1 Out Of The Shell
The noises increased as a pool of children ran towards the waiter who's struggling to hold the boxes of chocolates in place. The little kids surrounded him asking for chocolates or some even ready to dive their hands into the box.
Some older kids were pointing at the waiter and laughing at his misery. The whole hall is filled with kids screaming and laughing, enjoying. Now you may ask why are there so many children here? well, it's a birthday party.
Right on time, the Jeon family entered the venue. Mr.Jeon, Mrs Jeon and their little Five-year-old son, Jungkook. A little girl approached them and ask little Jungkook to play with her, but the little boy panicked and hid behind his mother clutching onto her clothes.
"My son is a little shy. Why don't you go play with the other kids, little girl?" Mrs.Jeon smiled at the little girl as the girl nodded and ran away somewhere.
"And Jungkook, why are you so afraid of people huh? the little girl won't bite you"
"But I don't like anybody to touch me. It makes me feel Yucky" The little boy almost teared up.
"Aww ok ok don't cry, baby. Let's go, do you want to meet the birthday boy? why don't you try to talk to him hm?"
The little boy nodded as he holds into his father's pinky. Yes, this little boy hates skinship. He can't stand anybody touch him except his Mother or Father.
The Jeons went to the middle of the hall where a grand table is decorated with colourful balloons and a big banner decorating the wall saying "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAEHYUNG!" with a huge cake in the middle of the table.
"Oh? Sunmi?" A lady in her late twenties noticed the Jeons.
"Ah, Mina!" Mrs.Jeon gave a tight hug to the other lady.
"Look the two besties reuniting" Mr.Jeon casually commented.
"Why don't you go have a talk with my husband?" Mrs.Kim smiled sheepishly feeling happy to meet her best friend after so many years.
"Alright" The man was about to walk out of there but a tug stopped him. He looked down to see his son is watching him with puppy eyes.
"Honey?"
"yeah?"
"What about Jungkook?"
"Baby come here"
And the little boy scurried away to his Mother's side. The man then disappeared in the crowd.
"Aww Jungkookie is so big now"
"I know right? He's the cutest" Mrs Jeon proudly spoke. "wait, where's our birthday boy tho? he's turning five today right?"
"Yes. Taehyung-ah?" Mrs Kim turned towards the group of kids playing tug of war.
A head poked out from the group. "Yes, Mommy?"
"Come here"
"aye-aye"
Little Taehyung skipped towards them and sat on his mother's lap.
The little boy's eyes met with a boy infront of him. he looks scared.
"Hi?" Taehyung asked confused as to why the boy is scared.
"H-hi" The boy shuttered panicking.
"Are you scared of me?" Taehyung reached out his hand to touch Jungkook's cheeks. Little Jungkook was about to slap away his hand away but something stopped him, Taehyung's sad eyes stopped him. Soon he felt relaxed in his touch.
Mrs.Jeon was quite shocked to see Jungkook letting someone touch him. But then she smiled, maybe he's finally making a friend.
"Jungkook? why don't you go play with Taehyung?"
Jungkook shook his head. "many people"
"You don't want to play with so many people?" Taehyung tilted his head. He loves playing with random stranger's kids.
Jungkook nodded. Taehyung then clapped his hands.
"Let's go to my room then. Let's open my presents!" Taehyung beamed.
"Only you and me?" Jungkook slowly looked up to the boy. Taehyung nodded.
"Ok" Jungkook left his mother's side and hold onto Taehyung's hand. Both of them went to Taehyung's room while Jungkook clutched unto Taehyung and the latter brought his hands infront of him as if he's blocking people from touching Jungkook like he's Jungkook's bodyguard.
"That's the first time Jungkook let somebody touch him except us"
"I was confused too. you told me Jungkook is afraid of skinship but now look at him, clinging to Taehyung"
"Looks like they are going to be best friends like us" Mrs.Jeon laughed as Mrs.Kim agreed.
.
.
.
.
.
.
The two boys entered a room that's fully looked like jumped out of a fairytale.
"you like pink?"
"I like purple"
"why is your room Pink then?"
"I know you're going to say it's like a girl's room but I love this ok!" Taehyung said getting upset.
"No no I was going to say your room is sooooo pretty" Jungkook said exaggerating with his hands to which Taehyung showed his boxy smile liking Jungkook's company. Every boy would say that his room looks like that of a girl. It's his choice. He likes it. He gets angry when somebody criticises his room.
"I like Jungkookie!" Taehyung exclaimed as he dragged him to his bed where there's a mountain of presents. Both of them excitedly ripped open the presents. One of the presents caught Jungkook's eye. It was an Iron man Figure. He was intently staring at the toy that he didn't notice Taehyung noticing it.
"You like Iron Man?"
Jungkook nodded his head excitedly.
Taehyung grabbed the toy and put it into Jungkook's hand.
"Then it's yours now"
"Eh? but it's your birthday present" Jungkook was about to keep it down but Taehyung stopped him.
"It's from me. To you. That you'll be my friend. it's.... it's uh.... Like a promise" Taehyung snapped his fingers remembering a movie's scene he saw last week with his parents.
And Jungkook's eyes shone, brighter than anything. He felt tingles. He made his very first friend. He clutched into the Iron Man figure to his chest.
An unfamiliar boy entered into the room.
"Yah Taehyungie you opened the presents without me"
"Jiminie!" Taehyung jumped into the boy.
"who is he?" both jungkook and jimin asked at the same time.
"He's Jimin. and he's Jungkook" Taehyung introduced as he dragged Jimin into the bed and three of them continued ripping the present's covers.
Jimin noticed an Iron Man figure near Jungkook. He at once grabbed it.
"Taehyungie, can I take it?"
"That's mine!" Jungkook fumed.
"I took it first"
"Taehyung gave it to me"
"no, it's mine"
"no, give it to me!"
Jimin ran away outside the room into the party with the toy with Jungkook running behind him while Taehyung sat in the bed dumbfound.
