A gentle smile for the enthusiastic chatter. The broken English used, the playful teases.

Genuine happiness.

Dalnim watched the children in awe as they worked on the English-worded coloring books she had Hana bring in earlier for them at a reasonable volume for the second floor lobby. She sat comfortable in her wheelchair, just pleased to see that her students were making progress remembering some basic English words; the color blue, frogs, a house with a family, a pretty princess... The tenacity and excitement they all seemingly had will always warm the athlete's heart.

It only urged her to get right into her therapy sessions, so she can be back on the volleyball court in no time. Also getting a new diploma so to be a qualified English teacher was another goal of hers she must dive into. Dalnim just decided it'd be nice to start everything once Chanyeol returns tomorrow. Having his physical support for it all would put her racing mind to ease.

"Unnie, unnie!" One little girl, Hyo Sun, called out to her. Her, and as well as a couple others Junji and Mi Ran, teetered over to where Dalnim sat. The older bared a warm grin at the three younglings, nodding for them to tell her what they wanted. Junji held up the coloring book she had in hand, and showed her crayon stained page of a princess and a prince holdings hands. The longer Dalnim stared at the picture, she noticed a few specific details the girls' added themselves. "We made it to look like you and your boyfriend!"

"Omo, so you know you my boyfriend is?" Dalnim chuckled. The princess had colored black hair, very much similar to Dalnim's, and a ball was drawn in just under her hand. She'll admit, the adjustments to the prince made her laugh. With his hair drawn to be fluffier and brunette, they also added extra length of leg to the prince, as well as a microphone in his hand.

"Of course, Dalnim-unnie! Everyone knows you're dating Chanyeol-oppa," Mi Ran chimed with a toothy grin. "My own unnie told me about it when she visited the other day. She said you're very lucky."

The athlete's grin widened. "I guess you can say that I am lucky."

"You two really are like a prince and princess, unnie!" Hyo Sun quipped, her small hands gripping at the the hem of Dalnim's shirt. "How did you two meet?"

"Chanyeol and I were friends since a long, long time ago," the raven-haired woman beamed, patting Hyo Sun's head affectionately. "We've been friends even younger than all of you are."

"Even younger than Yoon Pyo?" Junji asked, her hand pointed towards the youngest of the bunch, five years old Yoon Pyo, who was minding his own business along with his own older friends.

"Mhm, even younger. I'm sure Chanyeol and I met since we were born."

The three girls let out an ooh, eyes twinkling in awe.

"Unnie, tell us stories of the two of you?" Mi Ran suggested, hope in her voice. The two others gasped, then nodded their heads in agreement, hopping around excitedly.

Dalnim chuckled. "Well, I guess go ahead and sit down while I recollect my memories." The girls were quick to sit cross-cross in front of the wheelchair-bound woman. With a sigh, a few memories did come to mind, memories she couldn't quite believe she forgot for just a brief moment.

Also, it made her realize how blatantly obvious Chanyeol was with her.

Oblivious, oblivious Yoon Dalnim, you could've had the boy so long ago.

"Mmm, I remember a time when we were around seven years old..."

S u m m e r  o f  1 9 9 9

Dalnim had just finished her practice for junior summer volleyball. Tired, but just happy about her progress today. Her serves had been her biggest enemy, and now it seemed like she was getting the hang of it with the help of the instructor.

She bid farewell to her fellow volleyball friends just as she exited the building, her backpack slung over her slim shoulders. As she stepped outside to the sweltering heat, she was greeted by her best friend, who had a navy blue towel and a slightly melting ice cream cone in his hands. He looked a bit panicked, but it didn't stop him from rushing over to Dalnim's side.

The young girl gawked at the ice cream. "Is that for me?"

"No."

She frowned. "Wait really?"

A mischievous grin tugged at his lips. "I'm kidding. It is, but, um, you took a while." He handed the cone to the girl and she quickly licked up the drips that poured from the sides, already getting to her hands. "Ah! Here, here!" Chanyeol also shoved her towel into her messy hands.

"Thank you, Sunny!"

The two kids start walking towards their neighborhood, side by side, hand in hand (for safety measures). It didn't take Dalnim too long to finish up the sweet treat. With her towel, she wiped at her lips and her hands to rid of the stickiness. It was then she realized how Chanyeol seemed to be rushing their walk home, he was practically dragging her.

"Why are you walking so fast?"

"I have a surprise!"

Dalnim hurried her pace so she could fall into step with her best friend. "A surprise?" she uttered in delight. "What is it?"

"You'll have to see when we get there."

Dalnim continued to follow after the boy without further questions. Once walking into their neighborhood, they had made a small detour just by the small sliver of a path just by Chanyeol's house, that lead to the back into the shaded forest area. The girl's heart beat with anticipation.

The walk didn't take too long in the forest, five minutes at most.

Then, there it stood. With the sun rays peeking out through the leaves and branches, it looked like a spotlight on the main attraction, which this might as well be. A tree house was somehow there before them on a stumpy, thick tree that wasn't too high in height, possibly around eight feet tall at most. A rope ladder was hung just outside the little entry way to its balcony, which then lead to the actual little roofed house.

Dalnim rounded at Chanyeol, eyes wide and mouth agape with surprise. "This is ours?"

"Yes, Mr. Yoon and I been working on it for the past two months while you were away on practices. He said I can show you now that it's done! Come on." He tugged on her hand to bring her to the rope ladder of the tree house. He gestured that she go ahead up, and Dalnim didn't waste any time to climb.

Reaching the top, she shuffled about excitedly, checking every area of the tree house as much as she could. Chanyeol climbed up right after her and stood by the fenced balcony as she zoomed about. "I feel like I'm on top of the world!" Dalnim squealed in joy, looking over the edge at the ground far below them. "I love it!"

"This should be our house then!" Chanyeol chimed as he sat down, his feet dangling over the edge. Dalnim joined right beside him. "You know, like our parents and they have their own house, this should be ours!"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah!"

Dalnim grinned brightly at him.

With hours passing from their fun at the tree hourse, nighttime nearly reached them, they decided it was time to go home.

Dalnim had a sudden thought as she turned to Chanyeol just as he climbed down the ladder after her. "We can't live here together!" A look of confusion crossed Chanyeol's face at her claim, and honestly, he looked a little disappointed too. "Both our parents are married. That's the only way they were able to get their own houses. So, don't we have to get married if we can live here?"

"Aren't we too young? Yoora-noona said that only old people get married."

"Mm, I don't know. Are we?"

Chanyeol huffed. "Well, when we grow up old, we should get married and live here. Deal?"

The smile returned to the girl's face as she held up a thumbs up, chiming a yes in agreement. She then began walking, so they could go back home, but it didn't take her many steps to notice how her best friend was straggling behind her, slow and cautious. "What's with you?"

"There's... a lot of bugs around and it's dark,"  Chanyeol's meek voice rang out in the darkness.

Dalnim rushed back to him and grasped onto his hand. "I'll protect you then, silly! Let's go."

The two friends then walked back home just fine.

S p r i n g  o f  2 0 0 5

It was a normal weekend for Chanyeol and Dalnim. Having finished their homework for the week, they both hung out at the living room of the Yoon home. They were supposedly also to babysit the 5 years old Haneul, but to their luck, they managed to get her to take a nap.

So, now, Dalnim watched a replay of a volleyball tournament on the television while Chanyeol played Pokemon on his Nintendo DS... or not. The boy's attention may have drifted away from the brightly lit screen of his handheld console onto the fascinated watcher besides him on the couch. Dalnim's eyes were glued to the TV, watching every move of every player on the volleyball court. Strings of english words left her mouth at every fantastic shot... and every horrible shot. Chanyeol may not understand every word, but it didn't stop him from gazing at her with admiration.

A buzz from his phone finally took his focus away from his best friend. He reached over to the coffee table where his phone lay and checked the text message he just received.

Struck by lightning, this was what it must felt like after reading the message. He sat up with such speed, a loud what falling from his lips, surprising Dalnim in the process. The dark haired girl eyed her friend with furrowed brows. "What the hell happened?" she muttered, hand to heart to calm the rapid pace.

Chanyeol showed her his phone screen, his frown prominent with underlying anger. "Is this true?!"

From: idiot friend

> Bro! I just heard that Dalnim is dating a popular high schooler!! Did you know???

Dalnim pursed her lips as she turned her head back to the television screen. "He must be talking about  Donghwan-sunbae."

"So, it's true?!" His voice was abnormally loud, and she just had to roll her eyes at it.

"Yeah, not really? He just asked me out last Friday after my volleyball game."

"Where was I, though?"

"Idiot, you were at a sleepover with your guy friends," Dalnim deadpanned with a click of her tongue. "It's fine, it's just one date."

Chanyeol grabbed onto her shoulders, catching her by surprise, and made her look at him. "That one date can turn into two dates, then three, then four--"

"Good to know that you can count."

"Yoon Dalnim!"

The black haired girl smacked the boy's hands away from her, the irritation evident on her face. "You're making a big deal out of nothing, Chan. What even is the deal? He asked me out, he looked nice, so I said yes, because why the hell not?"

"He's too old for you."

"He's only two years older."

"Why would he ask you out?"

That earned a punch to his arm, a shrill yelp leaving his lips at the stinging pain. "What do you mean, why? I happen to be a good catch, you know? He told me that I looked cool and that I'm cute. Do you disagree?"

"Yes, I think you're ugly and you're the lamest person I know." Another punch. "YAH! That Dung-whatever-his-name-is shouldn't be dating someone as young as you! Maybe he's a playboy, he finished dating everyone from his grade so he went ahead and went after you. Am I right or what? Should I ask my friend?"

Dalnim narrowed her eyes at the boy, clearly not pleased with his indirect insults. "He's nice. He's my teammate's older brother, alright? He's nice and not a playboy. You better stop asking why he asked me out or I'm seriously going to beat you up."

"Is there a way to not let you go on this date? When is it?"

"Tonight."

Chanyeol looked about ready to burst. "TONIGHT?  Yah! Were you never planning on telling me?"

"Why do I gotta tell you about my personal life?"

"Because we're best friends!"

"Well, it's not like you tell me everything! I know you have your own secrets, Park Chanyeol," Dalnim scoffed. An annoyed groaned, her hands running through her wavy locks. "Look, it's just one date. I honestly don't see it going more than that, there's nothing wrong with going on dates. That's what my teammates told me. Couldn't you be happy for me? This is the first guy that asked me out, and you're just telling me these bad things. Some best friend you are."

A frown tugged onto Chanyeol's lips at the sight of the genuine sadness on his friend's face. "I just want to be cautious, Dalnim-ah. What if he's a slimeball? What if he holds your hand?"

"Holding hands is nothing to me," Dalnim murmured with a roll of her eyes. "We hold hands all the time."

"Not all the time!" The poor shaggy haired lad pinched the bridge of his nose in his frustration. Why did she have to agree to a date so damn easily? "Are you really going to let him hold your hand? Okay, but what if he takes you somewhere weird?"

"We're going to the movie theater, Chan."

"Okay, what movie? One of those cheesy, romance movies?"

"Fantastic Four, Chanyeol. We're watching a superhero movie, for gods sakes. You think he's going to try greasy moves during an action packed movie?"

"YES. I THINK HE WOULD."

Dalnim gave him a shove, causing him to  fall backwards on the couch. "You're insane. How many times that this is just going to be a simple date? So what if he does any of that, isn't that how dates would go? Hand holding, arm around the shoulder?"

Chanyeol struggled back into a sitting position, his eyes blazing. "What if he kisses you then?"

That struck the girl into silence. Because, no, that never crossed her mind. Scrunched nose, furrowed brows, she shot at him, "This is our first date, he wouldn't!"

"But, I bet he would." Dalnim wasn't so confident this time around to reply back. Her first kiss was at stake and she would be damned if it'd be wasted on someone she barely knew. "Dalnim..."

"I don't want my kiss to be from him."

A first kiss should be from someone she's comfortable with, someone she trusts wholeheartedly. Definitely someone she wouldn't regret kissing.

"Exactly, so don't date him."

"I already agreed, Chanyeol! He's coming over to pick me up tonight."

"Well, now what, huh? You going to give your first kiss to that guy?" Pursed lips, Dalnim pondered about the situation in hand, eyes trained on the boy besides her. Comfortable, trustworthy... Her heart leapt at the sudden idea, face suddenly a beet red. She smacked her hands to her cheeks, not believing she had come up with such an idiotic thought. "What is it?" he asked her, noticing the odd behavior.

"It's a stupid idea." What the hell, I can't stop looking at his lips.

"Just tell me. It's not like we haven't done stupid crap before."

Well, he would be better than Donghwan-sunbae. He's my best friend, he would understand, right?

Dalnim let out a breath to get rid of her nerves. "Okay, so... I thought since neither of us had our first kiss yet, we might as well get it over with... like, right now."

The way his eyes bulged and his own cheeks flushed at the suggestion, Dalnim could already feel how awkward he must feel. "With each other?!"

"Well, it's not like there's anyone else in this house I could kiss, idiot." A groan left her lips at the ridiculous idea and she sat back in position on the couch. "Nevermind, this is crazy. It'd be weird, wouldn't it?"

"... Would it?"

A side glance. "What? Would you be okay with it?"

She could see Chanyeol's adam's apple bob as he gulped first before replying, "Well, just to get it out of the way, right? We're doing it for our own benefit, after all."

"Would you be okay with me as your first kiss?"

"... Yeah, are you?"

"Better with my best friend than with someone I might not like at the end of the night." Dalnim's gaze fell. "Okay, so we're both okay with it... How do we go about it?"

Hesitation. "Just touch lips and that's that, yeah?"

"Yeah."

The two shifted about awkwardly, their hearts about to explode from their chests. Dalnim took the initiative and gripped onto Chanyeol's shoulder, catching him off guard, and pulled him towards her, quickly placing her lips onto his. If her heart wasn't running a 100 miles per hour then, it was racing 10 times faster. She pulled away just as fast, her mind in a daze.

"There, that was okay, right?" she stammered out.

"Mhm."

Shy glances shared for the rest of the day.

And unsurprisingly enough, Dalnim's date with her sunbae didn't end with a kiss.

F a l l  o f  2 0 0 8

It was peaceful.

Chanyeol decided to wait for Dalnim until she was satisfied with her practice, so he had waited on the bleachers of the deserted high school gym while the young athlete served the volleyballs repeatedly over the net. It was well after her actual volleyball practice, but after all, practice makes perfect. The male understood that.

While she was off continuing with her volleyball, Chanyeol was writing a song in his notebook to use with his band. Lyrics heavily influenced by a certain dark-haired beauty who just so happens to be in the same room as him. He was nearly done with the song, and he was revving to compose the melody for it.

It would be the day he could sing this for Dalnim.

"Sunny..."

This particular song, he had been working on for so long. It started as a way to pour his heart out on how he felt with his best friend. But through the months and the roller coaster of emotions he experienced with his crush, it could either be forgotten, rewritten, thrown away. It was a messy ride. But, how could he avoid that? Two young teenagers with their own lives outside of each other's. There's bound for other crushes, dates, and other people coming into their lives.

Chanyeol just wasn't sure where he stood with Dalnim. But, no, he had to confirm it for himself. He knew now that he was in love with his best friend.

"Chan?"

And there were days where he thought that Dalnim might have returned the feelings for him. But then the next day, she would treat him again just like a friend... like a brother. Mixed messages. He'd be left wide awake in the middle the night wondering about the situation.

Does Dalnim like him as a friend?

Does Dalnim like him more than a friend?

The boy might know her inside and out, but he couldn't be a 100% sure with that.

"Yah! Park Chanyeol!" WHAP. The poor lanky teen fell backwards from the bleachers with a hard thud from the impact of the volleyball hitting his head. He stumbled back into a sitting position, glaring intensely at the annoyed looking girl approaching him. "What were you so focused on about that you couldn't hear me?"

Chanyeol blinked as he tried to hide his notebook behind his back. "Nothing much."

The athlete now stood in front of him. "Nothing much?" With quick reflexes, she managed to snatch the booklet right from his very hands. "What is it? Writing in your diary or something?" She begins flipping through the pages, earning Chanyeol to scramble onto his feet and step towards her to grab his notebook back, but she was a little too fast. "What are you writing in here, Chan? Dirty things?" she snickered.

"C'mon, NimNim, give it back."

A playful smile pulled at her lips. "But, I'm curious. Since whatever you were writing was much more interesting than the suggestion of getting some bubble tea!" She stepped further away from him as eyes drawn towards the written words.

"Yoon Dalnim!"

"Eep!"

A chase commenced in the spacious gym. Maneuvering through the volleyball nets, trying to fake the other out by bursting into a run to the opposite direction, climbing up the bleachers, a full out sprint. Laughter echoed around the room.

However to Dalnim's disadvantage, Chanyeol hasn't been working out for the past two hours and was blessed with longer legs. She was caught into his arms in no time and the notebook was torn away from her very grasp.

Breathing heavily, she asked him with a raised brow, "What is this? Are you actually keeping secrets from me now?"

"Didn't we agree that we don't have to tell each other everything?" he scoffed with a ruffle of her hair. "It's just... a song that I'm writing for the band."

Dalnim's gaze narrowed. "But, you always let me read the songs you write, mostly when you add English words into it."

"Well, there's no English words in this one."

"Oh come on! Just let me read the lyrics," Dalnim pouted. She clung onto his arm, practically begging him to tell her about it.

"You'll figure out soon enough, alright? Just let me perfect it first and then I'll show you..." Chanyeol shrugged off the girl's arm from his. "And go shower will you, you reek of sweat. Then we can go get bubble tea before going home."

~  *  ~  *  ~  *  ~

"And, now that I think back on those memories, it really showed me how blind I was," Dalnim finished with her stories of her past. "But, I guess it doesn't matter, because if I did things any different, we could never know where we would be right now. And, that's just a few of the many memories I had with my boyfriend." Before her, all her students ended up turning their attention towards her for storytime, all somehow engrossed in her past with the EXO rapper. She grinned brightly at the children, a finger to her lips. "This is exclusive information, so don't tell anyone else, okay?"

The students all chimed in agreement for their teacher.

"Noona, do you love him?" Hyo Sun questioned out of the blue.

A warm sensation showered her.

"I do. I love him very much," Dalnim replied in English, beaming with a pure smile.

"That's good to hear."

Dalnim averted her gaze towards the entryway at the familiar voice. There stood a man with a teddy bear as big as the children. Clad in thick clothing from the cold and a face mask to match, it didn't do much to hide who his identity was, at least not to Dalnim.

"Jagi having one of her lessons today?" Chanyeol chimed as he walked closer to Dalnim. Some of the children greeted the newcomer, waving, hugging, and some even showing them their finished colored pictures. He greeted all of them back, quite cutely in Dalnim's eyes, before finally reaching her to give her the gift.

"It's a day early."

"I just missed you too much."

"Oppa, oppa, here!" Hyo Sun handed over the princess and prince picture to the idol. "That's you and unnie!"

"Wow, I love it!" Chanyeol beamed as he patted the young girl's head with affection. "Can I have it?"

"Of course!"

He turned towards Dalnim, a pleased smile to his face. "Hey, Dalnim-ah, how would you feel if I started calling you princess?"

"I might have to start punching you."

"But you love me."

"It won't stop me from punching you though."

"Shame, because that's what you are to me."

And even knowing Chanyeol all her life, the man never seems to stop surprising her and keeping her on her toes.

I love him, I swear to god.

A/n: OH GOSH. Small update rn because I'm horrible and I forgot, but thank you to my friends who all gave me some ideas for this chapter!! AHHH I can't believe I forgot so boom bam, thank you B_Nicole15 daelighted and snowflakesonmylaptop for being rad and giving me these cute scenarios ~

Okay, carry on!