always be on his side.”
While Junhui busily wrapped the lollipops, Jihoon stayed at the door. He knelt to adjust his
height with the kid, one from the better part of the neighborhood. A little girl with a princess
dress and butterfly wings on her back. She had the brightest smile of all. Jihoon poured lots
of candies and chocolates into her basket, before taking out a small candy in golden wrapping
from his pocket, putting it on the little girl’s palm.
He gave her the sweetest smile, turning his eyes into crescents.
“A special gift for the prettiest princess.”
***
“Jihoon, we miss you!”
Soonyoung hugged him, a little too excitedly that it made Jihoon choked between his laugh.
He understood Soonyoung’s enthusiasm. Ever since they graduated from college and got their
own jobs, they rarely met. Even more so after Soonyoung and Wonwoo got married and
raised a child. But today, they gathered again, all four of them. It was at Jihoon’s invitation.
He opened his second candy store that day, and wanted to celebrate it with his closest friends.
“Whoa, Soonyoung, hands off my fiance.”
Junhui walked to them after checking the last preparation for the first day of opening, making
sure everything was perfect. Soonyoung pouted at him, throwing a playful punch on Junhui’s
arm, who proceeded to fake a very convincing hurt expression. Wonwoo chuckled at the
sight, one hand holding his young son.
“Possessive much, Junhui?”
“Well yeah, I should be,” Junhui said, after giving Soonyoung a bone-crushing hug with a big
grin. “After all those years of waiting for him to accept my proposal.” Jihoon laughed, giving
Junhui a kiss on the cheek, making him blush. They cracked up at how Junhui hadn’t changed
at all, still so innocent and love-struck.
They had a pleasant time catching up with each other’s news and stories, talking about their
plans for the future, reminiscing their old times. Of their school year, of their wild days in
college, of all the unforgettable moments. Soonyoung brought up Halloween in their last year
of high school. The one where they gave away candies at Jihoon’s house, where they unex-
pectedly won the best costume of the neighborhood. To this day, they still believed it was
actually Wonwoo and Junhui’s good looks that got them the prize.
“But hey,” said Soonyoung between their laughter, “Isn’t that how Jihoon began making
candies? Like, lots of them?”