pressed his lips to yours.

Once he pulled away, you remembered how to breathe and briefly wondered when you had stopped walking.

“Sorry, I just thought that-“ Jae started to say, you cutting him off.

“Don’t apologize. I didn’t hate it, and at any rate, I should be thanking you for getting it over with.”

“So we’re still friends?”

“No.” A worried look crossed Jae’s face. “We’re best friends.”

2006 - September of grade ten

“What’re you doing this weekend?” Jae’s voice asked over the phone.

“Literally, nothing,” you replied, bored with your own mediocrity. “I kinda wish I’d made plans or something.”

“Well, do you wanna come over and maybe have a two day sleepover? My sister’s staying at her boyfriend’s and my parents are going on a mini vacation to a beach resort or something, so we’ll have the house to ourselves.”

“Oh! That sounds really fun, actually,” you respond, looking forward to long awaited time with your best friend. “What should I bring?”

“Snacks, clothes, toiletries, parent permission, and a will to live!”

After asking your parents, who easily agreed because it was Jae, and waiting not so patiently for Friday to arrive, you were walking up the steps to Jae’s house, ready for three days of fun with your bestie.

Ringing the front doorbell, you heard frantic footsteps approach from the other side of the thick wooden door. Swinging open with a loud cry of “y/n!” and a bone-crushing hug, you were pulled inside, barely waving “bye” to your parents. 

“C’mon in! The parents are gone, the sister has left, and you, my dear y/n, have arrived to casa de Park!” Jae exclaimed, already wearing his favourite yellow pajama bottoms. 

Shortly following your spectacular arrival, you and Jae were sprawled out across the living room floor in your pajamas, surrounded by blankets, and happily munching on the pizza dinner Jae’s older sister had ordered him before leaving (”Jae, aren’t you lactose intolerant?” “It’ll be fine, probably!” it was not fine).

At one point, you decided to build a blanket fort in the living room to continue watching your Disney movie marathon in the utmost comfort and eventually fall asleep in. While Jae was building said blanket fort (”Aren’t you gonna help, y/n?” “Nah, someone’s gotta chose what we watch.”), you were looking through his collection of Disney movies, deciding on The Lion King. Following the blanket fort construction, you made an executive decision to get ready for bed, not that you would actually sleep.

Brushing your teeth in the upstairs bathroom, you reflected on your movie night thus far. 1) The Lion King was not your favourite Disney movie, The Little Mermaid being your preference. 2) Popcorn is the food of the gods, ‘nuff said. 3) Jae was acting strange. Whenever you tried to snuggle against him like normal, he would shift away or make an excuse to get up. 

Lost in thought and washing your face, you didn’t hear the sneaky footsteps of your best friend coming up behind you. Jae, taking this opportunity to scare you shitless, did so by tasering you with his hands and yelling “boo!” at the top of his lungs.

Shrieking, you whipped around to beat him for being an ass. Jae ran off yelling “you can’t hit a guy with glasses!” repeatedly, running and hiding from your rage all around the house. 

When the two of you finally made peace and were settled in the fluffy comforts of the blanket fort, you went back to your Disney movie marathon until you fell asleep, Jae finally letting you lay your head on him and snuggle closer. You fell into a deep sleep, legs intertwined with your favourite person on the planet. 

2008 - March of grade eleven 

By now, you’ve had a long-term boyfriend. His name was Jordan and he was absolutely perfect in your eyes. 

Jae hated his guts. 

Whenever you had, time you would invite both of them over, only for Jae to ask if “Jordy boy” would be there and cancel if he was. As you and Jae spent less and less time together, an odd void began to form in your heart. Wether it was from missing the company of your best friend or something else you hadn’t quite figured out yet, it still hurt to not have Jae around you. 

After a few months and a “long distance relationship” over winter break, you and Jordan broke up. Jae, being the amazing and caring best friend he was, saw how devastated you were and spent more and more time with you, seemingly to forget your months of negligence. 

Secretly, Jae was happy you and Jordan broke up, deeming him an unacceptable guy for you to date (”He smells like Axe body spray.” “His locker’s a mess.” “I don’t like the way he talks to you, like he’s looking down on you.” etc.) and wanting more time with just the two of you. Not to mention the fact that he may or may not like you as more than a friend. He never made a move on you, concerned you wouldn’t reciprocate, and instead tried to put a limit on the physical affection between the two of you. 

2009 - grade twelve graduation

“...you will go forth into this great, big, beautiful, blue Earth and make a difference! I wish you, our future, all the best on your chosen paths in life. Go forth and have no fear!” with the end of the principal’s speech, the crowd of gathered parents, the graduating class, and other family and friends erupted in cheers. Caps were thrown into the air, friends embraced each other, families yelled words of congratulations. 

In all the ruckus, you and Jae were clinging to each other, crying tears of joy into the other’s shoulder. 

“We did it,” you whispered, trying not to let out more sobs.

“Only university left to go,” Jae teased, recalling your primary school graduation seven years earlier. You gently hit his arm, which was still encircling your body.