Chapter 8: Jang Damin (1)

The first time, at age five, holding my mom’s hand on the way to kindergarten.

“Da-min, you have to get along with your friends at kindergarten today~”

I nodded at my mom’s gentle voice.

“Okay”

Holding my mom’s hand tightly, I looked around.

The autumn morning air felt fresh, but my heart was anxious as I walked down the unfamiliar path.

“Mom, what do we do for fun at kindergarten?”

“Hmm, you’ll play fun games with the teacher, meet new friends… and you’ll draw pictures that Da-min likes?”

“Really?”

“Of course~ Our Da-min draws so well.”

I smiled slightly at my mom’s words but soon made a worried face.

“But what if my friends don’t want to play with me?”

My mom squeezed my hand tighter.

“Who wouldn’t want to play with a kind and cute child like our Da-min? They’ll probably come up to you and ask to play first.”

I felt a little relieved at her words, but when the kindergarten building came into view, my expression tensed up again.

“Teacher, please take good care of our Da-min.”

“Don’t worry, Mother. We’ll look after her well.”

The teacher smiled prettily and looked at me.

“Da-min, say goodbye to Mom”

“Mom, bye-bye”

“Our Da-min, have fun playing. Get along with your friends~”

I nodded and, holding the teacher’s hand, entered the classroom.

“Everyone, we have a new friend. Her name is Jang Da-min. Shall we all say hello?”

At the teacher’s words, the children shouted in unison.

“Hi, Da-min!”

I bowed my head shyly and answered in a small voice.

“Hi…”

“Now, Da-min, hmm… Ah, how about sitting next to Tae-woo over there?”

My eyes widened as I looked where the teacher was pointing.

“Wow~”

The boy sitting there had glossy black hair and eyes that seemed lost in thought. Just like… just like…

‘He’s a prince!’

It felt as if the cool and handsome prince from the fairy tale books Dad read to me every night had actually appeared before my eyes.

“Hi?”

“Don’t talk to me.”

***

Lately, the kindergarten teachers had a concern.

It was a child named Jeong Tae-woo.

Jeong Tae-woo was a child whose handsomeness was at a level that made even current child actors on TV look like squids.

One might wonder what the concern was, but children naturally like pretty and handsome things.

So, it was natural for girls to approach Jeong Tae-woo.

“Tae-woo, let’s play together~”

“No. Don’t come near me.”

Even to the girl’s shy words, Tae-woo’s reply was nothing but cold.

“Tae-woo, do you not like me?”

Tears welled up in the girl’s eyes.

“I don’t like you, so don’t come near me.”

“…Waaaaaaah!”

This scene repeated itself almost daily.

He would push away the approaching girls, and those girls would always cry sorrowfully.

The homeroom teacher approached with a sigh.

“Tae-woo, wouldn’t it be really fun to play blocks with Yuna over there?”

“I don’t want to.”

Tae-woo’s answer remained unchanged.

“Then what does Tae-woo want to do?”

“I don’t want to do anything.”

The teacher shook her head.

There was no clear answer as to what to do with this handsome friend.

“What should we do, Director?”

“Ha… I know, right. It’s not that the other kids dislike Tae-woo, so they keep approaching him, but if he keeps pushing them away like that…”

“Tae-woo’s mother is also very worried.”

“For now, Teacher Yoo, please keep a close eye on Tae-woo so he can adjust well.”

“Yes, I’ll do my best.”

As a teacher who believed that the age of five should be spent playing joyfully with friends, she absolutely couldn’t leave Tae-woo like this.

So, she resolved to actively help other children approach Tae-woo, and even if it didn’t work out, to be his conversation partner so he wouldn’t be lonely.

A special plan for Tae-woo slowly began to take shape in Teacher Yoo’s mind.

Along with the determination to find a way to break down this child’s cold walls.

However, when this situation continued for about a week, and it seemed like there would be no progress, just as Teacher Yoo’s worries deepened,

A girl named Jang Da-min came to the kindergarten.

“Hi…”

Da-min, who greeted shyly, was very cute and pretty.

‘Yes, if I pair Da-min with Tae-woo…’

Teacher Yoo felt a small glimmer of hope upon seeing Da-min.

As soon as Da-min saw Tae-woo, just like all the other girls in kindergarten, she went up and greeted him first.

“Hi?”

“Don’t talk to me.”

“Why?”

“Just because it’s annoying.”

Ah… The teachers watching exchanged worried glances, thinking, ‘It’s not working out this time either.’

It’s her first day, so she wouldn’t have adjusted yet, and the first friend she greeted treated her so coldly.

Da-min would surely be hurt and cry, or ask to change partners…

Either way, it seemed like this time too would end in failure.

Teacher Yoo steeled herself and prepared to approach Da-min.

‘How should I comfort her this time…’

However, Da-min showed a completely different reaction than what the teachers expected.

“You shouldn’t be annoyed. Ah! Then let’s draw pictures together and play, then you’ll feel better.”

“I said I don’t want to.”

“Whyyy~~~ Drawing is fun. Or do you like soccer?”

“Soccer?”

Jeong Tae-woo, who had been expressionless as if interested in nothing, looked at Da-min as if the word “soccer” had caught his attention.

‘Oh my, it seems Tae-woo likes soccer.’

‘Fighting, Da-min! Please become friends with our Tae-woo!’

‘This time, finally…’

Receiving the fervent silent cheers of the teachers, Da-min…

“Huh? I really like soccer too. I’ll show you what I drew.”

She was just excited that the prince had shown interest in her for the first time and was taking out her sketchbook from her bag.

***

“Ta-da~ What do you think?”

The prince, who had been looking at the drawing seriously, spoke to me first for the first time.

“You… what did you say your name was?”

“Heehee, I’m Jang Da-min! Now let’s draw together.”

“W-whatever…”

“Heehee, let’s draw soccer players!”

At that time, Jeong Tae-woo’s cheeks, as he looked at me, were slightly flushed like cherry blossoms in spring.

Of course, I was focused on drawing and didn’t see it.

From that day on, we played together every day.

Drawing pictures, talking about soccer, we began to open up our worlds to each other, little by little.

“Tae-woo!”

“What?”

“Let’s go on the slide!”

“…I don’t want to.”

“Hmph~”

“……Let’s go.”

Tae-woo, whom I thought of as a prince, always said no at first, but if I kept asking, he would stare at my face intently and eventually follow my words.

“Wooahaha!”

“Is it fun?”

“Yeah, it’s really fun! Let’s go again!”

“That’s enough… Okay, let’s go again.”

“Heehee, hurry up, Tae-woo.”

“Go slowly.”

Playing like that, lost in fun, it was already time for our parents to pick us up.

“Da-min, Mom’s here!”

“Mommmyyy!”

I ran to my mom, holding Tae-woo’s hand tightly, and Mom looked back and forth between me and Tae-woo, surprised.

“Oh my… You must be Tae-woo. I’ve heard a lot about you from the teacher. That you take good care of Da-min. I’m really grateful that you’re friends with Da-min.”

“Th-that… Yes. Thank you.”

“Huh? No, I’m the one taking care of Tae-woo.”

“Hahaha, now that I look at you, you’re really handsome.”

Tae-woo’s face turned red as Mom came closer to his face and spoke.

“My daughter has good reason to follow you around.”

I looked at Mom proudly and beamed.

“Mom, can’t Tae-woo and I go home together?”

“It’s fine with us, but then Tae-woo’s mother would be inconvenienced, wouldn’t she?”

Just then, the kindergarten teacher approached Mom and whispered in her ear.

“Um, Da-min’s mother, Tae-woo’s mother contacted us saying she’ll be a little late.”

Mom thought for a moment and then asked the teacher.

“Then, could I get Tae-woo’s mother’s contact information?”

Ring ring~ Ring ring~

“Ah, yes, is this Tae-woo’s mother?”

“Ah, I’m Da-min’s mom. Da-min keeps saying she wants to play with Tae-woo and wants to go home together. Would that be alright?”

“Ah, yes, I’ll send the address by text.”

“Don’t worry and take your time.”

“Yes, yes, thank you for your hard work.”

After finishing the call with Tae-woo’s mother with the teacher’s help, Mom smiled brightly and said to Tae-woo.

“Tae-woo, would you like to go to Da-min’s house with me? Your mom said she’s coming to our house. What do you think?”

Tae-woo seemed to hesitate for a moment, but holding my hand tightly, he nodded slightly.

“Yay! I’m going home with Tae-woo!”

I jumped up and down with joy.

The moment I left the kindergarten holding Tae-woo’s small hand, my heart pounded. A different path than usual, a different scenery than usual. And above all, a special time with Tae-woo.

‘Heehee, this will be fun.’

“Tae-woo, when we get to my house, I’ll show you the soccer players I drew. I have a lot.”

“Whatever…”

Mom smiled, looking at us.

“Kids, let’s go home and have some delicious snacks. Tae-woo, what do you want to eat?”

“…Ice cream, please.”