♡ an unlikely friendship blossoms between two unfortunate children. ♡
(Kid Samuel X Kid Reader) (Can be seen as platonic tbh!) baby sammy is just so 😭😭,, this fic is set prior to him thinking Garpyong is his father ;-;
You were a sickly child, it has always been that way.
Since you were little, hospitals and medication were all you knew. It sucked, it really did. It felt like you were punished for something you didn't even understand— something about your heart wasn't right, you heard the doctor say. Mama and Papa refuse to explain much but you know it's bad.
Once, you heard Mama sobbing when she thought you were asleep, peeking through the small gap from the slightly open bedroom door, you caught a glimpse of Papa comforting her, though he didn't look too certain either.
So it comes as no surprise that your life wasn't like the other kids' in the neighborhood. No playing, no running, no yummy food, no fun, and even almost no school.
Mama and Papa argued over it endlessly,
"It's too risky," "She'll miss out anyways with all her doctor appointments."
But Papa always advocated for normalcy, wanting desperately for his sweet little girl to experience life like the other eleven year olds. Thank goodness for that.
Not being allowed to play much, you bury yourself in books, living in the shoes of healthy and adventurous heroes and heroines, dreaming of fantasies like magic wishes and guardian angels.
That said, you try to be a good girl. Maybe if you work extra hard to be a good person, your fairy godmother would cure you. You wholeheartedly believed that. What's a child without hope afterall?
You love school. To put it more accurately, you love any excuse for leaving the house— simple things like walking and chatting with friends, sneakily eating some candy, oh god, you do love candy, and borrowing books from the library.
So your little mind couldn't fathom why anyone would dislike what you considered a luxury.
Samuel Seo irked you at first, that boy didn't care about anything— always sleeping in class and mumbling. He doesn't have friends and he smelt bad, forever wearing that same old tattered grey shirt and shorts.
It wasn't his unkept appearance, or lack of clean clothes that frustrated you, it was the fact that he'd never stand up for himself.
The sound of bullies snickering whenever he'd walk pass, but worst of all the cruel gossip that follows him wherever he went.
"Did you see that bruise on his cheek?"
"Does he only have one shirt?"
Kids can be so cruel sometimes.
One day after school, as you exited the convenience store with your pack of gummies, you spotted him, Samuel Seo, curled up by the alley way, next to a dumpster, looking dejected as always.
The smell of fresh bread escapes the chimney of the bakery next door, it was such a pleasant smell on an otherwise cold and bleak day.
"Hey, it's Samuel again." One of your friend quips, pointing rather obviously at him.
You turn red, embarrassed when you notice the poor boy clenching, curling up impossibly tighter as if he wanted to disappear.
"What's he doing next to the bins? Ew, is that why he stinks?"
"Maybe he lives in there."
"Samuel's house is a garbage bin! Samuel's house is a garbage bin!"
You clench your teeth, not liking the idea of mocking someone like that.
"I'll see you guys tomorrow, I just remembered Mama told me to buy some bread for breakfast tomorrow." You say, waving goodbye to your friends.
They wave back, before turning to continue gossiping to one another.
You try to apologize to Samuel, but it doesn't feel right. The words seem to stay choked in your throat. Instead, you head into the bakery awkwardly, buying the bread Mama had told you to pick up as planned.
"Actually," You squeak, picking out a melon bun, where that heavenly aroma came from. "This too, please."
Once you stepped outside the bakery, you held onto the bun meekly, heart pounding as you approached Samuel.
Gathering up the courage to speak, you eventually manage, "You're Samuel, right?"
"What gives?" He mutters, not even bothering to look up. Great, yet another person here to poke at his misery.
"Here," You say holding out the melon bun timidly.
"I'm sorry about what my friends said earlier. It wasn't nice."
He looks up, puzzled and guarded. Was this a prank? Another sick twisted joke? But he's met with your surprisingly innocent face, round eyes meeting his apologetically.
"For me?" He questions, still not fully trusting as he reaches out to take the melon bun.
He doesn't need to be told twice, practically snatching the bread before you can even reconsider. He rips the plastic off and chomps as if he hasn't eaten in days.
"Hey, slow down, you're going to choke." You panic, worriedly watching him scoff it down.
Your warnings seem to fall on deaf ears— he'd only look up and acknowledge you properly once he finished the bread.
Little do you know, this was the start of an unlikely friendship between the two of you.
Over the course of the next few days, Samuel tails after you, he tries to not make it noticeable but you notice anyway.
Maybe it was the fact that someone actually showed him kindness for the first time in his miserable life, or maybe he just liked the idea of having a friend. Hell, he doesn't even know your name— only knowing you as the "melon bun" girl.
It was a little frustrating, feeling a pair of eyes constantly watching you, but every time you turn around, he'd hide.
Today, that changes. You hold on to a bag of snacks from the convenience store, with intentions of sharing some with Samuel.
"Hey, you don't have to tail me like a little ghost, you know?" You call him out one day.
You barely spot him, hiding behind a tree.
"Hey! Don't ignore me." You try again, walking towards him.
Samuel runs. You don't know what possessed you, but you run after him.
"Hey, wait up!" You cry out. You feel your heart pinch, chest tightening as you crumple to the ground in pain. You really shouldn't have run.
Squeezing your eyes shut, you try to calm down, breathe in, breathe out, you have to regulate your heart.
"Oi, what's wrong with you?"
Looking up, you find Samuel, hesitantly standing before you.
"Heart problems." You gasp weakly. "I shouldn't run."
He stiffens slightly at your answer, "Then why'd you run, idiot." He mutters under his breath.
He doesn't know what to do, so he stays by your side, accompanying you through the pain.
"I wanted to give you this." You struggle to sit up, looking around with a frown. The snacks had fallen out of the bag, into the wet snow.
Samuel looks at the fallen snacks scattered on the ground before shifting his gaze to you again.
"Why?" He questioned, his voice still sharp, "Why would you want to give me your snacks?"
"You were looking at them." You answers timidly.
"Sorry, they've all gotten wet now."
Samuel's guard slightly lowered a bit at her timid response. He watched as you wiped the packaging with your coat sleeve, a small part of him touched by your kindness despite his hardened exterior.
"It's fine," He said, trying to sound nonchalant, "I don't want them anyways."
He tried to lie, but his stomach growled loudly in protest, betraying his words.
"Why not?" You ask, brows furrowing in confusion. You don't understand why he was being so stubborn, you heard his stomach too.
Samuel averted his gaze, trying his best to look annoyed rather than vulnerable. He hated the fact that his stomach betrayed him, but he was also exasperated by how persistent you were.
"I don't want your pity," He said defensively, but his stomach growled again, betraying him once more.
"It's not just pity," You admit, cheeks turning pink with embarrassment.
"I want to eat them too."
"I can't eat them all." You add when you notice his puzzled face, looking at the haphazardly filled assortment.
Samuel huffed in annoyance again, but he had to admit that you had a point. No way one person could eat all those snacks.
"Fine," He mumbled, "but I'm only eating because I'm hungry, not because I need your charity."
"Okay." You smile. It's a kind, bright smile that reminds him of an angel.
Seeing you smile with that sickeningly cheerful expression, a faint pang of jealousy hit him. How could someone be so genuinely happy?
Samuel quickly tore his gaze away, trying to ignore the twinge of envy in his chest.
"So, are we going to eat or what?" He said curtly, trying to sound annoyed.
"Come on, let's." You grab his hand, looking around warily before leading him to the playground.
Only when they were safely hidden in a tunnel slide did you feel comfortable.
Samuel followed you, his sharp eyes taking in their surroundings as you walked. He noted the way she looked around warily, as if they were hiding from something. He tries not to think too much about your hand holding onto his wrist.
When they crawled into the tunnel slide, Samuel couldn't help but ask, "Why are we hiding here?"
He sat down across from you, his back leaning against the cool walls of the slide
"So my Mama and Papa won't find me here." You admits.
"I'm not allowed to have snacks."
Samuel's eyebrows furrowed in a mixture of surprise and confusion.
"Why can't you have snacks?" He asked, genuinely puzzled.
He falters a little when he notices you look glum for a second, watching how you'd quickly mask it with a smile.
It's the first of many times Samuel would notice how you'd hide your sadness away behind your face.
"For good reason," You mumble.
"You first," he grunted, gesturing for you to take the first pick.
You excitedly pick out a pack of gummies, happily opening them.
"These are my favourite." You tell him.
Samuel watched as you happily opened the pack of gummies, your excitement palpable. He couldn't help but let out a small snort.
"Gummy bears? Aren't those for little kids?" He remarked, trying to hide his slight interest.
Even he had to admit that the sweets looked delicious, but he tried to play it off, appearing unimpressed.
"Aren't we kids too?" You retort, happily eating it.
"I'm definitely not a kid," he protested, the words coming out a bit more defensive than he intended.
The truth was, deep inside, Samuel still had a part that longed for the innocence of being a child. But he wasn't ready to admit it out loud, especially not to you who seemed so carefree and cheerful.
"Alright, alright, you're not a kid. But inside this tunnel slide, nobody's watching and I won't tell." You grin.
"Fine," he grumbled, trying to sound nonchalant. "I'll have one, just one."
He hesitantly popped one into his mouth.
"So hey, I was meaning to ask you." You ask softly, as they were snacking.
"Why'd you let our classmates pick on you? Aren't you going to even try fighting back?" It's a rather naive question.
Samuel's expression darkened at her question. It was a sensitive subject. He bristled at her naivety, your words reminding him of the countless times he had been insulted and mocked.
"Why should I fight back?" He retorted defensively, his voice tinged with a hint of bitterness.
"They're bigger, stronger, and there's more of them. What point is there in fighting back when I know I'll just lose?"
"Is there really no point in fighting if you stand no chance?" You croak. He hears some sort of desperation in your voice, as if you were hoping to hear a specific answer from him.
"It's just pointless," He muttered, the harshness in his voice slightly diminished. "Fighting back when you can't win just leads to more pain, more humiliation."
He paused for a moment, looking at you with a mixture of defiance and resignation.
"Why does it even matter to you?"
There it was again, that masked sadness, that sweet smile.
"Still, don't you think you shouldn't give up?" You ask softly.
Samuel grumbled at your words, his stubbornness making it difficult for him to concede.
"It's easy for you to say that," he huffed, his voice a mix of frustration and resignation. "You don't know what it's like to be constantly picked on. It wears you down, makes you feel hopelessly weak."
"Fair enough." You squeak, though your eyes were still downcast, masked and guarded behind your seemingly friendly demeanour.
You eat in silence, well, mainly Samuel. You just take one every now and then, cautious about how many you eat. When you notice him staring, you sigh, knowing you had to explain.
"I told you, I'm not supposed to have these."
Samuel let out a huff at your answer, his expression showing a hint of annoyance.
"Yeah, I get that," He retorted gruffly. "But why aren't you supposed to eat them? It's just sweets, what's the big deal?"
"I have a heart condition. That's why I can't run, I can't play, I can't eat yummy snacks."
"Don't worry, it's not contagious." You add, fiddling with a gummy bear listlessly.
"That's why I'm not in school sometimes." You tell him. If Samuel was being honest, he never noticed you before despite being in the same class.
"I go to the hospital for check ups and treatment."
"I had no idea," He muttered, his gruff tone softening. "I just thought you were skipping class or something."
He fidgeted slightly, feeling like a complete jerk for making assumptions.
"Skip class? What, do you think I'm a deviant or something?" You frown.
Samuel rolled his eyes at your playful taunting, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
"With all the sweets you're hiding, I wouldn't be surprised." He retorted, his tone lighter than usual.
"Well, I probably shouldn't if I don't want to die."
Samuel's expression sobered at your words. The light-hearted moment you were sharing suddenly felt heavy.
"Don't talk like that," he said, his voice unusually rough. "I can't believe you're casually talking about dying."
"Fighting back when you can't win just leads to more pain."
Samuel's eyes widened slightly as he heard his own words thrown back at him. His jaw clenched, but he couldn't deny the truth in your words.
"That's not the same," He mutters defensively. But there was a hint of hesitation in his voice, indicating a small crack in his usual facade.
You smile, changing the topic quickly before the mood got too glum.
"Hey, so since I can't actually eat these, take them, will you? Enjoy them for me."
Samuel's stoic expression wavered for a moment, surprised by your offer. He glanced down at the packs of snacks scattered around them, his eyes lingering on those gummies you were so fond of.
"You're really just gonna give them to me?" he asked, a mix of skepticism and curiosity in his voice.
Samuel huffed, torn between accepting your offer and refusing it on principle. But his grumbling stomach betrayed him, and he couldn't deny the desire for the sweets.
"Fine," He muttered, reluctantly leaning forward to collect the packs of snacks. "But you better not change your mind and ask for them back later."
"I won't. Pinky promise."
Samuel couldn't help but scoff at her childishness. Though, without another word, he hesitantly hooked his pinky finger with yours, sealing the deal.
"Y/n!" A lady's voice shrieks as she peeks into the tunnel, startling you both.
"Were you eating snacks again? I told you so many times you shouldn't. You've got a death wish?"
"I wasn't! I was just talking to my friend, Samuel." You lie.
Samuel's attention snapped towards the lady's voice, and he watched as your mother frowned disapprovingly.
"Come on, it's cold out. You shouldn't be out like this to begin with." Your mother drag you out of the slide.
"You know your body is weak, why do you insist being so stubborn?"
Samuel's eyes lingered on your face, noticing the resignation etched across your expression as you quietly accepted the scolding.
You turn around to wave bye to Samuel helplessly, as you follow your mother back.
He wanted to say something, to assure you that everything would be fine, but the words stuck in his throat. He could only manage a slight nod in response to your wave, clutching the bag of snacks as he watched you walk away.
Samuel remained in the tunnel slide for a while longer, lost in thought, mulling over the unexpected encounter. You were truly a weird one.
(qodjwdjak apologies for splitting this into parts, tbh I had the first part of this on my notes app for awhile now, I was just shy to post my writings💀 especially x reader type because I don't think I'm good at it😭, anyways part 2 is cooking rn🙏🏻)
