My Platinum-Blond Childhood Friend Is So Pretty

5 – 02. With My Childhood Friend Who Turned Ten

The vast playground covered in sand.

In this day and age when smartphones are prevalent worldwide, there’s a saying that children spend all their time on TikTok.

Yet, despite that, just like how neighborhood playgrounds are constantly occupied by young children, the elementary school playground still buzzed with countless students running and playing.

And amidst it all, there I was.

Instead of playing outside, I was filled with the desire to draw.

“What are you doing, Lee Doyoon? Aren’t you going to throw it?”

“Can I hit you?”

“Wanna die?”

“No…”

Holding a kickball, I faced off against a girl on the other side.

Dressed in plain blue jeans and a white t-shirt, yet somehow seeming like she was wearing designer kids’ clothes.

Her beautiful platinum blonde hair, unchanged even after five years, fluttered, boasting a skin that remained radiant and unblemished despite a hint of tan.

Beneath long eyelashes, her blue eyes captured me.

Alicia. Nicknamed Ellie.

Now in her third year of elementary school, she had grown much taller from when she was five, her limbs elongated, and she had become completely fluent in Korean.

Despite growing in many ways,

“Hurry up!”

“….”

“Hey, Lee Doyoon. Just pass the ball. You can’t throw it at her anyway.”

“Okay…”

Like when she was five, she was still her own independent princess.

Though thankfully, unlike the time when we used to play alone, now she had mingled with other kids.

In the rectangular kickball court drawn with footprints in the middle of the playground, facing off against Ellie,

– Toss

I willingly passed the ball to Ellie, my opponent.

And as she caught the ball,

“Lee Doyoon, come here.”

“Yeah.”

– Bang

“We won!”

“Hey! Again! This time, team ‘Mukji’!”

After calling me right up to my nose, she tossed the ball lightly and got me out, concluding the game.

No one questioned the absurdity of the baseball game itself.

No one could rival Nelsa of Dohwa Elementary School, the third-grade princess Ellie.

It might seem strange to do it like this, but apart from when Ellie faces me, there was no issue as she always played the game fairly.

Well.

“See?! I won!”

I say while looking at Ellie, who has her hands on her hips and a mischievous expression.

Even making such a face, Ellie looked so lovely.

“You’re good at baseball anyway. But are you going to play again?”

“I am! This time, I’m on the same team as I Doyoon!”

In the end, there was no choice but to let her win.

The desire to draw pictures when I get home, neatly folded, could only be put aside to play together.

Whether I was five years old or now.

“Hurry up and come behind me!”

“I’ll catch all the balls. You just throw.”

“Of course!”

Because I had fallen for this platinum princess.

***

The days at the daycare where we first met have become distant memories.

Even at the kindergarten we attended from the next year, we were always close, holding hands.

And even beyond that, luckily, we ended up going to the same elementary school.

“Sigh… Thank goodness. I won’t worry as much about walking home together. They say there’s a lot of concern in the world these days because kids are so pretty.”

“That’s right, hehehe.”

At the time, our parents were very pleased with the elementary school assignment. Perhaps it was easier to take care of each other if we attended the same school, and there was less worry about walking home.

Moreover, even two years ago, at the tender age of eight.

Elly, who seemed to vaguely realize the fact that ‘we might end up going to different schools,’ was also very happy.

“Elly, is it nice going to the same elementary school as Doyoon?”

“Hmph, it’s always been mine! Of course, we’re going together!”

Although she showed a more confident posture with much improved pronunciation, revealing her feelings was embarrassing, but well, that’s Ellie.

“Elly’s possessiveness is so severe, I don’t know what to do~ Doyoon, take good care of Ellie. Got it?”

“Yes, ahjumma.”

“Oh dear, don’t call me mother-in-law…”

“Is Yerin there? Our son hasn’t given it to you yet, right? Why are you already trying to listen to your mother-in-law?”

“Oh my, it’s better for you to be called ‘Mother’ by Ellie too~”

“Not yet! Can’t give it!”

“Hmm… Jieun, I agree with your opinion. It’s still too early.”

“Right? Mark knows something after all!”

“I want Ellie to call me father…”

“You be quiet!”

In fact, originally our house and Ellie’s house weren’t that close.

Thanks to that, even if we stayed out late, we had to part ways by the time we ate dinner, and going to school together was an impossible distance.

“But anyway, how are the preparations? Any problems?”

“Yeah. I think I can start next week.”

“Oh, things turned out like this. People really don’t understand.”

“hehehe, indeed.”

Thanks to a series of coincidences, Ellie’s family moved into the apartment where I live, right next door.

At that time, the neighborhood where Ellie lived was included in the redevelopment area, so they had to move, and at that moment, the elderly couple living next door to us decided to move to the countryside.

So Ellie’s family took that spot easily, and we became perfect neighbors just before entering elementary school.

Naturally, I don’t have to mention how happy and excited Ellie and I were on the day of the move.

Now, when we want to see each other, we can just knock on the next door and meet right away.

We often went on outings with both families, and we even went to the beach together in the summer. We had become close enough to sleep on the same bed.

Ellie and I frequently visited each other’s houses, and as a result, the boundary of “our house” became blurred.

But just one thing.

“Ellie~ It’s time to go back now, right? If you want to play with Doyoon tomorrow, you have to sleep well and wake up early.”

“Yes…”

“If you tell Ellie’s mom that you overslept, then tomorrow, ahjumma will take Doyoon far away to play.”

“No! I want to go too! I’ll wake up early in the morning!”

“Hmph… Alright! Ellie, fighting!”

Even though we played until late at night, thanks to Ellie’s face of longing because we couldn’t play more when we returned.

The time I had to draw alone decreased significantly. I drew pictures by squeezing every spare moment.

Although I felt a little disappointed, I didn’t really mind.

“Ido Yoon.”

“Yeah.”

– Come here…

It was completely forgotten whenever Ella and I hugged and greeted each other so naturally.

Except for these small details, we have become close neighbors, something rarely seen in today’s world.

That was already two years ago.

Now we are…

-Pang!

“Ella! I caught the ball!”

“Well done! Give me the ball!”

“Here.”

As a 3rd grader in elementary school, we were still having enjoyable days.

***

“Alicia, you’re really good!”

“Let’s go home together! There’s a stationery store downstairs, right?”

“Alicia!”

After the baseball game led by Ella ended.

Looking at Ella surrounded by friends, it felt new to me even though I was only 10 years old.

Before entering elementary school, Ella and I used to play alone no matter what.

From the age of 8, she started excluding me from her classmates during class time, and she began to develop social skills.

With platinum blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin, although it seemed strange, she was different from when she was 5 years old.

“I am Alicia. I am 8 years old. The things I like are…”

Since the age of 8, my Korean language skills improved to the point where there was almost no difference between us, so there were no major problems.

I knew there was a lot of effort behind it. Whenever it rained and we couldn’t go out to play, Ella always studied Korean diligently.

Anyway, since there was no problem with speaking, the only thing left was the fact that “Ella is pretty.”

From being like a doll at the age of 5, Ella gradually became a beautiful girl like the ones in movies, and naturally gained the favor of other kids.

At that time, the popular animation movie “Frozen” had a big influence as well. The character “Elsa” from the movie had similar hair color to Ella, so everyone liked her a lot.

As a result, there was always endless attention around her, and Ella gradually opened her heart realizing that it all came from goodwill.

Certainly, even so, Eli’s closest friend was me.

Anyway, from that time on, Eli took the initiative to lead the play with the after-school kids, including me. Thanks to that, there was hardly anyone challenging Eli now.

Because if you appear to be annoying to Eli, you won’t be able to join the largest playgroup.

I stood confidently, watching Eli receive attention from the kids.

“Do Yoon! Do you want to eat this?”

“Yeah, I want to eat. Thanks.”

“You only give it to me! Eat it secretly!”

“Don’t tell other guys that we gave it to you~”

I exchanged glances and laughs with the girls who sneakily handed over snacks. It wasn’t as effortless as Eli, but several kids approached me without hesitation.

And the reason was.

“I’ll eat well. Taehee, Soyeon.”

-Sizzling

“Uh, yeah… there are other things too…”

“If you don’t go with Alicia today, you…”

The girls blushed at my response, knowing that they were interested in me.

Well, I wasn’t uncomfortable with this kind of favor from girls, so I always smiled and chatted.

No, that’s not entirely true.

There were uncomfortable moments.

After exchanging smiles, sharing food, and enjoying conversations like this.

Even when talking with other kids a little away, surrounded by them, they glanced at me with burning eyes.

-Sparkling

Because I had to endure Eli’s anger.

***

“What did they give you?”

“Gummies.”

“Are they delicious? Is it tasty because they gave it to you?”

“Is it delicious?”

“Hmph! Then eat that! Either eat it or follow them to eat more!”

Separating from friends and heading home together.

The cheerful laughter while playing baseball disappeared, and Eli poured complaints and grievances onto me.

If she seemed to be trying to get too close to kids other than herself or showed favor from girls, she always elicited such reactions. Even when she was with boys, if it seemed like she was getting too friendly, she subtly distanced herself.

Nevertheless, she eventually became naturally close with the ones she wanted to befriend, leading to a pouty finale with Elli puffing up her cheeks.

“Tap, tap, tap!”

Elli walked a bit ahead, displaying her tantrum with determined steps, making it clear that she was displeased with the time I spent chatting and becoming friendly with the girls.

I couldn’t quite define her possessiveness and desire for exclusivity, still awkward in her affections.

Yet, watching it made me feel good. At least I could sense the princess’s attention directed towards me.

Last year, I had shortened my platinum hair that reached just below the shoulders, and as I walked, matching Elli’s pace with brisk steps, I gazed at her lovely hand from behind.

Quickening my pace, I caught up with her and grabbed Elli’s pretty hand firmly.

“Squeak!”

Despite her protest, Elli didn’t pull her hand away.

To her, I smiled faintly as always and said, “What’s wrong? Want to go to the playground? I’ll push you on the swing.”

“…”

“Don’t want to? Then let’s go to my place and draw…”

“N…no. Playground.”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

Sometimes Elli’s mom felt sorry for her daughter’s strong will and self-centeredness, but I was truly okay with it. Because…

“To be honest, the twisty bread wasn’t that good. Let’s play at the playground and then go to your house for toast.”

“Hmph, whatever.”

“With sugar sprinkled on it. You like that, don’t you?”

“I’ll get scolded by mom, dummy.”

“If I say I wanted to eat it, Mom won’t scold you. It’s okay.”

“If you want to eat it… I guess it’s fine then.”

“Yeah. I want to eat with you.”

“…Let’s go quickly.”

Ellie was always very cute to me.

When she was five years old, even now at ten years old, and even as time passed.

Because she was a princess who was incomparable to anyone else, beautiful and perfect to me.